Computers!?!

Got dynavox back, put it on mount, turned it on. Screen turned on but  not the eye max. Repeat. Repeat. Called tech support. Did a shut down. Let stand for 20 seconds. Started up. No green  blinking lights on eyegaze bar. Repeat. Repeat.  Repeat. Then tech support says send it back. We pay shipping so will email a shipping label. Try one more time. Still nothing. Has to ship to Pittsburg so takes week each way. October before it is back.

Remember Peanuts cartoons when Lucy got frustrated she would say Arghhhhn ARGHHHHHH

Learning

My newest caregiver is Dayne.  She is twenty two and going to school to be a medical assistant. I predict she will be a success.  Why you  ask?  She came bouncing in today saying school was so fun today. They did three kinds of blood draws and put on and cut off a cast. And she got 100 on her test.  I don't know about you but that would not be my idea of a fun day. However I would like her to work for my doctor. I think she has chosen the right field.  She must be a delight to teach.

Lobby Congress Please!

I am asking everyone to contact your members of Congress. There is a move to discontinue medicare coverage of speech generating devices (SGD) such as the one I use.  In addition there is a move to discontinue coverage of any device that can connect to the internet. I think you all know how important a SGD with internet is to me.  People living with ALS would  not be able to connect as I am now.

Please tell your representatives to sign the letter supporting SGD  before September 5th.

 

Here is a link to the ALS website and links to sample letters.

http://capwiz.com/alsa/issues/alert/?alertid=63296496&MC_plugin=2821

 

Thanks much!

Ice Bucket Challenge

Everyone is doing the ice  bucket challenge!!! Todd set up a system that doused  four people at once AND I pulled the rope with my chair.  We doused 12 people on Sunday.

Dave would have been proud of the engineering in the simple design.

The amount of money raised is mind  boggeling. Maybe now something will be found to treat or maybe even stop ALS. Of course everybody realizes this is a one time windfall but the awareness of ALS will not go away. Even if only half the people know what the disease does that is many more than before.  So a great big thank you for everyone that took the challenge and also donated.  I hope some marked it for my walk team Gang Greene.

Computers

Yes, Barbara you are right. It has a long time since I have posted. Thanks for noticing. There are several reasons. One is that I had problems with eyegaze on dynavox. Second is the opportunity to try a different device called Tobii. Third is my decrease in leg strength.

Here is the situation. Once again dynavox would not calabrate. Tried several things before calling technical support. Solution was once again to send it in. Oh by the way your warenty is up August 28. I really think the eyegaze has worked less than half the time I have had it. Thinking that learning Tobii quick and easy would solve that problem I choose not to send it in. Looks like I will have to get a loaner any way.

Tobii is taking time to learn and there are some things that are better on each system. I am using Tobii now and you have probably noticed spelling and grammer errors. Although much easier to set up the word prediction is not as good. I have noticed several places where I must have misspelld something when I first used it. A bad speller like me is never sure the word is correct. Now add in the difficulty editing and it is a mess.

Life is Never Boring

I checked out with surgeon yesterday. Everything is healing nicely and I don't need to go back. He was concerned about my neck brace and had debated between making the cut horizontal or vertical. He made it vertical and it is okay with the brace. I have been wearing it only when going in the car or for a walk to limit how long it is on. As he had said before, the chunk was cancer but a different kind than either of the other two. He took it to cancer board and the consensus was to do genetic study. (Interestingly at the hospital in Bakersfield cancer board meetings are on Wednesdays too.) The study would include testing for the BRC1 gene and looking at family tree for all types of cancer. Should be interesting. Mom did lots of work on geneology but I don't know if she made any notes on cause of death. She gave all of us the family tree and I also have her working notebook. It is a 4 inch thick binder that is full. Sounds like work for some lucky person. Just might have to get my sister to come up again to sort through the messy family tree. Stick with me and life will not be boring.

