Thursday, January 26, 2012
Martin Luther King Weekend
This year, rather than stay in a hotel equidistant between Hilary and Rich, we decided on a dinner on Wellesley Rd. Hilary, Chuck, Nick and Joey came in on Friday night for the weekend and we had our first real snow and cold for the year. Although I had tons to do around the house to prepare, I was probably the only person in the county who was genuinely upset that JD had a snow day on Friday. (I don't mind missing work but Bruce Coville was coming after months of planning and preparing students and each snow day takes away from my Memorial Day weekend in Cape Cod days) Joey missed the hotel pool but had fun dragging Rob into the attic for XBox. Actually, Joey hoped that Saturday would be sunny so he could swim. Instead, Joey and I went for a walk to the park while the sports side of the family watched endless football games on TV. He was adamant that he needed to get across the monkey bars before he could climb on the opposite side of the playground but it took a LONG TIME in 10 degree weather before he finally made it.
Before going inside, Joey checked out the pool. 
We enjoyed a simple dinner of Mom's Ragout, garlic bread and Clanny's Corn Casserole. Dessert was brownies and cookies from Harrison Bakery...always a treat. I did get a nice shot of the BOYS on the couch. 
Notice how many people can fit on the new couch. I bet if Garrett had been with us instead of Targeting, he might have fit too!
Yeah...books! I went to Bruce Coville's house to get these autographed for Joey.
Before going inside, Joey checked out the pool. 
We enjoyed a simple dinner of Mom's Ragout, garlic bread and Clanny's Corn Casserole. Dessert was brownies and cookies from Harrison Bakery...always a treat. I did get a nice shot of the BOYS on the couch. 
Notice how many people can fit on the new couch. I bet if Garrett had been with us instead of Targeting, he might have fit too!
Yeah...books! I went to Bruce Coville's house to get these autographed for Joey.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Traditions
Rob and I bought the tree at Luchsinger's farm in Tully....a tradition Ian and I started about 15 years ago. We spent about 5 minutes picking the tree (no pictures) and another 30 minutes hanging with the cows (lots of pictures). 
We have had an unusually warm and snowless winter as evidenced by the still green landscape.
Rob and I lived with the plain tree for a few weeks until Ian came home from Cornell and we set aside an afternoon for the family tradition...decorating while watching Christmas Vacation. I still laugh pathetically seconds before every funny scene in that movie.
Santa came right on schedule and we enjoyed opening our gifts from each other and a breakfast of french toast and bacon on the Christmas Eve plates and drinking juice from our Santa mugs.
We have had an unusually warm and snowless winter as evidenced by the still green landscape.
Rob and I lived with the plain tree for a few weeks until Ian came home from Cornell and we set aside an afternoon for the family tradition...decorating while watching Christmas Vacation. I still laugh pathetically seconds before every funny scene in that movie.
Santa came right on schedule and we enjoyed opening our gifts from each other and a breakfast of french toast and bacon on the Christmas Eve plates and drinking juice from our Santa mugs.
Saturday, December 31, 2011
How I Spent My Summer Vacation - The End
Actually, it wasn't my end at all....just my left side. After a lifetime of right sided maladies (appendix, broken elbow, broken arm, smashed humerus ball, stitches in ankle, brachial cleft cyst) I finally damaged the left, most likely in an attempt to even things up a little. Late in the summer, immediately before returning to work, I fell off my bike. Each day, I rode around the park and every time I went down this very steep hill I thought, "Damn this would this hurt if I crashed." I survived the hill but lost control of my bike while riding up the next hill. My right foot slipped off the peddle and the bike wobbled out of control. Coming down the hill towards me was a family and some kids on bikes and I could only think about how stupid I looked crashing into the road. I landed on my left side with the bike on top of me. This lovely young woman pushing a stroller stopped to help me. She kept repeating, "can I help you up?" or "can I call someone?" I finally asked her to take the bike off of me. And then I let her know her baby was heading down the hill in the carriage. With baby finally parked, she removed the bike and I tried to stand up.
