Say What?

Cliff turned 22 months old a couple of days ago and is already certified in chip dipping . He also let out an "oh shit!" recently. What will he do or say next? I have no idea, but the thought of what it may be makes me smile. The pups and I have been getting in lots of miles walking in our neighborhood and beyond. For now, we're averaging about 4 miles (6.4 km) a day, with 2 miles in the morning and 2 in the evening. Once the cooler weather sets in, we'll walk less. It's good therapy for my knee's rehab.  Like many others here and abroad, I'm saddened by what I'm witnessing happening to our country. We're being ruled by people who, at their core, are white supremacists. They've formed the MAGA (Make America Great Again) movement by co-opting, to a large degree, the Christian church and have launched a Christian nationalist agenda using the Evangelical Church as its springboard. What's disturbing about it is the unholy alliance between the ...

Tammy had a follow-up appointment last Friday with a member of her medical team to discuss the findings of an MRI she'd had done the previous week to check for any damage to her heart after her cardiac arrest event in August. We're happy to say that her heart shows no signs of damage. That was such great news to hear. The nurse practitioner we met with said, "You're a very lucky lady." We're relieved and thankful.  We paid a visit to the Lakeville police department a few weeks ago to inquire about meeting with the team that responded on the morning of Tammy's emergency, to determine a suitable time to meet the crew and express our gratitude. An officer we spoke with told us they were having an award ceremony for Officer Russel Spearman, the officer who first responded to our 911 call, the following Wednesday at the start of the shift. Officer Spearman knew nothing of the ceremony, nor did they tell him we would be there.  They had us wait just outside the ...

I didn't attend any of my high school reunions until our 25th in 2000. Our 50th was last weekend. For our 10th reunion, I was so out of the loop that I didn't realize we were having one. I found out about it while watching the Johnny Carson Show, where one of Johnny's guests, Teresa Ganzel, mentioned it. Teresa was a regular on his program, and although I recognized her from some appearances she had made in film and on The Tonight Show, I didn't realize she was the same young woman who used to walk past our home on Saturday mornings on her way to drama practice at the high school we both attended. I knew her as Terry Ganzel in high school, but in her professional life as an actress, she went by Teresa Ganzel, with a different emphasis placed on the last syllable of her last name.  Johny asked her what she had done the previous weekend, and she replied that she attended her 10-year high school reunion in Bloomington, Minnesota—a 1975 graduate of Bloomington Jefferson hig...

Today marks ten years since my mother's passing, ten years since having the hearing in my left ear restored, and ten years since I retired. It feels fitting to make mention of it. The years are passing by so fast in my life now. I recall how my four year enlistment in the Navy seemed to play out at a pedestrian pace, but now, four years gets away from me in such a hurry. And this train just keeps rolling down the tracks faster with each passing year. Here's a blog post I wrote where I talk about that day ten years ago. Until Tammy's recent brush with death, it was the most emotion-filled day of my life. Tammy continues to work to regain her strength from a cardiac arrest event 2 1/2 weeks ago. She was discharged from transitional care on Saturday. Her ribs are still very sore, and she's extremely tired from some meds she's taking for her heart. It's going to take time before she feels normal again. Oscar and Rudy are happy to have her home. Cliff loves his bal...

We had a scare, but I'd like to begin by saying that Tammy will be okay. She woke me up at 4:35 on Saturday morning (11 days ago), saying, "I can't breathe, call 911!" She repeated it at least twice more. I hurriedly called 911 and explained to the dispatcher what was happening—what little Tammy could tell me and what I could observe. They continued to ask questions about Tammy and her condition. I explained the best I could, having only just awakened, while pleading with them to please hurry. Time seemed to crawl as we waited for help to arrive. I paused the 911 operator and ran to disarm our alarm and prop open the front door to save the arriving help whatever precious seconds I could.  A Lakeville Police Department officer arrived shortly after Tammy appeared to lose consciousness. He announced his presence at the front door, and I yelled for him to come up the stairs. He hurried up the ten stairs to our bedroom and stood assessing the situation for a few seconds. ...

