ACTIVATION DAY

8:30 --- I should be working but I knew a lot of folks would be reading today so I'll update off and on through the day. I'm 2 hours out from walking across the parking lot and having them flip the switch. I'm having my skinny latte so life is good. I was walking with my VP across the parking lot and who would we run in to? Ellen, my recovery nurse. This was the first time I had seen her since the surgery. I gave her a big bear hug and laughed.

12:12pm --- ALL SYSTEMS GO!!!!
Velcro sounds so funny! Poor Jordan sounded like a man. Terri (wife) sounded more like herself. Steve the other audio sounds like himself just fine... maybe a little tweaking. They are giving me 3 programs that increase in volume... you are kidding me right? Everything is so loud right now. This keyboard is insane. Most folks are gone to lunch right now so I'm excited to see what it is going to sound like in a little while with coworkers around.

I'M GONNA LOVE THIS!!!!!!!!!

Not near as mechanical as I was expecting. It seemed to be right as Jordan flipped the switch and it was then sort of like I could hear her but there was a sound barrier between us. That seems to be going away really fast.

It keep picturing one of those underwater plants that move and flow. That's sort of what this is like. I'm already having those... what was that moments.

Oh what a fun journey this is now going to be!!!

4;21pm --- What an absolute amazing afternoon! I have some really funny stories. I have asked, "What was that noise?" a few times when I shouldn't have. We've laughed a lot.
Check back later tonight and I'll do my best to have the video up.

8:16 -- Been a blast today but I'm about ready to find a quite spot and a book for a bit. I was told that I'd be working my way through 3 programs before my morning appointment tomorrow. Not sure I will get to #3. Everything is so loud. I've been asking folks to whisper so I can understand them better. When some folks talk normal it seems so loud that it's distorted.

I did venture out to run an errand and did fine. Some of the funny things that have happened today are:
I heard a noise and asked what it was and to my embarrassment it was someone in the restroom.

One of my coworkers walked down he hall and I could hear a swishing noise and it was her pants. I said I could hear her pants rubbing and she thought I meant she had big thighs! She doesn't but I logged that in the ole mental bank to never mention anything like that again to a girl. HA!

I heard my keys jingling. That sound was what I used to gauge the volume on my hearing aid years and year ago. If I could hear the keys then I knew it was turned up loud enough. Now it will always be turned up!

I washed my hands and just stood there listening to the water. Oh how I can not wait until it rains!!!! I want to hear a car drive by and hear the water spray. I could always hear the car going back and I knew what the water spray was supposed to sound like but over the past few years the high pitched part slowly died away.

Well, here it is being turned on. It takes a bit to load. Sort of long.

I hate looking at myself in video or photos but promised the activation video. There are 3 more videos but I'll space them out. It would sort of be like watching someones vacation slide show.

Thanks for hanging out with me today! Can't wait to see what tomorrow will bring.

Waiting and ringing and riding

Waiting: Yes, somehow I will sleep tonight knowing that in the morning I'll go to work as normal but come home a tuned in and turned on bionic. If I make it out like Jeff (see link over on the blogs I read list) did with his CI then I'll be a very happy camper.

Ringing: Wha???!! Yep, that pesty ringing in back in my CI ear. I have figured out that when my heart rate goes up the ringing returns. I figured this out when the media at church froze and I had to do some fast moving while the guy was doing the announcements. thank goodness he was long winded! I got everything back on line but the stress made my heart giddy up and when it did the ringing was roaring. I can make it ring by yawning too. Weird!

Riding: I got on the trainer (bike) tonight. Ever gotten one of those papers back in school with the big red bad grade written over sized on your paper? I would have gotten one of those tonight. I was just glad I got on it and rode and even sweat. My pal Jason and I went to lunch today and I was telling him how surprised I was that I hadn't gained that much weight even though I had been eating fast food and other crap and not riding. He said, but I bet you lost a lot of muscle weight. I cringed! The was like a cold wet rag thrown in my face. He didn't mean it like that but I was the good smack up the side of the head that I needed. To even think of losing muscle due to fat middle aged laziness is a bad thought all the way around. Bet I'm back on that trainer again tomorrow night...with a CI in place!

