Never ending

a favorite picture - Kevin and T-man in Homer about 3 or 4 years ago.

The list of things to do just seems to grow.

Lessa is holding up as are the kiddos. Two of them went back to school today. The boy had a bit of a tummy thing going on so he stayed home. Seems to be doing better tonight, though, so I imagine that he will go on to school tomorrow.

I have been taking Lessa to various governmental offices and other such places to take care of business. Paperwork, paperwork, paperwork. Argh!

Wish I could do more to help. There is a fine line between helping and just plain getting in the way. A very fine line.

I am blessed in that I have a lot of sick leave hours accrued at work - so I am able to take off this entire week. If need be, I can take off more time next week as well.

Friends have been bringing food and necessities to Lessa and kiddos, so they are being fed. It is a blessing not to have to think about what to cook. One friend, Mimi the grands call her, brought paper products - toilet paper, paper towels, paper plates, cups, plastic ware, trash bags. Necessities that we often overlook during such times. Mimi is a doll and our family loves her.

The autopsy has been completed and the medical examiner has released Kevin's body. We are still waiting for the toxicology report - so no cause of death has been established yet. That could take another three weeks (!!!)

But, now that Kevin is back on the peninsula with us, the plans can proceed. There will be a private family viewing. And, then the Memorial service will be held Saturday afternoon. The Elks club officers are holding the service - Kevin was a member. A week from Friday a wake will be held at Kevin's favorite camping spot.

Lots of "brothers" and "sisters" will be arriving over the next few days and into next week as well.

Thank you all for your kindnesses - your prayers and thoughts are uplifting the entire family. We appreciate you all.

Give your loved ones an extra big hug today.

>..<

He loved, cont.

Lessa has given me permission to link to her site. Please go and see the lovely memorial she has placed there for her beloved.

Also - some have asked if there is a memorial fund being set up. Yes - if you would like information, email me: (no caps and take out the appropriate words, please) PRPLMOOSE at KENAIWRITER dot NET and I will get that to you. Thank you all for your support and love messages.

He loved to fish

Late last night a coworker of my son-in-law's came to our door looking for our oldest daughter. She couldn't read the numbers on the houses and began knocking on doors. We walked with her to our daughter's to be with her because she had come with bad news.

Our son-in-law did not make his shift on the North Slope and a coworker went to his room thinking he had overslept. Kevin had died in his sleep.

He was 33.

He loved to camp and fish with his kids.

He leaves a wife and three children, ages 13, 11, and 6. They are all extremely sad today. Please keep them all in your prayers.

Now begins the paperwork and hassle of getting Kevin home to us - because it is an unexplained death the coroner is involved and K. won't be sent home to us until after an autopsy has been performed.

The Ladybug and I gathered together with them all last night and other friends helped to hold Lessa and the kids - and us - up while we waited for more word.

You never know what to do in this type of situation. So we did what we do best. I started cleaning - picking up and tossing, you know, frittery stuff. Ladybug baked bread. A friend stopped by with wine mixers and a shoulder. She, Ladybug and I gathered up laundry to do. Hubby and I made phone calls on cell phones while Lessa loved on her kids. We all huddled together and let the children cry on our shoulders.

It's gonna be tough for awhile. We covet your prayers.

Good night, Kevin. Fish on!

for Skatemom

a bit of hooha from Skatemom:

Copy these questions, paste them in this blog entry's comments and answer them. (She threatened to get mean - hahahaha -) Any takers?

1. Who are you?

2. Are we friends?

3. When and how did we meet?

4. Do you have a crush on me?

5. Would you kiss me?

6. Give me a nickname and explain why you picked it.

7. Describe me in one word.

8. What was your first impression?

9. Do you still think that way about me now?

10. What reminds you of me?

11. If you could give me anything what would it be?

12. How well do you know me?

13. When's the last time you saw me?

14. Ever wanted to tell me something but couldn't?

15. Are you going to put this on your blog and see what I say about you?

~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~
perhaps another pic later today.

Sittin' by the dock . . .

Drove down to the city dock last night on the way home from church. Walked to the end of the floating dock and took this shot back toward the shore. Water was pretty choppy - we've been having some high tides this week (wasn't very high last night, though) and some wind added to the mix made for the chop.