75 years and counting

I wrote the following on Saturday and debated about posting. Finally decided to do it. Friday was the 75th year anniversary of Lou Gehrig's famous speach at Yankee stadium. In it he credited the fans in every stadium cheering for him and making him the luckiest man alive. Across the major league baseball world there were many ceremonies honoring him and creating awareness for ALS. It would be nice if the money baseball is contributing to research helped make a breakthrough on treatment. His positive attitude is a great example, but it sure would be nice to have a cure with his name rather than a disease. I find it sad that 75 years later we don't have any treatment just more technology to make life easier or even possible.. In fact it is no longer an orphan disease. Federal money for research continues to be from the Department of Defense because veterans have it twice as often as the general population. Even something that gets enough positive results to make it to a stage two clinical trial would be encouraging.

Long Day

Friday was long but uneventful. Originally I was scheduled for noon. When the anesthesiologist called Thursday night it was changed to one.. When I arrived with with my entourage they had us wait until the room with the lift was available. After waiting a while Kari decided to use the bathroom figuring they would come for us. Sure enough they did. When we were in the room the transfer was interesting but I did get in the bed. Then the bed was rolled to a different room. Now Cindy had to figure out how the bed worked so she could get me undressed. Meanwhile Todd had to find out where to park my chair. We were laughing because they always say to leave valuable items at home. Yet my chair and special computer were just sitting in the hall. They are the two most valuable things I own including the van. Just after we settled in the nurse came in to tell us the previous surgery was taking longer and mine would be at 2:00. That was not too bad because the nurse had to ask all the usual questions and they needed to start an IV. After we told the nurse how difficult it is to find my veins and she took a look she agreed that it was not for her. The specialist was the most patient person to ever get blood or put in an IV. She was also the first person to use a local anesthetic. Finally, using a newborn needle, she was able to get just enough blood and start an IV. It took almost 20 minutes. Now the waiting began. Cindy went to get lunch with the thought that would start the surgery. Did not work. But we did have a great opportunity to catch up on Kari's current projects and the list of project's that Todd needed to do to finish the remodle of their house. Then another estimated time of 3:00. After another announcement that it would be 4:00 Kari went to get lunch and Todd to do some errands. Everyone was back when the anesthesiologist finally came. He wanted to be sure he knew how my vent worked. Finally they were ready at 5:15. We could complain but we were just happy not to be the person in that surgery. There was someone after me too. For me the time passed quickly. Actually was not that long for the others. I liked what the anesthetic was because I did not wake-up foggy brain. I even know what the surgeon told me. He had taken a big chunk so there were several layers of stitches. Biopsy would be available in two or three days. We had a good laugh at the poster outlining what a patient had to do before discharge. " walk with assistance, drink water, eat a cracker and pee" When the boys were told that, Miles said I had to drive and write a sentence. I could do both so we skipped dressing me completely and " borrowed " a hospital gown. When everything finally getting started we were home by 8:00. It had been more than 24 hours since I had anything to eat or drink.

One more thing

If it is not one thing it is another. A while back caregiver Cindy found a lump just left of my breast bone. That is the same breast that has had 2 chunks (medical term) taken out before.. Once was 20 plus years ago and the other 5 years. An ultrasound deemed it suspicious so off to the surgeon. Fortunately he did not push for anything more than taking another chunk so I did not have to argue. So Friday is the big day. Since I am on a vent and have no core strength several potential problems came to mind. I emailed my neurologist to see if we should be concerned about anything.. Todd called the social worker at the ALS Association and got advice. That led him to calling my pulmonlogist and the pre-op nurse. The pre-op nurse was very glad to talk with him and get a warning that a princess was coming. I need help getting from chair to bed and back. Cindy is not going to let anyone else help. The pulmonlogist planned to talk with the surgeon and anesthesiologist. He has way to much time invested to let them mess me up. With all the attention I think I should have a crown.. There is one more concern. We are assuming I will not be able to wear my neck brace because it might rest on the area where they take the chunk. I don't feel safe in the van or on walks without it. I think my caregivers are all worried about me having to stay home and what my mood will be. I just might surprise them and not be bitchy. Only time will tell.

