Off to See the Wizard

Our trip south has been in the planning stages for 10 days now. We've
been packed and ready for 3 days! At first we were delayed because Dick
caught a horrendous cold, and felt too sick to hit the road. When he
was feeling better, Mother Nature put in her two cents, and sent some
really nasty weather our way - not really good driving conditions! When
the weather improved, then I came down with Dick's cold, so we were delayed another day.

Finally today, we're off and running! Our plan is to go to Memphis for two or
three days, and then head up to St. Louis for another couple of days,
and then take back roads home. Our real aim is to do caching in
Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi,
Arkansas, and Missouri. The REAL aim is to eventually find a cache in
every State of the Union. In Memphis we also want to have ribs at the
Rendezvous (if we can find it again), and maybe do a steamboat ride on
the Mississippi.

When we left today the roads were snow covered. The highway was like a two track in the snow. The snow fell steadily and created a kind of "snog" - a snowy condition that resembled fog. It was like that all the way down to Three Rivers, where we stopped for the night. We did some caching in the area -Sturgis, Nottawa, Centreville, etc. At one point the highway sign said Underground Railroad Memorial Highway We had no idea it was there.

It's Amish country around Three Rivers. We passed three or four buggies during the afternoon. We couldn't positively identify Amish homes, but we could tell there was heavy horse and buggy traffic by the number of road apples decorating the shoulders of the road. The stereotype of the Amish is that they are good people and wonderful neighbors, but they do make things more difficult for joggers and dog walkers along the road!

Here is Dick's log for the covered bridge cache we did today:

Found it 3/3/2007 You found Covered Bridge Cache (Traditional Cache)
We are on a trip south to find spring and we found heavy snow
warnings with blowing and drifting. We wanted a cache that was not a Micro in a parking lot and this was just the ticket. Found it today a little after 3, just after checking in to the motel. Nice area, with the snow and wind we had the park to ourselves.
Took a winter candle, it seemed appropriate, and left a stuffed toy, a couple of match box cars, a pencil sharpener and a glue stick. We loved the bridge and we did honk but with the heater cranked up we could barely hear it. Thanks for the adventure.

Dinner tonight at The Oasis was another adventure. First of all, we waited with others to be seated, and we felt right at home (!) with the Nascar and Harley jackets, the 48 hat and the cap from The Anderson's of Maumee. After we were seated, the booth behind Dick filled up with two couples, one Mennonite couple with the wife wearing her crisply starched cap and the husband with a full Amish-type beard. The other couple was a typical farm couple - not Mennonite. I thought that maybe the two couples were neighbors.

It snowed relentlessly the whole time we were there - I think we got at least an inch during dinner.

The Basswood Eagle

Today we were sitting in the computer room, when suddenly, out of the
window Dick saw a huge eagle land in one of our basswood trees. The eagle was
busy fishing the river - watching the fishing hole very carefully. He
took off and went up the river, but then he turned around and landed in
the same tree.

He was big and beautiful - an awesome sight - up close
and personal :)

Kraut Babies

Tim and Susie's cabin on the Manistee was our destination today. We learned how to make kraut babies - no kidding!

You take thawed out bread dough and roll it out and cut it into
triangles or rectangles - it really doesn't matter. Then you load the
cut-outs with cooked hamburger meat, sauerkraut, cheese, and
seasonings, pull the dough over all and bake for approx. 20 - 25
minutes. Yum! Serve withmustards and a big salad.

Tim did all of the rolling and cutting, Susie was in charge of the meat and the
terrific salad, and Dick and I filled 'em up and stuck in the
toothpicks.

We stayed for about 4 hours, assembling, baking, eating, and drinking cherry wine. It was a delightful afternoon. Thanks Tim and Susie.

Obituary For Mom - 1908-2007

Mother's nurse at Bortz called at 10:30 p.m. last night to report that Mother had passed away peacefully. We had been with her all afternoon, and then I called to check on her at 9:30 p.m. and at that time the report was that she was breathing shallowly.
This is the obituary that will appear in the Record-Eagle:

Marian Geib Kanitz passed away on February 17 at Bortz Health Care at the age of 98. She lived to an advanced age with grace, dignity, intelligence and independence.

She was born September 8, 1908 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, the daughter of Fred Peter and Mary Blanche Rice Geib. Marian graduated from Grand Rapids South High School in 1926 and the University of Michigan in 1930. She was recently honored for the 75th anniversary of her membership in Alpha Xi Delta sorority. For one year after graduation she taught physical education in Grand Rapids.

On June 27, 1931 she married Tharel T. (Dutch) Kanitz, and they were wed for 68 years when he passed away in 1999. Dutch and Marian lived in Mt. Vernon, Iowa and Big Rapids, Michigan before moving to Traverse City in 1941.

In the 1940s and 1950s, she was an active volunteer for the American Red Cross. She also administered Civil Service tests, and substituted in the First Congregational Church office. Marian was a salesclerk for over 25 years at the J.W. Milliken department store in downtown Traverse City until her retirement in 1970.

For four decades, she and Dutch went to University of Michigan home football games in Ann Arbor, and she maintained her interest in sports into her nineties. She was a member of the First Congregational Church, Munson Medical Center Auxiliary, the Ahgosa Dance Club, and many bridge clubs. After retirement, she became an active volunteer in the First Congregational Church Thrift Shop, and the Munson Medical Center Gift Shop. She enjoyed walking to her volunteer positions from her home in the Central neighborhood, where she lived in the same house for 53 years.

Marian was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Tharel (Dutch) Kanitz, three siblings in infancy, and two sisters, Katherine Geib Block and Dorothy Geib Marvin.

She is survived by her brother Frederick (Ruth) Geib of Traverse City, and sister Eleanor Geib Ross of San Diego, her son James (Emilie) Kanitz of Saginaw, her daughter Nancy (Richard) Steiger of Traverse City, five grandchildren, three great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews.

The family would like to thank the staff at both Concord Place and Bortz Health Care for their compassionate and thoughtful care of Mother over the past two years.

Marian has requested that no memorial services be held. Cremation has taken place, and interment will be in Oakwood Cemetery with graveside services at a later date. Memorial donations may be directed to the First Congregational Church, 6105 Center Road, Traverse City.

Irony

We enjoyed our workout at Vital Step this morning. There are so many nice folks there working out alongside you - sharing stories and talking about the weather. Most of them are there because of some kind of past injury or heart problem, and most of them are in their sixties and seventies. They come to stay flexible and strong, and to get their hearts beating.

In the afternoon, we went to the hospital where my Aunt Ruth (age 89) is on oxygen and morphine, and appears to be at the end of her life. She is totally unaware and unresponsive.

After that visit, we went to Bortz where Mother (age 98) is on oxygen and appears to be at the end of her life. Mom is weaker and less responsive than I have seen her for the past two weeks.

These two lovely ladies are both in such a sad condition that one can only hope that they don't linger long. Neither one of them during their lives would have wanted things to end this way - to be totally dependent upon others for everything.

Is this what lies ahead for all of the kind folks at Vital Step, including us? Are we all strengthening our bodies and hearts so that we can lie longer in a nursing home bed unaware of our surroundings? How ironic.

Winter Social

We had a wonderful trip - we enjoyed every minute. The weather was bitterly cold, but we had so much fun it didn't matter. The Event was in Eureka, but we all stayed in DeWitt because Eureka is kind of a non-place, although the Hall was perfect.