I felt the impact keenly in my face of all places and my nose was sore and bleeding. My left arm and knee had that classic look of imbedded gravel...something I have not experienced in about 40 years. I struggled to stand and called Rob to pick me up in the park. Swollen nose, immovable arm and with difficulty breathing I showered and went in to work for a few hours.
The next morning was bad and Rob drove me to Urgent Care for x-rays of my nose, ribs and shoulder. I left with a prescription for an anti-inflammatory but no broken bones. The black eye was attractive (my 1st) and the scabs were quite gross but my ribs hurt like hell. It was weeks before I could laugh or sneeze without screaming. If this was pain for bruised ribs, I can't imagine how painful a broken rib would be. As the ribs became less tender I noticed my left shoulder was still painful and I was certainly babying it. Any sudden movements induced a sharp pain and it was just getting worse. Around Thanksgiving, I called an Orthopedic Doctor and made an appointment.
I had an appointment for early December and I had to get my x-rays from Urgent Care before the appointment. Of course, I had to open the envelope and read the reports and try to view the x-rays. Guess what? My nose was broken! "There is a small fleck of bone off the very distal tip of the nasal bone and I question a small nondisplaced fracture. There is also some fragmentation of the in the maxillary spine anteriorly. Soft tissues are unremarkable." Unremarkable? Obviously, Wilfred Carey III, MD does not have experience with the Hollister nose. I couldn't find my nose x-rays among the thousands of files on this disc but I found my chest and shoulder.
You will notice the extra white stuff in my right shoulder just above ball. That must be calcium or something from the smashed "ball in the socket accident" from 1997 and explains why my right shoulder hurts too.
After a trip to Dr. Newman and an MRI and another trip to Dr. Newman, I find out I have a complete tear of the rotator cuff. Luckily, his surgery scheduler was on vacation so I get to wait until next week for the date. The surgery didn't sound too bad but the 1st round of 8 weeks of physical therapy (3 x per week for 90 minutes) will be a nightmare. If I had that much time in my life I would go to the gym and work out or something.
Happy New Year Everyone.
I felt the impact keenly in my face of all places and my nose was sore and bleeding. My left arm and knee had that classic look of imbedded gravel...something I have not experienced in about 40 years. I struggled to stand and called Rob to pick me up in the park. Swollen nose, immovable arm and with difficulty breathing I showered and went in to work for a few hours.
The next morning was bad and Rob drove me to Urgent Care for x-rays of my nose, ribs and shoulder. I left with a prescription for an anti-inflammatory but no broken bones. The black eye was attractive (my 1st) and the scabs were quite gross but my ribs hurt like hell. It was weeks before I could laugh or sneeze without screaming. If this was pain for bruised ribs, I can't imagine how painful a broken rib would be. As the ribs became less tender I noticed my left shoulder was still painful and I was certainly babying it. Any sudden movements induced a sharp pain and it was just getting worse. Around Thanksgiving, I called an Orthopedic Doctor and made an appointment.
I had an appointment for early December and I had to get my x-rays from Urgent Care before the appointment. Of course, I had to open the envelope and read the reports and try to view the x-rays. Guess what? My nose was broken! "There is a small fleck of bone off the very distal tip of the nasal bone and I question a small nondisplaced fracture. There is also some fragmentation of the in the maxillary spine anteriorly. Soft tissues are unremarkable." Unremarkable? Obviously, Wilfred Carey III, MD does not have experience with the Hollister nose. I couldn't find my nose x-rays among the thousands of files on this disc but I found my chest and shoulder.
You will notice the extra white stuff in my right shoulder just above ball. That must be calcium or something from the smashed "ball in the socket accident" from 1997 and explains why my right shoulder hurts too.
After a trip to Dr. Newman and an MRI and another trip to Dr. Newman, I find out I have a complete tear of the rotator cuff. Luckily, his surgery scheduler was on vacation so I get to wait until next week for the date. The surgery didn't sound too bad but the 1st round of 8 weeks of physical therapy (3 x per week for 90 minutes) will be a nightmare. If I had that much time in my life I would go to the gym and work out or something.
