Jul - Sep 2007

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JULY 2007

Today we are heading to the lake for a week of "tag team" camping...  Since Mike and I both have to work most of the week, we have arranged it so we each can be off one day and then Granny & PopPop will stay a couple of days with all the grandkids.  But for today, we are just going to set up camp, then head out on the lake for the rest of the day.  We bought Tommy a knee board and he is anxious to get his first shot at it.

We hit the lake and hook up with Mike's cousin, Bill & his wife Ann and kids along with their friends.  Bill is in the water with one of their kids getting him up on the wake board, and gives Tommy some pointers on how to master this knee board.  It doesn't take him long to get the hang of it...  now the hard part will be getting him off of it.  After about an hour or so, the storms come in and we have to get off the lake.  We head back to our campsite, change clothes, and make our way back across the lake to Bill & Ann's house.  Its about 5 minutes by boat from our marina, but about 30 minutes by car.  We spend the evening with them, dinner and drinks... then its time to head back to camp.  I must get up and do my duty at going to work tomorrow.  Its going to be a rough ride into town bright and early!

Photos this adventure (upcoming)

While I am at work, the "boys" catch up with Bill & Ann and hang out with them on the lake.  Tommy is really getting the hang of this knee board.  Mid afternoon, I get a text message, that there is a crisis at the lake.  The guys are about to run out of their favorite rum for a drink they make called a "Pirate".  Its great going down, but if you get too much it will give you a whopper of a headache the next morning.  I get off work and stop by the liquor store a purchase the last two bottles of this particular rum that they have and hit the road to the lake.  I have been instructed to come straight to Bill & Ann's house and that Mike will meet me there with the boat.  Not sure how we will get the car back across the lake, but that is a problem with can address at another time.  I arrive at the house and there is not a soul to be found.  I figured they would be there when I arrived, but guess they were having too much fun on the lake.  I head on over to the marina, and as I arrive Bill is pulling the boat in its stall.  They inform me that Mike and Tommy would be back, they had gone back to the campsite for some clothes.  The evening is full of good food, good drinks, and good fun...  Tomorrow is my turn to get to stay at the lake, so I really don't care what time we make it back to the campsite.  So far Tommy is having a blast of a summer...

Mike is off to work, not so bright and early, but since its the day before a holiday the business will be really slow.  As a matter of fact he was only gone for a couple of hours, and was back before we were even dressed and ready to go out on the lake.  This afternoon Susan will be coming out to enjoy the fireworks and the festivities at Bill & Ann's house.  After a couple of hours out on the lake we head back in to wait for Susan.  As usual she gets lost, not sure where she is turning, but I think it happens every time she comes to the lake.  Once she arrives we take our boat over to Bill & Ann's.  We have boiled some shrimp but the big draw tonight is, Bill cooked ribs last night...  we have heard a lot about them, and are dying to give them a try.  Apparently Bill use to do some rib competitions in the past.  I guess he gave that up for family...  with the boys they are plenty busy.  After dinner we head off to watch the fireworks.  You can only imagine how many boats are out there...  of course I took some pictures, but only ended up with a couple of decent ones.  That is something I am going to have to work on.  After the fireworks we are back to Bill & Ann's for a little more party before we call it a night. 

Well its the 4th of July, but since we celebrated last night, it doesn't really feel like the holiday.  Except the fact that we don't have to go to work.  Today we took the boat out instead of the Jetski...  Tommy & I loaded up on Bill & Ann's boat so I can get some pictures of all the kids.  Mike is going to just tag along behind.  It won't be a long day cause Bill's group is heading back to Dallas tonight.  After several hours of all the boys, 5 of them, fighting over who's turn it was to get to go next on the knee boards.  Everybody had enough and I had taken about all the pictures I wanted, it was time to call it quits for the day.  We say our goodbyes and head back over to the campsite.  We are going back home for the night.  Tommy will come back up tomorrow with Granny & PopPop and Mike & I will come up after work on Friday.

Once Mike picks me up from work we hit the road to the lake.  Granny & PopPop, brought Kristen, Austin, and one of Kristen's friends and have picked up Tommy on the way to the lake.  They stayed with the kids in the camper last night, and we will keep all the kids tonight.  Vicki & Wally will come up in the morning.  By the time we arrive the kids have already eaten, and are off entertaining themselves.  Tommy has taught Austin how to ride a bicycle.  The way I understand it, Austin has never shown a lot of interest in learning how to ride one, because of where they live it would be quite hard to learn to ride.  The campground with its flat roads was a perfect area to learn.  Tommy even got Kristen to ride...  by the end of the evening they were calling home wanting new bicycles.  Not sure how that is going to turn out.

Vicki & Wally arrive, and as we had suspected, they hit the Walmart late last night buying 2 new bicycles.  It didn't take the kids long and they were off with their new prizes.  I think Kristen was a little disappointed cause it was a bit too tall for her and she was having a very easy time, at least not as easy as Austin was.  After loading the boat up, we hit the water for a day of fun.  We park the boat out in calm water.  Today we have brought our private floating island.  Once aired up, I park my rear end on it and relax the day away...  kind of felt a bit unsociable, but obviously I needed the rest, and slept away most of the day.  Mike & Wally take turns with the kids on the knee board.  I think everybody had a good time.  Its time to go in... we are grilling burgers tonight, and roasting marshmallows.  A fitting end to a long week at the lake. 

