Ho ho ho and a bottle of rum.......

Good Morning.

I trust we all had a safe and VERY Merry Christmas. Weather certainly cooperated and gave the vast majority of us a White Christmas The roads were nasty so I hope everyone got to stay in. I know Kevin and Jana had to make an unscheduled trip to Springfield, MO on account of her father having difficulty breathing. Sounds like a case of Pneumonia Jana, Lana, stay safe and our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.

I'm certainly no longer coffee poor. Seems every gift I received had to do with coffee or THE UNDEFEATED INDIANAPOLIS COLTS!! Going for 15-0 today. I KNOW you all are rooting for them. ANYway, the coffee mugs (some microwavable, some not) came pouring (Pun intended) in with one more due. A FARKLE coffee mug. You folks on Facebook are aware of FARKLE I'd imagine. Starbucks coffee, Tasters Choice coffee, Folgers coffee, Creamers and did I mention, MUGS?????

Bryan and Laura supplied me with a new watch, Indiana Hoosiers shirt, (I'm light on those) and a pair of sweats.(plenty of those)

All-in-all a very nice Christmas. Now to get rested so I can stay up until at least 10:00 pm on New Years Eve. LoL. Then begin worrying about this O'Bamacare crap. I have no clue what I'll do once that takes affect. It isn't sounding good. Happy New Year and I wish peace and prosparity for us all.

-me

Target has been reached!!!!!

Good Morning,

With the generosity of The Sunday News subscribers, who are friends and family of yours truly, we have EXCEEDED the target of $600.oo!!! With this weeks checks, coupled with what I was able to keep back before Medicaid played snatch grab. our total for the "when the computer needs replaced" fund is a staggering $730.83!!!!! I give my heart felt thanks to all of you that chipped in. You are simply the greatest bunch of friends I could ask for. Again, THANK YOU!!!! A small portion, $291.83 will continue to draw interest as it is in my PayPal account. Small yield, unlike the great LNB, but every bit helps.

What a game!!!! Colts/Jaguars was something to stay up for!! It was televised on the NFL Network but we were able to catch it locally. I failed to win either last Sunday's (Rick) nor last Thursday's (Jasper) Snickers bar. The two cheat'n malcontents are roommates and I suspect are peeking at the script. They read TSN, so I can't say that I hope they choke on it. :-) Nice pick'n guys!!!!

Finally I leave you with this. It was submitted by a Buccaneers fan when they win, a Dolphin's fan when they aren't. Little Sister, this is for you:

♪ Oh, the weather outside is frightful ... but the Colts are so delightful ... And the others already know … 14 oh, 14 oh, 14 oh … Oh, they don't show signs of stopping ... and Colts fans are really hopping ... Getting ready to reach their goal ... Superbowl … Superbowl ... Superbowl! ♪♪

See ya next week and Happy Holidays and Happy Birthday to punk'n. The Jewish Toddler Azzy born on CHRISTMAS Day. Not sure what all of THAT is about. To the rest of you, Merry Christmas.

-me

And that's a winner!!!!!

Good Morning,

Well, I'm happy to report that thanks to the cooperation of the UNDEFEATED INDIANAPOLIS COLTS, I will gain a few more pounds. That's right, I once again won the Snickers bar. Well. I split it with Beth, the Director of Nursing. But Bookie Barry saw fit to get us each one. 10 guessers last week, unknown how many participants there are this week. Jasper, can ya shoot me an e-mail with the final tally?? Please??

Checks contintue to trickle in. Trilla, I've received yours but haven't gotten it to Bryan yet to cash. THANK YOU!!!!! It was a big'n. I'll give final numbers next week.

Be sure to tune in today to root on the UNDEFEATED INDIANAPOLIS COLTS. Should be a great game. See ya next week. Oh, my guess this week is 31-17 Colts. GO ME!!!! LOL

-me

.......and the winner is....

Good Morning,

Not much to report this week as opposed to last week. The only thing I'm proud as punch about is being the weekly, or weakly, winner of a King-Sized Snicker's bar. Several folks get together and guess what the final score of the Colts game will be. I was the closest to the hole last week. Oops, got my Sports crossed up. Gonna be a tough game this afternoon against the Titans, but the Colts should prevail. Have a great week all, and I'll see ya next week.

-me

The week from Hell Part 2: Staying on the high road but under the radar

Good Morning,

I've started and stopped this several times already. There are several ways I can go about this. First thing that comes to mind, though it shouldn't, is to simply be mean-spirited towards The 'Burg. I feel angry, irate, incensed, enraged, infuriated, furious, mad, provoked, irritated. A little confused, not to mention flummoxed. That said, in the end I have returned to The 'Burg....to my own suite. The route here though was truly a hassle and a half. I felt abused, maltreated, mistreated and literally thrown under the bus. But I'm going to stay on the high road and hope to stay under the radar. Here is the rest of the week:

Dr, Shapiro told me on Thursday October 29 that my discharge date was the following day at 1:00 p.m. Good news indeed. The week had already been a disaster and I wanted to return to some sort of normalcy. Being back with Gordo never seemed so good. I endured, what I thought was my last day, of catsup-less/ketchup-less eggs. Through lunch and I start staring at the clock. 1:00 comes and goes, 2:00 comes and goes, same for 3:00. FINALLY at 4:00 a new face appeared. She said her name was Marilyn and she was the Case worker for St. Vincent's. I asked where my chariot was and she informed me that my discharge had been postponed. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, this can't be!!!!! SO close to leaving. She said something else appeared from my Lung scope, MRSP. I have no clue what this is other than what she told me, which is a bacteria that grows in your lung, possibly contagious. She went on to say that Williamsburg was "making arrangements" for me. She also said I would be staying there at St. Vincent's through at least the weekend. Endured Saturday and Sunday, thanks to the undefeated Indianapolis Colts (that's for you, little Sister) Then Monday came with no news and then I saw Marilyn again on Tuesday. She told me Williamsburg was not going to take me back because they were "unable to now meet my health needs." Which, by Law, is the only thing with Medicaid that they can say. Marilyn went on to say that Bryan was calling around trying to find a new facility. Wednesday came along and next Marilyn told me that my insurance had entered the arena and that they would stop paying after Wednesday. Luckily Bryan found a facility in Lafayette. So, I climbed into the back of the ambulance Tuesday evening and was transported to The Regency in Lafayette. Own room, wireless Internet, phone, and TV equipped room. NO ROOMMATE. Not bad digs. Staff was pleasant enough. Lafayette is ~45 minutes away from Crawfordsville. Bryan came over on that Friday while I was in therapy. After taking me back to my room he said he had received a phone call from The 'Burg saying they would take me back "with restrictions." Not sure what they had in mind for restrictions, and I still don't. I was missing my friends here at The 'Burg, and was told I would be receiving a roommate at The Regency, albeit short-term. ~2 weeks. I weighed the pro's and con's and decided to move back "home" to The 'Burg. So that Friday, 2 weeks to the day that this adventure began, I climbed aboard my Mustang and Bryan drove me back to The 'Burg. They moved me to a room by myself keeping me away from the vent residents. Everyone is in agreement that the MRSP, or whatever, is colonized and no threat of being contagious. I'm not complaining though as I'm in my own suite.