I no longer have sea legs. Guess that comes from being a land-lubber, huh? It didn't help that I was wearing the wrong shoes to go down there, but, it was fun anyway.

(insert sound of Popeye laughing here)

I'll share some more pics over the next day or so. It was a nice evening for a photo shoot at the dock.

Death of a King

An ignoble end.

I actually think it is a red - but the decomposition was such I really couldn't tell. And, the title would have been off - Death of a Red - now how does THAT sound? ;-)

Privacy

We are being protected to death.

Buckle up, DO, DON't, sit, stand, walk, don't walk, run . . . .

but none of those things are what I am on about tonight.

No, I want to vent just a wee bit about the HPPA (or however it's abbreviated) laws - concerning our privacy.

Found a message on the machine when we returned from Anchorage Friday night. From the doc's office. The one who did that procedure. Please call the office.

Nothing else.

Please call the office.

Of course, it was way past closing hours when we arrived home. On a Friday night. Which means, I couldn't reach anyone until today. Three days later. I've just had that procedure. Now I receive a call from the doc's office that tells me absolutely nothing.

What am I supposed to think?

Finally reached them at 10 today - their message machine kept telling me the office was open at 9, but I kept hearing that message over and over and over again.

Finally reached a human who had no clue why I had been called. She got another human to come to the phone.

Oh, you have an appointment tomorrow - we were just calling to remind you.

Erm, excuse me? Why didn't you just say so? I have worried all weekend about this phone call.

We aren't allowed to do so because of HPPA regulations.

Sigh.

Must speak with doc tomorrow about this. My other doctors all leave this message: This is your doctor's office reminding you of an appointment tomorrow at 8 a.m. No privacy issue there at all - could be any doctor. I mean, my gyn doc's office leaves that message for crying out loud.

naw, I really wasn't worried. I just want THEM to think so. Gah! I'm being protected to death, I tell ya.

Just a small price to pay, I guess.

But really, be honest now. What do YOU do with the HPPA forms they keep handing you EVERY time you go to your doc's office?

I thought so.

circle file

yup - me, too.

MY, what big . . .

feet you have!

Miss Thang needed new shoes for school. (gym class) Mom gave me the size and Grandpa and I bought them this afternoon. When she tried them on at home she said "they're fine - a little tight - but fine." I said no way - and sent Mom and her back to the store to get a pair that fit.

We bought size 7

she needed

Oh, my, how quickly they grow up on us. ;-) Love ya, Miss Thang!

p.s. thanks, Lessa, for these surprise pics on my camera. ;-)

Coming and Going

Turnagain Arm has (one of) the largest tidal action in the world. I was trying to show you a bit of that with this pic. Please use your imagination to help you see it.

The difference of the water is where the incoming tide is meeting the outgoing tide. It causes quite a "rip" in this area. There are several locations where the water just boils.

Another phenomenon along Turnagain Arm is the bore tide. I've written before about watching surfers in the area lining up for a ride. You can read a bit more about it here.

Yup - we live in Alaska. We make our own fun.

Have a great Sunday everyone.
>..<

There's a

Fungus Among Us

back from Anchorage. Hubby passed the exam! And nobody hit us!

hooray all the way around!
>..<

It was a dark and

stormy night . . .

Well, not so much stormy - yet - as it is dark. And, boyhowdy, I wish I had video capability for this blog (not even sure there IS such a thing) - wish I could show you just how fast those clouds are scudding along out there.

The above pics will give you a bit of an idea. Maybe - concentrate on the clouds between the house and the tree. You can see the changes. I was clicking the shots off - 1 - 2 - 3. Well, there WAS a bit of a time lapse between 2 and 3. I was being entertained by a coupla young punks who were teasing Lessa's dog. They had no clue they could move as fast as they did when Sacha lunged at them. She made it to the end of her chain, but not before they had hotfooted it down the road. ;-) It was a dumb move on their part.

Of course, we all know that she would just lick them to death, but they don't know that. Heh

Have a great weekend, everyone. We are headed back to Anchortown tomorrow morning. Hubby has a final exam to take. He is in the other room studying and taking practice exams and sweating bullets right now. Poor guy.

We intend to stay OFF the road where we got hit a couple of weeks ago. ;-) My back can't take another hit - AND - we are taking the car this time, so I really don't want to be hit.