Happy New Year Everyone.
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
How I Spent My Summer Vacation - Part 6
Laughing
Rob had a booth at the Syracuse Arts & Crafts Festival. This is one of my favorite shows because it is 5 minutes away from the house and it lasts for 3 days. With the 2 day shows we usually have to leave the house before sunrise, drive several hours, set up the tent and display and do everything again the next day in reverse order. With a 3 day show the middle day is a gift with no set up or tear down involved and I just hold court all day. It is kind of fun to just hang out in a lawn chair in the sun with a book and chat with all the people I know that come by. Of course, this is Syracuse and the sales sucked but I had fun.
I usually take quite a few pictures but this year I only took two. One day, Rob yelled (maybe yelled is too strong of a word...it is Rob after all), "You have to get a picture of this dog!" I grabbed my camera and tried to focus on the dog because....
I was laughing hysterically at the owner.
Rob had a booth at the Syracuse Arts & Crafts Festival. This is one of my favorite shows because it is 5 minutes away from the house and it lasts for 3 days. With the 2 day shows we usually have to leave the house before sunrise, drive several hours, set up the tent and display and do everything again the next day in reverse order. With a 3 day show the middle day is a gift with no set up or tear down involved and I just hold court all day. It is kind of fun to just hang out in a lawn chair in the sun with a book and chat with all the people I know that come by. Of course, this is Syracuse and the sales sucked but I had fun.
I usually take quite a few pictures but this year I only took two. One day, Rob yelled (maybe yelled is too strong of a word...it is Rob after all), "You have to get a picture of this dog!" I grabbed my camera and tried to focus on the dog because....
I was laughing hysterically at the owner.
Friday, December 9, 2011
How I Spent My Summer Vacation - Part 5
Meet Irene.
Irene began life like most robins...in a nest safe from predators. Only Irene's parents had the misfortune to build their nest in the backyard of 311 Wellesley Rd. where the in-ground swimming pool claims the lives of many a small creature.
I often wondered if this pair of robins were the same pair to build a nest over the floodlight, but above the back door, in May of 2010. While the light nest was safe from cats and squirrels, the eggs got very little warmth from the parents due to our constant comings and goings. The tree nest was easier for me to observe on a daily basis and the parents never minded our backyard activities. Of course, I did move the grill so I wasn't barbequing directly beneath the small family.
The eggs hatched and the babies grew with the constant feedings from the parents.
As they got bigger and bigger, I kept closer watch on the nest. 
One day, the unthinkable happened. One baby was found dead under the tree and the other was hopping around the pool, much too small to leave the nest in my opinion.
I spent the entire day in the backyard ready to dive in and save the bird at a moments notice. I was in constant contact with my friend Kerry, vet technician and pediatric emergency care nurse since I was concerned about the small size of the fledgling and it's inability to fly or feed independently. She suggested I pop him back into the nest so minutes before we were to leave for a Chiefs' game I made Rob drag the ladder up from the cellar so I could re-nest the baby. When I put baby 1 into the nest, baby 2 jumped out and eventually both were reluctant to remain in the nest. Meanwhile, the parents are nowhere to be found and I needed guidance. Jumbo beers and peanuts were calling me.
We came home from the game and I went immediately into the backyard to check on the babies. I could only find baby 2 and he didn't look good. I built a nest in a small woven basket and hung it in the tree with the hopes that his parents would find him before the neighbors cat.
Alas, baby 2 did not survive the night but baby 1 was alive and well and hopping around the pool edge. I spent another day at the poolside watching over baby 1 and even feeding him worms. Actually, the mother would hop down and feed him periodically but I was ready to put in a call to CPS for neglect.
I dug up worms, washed them off, cut them in half and popped them into his mouth. Rob thought I was going above and beyond with the washing off part but he accepted my robin vigil.
