John Michael Friday - Released!

John and Daddy played with Cars cars (and helicopter) and watched movies on TV through the morning.

Aunt Jessica and Uncle Mark sent a surprise Lightning McQueen giant balloon and a fire engine and a steamroller that lights up and honks its horn. It was very exciting!























It seemed sad for the Lightning McQueen balloon to be tethered to a heavy weight, so Pa adjusted the ballast so it could float freely around the room. It was fun until it bumped into the nurse while she was doing John's echocardiogram.























Before long, Nurse Kiften announced it was time for John Michael to go home. She gave lots of instructions.


Before we knew it, we were out and kickin' back at the hotel.


Since it had already been a pretty long day, we all decided it would be best to spend the night and drive to Clemson tomorrow.

John Michael - Thursday - Feeling Better

Today, John began to feel a little more like himself, most of the time.

Later in the morning he went down to the Atrium play area, and watched some other kids playing.

His daddy drove him to the Atrium and back in a wagon.

John actually ate some of his (huge) lunch, then rested some. He also got the bulky bandage removed from his chest. He is becoming much more tolerant of hospital procedures.

In the evening, from about 5 to 8 PM, there was a little bout of elevated temperature. This seems to be a tough time of day for him. Some Tylenol helped, and by 8 he was close to normal temperature, and sleeping.
He let Mommy and Daddy go out to dinner while Pa and Mimi stayed with him.

John Michael - Wednesday - New Room

Today, John moved from Pediatric ICU to his regular room in the Pediatric Hospital. He tolerated the ride pretty well, but he didn't like it much.

Once he got in his new room, and the nurse was finished taking his blood pressure and other necessary stuff, he and Daddy sat on the bench next to his bed for a little while.

There were ups and downs through the evening, but John went to sleep eventually.

John Michael - Tuesday - Post-op

John had his surgery Tuesday morning. Dr Bradley reported that all went as planned, and everything looked good.
But by noon, there was a higher than normal flow from his chest tube, meaning there was some internal bleeding. So Dr Bradley took John back into surgery, looked around, and added a few stitches to staunch some slight bleeding around his internal sutures.
After that, the flow slowed down and Dr Bradley gave the 'all clear' signal to Julie.
John was kept sleeping through the afternoon.

Notice how John's thumb is glowing - just like E.T. in the movie!

John Michael - Monday - Pre-op tests

We came to Charleston, SC to be with Julie & Tony & John while they are here for John's surgery to correct his congenital Scimitar Syndrome heart condition.

After checking in, John spent the first day being poked and prodded - blood test, x-ray, cat scan, echocardiogram.

Next, the plan was for us to entertain John while Julie & Tony conferred with doctors, nurses, technicians and toured the facilities where John would be cared for.

But John apparently reacted to the xray dye injection by spiking his temperature up to 104 degrees in the afternoon. So the surgeon had him admitted right then, so he could be monitored overnight.

Thankfully, his fever disappeared around 8PM and he was back to his normal happy self, so the surgery did not have to be rescheduled.

Clemson

We came over to Clemson to visit with Julie and John Michael while Tony was working out of town.

John is really growing and getting smarter,

funnier,

and more capable of doing things on his own. Here he is acting out a scene from his current favorite movie, "Cars".

Beef Jerky - Take 1

We had shish-kababs for lunch today. Since there was some extra meat, and I had bought some beef jerky on my recent trip and enjoyed it, I decided to try making my own.

A little Googling, reading, slicing, and spicing later, I decided to use the gas grill on the lowest setting for my drying oven. Everything was going pretty well... until I missed a temperature check.



It's pretty crispy - but actually tastes a little like real jerky.

Next try will be in a couple of weeks.

Gail

Like a summer breeze,
My heart warms when you are near.
You make my heart sing.

Pun in a Comic

Hooray for Stephan Pastis, the artist who draws the 'Pearls Before Swine' comic strip - he put a pun in his strip for June 14. See here:

Pearls Pun

Based on the final panel, I gather he felt a little guilty.