It's so strange that I'm booking into the new year already. I even got one schedule of events today via email that takes me all the way to the end of 2009.

I did something pretty bold today. In an email I set out to the church presentation team, I told them how I was really looking forward to hearing Christmas songs this Sunday. (Enter Willie Coyote snickering laugh). Well one service last year had zero Christmas songs. I thought that was the most deflating thing in the world to do. I'll know Wednesday if it worked... keep your fingers crossed.

By the way, here is the hospital Christmas e-card that went out to thousands. When you watch it, pay close attention to the scene after the helicopters. Yep that was me and the awesome team that rode the River to River ride for kids with hearing impairments.
http://www.archildrens.org/thanks/

Note to cycling friends: I am still very grateful to you all and because of you a child is hearing better today!

Saturday Part 2

Forgot a really funny story to tell...
A friend of mine was telling me at lunch yesterday that a friend of hers took their little boy to a live nativity scene where you walk through. They were talking back and forth about the different parts and then they were about to round a corner to were the people got the element of surprise, the baby Jesus part.

So mom and little (5 year old) son are talking and she knows what's around the corner so she starts buttering him up and she says, "... and what did the wise men see?" About that time they round the corner and the little boys screams, "MCDONALD'S!!!"

Seems there was a McDonald's on the hill just outside so when he looked up for the star he spotted the golden arches!

Sleet?

Daughter just ran into TV crew at Best Buy and called to tell us it may start sleeting about 9:30 tonight. Oh great...

The wind is howling outside but we are warm and toasty in the house. I got the firewood a few days ago and brought some of it into the garage to keep it dry and it's just been a nice afternoon/evening with the Christmas tree, fireplace, the girls wrapping a mountain of gifts for family and friends. Tyler came by and we had fun working with my new video software. It's great to have a video pro (him not me!) in the family.

It was fun going to the office yesterday with the buzz. Everyone was doing the double take and then rubbing my head. It was funny. I stopped by Audio and the guys slapped the magnet right on. I could feel it pull together. (Big sigh) All systems go for Tuesday. This is sort of like leading up to the surgery...excited, nervous,,,etc.

I set up the media for church tomorrow and there are 178 transitions for 2nd service! Whoa. The search does seem to have a real preaching time but a few words then couple of songs and back and forth 3 times.

Bonus of the day: Who really played the tune "Miles Away"? I ran across the Ryan Farish version on ITunes and remembered I liked that tune but couldn't figure out who really did it. This will be a great tune for riding through the pecan groves.

There was another tune called Pacific Wind that he plays that's good too. These will work for basic "just get your miles in" rides. The wind and rain/sleet supposed to be gone tomorrow so I'm thinking loading Ipod with new tunes and take the bike out for a few miles. There is actually a ride heading out to the farmlands tomorrow afternoon but my legs couldn't keep their pace and I'd be dropped like a bad habit.

Life sure is fun right now!!!

Just gimme the keys and let me drive it!

Got an email from Jordan (One of my audio buds) across the street. She asked if I could stop by while I was in the main hospital and let her check the magnets so Tuesday when we activate then this wouldn't slow us down. No prob. I got over there this afternoon and she tried several magnets and only one stuck and then when I moved my head it came off. Bummer. She said there were several things that could be going on. One was my thick scalp. I laughed and said, "If y'all don't stop calling me a fat head." She laughed. The other thing was my hair. It's thick and curly or wavy. So I knew how to eliminate that problem. Guess who stopped by Sport Clips on the way home and got a b-u-z-z?? I love it, love it, love it! It's a short version of my summer haircut. Man, I'm going to freeze my butthead off in a couple of days when that temp drops! I don't have to comb my hair or dry it any more! Yea-izzz!

Meanwhile, as I was saying, Jordan was trying different mags and we had the door open. All the other audios would be walking by and see me sitting there and freeze. They would all then get excited and Jordan would have to tell them we were just playing with mags. Then she said she wanted to hook it up to the computer to get a green light. At that point I got all excited! Will I hear the beeps??? No, not this time. Pure torture... Just gimme the keys and let me drive it!