Early the next morning, Rob found the baby in the pool...floating around on his side. He scooped him out and placed him under a bush in the garden and came inside to wake me with coffee and the terrible news. I blamed myself for intervening in the first place and getting attached and moped around the house in a funk. Around 9 am I forced myself to go check on the baby and he was still lying on his side under the bush, mouth opening and closing in silence. I wrapped him in a towel and carried him around for several hours like a baby...eating my breakfast, reading the paper etc with this bird. When it was obvious there would be no improvement, I took him outside and placed him under the Black-Eyed Susans to die. I returned from a walk about an hour later to a very loud squawking robin begging to be fed.
Day 3 of not leaving the pool but now we were in the grips of an impending hurricane, Irene. I cared for him during the day and went inside when the winds and rain took over. He was perched on a ladder behind the shed and I went out several times during the night to make sure he was safe.
He survived the night and was promptly named Irene. At this point I needed to get into work and prepare my classroom but I was reluctant to leave the yard during daylight hours. Also I was worried that Irene was never going to master flying so he could manage the 6ft fence surrounding my yard. Rob was not open to the idea of driving him south for the winter. I turned off the pool pump and went to work, confidant that at least he wouldn't be sucked into the filter if he hopped into the pool.
I returned home later in the day and he had mastered the big hop...showing off by hopping up onto the top of a bush or the cross piece of the fence. He enjoyed the Moon Plant and the ladder, hopping up and down with a little flutter of wing. At this point, I was ready for him to leave since the stress was too much.
The next morning I checked on him before leaving for work. He was doing his hop-flutter step to the top cross rung of the fence. I was proud but happy I would not have to teach him to fly. When I returned home in the evening he was gone. No note, no good-bye...nothing. I hope he is happy.
Did I mention that Ian left for school days before Irene left the nest? I think I need a dog.
Irene began life like most robins...in a nest safe from predators. Only Irene's parents had the misfortune to build their nest in the backyard of 311 Wellesley Rd. where the in-ground swimming pool claims the lives of many a small creature.
I often wondered if this pair of robins were the same pair to build a nest over the floodlight, but above the back door, in May of 2010. While the light nest was safe from cats and squirrels, the eggs got very little warmth from the parents due to our constant comings and goings. The tree nest was easier for me to observe on a daily basis and the parents never minded our backyard activities. Of course, I did move the grill so I wasn't barbequing directly beneath the small family.
The eggs hatched and the babies grew with the constant feedings from the parents.
As they got bigger and bigger, I kept closer watch on the nest. 
One day, the unthinkable happened. One baby was found dead under the tree and the other was hopping around the pool, much too small to leave the nest in my opinion.I spent the entire day in the backyard ready to dive in and save the bird at a moments notice. I was in constant contact with my friend Kerry, vet technician and pediatric emergency care nurse since I was concerned about the small size of the fledgling and it's inability to fly or feed independently. She suggested I pop him back into the nest so minutes before we were to leave for a Chiefs' game I made Rob drag the ladder up from the cellar so I could re-nest the baby. When I put baby 1 into the nest, baby 2 jumped out and eventually both were reluctant to remain in the nest. Meanwhile, the parents are nowhere to be found and I needed guidance. Jumbo beers and peanuts were calling me.
We came home from the game and I went immediately into the backyard to check on the babies. I could only find baby 2 and he didn't look good. I built a nest in a small woven basket and hung it in the tree with the hopes that his parents would find him before the neighbors cat.
Alas, baby 2 did not survive the night but baby 1 was alive and well and hopping around the pool edge. I spent another day at the poolside watching over baby 1 and even feeding him worms. Actually, the mother would hop down and feed him periodically but I was ready to put in a call to CPS for neglect.
I dug up worms, washed them off, cut them in half and popped them into his mouth. Rob thought I was going above and beyond with the washing off part but he accepted my robin vigil.Early the next morning, Rob found the baby in the pool...floating around on his side. He scooped him out and placed him under a bush in the garden and came inside to wake me with coffee and the terrible news. I blamed myself for intervening in the first place and getting attached and moped around the house in a funk. Around 9 am I forced myself to go check on the baby and he was still lying on his side under the bush, mouth opening and closing in silence. I wrapped him in a towel and carried him around for several hours like a baby...eating my breakfast, reading the paper etc with this bird. When it was obvious there would be no improvement, I took him outside and placed him under the Black-Eyed Susans to die. I returned from a walk about an hour later to a very loud squawking robin begging to be fed.