Timely article in the weekend edition of our County paper, aptly named "The Paper." Has to do with sleep apnea. I have a CPAP (See article for the acronym definition) and am once again reaching Stage 4 sleep. Bizarro dreams I am having but at least I am once again dreaming.

That's it in a nutshell. All's well that ends well. See ya next week.

-me

Week from Hell Part 1: saved by a cup of coffee

Good Morning,

It's been awhile. Miss me? I certainly missed all of you. Unscheduled trip to the hospital for me. Ugh. I have enough material now for an 8 part series, but I'll condense it down to two. You'll thank me for it when I'm finished, I'm sure. :-) This is what I remember from the week from Hell:

On October 23rd at approximately 5:00 a.m., Peggy, the night nurse couldn't wake me up. This is, or was, the time for my morning meds and Morning coffee. I had donated my coffee pot to the nurses station I was assigned to. So, each morning they were sweet enough to bring me a cup from it. Leaded as opposed to the unleaded junk the kitchen serves up. I'm normally up well before this time so she found it odd that I was still in bed. She tried and tried to wake me up, but I was dead to the World. First thing I remember is looking up and seeing Peggy and Kristy, the Night Respiratory Terrorist as they were hitting me in the upper chest. I managed to position myself sitting on the edge of the bed. After approximately 1 hour of this it was obvious I wasn't responding too well so they called an ambulance and I was off to St. Claire ER. I don't recall too much of what transpired here other than them inserting something into my upper arm to receive meds. After approximately 2 hours, I was transferred to St. Vincent's in Indianapolis. For those of you who wasn't with me last time, this is the hospital of surgery #4, which I don't recall at all. I DO remember one of the Doctors though, aPulmonologist named Dr. Shapiro. He just happened to be my Doctor of record for this latest adventure Oh, lest I forget, one thing I did leave the ER with was a $4, 589.26 bar tab. Guess I bought several rounds for the house. Ouch!!! I slept through the rest of Friday and all of Saturday. Waking up only for meals and to use the bathroom. This brings me to my first complaint. A complaint I would register with the State if I knew which agency to contact. The crux of the complaint is NO KETCHUP/CATSUP ON MY MORNING EGGS!!!! I mean come on, get real....not even a Wendy's type ketchup/catsup packet. That's it, I shan't return to this establishment, not by choice anyway. I was awake Sunday watching the UNDEFEATED INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (that's for you, little sister) and then falling off to sleep again. Next complaint, staffing shortage and NO communication between Staff members. EVERYONE who came through the door, even Nurses working the same shift began talking to me as if I were a hearing person. Everyone was wearing masks so I wasn't even afforded the opportunity to TRY to read their lips. I finally tired of repeating myself and had a Nurse post a note on the door that basically said "Patient is Deaf." DUH!!!!! Monday night was a sleep study. Hooked up to all of these electrodes and wearing a mask. Then they have the audacity to tell me to get a good night sleep so they have a good study. This is NOT going over too well. Anyway, I survive the night and learn my O2 level dips into the 60's and 70's. Good era for music, bad area for O2 levels. So, Tuesday and Wednesday nights I am fighting with this stupid mask get up. Finally, Thursday night a bit of relief. They switched me to a nostril insert and I was able to discontinue use of the mask. MUCH better. Wednesday was a lung scope and Thursday was a chest X-ray. Results of the scope was less than ideal. I had a mucous plug and something else that caused the O2 level to plummet. I'm not sure what was done to combat this. Antibiotics I am guessing. Oh, first round of Antibiotics caused me to break out in a rash ALL OVER MY BODY. Quite itchy, so Benadryl to the rescue. Wednesday, Dr. Shapiro tells me I'll be able to leave either Thursday or Friday. Thursday comes around and he tells me discharge is slated for 1:00 p.m. Friday. COOL, back to the 'Burg. Oh wait, not so fast............

This concludes Part 1. See ya next week for the Jumping through hoops and standing on my head stacking bb's to get discharged

RIP Mark Wray

Good Morning,

Rough week here at The 'Burg this past week. We (Residents and Staff) are accustomed to Residents expiring, it is sad in and of itself. This past week however brought true meaning to holding your loved ones close. Mark Wray, our maintenance guru was found dead in his home by his Daughter, Jessica, who also works here. She had been in housekeeping but for the last several Months was helping her Dad here as other assistants "didn't work out". Please pray for Jessica and her family, as well as her extended family here at The 'Burg. RIP Mark and God Bless You, Jessica. Mark was just 53

See ya next week,

-me

Trach-less, trachless....no matter how you spell it, it's all good

Good Morning,

Wouldn't you know, after nearly torching "The 'Burg" last week with my microwave fiasco, a microwave safe cup arrived this week. Short instructions but I think I can figure it out. Thank You, Cookie.

Now the week's best news. With much gratitude to Barry, head of the Respiratory Terrorists, Dr. Leech, the title says it all, and Lindsay, Care Coordinator, and who had the final say-so. after two years I am now trach-less. Pulled that sucker out for good. No ill-effects yet. I've not turned Blue yet. I had a Nurse ask me what would happen if I stopped breathing, have another inserted? I believe rescue breathing comes first, if I'm not mistaken. Anyway, it's all good. No problems.

