Saturday, August 17, 2013

Volume V * Sept 16 - Sept 20 (Days 31 - 35)


Prologue   I     II    III    IV    V    VI   VII   VIII   IX    X   XI    XII 

Volume V    featuring . . .
  * Food from Mary Jane, Anthony, and Molly
  * Sam Joke #2 ("Debbie's towel joke")
  * A fine Howley-do with Renate and Axel
  * Cult of the occlupanid
  *  Computer Nerd vs. Calendar
  * NEW!     Random cartoons     NEW!
  * Una Noche con Nora - Dinner and a movie 
  * [Everyone sing:]  "Food, Gloria's food"
  * Ahoy! Cast off!  
  * Tale - the Pin on the Honky!
  * Another haircut, or whatever.
  * Nian picks paintball
  * [Does he look Italian?] Eggplant Anthony
  * Tragedy in a G8 Nation
   
Day 31 Monday 9/16 
 First - regarding the side-effects of percoset, thanks to all of you emailing with concerns and advice about my bowels. 
They're fine, thank you very much. (How're yours?).
Addressing some popular comments:  I eat a prune or two every day. Also an apple. And no fiber supplements seem necessary.

Moving on...(pun intended)...

Rainy AGAIN. I spent most of the day putting together the last blog "release". 
Angela (LPN from Interim Home Care) texted that I'm removed from her schedule. I called the office. After some time, the reply is that I had used 10 of 20 authorized visits and they would send someone (Angela)  3 times a week to stretch out the remaining usage.

I'm confused. With two broken wrists I absolutely cannot take care of the pin sites. Technically, I live alone. Would United Healthcare rather risk a wound infection and associated expenses over daily wound care? The pins stay for another 4 weeks. I'll ask orthopedic (Saslow) at Thursday appointment about it.  Just between us (nothing on the internet is public, is it?) Paige and Chris are perfectly able to do the wound care but that is just a lucky circumstance for me. And a certified "professional" ought to be checking regularly.

Mostly from boredom I walked to Publix in the early evening. Chris had a night class and didn't come home until 9:30.
We started heating Mary Jane's chicken Parmesan. It had been refrigerated for a day.  After half an hour of heating, Chris and I took 2 of 6 (7?) generous portions. Paige didn't feel like eating.
We now know it's best to just scoop out a portion and microwave. The mozzarella melts better and it warms through. Mary Jane told me not to worry about chicken drying out because it had been brined. She was right - it stayed juicy. 

A custom-assembled bag of salad included sprouts, which were a treat, esp with the home-made dressing that delicately enlivened the taste of greens without smothering with some foreign flavor.

I fear the mini-muffin brownies will be gone first. So cute. So inviting. So....ooh...where'd it go?

Email and phone calls from Jamie presented me with a mission: What do we do for his son's 14th birthday? I checked Amazon Local and Groupon, coming up with Paintball, MiniGolf, K-car racing, and Jamie added charter sailing.  

Nian (Jamie's son) made the call:  Paintball.
Since reservations were required, I'll check tomorrow before making purchase on Jamie's behalf.



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Random Cartoon #1



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Day 32 Tuesday 9/17
 Angela here early for pin care. I was already up, making breakfast. I've sort of quit eggs for awhile because of trouble handling. I'm eating lox, bagel, cream cheese each morning.  Chris prepares orange sections cut up for me.  Also onions and tomatoes are sliced in advance for me. I can do the rest - sort of enjoying exercise necessitated by the most challenging part: getting that plastic doodab off and back on to the bagel bag. 

Determined to be more clear and exact than "doodab"...I wanted to take a picture. But THAT is still difficult for me. Tap, tap, tap on my phone/camera viewer. Nada.  Or a blurred picture because my other hand can't hold the camera steady. 

So Google images it is. What wondrous times we inhabit when half the world can access vital information such as:

Ah!  My nemesis is an occlupanid! I think if mine had a greater "lesser proximal palp" I might easily wrestle the plastic bag through the "oral hook".  Alas, manufacturers are pitiless!

The photo was linked to a story of British doctors who were classifying occlupanids (occlupanidae?) as part of their quest to create edible ones. I didn't learn WHY. Babies eating them?
Anyway...I consider it a Civic Duty to keep you abreast of more of their endeavor.  Ergo...

(I'm kinda partial to the Acutignatha. I hope it comes in chartreuse)


Coffee is simple with the Keurig. I mention this again because my friend Kerouac emailed me, praising his, and also re-enforcing the thought that one can easily use his own ground coffee. K-cups not necessary.  My past NORMAL morning coffee routine at home was grinding beans freshly - some mix of Dunkin' Donuts and a dark Starbucks (usually Verona). 
[That comment will probably inspire a swarm of coffee advise from assorted aficionados.] 

 I suppose I'll be trying that mix with the Keurig when I leave this place.