We even managed to find 4 caches despite the cold. The Event on Saturday was super special. Here is Dick's log:

2/10/2007 You attended MiGO Winter Social 2007 "5th anniversary" (Event Cache)

Since this was our first trip in more than six months, we knew we'd enjoy ourselves, but this event surpassed our expectations. Our event started the night before when we were warmly greeted by Sandrich and CoyChev as we pulled into the motel parking lot. The last time I saw something as large as the new CoyChev-mobile wiggle its ears was in a Walt Disney movie. They were on their way to Eureka to join the other volunteers in setting up the hall. You can get a feel for cachers through their profile, their finds and hides, their "age" and forum posts, but as we have matured in "the game" we recognize that most of what keeps us going and growing happens behind the scenes with little public awareness. We are deeply grateful to all of you who hustle and bustle around out of our sight keeping the rest of us happy.
Arriving at the hall on Saturday, we were signed in by the LightPeople and then directed to Aardvark and Soggy Boots to check in our auction items. All this time, S&B and the other busy beavers were putting the finishing touches on the hall. We are deeply grateful for all of you and your efforts.
Thanks also to Banjo Jim, Slewfoot, Fiddlefingers and Retro J for their contributions to the excellence of the event. You certainly do play our kind of music.
We don't want to leave the regional VP's off out kudos list. Thanks to Sleepy, Victory and 333 for your efforts and reports. We'd like to thank also, those who contributed to the auctions and those who bid. We know that the money will empower the BoD to continue building a vibrant organization. A special thanks to those who bid on our items, we are looking forward to the excursions as much as you are.
Congratulations to the coin recipients, Trashcan, Cache Hound, Max B, Radman, Cyclops and S&B. We're glad that we had a chance to chat with all of you. Your honor is well deserved. Finds are nice but more important is the honor and respect of your peers.
Finally, to those friends new and old that we had a chance to chat and laugh with, thanks for being there. The day would not have been the same without you. To those who attended and we missed greeting, we look forward to the next time. We know that cachers that we haven't met are friends we haven't made yet. To the long list of folks that we had hoped to see but who were unable to attend, we missed you and hope to see you at an event in the future.

Susie is helping me decide what to bid for. I won the scrapbooking basket!


Here we are - enjoying every minute!

On the Road Again!

Spent an hour and a half with Mother first before we left for the Winter Social. Mother is pretty much the same. Four aides came in while I was there. One of them said to Mother, "How are you doing?" Her response was "Not".

This geocaching event is giving us the chance for our first road trip since my injury in July. The therapist told me that I shouldn't sit longer than 2 hours without walking around a bit. That turned out to be no problem at all. We had lunch at "real mashed potatoes" in Cadillac, and dinner at The Wheel Inn in St. Louis. Real American Food (read bland) at both places.

We found one cache this afternoon, and then decided that it's just way too cold to go caching. We're leaving it to the younger set.

Hooray for Brothers and Fudgsicles!

Took Subie the Subaru to Jerry (Trashcan) for refurbishing so we'll be ready for our trip to the Winter Social this weekend. I stopped off first to visit Mother.

She's officially on palliative care (comfort care) which means no trips to the hospital and no heroic treatments or equipment. They've taken her off most of her meds, which has resulted in a limited return of appetite - the meds were making her sick!

Today while I was there she ate 3 fudgsicles - the perfect food - she can eat it herself, it doesn't have to be cut up, and it's tasty.

My brother came up from Saginaw on Tuesday, and he's coming up again on Saturday so that we can go to the Winter Social with a clear conscience. Hooray for Brothers!

The Son from Saginaw

First we had Vital Step, and then we went to Bortz to meet Jim, who drove up from Saginaw today.

It was splendid timing, because while we were all there, the nurse practitioner came in and officially explained how Bortz handles "comfort care". She talked to Mother, and to all of us and it was very helpful and educational for everyone. She's taking Mother off of most of her meds, but leaving the oxygen on because that helps to make her more comfortable. Mother is now officially on palliative care only.

Jim and I went over some financial details - I handed over the tax documents to him - yaaaaaay!

The three of us went out to lunch, which was most enjoyable. We went to South City Limits - and Jim and I had meat loaf - it's genetic! We were so glad he came.

Sad Super Sunday

Today Mother was very weak - unable to eat or drink anything, and barely able to talk. She lays very still and quiet in her bed - there's no complaining or moaning and groaning or anything like that - just silence. She spoke less than 2 dozen words the whole time I was there today. Her longest sentence was "Why do I have to be so sick?"

We take comfort in the fact that the Bortz staff is very upbeat, thoughtful, and considerate. They are taking very good care of Mom. I think that basically Mother is living her worst nightmare - being totally dependent on others. It's a very helpless feeling for me - all I can really do is just be there for her - and she keeps telling me to go home!

Dick made great chili - in fact it was Super Bowl Chili. We're rooting for Chicago.
P.S. Our support didn't help the Bears - it was probably a jinx!

Queen of the Snow

First you take bushels and bushels of light, fluffy snow. Then add gusty winds for lots of blowing and drifting. Temperatures in the single digits add to the general ambiance. This is definitely our week of winter. It's quite beautiful really. I feel a little like the Snow Queen of Narnia.

Visited Mom at Bortz while Dick went shopping at Sam's Club and Meijer. He bought lots of groceries plus 10 fifty pound bags of salt for the water softener. He got the ingredients for our Super Bowl chili tomorrow. When Dick got back to Bortz, we went out to lunch at La Senorita and had yummy quesadillas.

Mother seems about the same today as yesterday. By late afternoon though, her voice was a mere whisper - very weak indeed. She's still not eating or drinking.

When Dick came to pick me up around 4, we went for a little ride around town and then headed home through the whiteness of the bushels and bushels of snow.

Very Still, Very Pale

The day began with successful questing on WoW. At 6 a.m. I started working on the Sea Lion quest which involves joining the Pendant of Aquatic Endurance from the ocean near Silverpine Forest with the Pendant of Aquatic Agility from Sludge Fen. (You can google it if you're confused.) Ta Da !

We planned the day - at 10 a.m. a haircut for me at BoTangles while Dick went to Jiffy Lube. Then we planned to stop in at Bortz to say hi before running a couple of errands, and then have lunch at La Senorita.

When we entered Mom's room we were shocked to see her in bed lying very still, looking very pale, and on oxygen. She wasn't able to tell us what was wrong - when asked "How are you?" she just said, "Not very good". It was especially shocking to me because since I've known Mother, she has never spent a day in bed outside of a hospital.

Dick went off to run the errands and I sat down by Mother and tried to figure out what was wrong. Right away the head nurse for Mom's unit, Denise, came in to update me. They think that Mother experienced a myocardial infarction sometime around 9 or 9:30. She had chest pains and was having trouble breathing. Dr. Jackson was called in, and he gave her nitro under the tongue, and ordered the oxygen.

Since we were not home when they tried to contact us, Denise called Jim. She said she felt she had to notify someone in the family. I called Saginaw and Emilie said that Jim was on the road on his way to T.C. Since we were having a very snowy day with 8 inches predicted, I told her it was a good idea for her to call Jim and have him turn around since Mother seemed stable and was comfortable and was not alone and also because it was a bad travel day weatherwise. Jim called from Freeland and I explained the situation. He had a chance to talk to Mom and she told him there was nothing he could do - so he turned around and went back home.

Dick brought me iced tea and lunch, and I elected to stay by Mother, so he went home.
While I was with her she would rouse about once or twice an hour, say a few words and then go back to sleep. I think there were about 9 or 10 different people who came in to see how she was doing, and if there was anything she needed. She didn't eat all day, and took about 4 sips of water the whole time I was there.

The Stool Scoot

Day 2 of Vital Step went really well. Dick and I both have trouble with the elliptical trainer - we'll see how much progress we can make! One of Dick's hardest assignments is the stool scoot. (Explanations available upon request!) My hardest is still the leg lifts - my left leg is still noticeably weak, but it has to be improving, right? I've been in therapy since Nov. 1 .... so it has to be better than before!

This morning we got my bowl of oatmeal at the Hard Luck Cafe. It was perfect! Really really hot and yummy.

Vital Step

Hooray - this is the first morning of our gym time at MCHC with Ron. Everything went really well - we both got a good workout, and we enjoyed the staff and the other participants. I think this program is going to work out (pun intended) well for us. Afterwards we went out to breakfast at the Omelette Shoppe.