Yet another $40.00 donation arrived for the Computer, when it needs to be replaced fund. Total now is $245.00. Should have a little interest from PayPal. I'll check that and report it next week. E-mail address for me for PayPal is kcfastlane@yahoo.com. I trust Bryan has cashed the checks already. I'll inquire of their status and report that too next week. Oh Bryan?????????

All for this week, have a great week, keep warm, and I'll see everybody back here next week

-me
1609 Lafayette Rd.

Crawfordsville, IN 47933

Caution: This cup is NOT microwavable

Good Morning,

Cups intended for the keeping of things hot SHOULD be microwavable, right? At least this was my thinking. I have an 8 oz. Thermos-type mug for a coffee cup. Proudly displaying the DARE logo, by the way. Well, I put it in the microwave here at The 'Burg and nearly set off the sprinkler system. Flames shot our from the handle and smoke was get'n kinda thick. Good thing I was watch'n it through the door. I've since "borrowed" a coffee cup from the kitchen that IS definitely microwavable as well as unbreakable. Coffee from the kitchen is de-caf, thus little to be desired, but the cup itself is wonderful. Have to keep my eye out for a personal cup that IS microwavable. Why can't there be a "caution: this mug is not microwavable" warning? Oh well, I would have probably overlooked it anyway. It's a guy thing.

All the excitement this week from The 'Burg. Money continues to roll in. The computer, when it needs to be replaced, fund is now at $210.00. 1/3 of the target of $600.00 has been met!!! Thank you again!!! Have a great week and I'll see ya all here again next Sunday

-me

What's in your wallet??

Good Morning,

The checks are beginning to trickle in!!!! Thank You for those that submitted checks to me here at The 'Burg. The replacement, when it needs to be, computer fund is now at $175.00. Woo Hoo!!!!! Almost 1/3 of the way to the target of $600.00. PayPal users can send funds directly via E-mail through kcfastlane@yahoo.com. Otherwise, checks or money orders can be sent via snail mail. That address appears at the end of this post. Again, Thank You to the contributors thus far. Your generosity is truly appreciated.

Fairly quiet week here at The 'Burg. Slept fairly well this week. The magic pill is helping, I feel. Hope it continues.

I've completely given up on the Reds for finishing well. Now the attention turns to the Colts. 2-0 on the young Season, though I am predicting the Cardinals to upset them this week. Too many key injuries. I hope to be proven wrong but if not, you heard it here first. Game is the Sunday Night ESPN game this week. Be sure to tune in. I did watch the Hoosiers nearly upset Michigan today (Saturday). VERY good game.

Look for some changes to the Blog this next week. New links will be going up. Out with the old, in with the new, as they say.

Well, that's my ditty for this week. Have a safe week and I'll see all of you here next week.

-me

1609 Lafayette Dr.

Crawfordsville, IN 47933

Cram for the test all for naught

Good Morning,

I was studying hard for the upcoming sleep study. Burn the midnight oil, drank tons of coffee, lost tons more sleep. Then they canceled the darned thing on account of my having a trach. Doctor should have known this prior to scheduling the darned thing. So, now I am back to square one. Unsure what is next. I have begun taking a sleeping pill. It knocks me out within 30 minutes but when I wake up to use the bathroom I can't get back to sleep. Although that was not the case this morning. Went back to bed and back to sleep and "slept in" to 7:00 a.m. Hopefully I'll start getting a better nights rest.

Now on to the computer fund Lee has graciously started. Lee, I'll use your funds for the inteded purpose in hopes of attracting more. I received an E-mail from Trilla, my 2nd Cousin, inquiring how she can help. So, here is what we'll do. IF (you) wish to make a donation to "Don's replacement computer fund", you may do so one of two ways. IF (you) have a PayPal account, funds can be sent directly to me via E-mail. The address for it is kcfastlane@yahoo.com. OR, if preferred, a check or money order can be sent here to me at The 'Burg. The address is at the end of this E-mail. Any donations for any amount will be graciously accepted and used strictly for a replacement CPU when the time comes. Also, I'll report each week the amount in the fund. Thank you, Lee, for getting the ball rolling. TRULY appreciate it. Replacement CPU fund sits at $75.00. PayPal adds interest Monthly, I believe it's 3% or something like that

Also, I've decided, after reviewing comments both here and in E-mail, to keep publishing The Sunday News. Just be aware that some weeks will not have much content. It's tough to have Pulitzer quality content each week. All I'll promise is SOMETHING from me each week.

Colts play Miami on Monday Night. Colts 1-0 on the season. Defense and Special Teams looked pretty good last week. Offense a little rusty and will be rough going with Gonzales out for ~3 games. Hope a youngster can step up.

All for this week. Have a safe week and I'll see ya here next Sunday.

-me

1609 Lafayette Rd.

Crawfordsville, IN 47933

Pizza Hut Delivery to The 'Burg

Good Morning,

I'm salivating I tell you, dribl'n all down the front of me. Why, you ask? Well let me tell ya. It's in anticipation of a delivery being made in approximation to halftime of today's Colts game, compliments of Mr. and Mrs. Ken Beam near Dallas, TX. The Internet is truly a wonderful way to spread good cheer. A Pizza Hut Pizza will be brought directly to me. Ordered from TX, delivered to The 'Burg. Cool, huh? It's been eons since I've had a Pizza. A true Blue honest to goodness Pizza. I can hardly wait. THANKS A HEAP KEN AND VAL!!!!!! MUCHO GRACIAS!!!!!!

Now on to Medical news. You all have previously been told of my trouble sleeping. Well, the night of September 22, a sleep study will be conducted. I've never had one before so I don't know what to expect. I finally broke down and began taking a prescription sleeping pill which helps a little. Still not sleeping the whole night through. Hopefully we'll figure out what the problem is. All I want to do is sleep but can't. :-(

Lee, my friend, I truly appreciate your effort in drawing folks attention to my pending computer woes. And what a woe it'll be too. I can't in good conscience keep the $75.00 you so graciously sent via PayPal. So, I will do one of three things; a) return said funds to you via PayPal. (You would absorb the fee), b) Make a charitable donation to the Non-profit organization of your choosing, or c) Dispose of funds as you desire. Please let us know what you decide. Again, I thank you for your effort.

