Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.

Henry David Thoreau

Day +20 – cooking tomorrow??

Sunday August 5, 2012
Quail Run RV Resort Lot 15

 

Up this morning and out running in 80 degree temperatures.  YUCK!!  Same old routine follows running.   I then clean the jacks, bring in the slides, bring up the jacks.  Everything works fine after sitting for a month so I put the slides back out, jacks back down and re-level the coach.  Only thing that should have been done is to run the generator for a couple of hours with both ACs on.   I’ll put that on the list for tomorrow mid day when the temps are in the 90’s and no one is outside.

 

After I have finished today’s “chores”,  we do one of David’s favorite things, go out to breakfast.  I drive us over to The Breakfast Nook in Land O’ Lakes Florida.  I thought Land O’ Lakes was in Wisconsin.  Or is it Minnesota since they are the ‘land of lakes”.  Or did Wisconsinites or Minnesotans come to settle in Florida and name this place after their home?  There is a pond next to the restaurant but it’s no lake.  The Breakfast Nook is only about 10 miles from Quail Run which isn’t in an area of lakes that I can see.  Guess this will require some investigation if I want to know the answer.  Or maybe my Florida readers will tell me.

Anyway The Breakfast Nook is a cute restaurant with lovely outdoor seating.  Sitting outside on their patio, we have a very nice breakfast.  Total bill is $16 for two including tax and tip.  There is even a self described ‘Balloon Artist’ working for tips entertaining children until their food is served.  Our waitress introduces herself as Perry, which I think is an unusual name especially for a girl.  I don’t think I’ve ever known a Perry other than Perry Como and of course I haven’t ever actually met him.  J 

 

But check out the name of our server on our bill.   Could her parents really have done that to her on purpose?  Or did she choose it for herself in her foolish early 20’s??   Since I hadn’t thought to bring my camera, I use my phone to take some pictures to post here. 

 

On the way home David insists on stopping at Advance Auto to get an AC recharger and a quart of oil for Ruby.  We sit in the 90 degree sun with the hood up while he tries to figure out what he needs and how to do it, going in and out of the store multiple times.  Should he really be doing this I wonder?  He isn’t wearing gloves.  I comment.  He shrugs and does the excuses routine.  He’s not adjusting to or accepting this new reality very well. 

As most know, I really hate shopping and auto parts stores are probably at THE very bottom of my list of places in which I ever want to spend more than 5 minutes, but since I am the chauffer I have to take the client wherever he wants and stay as long as he wants or needs. 

After all this, it isn’t clear that the AC needs any charging so he’s going to check it again tonight when it isn’t so unbelievably hot, Ruby isn’t on asphalt pavement and he has gloves on.  

An hour later, we are finally on our way home.   A short breakfast outing has taken the entire morning.

When we get back David is not surprisingly exhausted and naps for over an hour.  It is now 2:00 and he has had no walks, done no spirometer or PT exercises.   But IF our AC is low, we are prepared. 

While he naps, I spend my time trying to do what was no problem at all yesterday - get the pictures off the phone so I can use them on the blog.

But after spending 90 minutes trying to get those pictures off my Verizon Droid and onto my laptop the same way I did yesterday’s pictures of the cranes which gave me no trouble at all,  my frustration level is at about 150% and I am about to blow my top.   The pictures are clearly on the phone, I can see them in the Gallery and in the camera.  But they are not in Photo Transfer.  The Crane pictures I deleted from the Gallery yesterday are in Photo Transfer.  So I select today’s pictures from the Gallery and try to move them to Picasa or Photo Transfer.  That results in the pictures that I had deleted from the gallery yesterday being moved not the pictures I actually selected.  Is this possible??

I finally get today’s pictures onto my laptop by emailing the photos to myself.  My guess is until I can figure out how to get the pictures that have been deleted from the Gallery to be deleted from Photo Transfer or someway to delete them directly off of Photo Transfer or I delete the Photo Transfer app altogether from my phone, I might as well forget using it as a camera.  

It really isn’t possible that everyone else has this much trouble using a droid as a camera is it??  I mean I see people doing it all the time.  Do they just email photos to each other or post them on the infamous Facebook and that’s it?   Ok enough of my irritation.LLL

So here is a hard won very short slide show of David and others at The Breakfast Nook.  Be sure to check the server’s name.  J

 

 

The later afternoon goes a little more smoothly.  After his nap, David has some lunch and watches the Olympics.   Carrie calls to chat for a bit and I grumble to her about his not having walked or done any PT or the spirometer and my getting tired of having to prod him.

