10/28/07
I left work and headed to North Georgia. I went to the Five Guys hamburger restaurant. Their fries are awesome and so are their hamburgers. This was on Tom Hill Sr. Blvd so there were a few yuppies. There are a few still left to shop on that side of town though Tom Hill is slowly deteriorating.
I got coffee at Dunkin Donuts and gas in Forsyth. I went up 675 and 285 but didn't bother to find out if Interstate 985 were off 285 or 85. I missed the 85 turn so I headed up 53 to Dawsonville.
Before I got to GA 53 the truck got hot again so I turned on the heater and rolled down the windows. I thought this problem had cured itself but I guess I'm no mechanic. I got gas and went to a nearby Kroger in Dawsonville off 19. I put a little drinking water into the reservoir in a desperate attempt to solve this issue. Of course it didn't work but I was too stubborn to realize this. The reservoir fluid was murky. I still think it is a bad thermostat.
I should have stayed in a motel in Dawsonville but instead decided to mosey over to Dahlonega. There were no vacancies at the motels because of some special occasion and what one desk clerk told me were three weddings. So I know how Mary and Joseph felt.
I went to Cleveland and saw nothing but the Gateway Inn. The Best Western in Gainesville had nothing but the Days Inn had a room. It was 3 AM and I wasn't too concerned about the need for renovating the room.
I was very hungry and thirsty by the time I hit Ma Gooch's in Cleveland. It is to me a mandatory pilgrimage as their chicken is excellent. And I mean chicken! They must raid the henhouses at Gainesville for their little birdies. Never will I say "I'll eat it all". This isn't 1981 when I could eat up the Hardees on Pio Nono every morning. I went to Blairsville and stopped on the way at Helton Falls.
There is a one-lane road which is paved for approximately a mile before reaching the Forest Service's unpaved path to the falls. These falls led people in the Seventies to try and scale them with deadly consequences. The man whom my dad worked with ran the Neels Gap trading post in the Seventies and told us the GDOT ripped the pullover for the falls as a consequence.
Helton Falls was so beautiful! The short-needled pines and the leaves in their halfway transition from green to bright colors made it even prettier. The rocks were polished by the aqueous buffing of time and I loved the water! It was cold and one puddle was deep enough for someone to bathe in.
I went to the Sorghum Festival's last weekend. A guy named Nix played bluegrass music behind the civic center in a Fort Sorghum compound. A rusty sorghum press with its white female mule was no longer needed to squeeze the half-grassy, half-cane looking weeds for their tart, sweet sugar. I bought two small bottles and one large bottle of syrup. I am sure this was the only real sweetener available for years to the mountain residents near Union County until trucks could bring sugar and make it affordable to all. I know of no other area in Georgia or below Kentucky which grows a sorghum crop.
The time came to leave and fight off the overheating truck (the light came on, the needle moved to the extreme, and the truck ran a little sluggisly so I can't conclude little else). I was the only nut on the road with the heater on and the windows rolled down.
It bothers me that I don't have but a few people to speak to. Maybe it's that I am a happy batchelor and everyone else is married. I have hangups that preclude me from doing so much with people and everyone my age is busy doing whatever they do. I try to network with people on the net but it isn't helping. I need something to help me out of this rut I am in.
Monday, October 29, 2007
Sunday, October 07, 2007
Fair Time
Here it is October and I am going to the fair tomorrow if the weather is good. I might go anyway. This time it should go better. I had a date get mad and leave me there. I want to go to church first. It is a shame that the last time I went to church was at Dad's funeral a few months ago.
I might even ride that Tilt-a-Whirl ride even though it scared the heck out of me some thirty years ago. It can be a thrill to be scared as long as you don't sense total adversity.
I am off on Monday and will likely use it to either go day fishing or take care of business. For some reason I want to clean up the house and do tons of other things. Given that I will have to work the rest of the week I won't overexert myself. In another two weeks I'll take an additional day off to go to the mountains of North Georgia. There will be a Sorghum Festival and the Georgia Mountain Fair later this month. Oh and let's not forget the leaves.
I wish I could stop this narcolepsy. It may be lack of sleep and an improper sleep cycle but I want to give medication a shot. I cannot keep getting tired and having to pull over to go to sleep every time I go home.
I might even ride that Tilt-a-Whirl ride even though it scared the heck out of me some thirty years ago. It can be a thrill to be scared as long as you don't sense total adversity.
I am off on Monday and will likely use it to either go day fishing or take care of business. For some reason I want to clean up the house and do tons of other things. Given that I will have to work the rest of the week I won't overexert myself. In another two weeks I'll take an additional day off to go to the mountains of North Georgia. There will be a Sorghum Festival and the Georgia Mountain Fair later this month. Oh and let's not forget the leaves.
I wish I could stop this narcolepsy. It may be lack of sleep and an improper sleep cycle but I want to give medication a shot. I cannot keep getting tired and having to pull over to go to sleep every time I go home.
Monday, October 01, 2007
Back Porch in a Month
I built a screened-in deck on a portion of the house. It seems Sam, the yellow fluffy male, doesn't do well with other cats. So to keep from having him go to the vet at 109.00 a pop for abscesses we had to do something.
I at first wanted to screen in a 4x6 stoop on the back of the den but concluded this would be tantamount to caging him. I talked my sisters into letting me put a covered and screened deck between my mom's room and the central part of the house. Sam would gain 18 square feet of space and we could sit in it despite his litter box revealing its presence. From September 1 until the 26th my sister and I worked on the porch. I am disappointed that the roof panels are off kilter yet that cannot be helped. Other than insect-proofing it I can say the facility is complete.
I might even sleep in it some night when the weather isn't nippy.
I at first wanted to screen in a 4x6 stoop on the back of the den but concluded this would be tantamount to caging him. I talked my sisters into letting me put a covered and screened deck between my mom's room and the central part of the house. Sam would gain 18 square feet of space and we could sit in it despite his litter box revealing its presence. From September 1 until the 26th my sister and I worked on the porch. I am disappointed that the roof panels are off kilter yet that cannot be helped. Other than insect-proofing it I can say the facility is complete.
I might even sleep in it some night when the weather isn't nippy.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Old Ambulance Picture I'm Colorizing
I found this picture in the newspaper of an old ambulance The Medical Center operated in the early Seventies. They used Chevy SUV's with a shell on top. They were painted orange though the color I chose was louder than what MCCG painted theirs. The 1973 article showed a bus accident simulation which took place on the busiest side road in Macon come the end of the school day.
Saturday, July 14, 2007
Hangin' in there
Hello
My father died in his sleep at home on June 23, 2007. He had been discharged from the hospital the night before at 11:30. I wish that I knew the end was imminent but thought he'd last weeks or months. I could have given him more of a goodbye. At least I told him I loved him when he was in the hospital. He was to get home health care and perhaps hospice. He had congestive heart failure, perhaps kidney failure, and only 10% heart effectiveness upon admission to the hospital the previous weekend.
There was nothing anyone could do to reverse his dying process. I went to the hospital to room 508 that night. He was conscious and alert though very weak and unable to drink, eat, or urinate. The hospital would let him out only if he could urinate. He had little fluid in his bladder scan and the nurse and tech did an in/out Foley catheterization. His pulse ox was zero despite using two sensor modules, two readers, and an earpiece. His radial pulse was very weak. The nurse called the doctor and thought he were having an anxiety attack. They had to give him oxygen in a nasal cannula before he was strong enough to go much of anywhere. In fact, as he left the hospital he was so weak it took three of us to barely get him out of my sister's red SUV and into the transport wheelchair.
I decided to lay in the hospital bed so I could be near her. Dad wanted to sleep in the regular bed. He I guess knew he were dying. Mom had to page me two or three times. One time he was inverted in bed with his head at the foot. Then Mom paged me to ask if a cat were in the room. Smokey, the female kitty, snores loudly sometimes. My mother wonders if it were Dad having agonal breathing or some other dyspnea instead of Smokey's snoring.
I managed to hold my composure though I was shaken when I found him dead. He had apparently been dead a few hours as rigor had set in. I had had courses in CPR and First Responder but they didn't prepare me for much of how to deal with a dead father. I did have sense enough to treat the room as a "crime" scene and ordered it untouched until authorities came. I called the sheriff. My mother asked to be helped into my bedroom. My youngest sister came in right after I got off the phone with the dispatcher.