Eveything is coming up roses

On this past warm sunny Sunday we went out for Quincy 's (almost) daily walk. He had been limping the previous two days so we took the short route. People recognize us when we go on common routes. However I did not expect the special treatment we got. A man was out mowing his lawn. As we approached he turned off his mower and went towards his back yard. He came back out with a pair of clippers and cut some roses for me! Such a simple act that was so special. It made my week.

Tale of the Yellow Tail 2

Proof!*












*See blog entry below for the full story.

Tale of the Yellow Tail

We pulled anchor in Magdelana Bay mid-morning heading for Cabo San Lucas. We were leaving later than planned and the bay is large so we decided to motor out. It also meant we would not have to deal with the fluctuating wind directions caused by the hills surrounding the bay.


I decided to try out my new fishing gear. Having gear designed to drag behind the boat made it easy. The gear had a 6 inch wheel holding the line. From that was a piece of heavy line to tie off on a cleat. The fishing line had a loop with a bungee cord attached that was also attached to the wheel. When a fish grabbed the hook the line went out and stretched the bungee. This let you know you had hooked something. Further north we had had hooked kelp so we knew what it would look like. I looked at my four large lures trying to remember what the store clerk had told me. Different colors attracted different fish. Finally picked one and attached it to the swivel. Tossed it over and now I was fishing.


Soon we passed the mouth of the bay and raised the sails and turned the engine off. Ahhh the sound of the wind. Much better than the engine. The wind was favorable to sail a broad reach, a comfortable point of sail. Just as we settled in I looked at the fishing line. I had a fish. I started rolling the line up and found it difficult so Dave helped. Still we could not get it in. Dave adjusted the sails to spil some wind to slow us down. Now we were able to pull the fish close up enough to see it. It was big! Dave got the gaff your to try to pick it but but could not get it. He decided to start the engine and roll in the sails to get us farther from shore. I just held on to my fish. Once we were farther from shore and the autopilot was set we returned our attention to the fish. This time Dave was able to use the hook on the gaffe to grab it in the gills. We worked it around to the swim step where Dave could put a rope loop around the tail. Now we knew we would not lose it. If we had any thoughts about releasing it that time was long past. The poor fish was already dead. We were able to bleed it some with a slash behind the gills.


Now it was picture time. It was heavy and big and obviously a yellow tail. That is a type of tuna so good eating. I think Dave was as excited as I was. Our bargain had always been that I could fish as much as I wanted but I also had to clean it. I had a cutting board that fit over the sink so could scrape things directly into the sink. This fish was way too big. So back to the cockpit. I ended up kneeling on the deck to work. Dave did help me cut off the head. Once I got the messy part finished I could work in the galley. First came a big clean up. Using salt water and a bucket we finally got it clean. However salt water can make the the deck slippery. Using the fresh water shower for a final rinse we were then set.


Now we could put the sails back up and be on our way. We checked our course and checked again our estimated arrival in Cabo. It is important to try to arrive in an unfamiliar port during daylight. Everything looked good so now it was lunch. Guess what we had. Seared in sesame oil it was fantastic.


Now I had to figure out what to do with the rest. Our freezer could keep things frozen but could not really freeze food. I cut some nice steaks and put in vaccuum sealed bag that then went in the bottom of the freezer hoping the vaccuum pack would help preserve it. The pressure cooker made quick work of cooking some for sandwiches later. That also went in a vaccuum bag. Thank goodness for the vaccuum sealer. Since I used my favorite cooking method for fish at lunch I had to think of something different for dinner. Dave loved capers so I baked it in a lemon wine sauce and stirred in capers at the end. That was okay comes out better on sole or other white fish. Back to the old favorite the next night.


Lesson number whatever. Don't fish unless going into an anchorage that night. Need to have people to share with.

