Reflections

Reflections upon packing everything we own:

1. We have toted many, many bags of trash out of the house.  It's mostly things that have outlived their usefulness, are expired, really old, or just not worth keeping.

2.  We have toted many, many bags of recycling out of the house as well.  The recycling bags fill up every day - it's so astonishing and incredible - our version of shock and awe.

3.  We have donated over a thousand dollars worth of items to the Women's Resource Center and to Goodwill over the past few weeks.  Clothing, sports equipment, bicycles, helmets, household items, dishes, coffee mugs, and so on and so on!  Whew!  But it does ease the guilt of getting rid of things.

4.  I have learned that I have too many things that are precious to me.  There are some things that I just cannot part with - most especially old letters, my fat lady sculpture, and a teddy bear.

5.  Even though I have gradually been getting rid of old clothes for months now, I still have way, way too many clothes.  It's very hard to choose what goes into storage, what goes to Florida, what I will wear on the road south.  I change my mind every day.

6.  Adam, Barb and Chris have really helped us clear things out.  Adam has really helped Dick with the barns, and with storing some things for us.  Barb has accepted some historic family items from Mother Gen and some other things as well.  Sharon took GenFest items and some pantry things that I'm not allowed to eat!  They've all been so helpful.

7. I'm so glad that we have hired a moving company to take all of our things to storage.  I'm not so sure what we would have done otherwise.

8. We have too much china, too much crystal, and too many everyday dishes.

                                                         ***********

This week we have been working with the vendors for our yet-to-be-built condo. We have seen Deb at Floor Covering Brokers, Erica at Kitchen Choreography, and Beth at Nature's Edge.  We have pretty much finalized all  wood floors, tile, carpeting, counter tops, cabinets, sinks and tubs.

Next project is to select appliances -  refrigerator, stove, micro hood, dishwasher, washer and dryer.  Whew.  We have met with Rebecca at Sears, and with Dave at Max's.  We are leaning strongly toward Max's.  We really like the Frigidaire Gallery series of appliances with the brushed stainless steel (no fingerprints!).

After today, we'll be in T.C. for five more days only.  Our countdown has begun.  I feel like Robert Frost - "And miles to go before I sleep."

Laurie and Chip

Thank you ever so muchly !!

These two have really been working hard in our behalf!

 We wanted new johns in two bathrooms, so they went shopping, hired a plumber, waited around for the plumber to come, and so now we have two new johns!

 Laurie didn't like the blinds in the office, so she went shopping, and now there are new blinds in there!  She also found an office file cabinet - we really did need that!

 Chip didn't like the trash set up in the kitchen, so now we have an under the sink pull out trash bin!  How great is that?

The washer and dryer were sitting on a cement slab, which didn't sit well with Laurie.  Now we have indoor-outdoor tiles in that area, and the tiles are non-skid!  Checking out the installation, Chip discovered a small leak in the hot water line.  So the plumber was called back out, and now we are back in the laundry business!  Wow.

 And that's not even counting the time last summer when Laurie went over to our house and discovered that the AC was not working.  That can be really devastating in humid Florida!  So she called the repairman, and of course had to wait for him to show up and fix the AC.  We feel so super lucky to have these two looking out for us :)

Copper Falls, Tub, Framing

Lunch at Copper Falls for Kathee with the Friday volunteers - Dick Joan, Peggy, Nancy F. and Kay.  It certainly is a lovely place!  The rocks and water right outside the window are really spectacular.

Dick found the whirlpool tub he wants at Lowe's - now he just has to give the make and model number to Brian ant the tub is taken care of.  It's our first upgrade.

Drove past the new condo lot, and discovered that they are setting up the framing for the walls of the lower level!

Hooray for framing!  And the colors aren't bad either.

My heart rate will not calm down.  It's been 130 since the end of lunch 2 1/2 hours ago.  And irregular - don't forget irregular.  This is a totally new symptom for me.

Our Eight Hour Day

Our day was well planned - first the dentist, then the blood test, drop book at library, shop for a jet tub for our new condo, and maybe get lunch somewhere, and then go home and pack some dishes.

Day began at the dentist for the routine 6 month cleaning and check-up.  It was long - she numbed my gums - a new experience - and so the mouth felt weird through the whole thing.  But all is well and I don't go back for another 6 months.  It took one hour and ten minutes.

We were at Thirlby Clinic for a blood draw and a pneumonia shot for Dick.  All I did was to ask if Dr. Burke could fit me in sometime soon for a consultation about my recent elevated heart rate.  After a lengthy discussion with his nurse (Barb) she and Dick convinced me that I should go to the ER.  I kept repeatedly saying I don't want to do that, I really don't want to do that!  I remember going to the ER with Mom a couple of times and remember it being tiring, stressful, frustrating, and lengthy - especially lengthy.