My dad's brother came about the same time the firefighters did and so did my middle sister. She was in tears. My aunt and uncle around the corner came. The firefighters, then the paramedic and her partner the EMT examined my father, ran a strip, and the paramedic called the coroner. The firefighters as well as the deputies were nice though they had to maintain a distance.
The rest of the morning I was more into the "let's do what we have to do" mood. I cut the grass and washed up while my aunt worked so much in the kitchen her feet swelled. I called my cousins, the doctor, my friend, the store I work at, and a multitude of others. The worst I felt that day was when I was tired during the middle of the afternoon. Most people came to the visitation. Dad's silver casket was beautiful. I enjoyed meeting the people from Dad's store and the main offices of the company. Monday's funeral was a graveside affair with dinner in the church meeting hall. I cried the next night and the night of the funeral.
I almost lost it in Starbuck's that Tuesday. I told myself not to think about things and to just relax. I am sure if I think about Dad and my childhood I'll cry again. I was on vacation that weekend and Monday but I took Tuesday and Wednesday off to get situated and make sure I didn't crumble under at work. The worst part is the half-empty house. Most of us want to get our feet back under ourselves.
The store my dad ran had a sign saying, "We Miss You". It was my dad's second home for almost twenty years. If you never knew him you missed something.
Edited 10/7/07
My father died in his sleep at home on June 23, 2007. He had been discharged from the hospital the night before at 11:30. I wish that I knew the end was imminent but thought he'd last weeks or months. I could have given him more of a goodbye. At least I told him I loved him when he was in the hospital. He was to get home health care and perhaps hospice. He had congestive heart failure, perhaps kidney failure, and only 10% heart effectiveness upon admission to the hospital the previous weekend.
There was nothing anyone could do to reverse his dying process. I went to the hospital to room 508 that night. He was conscious and alert though very weak and unable to drink, eat, or urinate. The hospital would let him out only if he could urinate. He had little fluid in his bladder scan and the nurse and tech did an in/out Foley catheterization. His pulse ox was zero despite using two sensor modules, two readers, and an earpiece. His radial pulse was very weak. The nurse called the doctor and thought he were having an anxiety attack. They had to give him oxygen in a nasal cannula before he was strong enough to go much of anywhere. In fact, as he left the hospital he was so weak it took three of us to barely get him out of my sister's red SUV and into the transport wheelchair.
I decided to lay in the hospital bed so I could be near her. Dad wanted to sleep in the regular bed. He I guess knew he were dying. Mom had to page me two or three times. One time he was inverted in bed with his head at the foot. Then Mom paged me to ask if a cat were in the room. Smokey, the female kitty, snores loudly sometimes. My mother wonders if it were Dad having agonal breathing or some other dyspnea instead of Smokey's snoring.
I managed to hold my composure though I was shaken when I found him dead. He had apparently been dead a few hours as rigor had set in. I had had courses in CPR and First Responder but they didn't prepare me for much of how to deal with a dead father. I did have sense enough to treat the room as a "crime" scene and ordered it untouched until authorities came. I called the sheriff. My mother asked to be helped into my bedroom. My youngest sister came in right after I got off the phone with the dispatcher.
My dad's brother came about the same time the firefighters did and so did my middle sister. She was in tears. My aunt and uncle around the corner came. The firefighters, then the paramedic and her partner the EMT examined my father, ran a strip, and the paramedic called the coroner. The firefighters as well as the deputies were nice though they had to maintain a distance.
The rest of the morning I was more into the "let's do what we have to do" mood. I cut the grass and washed up while my aunt worked so much in the kitchen her feet swelled. I called my cousins, the doctor, my friend, the store I work at, and a multitude of others. The worst I felt that day was when I was tired during the middle of the afternoon. Most people came to the visitation. Dad's silver casket was beautiful. I enjoyed meeting the people from Dad's store and the main offices of the company. Monday's funeral was a graveside affair with dinner in the church meeting hall. I cried the next night and the night of the funeral.
I almost lost it in Starbuck's that Tuesday. I told myself not to think about things and to just relax. I am sure if I think about Dad and my childhood I'll cry again. I was on vacation that weekend and Monday but I took Tuesday and Wednesday off to get situated and make sure I didn't crumble under at work. The worst part is the half-empty house. Most of us want to get our feet back under ourselves.
The store my dad ran had a sign saying, "We Miss You". It was my dad's second home for almost twenty years. If you never knew him you missed something.
Edited 10/7/07
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
Sinclair Trip
On 04/28 I left work and went to Sinclair at the national park. I stopped near Blountsville to sleep because I was tired. I went down the road to Miller's Lake and slept. I woke up and perhaps too soon I started driving. I felt weird when I went down 129 to the bait shop. I got bait and gas then drove on. I put 20.00 in the envelope at the gate. I looked around for a campsite then pulled in.
I set up my tent and rolled out the air mattress. I forgot the plug to hold the air in! I would attend to this later. I put my gear in the tent and gathered firewood. The advantage to spring is that leaves and twigs have fallen and haven't been harvested by other campers.
The older man in the camper near Lot 40 D is neat. He is the caretaker/host for the complex. It keeps him alive to do his work there though I feel bad for him. I probably should see if USFS needs volunteers to work at the sites. I am weak on customer service and security but my nice complex might be a godsend in this case. I went to bed at 12 or so. Rule is that you go to bed at nightfall or shortly thereafter because the only lighting there is God-given. Coleman only lasts so long.
I woke up to go to the restroom at 6:50 and saw some guys sitting and talking and having coffee in the lot two paths down. I felt lazy; these people are on break and getting up early because they still think they have to go to work. I resolved to see if I could get up at 7 or 8AM from now on. For this morning I decided to get some more shuteye.
I woke up at 10 AM and had an el cheapo Hostess apple pie and some MRE instant coffee. I did a poor job even in a hurry when I made sure I had everything. I had forgotten the plug, the coffee, and the tin foil to avoid pine tar smudging on the cookware.
I sniffed out a fishing spot between the pier and the next campsite along the shore of D loop. It had overhanging branches and a brush bed which made for lost fishing floats. Three floats were lost in my failed attempt to catch fish. I was so frustrated that I thought about packing up and cancelling my vacation. I also felt a little lonely and worried about my Mom and Dad. Time made me feel better. It didn't make me hungry.
I put up my fishing gear and drove over to the Twin Bridges Trail entrance on A loop. I went to the restroom on A loop and found that they were actually flush toilets! They didn't have sinks but I was grateful for what I had. The trail was 1 4/5 miles according to the sign. I thought I'd have enough Pepsi in the bottle to sustain me.
I walked and walked and the first part of the trail was overflow from the lake. I saw the sand. Three or more bends were close to the shore and before too long I saw across the lake where there were private houses. Did I go too far? The white spots on the trees and the oddly-spaced brown 4x4 posts with the numbers said no.
I kept going and hoped I wouldn't get back after dusk. I never was that good with calculating distance and time. The stacks of Plant Branch were visible as I got close to the shoreline once again. I saw more footbridges and thought I was looping back but the path was unfamiliar. I kept going out of curiosity and found this parking area. I found out it was a hunting camp. The trail marker on the cosmolite post said 119. I made it to the end! Now I need to make it back.
I needed to rest but still had plenty of oomph. I wanted to see if there was a sign for this strange area with the trash and burnt out campfires. An old Dodge car and trailer, with little sign of recent occupancy, was parked to the side. Since I saw no sign close by- and only a signboard with nothing on it- I decided to expend my energy to return.
I improvised a pace counter and turned on my stopwatch feature on my Wal-Mart watch. The pace counter is used by the Army, probably to make sure the troops dont' waste time walking too far as they get confused in the repetition. I took a tree branch and counted 13 leaves. For every 1000 feet, or 335 paces, I would rip a leaf off. I removed nine. I timed myself at 45 minutes. I walked more slowly on the return trip.
I found bugs crawling on my pants! They looked like little crabs. I decided to wash my pants and other clothing. The caretaker told me the shower was down at the D restroom so I went to the B shower. The B loop is closed but the restroom is still operational (sink has no water due to a glitch). I showered my clothing and myself myself. After stretching some paracord across two trees I hung the clothes to dry. For dinner at 6:00 I had beef stew from an MRE and the good portions of a veggie burger MRE.