Get this though, she told me that she scheduled a CI for a patient today and guess what the earliest date is now.... M-A-Y of 08.... 5 months out. Well John is the best! Come to think of it, we started all of my CI stuff back around May of this year.

One other really cool thing Jordan was telling me today. With the little girls who get CI's she gets an extra cap and glues rhinestones on it for some styling! I thought, you know, that's why I love these folks I work with. They are always a level above!

Note to Boomer: Awww man, Chris Botti jazz is great! Love this stuff! Thanks for the suggestion!

Got to run... y'all have a great Friday!

Midweek!

To my friends and family... yes, I was excited to take the trash to the curb last night. "Trash" means midweek which means weekend is coming.

OK, here's another funny "Trash" story. The lady that cleans our offices walks down the hall every morning dragging a huge trash bag. We all have these mini trash cans and she will stop in front of our door and just look at you and say "Trash". One day she did this to my coworker in the office next to me and I completely lost it. I thought she was calling Evie "Trash". Didn't hit me that she was gathering our trash. We all had a good laugh.

Well then it got funnier this week! She came in my office and said , "Trash?" and I said, "Yes, ma'am, I got a little." She has this funny little he-he-he laugh she does then really loud she said. "Oh, yeah, George got a little!" he-he-he-he. I wanted to crawl under my desk. I could hear snickering down the hall. Man, never a dull moment in HR.

I got a GREAT email from a friend about getting back out there and riding. It was good and Chris Ironman, I appreciate it. It was just what I needed to hear.

Speaking of hear... I get the big turn on in less than a week. Whoa man I'm psyched!

We'll have 5 little folks UNDER 2 this year at my folks house for Christmas. It's going to be fun! I plan to take the mov-ee cam and roll it. They'll be grabbing toys from each other and screaming, and sneezing in each others faces! Award winning video coming up! HA!

Temps are doing the big drop and the firewood man is bringing this winters firrewood after work today! Yea-izzz!

Pretty in pink

Had he coolest thing happen today. We have a recruiters meeting every Monday morning at 8:30 and they know I have to walk across the parking lot to Java City to grab a latte. Everyone at the hospital knows this boy will show his face between 8 and 8:30 daily.

Well this morning I'm standing there with coworkers and one of my favorite Audiologist is standing a few ahead of us and she had a little girl with her. I could see the little pink things in her ear. After she made her order I knelled down to talk to her. That's a big thing at a kids hospital... get down to their level. So I told her I like her pink ear molds to her behind the ear hearing aids. She was all smiles then I flipped her out and reached up and pulled my hearing aid from around my ear to show her I had a hearing aid. She was sooo funny and cute. I told her I needed o get a new one (ear mold) and I asked her what color I show get and she stopped and did that little kid thinking look and then smiled real big and said, "PINK!" Everyone laughed. I just don't think bubble gum pink ear mold would look cute on me like it does her. She made everyone's day!

We have had 3 days of fog and it's getting sort of a pain. Sounds like a big cool down is headed this way after the Wednesday rain. Kin, if you are reading this, I hope you guys over in OK missed the bad stuff.

I bought some new software! Pinnacle Studio for making movies! I've got this PowerPoint stuff down for church and work now I want to go to the next level of "entertainment". Since my son is a professional in this stuff I figured I could get him to work with me getting me through the basics. I'll try and upload a few test movies as I build them. I'm planning on putting together some cool stuff. It's all in my head... yep, stored in that new 50 thousand dollar computer installed in my head. OK maybe not but sounded bionic-ish huh?

I'm getting in the mood to go to I-Tune land and download some new music. thinking Jazz this time. Anyone got a favorite? Leave me a comment and let me know what it is.

Hey Jeff, GOOD LUCK on your CI activation on Tuesday!

I'm outta here for the night.

Been a good weekend

It's been a good weekend and I'm certainly feeling my normal old self again, Everyone at church services today wanted to know if I had run into anymore walls. All in good humor. I have so many friends who are just as excited about the "big turn on" as I am.

I'll see Dr. D (Dornhoffer) for a few minutes as a post op check-up on Tuesday right after lunch. There are a lot of questions I want to ask just because I'm curious and really get into this stuff.