To make a very long story very short, we went to the ER.  We were there for seven (7) (VII) hours!!  We saw Annie, Renee the nurse, Dr. Fowler (I really liked him), Sarah for blood draw, another Sarah for chest x-ray, Megan for another blood draw, Kelly for transport to nuclear med., Molly for the VQ test (?) - it's testing how efficiently your body is delivering oxygen or something - I have to look it up:

[The test is performed in the radiology department of a hospital or in an outpatient facility. You are asked to put on a hospital gown. Once you are ready, multiple pictures of your chest are taken from different angles, using a special camera that detects the radionuclide. For half of these pictures, you are asked to breathe from a tube that has a mixture of air, oxygen, and a slightly radioactive version of a gas called xenon, which can be detected by the camera, and which measures airflow in different parts of the lung. For the other half of the pictures, the camera tracks the injected radionuclide to determine blood flow in different parts of the lung.]

Dick is reading a great book with good stories about growing up in northern Michigan at the turn of the century and beyond.  He kept me entertained reading me some of the best ones.  He had his iPad and I had my phone, and of course there are also magazines around, but it all gets old quickly. Hours
of waiting - but even after infusing 2 liters of saline to increase fluid volume, my pulse was still jumping all around.  I felt fine - not dizzy, didn't feel sick at all - just tired of being there.

Dr. Fowler came in at last and summarized:  kidneys are working well, no pulmonary problems, heart rate is high because of low blood volume - heart has to work harder. Stop taking diuretics.  Drink plenty of fluids and call Dr. Burke in the morning.

Finally, we were free at last.  Had a late dinner at Rico's - we hadn't eaten since breakfast.  Have to check in with Dr. Burke in the morning.

To summarize, today I got 8 hours and ten minutes of medical attention, and all I got out of it was clean teeth.

The most impatient patient.

Dick patiently waiting with the patient who is not very patient!

Dick's reaction when we are finally set free!!!

Rainy Day Tuesday

Met with Beccy, Lynne and Brian this morning to sign the purchase agreement for our soon-to-be-built condo.

We had a very productive meeting : altering the floor plan a bit, discussing floors, cabinets, etc. etc. and swapping stories.

 Beccy is the one who keeps us all on track - asks all of the most important questions, and just generally gives us good support.  She is actually looking forward to taking over the planning and implementation of plans while we're in Florida.

We felt good when we left.  Our first assignment is to pick out appliances - make, model numbers, etc. so that Brian can plan accordingly.  Everything is included in our allowances except for the washer and dryer.

We had lunch at the Omelette Shoppe for the first time in ages.  Belgian waffle with fresh strawberries is still the best!

Then Dick got a clean bill of health for another year from Dr. Gillette, so that's another big plus.

Found this video on Facebook, and it just shows why I love that show! :

Columbus Day

Now there is a move abroad to rename the holiday Indigenous Peoples Day.

I think of this every year on Columbus Day:






But this entry on Facebook really made my day!

Bank of Ann Arbor

We will not be closed for Columbus Day today because Columbus is in Ohio.

Babs and Shon

Adam came over this morning with the trailer and cleaned out the barns - hooray - another big job done.  he has been such a big help to us in trying to empty things out.

John and Sharon drove up from Lansing to say good-by to the house and the river.  We had fun visiting, and they helped by carting away some things from our pantry - less for us to deal with!
Barb met us all at Schelde's for brunch, and it was so enjoyable.  The food was delicious, and the conversation was even better.  We had a wonderful time seeing all three of them!  What a terrific day.

In the evening we got a "keeping in touch" phone call from Susan.  She volunteered to come up and help us any time we need help with the packing, sorting, etc.  So far all of our girls (Laurie, Jana, Barb, Sharon, Melanie and Susan have offered to help us out that way.   We're doing OK on our own so far, but we'll see....crunch time is fast approaching!

Sharon sent this email after their visit - it is so thoughtful and sweet - it really touched me:

Hi Uncle Dick and Aunt Nan:

It was so great to visit with you on Sunday.  Thanks again for a delicious brunch and great company.  You both are doing a remarkable job sorting and packing up all of your house.  I know that it has to be a bitter sweet experience, but I am sure it has brought you some smiles, chuckles and great memories as you have uncovered mementos that you didn't even remember than you had.  Your home on the Boardman will always hold wonderful memories for all of us.  We are so grateful for all of the time we were able to spend there.  We were all so lucky that you chose to spend so many years there and include all of our extended family in so many special adventures.