So - what are all of YOU doing this weekend. Have a safe one.
>..<

Where is the Maui Pool Boy?

Procedure went well - I seem to recall the doc coming in and saying something like that. I don't remember seeing the Maui Pool Boy I was promised by the meds nurse. Sigh.

I did wake up towards the end and remember some discomfort - looked up at the screen and saw more of my insides than I really cared to see - closed my eyes and woke up back in the day surgery ward with hubby talking to a nurse.

Not sure what time we left - I think hubby said we got home around 11 or so. We stopped in one of the rooms to visit a biker buddy who laid his ride down a couple of days ago. He was loopy on drugs, too. ;-) We must have made some goooooood conversation. lol

Lessa brought me some lunch and then I was out again until hubby came home around 5 or thereabouts. I'm a whole lot more clearheaded now.

Want to share a pic with you that I just received from a local restaurant owner. We visited this new place last winter when it first opened and took the oldest grandboy for his Sunday lunch. He looooooooooves bacon cheeseburgers. As we left that day, Sean gave the owners a thumbs up and said everything was GREAT!

This is what they did:

So, the next time you're in Soldotna, you need to stop by the Chef's Express and tell them Sean sent you. 'kay?

Okay, folks. I am off and back to the chair - I feel another snooze coming on. Hope I sleep tonight, too. ;-)

The joys of being 50 plus

We get to drink lovely (that word is dripping with HEAVY sarcasm) cocktails. MMMMMMMMMM yummy . . . . NOT!

Because I opted for the generic (which my insurance covered as a tier 1 drug) there is no flavoring added. Sigh! Only a couple more glasses to go, I think. Yay! urgh!

Off to the hospital early early tomorrow for the lovely procedure which follows the above prep.

But, first I had to see my primary care physician today to check on whether or not I needed to be pre-medicated with antibiotics. I have this little systolic heart murmur and need to be pre-medicated prior to dental work. The above mentioned procedure falls along the same lines. So I had a nice chat with my doc this a.m. and he said, yes, we should do that - and in the fall I should probably have an echocardiogram. Looking at that page, I wanna opt for the first kind - no sticking things down my espohagus and such if I can avoid it, huh?

But that is all for later. I will close with the words the nurse sent me off with today . . .

Bottoms Up!

sigh!

Saturday

Each year the agency I work for holds a run to raise awareness of the domestic violence problem in our area. Today was the day - it takes a year to plan - and many hands to make light work.

The first runner - 5k race - crossed the line in about 22 minutes. The first 10k runner crossed the line in just about 45 minutes!

I used to run - back when I had knees. Oh, wait - that's the reason I don't have knees! ;-) But, my fastest 10k time was 1:05 - nowhere near today's times. Sigh!

Oh to be young again.

Not!

But - I am worn out. There is a lot of work in putting on the run - most of it is accomplished in bits and pieces throughout the year, but so much is done right there at the very end. All employees (for the most part) have part in planning and facilitating the run. We each have our areas of "expertise" and then on race day each of us is assigned a spot either as safety personnel or one of the timers, etc.

oh, by the way - that misty stuff in the background of the photo? Cold, misty fog which rolled in early this morning! We expected a weekend just like the rest of the week has been - sunny and H.O.T. - but got cold, misty fog. While it is better for runners to have cool weather, this was a bit different. We were all shivering by the end of the day. And, my hands are still cold. ;-)

It's a lot of fun - but it's a lot of work.

And, I just realized I forgot a doctor's appointment I had set up for today. It was important that I keep that appointment - apparently not so important, however, for me to remember it. Sigh. So a question will remain unanswered prior to my little procedure Tuesday morning. Guess I will have to do what I should be doing anyway - trust in the Lord. His hand will be on me and that is all that I could ask.

Have a great weekend everyone.

Bumps in the Road

Last chance to help Lisa's babysitter make her dream come true. Come on - you know you wanna!

From sub fifteens to twenty minute miles in one day . . . sigh

Hubby and I went to Anchortown Friday - he had a test to take on Saturday. (Yay, btw, he PASSED it! Congrats mr. moose!)

We did some shopping for a friend and conducted some business for ourselves, then had some dinner. Then we headed over to our B&B for the night.

and hit a bump in the road.

rather, got bumped while ON the road.

a small fender-bender. We stopped - the person behind us did not stop.

