Friends & Hospital stuff

Since being here in Ypsilanti (I always said Detroit, never realizing how many towns surrounded Detroit) we have learned a lot. I have learned to raise my windshield wipers in the snow after parking my car. That way the wipers do not freeze to the windshield. I have learned that hospital equipment is much more complicated than I have ever dreamed. BTW we are not new to hospitals either, having spent many hours in them with family and friends.

(Here are some of the mobile computers sitting waiting on their masters. Every nurse that comes to the room is accompanied by one of these)

I am so amazed at the advancements. It looks a little funny to see a nurse pushing a computer around with them and making entries rather than writing in a hard copy medical record. They can attach to ports and the BP, pulse; kidney functions, etc. are recorded automatically, compared to the last time and analyzed to see if anything should be changed. Great things have happened. Now our Mel, of

http://honeyimhome-honey.blogspot.com/ is headed toward learning all this stuff. That takes some ‘intestinal fortitude’, to attempt to learn and learn all that stuff.

(Here goes Johnny off to surgery earlier today, he got a feeding tube, dialysis port and meds port)

If you haven’t seen these computers, they are like robots that accompany each nurse. They also have robots to monitor patients and report any problems that develop.(Picture two above)

This is our remote robot.

We also are learning how many friends Johnny has made up here. We met his land lady for the first time. John has never bought a house never wanted one. He was content to live in a boarding house and has for over 50 yrs.

Some of Johnny’s friends have nick names only: City Mouse(deceased), Wild Bill and June Bug.

Thanks for coming by the log

Nite Shipslog

PS:

This is Motor City. This was the capitol of the world for cars, I wish someone had kept their heads out of the sand and stayed ahead of the competition. Detroit is a decaying city at present. The last time we were up I saw a house appraised for $350,000 selling…. no, listed for $50,000 with no takers.

But they did build some wonderful cars:

1934 Plymouth, ‘Y’ mentioned Charlie Young and his grandpa’s ‘34 Plymouth in her blog.

This is either a 1953 or54 Mercury. She would FLY!

pS22222 I HAVE TRIED TO COMMENT ON THIS BLOG AND CANNOT

SO IF YOU HAVE PROBLEMS DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT. i LOST THE BLOG FOR MOST OF THE DAY AND JUST GOT IT BACK. THANKS SORRY FOR ANY INCONVIENCE!

Papa, Oh my!

OH, MY PA-PA
Eddie Fisher
Oh, my pa-pa, to me he was so wonderful
Oh, my pa-pa, to me he was so good
No one could be, so gentle and so lovable
Oh, my pa-pa, he always understood.

(Dad and Dad with the youngest and oldest Grandsons)

Gone are the days when he could take me on his knee
And with a smile he'd change my tears to laughter
Oh, my pa-pa, so funny, so adorable
Always the clown so funny in his way
Oh, my pa-pa, to me he was so wonderful
Deep in my heart I miss him so today.Gone are the days when he could take me on his knee
And with a smile he'd change my tears to laughter

(Dad’s favorite place, the pulpit)

Do you remember it? I got that on my mind and was whistling it. I could never get the words right, even though it is short. So I looked them up. I loves the words. Maybe it is because more songs are written about mothers, and rightly so, but this one is for Papa.

I took some time to read some of the comments where I found this, they were all so touching and sweet. Wives remembering husbands. Girls and boys remembering dad, So I took a little time to reflect on my dad:

Oh, my pa-pa, to me he was so wonderful
Oh, my pa-pa, to me he was so good
No one could be, so gentle and so lovable
Oh, my pa-pa, he always understood.

Yep, I know he said did not have all the answers, but it seems so now.

(Sherry’s brother Vernon and Her Dad, Wiley at a sad time)

That is all for tonight, Love your dad, he won’t be around always.