Now you get to make new memories in Florida and eventually in your new condo in TC.  I think you said that today is when you sign the purchase agreement.  Hope that goes well.  I was excited to see the location of your new condo and think it is really a beautiful area and very convenient to get to everything.

Stay in touch and if you need us to come up and help you finish packing, etc. just let me know.

Love, Sharon

Anticipation/ Excavation !

Errands in the morning - fun driving around in our new car!

We went back out to look at our hole in the ground.  Progress has been made, and most of the framing for the footings has been done.  My fingers are crossed for continued fast progress!

And now for something entirely different from MLive.com:

The Wolverines, playing with a tattered offense, clawed and scrapped and fought -- and even limped -- their way out of hell, for now, with an 18-13 win over Penn State. They found out that they can win a football game again. They found out that not quitting was the right move. They found out what leadership means. And, just as important, they found out that -- despite nasty talk of boycotts and protests angeneral rage -- they've still got perhaps the biggest fan base in America supporting them.

Medical Maintenance

Another paracentesis, this one ordered by Dr. Barnes, to be followed by an infusion of albumin.  I'll have to look that up. (Tech Natalie, Dr. Space )  We were at the hospital at 7:45, and we were all finished by 11:30, so it wasn't so bad.

Dick is so great - he very patiently waits with me, reads his book, and is just generally available for conversation or whatever.

At the Infusion Clinic


Followed by lunch at Bubba's :)

Some News is Bad News

This feels like being dismissed, or maybe just dissed.

 My oncologist says that he's not my most important doctor at this point.  According to him, the cancer is not the biggest problem.  Evidently, the liver disease and the failing kidneys are much more important.  He says that any treatment he could prescribe to shrink the cancer could not be done because of damage that might be done to the liver and kidneys.  He has no alternatives, and I won't see him again until we get back to TC next year.   The kidneys were damaged because of paracentesis = evidently removing a lot of fluid can damage the kidneys.  In the future they can only remove 2 or 3 liters at a time, followed by a shot of albumin - not sure why.

 Thankfully I have a nephrologist and a gastro-enterologist to turn to, in addition to good old Dr. Burke.  The nephrologist's office is helping me contact a Dr. in Florida.

We continue to be discouraged, disheartened, disgusted and disillusioned by the Michigan football program.  I never thought I would see the day when that program would be so undeserving of respect .... because, after all, "It's Great To Be a Michigan Wolverine."

Oh Happy Day!

This is the day we've been waiting for for an entire year!

 Ground has been broken at 4113 Lone Pine Drive.  Hallelujah !

 Of course there's no telling how much they will be able to complete before bad weather arrives - but at least we know that all of the permits are in place, and plans are underway!  Such good news...and such a relief!

It will not change our plans to leave TC on Nov. 4 for Florida.  But we may actually have a place to come home to next spring.

                                                         **************************

Michigan Relinquishes Little Brown Jug to Gophers

Michigan opened the scoring on a 10-yard touchdown rush by De'Veon Smith, but Minnesota answered with 30 straight points to take back the Little Brown Jug in a 30-14 final.

CARS

The 1936 rogue standing by the 2015 Rogue.  

Farewell Jeepie!  You were a ton of fun.  Farewell good old dependable RAV4 also.

Happy Birthday Ricardo !

So, we are getting a new car!  Turned in our jeep today - Rav tomorrow we hope.  We're getting a Nissan Rogue.  It's black and beautiful.  Pictures later.  Happy Birthday Dick!

But then:

Para..What?...Again?

Munson Ultrasound - Heidi and Dr. Klegman

31 minutes - 8.875 L

So lucky Dick spent part of his birthday in the hospital cafeteria.  Poor guy.

Jana Jana Jana

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JANA!   You're not really 48.  You're 39 with nine years experience :)

Michigan Schooner Festival

• Home
• Learn about us
• Get involved
• Photo gallery
• Calendar
• Blog
• Support us

Starts September 19, 2014 Ends September 21, 2014

Michigan Schooner Festival 2014

Thank you to all who made this year's Schooner Festival a success! While the weather wasn't as cooperative as it could have been, it was still fun for all. Thank you to all the wonderful presenters, to the crews of the boats who had to endure wind and rain, to the great volunteers. 

Condo?

These two letters illustrate the problems we are having trying to have a condo built in T.C.
We have been repeatedly disappointed, frustrated, led on and let down.  Dick emailed the builder yesterday to try to get a grasp on what the heck is going on.  To me, it sounds like more delays and more unkept promises.

This is the response we got from our proposed builder at Lone Tree.