I went fishing at the pier. There were only two campers besides me as the weekend was going away. The campers nearest the pier were gone. I had to watch where I went since the pier was only three feet wide. I caught a normal catfish and a bullhead-type catfish. I caught another catfish that was very small but threw it back. The fishing went sour after dusk and when it got cooler. Come 11:30 I had to throw the two fishies back. They still made a croaking sound as they gasped for air so that was a relatively good sign. The normal fish I could not easily remove from the snap of the chain stringer. I forgot to include pliers in the fishing kit. That will teach me to inspect my gear before embarking. So I had to avoid the fish spiking me with its dorsal fin and remove the snap. It went through his skull but wasn't lethal.
I went to beddy bye and woke up at 10:00 because I was too lazy to set my watch. I thought I could nagically wake myself. The gear went back in the truck and I drove off to Eatonton, stopping at the Huddle House to eat. I went to the old part of town and took pictures of the old grammar school (now an art center)and the house where the 10k starts. I ran it in 1987. Running makes people feel so good about themselves. I was sick as a dog and my tummy hurt that day but I loved running that race. Maybe I will run it again next year but I seemed to say something like that several years ago.
I took pictures of the old bridge on Old Macon Circle. Would you believe UGA students traveled down this road prior to the erection of the present bridge in 1967? I saw the ends of the bridge were widened 6' on each side. This must've been in the days of one-lane bridges where one side got the right of way (remember "Ode to Billy Joe"?)
I got home and emptied the litter pan. I was miffed when Dad went to the bathroom. I wanted to decontaminate but realized Dad couldn't help it- he had to go. He hasn't been taking his constipation meds or eating right nor has he engaged in activity to strenghten him. This week he has been feeling better nonetheless.
I work the next five days. I hate to see the store not make money but I enjoy the quiet pace of summer at the store.
I set up my tent and rolled out the air mattress. I forgot the plug to hold the air in! I would attend to this later. I put my gear in the tent and gathered firewood. The advantage to spring is that leaves and twigs have fallen and haven't been harvested by other campers.
The older man in the camper near Lot 40 D is neat. He is the caretaker/host for the complex. It keeps him alive to do his work there though I feel bad for him. I probably should see if USFS needs volunteers to work at the sites. I am weak on customer service and security but my nice complex might be a godsend in this case. I went to bed at 12 or so. Rule is that you go to bed at nightfall or shortly thereafter because the only lighting there is God-given. Coleman only lasts so long.
I woke up to go to the restroom at 6:50 and saw some guys sitting and talking and having coffee in the lot two paths down. I felt lazy; these people are on break and getting up early because they still think they have to go to work. I resolved to see if I could get up at 7 or 8AM from now on. For this morning I decided to get some more shuteye.
I woke up at 10 AM and had an el cheapo Hostess apple pie and some MRE instant coffee. I did a poor job even in a hurry when I made sure I had everything. I had forgotten the plug, the coffee, and the tin foil to avoid pine tar smudging on the cookware.
I sniffed out a fishing spot between the pier and the next campsite along the shore of D loop. It had overhanging branches and a brush bed which made for lost fishing floats. Three floats were lost in my failed attempt to catch fish. I was so frustrated that I thought about packing up and cancelling my vacation. I also felt a little lonely and worried about my Mom and Dad. Time made me feel better. It didn't make me hungry.
I put up my fishing gear and drove over to the Twin Bridges Trail entrance on A loop. I went to the restroom on A loop and found that they were actually flush toilets! They didn't have sinks but I was grateful for what I had. The trail was 1 4/5 miles according to the sign. I thought I'd have enough Pepsi in the bottle to sustain me.
I walked and walked and the first part of the trail was overflow from the lake. I saw the sand. Three or more bends were close to the shore and before too long I saw across the lake where there were private houses. Did I go too far? The white spots on the trees and the oddly-spaced brown 4x4 posts with the numbers said no.
I kept going and hoped I wouldn't get back after dusk. I never was that good with calculating distance and time. The stacks of Plant Branch were visible as I got close to the shoreline once again. I saw more footbridges and thought I was looping back but the path was unfamiliar. I kept going out of curiosity and found this parking area. I found out it was a hunting camp. The trail marker on the cosmolite post said 119. I made it to the end! Now I need to make it back.
I needed to rest but still had plenty of oomph. I wanted to see if there was a sign for this strange area with the trash and burnt out campfires. An old Dodge car and trailer, with little sign of recent occupancy, was parked to the side. Since I saw no sign close by- and only a signboard with nothing on it- I decided to expend my energy to return.
I improvised a pace counter and turned on my stopwatch feature on my Wal-Mart watch. The pace counter is used by the Army, probably to make sure the troops dont' waste time walking too far as they get confused in the repetition. I took a tree branch and counted 13 leaves. For every 1000 feet, or 335 paces, I would rip a leaf off. I removed nine. I timed myself at 45 minutes. I walked more slowly on the return trip.
I found bugs crawling on my pants! They looked like little crabs. I decided to wash my pants and other clothing. The caretaker told me the shower was down at the D restroom so I went to the B shower. The B loop is closed but the restroom is still operational (sink has no water due to a glitch). I showered my clothing and myself myself. After stretching some paracord across two trees I hung the clothes to dry. For dinner at 6:00 I had beef stew from an MRE and the good portions of a veggie burger MRE.
I went fishing at the pier. There were only two campers besides me as the weekend was going away. The campers nearest the pier were gone. I had to watch where I went since the pier was only three feet wide. I caught a normal catfish and a bullhead-type catfish. I caught another catfish that was very small but threw it back. The fishing went sour after dusk and when it got cooler. Come 11:30 I had to throw the two fishies back. They still made a croaking sound as they gasped for air so that was a relatively good sign. The normal fish I could not easily remove from the snap of the chain stringer. I forgot to include pliers in the fishing kit. That will teach me to inspect my gear before embarking. So I had to avoid the fish spiking me with its dorsal fin and remove the snap. It went through his skull but wasn't lethal.
I went to beddy bye and woke up at 10:00 because I was too lazy to set my watch. I thought I could nagically wake myself. The gear went back in the truck and I drove off to Eatonton, stopping at the Huddle House to eat. I went to the old part of town and took pictures of the old grammar school (now an art center)and the house where the 10k starts. I ran it in 1987. Running makes people feel so good about themselves. I was sick as a dog and my tummy hurt that day but I loved running that race. Maybe I will run it again next year but I seemed to say something like that several years ago.
I took pictures of the old bridge on Old Macon Circle. Would you believe UGA students traveled down this road prior to the erection of the present bridge in 1967? I saw the ends of the bridge were widened 6' on each side. This must've been in the days of one-lane bridges where one side got the right of way (remember "Ode to Billy Joe"?)
I got home and emptied the litter pan. I was miffed when Dad went to the bathroom. I wanted to decontaminate but realized Dad couldn't help it- he had to go. He hasn't been taking his constipation meds or eating right nor has he engaged in activity to strenghten him. This week he has been feeling better nonetheless.
I work the next five days. I hate to see the store not make money but I enjoy the quiet pace of summer at the store.
Saturday, March 31, 2007
"Ghetto" meals for the cheap
03/31/07
I am doing a little better but for lack of sleep. I don't see how I can come home tired and keep on going sometimes but it does happen. Today wasn't one of those days. My mom seems to be getting a little weaker while Dad is gaining strength.
Our outbound service contractor is trying to save money on meals. He doesn't have a lot of money. My cash is not where I'd want it to be and I want to gain a "profit" on what I take home per month vs. what I spend in checking.
Thus I am looking to see what the cheapest meals are that are 1) edible 2) not "junk" food. The contractor eats Ramen noodles and sometimes spaghetti in a can. Somehow I feel like I am eating slop when I eat those. So I am searching for a good meal and a cheap one.
McDonald's, Wendy's and Burger King (breakfast only) have items for a dollar or so. The potato and the salad from Wendy's are best for your body. Be careful of fast food joints as a rule. You spend 3 times as much to get an inferior meal- or one no better than if you eat a 3 oz portion of meat, a carbo, veggie, and fruit. Just be sure what you eat doesn't constipate you or shoot your blood sugar through the roof only to leave you hungrier.
I advise cereals, even dry ones, for snacks or breakfast. Make your own coffee and don't drink that fancy creosote at Starbuck's (Creosote was used to treat fenceposts before it was found to be cancerous). You may want to have a dessert but be sure it has fruit or fiber in it. If you must have a meaty breakfast make some biscuits and sausage and freeze a two-week supply.