(This is Johnny’s favorite picture of his dad, he is standing with his oldest daughter, Lennie. Johnny always said he looked young enough to be her husband)

(MY favorite picture of Wiley, fishing off the Coast Guard pier at Key West)

Nite Shipslog

PS:

 

An old Studebaker

1940 Plymouth

Walking, and maybe climbing stairs to get in shape

Yep, we were walking to try to be in shape for one more attack on the Appalachian Trail. Shoot we only lack about 350 miles. We are thinking of doing the last 100 miles first. It is called the one hundred mile wilderness. Only one supply place on the way and that is an air horn for a store across a lake. You blow the horn and they send a boat over to pick you up and take you to the store. You can spend the night and get a shower too, I think.
We have done some figures and it will take us about 14 days. That means to carry 14 days of rations. What is the lightest food you can carry? Ramein Noodles I think. That requires a stove and fuel. We can probably live off P-nut butter and potted meat and not carry the stove. I would like to not carry a tent and just sleep on the ground, but we have never done that.
We need to keep the packs down in weight. I need to cut from 50 down to 35. Sherry needs to cut from 35 down to 25. Therein lies the rub. But we are working on ideas. Any food weight saving ideas? We have already cut the tooth brush handles half in two. Hahaha.

We have tried this over and over again and I cannot get below 50 lbs in the pack. I talk to hikers all the time that say I am carrying 36 lbs. I have a friend who is a stocky guy who carries 70 lbs. I don’t see how he does it, but they haven’t made too many miles either.
This is probably our last shot at finishing the trail, although the oldest person to ever hike the trail is 80 I think. He lives just 30 miles from our hometown in the town of Shelby, NC. We have kin folk there. I will have to look up the guys name and go talk to him to see what he carried.
It is always good to plan; we get excited thinking about the HIKE. Sherry is following some folks (on journals) who have already started the long 2100+ mile trek from Georgia. The ones who start now always get hit by one or two snows. That is rough when you are sweating under a pack.

Will talk later, Johnny is still holding his own, that is a good sign no matter what the Dr. says.

We are climbing stairs where possible to try to keep in shape. Hospitals will wear you out, as most folk know or learn soon.
Nite Shipslog
PS:
Why is a person who plays the piano called a pianist but a person
who drives a race car is not called a racist?

I have learned, however slow, I have learned

No one cares if you are not in a hurry, they are.
Folks who are late for work ain't got time to sight see.
I learned in Italy folks drive with their horns, ever ready, and used frequently.
I have noticed down south and UP NORTH folks spin off into the ditch when it snows.

I have also noticed that up here as well as down south, folks think it is okay to go 70-80mph with snow on the road.

I have also noticed that I say the same thing up here as down there, "Are you folk CRAZY?"

And in answer to your questioning minds, I am not driving at 25mph while they are doing 70. I get in the slow lane and keep up with traffic. (Most of the time). And let the ones in a hurry go ahead. Yep, I know they could slide and cause a wreck, they do too, but it usually does not happen, that is why they still go 70mph on ice.

Enough of the weather. These folks here at St. Joseph's Mercy Hospital are great. It is also a great complex. They have about everything you need. They have a motel here that provides
a small laundry room. This Computer is in the guest area for use.

They have a Java Joe's that Sherry loves. They have some nice stuff.

My only complaint is the Cafeteria, his one is laid out odd and hard for me to get a handle on. They also do not have plates they only have the square 2" deep plastic carry out containers to eat out of. So I guess I can always find something to gripe about.

Did I telll you Sherry was able to get her perscription filled and a hair cut here? Well she did.

I have a great entry back at the motor home, but this is here.
Thanks for stopping by the Shipslog.

Nite Shipslog

PS: Today they have operated and installed a Trach to make it easier for John to breath. Another thing. If you scroll down to the bottom of this blog you will see Sherry and little brother Johnny in 1942.