Be sure to root for the Colts in Week One against Jacksonville. I've abandoned the Reds for the season. They make me ill. see ya all next week.

-me

MRI results are in. Survey says.........

Good Morning, welcome to September,

MRI results are back and the news couldn't be better, NO TUMOR!!! For the first time in my life, I have visible proof that I am tumor-free. WHAT A RELIEF!!!!! Next up is to do some tests to see why I don't sleep much. Facebook couldn't be a factor, could it? :-)

No Reds update this week. I threw away this mornings paper already. D'OH!!!! Don't forget, the Colts play this Saturday, the 12th. GO COLTS!!!!

I must say I am a bit discouraged with The Sunday News. I had hoped for a little more participation. Come on folks, help me out here. Other than Lee, Dee, and Auralee, postings are non existent. It won't be but a few more weeks and I'll sell the presses for scrap metal and leave the blogging to the professionals.

Havea great week everybody and for now, see ya next week.

-me

Insomnia effects

Good Morning,

I'm writing this during Halftime of the Colts/Lions Preseason game. Colts on the losing side of a 10-7 score. Lucky to be down only by three. I fear a disappointing year upcoming for them. I've revised my thinking a couple times recently but will stick with this opinion. Ugly times ahead.

What do I do to pass the time away here at The 'Burg? Simple Computer, and thank God for it. Will be a crisis of epic proportion when it decides to crash. I hate even thinking about it. Most of the time is spent on facebook applications. Farm Town, Farmville, FARKLE, Backgammon, Mafia Wars, and my latest addiction, BINGO. I'm up most all night, every night on one or the other of these. I'm only sleeping from roughly 10:00 p.m. to 12;30 a.m. I can't stay asleep. I end up doxing during the day. Awful having days and nights mixed up. Feel like I'm on the midnight shift again.

Time to go finish watching the Colts game. I suppose I'll wake up with two minutes remaining. Oh, and another loser of a team, the Reds. A respectable 5-5 during their last Ten, but remain a distant 17.5 games behind the Cardinals and 1.5 games ahead of the bottom feeding Pirates.

Countdown to the MRI results. Another issue keeping me awake nights. See ya next week.

-me

Clerical Error

Good Morning,

I was only off on my estimate $467.00. Total cost for the MRI is a staggering $2,267.00!! Oh well, that's why we have insurance. I won't mention "Obamacare" this week like last. I stay away from Political banter. I leave that to Danno, Ken, and Will.

I mentioned having an inkling how the MRI will turn out. I'm predicting a tumor will show once again, pressing itself against the brain causing the current aggravation of the same issues. As well as a few new ones. We'll see on the 4th. I'm gearing up mentally for surgery #5.

Next week I'll give you a rundown on my daily schedule. No, I don't send the kids off to school, nor do I head off to work. My schedule is nothing like that. Tune in next week, you'll see and truly laugh out loud. I'd start it now but I'm pooped. Make a few chess moves then it's off to bed. Have a great week everybody and I'll see ya here next Sunday.

-me

The $1800 nap

Good Morning,

Well, it's Saturday evening and all is quiet here at The 'Burg. The only thing I have to relay is the MRI appointment was last Wednesday. Takes longer to get me inside the van than it does to drive across the street to the hospital. Coulda walked quicker. Okay, maybe not.

Now I'm a bundle of nerves until it gets read at my next Neurology appointment, which is September 4 at 10:15 a.m. Mark your calendars and cast a few prayers, or positive thoughts, my way. Any and all will be greatly appreciated. I must say though I have an inkling how it will turn out. Just hope for the best.

Your weekly Reds update: They're 5-5 their last Ten, 14 games behind the Cardinals. (Hold your applause, Bryan) Cubs have fallen to 4 back, but who cares? Reds are 4.5 games from the bottom-feeding Pirates. Stay tuned, the race for futility is heating up. See ya next week.

-me

New Dr. in the food chain

Good Morning,

Neurology appointment was last Friday Morning. It went as how I had perceived it. It was basically a meet and greet session. We discussed my NF History as well as my current issues. He did a not so thorough once-over and simply said "MRI". So, between now and my next appointment I get a $2800 30 minute nap. Thank God the Obama Coverage hasn't kicked in or who knows what would occur. I'm not 100% certain the remnant's of the 2ND tumor have been completely removed. Needless to say my anxiety level is increased. Looking forward to viewing the MRI.

Reds update: 2-8 in their last 10. Places them 11.5 games behind the Cardinals and Yes, Da Cubs. 1.5 games ahead of the bottom-feeding Pirates. Can we stay out of the basement? Stay tuned.

All for this week. Catch ya all next Sunday. Stay safe....

-me

Sunday August 2, 2009

Good Morning,

I am presently engrossed in a Reds game so this will be short an sweet. Just checking in with everyone to let ya know I am still around. The Burg is still here, running like a well oiled machine.

I'm still heavy into Backgammon, a little Chess, Mafia Wars, Farmville, Farm Town, and of course FARKLE. So my days are now full. :-) Oh, and I am keeping up on my reading, although I have slacked off substantially. Time to get back to the game. Have a great week everyone and I'll see ya next Sunday. Time now for the weekly Reds update:

1-9 in their last 10, 9.5 games behind the Chi-Town Cubs? What's up with THAT?!? The Apocolypse is near. 2 games in front of the Pirates who are bottom feeding. Who knows, we may be the Legion of Futility by next week. GO REDS!!!! See ya....

-me

Sunday July 26, 2009

Good Morning one and all,

Excellent light show in the wee hours this morning. (Saturday) I hope the storms didn't do any damage wherever you are, last week.

Another uneventful week here at "The 'Burg". Cookout day here yesterday (Friday). Forgot what a burger on a grill tasted like. The Burg rents a huge tent for everyone to sit under. There were a few party poopers, like me, who chose to eat indoors. Not sure why I don't want to get out. Maybe I'll give it a go this next Friday. Joe's family comes and sits outside each Friday afternoon. I'd like to meet them, as well as Oscar, the family canine. Staff here, some of them, dressed up in Western attire yesterday. Kinda neat to see them out of their daily rags. Molly is the winner, in my opinion. She came complete with a six-shooter on her hip. Really cute.