The the 18th this the big turn on. Since I have a great team of folks, especially Scott, covering the media at church i a as close to stress free as I have been in 2 months. I feel like now I can really concentrate on learning to hear out of the new ear. I have been really worried about the services. The "look and feel" and can roll out there but once we go live I was thinking, "What if your ears start ringing?" I sat upstairs in the control booth the first part of service and had zero problems and could have even drove but then I wanted to get a feel of the crowd and even with my hearing aid turned down my ears were ringing a bit. Bummer, they had been playing fair all weekend. It went away fast.

I got the rest of the Christmas decorations outside yesterday. I really had thought I might could have put them up last weekend but I was too looped still to care. I also got the few leaves up off the lawn. Tonight is the big drive through all around the neighborhoods to see the lights. We've got it good because our home is on top of the hill looking over the valley so we can see a lot of Christmas lights Usually it' bumper to bumper but a strong storm came through and dumped the rain and dropped the temps about 2 hours ago so it was a slow start for luminary night.

Our house group from church put together 40 gym bags of items together tonight and they are planning to go under the bridges next Sunday morning at 6. They really packed some valuable stuff including what is called a "homeless blanket". I had never known there was really a blanket called that but it's a super thick heavy wooll blanket. They also packed canned meats, peanut butter, puddings, snack pack fruit, spoons, gloves, socks, caps, cleaning stuff and then they did something really col, they packed 4 cards and envelops stamped so they could write to let a loved one know they were OK. Then it gets even better... they were given a couple of wrapped gift, one with socks and one with gloves that they are to give away to someone who needs them. I will be interested to hear the results.

Well, I didn't get on the trainer bike today. Yeah, I know... lard butt! I was busy today and it was a fun day so maybe tomorrow. A guy can dream can't he? HA!

Glad it's Friday

Long week this recovery week has been. It has gotten easier everyday. The ringing is for the most part gone unless I'm talking a lot or I have to move my head around a lot. Also i can taste most foods now. Still seem to be enjoying salty stuff more than anything else.

My to do list for the weekend is 3 miles long. Man, you miss one weekend and it sets you back big time. I have to put the lights up outside and clear the side of the garage so we can put a car in there. One side is fine, the other is tons of Christmas boxes (Note to my wife: No dear, I love all this stuff, I really do)

I need to do some Christmas shopping. I need to get leaves off the lawn...again. If "green" wasn't so "in" right now I'd cut a few trees down.

I W-I-L-L get on the trainer bike this weekend and ride. I have got to get my bike legs back. I keep telling myself, "Geo, the party's off you big buffoon! Get back on the bike and get on with it."

Very out-of-the-box and very right!

I read something during lunch that was mind blowing unusual. There is a church in Canton, GA called Revolution. They gave away their Sunday offering. Serious! They took up a collection at some point, no sure if that day or last week. Anyway, everyone in the crowd last Sunday got an envelope with a different amount of money to go out into the community and give-it-away! Some went to Wal-Mart and spotted a person they felt guided to give the envelope to and gave it in passing. Some gave it to different charities. One person bought the whole line at Starbucks their drinks. It was all up and down the scale. It was a most awesome read! Imagine what folks would remember about your church or organization if you did something like this!

Here's the link if you are interested:
http://revolutionarylove.tv/2007/12/02/revolutionarylovetv-share-your-story/

So why not do something a little crazy and out of the box this Christmas season?

Oh by the way.... our church entered the Sherwood Christmas parade for the first time this year and guess who won first place??? Oh yeah!!! They worked so hard!

THE PHOTO

Welcome to extreme makeover!

I opted for the Tupac (I say it as "Two-pack") head gear, the 80's Don Johnson/Miami Vice no shave, and druggie celebrity mug shot look. Y'all think I achieved that look?

Feeling much much better!!!

Quick hit Monday

Just a quick hit.
I did return to my office this morning and still have times were I walk like the ground is slanted but the roar is going south finally.
I have this bruise on my neck like I've been in a fight with one of Tony Soprano's men.
All in in, really, it's getting better.
Now just waiting until Dec 11th for the surgery follow up
Then it will be wait one more week after that... Dec 18th for activation.
Please tell me the ringing doesn't return when they flip the switch!!