  I finally went for a ride on my road bike last night for the first time since last summer. I've been content to ride my gravel bike until now because it allows me to unclip from the pedals more easily, placing less lateral force on my right knee than I experience when unclipping from my road bike pedals. (My nephew just reminded me that I can adjust the pedal for the amount of force it takes to unclip.) I nearly forgot how much fun it is to ride this bike —how nimble and responsive it is. It was a shorter ride of only 24 miles (39 km), but I had so much fun and returned home amped about my ride. More of this, please.  One thing I noticed right away from my Favero Assioma power meter pedals was how much less power I'm generating with my right leg compared to my left. The data indicate that my left leg accounts for 60% of my power output, while my right leg accounts for 40% (approximately the same as before surgery). This is despite my focus on trying to involve my right leg m...

The odometer on my 2014 Subaru Forrester turned over 100,000 miles (160,934 km) this week. There are a few small areas of light rust that will probably be full-blown rust spots in a few years. I don't have plans to address them, but I may rethink that. I don't usually purchase extended warranties, but I made an exception for this car. The warranty is a lifetime warranty and has more than paid for itself already.  I've never been one for flashy, expensive cars. My only desire is that they roll me safely and relatively comfortably from place to place. My Forrester is my first vehicle with a temperature and directional gauge, so I'm living large. It's been a good car for me.  Last week, we celebrated Oscar and Rudy's first anniversary with us. They have fully wormed their way into our hearts and are enjoying family status. Their antics have us smiling and laughing at them throughout the day. We can't understand how anyone could abandon them the way they did by ...

When Trump walked out onto Lafayette Square in Washington, DC, in June 2020, in the wake of the George Floyd protests and after having a peaceful gathering of people broken up by tear gas, he stood in front of St. John's Episcopal Church and held up an upside-down bible—a prop. He didn't quote any scripture from it. He just held it in his tiny hands. It was then that I began referring to him as a fascist. For the most part, then, he had people in his orbit who kept him reigned in from his more fascistic tendencies. Later, retired U.S. Army Gen. Mark Milley would say former President Trump is "a fascist to the core." Other senior staff in Trump's administration echoed the same concern. None of those people (respected people with decades of experience) are part of his administration anymore, and it shows.  It should be clear to anyone paying attention to the destructive moves Trump's administration has made since his inauguration that fascism has arrived here.  ...

Rudy and Oscar have been with us for 11 months. Because they were strays, I sometimes wonder how they came to be abandoned. The scenario I've thought makes the most sense is that their original owners moved out of wherever they were living at the end of May and turned Oscar and Rudy loose when they left. They may have been on their own for a week or two before some kind person was able to get them and take them to the Humane Society. They were initially adopted by a woman, but she returned them after five days. They were probably too much for her. That's when we were contacted. Because I'm curious about where they were left to wander, I asked the Rochester Humane Society if they could provide us with an address for where they used to live. They're unable to divulge that information. I get that. It was worth a try. I've been a member at Planet Fitness for not quite a year. It's such a good value, and it's never overly crowded when I'm there. It feels grea...

It's Easter Sunday. In my previous life, I would have been rubbing elbows with the faithful at Hosanna this morning while listening to a condensed sermon from one of four or more services they would hold to be able to accommodate the demand of the C and E (Christmas and Easter) crowd. I used to love Hosanna—the convenience of its location, the meaning I would take away from the sermons, and the grounds (I used to mow the lawn at the church). I knew it was the right place for me at that time. I wrote about what I felt, and still feel, was a God experience the first time I attended a service there. It's an interesting read if you have the time. But it wouldn't last. Many years later, I would have a falling out with the lead pastor , and that left me disillusioned with organized religion. It's where I remain today. It too is an interesting read.  I still see Easter as a time of renewal; a time to reevaluate my life and consider changes I can make to be a better person. I ...