Day 3 of not leaving the pool but now we were in the grips of an impending hurricane, Irene. I cared for him during the day and went inside when the winds and rain took over. He was perched on a ladder behind the shed and I went out several times during the night to make sure he was safe.He survived the night and was promptly named Irene. At this point I needed to get into work and prepare my classroom but I was reluctant to leave the yard during daylight hours. Also I was worried that Irene was never going to master flying so he could manage the 6ft fence surrounding my yard. Rob was not open to the idea of driving him south for the winter. I turned off the pool pump and went to work, confidant that at least he wouldn't be sucked into the filter if he hopped into the pool.
I returned home later in the day and he had mastered the big hop...showing off by hopping up onto the top of a bush or the cross piece of the fence. He enjoyed the Moon Plant and the ladder, hopping up and down with a little flutter of wing. At this point, I was ready for him to leave since the stress was too much.
The next morning I checked on him before leaving for work. He was doing his hop-flutter step to the top cross rung of the fence. I was proud but happy I would not have to teach him to fly. When I returned home in the evening he was gone. No note, no good-bye...nothing. I hope he is happy.
Did I mention that Ian left for school days before Irene left the nest? I think I need a dog.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
How I Spent My Summer Vacation - Part 4
Building a pump house! OK, I didn't build the pump house, I played with the dog. This is a long story so sit back and relax.
When I opened the pool in May and connected all the connections the pump was LOUD...very loud. Rob and Ian assured me the sound was no louder than normal but I was obsessed with the noise. I spoke to my friendly neighborhood pool man, Jared, at Tarson in Fairmount and he said pumps get louder as they age. (Kind of like Rich!) He recommended I take the pump to Syracuse Armature on Burnet Ave. I walked around for days just saying the word ARMATURE. I have never used the word before, doubted it was a word and had to look it up in the dictionary. Who knew? It is now my new favorite word but I have never had the chance to use it is casual conversation. The kind man at Syracuse Armature called me after several days with the sad news. The pump would cost more than $200 to rebuild. While I love to reuse and recycle it made sense at the time to just buy a new one. I spent the day making phone calls and getting prices and finally decided on a pump at Tarson on Taft...a place I have vowed many times to avoid. I dragged Ian and all the fittings and connections with me so Ian could be tutored on how to install the new pump. We spent a good hour in Tarson while the dumb ass in parts rebuilt the connections and explained to Ian how the pieces connected.
The next morning, Ian was to install the new pump while I was at work. Only I awoke to a note next to the bed from Ian. I saved the note because it was priceless and someday I will remember where I put it.
The note (paraphrased) said,
"Good News: I couldn't fall asleep so I decided to install the pump when the sun came up.
Bad News: There is no electrical cord to plug the pump in.
Good News: We don't own any guns so I didn't drive to Tarson.
I went for a run. Love, Ian"
I slowly walked to the window to look down at the pool and my naked son was cooling down in the pool. He made me check the box and the pump...afraid that I would find something he didn't. He was correct...no plug. I called the electrician (who answered the phone at 7 am) and explained the situation and the fact we have been pumpless for quite some time. No problem.
Of course, I was as hysterical as Ian that the guy at Tarson could not have bothered to mention that the pump needed to be wired. I don't feel I need to ask the question, "Does this have a cord?" every time I purchase an electrical appliance. As I recall, when I purchased the dryer the cord was separate and I thought that was inane...but at least they mentioned it so I could plug in the damn dryer!
The electrician wired the pump, Ian connected the fittings and we finally had water circulation. Except the PUMP WAS TOO LOUD! Actually, the pump was pretty quiet but the force of the water traveling through the hoses and into the filter was loud. Rob & Ian thought I was insane at this point. I called Tarson and they made a service call, spent 30 minutes connecting, reconnecting and twisting things and told me it wasn't THAT bad. In fact, he told me the noise wasn't as annoying as the dog next door and that he thought the pump was too big and I should have bought a 1 1/2 HP instead of a 2 HP. (Again I am thankful we don't own firearms since Tarson told me I needed a 2 HP pump!)