Interesting story: Emmy went to stay with friends in Fayetteville and Terri drove 1/2 way to pick up her up yesterday. A big cold front was coming and David called from Fayetteville as he was going back and the south side of the tunnel was 69 and the north side when he came out was 39.... that's a trip!

Not as easy as it sounded

The drugs are wearing off a bit and I'm trying to get it together but my goodness that roar is l-o-u-d! It seems to be getting better but there are still times it's so loud it could about take you to your knees.

Flip back a couple of pages to "Morning of..."
So I got to the hospital and Eddie (Admissions) made me feel like a VIP right off the bat. Signed the forms then headed back to the little room where they asked all the questions several times. It was funny because we are a children's hospital so part of the question set was about if I was a full term baby and such. We laughed.

Sondra, who is the director of OR came in and was super nice and comforting. She was one of the many hero's of the day. I remember Dr. D coming in and you would have thought we just won the super bowl. All be smiles and high fives. The day was here and this is what we came to do!

A-Doc came in and she time for some versed. I got the shot in the IV then I was dageryergahgh!!!! I remember Kelley coming in to take photos and I remember going from one bed to another.

Then I remember that sweet nurse beside my bed as I woke. At least I tried to wake. Man, I'm not shaking this off like the ear surgery I had in April. Back to sleep. I could hear people talking but it was like I wasn't there with them. I remember getting really scared because I was shaking. I just remember telling myself I had to get up but my body wasn't going with the plan.

I remember my pal Jason was at the bedside and I made a remark about I had died and gone to hell. I think I heard laughs and someone saying OK, he's back. Fade to black again.

I finally got awake enough that that wheeled me back around to the ambulatory area rooms. Good, I'll be going home before long. It's dark now.

You'll be staying. You'll be going home. You'll be staying. I wanted to go home but my breathing was too low. What I was told was that when I came in my pulse/Ox was 99 and now it's only 93. My breathing was too swallow due to the pain when I would breath, I didn't want to breath very hard.

Why so much trouble with this??? The implant had been faulty and they had to redo it. Surgery took twice as long so I was under longer. They got the implant in and when Steve ran the test they got weird numbers and didn't like it. Come to find out it was cracked and had some fluid in it.... so I've heard. I'll be interested to heard the story in a couple of weeks on my follow up visit. I was too looped to gasp much of it.

We finally got home Thursday morning and I was feeling a lot better just being home. Terri went on to work and I was there alone. Not a problem. Emmy came by the house and asked what I wanted for lunch. Sonic cheese sticks and a small coke sounded so good and it was. I fell back asleep after eating and sleep for a couple of hours. I woke hungry and staggered to the kitchen to find a cake my sister had brought over. Sounded good. Strawberry! I ate then it all went down hill! I threw up like I hadn't thrown up in years. There were times I thought I was passing out and I refused to open my eyes. Finally it passed and I got cleaned up and back to the sofa to stay.

I slept well through the night and it's been a basic recovery day. I removed the wild head dressing and took a shower but not washing that side on my head. I felt so much better!

Tried to watch movies but it just wasn't fun. I slept some more.

I have found the more I get up and move around the better I seem to feel.

Life will be good again before long I just have to be patient and that, I'm not...

This CI journey certainly had it's unexpected uphill but I think we will get there soon.

Ready for take off

Leaving in a few for the hospital. Can't wait to get this over with.

Terri and I had a really nice 26th anniversary dinner last night and almost had the cozy restaurant to ourselves.

Thanks everyone for all the calls and emails!

More later if I'm not too drugged up.

Ahead of the game

I did something I've been wanting to do since I started working with the church media... that is get ahead. I just finished the preacher's sermon slides for the w-h-o-l-e month of December! Yea-izzz! The theme is God's Greatest Gifts -- Just for you. I emailed them a few minutes ago. Hope the ole boy flips out when he sees his email tomorrow! HA! Serious though, it's still a huge honor to be a part of the media team at our church.