Stopped in at Bortz on the way home to say hi to Mom.

Moving Out

Today we moved Mother's personal items out of her room at Concord Place. We packed clothes in her suitcase and in a plastic bin, borrowed a cart and wheeled her clothes on hangers over to Bortz. We left some seasonal items in the closet so that Concord can use them in the future. The chairside table that was hers, we brought home to replace the one that Phil Neupert made for us back in the sixties.

After we arrived in Mom's room with all of her clothing, a really officious nurse showed up. The first thing she said that bothered me was "Oh I'm so glad to see someone here - I was beginning to think she didn't have anybody." Then she told us Mom couldn't have the Tylenol in her room because the facility doesn't allow self-medication. (OK, I can see why that's necessary.) Next she went on a long discourse about the patients not being allowed to have sharp objects or weapons or anything that could be used to attack somebody, such as scissors (and, I assume, nail clippers!). That part of the speech seemed especially unnecessary to me. Finally she informed us that Mom's name had to be in all of the clothing, even the socks so that the laundry wouldn't get the things mixed up. Originally we were told that the laundry staff would mark all of the clothing. Nevertheless, I put Mom's name on everything right there on the spot - and it wasn't so bad - it only took me 25 minutes.

Goodbye Concord Place.

Overnight

Anyone who turns on their radio in the middle of the night and hears part of the Coast to Coast AM Radio Program will appreciate the humor of the following song by UFO Phil:

click here

I think it's a hoot!

We're All Done With Therapy

When I say all, I mean both Mother and I are finished with therapy.

Dick and I went at 8:15 for my last session, and then went out to breakfast at Bob Evans. I had some yummy piping hot, nutritious oatmeal (that's what the menu called it). Then we went home - Dick's goal was to make soup, my goal was to finish the laundry.

Neighbor Shirley called to say that the church lady had visited Mother and reported that Mother couldn't eat or drink anything and that maybe I should check into that. It's true that I hadn't visited Mom when Sniders were here. I was glad that Shirley called to alert me.

I went to Bortz to "check into" things. I spoke to the nurse's aide, the head nurse, the nurse practitioner, the social worker, the therapist, the lunch lady, and the lady who cleans up. They all spoke to Mother, and we all concluded that she does not want to continue therapy, and she does not want to return to Concord Place in her current condition. She can be very outspoken at times, and doesn't hesitate to state her desires.

I discharged Mother from physical therapy, which is required by Medicare. This means that Medicare will no longer help pay for the nursing home charges, and she will be a private-pay patient.

She's been sick for the past week - and she can't keep anything down, food nor water, except for a 1/2 cup of chicken broth Wednesday. She feels ill and very weak. Believe it or not, the therapy staff was still taking her downstairs to do what exercises she can - in my opinion, she really can't benefit that much for all of the stress and discomfort it causes her.

Besides the inability to eat and drink much, she has a "pleural effusion", which means fluid around the heart. Her blood tests show that she has had a minor heart attack at some time recently because there are heart enzymes in her blood stream and the tests show evidence of the beginning of congenital heart failure. She has no memory of anything that she would have regarded as a heart attack, though. She remains mentally alert and able to express her preferences and opinions, sometimes vehemently. She wants to stay at Bortz and to stop going to therapy.

The nursing staff has adjusted some of her meds, and they all think that she'll be feeling better tomorrow.

Next week Dick and I will start Vital Step at the MCHC gym - we're really looking forward to it.

Movies! Popcorn!

I had therapy at 7:30 a.m. and Dick had a meeting at the Agency at 9:00 a.m. We were all back together for lunch here, and we read, watched TV and gossiped!

Jan and I went to see Night in the Museum, and we really enjoyed it. It's a great movie for kids (for everyone, really) - excitement, adventure, history, humor, and villainy. Jan and I wondered who cleaned up all of the mess in the museum before opening every day - except the last day, it didn't seem to be cleaned up. I guess if you go along with the fantasy (T. Rex fetching a bone, etc) then you can go along with magical clean-up. Ben Stiller is fun to watch, and Dick vanDyke still has it. Mickey Rooney was enjoyable too.

We met Dick and Bill at the Mongolian Barbecue for dinner and it was all very mellow.

Sniders are Coming!

Bill and Jan got here around 11:30 a.m., and it was great to see them. We were very laid back and just enjoyed reminiscing and gossiping for hours. For dinner, Dick grilled steaks and baked potatoes outside even though the weather is bone-chilling.

They are expecting one new grandbaby in March (Eric and Tammy). Her name will be Emily Grace. Another new grandbaby will arrive sometime in July (Reiko and Bob). That will give them a grandbaby total of SIX !!

We watched Heroes, but we missed Ugly Betty :)

Convergence

Dick went over to the Convergence site around 10 or 11 a.m. - I stayed home by the fire! When the chili was hot, and the food was set out, he came home to get me (it's only 5 miles away). There must have been 50 people there when I came - there was a long line for French fries! Dick roasted hot dogs for us, and it was a hoot. We were dressed so warmly that the day didn't even seem cold (especially near the roaring fire!)

It was great seeing everybody and catching up on their latest adventures. Watching Heather and Kimberly roast marshmallows was the best part, though. Those girls are experts!

In Good Hands

It snowed and snowed and snowed - about 6 new inches of snow on the ground this morning. Dick got outside really early and used the snowblower on the driveway so that we could get an early start because I was due at therapy at 7:30 a.m.

After therapy we were off to Bortz to "supervise" mother's trip to the dentist. I wanted to be there to calm her down a bit because she was a little agitated about leaving the building and traveling around in the snow. While we were waiting to go, Betsy from Concord dropped in to see how Mom is doing.

Bortz provides a driver and a van; the driver, Kathy, is also in charge of transferring Mother from van to wheelchair, pushing the wheelchair, etc. Wanda, one of the aides, went over to Concord and brought back Mom's boots and some more clothes from her closet over there. Wanda is very thoughtful, cheerful, willing, helpful, and respectful. Mother likes her a lot and appreciates her help.

The trip went well - it was uneventful, really, and effortless on our part. The dentist made 5 or 6 adjustments to Mom's partial - I felt vindicated - no wonder I couldn't get it to fit in her mouth! We stopped on the way home to get some batteries for her remote control.

When she was back in her room, 3 different staff members stopped by to see how she was doing. That is very reassuring to me. The remote worked fine with new batteries, so now she's back in business.

I realized afterwards that the Bortz staff really is capable of transporting her to where ever she might need to go in the future. It's a wonderful feeling to know that she's in such good hands should we happen to be out of town in an emergency.

We ran a couple of errands and then had a delightful lunch at Amical. We sat right by the fireplace - so warm and cozy.

Talked to Laurie this afternoon - they're coming for the weekend to talk to their builder, Sean McCardel, whose project is called Verndale of East Bay. Could this mean that they're really, really going to move here? Stay tuned!

Bragging

Dick went to the Agency this morning, and did an exhausting amount of work. The major part of it was helping a lady with a medicaid application - it took them 2 hours!

I had a 9:30 appointment with Dr. Burke - just a routine 3 month checkup. Holy cow! Dr. Burke said he was thrilled with my progress! Now, that's a first. My blood test numbers were so good that he cut my medication again. It's a very good feeling, and it's a novelty to feel optimistic about the future.

After the appointment I went to Tom's 14th, walked around the entire store, and was not exhausted at the end of it. Pardon me for bragging.

Dick began downloading World of Warcraft on his computer so that he can join us in the family fun.

Very Relaxing

NFL playoff games, reading the Sunday paper, playing computer games, visiting Mother, KFC for dinner - an ordinary day.