Praise the Lord, the belly dump behind HER did stop. I looked into the rear view mirror just as she hit us and saw him behind her - all I could think of was an oreocookiesandwich - with her as the creamy filling! Praise the Lord that didn't happen!

Praise the Lord - we were in hubby's van, not my little car. The other driver was in a big SUV.

Very little damage to our van - a hole in the plastic bumper. Slightly more damage to her (mother's!) SUV. She has had to replace that bumper.

But, I was behind the wheel - with both hands on the steering wheel, and one foot on the brake. We were stopped in a line of traffic. Because I had those three points in contact with the vehicle, the collision got me. My lower back. Ouch!

OH, I'll be fine - my chiropractic doctor is taking good care of me - I am icing in between visits - the gal's insurance is paying for it -

buuuuuuutttttttttt . . .

there went my sub-fifteen minute miles. Out the window. This morning I only walked two miles (doc told me to take it easy) and it took me 45 minutes!!! Wah!

Actually, my doctor said it was a good thing that I am in as good shape as I am (preen!) because I might be hurting a whole lot more if I had not been. (Yay, me!)

And - the sub-fifteens will be back. In the meantime I will just shuffle along.

pardon me - excuse me - coming through -

thanks for listening.
>..<

Sub Fifteens

My poor big toenails are both purple. I think I should try to find matching nail polish and make ALL of my toenails the same color. ;-)

The left toe was injured a few weeks ago when I dropped a large plastic tub (empty) and the corner hit the corner of my toe. Ouch, ouch, ouch . . . It stopped hurting a few days later and the bruise has just spread to this.

The right toe on the other hand has NOT been injured. Well, at least not by a box. And it really hasn't hurt. However, as you can tell it is quite discolored. I will likely lose the nail on that toe. And, THAT will hurt. Oh, not the losing of it, but the unprotected nailbed. I lost that nail once before - in the 80s after I had surgery to correct a bunion.

No, this nail's color is the result of the sub-fifteens mentioned in the title.

When I first began walking outside this spring my times were dismal. Okay by me, really, for the shape I was in, but still slow, slow, slow. Three miles would take me 57 minutes to complete.

This week? Well, friends, THIS week I posted TWO sub-fifteen minute mile days. My three miles were finished Thursday in 44:48 and Friday in 44:11. How very cool is that? Very, if I may say so myself. Hard work, but rewarding - in stamina and body shaping.

The bike trail has mileage marked in half mile increments. I walk from mile 9.5 to a turnaround at mile 11, then back to mile 9.5. The walk from my house to that mile marker is my warm up. To cool down I walk about a mile further and then back to the house. Those steps are at a much slower pace, which is a good thing. I fetch the paper from the end of the drive and glance over the front page while doing my stretches.

Multi-tasking. I'm all about multi-tasking.

So, the toes are a bit beaten up, but the moose is not daunted by colored nals. Nosireebob! They are just cool enough to be . . . . well, COOL. ;-)

Pardon my drool

There is a place in our town where many people go for lunch. It's sort of a drive-in with a view. Not everyone eats - but a lot do. Some come with friends/loved ones and some come alone.

We nose our cars towards the view and settle in for awhile. Some crank up the tunes (durn 'em) and others roll down the windows to catch nature's symphony. I'm in the latter category (as if you couldn't figure that out by the "durn 'em" comment, huh?). I roll down the windows just a bit, move my seat back, tilt the steering wheel up, recline the seat and settle in for a bit of a snooze.

Today, it seems I wasn't the only one to drift off while listening to the gulls fight over salmon scraps. When my watch beeped at 12:45 (yes, I have to use an alarm!) I sat up and stretched, looked around and several others nearby were leaned back in their own dream world.

Kind of nice - that we can feel safe enough to drift away for a short refresher. Well, yes, my doors were locked, but that is because I hadn't taken the key out of the ignition. But we were all safe enough.

overlooking the mouth of the Kenai River.

overlooking Cook Inlet

overlooking the commercial fleet of fishing boats

overlooking some of God's prettiest country

lulled to sleep by the sounds of the outgoing tide and the gulls

and by the radio a couple of cars away

resting without a care for what is going on in the outside world.

very nice.

have a great Tuesday, everyone.

could you hand me a tissue, I think I might have drooled a tad.