Fond memories & improving the aim

 

Sitting here in the motor home in my coat with the generator running, a gas furnace and three electric heaters going, my mind goes back three or four days to Rainbow Springs, FLORIDA. We were improving and increasing our walks. Things were looking good with Temps in the high 70’s and early 80’s. BIL Johnny is gonna pay for this when he gets better. I have told everyone that early spring or late fall is the time to die, marry, and celebrate or get sick.

Young Live oaks

Winter is the time to be in the sun in Fla, Southern Texas, NM or AZ. Oh ho, are you familiar with live oaks? I was not. I thought I knew ever oak until I went south. The live oak is a beautiful tree, but crooked as a barrel of fish hooks. I remember reading somewhere that the live oak made a great mast for sail ships. Who are they kidding? I have never seen a straight live oak yet. I am posting examples.

More live Oaks

I am going to try and not be too crude here, but there is an important thing men need to learn, and that is how to aim. For years I have said men are absolutely nasty in a toilet. Most men should sit on the stool to do ALL their business. Men cannot seem to get the hang of keeping ever drop in the urinal or commode. The last one or two drops end up on the floor for someone to clean up. There are a lot of little ditties and poems that go with that but I will not list them. WE maybe faster than the girls, but we are not as neat.

Okay that leads into something I just saw at Rainbow springs. There is a waterless urinal now put out by ‘Sloan Valves’, I do not know how it works but it does not smell and uses no water to flush. I have heard that in Sweden they bake the image of a fly into the urinal at a strategic location. Without thinking men aim at it. Men are warriors they want to aim. We feel emancipated if we hit what we aim at. That goes for using the urinal also.

So here at Rainbow Springs I SEE A TARGET, it is a small blue seashell.

I am reminded because they have the same here at St. Joseph’s hospital.

Sorry girls, I didn’t go into the ladies room to see if they gave you a target and I forgot to ask Sherry.

That is tonight’s wisdom.

Nite Shipslog

PS:

Why is a person who plays the piano called a pianist but a person  who drives a race car is not called a racist?

****

Check this out, I thought about the snow!

1956 Ford Convertible.

Just standing by!

I had something to say when I sat down here. Where do thoughts go? probably the same place the lost blog entries and comments go. I am supposed to start a book, this one is gonna be either a senior romance or a Christmas Story for next Christmas sales.

I could never run a retail business. My brother did and he had to think Christmas in July when ordering for the holidays. So I figure if I am going to have a book for Christmas I had better get trucking. Problem is I cannot get the creative thoughts coming.

"I hate Christmas," said Buddy, "it takes it so long to get here!"

Or

"Christmas? You crazy Stick? This is just September! Christmas is years away!"

Anyway I sit here in the hospital with all the noise and families and think, Johnny should be up in a week or so. Yeah, they have said it could go either way, but I am an eternal optomist about life, as long as there is breath, there is life and achance to SURVIVE!

No one looks good when they have 12 or 13 machines, monitors, bags, IV's and I don't know what all hooked up to them. He also is on one of the new mattresses That rolls him around and raises him some. I remember when we were taking care of folks you had to roll them to the side and put pillows behind them to keep the lungs from settling in and gathering fluid. Now this thing looks like it gonna dump out of the bed.

Anyway I would like to thank you all again for your concern and prayers.

Until next time,
Nite Shipslog

Touchin Base From St. Joseph's Mercy in Ann Arbor

Johnny is holding his own. The Hospital, St. Joseph's Mercy hospital is one of the nicest I have ever been in. They have unlimited visitation in ICU, never heard of that.

I have heard this before, the operation was a success, the heart is good, all vital signs are good, but he is having problems with his lungs.

There is no such thing as a 'Routine' or 'Simple' operation as far as I am concerned. Anytime they invade you body there is a chance of something going wrong. But we are praying along with you and many others that all will come out for the best and Johnny can be himself again.

I am off this borrowed computer now. Y'all take care out there.

Good day Shipslog

PS: When I get the hang of this computer I will try to read some blogs, I miss them, thanks for the support.