Fruit is good if you can eat what you buy this week by the next week. Soup, combined with a veggie or bread, has been a staple of good eating for years. Today there are fancier soups tasting better than the older smaller cans our parents knew. For lunch consider a whole-wheat bread with sliced meat on it. If you want a warm meal look at frozen dinners or just make your own burgers. Heck you can even grill outside and freeze some beef patties or drumsticks. Bake your own goodies and freeze them- but be smart. Not always will you want to eat in.
At the grocery store look carefully on the main "side" counters at the store because the idea of featured items (that aren't discounted) is to make the store money and make you poorer. I have heard of wonderful deals even at Walgreen's. Just don't single source but dont' drive around town wasting gas to save a dime.
Oh and get store brands and experiment with them as some are better than others and some use low-grade components (but not all). If you aren't a soft drink snob you can save a mint on store brands. However Kool-Aid has the powdered drink down to an art. Make your own tea and bring it. If you get fruit juice get it frozen; don't pay extra if freshness isn't your priority. Wholesale clubs and "odd lots" stores don't always promise savings so don't make them the single source for everything. I'll let you in on a trick; get a sale paper for the week and if you see a good deal on something circle it and take it with you. My mom used to do that.
Menu:
Breakfast: Frozen sausage biscuit or frosted wheat squares. Don't rule out oatmeal but don't get it in bulk. Fruit is optional. Your own coffee.
Lunch: Soup and cornbread with a fruit or a side salad. Or substitute a sandwich and potato chips you bought in bulk. Your own tea.
Snack: Peanuts, peanut butter/crackers you made from scratch or bought in packs, or a fruit. Avoid Twinkies or candy bars unless you bought a box of them beforehand. If you don't eat candy that often don't buy in bulk.
Dinner: See lunch or make chicken/dressing with creme chicken soup gravy. A vegetable or fruit cup is more than welcome. Chips and two hot dogs (not too often; the buns aren't whole wheat and weiners have salt and grease). If you must eat out consider the dollar items I mentioned.
Very cheap meals: Soups, oatmeal, ramen, fruit cups, sliced ham sandwiches on whole wheat, and diet drink powder mixes. Rule; avoid constipation, high sugar content, and heavy salt or grease.
I am doing a little better but for lack of sleep. I don't see how I can come home tired and keep on going sometimes but it does happen. Today wasn't one of those days. My mom seems to be getting a little weaker while Dad is gaining strength.
Our outbound service contractor is trying to save money on meals. He doesn't have a lot of money. My cash is not where I'd want it to be and I want to gain a "profit" on what I take home per month vs. what I spend in checking.
Thus I am looking to see what the cheapest meals are that are 1) edible 2) not "junk" food. The contractor eats Ramen noodles and sometimes spaghetti in a can. Somehow I feel like I am eating slop when I eat those. So I am searching for a good meal and a cheap one.
McDonald's, Wendy's and Burger King (breakfast only) have items for a dollar or so. The potato and the salad from Wendy's are best for your body. Be careful of fast food joints as a rule. You spend 3 times as much to get an inferior meal- or one no better than if you eat a 3 oz portion of meat, a carbo, veggie, and fruit. Just be sure what you eat doesn't constipate you or shoot your blood sugar through the roof only to leave you hungrier.
I advise cereals, even dry ones, for snacks or breakfast. Make your own coffee and don't drink that fancy creosote at Starbuck's (Creosote was used to treat fenceposts before it was found to be cancerous). You may want to have a dessert but be sure it has fruit or fiber in it. If you must have a meaty breakfast make some biscuits and sausage and freeze a two-week supply.
Fruit is good if you can eat what you buy this week by the next week. Soup, combined with a veggie or bread, has been a staple of good eating for years. Today there are fancier soups tasting better than the older smaller cans our parents knew. For lunch consider a whole-wheat bread with sliced meat on it. If you want a warm meal look at frozen dinners or just make your own burgers. Heck you can even grill outside and freeze some beef patties or drumsticks. Bake your own goodies and freeze them- but be smart. Not always will you want to eat in.
At the grocery store look carefully on the main "side" counters at the store because the idea of featured items (that aren't discounted) is to make the store money and make you poorer. I have heard of wonderful deals even at Walgreen's. Just don't single source but dont' drive around town wasting gas to save a dime.
Oh and get store brands and experiment with them as some are better than others and some use low-grade components (but not all). If you aren't a soft drink snob you can save a mint on store brands. However Kool-Aid has the powdered drink down to an art. Make your own tea and bring it. If you get fruit juice get it frozen; don't pay extra if freshness isn't your priority. Wholesale clubs and "odd lots" stores don't always promise savings so don't make them the single source for everything. I'll let you in on a trick; get a sale paper for the week and if you see a good deal on something circle it and take it with you. My mom used to do that.
Menu:
Breakfast: Frozen sausage biscuit or frosted wheat squares. Don't rule out oatmeal but don't get it in bulk. Fruit is optional. Your own coffee.
Lunch: Soup and cornbread with a fruit or a side salad. Or substitute a sandwich and potato chips you bought in bulk. Your own tea.
Snack: Peanuts, peanut butter/crackers you made from scratch or bought in packs, or a fruit. Avoid Twinkies or candy bars unless you bought a box of them beforehand. If you don't eat candy that often don't buy in bulk.
Dinner: See lunch or make chicken/dressing with creme chicken soup gravy. A vegetable or fruit cup is more than welcome. Chips and two hot dogs (not too often; the buns aren't whole wheat and weiners have salt and grease). If you must eat out consider the dollar items I mentioned.
Very cheap meals: Soups, oatmeal, ramen, fruit cups, sliced ham sandwiches on whole wheat, and diet drink powder mixes. Rule; avoid constipation, high sugar content, and heavy salt or grease.
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Dad's CHF
03/15/07
Dad is requiring more and more care. Three weeks ago 02/22 Thursday My sister called me and said Dad had not only been short of breath but his speech seemed slurred. and I called my dad. Then I called the doctor. He wondered if it were CHF. I told him of the slurred speech and that I'd double check with Mom and my sister.
I told Dad when I called him that I wanted to talk to Mom. She confirmed his slurred speech which I didn't pick up on over the phone. I talked to my sister and she said the heart doctor said it wasn't CHF. I called back the doctor and he advised me to get him to the ER. He later advised I call an ambulance so that he could get to treatment faster.
I called the seven-digit number since it was not a life-threatening emergency and that the 911 Center in Bibb County was a joke (I emailed Joe Allen of the County Commission about the 911 Center but to no avail). The dispatcher was on the phone while my sister rang my cell phone. I had EMS on the phone while the cell phone was in another ear. I told her I had to call back.
Mom called me back and I told her EMS was on the way. The doctor called me and I told him EMS was on the way to pick up Dad. They even sent a fire engine as first responders as per protocol.
I went to the Medical Center emergency room and waited until they got Dad settled into a treatment room/bed in the EC. After an hour or so the nurse told me CHF and pneumonia was suspected.
I went to grab a snack and I was in McDonald's when my sister called. She told me to high-tail it home and sit tight until she and my other sister arrived.
The next day I got scared. One of my sisters told me that the BNP (a peptide count associated with CHF) was 5000+ from what she heard of a nurse talking about Dad. She looked it up and said it was associated with low life expectancy. My oldest sister told me that he might last a year or two but then reversed herself. She's the sister who tends to be argumentative and not wrong all the time.
I felt upset not so much that my dreams of living in a better place away from Macon were evaporating. It hurt to see such a seemingly indestructible man as my dad go downhill. I disliked that I was still living at home years after finishing four let alone six years of college. I had personal issues such as depression, anxiety, and not really being allowed to grow up. Yet I blamed my self for my predicament.
Don't get the idea that I would have rather looked out for myself than my parents. I swore to dedicate myself to helping them when in need. I just hated they haven't seen me succeed out of the cocoon.
They drained 750cc (3/4 liter) from Dad's thorax and his BNP went down to 2500 or so. It was at 1999 on 03/07. He still has trouble sleeping especially with being constipated. He is slowly gaining weight- slowly as he cannot have salt and very much sugar. His sugar was around 140 at the doctor's office on 03/07.
Meanwhile I have resorted to a new antidepressant- or I should say I did resort to it. I found it made me drowsy. Yesterday was Wednesday and since I had to make trips to the bathroom and to help my parents- not to mention while drugged- I slept and woke and slept and woke most of the day.
My big goal is to figure out how to make myself as much of what my parents want as I can but to balance personal goals. Mostly it is of action not planning.