Speaking of gifts, I got an email from one of the media groups I subscribe to and they are giving away a piece of media everyday until Christmas! I downloaded the first one tonight and thought, OK, it will be a nice photo that I may can use. Oh no baby, it was a movie loop of flickering candles!! Very nice addition to our media library! I'll be using it as a welcome loop as folks enter the auditorium for an evening service. It's a nice warm look. I love it!

One of our church members called me today to ask me about a PowerPoint problem he was having. I ended up at his home tonight and showed him some short cuts and we worked on his slides. Again, another honor.

OK, I know what y'all want to know... am I nervous? You have no idea! I'm staying a busy as I can be to make time pass. Working fast and furious at work and staying busy at home. I did find out that the surgery starts at 8 and I have to be there at 6. Man, Java City won't even be open yet... not that I could have it anyway but I could at least stop by and smell it a moment! HA! Maybe oh maybe I can grab a cup on the way out after the surgery.

Night y'all!

Need a little laugh on this rainy Sunday?

Something tells me that this will come back and haunt me but oh well... it's all for a good laugh. Emmy put a little family Christmas card together for all of you!

ENJOY...
http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=9594620644

Life is good!
Geo.

It takes a village

It takes a village... actually it took several hours to set up the village. Every year we have a Christmas village that I have to stand on to or three chairs to put together. It's on top of our entertainment center. Looks real nice now that it's night time.

I didn't put the outside lights up this afternoon since it was getting colder and cloudier. I bet I'm going to wish I had. Not sure next weekend (3 days after surgery) would be the best time to do it either. HA! It would be like a real life version of Christmas Vacation.

Well Terri and Ty made it home but not a lot of big stories to tell. They did do the right thing and stop at Panara on the way back and brought me a few bagels and Hazelnut cream cheese. (Yes, Melissa, I hear you laughing!). I really don't need any other Christmas gifts... that was what I really wanted!

Emily walked in a while ago and handed me the movie 300!!! She bought it this afternoon for 3 dollars!! Yeaizzzzz!!!! Love that movie!

Tyler told me he would email the link to his bosses video library. I've seen the list once and it's pages and pages. But then they are work on videos so they have all the latest.

I thought for a moment about going out on the bike today but with it being cold and surgery coming up I didn't want to chance getting sinus or a cold. I have a friend who was supposed to have prostate surgery a couple of weeks ago and they had to reschedule because he got a cold. I would com unglued if i had to reschedule the CI surgery. I've waited so long and I would have to wait until probably late Jan or early Feb to get back on Dr. D's surgery list.

This CI is like waiting for a baby... you know it's coming very soon but the waiting is crazy stuff!

The day after...

Had a great time with the family yesterday. The crowd was just the right size at my parents house. We ate, laughed and then played Loaded Questions in the den while some watched football. For those who know me know I'm not a big football fan... oh but by the way, as I write the the Hogs are beating #1 LSU which we all have grown to hate whether you are in football or not... LSU fans... well never mind.

Em and I got home around 6:30 and of course her and Sean HAD to go to Walmart for something. I didn't even know Walmart was open on Thanksgiving. Man, what happened to "spend a day with the family?" Em said they are open on Christmas too... some of them are. Really? That's messed up.

Got up this morning to find a note on the kitchen counter that said "Gone Shopping" and the time is listed as 4:04 AM!!!!!! So glad I slept until 6 because I would have been worried silly. They did come by the house around 9 and unloaded some gifts and I was blown away by how much money they saved. They did say that Sears was no where near ready for the crowd. Sean bought his dad a tool chest and they had one and Sean got it.

When they finally came home around 1 I said "you all done for the day". Em smiled and said, "I'm not sure about the w-h-o-l-e day" That's a teenage daughter for ya. Shop til you drop. By the way, she has dropped... out cold sleeping in her room. I predict she will wake up in a bit, ask to go to Sonic for her Dr. Pepper and then turn on the shopping machine again.

Now me on the other hand... I cleaned my closest. It was really bad. Then all the summer stuff went upstairs while all the Christmas stuff came down. I even built a table today. Funny thing was when I went out to the garage after a short break I couldn't find any of the Christmas village. I floored the attic over the spring and didn't move the village boxes back over with the rest of the mess. Up I go again and move boxes down.

