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Posted on Friday, August 01, 2008
Bloom Workers
Stacey and I went out early this morning as the temperatures are
supposed be in the mid 90s today with high humidity. As I walked towards
the barn, I noticed the 'naked ladies' were blooming near the garage
door and the 'black eyed susans' were blooming in the flower bed.
Stacey
loaded Daisy in the back of the Mule and received a few 'doggie kisses'
while hooking her choker chain to the straps.
Stacey
drove the Mule to the hay field and we made a lap around the field. I
noticed the butterfly and bee working on the blooms as we passed by.
Stacey stopped and I took a couple of pictures.
Posted on Sunday, August 03, 2008
Stacey & Jason Attend WWE Event
A few weeks ago, Jason invited Stacey to attend a WWE Wrestling Event
today in Bowling Green. Linda drove and picked up Jason and Stephanie
for the ride to Bowling Green. They ate at a place called "Double Dogs",
then Pauline, Brent and Julie met them at the restaurant.
Brent
took Stacey and Jason to the wrestling matches while Stephanie, Linda,
Pauline and Julie went shopping in Bowling Green. Some of the wrestlers
are pictured below along with a couple pictures of Stacey and Jason..
After
the wrestling was over, Stacey and Jason went with Brent to his house,
where they met Stephanie, Linda, Julie and Pauline. Stacey and Linda
returned home a few minutes after 10 PM with Stacey a little hoarse from
yelling and she seemed excited about having went to see the wrestling
live. Stacey said she had a great time.
Posted on Wednesday, August 06, 2008
Internet Troubles
This morning the DSL modem would not connect to the Duo-County server, so I waited a while, then about 9 AM, I called about the problem. I received a few suggestions from the receptionist and told her I had tried all those things. She said a service tech would call me shortly about the problem. It was about 20 minutes until they called and started talking me through the various steps again that I had already tried. One guy finally put me on hold and got another tech on the phone with me, so I had two techs talking to me while they tried to sort out the problem. They said my DSL modem was trying to connect, but then blinking off. After about 45 minutes, they decided to hang up and told me they would have someone else call. About 5 minutes later, the guy called and had me shut off all my PCs, router and DSL modem. He then instructed me about starting each one up after resetting the DSL modem and the router. Then turn on just one PC and we got the same results. He tried a few things at his end, then realized that my DSL was set as a static IP address and should have been set to acquire a random IP when I connected. After making the change on his end, the PC connected to the internet. Whew, around 3 hours had passed. The trouble with Duo-County had been caused by them installing new equipment that will eventually carry digital TV into the house over the phone lines. I began turning the various PCs back on and found they could not connect to each other. Crap! Linda came home and we went to lunch in Albany and then stopped to buy groceries. When we returned, I started instant messaging with Brent and he talked me through resetting my wireless access point and WLAN so that all the PCs could connect to each other. Stacey could finally play her music again. All was finally OK. Linda and I went outside and mowed. Then I took Daisy for a run around the farm while Linda fixed supper. About 9 PM we had a severe thunderstorm go over and it dropped some heavy rain.
Posted on Thursday, August 07, 2008
Weeding Mum Patch
After receiving an inch and a half of rain last evening, the ground in
the mum patch was soft enough to pull grass and weeds out, but firm
enough to walk on without getting mud stuck to our shoes. Linda went
ahead in the Mule and had started at one end while Stacey was getting
dressed. Stacey and I rode to the patch on 2 four wheelers and parked.
Stacey grabbed her gloves out of the Mule and began pulling weeds on the
end where Linda was working. I went to the other end and began working
my way back towards them. I could hear a little bit of the music coming
from the small radio Stacey had playing, but not enough to tell what
songs were playing.
I
took that picture while I was standing near the 4 wheeler I had rode to
the patch. Linda was able to go a lot faster than I could and she did
more rows than Stacey and I. We finished the patch, then went home and
took showers and ate a light lunch. After lunch we loaded in the HHR and
went to Somerset to shop. We stopped at a few places, then went to
Aldi's and picked up canned goods and other surplus items for our
pantry. Stacey and Linda went to Goody's while I looked around in Office
Depot. We headed back to the farm after that and on the way, had to stop
and help get a truck pulling a trailer with two tractors loaded on it
out of the ditch. He had turned too soon and dropped his trailer wheels
into a culvert. He unloaded one tractor off the trailer and used it to
pull the trailer upright as Phil Garmon used his tractor to help the
truck pull the trailer forward out of the ditch. Then we went on home
and unloaded our supplies.