Dad is requiring more and more care. Three weeks ago 02/22 Thursday My sister called me and said Dad had not only been short of breath but his speech seemed slurred. and I called my dad. Then I called the doctor. He wondered if it were CHF. I told him of the slurred speech and that I'd double check with Mom and my sister.
I told Dad when I called him that I wanted to talk to Mom. She confirmed his slurred speech which I didn't pick up on over the phone. I talked to my sister and she said the heart doctor said it wasn't CHF. I called back the doctor and he advised me to get him to the ER. He later advised I call an ambulance so that he could get to treatment faster.
I called the seven-digit number since it was not a life-threatening emergency and that the 911 Center in Bibb County was a joke (I emailed Joe Allen of the County Commission about the 911 Center but to no avail). The dispatcher was on the phone while my sister rang my cell phone. I had EMS on the phone while the cell phone was in another ear. I told her I had to call back.
Mom called me back and I told her EMS was on the way. The doctor called me and I told him EMS was on the way to pick up Dad. They even sent a fire engine as first responders as per protocol.
I went to the Medical Center emergency room and waited until they got Dad settled into a treatment room/bed in the EC. After an hour or so the nurse told me CHF and pneumonia was suspected.
I went to grab a snack and I was in McDonald's when my sister called. She told me to high-tail it home and sit tight until she and my other sister arrived.
The next day I got scared. One of my sisters told me that the BNP (a peptide count associated with CHF) was 5000+ from what she heard of a nurse talking about Dad. She looked it up and said it was associated with low life expectancy. My oldest sister told me that he might last a year or two but then reversed herself. She's the sister who tends to be argumentative and not wrong all the time.
I felt upset not so much that my dreams of living in a better place away from Macon were evaporating. It hurt to see such a seemingly indestructible man as my dad go downhill. I disliked that I was still living at home years after finishing four let alone six years of college. I had personal issues such as depression, anxiety, and not really being allowed to grow up. Yet I blamed my self for my predicament.
Don't get the idea that I would have rather looked out for myself than my parents. I swore to dedicate myself to helping them when in need. I just hated they haven't seen me succeed out of the cocoon.
They drained 750cc (3/4 liter) from Dad's thorax and his BNP went down to 2500 or so. It was at 1999 on 03/07. He still has trouble sleeping especially with being constipated. He is slowly gaining weight- slowly as he cannot have salt and very much sugar. His sugar was around 140 at the doctor's office on 03/07.
Meanwhile I have resorted to a new antidepressant- or I should say I did resort to it. I found it made me drowsy. Yesterday was Wednesday and since I had to make trips to the bathroom and to help my parents- not to mention while drugged- I slept and woke and slept and woke most of the day.
My big goal is to figure out how to make myself as much of what my parents want as I can but to balance personal goals. Mostly it is of action not planning.
Monday, January 22, 2007
Repeat post on Houston Mall
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Hello
I went to the Houston Mall again. I was rehab shopping for my mother. No, not THAT kind of rehab; she is becoming less and less mobile with her disease.
Even at 3:30 PM the mall is dead. Evelyn's, the dress shop that was too stubborn to leave, is no more. A third of the mall is rented by the Houston Medical Center. This is not a bad idea if the $/sqft sales are high even for spending money on medical procedures. But HMC isn't the Mayo Clinic or Cook County Hospital in Chicago.
The northeast entrance is no more. Home Decor resides in it, the small stores along the way, and in two or more old stores possibly carved out of WT Grant's. I remember when my sis and I went to Grant's and bought a small globe. This was on a Sunday. Eckerd's is a billing center for HMC and the southeast corridor has Warner Robins Municipal Court and a probation office. A nail place and beauty supply replaced stores near where the old record store and Burton's shoes once thrived. I forgot there was a southeast wing to the mall. It has a few of HMC's storefront facilities.
Were I HMC and if no expansion were already planned for the hospital I'd buy the mall and revamp it. Then I would rent it out. Hospitals likely find themselves hurting to make a profit and though Houston Medical Center doesn't have indigents bleeding them dry it remains a neat idea.
Management needs to market the mall as an office center and fill the hallway with another row of offices. Perhaps they can bulldoze all but the east and west anchors and make a strip mall. Westgate did this but their mistake was remaining commercial in a deteriorating neighborhood.
Friday, January 19, 2007
Cree
Hello
Christmas went ok other than Mom falling the previous Tuesday and having an eternal nosebleed. Her lip was lacerated in a few places. The nosebleed stopped enough for us to take her to the Coliseum Medical Centers ER. We had to go back on Christmas Eve since 12:45 saw her nose bleed again. We would stop it on and off and this went on until 7AM. We hustled her back to the ER again and the doctor had Afrin sprayed in it as a vasoconstrictor. I held Mom's nose for 15 minutes. It stopped. She coughed up a nice big blood clot on the way home. Mom's nose bled again Christmas morning but I sprayed Afrin and held it for 15 minutes. This did the trick and stopped the bleeding; she coughed up Clotzilla.
I felt like I was in a fog and felt a little discouraged and depressed. It seemed everything I was working for as far as work and pleasure was going down the drain. I knew the day would come for me to take care of Mom and Dad but I felt it came so soon- too soon for me to reach my goals. It can't be anyone's fault but mine that I didn't achieve them. I have no objection to taking care of Mom and Dad though the do things sometimes to make it hard on themselves. Mom doesn't want to make sacrifices and Dad is unwilling to straighten out his sleep cycle. I would be miserable if I moved too far from them that is for sure.
I learned a new word Thursday. My boss at the store had difficulty understanding a person on the phone. This is understandable as even in the past three months our demographic has deteriorated at the store. A rinky-dink Mexican grocery set up next to us and we have a new landlord.
Anyway one of the words my boss had trouble understanding was the word "cree". It is an African-American corruption of the word "three". This is common in rural areas. We had a good time with that one.
I am still coming in late for work more often than not but the delays are less. I want to be goal compliant by January 31 with my annual resolutions. I promised I'd do a regular job search, be punctual, and embark on a diet and exercise program. I promised that I would subject Mom to an exercise regimen. I am exercising two or three times per week and doing walking once every week. This is half the number of days per week I need to do this.
I dislike making and breaking promises and seeing my life deteriorate.
Christmas went ok other than Mom falling the previous Tuesday and having an eternal nosebleed. Her lip was lacerated in a few places. The nosebleed stopped enough for us to take her to the Coliseum Medical Centers ER. We had to go back on Christmas Eve since 12:45 saw her nose bleed again. We would stop it on and off and this went on until 7AM. We hustled her back to the ER again and the doctor had Afrin sprayed in it as a vasoconstrictor. I held Mom's nose for 15 minutes. It stopped. She coughed up a nice big blood clot on the way home. Mom's nose bled again Christmas morning but I sprayed Afrin and held it for 15 minutes. This did the trick and stopped the bleeding; she coughed up Clotzilla.
I felt like I was in a fog and felt a little discouraged and depressed. It seemed everything I was working for as far as work and pleasure was going down the drain. I knew the day would come for me to take care of Mom and Dad but I felt it came so soon- too soon for me to reach my goals. It can't be anyone's fault but mine that I didn't achieve them. I have no objection to taking care of Mom and Dad though the do things sometimes to make it hard on themselves. Mom doesn't want to make sacrifices and Dad is unwilling to straighten out his sleep cycle. I would be miserable if I moved too far from them that is for sure.
I learned a new word Thursday. My boss at the store had difficulty understanding a person on the phone. This is understandable as even in the past three months our demographic has deteriorated at the store. A rinky-dink Mexican grocery set up next to us and we have a new landlord.
Anyway one of the words my boss had trouble understanding was the word "cree". It is an African-American corruption of the word "three". This is common in rural areas. We had a good time with that one.
I am still coming in late for work more often than not but the delays are less. I want to be goal compliant by January 31 with my annual resolutions. I promised I'd do a regular job search, be punctual, and embark on a diet and exercise program. I promised that I would subject Mom to an exercise regimen. I am exercising two or three times per week and doing walking once every week. This is half the number of days per week I need to do this.
I dislike making and breaking promises and seeing my life deteriorate.
Friday, November 17, 2006
I forget what time of the night I was born but in the legal sense 12am today began my fortieth year. November 17 begins at 12AM so that settles that where the law is concerned.