Cliff has learned to turn light switches on and off and control the dimmer switch from his perch atop his highchair. In the few weeks he's been walking, he's become very fast on his feet, no longer walking like he's inebriated but with purpose to his steps. It's been so much fun watching him grow and become himself. Rachel and Drew occasionally send us videos and photos of Cliff throughout the week, and they always bring smiles to our faces. We had fun with friends a few nights ago using ChatGPT to make our own personal action figures (a social media craze I wasn't aware of). Our results!  Use the script in my Instagram post to make your own. Part of the fun was the wait for the program to render the result, which usually took a few minutes, and then the laughter that followed.  I was released from physical therapy for my knee three weeks ago today after being a regular there for ten months (most of those months were for pre-hab ahead of my surgery). My doctor also ...

Cliff took his first official steps last week! He had been taking some baby steps with the aid of furniture, keeping in touch with it as he worked his way around a room, but these steps were unaided. Talking can't be too far behind. Rachel, Drew, Cliff, and PJ spent a night with us last weekend. At one point, I counted more than 40 continuous unaided steps by Cliff. Impressive! We're loving our role as grandparents! Oscar and Rudy have been with us for nearly nine months. We feel blessed to have them sharing their lives with us. Like all of our pups before them, they've wormed their way into our hearts in a big way. We have so much love for them. I tell them they're not just loved; they're "super loved!" I often think about how they beat the odds to remain together when they were strays and found their way to us. We're grateful. Rehab for my knee is ongoing, and I'm pleased with how far I've come, considering how difficult my recovery has been...

Serious question: now that all aid to Ukraine has been halted, and in light of all of the capitulations Trump has made to Russia — shutting down early warning agencies; halting intelligence gathering aimed at Russia; turning our backs on our allies; talk of removing sanctions on Russia; placed stooges in prominent roles; removed critical oversight, did I mention turning our backs on our allies as well as relinquishing our role as leader of the free world, etc. — how long will it be before Trump moves to help arm Russia? It’s terrifyingly shocking, but this is where we find ourselves.  Trump Is clearly acting on Putin’s behalf. Sorry to be blunt, but it takes a whole other level of gullibility not to open your eyes and mind to the possibility that you’ve been conned if you’re still supporting this pretender. We are watching the dismantling of our country and, with it, our democracy, our freedoms, and our way of life. What are we waiting for? That's all I've got.

I woke up to numerous songbirds singing outside our bedroom window this morning. Our snow is gone, with the exception of where it's been piled high after snow removal. With nothing but well above freezing temps in our forecast, even the piles of snow won't survive. I know it's too early to think our winter is behind us, but I'm enjoying the respite.  Tammy and I had appointments for eye exams last week. Dr. Cassin asked me if I was experiencing any issues with my vision. I took a few seconds to think about it before responding, "No, my eyes seem fine." It had been 2 1/2 years since our last eye exams.  An image appeared on the device I was looking through during the exam. The doctor asked if the two sections of a partial rectangle (left and right) I was seeing were lined up. I told him that one was quite a bit higher than the other. He made an adjustment and asked me again if they were lined up. "Nope, the right side is still higher." It would take s...

My range of motion (ROM) continues to improve. I hit 112° at both PT sessions last week and reached 114° Tuesday and today. This all comes after a 5-day MethylPrednisone burst that helped bring down swelling enough to give my knee more room to bend. I met with my doctor's PA on Monday. He's pleased with my progress and seemed optimistic that I can continue to see increased ROM over the next year, especially in the next few months, as swelling continues to abate. I would love to get to 130°, but it doesn't appear to be in my cards.  I've been enjoying indoor rides again, but they come at a cost, so my physical therapist would like me to hold off before incorporating them into my rehab. I rode for an hour a few days ago, and my knee felt very good, allowing me to push the pace for a couple of surges. The next day, however, I paid for it with a very tired and weak knee that had me sidelined the entire day. Taylor (my PT) told me it's okay to occasionally do an easy 5 m...