WoW

The family had a date for noontime to play together on our new computer game that Tom got us all for Christmas (World of Warcraft). It was a ton of fun. We teamed up, and it enabled me to complete several quests that I would never have been able to complete by myself. Jana was very solicitous, staying by my side the whole time and looking out for me.

I'm not sure how long they played - I lasted for 2 1/2 hours, and they were still going strong. It's wonderful to have TeamSpeak - it's much more efficient to be able to just talk to each other rather than typing back and forth.

The funniest event was Laurie saying "OK, I'm going for a walk around the neighborhood, so you guys are babysitting Dylan." It was fun being the babysitter, even from 2,000 miles away!

J & E

I had to make a quick visit to the Clinic to get a blood test, so we made an outing of it. Afterwards, we went to the Omelette Shoppe for breakfast. Then we did some minor cache maintenance, and went home.

Jim and Emilie drove up from Saginaw today to visit Mother in her new location. They came out to the river afterwards for debriefing, coffee, and cookies. They were pleased with her situation, and reported that they had a good visit.

Outsurgents

It appears that W plans to send 20,000+ more soldiers to Iraq. He's not calling it an escalation though - he's calling it a surge. Anbar Province and Baghdad are the most dangerous places in the whole country, so that's where the surging new troops will most likely be going. Those places are teeming with insurgents, and so I'm calling the new troops the outsurgents.

Here's an excerpt from an interesting article by Nicholas von Hoffman in The Nation, entitled Tax the Rich, End the War:

The Democrats can tax our way out of the war. This would be a Victory Over Terror tax to be levied on incomes of $5 million a year or more. It should be a surcharge of 20 percent over and above what people in that rarified income bracket are already paying. It should be levied on all income, regardless of what form it takes, so it would include stock options, jet plane rides, company-paid-for health and life insurance, retirement programs, golden parachutes, the use of apartments in Paris, cars and drivers.

The people in this stratospheric income category have enjoyed the big tax cuts that have gone into effect while the nation has been attacked and been at war. Individuals making $1.25 million a year have gotten tax cuts of almost 20 percent, but many of these would be spared paying the Victory Over Terror tax, which only cuts in at the $5 million level.

Needless to say, those paying this tax do not represent the Democrats' voter base. As these things go, this is politically pain-free. The tax is aimed at war profiteers, overpaid CEOs and grossly fat cats in general, most of whom carry a lot of weight at the White House. If there is any group of people in the world whom George Bush listens to, it is this bunch of billionaires. Call this a backdoor use of the power of the purse. And since the surcharge expires when the war on terror is won or declared over, those taxed will have a powerful incentive to tell the President it is time to get a move on.

Therapy was at 7:30 this morning - there were lots of people there - I was surprised. Kari says that next week we'll be adding weights. Oh dear.

Today I became durable power of attorney for Mother. We waited and waited for the lawyer to turn up - she was half an hour late. All was forgiven when she arrived though because she's very young and fresh-faced and due in April. The procedure was short and sweet and Mother was able to sign the document with no problem. So now I keep doing what I've been doing for years, except now it's legal.

Dick went to the VC to help Kathee fold 750 pizza boxes for the chili cook-off. Each box contains a napkin, a spoon, and 8 cups for chili samples. If we want to go, we get in free. Except that Dick reminded me that I have an appointment to help Dylan storm the castle with Tom and Jana at noon, so we might not be able to make the chili cook-off.

More Historic Photos!

Here is my mother, Marian Geib Kanitz - taken in Grand Rapids.

Mother and friends at Lincoln Lake - Mother is on the far right. She was always tall for her generation - around 5'8" - now at age 98 she's 5'3".

Valentine and Ellen Bowman Geib, Christmas, 1905
Jennifer called this picture "two bundles of uncontainable joy"! I love the picture - it's so ... I dunno .... historic looking!

Rick sent me a link to a blog (http://jenny.standland.org/) that contained these great pictures of Mom, plus pictures of Valentine and Ellen Geib, my great grandparents. The blog belongs to Jennifer Ruth Geib, my first cousin once removed - daughter of Rick and Mary (and Fritzie).

It's really a thrill for me to get these pictures. Mother never liked having her picture taken, so we don't have many good photos of her. In the ones we have she's either making a face or waving her hands as if to push away the camera! So this is a real treat for me. It will be interesting to see her reaction when I show them to her!

Historic Photo

Rick sent me this great picure of our great grandfather and great grandmother, Valentine and Ellen Geib (the couple on the right). They are the parents of our grandfather, Fred Peter Geib. The notations on the margins are so valuable in identifying everyone. I'm thrilled to have the picture to add to my collection. Rick promises to send more! Hooray!

Therapy was scheduled for 8:15 this morning, but when I got outside to the car it was completely snow and ice covered and I couldn't even get the door open. Eventually things got warmed up and cleared off, but I was 15 minutes late for my appointment. Kari is very understanding and she wasn't the least bit upset - we did everything we usually do, just faster than usual. Thursday I'm scheduled for 7:30 a.m., so I promised her that I would go out and warm up the car before breakfast. Therapy went well - I can tell my leg is getting stronger even though it's still very weak.

I dropped some books off at the Library, drove through downtown, and then went shopping at Tom's 14th St. I haven't been there for ages - we've been shopping at the new Oleson's mostly. Got a pot roast for dinner.

Walked into the nursing home, but Mom was not in her room - they said she was in therapy. So I dropped in on her downstairs just to say hi. Her therapist is very nice - her name is Pam. She had Mom bundled in microwave heated pads on her right shoulder and her hands. I was glad to see that Mother is very cooperative with Pam.

Yesterday Dick went to Dr. Tim to have a troublesome spot removed from his nose. He didn't spend much time at the Agency - just came home and rested a bit. I know he was feeling better later though, because he went out to find some new geocaches that have appeared in our area. I took the day off yesterday.

More geocaching for Dick today. He went down to the Manton area and found 3, and he placed a special coin in one of Koda's caches. It was cold, windy and snowy - so he came home to stoke up the fire.

A Benzie Day

This was a good day for a drive to Benzie County. Dick had a list of caching fun, repair, and coin placement - so off we went.

The first stop was a nature preserve, with a trail that was mucky underfoot. The area was so swampy/waterlogged that the roots of the trees were above ground level, with big spaces between the bottom of the trees and ground level. It was otherworldly looking - it reminded me of a fairy tale setting - Little Red Riding Hood maybe, or Hansel and Gretel. It was a spooky place.

Dick found everything he was looking for, and finished the tasks he had set for himself. At the Art Park near Crystal Mt., he walked up a huge hill - it was quite an effort, but he was successful. I walked part way up the hill just to see if I could! It was interesting driving around Crystal - they've made snow, and one slope was open and very crowded! We were surprised because we're not skiers and we had no idea that slopes could be kept open when we've had high temperatures and no snow for weeks.

On the way home we stopped at Hofbrau in Interlochen for lunch, and walked into a very nice brunch totally unaware. We went on towards Traverse and went to visit Mother. She's not feeling well. She's not very happy with Bortz - in fact she said she was happier in the hospital. Jana has said several times that Mother may be depressed - I'll mention that to the Bortz Doctor - who knows?

This evening, Tom (Oxbow), Jana (Moonlytte), Dylan (Zoroan) and I (Nanzia) played World of Warcraft (the internet sensation - inside joke) together. It was very much fun. Dylan enjoyed escorting me around and clearing the area of monsters for me. We didn't find the right harpies, though. At the same time, Dick was trying to download his new maps and it was overwhelmingly frustrating. I heard phrases that I haven't heard for a while.

One time this evening I went downstairs for something and I found myself walking like an actual human! It felt very natural, with no limping. It was a ray of sunshine and hope for the future! It only lasted a few seconds, but it's been such a long time and it felt so good! I've had weeks of therapy, and I've been doing the exercises at home, and it seems to be working.