Learning to Reach

January 1994 we spent a long weekend in San Francisco for Dave's birthday. It was also when the biggest sail boat show on the west coast, Sail Expo, took place. Besides the boats in the water there were vendors for dinghies, custom mattresses, outboard motors, emergency beacons, pans, life jackets and about anything else you could think of. One of the attractions for us was the seminars. We had signed up for a few including engine maintenance, food storage and favorite cruising spots off the pacific coast of Mexico. All of this lead to future plans. But wait, it all began much earlier. Friends called and said they were looking at chartering a sailboat in the Caribbean and would we like to join them. We asked a few questions, discussed dates and then we said yes. After looking at many options Patty selected the vessel Encore owned and operated by Ann and Marvin. Five of us went, Tom and Patty and Patty's sister Chris and us. Four engineers and me. Then we found what a perfect choice Patty made. Marvin is also an engineer and Ann was an English major. Soon those with engineering degrees were discussing how the wind provided lift and other technical things. Meanwhile Ann and I talked books. It was a wonderful week of swimming, snorkelling, sailing a one person boat and having a great time. We had so much fun that we took the kids two years later. It was just as good. One of the bonuses of the boat being owner operated was that they could go more places than other charter boats. Consequently we often anchored in " hidey-holes" where there was only room for very few boats. Both kids had fun with all the various toys; windsurfer, snorkel gear, underwater camera, and one person sailboat called a mini-fish. One of my favorite memories is watching them sailing the mini-fish. They went downwind and across with little problem, only dumping each other a few times. The fun began when they tried to go upwind back to Encore. Finally they gave up. Being competitive swimmers it was much easier to swim pushing the mini-fish back. We all had such a good time and talked about it so much that Dave's dad, Jim, said if we ever went again he wanted to go. Our next adventure was chartering a sailboat in Hawaii ending in Maui where Dave's parents had a condo. They had rented another condo so the whole family was all together. We discovered several things during that charter. One was the difference between a single hull and a trimeran. Second was that people really do get green when seasick. Poor Kari did not enjoy those five days. After Todd graduated from high school we decided to go to Encore again since it might be our last opportunity for a family vacation. Of course we invited Jim. Dave's mother took the opportunity to visit a long time friend in Florida. Again everyone had a great time. It was also a time for Dave to continue quizzing Marvin about boat maintenance and navigation. I continued to learn about food storage and preparation. One fun thing was grocery shopping in different areas. The British Virgin Islands reflected their heritage. I was excited to discover several different curry blends. Good thing we did not have TSA inspectors at that time. They would have thought I was trying to hide something with the strong curry smell. Three years later when Kari graduated from high school we went again. This time with an added bonus. The charter guests after us wanted to be picked up in Saint Martin. Would we like to explore that area too and would we like to help on the passage. Dave jumped on the opportunity to be on the passage as did Todd. Kari could only think about her experience in Hawaii and wanted to join them in Saint Martin. Dave, Todd and then girlfriend now wife, Cindy flew to Saint Thomas 5 days early and took a few days to aclamate and show Cindy some highlights before making the passage. So Kari Jim and I flew to Saint Martin most where they met us. This was a fun area to visit because there is Dutch and French islands. Of course everybody had a great time. Ann and Marvin had a policy that after four charters the 5th is free because by then you are friends. That was true for us. Once again we helped move Encore to Saint Martin and did some maintenance that Dave loved. As Dave became more enamored with everything about sailing I decided I better learn a little too. This was really the first time I had tried the mini-fish. After I dumped him a few times Marvin tied a very long rope to the base of the mast and left me to figure it out on my own. All of these experiences led Dave to subscribe to sailing magazines and going to boat shows. After one show he came home and said he found the boat he wanted to buy. I decided that I better get interested if I wanted to remain in his life. Therefore the trip to San Francisco was my way of saying I am with you. While there I looked at sailing schools. We had learned playing tennis that some things were better done separately. I found the right place to learn. The women's sailing association was sponsoring a learn to sail womens week at several sailing schools. I signed up for one on the west coast of Florida. Might as well have sun and warm water. It was a great choice. All of these experiences led to our choice to buy a sailboat and later leave the routine and marina behind. It also shaped and prepared us for unexpected twists and turns of life. One of the sailing magazines gave me a favorite saying. The difference between ordeal and adventure is attitude.

ready

I have been doing more writing and thought I had posted some. When I went back see which ones I discovered I had not posted any. Be ready there will be some long entries.