Please remember the car and motor home, they are scared to death, they have never seen SNOW like this!!! hahahahahaha

Sheila!!! KNOCK IT OFF! AUTOMATIC DOORS

Well we bought a car a year of so ago, a van to be exact. The sliding doors on the side are controlled by a litle button. I made a mistake this morning when I said we got 6" after stepping out in my tennis shoes today, I now will announce we had 10 " on the ground AND 36" INSIDE THE VAN!

Yep this guy sometime after doing into the motor home pressed the little sweet button on the key ring and opened the far door on the van, the one I could not see! YEP, filled the van with snow. SO KNOCK IT OFF SHEILA!!! You knew the door was open, admit it!

Then after cleaning the van out, and loading my sweet wife in the front seat, that I had all warm by now, I backed out and stuck the van. Yep, you know it ain't but about 6" off the ground. All I have is what we called in the USMC is an entrenching tool. So I dug it out. some nice guy came buy and helped us get the last 50' to the road. Do you know wat was at the top? Yeah I know you Yankees know. A Bigger pile of snow that the plow had pushed over MY entrance. Yeah MEL, I remember them doing that to your side walk, and I felt bad for you, but THIS IS ME WITH A DANGED ENTRENCHING TOOL!!! HAHAHAHAHAHA (on me).

So now I must go buy a BIG BOYS shovel so I can get the motor home out.

Johnny is holding his own but still in critical condition. The heart operation was successful. It is now his lungs, he is fighting Pnemonia(?).
Prayers are appreciated. Also pray that this snow will melt at 16 degrees, is that possible????

Gotta run thanks fr all your prayers and support.

Nite Shipslog

PS: To answer any questions, no we don't plan to move north anytime soon. It is 83 in Wildwood and even 75 in BElmnt!!!! High ere is 26 down to 16 tonight. (I ain't correcting nothing, gotta get off this borrowed computer)

In Ypslanti, Michigan

We did drive straight thru 22 hours. But Johnny is stillholding on He did recognize Sherry, that is why we came, to let him know he is loved and cared for. Johnny is a single guy. He does have a beautiful daughter, Candice she is the only family in the Detroit area. She has stuck by him and he loves that girl.

I am looking out and it is snowing to beat the band. I'm sorry I said all those nasty things about you folks that live in this. Reckon the Lord is gettin' me?

We are on the generator now, and Security has allowed us to park int he picnic area. I tink it is a safe bet no one is going to use it.

Thanks for all the prayers and thoughts.

I am beat, but wanted you to know.
Nite Ships log

I have stopped the comments on this one. I know you care, and thanks.

On the road again

One never knows what to expect in this life. We are nearing the georgia Border as I type. Sherry is hitting as many pot holes as she can. hahahahahaha

Just wanted to come on line at 65 mph and let you know we are headed for Michigan, and Ypsilanti. Sherry's brother Johnny is not doing very well and we are headed that way.

If you talk to the Lord say a prayer for John, He is Sherry's younger Brother. He left North Carolina in 1956 and has been in and around Detroit until now.

He retired from GM.

Sherry just informed me we just crossed the Suwannia river.

Thanks for dropping by the log.

on-the-road with the Shipslog

What does real money look like?

What is this? Now we want to send some money to Egypt to prop up their economy after the Coup?

(This is $10,000 in $100’s) Keep that in mind

There are estimates of Mubarak’s wealth that reach 70 BILLION dollars. Keep in mind he was raised in poverty, no family money. So whose money is that? Mostly Egypt’s I would suppose. So take from the guy 69 Billion and leave him a paltry ONE BILLION to live out his days and take care of his family. It would probably be enough.