Torcher

We met Tim and Susie for breakfast at the Wild Onion in Alden. (That's the place where one of the omelets is named The Torcher - cracks us up every time). We had fun chatting - comparing caching experiences and Holiday stories. They told us they logged the Fountain of Youth cache on the way 5 minutes after we did! We compared notes and tried to figure out the damage that has been done to the little park where the Fountain of Youth cache is located. Someone drove onto the grassy area and churned up a lot of loose, wet, black soil. There are deep tire tracks all around. The picnic table has been torn apart - we think whoever drove in there backed into it and smashed it. Probably somebody imbibed a bit much and used poor judgement.

After breakfast, they wanted to do the Alden Historical multi-cache, and we were interested because we never were able to locate stage 2 of that cache, even though we did find the final stage. We decided to stick around and see if they could find it. Susie has naturally built in cache radar! They struck out too on stage 2, and Dick and I felt gratified that we aren't the only ones who couldn't find it!

Visited Mother on the way home - she claims that nobody is paying any attention to her. She wanted a specific pair of shoes, so Dick went over to Concord to get them, and brought back the shoes and the white pointsettia from church. She is not happy. Somehow her golden years have been tarnished.

Mother at Bortz Health Care

After a week in the hospital, it was determined that she was ready to be discharged yesterday (Wed.) to the nursing home. We decided to make the transfer by ambulance for the general ease of everybody involved. The transfer was made in a timely manner, and she was ensconced in her new room by 1:45 p.m.

It should be explained that Bortz Health Care is not the silk stocking nursing home of Traverse City. It is definitely down-at-heel, and could use some redecorating. But it has a good reputation, and many prominent Traverse Citizens have made it their home. It is well staffed with well trained personnel. They all seem to be very friendly, smiling and helpful. Everybody has been very nice to Mother, and I think that is the most important thing - even better than a new paint job!

I was relieved to see that Mother is in a private room with all the amenities. It has a sliding door to the outdoor courtyard, a private bathroom, a closet, nice chair, and a comfortable bed. She seemed glad to be out of the hospital at last and into a homier environment. If you visit, though, don't expect the Taj Mahal !

We spent the afternoon going through stacks of paper with the head nurse - signing the contract and several other things, and then initialing another couple of reams of paper. She is most definitely and certifiably registered!

Today when I visited, I watched her eat lunch - and her appetite seems to have returned - she ate almost everything. So it's evident that she is feeling better. She reported that this morning they took her downstairs to physical therapy, and that it was no fun. They had her doing some strengthening exercises which she tolerated well, but she said that she was very short of breath. While I was there, she was practicing some of her leg exercises - could have knocked me over with a feather.

So the report for today is very optimistic, and I'm confident that while she is still very weak and frail, she is improving by leaps and bounds over last week at this time.

We have no idea how long she will be in the nursing home. It could be for two weeks or two months. We are keeping her room at Concord Place so that she will be able to return to familiar territory.

New Year's Day in the Morning

HAPPY NEW YEAR !!
As you know, Mother has been in the hospital since Thursday. She's showing some slight improvement. For instance her voice on the phone seems stronger compared to the very weak voice we were hearing before.

She still doesn't feel like herself, and she's not eating much, but she is showing an interest in what to order for breakfast, supper, etc. However, when the food arrives she's really not very hungry. She's sitting in a chair for much of the day now, and she's cold most of the time. The nurses wrap her in blankets, including those wonderful warm blankets that are heated.

Mother is continuing to miscall words - they just don't come out right. She is also beginning to be very repetitive in her thoughts and comments.

She is mentioning more and more how sore her shoulder is, and she's taking Tylenol for that.

Most of the time Mother is examined by a team of Hospitalist doctors. There are two who take turns checking her every day, although any member of the team can substitute. Yesterday while I was there, Dr. Auer, her personal physician, stopped by to check things out. He's ordering an X-ray of her shoulder - he feels it may be dislocated. The shoulder needs to be stronger for her to be able to use a walker.

Dr. Auer noticed her repetitive comments and he said something about a "memory pill" - I'm not sure if he's intending to prescribe something or not.

He recommends that when Mother is discharged that she go to the nursing home side of Bortz Health Care. He feels that she is so weakened by her "near death experience" that she will need more skilled nursing attention in the future. We still don't know when that transfer will happen - we're playing it by ear and complying with all medical advice.

Mom is not at all happy. She feels unlike herself, sick, and bored. "The days are so long here." She refuses all suggestions for relief of boredom, such as TV, magazines, newspapers, etc. She needs some diversion, but I can't figure out anything that appeals to her.

She also feels slightly neglected because she has it in her head that the woman in the next bed is getting more attention than she is. Along those lines, she was really thrilled by Dr. Auer's visit!

We're naturally hoping for the best, and we're wishing that Mom will soon be more comfortable and contented.

Happy New Year!

A Geocaching Eve

Last week we planned a geocaching outing for today, and we followed through on it despite the weather. It was a foggy, dreary, drippy, windy, chilly day - just the opposite of what you want for an enjoyable geocaching experience!

We did manage to have some fun in spite of conditions - Dick found five caches, and logged one DNF (Did Not Find). He found all of them; I seem to be losing my touch! One of them I could have found - I noticed the hole - but I didn't want to kneel down to investigate - I regret it now because I was skunked!

I visited Mother in the hospital while Dick made pea soup with our Christmas ham. The soup turned out to be delicious. We tried to stay awake to welcome in the New Year, but it was a lost cause. We went to bed around 10:30.

Happy New Year !

Best Laid Plans

This day was all planned out. First, I was going to P.T. at 10:45. Dick and I were going to drop Jana at the airport at 12:30 and wave bye bye. Then Dick and I were going to go out to lunch.

Well, remember what Burns said about best laid plans? ("The best laid plans o'mice and men gang aft agley." [To a Mouse by Robert Burns, on ploughing up her nest, November, 1785])

Around 9:30 a.m. I got a panicky phone call from Betsy at Concord. She felt that Mother was worse and needed to see her doctor. I cancelled out of the P.T and headed for Concord Place. After various phone calls to Thirlby Clinic, it was decided to take Mother to Munson Emergency. Ann and Betsy helped me load Mom into the car, and the greeter at the Hospital put her in a wheelchair while I parked. Dick and Jana were left on their own to go to the airport.

We arrived at the E.R. around ll a.m., and it turned out to be a long, long afternoon. There were blood tests, X-rays, and various other tests. The final diagnosis is dehydration caused by flu-like symptoms. We talked to two doctors (an E.R. Doc and a Hospitalist), two nurses, two cleaning ladies, and one very accomodating volunteer.

In a prime example of polar opposites, the woman in the next bed was in the E.R. because of a drug overdose - actually drugs plus a mere pint of whiskey. And I was really glad that Mom is hard of hearing, because the language from the other side of the curtain was not exactly pristine.

Mom was finally put into her room at 5 p.m. The nurses on West 4 were just delightful and charming. Mom felt like Queen Victoria with all of the attention they lavished on her. It was paradise after the long, dull, uncomfortable hours in the E.R.

In the meantime, as more evidence of well laid plans ganging agley, as of 4 p.m., Jana was still in T.C. Her 1:30 takeoff never happened, and we still haven't heard the end of that story.

The moral of this day's story is Stay Flexible.

Descending Pool Table

Catherine's was having a post Christmas sale, so Jana and I dropped Dick off at the mall and went on a mad shopping spree for an hour and a half. Such fun!

Then we all took a drive out to the Leelanau in search of the perfect spot to place Jana's new cache. She's doing one centered on the early 20th century murder of a nun at the Holy Rosary Church in Isadore.

We were hungry, so we went to Art's Tavern first for lunch. Art's was jammed packed full of people - it was more crowded than it is in the summertime. There was a line waiting to get in. The party in front of us was a huge family group of at least 14 people. While we were standing there in the cold entrance, shivering and cramped, we were trying to figure out where they were going to put everyone.