Hi Dick -

I just made a comment to Lynne this week how ridiculous it must look to the newer clients that we can't start building yet.

We have had to jump through hoops to get the lots transferred and it is because of the people at Garfield Township, both old and new, in the zoning department. As of today, we still do not have title to the property. We just found out this week that the township is requiring notarized signatures from the people who currently live along Lone Pine Dr. You can imagine how difficult it is to try and coordinate that. Carol went door to door last night with a notary to try and make this happen. We are still 2 notarized signatures short. Once we have the signatures, I can have the amendment recorded with the county. After this happens, I can take it back to Garfield Township and get the building permit. This process has been incredibly cumbersome and ridiculous. I am just as frustrated as you, especially as we get closer to winter, so I completely understand where you are coming form.

I already have paid for and pulled the sewer, water and soil/erosion permit. The contractors have been lined up  and now pushed back again. I hope to see this resolved (2 signatures and recorded) by mid next week and we will start immediately. It should only take a couple days to get the permits. If I can get the concrete work done before things start to freeze, we should be in good shape to have the building ready in the spring. If winter is anything like last year it will play a role in the timeline. But I remain optimistic that we can be dried in before it gets bad outside. As long as the township doesn't throw anymore curveballs our way.

Thanks and feel free to send any questions my way. Brian

This is the letter that Dick sent to him:

On Thu, Sep 18, 2014 at 10:08 AM, Richard Steiger wrote:
Hi Brian,

As you can imagine, Nancy and I are extremely frustrated and actually, quite disillusioned by the Lone Tree situation. Our direct conversations with you were quite positive. We probably told you this before but at this stage in our lives we are no longer able to keep our home and property out here on the river maintained at as high a level as we have in the past. Because of this situation, we have decided that a condominium is where we should spend the rest of our lives.

As I think you know, we have shopped all of the condos in the Traverse City area. We determined that the Lone Tree floor plan, location, and price was the one which, by far, best fit our needs. As a result of our meetings and discussions with you and Lynne we anticipated having a condo available early last summer. It was for that reason we scheduled the closing on our house for June 1. Fortunately, the buyer has allowed us to stay in our home as renters through the summer.

Part of our frustration level might be caused by the lack of our direct communication with you. We direct our questions to Beccy who talks to Lynne who then, we assume, speaks to you, then passes the information on to Beccy who then informs us. We have been told that the unit would be finished by; early September, Mid October, end of November, before Christmas. What we have been told is that there has been a problem getting the latest permits from the county/township but the issue will be resolved in about two weeks. Then once permits were apparently acquired, the property had to be surveyed which will take about two weeks. Then another lot was needed because of the retention pond and the procedure must start all over again which will take about two weeks. The last comments were that all was good and construction would begin in about two weeks, just after Labor Day. Well, more than two weeks have passed since Labor Day but apparently nothing is happening.

Currently we have contracted with a moving firm to pack our furniture and possessions November 1 and put everything in storage. Luckily we will not be homeless, we will return to our Florida condominium for the winter. We do not wish to become full time Florida residents. We want to have a home here in Traverse City. For that reason we believe that it is imperative that we take action to determine where and what that might be.

We are aware that we have not signed a contract or anything and that you have no legal responsibility to us, but could you please give us a few answers. Is it your intention to build another condominium duplex in Lone Tree? If so, do you have a date certain when construction will begin? Can you possibly guarantee that we will have a place to come home to in May or June? Is there anything we can do to help the situation proceed?

The Fun Continues

 Ricky. Just a note to thank you and Nancy again for making available the purchase of the excellent golf cart at a very excellent price. I had someone ask if it was a Florida car because it had no rust. It is really in good condition.

   The kids and grand kids are entirely thrilled with the " best new toy" as 10 year old Darby calls it. They were out riding around all day at the lake on Saturday. I have paths back up the hill and it was just the greatest for them. Also, they discovered the really neat trunk that can hold pumpkins.

   Thanks again and hope to see you guys in Florida.

Health 101

First on the schedule was a pack, move, and winter storage estimate from Denoyer's Moving Co.  We've already had one evaluation from the Mayflower people, so we'll have to make a choice.  Currently we are thinking that we'll be all packed up and stored by the first week in November, and then head for our home in Florida and not come back until our condo is ready in T.C.

