What a year! As with last year, we started out in Las Vegas, Jerry working part-time for the County, visiting the casinos, following "The Fab", and enjoying the Las Vegas weather. Cooler winter than some, but still better than some places. But this time we left 1st of April. Friends Rick & Pam found us jobs in Massachusetts, here's our chance (and reason) to go East!
3500 miles & 5 weeks to get there, so lots of time to visit family & friends on our way. Visits in AZ, NM, Deb & family in TX, Cindy & family in IN, the Football Hall of Fame in Canton, OH, and Niagara Falls! We arrived at Pine Acres Family Camping Resort, Oakham, MA the middle of May for work. Oakham is about 50 miles west of Boston, the area was not at all what we expected of MA. Rick & Pam continued on to the Portland, ME area to another park for the summer.
We really enjoyed our time at Pine Acres, Jerry worked as a ranger & on the gate, Laura worked most of the time in the store/restaurant. Being in MA meant we had lots of historical sites to visit - Lexington, Concord, Salem, Cape Cod & Plymouth. Friends Jean & Dick from Michigan came to visit, and we visited Boston together - what fun!
One problem, July 19th, Jerry had a mild stroke - 2 days in the hospital & 10 days in an acute rehab facility. Another month of out-patient therapy and able to return to work, but sightseeing was less than we had planned.
Leaving MA the 21st of Sept got us to Marion, IN for granddaughter Melissa's wedding! Nearly all the family was there and it was a Great time. What a beautiful wedding! A few days in TN, visit to Deb & Family in TX, and back to Las Vegas.
Yep, a good year, and there are more details on parts of the year in earlier posts on this blog.
So the future? Doctor's visits were all good, given the OK to travel. Boss wanted Jerry to return to his part-time job - ain't going to happen! We really missed our friends in the RV parks the past 2 years, so we are traveling again, currently in Pahrump, NV. Hope to see many of you soon.
We also want to remember the reason for the season, the link below is our contribution.
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year
http://www.jacquielawson.com/viewcard.asp?code=2007134554829&source=j1999
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Trip Across USA
After an interesting summer in MA, 9/21 we left Pine Acres Resort. The first leg would be thru CT, NY, PA & OH to Marion, IN. Taking our time, we stayed multiple nights at some RV parks. While in Wapakoneta, OH, we met friends Bea & Charlie in Findley for lunch and a great visit. Last time we had seen them was '08 at the Class Reunion.
In Marion, we had the pleasure of seeing our granddaughter Melissa get married on Oct 1! What a Great week it was. All our kids, most of our grandchildren and great grandchildren, brother, sisters, and other extended family were there. Since we parked our rig right in front of the house, we had a ringside seat of all that went on. The beautiful wedding went off without a hitch, and the chance to visit the next day with those that stayed was super. Cindy & Joe, you should be proud of how the week went!
Oct 7 we headed to TN where we spent a few days just off the Natchaz Trace, relaxing and exploring the area. I should mention at this time, most of our trip thru PA, OH, IN, KY & TN, we kept hearing how dry it had been. Fall colors were disappointing, lawns were brown and when we saw farmers working their fields, huge clouds of dust were in the air.
On to TX to Deb & John's. Seeing Jason, Sara, & Cami who didn't make the wedding was fun. Soccer games, watching football, cheering on the Rangers, a 50th birthday party all made our stay fun & too short.
Then headed to Vegas. The horse was on the way to the barn, we covered 1230 miles in 3 days. Too many, but no problems. Found out morning of the 3rd day that the new bridge at Hoover Dam had just opened, so saved miles & time. Actually pretty disappointing, sides are so high we couldn't see the dam, even though we were in the truck. And we had no view of the river from the roadway as we approached the bridge, no sense of how high we were. The towers & suspension cables are all gone, just a flat bridge roadway.
We are doing Dr appointments, having trailer serviced, etc. Expect to be back on the road soon, stay tuned.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly
One of my all-time favorite movies, and with out question - my favorite music!
Ever wonder how they did the music? Some of you are too young to remember this 60s Classic, but seeing them do the music - Wow!
This is fantastic. Who needs all that techie stuff?
Ever wonder how they did the music? Some of you are too young to remember this 60s Classic, but seeing them do the music - Wow!