There was a pool table in the center of the eating area, and right there, before our very eyes, a couple of employees began pulling up sections of floorboards from under the pool table and putting them on top of it. It took them quite a while, and while we were watching I was thinking "I wonder if they're somehow going to lower that pool table and put tables on top of it." And lo and behold - the pool table began to slowly move downwards until the floorboards on top were flush with the floor of the restaurant! And then they set up tables and chairs and seated the whole family group in one swell foop! It was worth the wait - just think - a pool table elevator! How many of those have you seen!?! As usual, the food was delicious and plentiful, the service was friendly and prompt, but the hit of the day was the descending pool table. I don't expect I'll ever see anything like that again.

Christmas Day 2006

Some Christmases are unforgettable:

When I was a sophomore in high school I got a beautiful wool dress with a turtle neck, and a new pair of ice skates;

The Christmas that I was expecting, Mother Gen gave us an entire layette for the new baby Laurie;

When Laurie was two, she asked Santa for a book, a truck and a talking doll, and that was all she wanted.

This Christmas was the most unforgettable of all the unforgettables:

************************
This is the Christmas that our children gave us a Caribbean cruise for our 50th wedding anniversary.

And the best part is that WE'RE ALL GOING !!!

Tom, Jana, Laurie&Chip and Dylan will be there too !!

And Dick and I will be in a grand suite!
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This is the whole reason that we had to have a webcam in place in time for Christmas, because the family in Florida wanted to see us open the box with all of the clues! I was in shock for at least an hour afterwards, and I was tingling all over. Dick and I were both very emotional about this gift. Getting ready to go is going to be such a treat - we are so looking forward to this trip!

We had already had a wonderful Christmas. We love the treasure hunter book, and especially the tote with the original artwork by Mr. Dylan. There were so many wonderful gifts, we were already very mellow and satisfied after opening everything. Then Jana said it was time to call Florida, and she brought up the box from downstairs and turned on the webcam. WOW!

Dick, Jana and I visited Mother for about 2 hours this afternoon. We took her some food and three small gifts. She had a chance to call Fritz and wish him a Merry Christmas, and Jim called her earlier in the day, so she touched base with everyone this holiday.

But the big news of the day is our Anniversary Cruise on April 22, 2007! Stay tuned!

Dick thinks that this picture looks too much like deer in the headlights, so

This is the Official We'll Be Cruising Soon picture!

Where Would YOU Go?

"Hopefully this holiday finds you well and that the New Year dawns with bright new promise. May prosperity and light fill your life with joy." A quote found on another blog, and it's really my wish for everybody.

Next summer the Annual National Governor's Conference will be held here in Traverse City - well actually, at the Resort.

Our friend Kathee from the Visitor Center is heavily involved in preparation for the big event, and she'll be going to D.C sometime in February with a committee to attend a prep meeting for next year's Conference. They'll be taking 50 cherry pies, one for each delegation. She knows that Jana lives in D.C., so she asked if Jana had suggestions of things that Kathee and the committee could do for breakfast and dinner. Where would I go? Definitely back to Mei-wah and Mimi's! Don't know if I'm ready for the drag queen brunch...hmm...let me think that over...
Here is Jana's reply:

Hi Kathee -- I'm Dick's daughter Jana, and he asked me to pull together some recommendations for your upcoming visit to DC. Hope you find these useful, please let me know if you have any more questions or need a tourguide on your stay!

Old Ebbitt Grill is a wonderfully atmospheric & historic restaurant with a great bar, too. It's very near your hotel -- on 15th St between F and G (your hotel is on 14th St between H and I): Old Ebbitt Grill

Two options right on H St. -- for dinner, Cosi is a chain coffee/sandwich shop with wonderful salads -- I recommend the Cobb. They also have smores at your table, but my Dad says there's a bar in TC that does that too, so maybe it's not that special: Cosi

For dinner and/or a drink -- Cafe Mozart is a german expat experience, with $2.50 draft beers Mon-Fri 4-7, and all the brats you can eat: Cafe Mozart

Other highly recommended dinner & Drink spots a quick cab ride away:

Mei-wah -- best Chinese experience in DC! Mei Wah

Mimi's -- featuring live showtunes sung by the waitstaff, and a great bar too!
Mimi's

The Brickskellar -- a wonderful grubby cellar of a beer joint featuring more than a thousand beers, and mighty fine pierogies:
The Brickskellar

DC experiences further from your hotel -- You may or may not have time for these, but they sure are fun.

Dine at the Longworth House Office Building Cafeteria!
The press corps agrees this is the best cafeteria on Capitol Hill. The House buildings are open to everyone -- you do need to go through security and show ID. In the cafeteria, it's fun to eavesdrop on movers and shakers (or just pretend they are). Then for fun you can explore, go from one building to the next via the underground tunnels, enjoy the lovely courtyard in the Rayburn building, and visit your congressman if you want to at 137 Cannon: Capitol Hill Map

Ben's Chili Bowl!
My personal favorite comfort food, and a bona-fide DC experience. It's on U St, between 12th & 13th, across the street from the U St. Cardozo metro stop.
Ben's Chili Bowl

Johnny Rockets!
This was my mom & dad's favorite, it's a 50's style hamburger chain, the one I took them to was on M St in Georgetown. There's no metro in Georgetown so you would have to hop in a cab: Johnny Rockets

Drag Queen Brunch at Perry's!
Sunday Brunch is a DC obsession that has spilled over into Saturday. The article below lists lots of options, but my personal recommendation is the drag queen brunch at Perry's, on Columbia Road near 18th St (which is the Adams Morgan strip ... as an aside, if you want the Adams Morgan experience, go to 18th between California and Columbia any night of the week, it's hoppin' with bars, international restaurants and general nightlife). During the week, Perry's is a sushi place with a rooftop deck, but on Sunday, it is the liveliest brunch in town, with live drag queen entertainment: Washington Post Brunch Review

Another lunch or brunch option is the Mansion on O St -- there are just no words to describe this, you will have to read the review below. Call to make reservations because they don't serve unless people are coming. Just being in the mansion is a jaw-dropping experience that overwhelms the senses and can inspire giggle-fits: Mansion on O St.

It Works!

Hey hey hey! The LogiTech webcam works great with Skype on the Dell. This morning we talked with Laurie, Tom and Dylan, and it was great. I don't know where Chip was, but he is home now through Christmas, thank goodness. We were afraid that he would get held up by all of the delays caused by the big storm in Denver.

Spoke to Mother this morning - she is not well at all. She even agreed to see the doctor after the holidays. This is monumental, because she always pooh-poohs going to the doctor.

We took a drive this afternoon - it's another dreary, rainy day. We went to the store to get oysters for the Christmas Eve oyster stew. Then we did the TC cruise: the bay was very gray, but calm. The shoppers were dodging raindrops on Front Street. We visited both cemeteries, and drove past some condos that Jana is considering for some date in the future.

This evening we're planning to go to Mongolian Barbecue for dinner, and then cruise town to see the Christmas lights.

Outing With Jana +Skype +LogiTech

Dick headed out early this morning to do some more work for his new cache, and to put in some time at the Agency. He also stopped in at the Visitor Center to get details of Kathee's committee trip to D.C. so that Jana can recommend some restaurants.

It rained cats and dogs all day today. Good day for movies, shopping, and visiting Mother. So Jana and I did all of that. We went to see Eragon so that we can communicate with Dylan. It's a very nice movie if you're nine years old. Jana and I were in stitches many times when scenes in the movie were so cliched and reminiscent of so many earlier adventure movies. We saw some Star Wars, some Lord of the Rings, even a little Wizard of Oz.

After the movie we stopped at Best Buy. Jana went shopping for a LogiTech camera for my upstairs computer so we can do the Skype thing with Laurie. Kind of an end-around around the iSight/Mac combo that didn't work. She also bought a beautiful gift of truffles wrapped in a golden box/bag for Mother.