After talking with her I call my dad who is doing about the same as always.  It starts to rain and the temperature drops so I go outside and read sitting under the awning.  This is one of my very favorite things to do.  I love sitting outside on a porch or covered patio while it rains.   And doncha know that while I’m out there, David amazingly, for the first time in days, does 10 rounds on the spirometer hitting the top on most of them.  You don’t suppose he heard me not whispering on the phone do you?  J

We while away the afternoon on our separate activities.  As evening comes on, I make some wraps for dinner and a milkshake for David.  I do the dishes and go back outside.  I love when it’s in the mid 80’s or cooler here and I can be outside even if only to sit.  David goes for his one and only walk today.  I hope he’ll be more diligent and self motivated about walking and increasing his walking time.  Since he left the hospital, he seems to have lost his determination to do these things he needs to do.

Karen and Al are out walking and they stop by.  They say they’ve seen David and he’s walking and talking on the phone.  Shortly he walks up.  Then Jo Beth comes by walking Grace who isn’t interested in being social at all.  She is totally captivated by the smells in the grass by our patio.  

Day  20 001

 

Day  20 002

We chat until it begins to get dark.   When they leave, David resumes Olympic watch and I finish the blog.

 

At day’s end it turns out that although he had a slow start in the morning and a bout with his intestines, it’s been a good day for him indicated strongly by his need for only one nap all day long.  Sets me to wondering how soon can I put him back to cooking???  That’s not in the list of things his doctor says he can’t do.  Maybe breakfast tomorrow???  J

21 comments:

  1. Sheesh. I'm glad her family name isn't Anal or Menopause or Toneum.

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  2. I think you need a break. Is there any way you could get some time off from being the care taker?

    I'm no shopper either, but an auto parts store has to be the absolute pits!

    When I worked in juvenile corrections, one of my co-workers, Al Fields, named his daughter Strawberry. Forever??? What are these people thinking? :)

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  3. Can't help you with the Droid, got rid of mine. Can you help me with Picasa to make a slide show? I can't figure out how the photos get dumped into Picasa when I don't use it, it just automatically copies all my photos into huge folders! So I can't select a folder to make a little slide show unless I want 524 photos in it! Yikes! Hope you get the photo situation straightened out. I'm trying to get a Picasa for Dummies book right now. Sounds like David could handle the cooking! He's doing amazingly well...that's wonderful!

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  4. Have you downloaded the app called Picasa Tool? I really like how it works on my droid. Makes using the camera and uploading it to Picase much easier.

    My guess is that David likes doing 'normal' things, and not the things that make him feel like he's sick. Gentle prodding for the exercises and breathing things will get him going :)

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  5. OK, so ask David what we should have for breakfast. The Forks over Knives way of eating is great, but I am having a terrible time with breakfast!

    I so wish that the weather would improve so John could exercise like David. Way to go David! Even though you test Sherry's patience, you are a good example!

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  6. Looks like a wonderful cafe and a very tasty breakfast. Personally, I dig walking. Was up the morning after my appendectomy strolling the hospital hallways at 6 AM. Felt like I had to get moving, get my body working again, get strong again. Even now I am still taking strolls, not up to my morning 2 miles yet, but still moving about. C'mon David, let's go for a walk! Gentle hugs to you both . . .

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  7. Cannot help you with the Droid. I consistently refer to mine as "stupid *ss phone". I have not had any problems getting the photos off of it however. That will probably happen tomorrow.
    Perri Winkle is a favorite color of mine, doncha know? :)

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  8. I'm with you Sherry.... I hate shopping and am certainly not up for an auto parts store. I have been told I shop like a Man. Pick a single store, enter at the entrance closest to the one item. In and out in a flash!

    As far as the phone... I can't find my cord for my phone so I have been known to email pics to facebook and then drag them off facebook into my Pictures folder to keep. I'm always determined to 'win'. Try to stay cool!

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  9. Sounds to me like you are ready for some chocolate chip pancakes;o)) Also looks like David is doing really well in a short time. So keep prodding when necessary and the two of you will get back to doing the things you both love!!