I was complaining fiercely to Justin, the music teacher at Tecumseh and he recommended I build a pump house and offered to build it. He measured and designed and even measured the pitch of the shed so the roof line would match. Justin bought the materials and came over 1 day with Layla to start constructing.
He cut and nailed and I played with Layla. Layla was curious about the duck but wanted nothing to do with the water. 
I had to coax her to even put her feet in to get a drink. She brought a ball with her and would drop it in the pool and cry until somebody (me) would take it out. 
I had great fun.
I love the new pump house because it is so neat and clean.
But it's still too loud.
When I opened the pool in May and connected all the connections the pump was LOUD...very loud. Rob and Ian assured me the sound was no louder than normal but I was obsessed with the noise. I spoke to my friendly neighborhood pool man, Jared, at Tarson in Fairmount and he said pumps get louder as they age. (Kind of like Rich!) He recommended I take the pump to Syracuse Armature on Burnet Ave. I walked around for days just saying the word ARMATURE. I have never used the word before, doubted it was a word and had to look it up in the dictionary. Who knew? It is now my new favorite word but I have never had the chance to use it is casual conversation. The kind man at Syracuse Armature called me after several days with the sad news. The pump would cost more than $200 to rebuild. While I love to reuse and recycle it made sense at the time to just buy a new one. I spent the day making phone calls and getting prices and finally decided on a pump at Tarson on Taft...a place I have vowed many times to avoid. I dragged Ian and all the fittings and connections with me so Ian could be tutored on how to install the new pump. We spent a good hour in Tarson while the dumb ass in parts rebuilt the connections and explained to Ian how the pieces connected.
The next morning, Ian was to install the new pump while I was at work. Only I awoke to a note next to the bed from Ian. I saved the note because it was priceless and someday I will remember where I put it.
The note (paraphrased) said,
"Good News: I couldn't fall asleep so I decided to install the pump when the sun came up.
Bad News: There is no electrical cord to plug the pump in.
Good News: We don't own any guns so I didn't drive to Tarson.
I went for a run. Love, Ian"
I slowly walked to the window to look down at the pool and my naked son was cooling down in the pool. He made me check the box and the pump...afraid that I would find something he didn't. He was correct...no plug. I called the electrician (who answered the phone at 7 am) and explained the situation and the fact we have been pumpless for quite some time. No problem.
Of course, I was as hysterical as Ian that the guy at Tarson could not have bothered to mention that the pump needed to be wired. I don't feel I need to ask the question, "Does this have a cord?" every time I purchase an electrical appliance. As I recall, when I purchased the dryer the cord was separate and I thought that was inane...but at least they mentioned it so I could plug in the damn dryer!
The electrician wired the pump, Ian connected the fittings and we finally had water circulation. Except the PUMP WAS TOO LOUD! Actually, the pump was pretty quiet but the force of the water traveling through the hoses and into the filter was loud. Rob & Ian thought I was insane at this point. I called Tarson and they made a service call, spent 30 minutes connecting, reconnecting and twisting things and told me it wasn't THAT bad. In fact, he told me the noise wasn't as annoying as the dog next door and that he thought the pump was too big and I should have bought a 1 1/2 HP instead of a 2 HP. (Again I am thankful we don't own firearms since Tarson told me I needed a 2 HP pump!)
I was complaining fiercely to Justin, the music teacher at Tecumseh and he recommended I build a pump house and offered to build it. He measured and designed and even measured the pitch of the shed so the roof line would match. Justin bought the materials and came over 1 day with Layla to start constructing.
He cut and nailed and I played with Layla. Layla was curious about the duck but wanted nothing to do with the water. 
I had to coax her to even put her feet in to get a drink. She brought a ball with her and would drop it in the pool and cry until somebody (me) would take it out. 
I had great fun.I love the new pump house because it is so neat and clean.
But it's still too loud.
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