Mother is very weak and feeble today, and not feeling well. We did have a good visit - we opened her Christmas cards, read them, and looked at the pictures. We watered the evergreen tree that Laurie sent, and cleaned up some of the needles. We talked to Julius and Abby. We shared memories of Dad and the good old days. I think that Mother could hear most of it.

Back at home Dick cooked burgers on the grill and we had a great supper. Now Jana and I are watching the rest of Spanglish and Dick is on the phone with Doug.

Pick Up Something +Skype +iSight

Nice workout today at physical therapy. Kari started me on the elliptical trainer, and it's a real challenge. She's very patient with me, and she's a really effective therapist.

Went to new Oleson's to pick up something for dinner - it feels so good to be doing things by myself now.

I told Dick I was going to do that, and a lightbulb went off in his head. He said he thinks he'll call his new cache Pick Up Something For Dinner. He's "borrowing" the idea from the Bellaire cache that starts in a grocery store. He enjoyed that cache so much that he wants one of his own. He and Jana are out right now setting it up.

Later the same day...

Jana and I were watching Spanglish (really fun movie) when Laurie calls attempting to set up Skype with her video camera. The bottom line is that we now have Skype on our laptop, and she has it on her new computer. We could hear each other just fine. Jana and I could see Laurie, but we couldn't connect the iSight to the Skype for some reason. I'm thinking it was just too late for me and my brain was in neutral.

I need to find out how to use iSight with Skype on my iBook G4. Anybody? Anybody??....

JayBird Flies In

Feeling better. Went to therapy and things went well - glad I didn't cancel.

Jana's plane was right on time - just before 9 p.m. She's glad to be here (of course!) but she's disappointed that we have no snow. Right now it looks like we'll have a green Christmas.

Speaking of G-I Issues....

Oh wow - I'm so sick. Picked up a totally unfriendly bug somewhere. Was up all night - most unpleasant. Feeling very much like a dishrag today.

Family Brunch

Today is party day!

First there was a terrific family brunch at South City Limits - Barb and Sharon and all of Barb's kids. Who was there? Dick&Nan, Sharon, Shelly, Chris, Adam&Melanie and Lydia, Barb&Jim, Peter&Melissa and Autumn and Brooke. We had a couple of hours of a really great time. They gave us a gorgeous centerpiece - it's so festive and Christmasy - it looks great on the dining room table.

The Concord Place Christmas party came next. Unfortunately, Mother was not feeling well enough to go down to Party Central. so Dick made a few trips dowstairs to fix her a plate, get her some coffee, etc. She hasn't been feeling well for several weeks now - it seems to be a gastro-intestinal issue of some sort.

Whew!

Land therapy is better than aqua therapy. Why? Because when you're finished you're not dripping wet walking through a fitness center to a cold locker room, and taking 20 minutes to dry off, shiver and change. The machines are fun, the routines are not too difficult, and I think I'll really enjoy the next 3 weeks of therapy. This morning was only the second session, so I don't really notice much difference yet, but I have high hopes.

This afternoon was our adventurous trek, taking Mom to the dentist for an extraction. We were both more stressed out about this than we realized. Things went quite smoothly - the new wheelchair performed well. We rented a Chrysler 300, because it seemed like the best vehicle for moving the most easily from wheelchair to seat....our Subaru is too small and the Explorer is too big! The Chrysler was a great choice.

Dr. Whiting did a marvelous job of keeping everybody calm and happy. After it was all over, Mother didn't even realize that the tooth was already out. She's such a trooper - I know it was a stressful event for her. She kept saying "That wasn't so bad". We're all very relieved that it's over.

CacheApalooza

While we were at the Merry Bowling meet and greet, 1255 miles away, in Jonathan Dickinson State Park, Florida, Laurie, Chip and Dylan were at the camping weekend called CacheApalooza. I looks to me like they had a great time.

Dylan is in the blue T shirt - he's the tallest one. Two of the others are Lainie and Ty, and the third is mystery boy. Dylan is the cutest.

Here is Laurie's log:

Thanks to everyone who made this well organized event possible. We enjoyed every minute. Our group of kids had a fantastic time finding their own treasure cache, and I jumped for joy when my number was called for the Garmin GPS. Thanks!

Merry Bowling

Bowling? We don't do bowling! But we had a great time at the NMG meet and greet in South Boardman today. It was much fun to see everybody and enjoy some great conversations. It was great seing Tim and Susie - it's been a while since we've seen them. Tim won the trophy for the highest bowling score. Very impressive.

There was a Secret Santa gift exchange and a raffle. We got lots of goodies, the absolute best being a whole raft of chocolate chip cookies. Frank and Peggy agreed to stop by next Wednesday for cookies and coffee.

Here is Dick's log of the event:

Thanks Beth for getting us together, it was nice to see the Jedi and the Princess. Thanks Ray and Lydia for the raffles, and everyone who brought a gift or donated to the prize tables, we had a great time. Believe it or not, we bowled almost as well as we did when we were in our teens. It was great to see everyone and watch the experts in action, Katelyn is definitely a champ. We apologize to anyone we didn't get a chance to talk and wish a Merry Christmas to. We certainly enjoyed the conversations that we had. We spent the ride home sharing the stories we gathered from everyone. If anyone wants to drop in for milk and cookies, we're ready.

Mom Has Wheels/ Here Comes Christmas

This was the day we put up Christmas. The tree looks very nice! The house is as decorated as it will be. It's fun to go through the Christmas things, make decisions, and cherish the memories they elicit. Dick put lights on a tree outside the living room so we can enjoy it every evening. That tree is really beautiful. It's a good feeling to have everything finished.

We went to visit Mom today - we took her some boots, pictures of Jace's visit, and some photo Christmas cards that she can send to family. But the big item was her new wheelchair.

To assist in the transfer next Thursday, Dr. Auer, her primary care physician, wrote a prescription for a wheelchair and she will be reimbursed by Medicare and Blue Cross. Mom is very happy to have her own wheelchair, and she wants it stored in her room so no one will take it ! It's a transfer chair - it has small wheels, not the big wheels that the patient turns by hand. Her hands would not be able to turn those wheels anyway. She will always need someone to push it for her.

Springing the Buccal Plate

When I was in college one of my summer jobs was working as a dental assistant in a Kiwanis Club free dental clinic. I had no training at all, so the dentist explained everything in the office very specifically and efficiently, and even quizzed me during the down times. That's how I know that when Mother goes to have her tooth pulled, her dentist will be springing the buccal plate. Buccal means the cheek side of the tooth, and the plate is the jaw.

Mother has an appointment on Dec. 14th for her to go to the dentist and have the bad tooth extracted. She wants it out, but she is naturally nervous about leaving the building, and also about having her tooth pulled. She is expecting "agony". We have tried to comfort her, and explain that she will be numbed up, etc. We've made sure that she has her good winter coat, boots, gloves and hat in case of bad weather. Cross your fingers.

Will There Be Any Stars In My Crown?

Snow, snow and more snow. We now have snow tires on both vehicles, and it's a lot more comfortable driving around. We went to UPS today and shipped the Christmas packages to Florida. Now we're ready to put up the tree, decorate the house, and write the Christmas cards.

Mother's dentist made a home visit this evening after supper to evaluate her teeth. She needs to have a tooth extracted and some other work done. He called in a prescription for an antibiotic for her to take to help avoid infection from the procedure. We have an appointment next Thursday, Dec. 14th at 2 p.m. I think it's remarkable that a dentist would go out of his way like that for an elderly patient. His Grandma is in Birchwood, so he is very understanding and willing to help. He has another star in his crown. Will There Be Any Stars In My Crown by Seldom Scene

This week Dylan's toughest spelling word is reservation. Others are suggestion and conclusion. He has reservations about taking this test. My suggestion is that he'll be glad to see the conclusion of the test!