I guess I overdid the sweets or didn't snack often enough yesterday when I said I felt rotten. My boss's dad brought in some cookies that are as decadent as a slice of birthday cake. Combine that with grape Kool-Aid (bought for 2.00 per jar at Big Lots) and you have me eating like a puny kid again. There is no doubt I am facing my parents' mortality in seeing them get sicker and more infirm.
I am having to make a few sacrifices in not going out and hitting the stores and restaurants whenever I please. Nor do I do much night fishing anymore. I am trying to find a job that affords me an hour or two travel distance between here and wherever the job is. I will have to find another place to live under this scenario.
Not that I haven't done fun things. I have been helping find airchecks for the producer at pawfilmworks.com so he can work on his website for a long-closed mall in Chicago. Some time ago I saw a web site for a recently closed mall and tried to revisit it. It was in New Jersey or a nearby state. That was when I bumped into Dixie Square Mall.
This mall near Chicago opened in November 1966 and closed that month in 1978. Months later it was used by Universal to film the mall chase in "The Blues Brothers." It seems the mall's closure in a rapidly-deteriorating town had a silver lining for John Landis, the movie's producer. The video snippits and pictures of the abandoned mall are a surrealistic view of something similar to ancient catacombs.
I did one call-canvassing session and a letter to the editor for Mac Collins, who ran for Congress. He may or may not pay for a recount but the state's secretary of state gave the election to his opponent, Jim Marshall. I saw my party ruin their chances to retain power nationally. Not that Iraq would have been a flash in the pan but Americans want to see tangible progress. A war kept Lyndon Johnson out of the White House although Johnson exhibited much more ineptitude than Bush.
These days I have gone to bed early though I have still been a little more tardy at work than I should be. Why don't I get quality sleep and why do I feel tired even after nine or ten hours?
I will ask my doctor about Cymbalta or a higher dosage of Zoloft. I don't want to monkey around with the Buspar. I only occasionally take the morning dose of Buspar. My head feels like it is in a fog when I am on Zoloft and the Buspar seems to be making it a little more noticeable. I haven't had the reality of turning 40 sink in quite yet.
I guess I overdid the sweets or didn't snack often enough yesterday when I said I felt rotten. My boss's dad brought in some cookies that are as decadent as a slice of birthday cake. Combine that with grape Kool-Aid (bought for 2.00 per jar at Big Lots) and you have me eating like a puny kid again. There is no doubt I am facing my parents' mortality in seeing them get sicker and more infirm.
I am having to make a few sacrifices in not going out and hitting the stores and restaurants whenever I please. Nor do I do much night fishing anymore. I am trying to find a job that affords me an hour or two travel distance between here and wherever the job is. I will have to find another place to live under this scenario.
Not that I haven't done fun things. I have been helping find airchecks for the producer at pawfilmworks.com so he can work on his website for a long-closed mall in Chicago. Some time ago I saw a web site for a recently closed mall and tried to revisit it. It was in New Jersey or a nearby state. That was when I bumped into Dixie Square Mall.
This mall near Chicago opened in November 1966 and closed that month in 1978. Months later it was used by Universal to film the mall chase in "The Blues Brothers." It seems the mall's closure in a rapidly-deteriorating town had a silver lining for John Landis, the movie's producer. The video snippits and pictures of the abandoned mall are a surrealistic view of something similar to ancient catacombs.
I did one call-canvassing session and a letter to the editor for Mac Collins, who ran for Congress. He may or may not pay for a recount but the state's secretary of state gave the election to his opponent, Jim Marshall. I saw my party ruin their chances to retain power nationally. Not that Iraq would have been a flash in the pan but Americans want to see tangible progress. A war kept Lyndon Johnson out of the White House although Johnson exhibited much more ineptitude than Bush.
These days I have gone to bed early though I have still been a little more tardy at work than I should be. Why don't I get quality sleep and why do I feel tired even after nine or ten hours?
I will ask my doctor about Cymbalta or a higher dosage of Zoloft. I don't want to monkey around with the Buspar. I only occasionally take the morning dose of Buspar. My head feels like it is in a fog when I am on Zoloft and the Buspar seems to be making it a little more noticeable. I haven't had the reality of turning 40 sink in quite yet.
Thursday, November 16, 2006
Last day that I am 39
11/16/06
Today is the last day I am 39. Tomorrow I turn 40. I have mixed feelings about becoming 40. For much of my life I haven't achieved what I want and I think I have wasted too much time in my life.
This week I have been stuck at home for two evenings while we work with Mom and Dad. Sometimes neither one wants to listen to me or my sisters, especially Mom.
I feel depressed today. I work with the half wit crew this weekend again.
Today is the last day I am 39. Tomorrow I turn 40. I have mixed feelings about becoming 40. For much of my life I haven't achieved what I want and I think I have wasted too much time in my life.
This week I have been stuck at home for two evenings while we work with Mom and Dad. Sometimes neither one wants to listen to me or my sisters, especially Mom.
I feel depressed today. I work with the half wit crew this weekend again.
Thursday, November 09, 2006
Dad's second ablation session
11/09/06
Last Friday Dad had to go to the hospital via ambulance because his implanted defibrillator went off five times. It went off four of those times when he walked to the house for help. He was planting pansies. I think I beat the ambulance there since I was around the corner and up the road at my shop.
I waited in the ER and my uncle dropped by. We waited then he was brought into the Chest Pain center partly because the ER was jammed with the runny nose club. It's a shame a flex space isn't available for peak ER visits. The electrophysiologist was there and paced Dad back into normal rhythm and dropped his heart rate to 70. Medications including morphine and lidocaine went into Dad. I had to go home and help Mom and give Dad some rest.
I was furious in a sense that Dad could not have been fixed earlier this year. I thought about sending him to Emory as an option but Dad felt the care from the Macon doctor quite sufficient.
My dad got a room on the 8th floor and was spared the laggards who worked in the cardiac ICU. That Saturday he found that he would get an ablation and they weaned him off the lidocaine that Sunday. The doctor ablated his heart to burn off nodes generating short circuits. He wanted to do more ablating but could not. I hope that Dad won't have to make a return trip to the hospital.
I know my Dad won't last forever and that long-term care of some form is in the near future for both of my parents. I just feel I haven't done enough for them or to make myself a successful person. I dislike being so cynical, so angry, so quiet, so grumpy. I have another side to me that is nice and as honest as the day is long. I guess the word for me is scared. I've been scared and now that forty years close in on me I am tired of being scared of this, that, and the other.
KAT
Last Friday Dad had to go to the hospital via ambulance because his implanted defibrillator went off five times. It went off four of those times when he walked to the house for help. He was planting pansies. I think I beat the ambulance there since I was around the corner and up the road at my shop.
I waited in the ER and my uncle dropped by. We waited then he was brought into the Chest Pain center partly because the ER was jammed with the runny nose club. It's a shame a flex space isn't available for peak ER visits. The electrophysiologist was there and paced Dad back into normal rhythm and dropped his heart rate to 70. Medications including morphine and lidocaine went into Dad. I had to go home and help Mom and give Dad some rest.
I was furious in a sense that Dad could not have been fixed earlier this year. I thought about sending him to Emory as an option but Dad felt the care from the Macon doctor quite sufficient.
My dad got a room on the 8th floor and was spared the laggards who worked in the cardiac ICU. That Saturday he found that he would get an ablation and they weaned him off the lidocaine that Sunday. The doctor ablated his heart to burn off nodes generating short circuits. He wanted to do more ablating but could not. I hope that Dad won't have to make a return trip to the hospital.
I know my Dad won't last forever and that long-term care of some form is in the near future for both of my parents. I just feel I haven't done enough for them or to make myself a successful person. I dislike being so cynical, so angry, so quiet, so grumpy. I have another side to me that is nice and as honest as the day is long. I guess the word for me is scared. I've been scared and now that forty years close in on me I am tired of being scared of this, that, and the other.
KAT
Sunday, October 22, 2006
Hello
I got back from a weekend at Lake Sinclair Campground. It was okay though I didn't catch any fish. The deep spots along the lake had campers and I snagged my line on overhead branches near the empty and shallow spots. I did have one fishy nibble at my bait but he was too smart for my own good.
I had to listen to a group of Girl Scouts/family members from Cobb County (a tag on one of the vehicles near their pad said such). Three redneck-looking guys and three fat ladies supervised the 9-12 year old females. One woman looked like Harpo Marx. A dog looking like her would not be eaten by starving Koreans. Speaking of which one Amerasian brat in a tent across from my fishing hole talked loud enough to wake the dead.