Posted on Sunday, August 10, 2008
Watching Stacey
Saturday afternoon, Linda called me into the bedroom and said Stacey was beginning to have problems. We both watched her a few minutes and then Linda gave her 15 mg of Valium. We spent the night with all of us sleeping in the same room. Stacey woke up around 4 AM and was having problems keeping her thoughts together, but no involuntary movements were occurring. At 7:30 AM the involuntary movements began and we gave her 15 mg Valium. Stacey and Linda slept for a few hours and then Stacey woke and ate a lunch meat sandwich that I fixed for her along with some chips and applesauce. We watched the NASCAR race and some of the Olympics during the day as we stayed inside and monitored Stacey's condition.
Posted on Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Brent's Birthday
Stacey's seizure problems have been occurring too often, so Monday, I
called her neurologist's office. We had an appointment scheduled for
early in September, but I told the receptionist Stacey needed to see Dr
Zhu, so she canceled the September appointment and gave us a work in
appointment for Tuesday at 3:30 PM. I went to Dr Rice's office and
picked up copies of Stacey's latest blood tests and to the hospital to
try to get another test results, but was unable to get the information
from the hospital.
Tuesday morning, we made a call to Brent and we
all were on the phone and wished him happy birthday. He asked if we were
coming by their house after the doctor's appointment and we said yes we
were going to stop. We left home at 11 AM and drove to Bowling Green to
the mall. We ate lunch at the food court and then shopped a little
while. We went to Goody's and Stacey picked out a NASCAR shirt for
Brent. Linda had seen one she thought Brent would like so we bought
those and went on.
We
made a few more stops including Granny's Attic and Harbor Freight before
finally going to the Graves-Gilbert Clinic for Stacey's doctor
appointment.
The
Graves-Gilbert Clinic is attached to the Medical Center Hospital in
Bowling Green. It is a large 3 story complex of doctors and specialists.
We checked in and then waited to see Dr Zhu. Being a work in
appointment, we had to wait about an hour before being called in to see
the doctor so they had time to call the Cumberland County Hospital and
have the test results faxed to them. I showed Dr Zhu all the blood test
results and gave him a list of the times that Stacey had experienced
problems. He typed a lot of information into his laptop computer as he
listened. He asked Stacey a few questions about how she felt when the
involuntary movements started. Stacey told him how it affected her and
then Dr Zhu recommended we increase Stacey's dosage level and have her
blood tested in three weeks to give the medicine time to take effect. He
said if that didn't work, we would have to try a different medicine or
add a third medicine to control the symptoms. OK, that wasn't as bad as
I had anticipated, so he wrote the prescriptions, we said thanks for
seeing us and we were done. On to see Brent. We arrived at their house,
Stacey went inside and only the dogs were home. Brent popped in the back
door after a couple of minutes and said he was next door. Linda and
Brent took the Triumph and went about a quarter mile to pickup Julie at
the baby sitter's house. They came back and Julie was happy to see they
had company. Pauline came home from work a few minutes later and we
played with Julie and their dogs for a little bit, then tossed Brent the
bag his shirts were inside. Brent suggested we follow them to
Brownsville to eat and Stacey made him put on the shirt she had picked
out as his birthday present. Stacey rode with PB&J and Linda and I
followed. We went inside and ate, then paid and left. I carried Julie
outside and let her walk with me, then set her in her car seat for the
ride back to PB&J's house. Stacey rode with her brother once again.
Back
at their house we played with the dogs and Julie in their backyard. As
darkness came, we went inside and continued talking and playing with
Julie.
Stacey
used Brent's phone to let Jason know what had happened at her doctor's
appointment while we were eating birthday cake. Too soon, it was time to
leave and the party was over as Julie had become tired and was put to
bed for the evening.
Posted on Friday, August 15, 2008
Lorrie Morgan Concert
We started our concert trip by leaving home around 4 PM and heading to
Glasgow on 90. We drove to the bypass and looked at a few restaurants
and then decided to eat at Tumbleweeds. We went inside and ordered and
we ate chips and salsa until our meals were ready. After finishing the
steaks and the rest of our dinners, we drove to the Courthouse Square
and parked. We walked the block to the theater and went inside to the
'will call' and picked up our tickets. We went back outside for a few
minutes and Stacey pointed to a poster announcing the next concert we
will attend in September. Linda noticed one of the women she worked with
at East Side Middle School. It was Mary Jane Anderson and her son and a
friend.
We
went inside and found our seats in row F and then spotted Mary Jane and
her group.
Then
there were a few announcements and the Lorrie Morgan Concert began. The
band played about a minute, then Lorrie joined them on stage and sang a
couple of her big hits right away.