Yesterday we went to see Dr. Burke - he is good t keeping track of all of my "numbers."  This is from a letter I sent to Emilie and Alice:

Sometimes I feel like I'm playing a numbers game.  All of my test results are presented as numbers, and  Lord only knows what they all mean.  My diabetes is better - the latest A1c number was 5.3,  Anemia is worse - latest hemoglobin number was 8.3.  Kidney function is stable, potassium and thyroid counts seem to be either too high or too low - I don't know those exact numbers.  The doctors seem to think that the cirrhosis is worse than the cancer - go figure.  Right now I'm not having any treatment at all - no chemo is definitely a good thing.  What's next remains to be seen.  I have no pain, just some discomfort from fluid retention, and I get fatigued very easily.  We are plugging along one day at a time.  Thank goodness for Richard!

Dr. Burke figured out why I'm so tired all of the time.  It's a combo of low blood pressure, low hemoglobin, and hypothyroidism.  Whee!

This afternoon we went to the mall and went mall-walking.  Haven't done that for a while.  I had fun looking around Penney's and Lane Bryant, but I was very good and didn't buy anything :)  Dick was able to find a couple of pairs of shoes that fit.  Yay.

Mr. Marshal

Marsh Wied stopped by this morning to touch base.  We had a very nice, long visit.  He is still the main caretaker of his Mom, but he makes it a point to get away on his own every so often as a respite.  He's been doing that for 8 years now.  It's quite admirable.  He's in great shape and seems content.  He'll come by again in October.

August Geo-Breakfast in TC

• Today we hosted the August Meet and Greet at the Flap Jack Shack.  It was well attended, and we met some really nice cachers.  I hope we see them again next month, if not before.  I appreciated Marty's help with welcoming and seating - and we were thrilled to hear of Danielle's new job :)

28 Logged Visits

Decrypt

 2      12      13      1     

View Logbook

**Warning! Spoilers may be included in the descriptions or links.

r&jbleisch Premium Member 78  Attended 08/23/2014 This was the first time we have attended a Geo-Cache meeting. It was nice meeting everyone. View Log

Team LDK Premium Member 1575  Attended 08/23/2014 What a great bunch of people. We didn't know anyone there, though we did recognize a few names. Now we have faces to go with some of the names. Thanks Basswood Bend for hosting so we ( and it sounds like lots of others) could get the event cache for the 7 Souvenirs of August. TFTC View Log

eagle clan Premium Member 207  Attended 08/23/2014 Thanks for a good time and meeting new people View Log

basswoodbend Premium Member 3939  Attended 08/23/2014 Well, that turned out to be quite an event. Every one seemed to agree that the food was excellent but that's what we expect at the Flap Jack Shack. The turn out was fantastic! We including kids and babes in arms, we counted thirty nine, we told them on Wednesday to expect about twenty four. It did drag out a bit because the waitress wanted us to all have our beverages before taking orders and to get all the orders in before serving the food. It shows the advantage of a buffet. Thanks to all who attended, it was fun to meet and greet all of you. A special thanks to Feathers who took on the roll of greeter and seat finder. Hope to see as many as possible at next months event. View / Edit Log / Images   Upload Image

Bring it on Cupcake Premium Member 226  Attended 08/23/2014 Wow! What a group! It was nice to see everyone, and talk to other cachers we hadn't met before. Thanks for the great morning! The little cupcake is now passed out, she had fun! View Log

The4RoamingGnomes Premium Member 3166  Attended 08/23/2014 Taadaaaa!!!!! TFT event! This fulfills the last of our August souvenirs we needed! Drove in from Grayling Jellystone this morning and arrived a bit late. Mama and Flirty had to stay in the truck for a bit and Papa and Crispy went in. Finally we all got inside and enjoyed a wonderful breakfast and visited old friends and made some new ones! Thanks so very much for hosting in this great spot!!!! View Log

sherrydenny Premium Member 1565  Attended 08/23/2014 We came. We ate. View Log

birds_eye_view Premium Member 1119  Attended 08/23/2014 TFTC. Great group. View Log

ourfamluvscaching Member 2240  Attended 08/23/2014 What a great time with new friends, good food and geocaching what more could we ask for ! Thanks for putting on such a nice event in a beautiful area. View Log

4LmbrJx Premium Member 2433  Attended 08/23/2014 Great turn out, food, and conversations. Thanks for hosting an event and helping us get another smiley. View Log

ELJLYLE Premium Member 2264  Attended 08/23/2014 Popped in to the August Breakfast so complete the August Challenge. Got a very warm welcome. Thanks for helping us complete the challenge. ELJLYLE & Athrilla TheHunt View Log

Winteryknight Premium Member 58  Attended 08/23/2014 Just got out of ER. Threw up on my way up here, but I made it! Meeting a lot of new people. Wish I felt better. View Log

Vante & Sammy Pants Premium Member 4518  Attended 08/23/2014 Out for a yummy breakfast with friends! View Log