(This is just a Million dollars in $100 bills. not very impressive)

WOW! To be honest, if what I hear is true, our Foreign Aid is like a drop in the bucket (less than 1%) to the other expenses we have. Now I understand the comparisons, but I cannot help but think on a small man’s level. I wonder how much it costs to move the president and congressmen a round. Like cranking up Air Force ONE or any of the many Helicopters that are furnished to our politicians, it takes MY PERSONAL TAXES in less than five minutes, if that long. So to keep these things going takes all the taxes paid by a small town every day, and that is just for the fuel.

(Now we are getting somewhere, this is a hundred million)

Now I love NASA. I like space exploration. But it costs 450 million dollars for one mission. I don’t know how many folks pay a million dollars tax a year (I don’t think any of us on this Blogging network do, well with the EXCEPTION of maybe Bucko, Jimmy and Garnett), but one mission takes the taxes of 450 of them. . (Oh, I had that mixed up with the bar bill, Jimmy and Garnett’s bar bill at AREA 51 is that much, but you know how things appear and disappear in AREA 51).

(One Billion dollars in $100 bills. That is ten pallets of money. Mubarak has 70 times that, pretty good huh?)

Strange but when I start figuring the amount of taxes paid on a personal level, one working person pays just enough to pay for your congressman’s postage bill. I wonder how many taxpayers it takes to support one congressman. I just tried to find out and could not find the figures.

I did find where During the Reid-Kennedy Immigration hearings that illegals cost the taxpayers ½ Trillion dollars a year and that was in 2006. (The gov’t’s own estimations). But they don’t have time to fix it, they are too busy campaigning, sexting and texting!

(Okay this is a trillion dollars in $100 bills, look how little our man is in the corner. Folks as of tonight we owe fourteen times that as a nation, The figure below as of about 9PM)

$14,128,439,639,483.89

 

Sorry ‘bout this, but thanks for coming by. I just ask you to look at your hard money going for taxes. Check the amount, and see what YOU are paying for. Your taxes may cover the toilet paper in the Capitol building for a month.

Nite Shipslog

PS:

Again to emphasize:

I didn't say it was your fault, I said I was blaming you. 

That guy in the 1950 Chevy truck is gonna smell that great smoke smell. That looks like the Tetons in the back ground.

Rainbow Springs, Dunnellon, Florida

Rainbow Springs, formerly known as Blue Spring, is a first-magnitude artesian spring formation several miles north of the city of Dunnellon, Florida. Rainbow Springs is the focal point of Rainbow Springs State Park. The spring formation is the fourth-largest in Florida, and produces over 490 million gallons of water daily. Rainbow Springs forms the headwaters of the Rainbow River, which empties into the Withlacoochee River.

(from Wiki site)

(WIKI site)

(This is how clear the water is, but it is 72 degrees these guys are cold! The shows are no longer !)

The water is clear as a crystal and is cool. These springs amaze me, where does all that water come from and what forces it to the top to form a river?

We watched a group snorkeling down with the current. I think they had on diving suits to stay warm.

These are two different Armadillos.

Of course I love to see the ‘possoms down here. They wear armor plating, but In the south they call them Armadillos. The ranger tells me they cannot hear well and depend on their sight for defense. But they don’t see too much because they are always covering their heads under leaves and dirt to find some bugs to eat.(It was hard to get a picture with their head in sight)

(Like our new home? much like the other one, right?)

This is a nice park, plenty of walking trails and the beautiful Rainbow River.

(View from our picture window)

Thanks for coming to the Spring with us,

Nite Shipslog

PS:

A bank is a place that will lend you money, if you can prove that you don't need it. 

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

Trains and Cars, this could have come from Walton’s mountain!

Rainbow Springs State Park (We moved)

Moving, we are headed to Rainbow Springs State Park near the West Coast of Florida. Not a very long drive but a new place for us. As my daddy used to say, this will be a new wrinkle in our horn.

So it is mid-day and we are moved and set up. Lovely park (aren’t they all?) and we haven’t had a chance to see most of it of course. The trip was uneventful, a good ride. We just put the boat on top of the car to haul it over here.