Lorrie
sang a few songs from two of her new albums that aren't out yet, then
sang some more hits, sang "Woman In Red" and went off the stage. The
crowd stood and yelled and clapped until she came back for an encore.
Lorrie
sang three more songs and was done. She had sang and played about an
hour and forty minutes. Lorrie has a great voice that is powerful and
can also sing softly. She isn't in her prime as far as being a big star
now, but her voice is just as good as it ever was when she was topping
the country charts.
Posted on Sunday, August 17, 2008
Watering The Stock
Pauline, Brent and Julie came over Saturday morning after breakfast. I
had been asked by our neighbor to check the water for their cows, so
Brent and I rode up there and used their hose to fill up their stock
water tanks.
We
took up some hay and tossed it over the fence, then watched as the cows
ate it. The big bull just walked in and bumped the other cows out of his
way, stood over the hay and ate what he wanted. We left before they
finished and checked on their dog on the way back to town for groceries
and then back to the farm. We made homemade pizza and then homemade ice
cream.
Sunday morning, everyone wanted to ride up to see the cows, so
we loaded into the truck and away we went. Brent turned the water on and
Stacey filled each tank as Julie watched from farther back, but soon
walked in closer. As the cows came walking up, Julie moved back to stand
by Pauline. Then Brent came over and they all moved up for a closer look.
We
filled all three water tanks then left and drove to take dog food to
their dog and then back to the farm.
Posted on Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Dry August
Linda has started working every day at the school as an aide to a student so Stacey and I are on our own. I don't know if the job is temporary or if Linda is going to take it permanently. A few of the mums are beginning to bloom, but they seem small due to a lack of rain this month. The Nashville TV stations are saying it's the driest August in the last 60 years. It doesn't seem that bad yet, but the grass is starting to turn brown and I've not been mowing for a couple of weeks. That break is nice! The tropical storm hitting Florida now might be our best chance for rain in the coming week. Stacey and I headed to town for lunch, but that was put on hold as Stacey said she was having problems as we were driving to town. Instead of going to eat, I pulled to the front of the school and went inside for a minute to ask the receptionist to tell Linda that Stacey was having trouble and we were outside. In a couple of minutes, Linda came out, looked at Stacey and said she would be home in a few minutes so Stacey and I went on home. Linda picked up lunch and when she brought it in, Stacey ate fairly well, better than I did. Around 3 PM, Stacey began having more trouble and I tried giving her a 10 mg Valium to help. Stacey began vomiting and the Valium did not stay down. Two more attempts at giving the Valium and twice more it was brought back up. I decided to try waiting, but the vomiting continued and her movements were worsening, so I decided to take Stacey to see Dr Rice. We used a wheel chair to take Stacey into the office and waited as they worked us in amongst the other patients. Linda and I told Dr Rice what had been going on and how Dr Zhu had increased Stacey's Tegretol dosage. Dr Rice prescribed Phenergan for the upset stomach and told us to give it to her, then give her the Valium as needed. We said thanks and picked up the prescription as we passed the pharmacy on the way home. We did as directed and Stacey was able to keep the medicine down and remained calm most of the evening until bedtime.
Posted on Thursday, August 21, 2008
Another Day of Problems
Stacey began having troubles at 4:30 AM and Linda gave Stacey 15 mg Valium to stop involuntary movements. I gave Stacey another 10 mg Valium at 8:10 AM. I gave another 5 mg Valium at 4:30 PM. Linda gave 5 mg Valium at 7:15 PM. I guess this is getting to be an old story, but not near as old to the readers of the blog as it is to Linda and I. We want to see Stacey be OK, but the doctors say it may take a couple of weeks before the extra dosage of medicine takes effect.
Posted on Saturday, August 23, 2008
Return To Normalcy
Friday morning I tried to hold off on giving Stacey any more Valium, but
around 8 AM we decided we needed to give her 10 mg. I fixed her and
Linda a ham and egg with cheese sandwich and Stacey ate it all. That was
a good sign, and around noon, Stacey was sitting up in bed and talking
with us. I went to the grocery and bought some hamburger, then returned
home and fixed it as sloppy joes. Stacey wanted it with chips and
cheese, so I fixed that and she ate. During the afternoon, she drifted
in and out of sleep, but we could tell the trouble was almost over.
This
morning after a light breakfast, I told Stacey to get dressed and we
would take Daisy for a run because she had been in her pin for 3 days
without being out. Stacey didn't want to go, but got dressed and we
headed to the barn. Stacey wanted me to drive, so I pulled the Mule down
in front of the barn and told Stacey to load Daisy in the back. She did
and when Daisy gave Stacey three big slurp kisses, Stacey started
giggling and it changed her attitude completely. We drove down past the
mum patch and took some pictures of the mums. We have a couple of types
that are beginning to bloom.