I have CI on the mind a lot suddenly. Just seems as though I've begun to get a bit tense about it. I have plenty to do before surgery and just want to make sure it's all done. Just weird that I only go to work Monday and Tuesday next week after being off for the Thanksgiving holiday this week.

All in all it's been a fun day so far.

Thankful

Thankful, blessed, lucky....
The list of words could go on and on. It's a quite morning here with the cold front now having passed through sending the temperatures into their winter zones. The air is wet and the wind is blowing and it now feels like Thanksgiving.

I really do have a lot to be thankful for this year. Serious, I could list a 100 things off the top of my head with hardly a thought and that would just be the beginning. This year I got to hear things in mind blowing clarity in my right ear. Sure there are a lot of things I still miss out on but never would I have ever thought that I would have a fellow recruiter ask me after we interviewed an applicant if I could hear the person because she barely could.

I am still so thankful for the day I got my Unitron hearing aid and got out of the car for a bike ride and stood frozen in awe upon hearing the dry leaves rolling across the parking lot.

The night Terri and I were sitting on the back deck of our house and she asked if I could hear "that"? It took a moment because my brain had to re-remember that sound... the sound of a whippoorwill.

Another was the moment that I was allowed to put my hearing aid back in my ear after canal plasty surgery back in April. After going for 3 weeks in complete silence the world was so loud! I have my fingers crossed that I will get that feeling in a few weeks when they activate my CI. I know I will only hear beeps at first but just to hear a beep in my deaf ear is, I suspect, going to be emotional.

I re-read yesterdays entry part 2 and laughed seeing all the typos. I was in a huge hurry and just keyed and sent so I could go eat pizza with Emmy. Sorry if you read the unedited version.

Well, lots to do this morning so all my peoples.... I wish you a warm and memorable Thanksgiving!

Where to start -- Part 2

Where to start -- Part 2

Spent the day in Benton and had a BLAST! Took Dad to his doc appointments and Mom tagged along. He got his flu shot too so my stress level has gone down now.

We called my sister (Sherry) who lives in Benton and told her we finished up and we were coming to kidnap her and go to lunch. Ended up at TaMolleys. It was good.

Ok... funny family story time (Sherry is thinking..."Oh no!")

Sherry broke her leg several weeks ago and now has a boot. We went to lunch in my Explorer and when she got ready to leave after lunch she keeping trying to hop in. With the leg still a tad bit tender she couldn't "hop" in. She was getting a little flustered and finally I felt sorry for her. Said, "Hey Sherry, if you turn around you can just sit on the sit then pull you legs in." We both busted out laughing.

At home Dad was in his chair and Mom brought his pills in and she starts feeding them to him like like Cleopatra and the King. She did it with such grace and I suddenly busted out laughing. After I explained what was so funny Dad was laughing so hard he coughed.

Sherry told me how much her kids HATED the garden and had to go pick vegetables all the time one summer. I remember that summer. I think they were dabbing in the Quaker faith that summer.

She told me about hiking up to Pinnacle Mountain once and it started storming and they couldn't get down fast enough. I reminded her of a time that she and I went hiking. We were lost in the forest for days with no food or shelter. OK, maybe it was a couple of hours, but it felt like days... didn't it Sherry?

Note to Jim: Your mom said you used to mow you Grand mom Gardner's yard for about 5 minutes then your mom had to always finish it. Then rumor has it you got the money for mowing. With compounded interest I think you owe your mom about 6 grand.

I love going down there and visiting and listening to all the funny stories and "theories" they have.

One the way home it was 10 mph all the way down I-430. I saw two wrecks going to the folks this morning and one lady slipped across the median and into the oncoming lane of traffic on the interest. The wreck happened seconds before I topped the hill. Another wreck on an exit ramp just a few miles up the road. On the way back the storm hit as I was on the river bridge. I HATE to be on the bridge when strong gusty winds and hard rain hits. It happened one year coming across a bay in Panama City and I had my foot all the way down to the floor and our car was going about 5 mph then lightening struck a tree just as we got off the bridge. Yes, it warped me for life.

Here's s few photos of the dessert cook off at the hospital

Me on the left and the hospital Chaplin, Del on the right.

Martha was the winner and it was one AWESOME dessert!