Smart Grandsons

Mothers day dinner was fun. For some reason Sam was fixated on a question. If you always move halfway to a destination do you ever get there. After some discussion he started with the idea that if you were half way there the next time you would be a fourth. Then 1/8, 1/16, 1/32, 1/64, 1/128, 1/256 and on to 1/512, 1/1024. Then would that be apart or a hair apart. Meanwhile I was impressed with his understanding of the concept that he developed on his own. Also how quickly he did the math in his head for a 3rd grade kid. Second grade Miles also did the math. Of course even that did not answer the question. What do you think? If you always went halfway to your destination would you ever get there?

Flash Back

On one of our walks recently we came across a young man trying to start his lawn mower. Judging by the look of the lawn it was the first time this season. As he repeatedly pulled the starter rope and adjusted the choke I was reminded of an outboard motor we had. As it is with most two stroke engines ours was difficult to start. Usually after they are warm they start easier. If I wanted to go some place without Dave I had to be able to start the motor. More importantly if he went some place with someone else I needed to be able to start it. I could put the dinghy in the water and lower the engine using the hoist but still could not start it. So that became my next goal. The comedy began. First Dave started it so it was not completely cold. Now it was my turn. I had previously attempted doing it like most do. That was sitting and pulling quickly on the rope. That had never worked even with a warm engine. So had to try something else. First I tried pulling with both hands. As I tumbled backward over the seat ending up on my back the comedy began. There I was on my back on the dinghy floor with my feet up in the air over the seat. Rather like an upside-down turtle. Did you know when you are laughing it is hard to sit up? Good thing Dave was sitting down or he might have fallen in when laughing. Finally got the engine to cough when I straddled the seat and pulled with my whole body. Now I was making progress. After a few more tries I did it! Okay now for the trial run. I took Dave to a friends boat where the guys were supposed to listen on the radio in about an hour in case we needed help. Their outboard was bigger and even harder to start so the guys wanted to take it to go diving. Off we went to our Spanish class. Landing on the beach was no problem since it was usually a two person process and we both were experienced. After class we both were determined to be able to launch the dinghy. Since we always launched stern first when in the harbor I was able to turn the motor and pull the rope while standing on the beach. Success! Much easier when I could use my legs too. We called on the radio just to see if the guys were listening. They were. They now knew they could go diving when we had our next class.

SUN

My sister Pat was here for a long weekend. The California sun came with her much to everybody's pleasure. We could not stay inside and she loves to walk so we traveled the neighborhoods. We also were able to watch some grandsons soccer games. The weather was so perfect that I am thinking about having her come up and bring the sun with her for the ALS walk in September. Last year was record rainfall.

Technology is good this time

Visited today with a neighbor that I met because he has ALS. Actually like many people he knew Quincy and had often talked with Dave. Orville attended a support group shortly after diagnosis. Everyone along the route to the kids house know me by sight but I might not know them. When I went into support group Orville said I know you. You are Quincys mom. I am your neighbor. Our common disease gave us an instant bond. Unfortunately he has had a more rapid progression. Caregiver Cindy and I stopped by to see him today. Had to laugh when I thought about it because our two machines were talking to each other. He can still use his hands so he talks faster than I do. It is such a perfect example of the wonders of technology. After visiting I then came home to work on a story using eyegaze. So far I have only used it for times when I am writing stories or blogs at home. I continue to use my foot when out and about. I have discovered a problem using it outside. Weekend before last was sunny and I spent as much time as possible outside. It was difficult to give up sun for writing. Actually I did not give up sun. I did manage to read some with the computer in the shade and part of me in shade. Most importantly I have lived here long enough to know that when it is sunny you get out and enjoy. Now just need someone to invent an eyegaze system that can work outside.

technology is wonderful!?!?