Michael Moore & Max in T.C.

An Old Favorite

I've been experimenting with audio and video on the blog. Rhapsody.com seems to work the best so far for audio, and YouTube for video.


City Of New Orleans by Seldom Scene

One More Day

There will be only one more day of aqua therapy. After Friday, I will graduate to "land therapy". Tom says I'll be a land shark - remember that on SNL?

Here is the lovely Premier Fitness Center, home of my therapy pool. (Oh by the way, we got quite a bit of new snow today and the roads were horrible.)


Here is our beloved pool. You were expecting maybe Olympic size?


This is Kari, my intrepid therapist. She knows everything about muscles and stretching and strengthening, and she's chock full of good tips for me.


Kari and Lisa, another therapist - they are all very pleasant.

Here's photographic evidence that I do actually have a swim suit, and I really do get into the pool, so there. The shirt comes off when I get into the pool, but for pictures, not so much.

Family Day @ Concord Place

One day after the big snow storm, it was a beautiful, sunny day with a bright blue sky. Jim drove up from Saginaw to visit Mother, and he brought along Dan, Pam and 18 month old Jace! What a treat it was to see them all!



Here's Mother holding Jace (quote "He's Heavy!) with Dan ready to grab him at any second.



While we were all there, Rick and Mary came in with Uncle Fritz and Aunt Ruth. Fritz and Ruth have moved to assisted living and aren't on the road any more, so when Rick and Mary come to town they always bring them to visit Mother. Fritz is Mother's only brother, and he's now 90.



A fun family "crowd shot" - Pam with Jace, Dan, Dick and Jim. Jace will be a big brother before he's two years old. The new baby is due in April, and Jace will be two on May 1.



Rick, Dan and Fritz:


Cousins Rick and Mary with Mother - thanks Rick, for bringing Fritz and Ruth to our impromptu Christmas gathering!


Dan's family meets Great-Grandma - Mother was very happy to meet Pam and Jace.


Thank you Jim, for bringing everybody to Traverse City! It's hard to believe that we had 11 people at once in Mom's room, but it worked out great, and we all loved it!


This little tree was a centerpiece at yesterday's Visitor Center party. I thought it would be perfect for Mother's room, and I think it looks wonderful and festive. Thanks, Kathee for letting us take it. So now the Christmas season is off and running - hang on to your hats!

Ushering in the Holiday Season

The T.C. Convention Bureau and Visitor Center volunteers Christmas Party was this afternoon. It was very festive, with great food, lots of Christmas tree decorations, and good company. To help usher in the season, we had a foot of snow during the afternoon. The party was held at the Maritime Academy, so we were right on the bay. It was interesting to watch the waves smash over the pier - the wind was strong and right out of the northwest. We sat with Jean and John, John and Penny, Val, and Jack. Dick liked the shrimp best; I liked the meatballs and the cheesecake! The coffee was fantastic. There was an open bar, but with the weather the way it was we didn't indulge. I think Dick had one glass of wine. It's always the most enjoyable party of December.

Traffic was awful on the way home, and the roads were treacherous. It took us about 45 minutes to get home, usually a 20 minute drive. The snow drifted up over our porch steps. It was good to be home by the fire.

Jim called this evening. He plans to come up to T.C. tomorrow to visit Mother. I think this will be the official Christmas visit. We're hoping that the main roads will be plowed and sanded by tomorrow.

Julius is 103 !!

Dr. Kevin put in my permanent crown today, and it went very smoothly. Dick went with me, and afterwards, we went out to lunch at Bubba's, and then for a short drive (cache maintenance). He dropped me off at Horizon and went to get a haircut. It's so nice to be out and about - it's like I was never away :)

This article was in today's Record Eagle. It's so nice that Julius can get out of his room occasionally. I hope he had a wonderful birthday. Julius lives across the hall from Mother at Concord Place. He helps her sort her daily newspaper and throws away all of the ads, etc. He has trouble with dry eyes, and he's very hard of hearing, but he's hanging in there. It's hard to believe that anybody is 5 years older than Mother!

Julius Petertyl shares life stories for his birthday

Julius Petertyl remembers when Traverse City had all the bells and whistles.

And he's telling people about them as he turns 103.

"There were churches ringing bells and factories with steam power whistling for starting time,” said Petertyl, who was born in Traverse City on Nov. 30, 1903, the year of the Wright brothers' first flight.

"There were school bells and fire drills and you could go on and on and on,” he said.

He shared his stories of a century-plus of local history with a reporter and later to about 100 people at a party hosted by the Kiwanis Club of Traverse City Monday. Sitting in his wheelchair at the front of the room, he spoke of memories both personal and of the city, including sawdust in the streets to soak up the mud, workers earning 16 cents per hour and a world champion Holstein cow at the Traverse City State Hospital barn.

"When the cow expired, they had a funeral service for the cow,” said Petertyl, who now lives in an assisted living home.

He teared up and had to stop when he spoke of meeting his late wife Dorothy on the golf course and the happy years that followed.

"I love my wife,” he said. "I talk to her every day.”

He recalled the fire whistle that would blow like a siren, which he imitated, and then a code to signify which sector the fire was in.

"When we were kids and heard that at night, it was scary,” he said.

The full-time firemen would take a horse-drawn wagon, pails and a ladder to the fire. Volunteers would leave their homes or jobs and run or ride a bicycle to the fire to help out.

"There were dry, cedar shingles on the roofs, so a spark on the roof starts a fire,” he said.

Petertyl's grandfather Victor Petertyl had come to Traverse City from Prague, Czechoslovakia, in the 1800s. He was a furniture- and cabinet-maker who sold his work at a shop on Front Street.

His father Albert owned the A.T. Petertyl Meat Market in the 500 block of South Union Street when Julius was born. That was before cars were mass-produced, so a horse-and-carriage was the most likely way to get around town. People took a train to go to Grand Rapids or Chicago.

"There were five or six horseshoeing shops in town,” he said.

Two of the town's wagon-, carriage- and sleigh-making shops were owned by Petertyls, cousins of Julius' father. The last name is best known locally because of Petertyl Drug & Gift Center on Front Street, which his brother started; it is no longer in the family.

When Julius was young, his family was one of the few in town who had a telephone, because his father owned a business. To place a call, they had to turn a crank, then tell the operator who they were calling.

In his spare time, he enjoyed making some of his own toys out of wood.

"We'd get wheels from the shops in town that repaired baby buggies and make a cart,” he said.

He also liked to fish the Boardman River off the Union Street bridge.

"You didn't need any fancy equipment,” he said, adding that he and his friends would cut a branch from a tree and tie a line and a hook to it.

The first car he owned, at about age 25, was a used 1919 Ford Roadster.

"It was not enclosed,” he said. That meant the driver and passengers were exposed to the elements.

Petertyl also remembers when snow on the sidewalks was plowed by horses and the city streets were not plowed at all.

"The milkman went through with his milk sleigh and made the first tracks,” he said. "We used to get some big snowstorms.”

In the 1970s, Petertyl helped document the histories of 460 homes and buildings in Traverse City's Central Neighborhood to help get it on the National Register of Historic Places.

"He was instrumental in pulling the Central Neighborhood together with a historic bent and getting it on the National Register,” said Carol Hale, who worked with him on the project.

He attended what is now Central Grade School on Seventh Street and later supervised bricklayers building the barn at Traverse City State Hospital in the 1930s and at Munson Medical Center in the 1950s.

He retired 43 years ago from Consumers Power.

Of course, one of the questioners at the party wanted to know how Petertyl has remained healthy and happy for 103 years.

"I just keep breathing,” he said, which was met with laughter and a standing ovation.

Copyright 1998-2005 Traverse City Record-Eagle

Bumper Stickers

Seen around town:


Who Would Jesus Torture?

and

I was Born OK the First Time

and

Honk If You're Against Noise Pollution

Have you seen other good ones?