Time once again for the Reds update. Losers of their last 4 in a row, 5 if you count last nights loss to the hated Cubs. 2-8 in their last 10, a full 6.5 games behind league-leading St. Louis and 5.5 behind the sCrUBS. 2 games from being the bottom dwellers of the Division. Maybe next week. I need to use Molly's gun. :-(

That's it for this time, see ya next time but in the meantime have a great week!!!

-me

Sunday July 19, 2009

Good Morning

Another week has motored by. Is this Summer moving along rather quickly or what? Catching a break from the oppressive heat. It's a VERY mild 67 degrees, FIFTEEN degrees below normal. I hope this isn't a preview of things to come this Winter.

Well, I am concerned over this new Health Care reform being touted. They are talking MAJOR cuts in Medicare/Medicaid. If this comes to fruition, I am sunk. I'd be living in a dumpster for sure. I am seriously worried. Rightfully so?

One of my favorite Respiratory Terrorists retired suddenly this week. Her Mother fell and broke a hip so she had been away helping her. Found out today (Saturday) she retired. Shirley will definitely be missed. The turnover rate here is incredible, for lack of a better word. New faces almost weekly now. I try to learn every one's name but I can't keep up with everybody. I so dislike talking to someone and not know their name.

Best get this to press and I have addresses to edit. Hope you all have a great week and I'll talk to ya next Sunday. Oh, before I forget, Reds update and it's sad:

3-7 in their last 10, a full 5.5 games behind the league leading Cardinals; 2.5 behind both Houston and the dreaded Cubs. They're just 4 games from the bottom dwelling Pirates. Reds did win last night at home against Milwaukee. That will reflect in next week's issue.

-me

The Dog Day's of Summer

Good Morning,

Dark, dreary, and rainy here today. (Saturday) Just a blah day all around. Good weather to take a nap. Hrmmmmm

Apologies if you attempted, but not permitted to comment on the current week's blather. I'm not for certain exactly what the problem was but it is fixed so PLEASE feel free to post a comment. Come on, don't be shy.

Nothing out of the ordinary this week, other than Darlene driving 3 hours for a visit with groceries in tow. Will make good additions to the all ready yummy meals here at "The 'Burg".

Reds update: They are sinking. 4-6 in their last 10, five full games behind the League-leading Cardinals and .5 game behind the toilet bowl Cubs. No sass this week, Lee. They are sensitive souls. :-)

Have a new addiction. FARKLE. Dice game available through facebook. EXTREMELY addictive. As if my Backgammon addiction isn't enough, now this. Speaking of "this", time to go FARKLE. Take care everyone and I'll see ya next Sunday

-me

Happy Birthday America!!!

Good Morning,

It's that time again. Time to put thought in writing and describe what is going on here. Well, in a nutshell, nothing is going on here. So, going to be a dry week, except for the rain today. (Saturday)

I'm sure all of you are out enjoying fireworks, family, friends and good food, weather permitting. I'm envious.

We did lose one resident overnight. My next door neighbor, Marie. RIP Marie.

Time for the Reds update: Reds went 5-5 in their last 10 games, and are now 2 games behind both St. Louis and Milwaukee. .5 game ahead of the dasterly Cubs. GO REDS!!!

All for this week, have a great week and I'll see you all here next Sunday.

Stay safe,

-me

Clear up cloudy and rain a dry drizzle

Good morning,

Pretty neat light shows this week. That is what I could see of them. I do miss hearing a good thunderstorm. Now it's all visual. Kinda zaps (No pun intended) the fun out of it a bit.

The week has just flown by!! Mark another one off the calendar. Hope everybody had a good week and was able to keep on schedule.

Speaking of schedule, I've scheduled a Neurology appointment. Said appointment is slated for August 7th at 9:30 a.m. I would imagine this will be nothing more than a get acquainted appointment as I have not visited this particular Doctor previously. He's here in Crawfordsville to save a trip to Indy, but he'll probably refer me to Indy anyway. Oh he'll schedule me for an MRI and do a once-over examination, bilking my insurance. But, we'll see. I feel like the wicked witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz, to wit, "I'm melting! Melting!!" Have gone down hill quite a bit in the last 6 months or so. Balance is as worse as it's ever been I can barely get myself to the bathroom. Left hand/arm is beginning to shake involuntarily. Extremely uncoordinated with my left hand. No headaches, Thank God, but it's the only positive I can put forth. Also my left leg isn't cooperating as it should. That's it on the Medical front. Don't expect much else to be said about it. I'm just gonna wrap back up into my own little World.

I'm going to be testing a new program with this edition. I've found an application that allows a "limited" amount of e-mails to be scheduled for delivery. Key word is "limited". Like TEN. So, Ten of our present 49 subscribers will be receiving instant notification when The Sunday News hits the shelves. LetterMeLater.com is the URL of this site if anybody is interested. Many mail clients don't have this feature, as I'm sure you are aware. It was tough whittling it down to Ten. Not to worry though, everybody will still receive a friendly notification. I suppose I should combine my address books into one and have everybody loaded into my mail client but that would make waayyy too much sense, thus not part of my lifestyle. :-)

My woeful Cincinnati Reds went 4-6 the last ten games and are 4 full FOUR games behind the Cardinals and One behind the irritating Cubs of all teams. They (the Reds) best get it in gear and begin ascending the National League Central.

That's it for this week. I apologize for being so long-winded but I actually wanted to say something this time.

Oh, by the way, Ruby and I have mended fences. Well, sorta. I've just swallowed my pride and let her feel as if she "won." I've made my point, 'nuf said. See all of you next Sunday

-me

Happy Fathers Day!!!!!!