Computers - my friend and my frustration. Actually it is called a communication device which is really necessary but..... Soon after I first got the eyegaze attachment I discovered it only worked when on battery. We had preevosly bought a second battery so I rarely used it when pluged in. I have a tendency to forget I am on a leash and either pull the plug out or get completely tangled up. Back to the story. Todd called tech support and after they tried several things remotely decided the problem was the charger. (it is fun to watch the cursor move and pages change while not touching anything ). They sent a new charger and I assumed everything would be fine but did not check. Bad idea. When I finally tried it when the local Dynavox rep was here it did not work. Damn. Okay so now the next thing was to send the entire unit to Dynavox so they could figure it out. One problem. I needed a loaned unit to use while it was gone. The rep had already loaned her spare, but hoped to have it back soon. Our ALS chapter had one in the loan closet but the assistive technology person was in Medford for the week. Anyway she did soon set me up with a device and transferred most of my data. In the office she was able to adjust everything so I could get in the car with it attached to my chair. This is a big deal because previously it had been higher than my head to get a good connection with my eyes. I left my device there for the Dynavox rep to pick up because she had a good shipping box. l told the rep that I had separation anxiety when I left it. Anyway it was shipped and they figured out it was a bad circuit board. Of course it had to be shipped to Philadelphia where winter was not leaving. Finally they were able to ship it out just before another storm battered the area. Meanwhile we were struggling to adjust the eyegaze so it would stay focused on my eyes. Fortunately I still have the option of using my foot so I was not in complete silence. When the rep brought my unit back she checked everything and had the same frustration as my caregivers. After removing my glasses everything worked great except I could not read the words. That did answer the question about the adjustment problems. For some people there is a glare off their glasses so back to raising the unit up to a different angle and all worked well. I realize that technology is my friend and necessary for my survival and ability to communicate but that does not mean everything is wonderful.

ALS Gala

The ALS Association annual Gala and Auction was a couple of weeks ago. It is always a fun evening but this time there seemed to be more PALS. (People with ALS) Perhaps it just seemed that way because of the number in wheelchairs. It was nice to see two people from my writing class. Neither of them go to the same support group so it was good to catch up. We really had a chance to know each other thru our our writing. The evening was also a big fund-raiser so that was great too.

Writing

Just realized I have not written anything for a while. Nancy and Phil you will have to remind me like you did on the boat email. Those emails are part of the reason I have not posted. I have been writing some stories to tell about the times leading to our decision to go off and explore. Previously in the writing class in I wrote some stories from our boating days and discovered that the kids did not know the stories. This led me to think about other stories. Once writing class stopped I did not have the push to finish. In the fall a group at Church was formed called everyone has a story. Here we share stories from prompts. Some choose to share only verbally but since I have to write everything anyway I like questions and comments on my writing. This has given me the push to finish things I had started.

I had to laugh

We usually do a family dinner on Tuesday night. This week the conversation turned to who could curl their tongue, an inherited skill. This conversation had occurred many times before so we know that Cindy and the boys can do it and Todd and I can not. From there we went to finger drumming. Apparently some people have to really concentrate to go from pointer finger to baby finger and back. So there we sit in the middle of dinner with everyone drumming their fingers and then switching hands to try again. Good thing we were at home rather than a restaurant. It would have looked really strange. The good news. I can actually move my fingers on my left hand and do it both ways.

fun

Last week TCWSM were out of town. Before they left Todd called Kathy to let her know they would be gone and would she make sure I was not lonely. She did a great job. Two nights people brought their dinner here. I could enjoy the natural flow of conversation when several people are together and contribute to some extent. It was also nice to talk and laugh with men. I love all the women that have gathered around but it is nice to have a bit of a mix. Friday turned out to be a fun day. It started out as a day for Kris to sandwich her quilt. Then it grew. She arranged to use one of the rooms at church with big tables. Much better then on the floor. I could supply the safely pins but we needed Kathy to show Kris the process. Then her daughters joined us. Tori needed to layout her blocks and Nicole started cutting. Just for fun Kathy husband Tony showed up so he could bug Tori. He was successful but she has a good sense of humor. He actually did help. All this was a warm and fun way to spend a grey Friday afternoon.

Makes you think

Miles was here working on a book report that had to be about a nonfiction book. His book had several articles. One he shared with me was about reading the Declaration of Independence in New York. Everybody wanted more action so they toppled a statue of the king and cut off his head. Sound familiar? Guess many nations are following our history.

fun viewing

What a fun evening watching the Beatles tribute. Fifty years ago I was 17 and one of the teenage girls listening to their music. No, I was not a screaming one. It was the music of the early baby boomers. Now it is hard to imagine that they created such a fuss with their hair cuts. The times were changing.