This is fantastic. Who needs all that techie stuff?
Monday, August 30, 2010
Long Over-Due Update
The following is from the letter I sent last week to UMass Hospital in Worcester, MA. It will give all a sense of what Laura & I went thru over the past month.
Around Midnight on July 18th, I went to the ER at Memorial Hospital. I had numbness/tingling feelings in my right face, arm & hand. Blood work, chest x-ray and CAT scan were done. Around 3:00 the nurse came in, said I was going to be admitted, then at 3:30, said I was going home. "Info on your diagnosis is being printed out, call your personal physician in the morning".
The doctor never came back to see me, the diagnosis was "Meralgia Paresthetica". Upon reading the info, MP symptoms are in the thighs, my symptoms were face & arm/hand.
Around Noon the next day, the 19th, I went to the ER at UMass, told them what had happened. Several tests were done, including another CAT scan, and finally about Midnight, an MRI disclosed I had suffered a stroke.
I was lucky, a mild stroke. After 2 days at UMass and 9 days at Fairlawn Rehab, I am walking normally, but still have numbness on the right side of my body. And have no touch sensation in my right hand.
The reason for this letter is to encourage UMass to address the following issues:
1. I entered the ER with classic stroke symptoms, but was diagnosed with MP
2. The doctor never came back to see me, left it to a nurse to print out the info.
3. After returning to the hospital, still took 12 hours to do an MRI which disclosed the stroke. During that 12 hours, the numbness did start moving down into my right leg.
This is basically what happened. I did have a couple of weeks of out-patient rehab, but have been released to return to work. I can print, but cannot control my right hand to write. If you have any questions, feel free to call me, my phone works just fine!
So now what? We will be leaving Mass the 21st, going to Indiana for Granddaughter Melissa's wedding, then probably to Vegas to see our regular doctors. And then....No Work. Time to visit the SW parks & visit with the many friends we have made over the past few years. So let us know your itinerary so we can make plans to meet! Hope to see many of you soon!
Around Midnight on July 18th, I went to the ER at Memorial Hospital. I had numbness/tingling feelings in my right face, arm & hand. Blood work, chest x-ray and CAT scan were done. Around 3:00 the nurse came in, said I was going to be admitted, then at 3:30, said I was going home. "Info on your diagnosis is being printed out, call your personal physician in the morning".
The doctor never came back to see me, the diagnosis was "Meralgia Paresthetica". Upon reading the info, MP symptoms are in the thighs, my symptoms were face & arm/hand.
Around Noon the next day, the 19th, I went to the ER at UMass, told them what had happened. Several tests were done, including another CAT scan, and finally about Midnight, an MRI disclosed I had suffered a stroke.
I was lucky, a mild stroke. After 2 days at UMass and 9 days at Fairlawn Rehab, I am walking normally, but still have numbness on the right side of my body. And have no touch sensation in my right hand.
The reason for this letter is to encourage UMass to address the following issues:
1. I entered the ER with classic stroke symptoms, but was diagnosed with MP
2. The doctor never came back to see me, left it to a nurse to print out the info.
3. After returning to the hospital, still took 12 hours to do an MRI which disclosed the stroke. During that 12 hours, the numbness did start moving down into my right leg.
This is basically what happened. I did have a couple of weeks of out-patient rehab, but have been released to return to work. I can print, but cannot control my right hand to write. If you have any questions, feel free to call me, my phone works just fine!
So now what? We will be leaving Mass the 21st, going to Indiana for Granddaughter Melissa's wedding, then probably to Vegas to see our regular doctors. And then....No Work. Time to visit the SW parks & visit with the many friends we have made over the past few years. So let us know your itinerary so we can make plans to meet! Hope to see many of you soon!
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
This Just Might Work!
Let's put Seniors in jail, and the criminals in a nursing home!
This way, "we" seniors would have access to showers, hobbies, and walks, receive unlimited free prescriptions, dental and medical treatment, wheel chairs, etc.
They would have constant video monitoring, so they could be helped instantly, if they fell, or needed assistance. Bedding would be washed twice a week, and all clothing would be ironed and returned.
A guard would check on them every 20 minutes, and bring meals and snacks to their cell. They would have family visits in a suite built for that purpose.