I
pulled the Mule down into the dry creek bed and had Stacey get out to
let Daisy out of the back, when I was ready to get back in the Mule,
Stacey had taken the wheel and said she wanted to drive.
She
drove around the hay fields and when we returned to the barn, she filled
Daisy's food bowl as I put Daisy in the pen. I guess we are mostly back
to normal again, we just need the normal time to last longer between the
problem times.
Posted on Sunday, August 24, 2008
Short Trip To Campbellsville
Since Stacey had been feeling better we decided to get out of the house
for a little while today. We loaded in the HHR and drove through
Columbia and just past Green River Reservoir to a place we had stopped
at once before. It was a small family owned ice cream shop that sold
very large breaded tenderloin sandwiches. We all had one of those and
some excellent ice cream. I had my favorite, butter pecan while Linda
had pralines and cream and Stacey had a little of both. After that we
went on to Campbellsville and stopped at the Peddlers' Mall. Linda and
Stacey like to look through the various booths and items they have in
there.
There
are over a hundred separate booths and probably several thousand items
for sale. Sometimes, Stacey will find a book to buy. Linda had me take
the camera to take a picture of some items she wants me to build with
old barn siding.
Posted on Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Rain From Fay
Yesterday we finally received some rain. It was a light drizzle most of
the day. Overnight and today, the rain has continued. Linda checked and
we had around 3/4" in the gage. Our ice maker in the refrigerator had
quit dispensing crushed or cubed ice, so I had taken the ice tray and
dispenser apart and yesterday ordered a new piece to replace the broken
part. Today, around 1 PM the part arrived in less than 24 hours. Linda
and I couldn't believe it had came in that quickly. I rounded up my
tools and put the ice dispenser back together and the first time I tried
it, everything worked. What the heck? Linda went to work at the day care
and Stacey and I went for a ride in the rain.
We
let Daisy out of the Mule, then crossed the creek, and made a lap around
the hay field and headed back in the 'holler'.
Daisy
enjoyed the rain and cooler temperatures as she ran around the fields
and up to 'check in' with Stacey in the Mule. The rain has the grass
greening and growing, looks like the break from mowing is probably over.
Posted on Thursday, August 28, 2008
Trip to Graves-Gilbert Clinic
Linda went to work at the school Thursday morning and Stacey and I were doing our thing at home. Stacey walked through the bedroom, she put some clothes away in the closet and then came back out and set down on the bed saying she was having trouble with 'twitching'. I watched her for a half hour and as the involuntary movements were worsening, I called Linda at the school and then gave Stacey 15 mg Valium. Linda came home and we loaded in the HHR and I headed towards Bowling Green. I drove to the Graves-Gilbert Clinic and we used a wheel chair to take Stacey up to Dr Zhu's office. We set and waited until they worked us in to see the doctor, then talked with him for a while. He prescribed another medicine to add to Stacey's pills. Depakote is a medicine that Stacey has taken when she was much younger. Dr Zhu said it should work fairly quickly to stop the problems Stacey is having. He mentioned we may try a few other medicines later, after we have the problems stopped. He gave us some information about some other medical procedures to prevent seizures. We left the clinic and went to Pauline and Brent's house, picked up Julie at her baby sitter's house and then stayed until 7:30 PM playing with Julie and talking with Pauline and Brent.
Posted on Saturday, August 30, 2008
Last Two Days Not As Bad
Friday morning, Linda brought Stacey into the bedroom and we gave her 15
mg Valium a little later. The medicines are having more effect as we
didn't have to give another 10 mg until 3:45 PM. Stacey was fairly good
condition with her thinking, but Valium had done it's business on her
balance, so she stayed stationary most of the day and evening.
When
Stacey made it out of bed this morning, she was walking badly, but
walking. She seemed to be stumbling during her steps, so we set her down
a little bit while Linda made breakfast. We ate and kept an eye on
Stacey and she seemed to be slowly coming out of her problems, so we
didn't give her any Valium, just her regular medicines. Around 10 AM,
Stacey and I took Daisy for a short run, then rode up the road to see
how our neighbors were doing with their yard sales. After we returned to
the farm, Stacey was doing better walking. We rode to town in the HHR
and ate lunch, then back to the farm. Again we took Daisy for a run at 4
PM. Stacey drove the Mule with me riding along and Linda following us on
a 4 wheeler. After we put Daisy in her pen, Linda stayed outside for a
little while, very little while! It rained great big drops of rain and
she came running in the house with her shirt wet. The rain poured down
for about 20 minutes, then the sun came back out.