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  10. Just look at that delightful smile on David's face as he eats his breakfast. I think I see bacon... his brother Roger LOVES bacon. It does seem that David is looking for as much normalcy in his life as he can put back in it... a trip to an auto parts store... again another thing Roger would do. Hmmm... I would just duck into Pier 1 right next door to our auto parts store here. We had rain here in Maryland yesterday.. and we sat on the porch to enjoy it....I love the way the air smells when it is raining. You are both doing an amazing job of pushing forward... getting through this. I know you both know.. but one day at a time.. that is all that you have to concentrate on. The worst is behind... now each day will bring new promise for a "normal" life. David's recovery has been astounding... when you stop and think of all that has been involved. Stay strong, Sherry. I am glad you have your running as an outlet.

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  11. I add the "dropbox" app to my Droid. And then put it on my desktop. You can drop photos back and forth between each or also if you take a photo you can immediatley save to the Dropbox. It works great. My others new fav is Evernote. Just getting onto it but look you can have different notebooks and make all the tags you want, pls search by keyword.

    PS...that BAL leveler we use instead of putting wheels on blocks and/or boards, then just use a drill to lift the one side with leveler to adjust leveling side to side and take out an WIGGLE :O) My husband keeps saying, why didn't I think of that :O) Yea, why didn't you!! ~cozygirl

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  12. I'm glad my parents didn't name me "Baby" or "Ken". Some parents really hang a lousy name around their kids neck.

    David is showing progress, even if his pace falls off sometimes. Your frustration is certainly understandable. Being a caregiver is very hard. I admire your patience, even if it is taxed to the limit at an auto parts store... :c)

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  13. I love auto parts stores, they make me a little drooly. Same for the tool section in a Lowe's or Home Depot.

    I never bother tethering my Android phone to offload pictures, I just email them. I suppose if I took a bunch at one time I'd have to do something different but this works for me with the few I take.

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  14. I think in the hospital setting was conducive for David to be more conscientious about doing what he's supposed to do. At home, it may be easier for him to feel that he can slip, but I think that's probably a temporary state of mind. He's still most likely way ahead of most people in his situation, but it's a little easier for him to give in to "not feeling so well". I'm sure your "whispering" got him going with the spirometer!

    I think I remember reading that you tend to have separate activities, Sherry. Can he get back into any of his? At least you can run. I know you're tied down as a chauffeur, but that will all be over before you know it.

    David still looks well. You didn't mention how he slept last night. Hope he's doing better with that and his back.

    Being a caretaker is difficult. There's no doubt about it, and very wearing. That's why everyone always says "Take care of yourself." Is Carrie going to visit any time soon?

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  15. I have a Droid and find it easiest to plug it into my laptop and copy the camera folder. I use the same cord that charges it--just pull out the usb end from the plug and use it in the usb port on the computer.

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  16. At least the server's name sticks with you! Be hard to forget that name...

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  17. Interesting name of your server.

    I've found that if we're gone a good chunk of the day it's hard for me to get back into the routine of doing my PT exercises. But overall he's doing great. I'm sure he'll get back into the swing of it.

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  18. opps guess I wasn't logged in when I commented..glad to see david is requiring less nap time..his energy level must be increasing..WEAR the Gloves David...breakfast looked excellent....and that poor girl what were her parents thinking naming her that....

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  19. I just entered a hugely long message to you, and it was deleted! Oh how frustrating. I waxed eloquently about David eating breakfast and you being the most important part of his healing, so TAKE CARE OF WHAT GIVES YOU LIFE! … and about the moldy house having its yard smartly trimmed and its windows taped over as if it's about to be painted (ha! as if THAT will make everything OK!) … and about my new next-door neighbors having the same-colored cars as Amy & David had, so I'll keep forgetting that Amy & David are gone … and not getting our yards cut quite yet because the drought-like conditions have the yards looking all scraggly but after the next rain … and I forgte what else. But i don't want to try to repeat it in case this time it kills the message too!

    Take care of yourself, my friend. Enjoy those moments under-roof during falling rain, and those ice cream cones,
    Di

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  20. This is one of the reasons that Dan and I don't have a smart phone. ;-) We wouldn't have a clue how to work it. You should pack a book in your bag so you always have something to entertain you while David putters in the stores!

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  21. Wow - Perri Winkle - seriously? Or does she just find it a riot and wonders how many people notice?! I think Dad probably did hear you mumbling on the phone because I told him to do his part to support "you" by not making you nag him too much to do what he needs to ;) I can imagine your frustration level being way up - phones and computers - I think, in some ways, they, in fact, make life more challenging. Glad to hear about a day with nearly no naps. Keep walking Dad - the body uses that to give you endorphines and more energy!

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