I preferred the mean-looking redneck in the van next to my tent. He at least played classic country when he was not talking half the day on his cell phone. He was bellyaching about this and that on the cell phone and talking about how the doctors could not figure out why he had high blood pressure. Maybe it's a mind thing. I want to go by the record store or on Itunes and buy some early George Jones/Tammy Wynette and some Conway Twitty/Loretta Lynn. We're talking about early Seventies- at least before 1974.
This will teach me not to go to Lake Sinclair Campground-National Forest Service during the weekend. I also froze in my tent and underinflating an air mattress made me no happier. I will definitely get a low-weight low temperature bag if I can get such for less than 75.00. The mattress was too big for the hiker's tent and I needed to get a single-sized air mattress-or a swimming bed.
I chose to spend the second night in my SUV. I let the small seat down in the rear row and sandwiched myself in my bag. I didn't like not having a bedroll or an inflatable bed but 18 inches didn't allow me much room. I was warmer and when the rain came I was glad I made the choice.
When I woke up at 11:00 and did the rest of the packing I left. I accidentally went to Monroe County instead of Covington. Not to worry; I made another turn and went to Fresh Air Barbecue and headed to Covington. I took pictures of the town square which was depicted in the "Dukes of Hazzard" pilot show.
On the way I saw where the south end of Newton County has a few developments but is turning ghetto closer to Covington. A new grocery store advertised that it was accepting EBT. I had heard that small towns where farming was the primary industry lost their higher-income citizens to the areas bordering Atlanta as the farms died out. Some towns have good homes being built nearby. There was a nice "Scoops" coffee shop and ice-cream parlor on Church Street. Then again I saw "Lee's Fashions" which hosted black fashions and black mannequins".
I felt so good to get home. I will definitely resolve to do SOMETHING about a job although I want a career or other worthy obsession to bury myself in. I need to get out on my own and make real money. As for a direction I don't want just something "fun"; I want a career interest that is long-term. I'll post whatever answer I find later on.
I read that State House District 140 Candidate Lauren Benedict's people, in a September 27 posting of the Peach Pundit, wanted to show that Allen Freeman was on the prowl for girls. Someone put the word that Allen's Myspace account did not mention a family and said he didn't want kids. Not the Allen Freeman I know. I tried to set up an account and had little better luck finding how to update my information. Now one of her alledged cronies has filed an ethics complaint which holds little water.
Just keep on, Ms. Benedict; you're making people mad. Oh and welcome to District 140 where you just moved to. Don't unpack your things yet. You won't need to be here long.
I got back from a weekend at Lake Sinclair Campground. It was okay though I didn't catch any fish. The deep spots along the lake had campers and I snagged my line on overhead branches near the empty and shallow spots. I did have one fishy nibble at my bait but he was too smart for my own good.
I had to listen to a group of Girl Scouts/family members from Cobb County (a tag on one of the vehicles near their pad said such). Three redneck-looking guys and three fat ladies supervised the 9-12 year old females. One woman looked like Harpo Marx. A dog looking like her would not be eaten by starving Koreans. Speaking of which one Amerasian brat in a tent across from my fishing hole talked loud enough to wake the dead.
I preferred the mean-looking redneck in the van next to my tent. He at least played classic country when he was not talking half the day on his cell phone. He was bellyaching about this and that on the cell phone and talking about how the doctors could not figure out why he had high blood pressure. Maybe it's a mind thing. I want to go by the record store or on Itunes and buy some early George Jones/Tammy Wynette and some Conway Twitty/Loretta Lynn. We're talking about early Seventies- at least before 1974.
This will teach me not to go to Lake Sinclair Campground-National Forest Service during the weekend. I also froze in my tent and underinflating an air mattress made me no happier. I will definitely get a low-weight low temperature bag if I can get such for less than 75.00. The mattress was too big for the hiker's tent and I needed to get a single-sized air mattress-or a swimming bed.
I chose to spend the second night in my SUV. I let the small seat down in the rear row and sandwiched myself in my bag. I didn't like not having a bedroll or an inflatable bed but 18 inches didn't allow me much room. I was warmer and when the rain came I was glad I made the choice.
When I woke up at 11:00 and did the rest of the packing I left. I accidentally went to Monroe County instead of Covington. Not to worry; I made another turn and went to Fresh Air Barbecue and headed to Covington. I took pictures of the town square which was depicted in the "Dukes of Hazzard" pilot show.
On the way I saw where the south end of Newton County has a few developments but is turning ghetto closer to Covington. A new grocery store advertised that it was accepting EBT. I had heard that small towns where farming was the primary industry lost their higher-income citizens to the areas bordering Atlanta as the farms died out. Some towns have good homes being built nearby. There was a nice "Scoops" coffee shop and ice-cream parlor on Church Street. Then again I saw "Lee's Fashions" which hosted black fashions and black mannequins".
I felt so good to get home. I will definitely resolve to do SOMETHING about a job although I want a career or other worthy obsession to bury myself in. I need to get out on my own and make real money. As for a direction I don't want just something "fun"; I want a career interest that is long-term. I'll post whatever answer I find later on.
I read that State House District 140 Candidate Lauren Benedict's people, in a September 27 posting of the Peach Pundit, wanted to show that Allen Freeman was on the prowl for girls. Someone put the word that Allen's Myspace account did not mention a family and said he didn't want kids. Not the Allen Freeman I know. I tried to set up an account and had little better luck finding how to update my information. Now one of her alledged cronies has filed an ethics complaint which holds little water.
Just keep on, Ms. Benedict; you're making people mad. Oh and welcome to District 140 where you just moved to. Don't unpack your things yet. You won't need to be here long.
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
http://www.selfforsuperiorcourt.com
Hello
I am calling the race for Superior Court for Tillman "Tripp" Self. Tons of people in the legal community and elsewhere are endorsing him and he has had extensive experience handling civil and criminal cases. Ed Ennis has been a federal prosecutor for quite a while. He has more gray hairs and more importantly does not wear a bowtie.
Many who style themselves ultra classy wear bowties. This is to say "I'm different and thus I am better than you so I can wear this retro-Fifties goofball neckwear". But we have dealt with Tripp's family and find them wonderful people.
Pam White-Colbert will likely cater to the militants in the African-American community- but that is all. She has reportedly antagonized the staff in the DA's office wherein she works. Charles Jones and Cedric Leslie don't stand a chance as both are unknowns.
If I had gobs of money you would not catch me dead in a bowtie except in a tuxedo. I might be dead by the time I wear a tuxedo as most certainly the only occasion for wearing such might be my own wedding. This doesn't seem to be something that will happen soon.
I am calling the race for Superior Court for Tillman "Tripp" Self. Tons of people in the legal community and elsewhere are endorsing him and he has had extensive experience handling civil and criminal cases. Ed Ennis has been a federal prosecutor for quite a while. He has more gray hairs and more importantly does not wear a bowtie.
Many who style themselves ultra classy wear bowties. This is to say "I'm different and thus I am better than you so I can wear this retro-Fifties goofball neckwear". But we have dealt with Tripp's family and find them wonderful people.
Pam White-Colbert will likely cater to the militants in the African-American community- but that is all. She has reportedly antagonized the staff in the DA's office wherein she works. Charles Jones and Cedric Leslie don't stand a chance as both are unknowns.
If I had gobs of money you would not catch me dead in a bowtie except in a tuxedo. I might be dead by the time I wear a tuxedo as most certainly the only occasion for wearing such might be my own wedding. This doesn't seem to be something that will happen soon.
Thursday, October 05, 2006
Of Malls and Marshall
Hello
I went to the Houston Mall again. I was rehab shopping for my mother. No, not THAT kind of rehab; she is becoming less and less mobile with her disease.
Even at 3:30 PM the mall is dead. Evelyn's, the dress shop that was too stubborn to leave, is no more. A third of the mall is rented by the Houston Medical Center. This is not a bad idea if the $/sqft sales are high even for spending money on medical procedures. But HMC isn't the Mayo Clinic or Cook County Hospital in Chicago.
The northeast entrance is no more. Home Decor resides in it, the small stores along the way, and in two or more old stores possibly carved out of WT Grant's. I remember when my sis and I went to Grant's and bought a small globe. This was on a Sunday. Eckerd's is a billing center for HMC and the southeast corridor has Warner Robins Municipal Court and a probation office. A nail place and beauty supply replaced stores near where the old record store and Burton's shoes once thrived. I forgot there was a southeast wing to the mall. It has a few of HMC's storefront facilities.