Some computer time and phone calls secured me a Groupon for 10 at East Coast Extreme Paintball, with reservations ("required") on Nian's birthday, Oct 13. Nian says he's got friends at school who will show. Sounds like fun............ to watch! [OK, people. Keep up!  Nian is Jamie's son. Jamie has a room in my house but spends too much of his life out-of-state; sewer-pipe repair and upgrade]
  Renate and Axel picked me up again, and we had lunch at Howley's (with my $25 off minimum $37.50 purchase).  

Axel entertained us swatting flies on the large glass window abutting our table. Sometimes he killed them, sometimes scared them away, and sometimes threatened to shatter the glass. All were happy with food; mine was seared ahi tuna salad.

Dropped off at the condo, I reached for keys in my pocket and realized .. no phone. I had taken it out at restaurant.  I stood in the middle of the street (no traffic), waving for Axel to notice me in a rear-view mirror a block away where he was stopped for the light at Dixie Hwy. I sort of ran towards the car, waving...and he noticed.

I'll embarrass Renate to report that she called my phone number and someone (undoubtedly a Howley's waitress) picked up. Renate began explaining..."Howleys?  We left a phone there..."
Waitress: "Yes. I'm talking on it."

About 6 miles round-trip added to fetch my phone.

Overcast, drizzly, rainy all day. I napped. Wonderful. Woke to find that C&P were home and had enjoyed 2nds of Mary Jane's chicken Parmesan. I got a serving too. And salad. And Brownie. (Thanks Mary Jane, Anthony, and Molly)

Bored and wanting exercise, I ventured out again around 9 pm and picked up things at Publix. On the way there and back I climbed the 1½-story flight of stairs up to Muvico - just to do it. I had decided days ago to NOT exercise in the condo stairwell JUST IN CASE I slipped...and no one found me for awhile.

My legs are good, and I focus on footing and traction going up and down. I won't (and shouldn't) use the handrails at all.

I "publish" updates of this blog every several days, and email a cutesy announcement to people. Last time, I joked that - after recovering from the wrist injuries - I'd find a new adventure to blog about. Like, f'rinstance,  free-style rock climbing.  I included a video link that elicited several appreciative replies. Here it is again. As before, I caution: not for the squeamish, but worth the 30 second commercial:

Alex Honnold freestyle rock climbing





Day 33 Wednesday 9/18
 C&P had morning classes again.  Angela was supposed to not show until 1:00 but cancellation of one "training" speaker brought her early. 

Computer nerd alert
I spent too much time figuring why ... when I put "events" into my computer's (Google) calendar, they show up on my phone calender (that's a good thing), but not vice-versa. Naturally, Google "Help" offered none. 

Directed to a forum, one contributor cautioned that perhaps I was not even using Google calendar on my phone. "Preposterous" I thought, since I was seeing entries that I made in Google Calendar. The contributor made it simple: Was my calendar icon white with a green border?

Yessiree, Bob!

"That's Samsung's calendar app."
It's synced to take data from my Google calendar, but won't send. I needed to go to the App Store and get the free download for Google Calendar. Its icon is white with a blue border.

That worked - except ...  the computer and the Samsung phone app display some words on the monthly view:
The Google phone app (so far) displays only the color bars. No words to hint what the event actually is. 
(Colors indicate the event source. For example on mine, green is dedicated to Palm Beach Lakes events. Yellow is County-wide. I set it up that way. Past dates have faded coloring.)

The consequence of the above is that - if no fix is made - I'll use the Google calendar app on my phone to ENTER doctor appointments, dinners, deadlines...but I'll use the Samsung app when viewing/searching my calendar. Seems dumb.

Nerd alert passed.  All clear.

I went to the condo gym again. Besides doing leg extensions and leg presses (can't do leg curls. I need hands for them), I noticed a leather wrap designed for attachment to cables. Damn! I can fit a hand through that thing, including cast or external fixator. 

Googling later led me to realize I was looking at an "ankle strap".

Consequently, with the ankle strap at or above my elbows, there is NO strain on wrists while - with different positions and motions - I can work  lats, shoulders, neck, pecs.  Sadly, biceps and triceps will have to wait. 
I can't (or won't) use much weight but anything beats the rather depressing feeling that (true or not)  I'm spiraling into - please pardon the over-dramatic here - decrepitness. I'm looking forward to making gym-visits a daily routine.

I changed clothes to meet Nora for dinner and a movie; it's suppose to be my treat. She fed three of us for about 5 meals! 

I timed socks: 3 minutes to turn them back from "inside-out" - which is how I launder them. Another 3 minutes to put them on!

For the THIRD time since starting this Blog, I ate at Bistro at the Marriott, using coupon - $25 off of $35 minimum purchase from Restaurant.com.  Nora agreed heartily with the choice. She had the hogfish snapper which - honoring our special request  - arrived with a generous overlay of seasonal mushrooms. She wants to return next month with some friends. I gave her another coupon!

The movie was Una Noche  (Spanish with English subtitles) about a teenager in Havana wanting to escape to Miami. "Inspired by a true story" - but Nora and I agree it's more like thousands of true stories.  The film shows some joys (youths playing) but mostly heartaches of a crumbled paradise, with the police ready to pounce on the smallest misstep. 