Eureka!!! Shazam!!! Mississippi!!! Bingo!!! Euchre!!!! Uno!!! Yahtzee!!! Or enter your preferred term of glee. I figured it out!!!! What is "it" you ask? "It" is figuring out the ability to SCHEDULE to post this very worthwhile News release at a designated time automatically, thus allowing me to continue to slumber. Now I realize most of you have this charming blog bookmarked and need not be notified as you have been trained to check in each Sunday automatically. Under the old format you had delivered each Sunday The Sunday News promptly at 4:00 a.m. like clock work. Here, until now, it has been whenever. But as you can undoubtedly see, this issue was posted at precisely 4:00 a.m. I KNEW there was a way to do just that as I kept seeing the word "scheduled". Took me awhile, but I got it.

Spent the afternoon at Bryan's dining on KFC. YUMMY!!!! Smarty britches had to inquire if I needed Catsup/ketchup. Ever who heard of putting catsup/ketchup on KFC???? Table mate
Mr. Brown perhaps. It was great to get away from this place for awhile. Thank you, Bryan!!! At least I know he reads this blather.

Nothing substantial to report this week from "The 'Burg". Unless you count the three residents who tried to escape. Tighter security than Alcatraz. No other mouse's sighted either.

Have a Happy Father's Day, a good week next week and I'll see ya all next Sunday.....same time, same channel.

-me

June 14, 2009 There's a Mouse in my house

Good Morning,

Pretty quiet week here at "The 'Burg" last week. THANK GOD!!! After the last two weeks, an uneventful one is kind of nice.

Thank you for the comments posted. Kinda makes this seem worth while. For those that haven't, we here at The Sunday News still Love ya, but we'd still like to hear from ya.

The reading binge continues. Began Novel #42 yesterday. I'm thinking I began this project a year ago, so 41 Novels read shows the kind of time I have on my hands. It's good to escape.

There is a mouse in my house. Saw one of the critters this past week coming out from the chest of drawers. I've named him Mortimer. Just the one sighting and the CNA's advise the place is crawling with them. YUCK!!!! Oh well, he caused me to throw out my remaining food stuffs. Crackers, Chips, etc etc etc.

Going to pack it in for this week. I hope everybody had a good week and managed to dodge the storms. Have a good week upcoming and I'll see you here next Sunday. By the way, Lee, if you missed my post, yes, I'm interested in the tracts you have available. Let me know if you need my snail mail addy.

God Bless,

-me

Pro 13:3 (NLT)

Pro 13:3 Those who control their tongue will have a long life; a quick retort can ruin everything. (NLT)


Good Morning,


Would have been nice for me to recall this little tidbit BEFORE making the "feel good" comments I made. But, like bullets, words, once spoken, can't be brought back once they are out of the cylinder. The only drama this week was, as you can undoubtedly guess, was caused by yours truly. I'm not even sure what or how it even came about, but come about it did. "Ruby," the physical therapist who walks/ed with me twice a day and I had words. Some days she shows up, some days she don't. I mentioned this to her and she said "something", I didn't quite hear her. What she said was said for the benefit of my hearing compatriots who CAN hear, although minimally. Next thing ya know we are both giving each other what for and slinging allot of unkind words. I "fired" her. Granted, not the smartest thing I could have said, but said it I did. With everything that happened last week combined with my odd hours of slumber, I'm a wee-tad crotchety these days. I'm not making excuses, I'm just say'n. Where all of this will lead is any body's guess. Stay tuned.......


I need to apologize for last week's edition. Verbiage toward the right margin was cutoff. I'm not sure what the cause of it was, other than my creating it within my e-mail client, This week's is being drafted within the blog itself. So there "shouldn't" be any problems. Again, I regret the error.


All for this week. Have a great week everyone and I'll see ya next week.

RIP Dodie Stodghill

Sorry for the duplication. Some of the first was cut off:

Good Morning, This has been a downright awful week for your humble scribe. First, last Sunday, shortly after submitting this publication, I received word that my Great Aunt, Dodie Stodghill, had passed away. Not unexpected but these things still come as a shock. To JoEllen, Patty, and Susan, I want to express the sincerest of condolences with your Mother's passing. Close knit family. She'll be sorely missed. I've enclosed her obituary. Then Monday morning, I fell not once but TWICE in the span of an hour. Sad state of affairs. I'm thinking of giving up walking all together and keep my fanny affixed to the seat of a wheel chair. No decision has been made yet. I'm pondering/procrastinating the decision. No bumps or bruises, other than my pride. Isn't pride one of the seven deadly sins? Hrmmmmm Wednesday morning saw "The 'Burg" lose TWO residents. Dr. Death was looming through the hallway's that night. Again, I've enclosed the one Obit as the 2nd is currently Obit-less. Friday evening I received word my online job is being discontinued. This throws a wrench into the spokes of my finances. I may be living behind a McDonald's in a dumpster, waiting for the nightly deposit of chicken McNuggets. Needless to say I will have oodles of spare time on my hands. Wollow it away playing backgammon, I guess. Sure hope Bryan can do some of that fancy Lawyer'n, Right now I am a wee-tad nervous. That's the week in review. No "while I convalesce, I ponder" this week. Well, I am pondering but on more serious issues than I wish to print. On a culinary note, I was thinking of other oddities certainly palatable. Table vinegar in chili. Try it. Just a tablespoon in your soup bowl. Mrs. Jana Baker turned me on to this while living in Manhattan, KS. Don't knock it til you try it. All for this week. Have a good week everyone and I'll see ya next Sunday..... E. Jo 'Dodie' Stodghill E. Jo "Dodie" Stodghill, 81, of 3001 Dale Ann Drive, Louisville, Ky., and formerly of Vincennes, passed away Sunday, May 24, 2009, at her residence. Dodie was born on April 13, 1928, the daughter of David Clayton and Mary Catherine (Trubac) Hobbs. She married Charles Fee Stodghill on July 1, 1951, and he preceded her in death on May 21, 1985. Dodie was a 1950 graduate of the Louisville General Hospital School of Nursing. She was a registered nurse, having retired from Good Samaritan Hospital after several years of employment. Dodie was a member of the First Presbyterian Church where she served as an elder. She was a member of the Fraternal Order of Police Auxillary Lodge No. 62 where she had been a state officer. She was a member of the American Nurses Association and the Indiana State Nurses Association where she was a state officer. Also she was a Girl Scout and 4-H leader at Tecumseh School. Survivors include her daughters, Jo Ellen Keller and her husband, Earle, of Vincennes, Patrice Elaine Smith and her husband, Bruce, of New Albany, Susan Elizabeth Mayo and her husband, Ted, of Louisville; grandchildren Charles Stodghill Sebring of Vincennes, Ashli Elizabeth Mayo and Eric Best of Louisville; five stepgrandchildren; and a foster daughter, Carol Todd, and her family. Dodie was preceded in death by her parents and sister, Mary Lee Wildman. Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, May 27, 2009, at Goodwin Funeral Home, 524 Broadway St., with the Rev. Mike Julian officiating. Entombment will follow in Memorial Park Cemetery Tower Mausoleum. Visitation will be from 2-7 p.m. Tuesday, May 26, 2009, at Goodwin Funeral Home. Memorial contributions may be made to the Vincennes Salvation Army or Hosparus of Louisville. Online condolences may be sent to www.goodwinfamilyfh.com. Lottie Skipworth Jan. 3, 1929-May 27, 2009 Lottie M. Skipworth, 80, of Crawfordsville, formerly of Indianapolis, passed away at 1:50 a.m. Wednesday in Williamsburg Nursing Home. She was born January 3, 1929 in Russellville, Ky., to James and Mildred Moore Holden. Mrs. Skipworth was a homemaker who attended school in Kentucky. She married David Harold Skipworth. He preceded her in death in 1999. Survivors include a son, Ronnie Skipworth; daughters, Connie Rutan and Linda Amick; sons, Tony Skipworth and Joe Skipworth; and daughter, Patricia Basey, all of the Indianapolis area, as well as several grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Graveside services will be 1 p.m. Tuesday, June 2, at the New Crown Cemetery along Raymond Street in Indianapolis. Arrangements were made through Burkhart Funeral Home. Online condolences can be made at www.BurkhartFH.com.