Just to prove we did go out once in the boat here is a picture the ‘Guys’ took of us while they passed us in their canoe. Yeah, we are slow. They sent it to us via e-mail. They are from New Haven, Conn, down for the winter touring the Florida State Parks and doing a lot of canoeing. Their trip is in a nice van. That is also a fun thing to travel and sleep in, a van with a raised roof. I am sure they are still enjoying themselves. They were missing the grand kids.

Joke:

(Sherry and that little girl today! Nope they don’t ride bikes together now)

Little girl was riding bicycles with her grandma around a park.

Grandma says, “Reece you won’t want to do this with me in ten years, you will out grow Grandpa and me!”

Reece, “That’s okay Grandma, in ten years you will be too old to ride a bicycle anyway!”

(Wisdon of the youth)

Friend Al Dougherty was telling one of his Grand daughters that when he got old she would not want to hang around with him.

Grand Daughter says, “But Grandpa, you ARE OLD.”

Kids are too smart sometime!! Hahahaha

Have a great day, we are gonna check out the park, then come back and smooch!

Good day Shipslog

PS:

TOMORROW:

One of the greatest labor saving devices of today.

PS2:

Is this a Henry J or a Willys? I need to check be back…

It is a 1952 Henry J by The Kaiser-Frazer Corporation

Named after the president of the Corp. (over 30 mpg)

Following the Sun

A while back Sherry & I met with a couple who planned to spend their winters in Florida.

Use it or lose it!!

It is my firm opinion, unless you are very rich; never buy a motor home unless you intend to USE it. Not necessarily in the way we do, but you must like to travel and do it at every vacation or break. Lots of folks do not understand that the motor home must be insured, tagged, inspected, and taxed. All of which amounts to a good bit for something to sit in your driveway and take up space. Maintenance of a sitting motorized vehicle can go up if not used.

Inside the small camper

A travel trailer, 5ht wheel, pop up or van is much more logical and serves the same purpose; a reasonable bed room while you travel. You also do not have to pack a suitcase and take it in and out of motels/hotels.

Here is a nice long term Tent set up.

In their case they said we do not plan to travel, they are just going to Florida for the winter and back to Belmont. We discussed what our friend Judy from Maine does. She rents a furnished double wide trailer in a senior community for the months of January –March. I think they liked that idea. I mentioned they could do that one winter then look around while they were down there and decide if they wanted to buy in Florida or not.

To be a snow bird (at reasonable costs) you have a few options:

This shot is near Quartsite, AZ. a town of a few hundred in the summer but winter goes to nearly a million with folks living in the desert on Bureau of Land Management Land.

Following the Sun you will meet folks like these folk who are from Tennessee at Lake Manatee, SP

1 Live in a Motor home, 5^th wheel or travel trailer

and follow the sun.

2. Find a rental in the SUN (FL, TX, NM or AZ) for the winter.

3. Take a van or tent and go to one of those states and use the state parks for the winter.

4. Buy a trailer/doublewide in a park and pay the monthly rent yearly, no taxes.

5. Buy a trailer ‘and lot’ in a park and pay a maintenance fee and yearly taxes.

Any stationary housing you will have to be concerned about maintenance and care while it is vacant 6-8 months a year. If a person has wealth there are many condos that can be bought anywhere, the maintenance fees are built in and a call before you arrive can have the A/C on and the house cleaned and freshened up. Although there are thousands like that, we have only known one couple. Most of our traveling friends have to get by on a budget, but still like to travel.

But DO NOT PARK HERE!

Thanks for reading this STUFF,

Nite Shipslog

PS:

Adult Truths:
You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment when
you know that you just aren't going to do anything productive for the
rest of the day.
*******************
I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks
me if I want to save any changes to my ten-page technical report that
I swear I did not make any changes to.

I must add this:

This is a special made Chevy 1957,8,9 combo