Nora was born in Cuba, so it was more powerful for her - though not news-shattering. She knows dozens of the stories.


Day 34 Thursday 9/19
Usual morning stuff. Near noon Paige drove me to 45th street for a "haircut". That doesn't really belong inside of quotations; my hair DOES get cut. 

Paige continued on for an afternoon test she had to take. My brother, Jody, picked me up from the hair place and we continued to see Dr. Saslow in North Palm.

One of his PA's used a pair of pliers (honest) to yank out the two small pins. X-rays revealed bones in both wrists positioned well. 

The cast was removed from my right wrist and I received a stylish contoured wrist support - shiny, hard black plastic with velcro bands. It's to be worn at all times except when showering.


I'm encouraged that the external fixator gets removed Oct 8 - weeks earlier than I expected. Its done at a surgical center with anesthesia. The four pins are THREADED  into my bone and must be unscrewed.

I WON'T WATCH but some people have videoed their external fixator removal and put on YouTube.
YouTube video. Crossbar already removed. Pin is being unscrewed from bone. Patient awake, talking, reports minor discomfort. The green headed pin just gets yanked with pliers.


While my left thumb moves only a little, the fact that it can move and flex at all leaves the doctor speculating great improvement when external fixator is out.


My brother wanted to take advantage of Duffy's 40% off from 2 pm to 4 pm so we had lunch there. I had a small NY strip and the kitchen (or my waiter) cut it up for me into bite-size pieces. Not as good as Jamie's, but good. We also got Asian chicken salad  take-out for Linda's dinner.

Back in the condo, Gloria showed up with dinner for all of us. 

Gloria is my brother's wife's brother's wife. The lady is off the chain:

Chris was cuckoo for quinoa and salivating at the salad. Customizing, up-scaling a store salad - what a great idea!  And I'll eat anything with mushrooms and artichoke - but the tender, moist chicken breasts raise the bar. 
Thanks, Gloria, for several meals.And now, as threatened  promised...


 My cousin, Debbie, and beneficiaries of her mass emailings will know I've stolen "her" towel joke to bring you....
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Sam Joke #2

Sam mourned for two years after his wife passed. But then he met, fell in love with, and married a younger woman. 
Sadly, he fretted, she never achieved an orgasm with him. 

And he figured, "She's entitled."

So they sought advice from the rabbi.

A talmudic scholar, the rabbi stroked his beard listening, then gave this advice: "Hire a strapping young man. When you and your wife are making love, the young man should stand close by and wave a towel over you. This should help her fantasize and bring her to orgasm."

Happy at the prospects, they found such a handsome man who agreed to perform as the rabbi suggested. But - to Sam's annoyance - it really didn't help. Disappointed, they went back to the rabbi.

"Oy. I thought this might happen," nodded the rabbi. "Listen - you need to try this the other way around. Sam! YOU wave the towel while the young man is making love to your wife."

Dutifully they go home and hire the same man, who now gets into bed with the wife. While Sam energetically waves the towel over them, the man performs his role with great skill and enthusiasm. Sure enough, the wife soon has a screaming, ear-splitting, room-shaking orgasm.


"You see, young man!" lectures Sam triumphantly. "THAT's how you wave a towel!"

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Life is not ALL fun and games here. Sometimes things go wrong. Like tonight. There was a mishap with the Care Calendar (code=3150) - the online calendar adopted by my sister-in-law, Linda, to coordinate meals people are bringing here. After her sister, Gloria brought over the fabulous cornucopia described above, Anthony called to inform that he would be over soon to bring food.


Inhabitants of third and fourth-world countries never feel the pain of coping with too much food, worrying how to rearrange the refrigerator, fretting over which foods can sit out, agonizing over what to eat first, choosing which container to use for which leftover, or worse - the horror of combining into one. And the ultimate sacrifice of one's own body: eating fourths to require less storage space. 

Those are a few of the heartbreaks we endured with the arrival of Anthony's 6-portion pan of excellent Eggplant Parmesan and equally generous dish of vegetable pasta. 


Anthony's Eggplant - double layered and topped with sliced tomato. Vegetable pasta spiced perfectly.
If you're ever suffering in a similar way, please feel free to call us. We will sympathetically ease you of this burden.
This reminds me of a photo posted on the internet:

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Random Cartoon #2


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Day 35 Friday 9/20

This morning I helped Paige a little on "unit conversion" problems for her chemistry class.
Angela did "pin care".
Then I spent too much time on the computer, some of it creating this blog.

Lunch was more of Anthony's Eggplant Parm and Vegetable Pasta.

I went to the gym for awhile. Then walked home, napped there for an hour, let Ariel trim fingernails on my right hand, gathered some clothes, other things, walked back to Condo.

AGAIN ate Gloria's baked chicken breast w/ mushrooms and asparagus.
OY!  I'm losing muscle and putting on a gut!  Middle age!

Goodnight.

Prologue   I     II    III    IV    V    VI   VII   VIII   IX    X   XI    XII 

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