My Teva Squeaks

I've had a pair of Teva sandals for 'several' years now.

Recently, one of them started squeaking when I walk.


So, I emailed Teva (teva.com) and asked if there was a cure for squeaking. The answer was "No, but our sandals should not squeak. We suggest you send them in and we will evaluate them on a case-by-case basis, since they are older than the warranty covers."

A while back, I had a problem with a pair of Asics, and they replaced them with a new pair.

Should I send them in?

CMA Western National Rally trip - June 09

A group of motorcyclists spent a week travelling in New Mexico and Colorado, prior to attending the Christian Motorcyclist Association Western National Rally in Chama, NM.

Bus with bikes

Mesa Verde

Wilson Arch, on the way to Arches National Park.

A view of New Mexico

KOA cabins

We rented jeeps and drove over some of the jeep trails near Ouray, CO.

Engineer Pass.

Jeep

California Pass

Our Leader and his son

The two young men that went with us

See the bike going down the mountain (just right of the middle)?

Steam train at Chama, NM

Trujillo Meadows Reservoir near Chama

Campground at the Rally

Meeting at the Rally

Airplane formations

Today, while I was working in the yard, I heard a group of airplanes approaching. Sure enough, after a bit of circling around, they appeared over the trees, flying in formation. There were two Stearmans and two stunt planes.


When they flew right over our house, the rumble of the big radial engines took me back to my childhood, when I watched squadrons of fighters and bombers returning from World War II to the airbases around San Antonio.


It was a memory moment.

Happy Birthday

On Friday, Naomi and her Mom came over with a birthday surprise for Pa. There was a Breakfast Burrito, Angel Food cake (with frosting and Sprinkles!), and a gift bag full of presents.

The best present of all was a personalized hand-made journal book, crafted by Naomi and her Mom.



The most fun part was when Naomi sang "Happy Birthday" her 'funny way.'

The cart that follows clogged arteries is REAL

Are you familiar with the TV commercial that shows a guy with clogged arteries being followed by a hospital gurney?

Thought it was just fiction?

Well, think again...

Watching Boz

We are happy to report that Pa is once again on Naomi's "ok" list. She came to visit last week, and let Pa pull her around around in Mimi & Pa's new garden wagon.

Later, she and Mimi watched a Boz DVD. (Boz is a big green bear who is lots of fun.)

Grandcamp (minus Pa)

Naomi came over to spend Saturday with us. For some reason, when Pa arrived home from his motorcycle ride, he was Persona Non Grata.

Mimi: Naomi, do you want to watch Veggie Tales?
Naomi: Pa not watch!

Mimi: How about some pizza for supper?
Naomi: Yes. No Pa.

Mimi: I'm going to the store. Do you want to go?
Naomi: Is Pa going?
Mimi: Yes, we're all going.
Naomi: I don't want to go.

And so on. We have no idea what Pa did - or didn't. But later on, at least, Pa got to go with her to play outside. And he was even allowed to find the Megablock Fireman to ride on the fire truck.

But at bedtime it was only Mimi who could read books and put her to bed.

Pa did get to catch up on email and pay some bills, though.
:o)

Grandhotwatercamp - Departure

Sigh... it's the final day of Grandhotwatercamp. It's over so soon!
We were to head to the airport early (6 AM), but the airline called and said the plane's crew was sleeping late. So we left home at 8:30.
We got to the airport with plenty of spare time.

John and Pa used some of the extra time by riding up and down the escalator.

Soon, it was time for John and Mama to check in at the gate.


Off they went. Hopefully, the flight crew were fully awake by now.
We were sorry they had to leave; the time seems to have flown by. But we look forward to another Grandcamp, soon.

PS - Julie called from the parking lot bus at the other end. The flight went well. They had five granola bars with them, and shared one with the man that sat next to them on the plane. John ate the other four.