Were I HMC and if no expansion were already planned for the hospital I'd buy the mall and revamp it. Then I would rent it out. Hospitals likely find themselves hurting to make a profit and though Houston Medical Center doesn't have indigents bleeding them dry it remains a neat idea.
Management needs to market the mall as an office center and fill the hallway with another row of offices. Perhaps they can bulldoze all but the east and west anchors and make a strip mall. Westgate did this but their mistake was remaining commercial in a deteriorating neighborhood.
I heard Jim Marshall this and that today on WDEN and WMAC. I am firing off a letter to Mac Collins' staffer to tell the campaign to hurry up and get some ads on the air yesterday. There is no reason for a last-minute full court press to be delayed. Collins needs to counter the liars lying about his lying and get the word out. The other GOP related groups do much better at putting out the facts on Marshall.
I went to the Houston Mall again. I was rehab shopping for my mother. No, not THAT kind of rehab; she is becoming less and less mobile with her disease.
Even at 3:30 PM the mall is dead. Evelyn's, the dress shop that was too stubborn to leave, is no more. A third of the mall is rented by the Houston Medical Center. This is not a bad idea if the $/sqft sales are high even for spending money on medical procedures. But HMC isn't the Mayo Clinic or Cook County Hospital in Chicago.
The northeast entrance is no more. Home Decor resides in it, the small stores along the way, and in two or more old stores possibly carved out of WT Grant's. I remember when my sis and I went to Grant's and bought a small globe. This was on a Sunday. Eckerd's is a billing center for HMC and the southeast corridor has Warner Robins Municipal Court and a probation office. A nail place and beauty supply replaced stores near where the old record store and Burton's shoes once thrived. I forgot there was a southeast wing to the mall. It has a few of HMC's storefront facilities.
Were I HMC and if no expansion were already planned for the hospital I'd buy the mall and revamp it. Then I would rent it out. Hospitals likely find themselves hurting to make a profit and though Houston Medical Center doesn't have indigents bleeding them dry it remains a neat idea.
Management needs to market the mall as an office center and fill the hallway with another row of offices. Perhaps they can bulldoze all but the east and west anchors and make a strip mall. Westgate did this but their mistake was remaining commercial in a deteriorating neighborhood.
I heard Jim Marshall this and that today on WDEN and WMAC. I am firing off a letter to Mac Collins' staffer to tell the campaign to hurry up and get some ads on the air yesterday. There is no reason for a last-minute full court press to be delayed. Collins needs to counter the liars lying about his lying and get the word out. The other GOP related groups do much better at putting out the facts on Marshall.
Monday, October 02, 2006
Allen Freeman a shoe-in but....
Allen Freeman of Georgia House District 140 faces Lauren Benedict in a reelection fight for the state house. Peachpundit.com has more details but it seems that Ms. Benedict has rented a house so she can live in the district. She is reported to be a trial lawyer and a full-blown liberal. Anyone with further skinny on her political leanings and affiliations please post comments here.
As for Mr. Freeman his parents have lived near South Bibb for years. His wife's grandfather fixed the telephones in South Bibb in the earliest days of telephony.
As for Mr. Freeman his parents have lived near South Bibb for years. His wife's grandfather fixed the telephones in South Bibb in the earliest days of telephony.
Friday, September 29, 2006
More on Dead Malls
Hello
Speaking of dead malls we have one in Middle Georgia. Houston Mall in Warner Robins (off Watson Boulevard across from Suntrust) was built in 1972. On the north end was Grant's and Belk's anchored the west end. Sears was on the Watson Boulevard side. In 1994 its anchors left it a nearly empty hulk. Manager Laverne Norris and the owners struggle to keep it alive.
I swung by Houston Mall two days ago. The facility is trying to fill up empty holes but I do not see this as meaningful. I saw a doctor's office, an outpatient annex for the hospital up the road, a Primerica office, a used office furniture dealer, a beauty supply place, a furniture store, a softlines/home decor outlet, and a billing office for the hospital mentioned above. I whirled around back and saw the old Belk's entrance which is the front door for the Air Force Reserve Band's offices.
Last year I saw an Asian-made junk store and an art gallery. At the old Grant's end was a clothing store whose owner is too stubborn to give up. Where the bookstore was at the north court is Municipal Court.
The Telegraph article from July has management gloating at its 85% occupancy. Sad to say but these will not stay for long. The mall's owner is unable to grasp one rule of marketing; have a goal for what you want for your business. He seems to want to fill space with whatever comes his way.
The best that the Houston Mall can hope for is to become an office mall or a government center. Forget about being a power center near a slum area. I would advise ripping down the center section and leaving the old Grant's and the adjacent strips as well as the old Sears building. There is no reason to air-condition five or six people walking around in in thousands of square feet of space in the common area. A patched parking lot looks horrible as does an old road sign that is more of a tombstone.
Belk's is talking with the owners of the Bass Road power center and Dillard's has all but committed itself as an anchor. This will suck Macon Mall dry if both choose to move away. It would make sense as I have heard there is lower occupancy of the mall and people tell each other not to visit MM at night. The ghetto has surrounded almost all of the mall.
More on this and other malls in days to come.
Speaking of dead malls we have one in Middle Georgia. Houston Mall in Warner Robins (off Watson Boulevard across from Suntrust) was built in 1972. On the north end was Grant's and Belk's anchored the west end. Sears was on the Watson Boulevard side. In 1994 its anchors left it a nearly empty hulk. Manager Laverne Norris and the owners struggle to keep it alive.
I swung by Houston Mall two days ago. The facility is trying to fill up empty holes but I do not see this as meaningful. I saw a doctor's office, an outpatient annex for the hospital up the road, a Primerica office, a used office furniture dealer, a beauty supply place, a furniture store, a softlines/home decor outlet, and a billing office for the hospital mentioned above. I whirled around back and saw the old Belk's entrance which is the front door for the Air Force Reserve Band's offices.
Last year I saw an Asian-made junk store and an art gallery. At the old Grant's end was a clothing store whose owner is too stubborn to give up. Where the bookstore was at the north court is Municipal Court.
The Telegraph article from July has management gloating at its 85% occupancy. Sad to say but these will not stay for long. The mall's owner is unable to grasp one rule of marketing; have a goal for what you want for your business. He seems to want to fill space with whatever comes his way.
The best that the Houston Mall can hope for is to become an office mall or a government center. Forget about being a power center near a slum area. I would advise ripping down the center section and leaving the old Grant's and the adjacent strips as well as the old Sears building. There is no reason to air-condition five or six people walking around in in thousands of square feet of space in the common area. A patched parking lot looks horrible as does an old road sign that is more of a tombstone.
Belk's is talking with the owners of the Bass Road power center and Dillard's has all but committed itself as an anchor. This will suck Macon Mall dry if both choose to move away. It would make sense as I have heard there is lower occupancy of the mall and people tell each other not to visit MM at night. The ghetto has surrounded almost all of the mall.
More on this and other malls in days to come.
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Dead and Dying Malls
Hello
I've been looking at dead and dying malls on the Web.
Your homework; visit
http://mallsofamerica.blogspot.com/2005/12/macon-mall.html There I have posted words on the Macon Mall and Westgate Mall. Below is a picture of the back end of Westgate dating to 1971
http://www.deadmalls.com
http://georgiaretailmemories.blogspot.com
Google for "Dixie Square Mall Harvey Illinois" which is a still-standing dead mall.
Also google for "Houston Mall Warner Robins" and see the Telegraph article
Enjoy while I go to bed.
KT
Dead Malls
Hello
I have been reading websites about dead malls and dying malls. I will fill you in on this later but here's some homework to do.
Visit the above link as per Macon Mall. I made a comment on this and Westgate Mall. Here is an external, from 1971, of the rear of Westgate.
Also see below:
http://www.deadmalls.com
http://georgiaretailmemories.blogspot.com
Also Google for Dixie Square Mall in Harvey, Illinois. It is a mall in which the car chase in "The Blues Brothers" was filmed. Not to worry; almost all of the mall is still standing. Empty. For over 25 years. Someone has done videos of the abandoned mall.
Finally look for an article on Houston Mall in Warner Robins. Read it then drive by for a few laughs.
We tend to wrinkle our noses at recent history but those who forget the past are condemned to my ire.
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