Memorial Day Weekend

Ahh, Memorial Day weekend. Fond memories of Memorial Day weekend come oozing out of this lasagna I call my brain. Camping with my Grandparents, fishing day and night, and listening, yes, LISTENING to the Indianapolis 500 on the radio. Those were the days we Hoosiers were blacked out from a live telecast. Oh what fun it was. Fond memories indeed.

Let's take a moment to give thanks to the men and women, along with their families, of the Armed Forces. Pray for their safe keeping. Also pay tribute to those who have given the ultimate sacrifice in Defense of our Country. Fought and died for the rights we enjoy.

As always, I hope everybody had a good week. Have a SAFE and Memorable weekend and I'll see ya next week, and when you eat eggs, use CATSUP.....

.....as I convalesce, I ponder........

Not really a ponder per se, as much as it is a bit of a History of my catsup on eggs usage. I vividly recall the first time I witnessed catsup being smothered on eggs by my, then 5 year old step-sister, Betsy. I was Seven. A plate of scrambled eggs was placed before her and much to my dismay, she reaches for the catsup!!!!! Ewwwwwww, gross I say. I had not yet been indoctrinated to scrambled eggs. Mine were always fried sunny-side up with a dash of pepper. Ever who heard of catsup on eggs?!?!?!

I finished my childhood and teenage years avoiding this, this nasty conglomeration of unlikely sidekicks.

I next observed this subterfuge while in the Military. No eggs sunny-side up there. You got 'em scrambled and took 'em with a smile on your face. Various items were sprinkled and/or poured upon said eggs. One of which was yes, indeed catsup. So, I thought why not? Put a dab upon the eggs and much to my chagrin it was pretty tasty. Okay, so now I enjoyed catsup on scrambled eggs, next up, sunny-side up. I was in a restaurant in Junction City, KS, still in the Military. Ordered a breakfast which included 2 eggs sunny-side up. They were delivered and I reluctantly reached for the catsup bottle. Might as well get it over with, I said to myself. This too I found to be a tasty combination, but still doubted it would replace my pepper, salsa, hot sauce dabbing.

Today, aside from the occasional hot sauce usage, I apply catsup abundantly. I was a bit skittish at first in my new digs, surrounded by strangers. That is until my table mate, Mr. Joseph Brown (Title included out of respect) had his eggs, over easy I might add, placed before him and much to my delight and total surprise, he started breaking open the catsup packages.

Sunday 5/17/09

Good morning,

This week has certainly flown by. Here it is Friday and I have not produced a single word for this week's edition. Time to do so, so let's get started.

I neglected to mention last week of locating "The 'Burg's" webmaster of its website. So, all the outdated content has been removed and, well, not much remains, I'm afraid. The basics are there though. including pictures of the facade of my digs. Hopefully they'll spruce the site up a bit. Bryan, there IS information regarding private rooms and whatnot. I hope this is something we can look into at some point. The sooner the better.

Nothing of interest has occurred this week. Everyone that was with us last week remain here this week. So, our existence continues. We did however have quite the light show early Thursday morning. Strong storms passed through the area. Thunder too but I missed that portion of the program, for obvious reasons. I was awake the early morning hours for I have mixed my day's and night's. All I want to do during the day is sleep and am up on the computer all night. I'm not fond of this "schedule" and at some point hope to break the cycle. Maybe there is a 12-step program I can join or view on DVD. :-)

I hope all of you had a great week and accomplished all you set out to do. Have a great week this next week and I'll see ya next Sunday. Now, on to my weekly pondering........

As I convalesce, I ponder..........obituaries. Perhaps a morbid topic to discuss but I have had a few ponderings. I subscribe to the Indianapolis Star. In the Metro+State section, on a daily basis, there are ~50, count 'em FIFTY obituaries to read. All are written similarly Born on date, date they expired, Civic organizations, etc etc etc. Many have a Church they were a member of, never mind the fact that they hadn't attended since D-Day, or their tithing over the course of the last Quarter Century wouldn't purchase a Happy Meal. Nothing negative is EVER written. It's as if we bury nominees for Sainthood on a daily basis. I've come to the conclusion that one's obituary is written by the living for the living; one last chance to say good-bye. I mean the deceased don't care what is written. It's as if the living write it to give their loved one a boost through Heaven's door. Never mind the fact that the deceased, when living, didn't accept what one is deemed we accept for entrance into the Kingdom of flowing milk and honey. No, we'd never read about that.