They would have access to a library, weight room, spiritual counselling, pool, and education, simple clothing, shoes, slippers, PJ's and legal aid would be free, on request.
Private, secure rooms for all, with an exercise outdoor yard, with gardens.
Each senior could have a PC, TV, radio, and daily phone calls
There would be a board of directors, to hear complaints, and the guards/nurses would have a code of conduct that would be strictly adhered to.
The "criminals", on the other hand, would get cold food, be left all alone, and unsupervised. Lights off at 8pm, and showers once a week.
Live in a tiny room, and pay $5000 per month, and have little hope of ever getting out.
Hmmmmmm, kinda' makes you stop and think, doesn't it?
This way, "we" seniors would have access to showers, hobbies, and walks, receive unlimited free prescriptions, dental and medical treatment, wheel chairs, etc.
They would have constant video monitoring, so they could be helped instantly, if they fell, or needed assistance. Bedding would be washed twice a week, and all clothing would be ironed and returned.
A guard would check on them every 20 minutes, and bring meals and snacks to their cell. They would have family visits in a suite built for that purpose.
They would have access to a library, weight room, spiritual counselling, pool, and education, simple clothing, shoes, slippers, PJ's and legal aid would be free, on request.
Private, secure rooms for all, with an exercise outdoor yard, with gardens.
Each senior could have a PC, TV, radio, and daily phone calls
There would be a board of directors, to hear complaints, and the guards/nurses would have a code of conduct that would be strictly adhered to.
The "criminals", on the other hand, would get cold food, be left all alone, and unsupervised. Lights off at 8pm, and showers once a week.
Live in a tiny room, and pay $5000 per month, and have little hope of ever getting out.
Hmmmmmm, kinda' makes you stop and think, doesn't it?
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Grizzly Adams, Clara Barton
This posting is for my sister, Janet.
Do you remember "The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams", a 1972 novel, a 1974 film, and the NBC TV series? Do you know about the "real" Grizzly Adams?
Born in Medway, MA, Adams spent many years in the mountain ranges of the U.S. west (mainly CA) living around animals and sometimes capturing them for zoos. His famous companion was a bear named "Ben" (short for Benjamin Franklin), who died in a zoo that Adams opened in San Francisco in the late 1850s. Adams died while on tour with P.T. Barnum in 1860. He was buried in nearby Charlton, MA, his tombstone paid for by P.T. Barnum.
Also in nearby North Oxford is the Clara Barton Birthplace Museum, operated as part of the Barton Center for Diabetes Education, a humantarian project established in her honor to educate and support children with diabetes and their families.
Do you remember "The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams", a 1972 novel, a 1974 film, and the NBC TV series? Do you know about the "real" Grizzly Adams?
Born in Medway, MA, Adams spent many years in the mountain ranges of the U.S. west (mainly CA) living around animals and sometimes capturing them for zoos. His famous companion was a bear named "Ben" (short for Benjamin Franklin), who died in a zoo that Adams opened in San Francisco in the late 1850s. Adams died while on tour with P.T. Barnum in 1860. He was buried in nearby Charlton, MA, his tombstone paid for by P.T. Barnum.
Also in nearby North Oxford is the Clara Barton Birthplace Museum, operated as part of the Barton Center for Diabetes Education, a humantarian project established in her honor to educate and support children with diabetes and their families.
Clara Barton was known as the "angel of the battlefield" during the Civil War, and is best remembered for organizing the American Red Cross, and serving as it's first President.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Maine Lobster
So it was time to go to Maine, and visit friends Rick & Pam. The drive up was very nice, but much like Michigan, all you see is trees! They are only about 3 miles from the ocean, just south of Portland, ME.
While there, we drove out to Old Orchard Beach, which has the amusement park, beach, and pier out into the ocean.
At a nearby Chocolate store, Laura met a new friend!
And, of course, there was the "Lobstah" dinner! 2 lobsters & all the fixings for $21.99. Yes, we split the meal - Hmmm, good.
While there, we drove out to Old Orchard Beach, which has the amusement park, beach, and pier out into the ocean.
At a nearby Chocolate store, Laura met a new friend!
And, of course, there was the "Lobstah" dinner! 2 lobsters & all the fixings for $21.99. Yes, we split the meal - Hmmm, good.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)