Our week on the lake is coming to an end.  We spend a couple of hours out on the lake, but its time to pack up and head home.  What is the saying?  Every good thing must come to an end...  or something like that.  it has been a fun filled week, one we are sure Tommy will remember for a very long time.  Its time to head back home to reality...

Tonight we are benefiting from a friend of Mike's generosity...  he has given us two tickets to the Arkansas Twisters.  They are the local arena footbal team.  Since we only had two tickets we decided to ask Mike's dad and just purchase two more.  Well as luck has it, they are on the second row.  So Tommy and I take the really good seats, while Mike & Dad are a few rows back.  We have never been to one of these games, but hear they are a real blast.  My friend Danny gives us a packing pass for one of the suite holders.  So we have it made...  free tickets and up close and special parking to boot.  We have arrived a little early, but understand that there is a lot of "stuff" for the kids if you arrive early.  I could shoot myself, cause I didn't bring the camera...  I mean what was I thinking.  Oh that would be that I was not thinking at all.  We were in a bit of a rush, I had thought about it earlier in the day but didn't remember it when it counted.  After a pit stop or two we make it to our seats and we are like "right there".  At times during the game, it was almost like we were too close.  However it paid off...  Tommy ended up with a game ball, which is close to impossible.  My sister Wendy, her husband Jerry, and friends of theirs go to just about every game and have never gotten one.  I guess someone was smiling down on Tommy tonight.  The kid was so wired, I didn't think he was ever going to get settled down.  The Twister's did win, and after the game the guy that gave Tommy the ball, Jon Schoonover, came out and signed the ball for him.  Ok yeah I know a photo op missed...  Jon did go find the team photographer and took his picture with Tommy and the ball.  We are trying to get that picture now, and I will post it when we get it.  Tommy was a happy kid.  He even slept with that ball that night.  Mike & I love being able to give him some good times...  since we don't know how much good times he gets at home.  It was a perfect evening...  well except the forgetting the camera part!

Well today I go under the knife again.  This time for a torn shoulder.  I messed it up in May of 2006 while Mike and I were hiking in Taos New Mexico.  I slipped on some ice and fell...  when I went down I tried to catch myself with my left arm.  Who knows what I would have hurt if I had not had my backpack on.  It probably save my hard head.  My doctor is Dr. Hefley, of Martin, Bowen and Hefley.  As I understand it, it is the place to go in Little Rock for Orthopedic needs.  We arrive shortly after 9am and get all my paper work done.  They told me the surgery would probably be around 10:30.  Shortly before 11am they take me back to the pre-op area.  I wait, and wait, while they get the I.V. going and ask me for about the 100th time which shoulder they would be working on.  They finally bring Mike & Wendy back and we wait some more.  Now I wait probably 2 hours, and after having almost a full bag of fluids pumped into me by I.V., I have to pee...  when talking to the nurse, she informs me that the doctors office had given me the wrong time, and that if they had reached us when they called home, then I would just now be arriving at the surgical center.  Well great...  note to self, don't give home number out for contacting us.  That is almost impossible, that is what cell phones are for.  Ok after waiting another hour or so, its my turn.  The anesthesiologist comes back and talks to us about this nerve block they suggest for this type of surgery.  It will numb my shoulder for about 16 hours.  Sounds pretty good huh?  They come in to give me this block, after putting something in my I.V.  Mike says I was screaming these blood curdling screams, and I don't remember a thing.  Guess it was some good stuff that they put in the I.V.  Glad I don't remember that...  The only thing else I remember is I got into surgery and they asked me to move over onto the surgery table.  That is the last I remember...  until I woke up in post op with this goofy looking pillow attached to my arm.  One that I will have to live with for the next few weeks, they tell me.  I found out that I had a 3mm tear rotator cuff, and multiple spurs and arthritis that they cleaned out.  I have one titanium screw in my shoulder and another one that will dissolve in time.  The rest of that day is a bit of a blur...  I remember wanting some fried rice from the Chinese restaurant in town, eating a very some portion of it, then passing out in my recliner.  I think I slept most of the next day and a half, before I became coherent again.  It will be a long healing process...  and I start therapy only 3 days after surgery.  Now that's going to be a blast for sure. 

Well its time to get to work, and start the healing process.  Today is my first therapy session.  I inform the therapist that I have a pretty big pain threshold and she just sort of laughs at me and says that everybody that tells her that are real wimps.  I have been told that shoulder surgery re-hab is like the worst...  its going to be tough, and I am sure quite painful.  But I am tough right...  I can handle this.  Had I known how hard I might not have gone through with the surgery...  not really, but it is VERY hard, you can't even imagine it unless you have been through it yourself.  I think I slept for 3 hours afterwards.  It will be several months worth, 3 times a week.  But I have to prove to her that I am not a wimp.

Well our summer visit with Tommy is coming to an end.  So today we are taking him to the lake for one last time, taking Chase with us, since I can't ride on the Jetski...  maybe he can give him some new tricks to do on the knee board.  Our first stop is at Bill & Ann's house to give them a picture I made for them, of some of the pics I took 4th of July week.  Also I will be hanging out at their house for the day.  Will probably get bored but oh well...  don't think I would be too comfortable bouncing around out on the lake.

AUGUST 2007

SEPTEMBER 2007

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