Sure, this is a cynical view and Lee can speak with more of an Authority than I but when all is said and done, I guess we need to live up to what our obituaries are certain to say.

Happy Mothers Day!!!!

Good Morning,

As I begin this week's magnum opus, it is Mid-week. Nothing, and I do mean NOTHING, has transpired thus far I can only hope the rest of the week is as exciting.

I believe I had mentioned my undonning (is that a word?) of the medical hosiery prescribed by Dr. Doolittle. Well, I had redonned (sounds good) them only to once again banish them to the drawer never to be worn again. Too cumbersome, too uncomfortable. 'Nuf said and please, no sass. :-)

One thing I was pleased with after the last issue, was the making of a few more posts by (you). For that I sincerely thank you. And a special Thanks, no, round of applause, to Danno for chiming in with his Blog URL. Mucho appreciated, Dan. Hope you get a little activity. I know of at least one instance of it being forwarded to a non-subscriber of The Sunday News.

As I mentioned last week, I'm going to begin an "as I convalesce, I ponder" section. Just everyday things we may or may not completely think about, we just see or do them. Some will have a moral to the story. I hope we all recognize the morals, as written. If not, you'll be condemned to wear a slightly used pair of medical hosiery. :-) I had intended to begin penning my ponderances this week but am still pondering, nay, mulling the subject matter. The 2nd week will be a culinary exercise in the wonderous placement of catsup on one's scrambled eggs. Be sure to tune in.

It's a Cloudy Saturday. Read that KS and MO had severe storms overnight, killing 4. I hope and pray our Sunday News subscribers in those areas are safe and sound. Hoping for a mild Season but it looks to be another tornadic one.

Let me wrap this up and get it to press. I'm still kick'n. See ya next week.

-me

Sunday 5/3/09

I'm beginning this a bit later than I had anticipated. Intentional, not procrastinating. I had hoped to have news of "The 'Burg's" webmaster, but it is still a big mystery. Not sure if I'm being put off or what, after all I am just a crotchity resident not to be taken seriously. All I can say is stay tuned for further updates.

"As I convalesce, I ponder" it seems will be my catch phrase for Op/ED's. Don't look for commentary on politic's, religion, et al. I'll forego these issues leaving them to the professionals. Dan, that's quite the blog you've assembled. I see you are still your shy and timid self. :-) I can't seem to locate Danno's blog at the moment, Dan, if you could resend it or post it here, WITH YOUR DISCLAIMER, I'd appreciate it. However Dan words it, I'll just say this: If (you) lean to the left of the political spectrum or are easily offended, then this may not be your cup of tea. 'Nuf said.

I on the otherhand, your humble correspondent, strive to entertain all, thus I have to become a Centrist in such matters. I would be remiss however if I didn't say that after visiting Dan's, I wanted to recite the Pledge of Allegiance, sing The Star Spangled Banner, and pray openly to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ all at the same time. Dan, we await your post. :-)

Status quo as for me. I have once again donned the ridiculous hosiery medically prescribed. Unsure how long this will last. I'm still walking, if you want to call it that, twice a day. Fairly unstable and am required to have a staff member with me. I use the wheelchair as a walker and then spend the rest of the time pedalling it to and fro.

Well, time to wrap this nothingness up and get it to press. Hey, if Seinfeld can do a series based upon nothingness, why can't I have a successful Blog, huh? Have a great week and I'll see ya next week with an editorial. Been pondering obituaries of late. Yes, I'm weird.

Welcome

Welcome to the NEW The Sunday News format Once again I'm on the heels of my good friend Lee Martin who is the owner of The Holy Grounds Cafe. He really should be proud of his effort putting it all together. He's done a masterful job. You can access his Blog from the bottom of my Blog, where you see a Holy Grounds Cafe hyperlink

By reading this, it means you made the cut. The previous format for The Sunday News allowed virtually an unlimited number of subscribers. I had 42 subscribers, that is 42 I E-mailed each Sunday. Here I am limited to ten. So you see, each one of you has had such an impact on my life that I bestow to you the chance to come in on the ground floor.

Since there are a limited number of slots, I ask that you subscribe/follow to the Blog at the "followers" link under "my cronies". In doing so, this may allow for you to be automatically notified when I publish to the Blog. My plan is to keep it to Sunday's only, as before. It may just create a bookmark for you to the Blog. I hope (you) will take a moment to try it out and report back by posting to the Blog. If it does what I think it does, I can then remove your E-mail address and add one from the waiting list. We'll grow together. Don't worry, no E-mails are sent when someone posts a comment to the Blog. I've tested it. E-mails are only sent when "I" publish content. I've done some follow-up, When you click "follow" under "my cronies", you will be given a computer generated name. To change this name into your own, click on "more options" and "edit name". Oh and then don't forget to click "follow this blog". Please let us know if there is anything else.

Mr. Ken Beam has labeled me a contemporary. Mr. Webster defines contemporary as being a person existing, occurring, or living at the same time; belonging to the same time: Newton's discovery of the calculus was contemporary with that of Leibniz. So, I have that going for me.

The economy is so bad and my budget so tight, I had to give up the Constant Contact subscription. It was nice if for nothing other than having the ability to reach a greater number of friends and family. Time will tell in seeing if this format compares. I learn something new with it everyday, so hopefully I can extend the learning curve and get everything from it that is possible.

I hope each of you will take a minute out of your busy schedules to spend some time with me here each Sunday. I basically felt I ran out of things to say. Many of you have asked that I continue The Sunday News in some format, so here it is. Look for "something" from me each Sunday. Might be nothing more than a hello, or I could go to the other extreme and bloviate. Just know I think of each of you often and though I rarely use the word, I love each and every one of you. Now that we are through the sappy content, scroll down to the bottom of this E-mail and click on The Sunday News hyperlink to visit the blog. Feel free to post comments. I expect to see some comments from Ken, Val, Scott and Will. Will? Geez, can ya drag your hide out of the swamp or the golf course to comment?

God Bless,

Don(nie)

D