Bittersweet

Last Sunday was caregiver Yukie last day. After 3 years she will be missed. During the last year and a half she had cut back her hours because she had gone back to school. Still she had continued to work one day a week. Now she starts nursing school Monday. It is one of those times when I know she made the right decision but I don't like it. She did promise to keep in touch and maybe come babysit during her breaks. She will be missed by the whole family.

loss

Monthly support group has been a regular part of my life since diagnosis. Some months the topic was very useful and other times I was able to provide help to others. Several of us with slow progression have learned to expect losses. However the past three months have been tough. With the loss of seven regular members we all have to regroup. Some losses were not surprising but others were. Each time we spend a few moments taking about our memories and acknowledge the individual. My thoughts go out to the office staff. Participants in support group are just a very small percentage of the people living with ALS. They have to deal with loss regularly. Each of them are always upbeat in spite of regular loss. Amazing people.

Pete Seeger

Last night listening to story about the life of Pete Seeger made me think. So many of the songs became part of our lives. They were written as protest songs but without an angry tone. Without the anger the songs became part of the next generation and were sung by schoolchildren. I think his legacy is that protest can be delivered in a gentle tone.

Have to Laugh

One of my caregivers, Elisa, has 5 boys and the youngest is 3. When she gives me a shower she especially cleans between my toes and behind my ears. My feet love it, but should I tell her I have not been playing in a sandbox or digging in the dirt?

Birthday thoughts

Dave would have turned 70 today. Funny that I don't think of him as old. Before he got sick he was working with a trainer and really proud of how strong he had become. In my mind's eye I see him that way or on the boat. In the boat image he is looking at something off to port. Sailing changed us as we learned to slow down and live in the moment and see the many small wonders of our world. We never regretted choosing to spend the time aboard. As health issues changed our lives we could look back and say we did it. Dave became vehement when telling people to follow their dreams. His DO IT NOW could often be heard. We did it and have the wonderful memories. Happy Birthday Dave.

getting started

Starting out the year right I finally had the van oil changed and a good looking over from a friend of Todds. One of the things he mentioned was the battery was low. This was on Thursday. Why I did not get a new one on Friday or Saturday is beyond me. Sunday morning the van would not start. One call and Todd to the rescue. Only a little late to church. After church caregiver Yukie started the engine before opening the ramp. Did not have a problem. I knew we would not have time on Monday to get a new one. Yukie does not back up our steep driveway so Cindy put the van away with no problem. Tuesday morning I did not even think about starting the engine before operating the ramp. Once again Todd to the rescue. Then off to Les Schwab. Getting the battery was just like their commercials. We drove in and someone came to the car to see what we needed. When Cindy said we needed a battery he said come right here. Looked at battery and proceeded to go get one and put it in. I think it took as long to pay as getting the battery.

Traditons

New Year's Day is full of traditions for both Dave and me. As kids growing up in Southern California the Rose Parade and Rose Bowl were big events. We watched the parade on television and I remember taking a ladder and going to watch the end of the parade. I don't remember if we did that often but do remember going to see the floats where they were parked. Dave's memories were about seeing the parade in person. They started with people passing kids to the front to sit on the blue line. (a line painted on street about width of parking strip. People can move out to that line at midnight.) Many years they put out a bench the afternoon before and moved it out at midnight. Then they discovered that a bottle of booze could entice someone to move the bench for them. There is nothing that can portray the beauty of the floats. Remember every inch of the floats must be covered by plant material. Following the parade was the Rose Bowl. During our early years it the only bowl game. Some years the outcome mattered to us. Other years we just wanted a good game. It was always part of the day Fast forward past marriage, babies and several moves. After hearing all the stories it was time for the kids to experience a night and day on Colorado Blvd. (Cindy Haven do you remember what year that was?) The big difference was Dave's parents RV parked on a side street. It was very nice to have a bathroom and hot breakfast. We still had to find a spot on the curb in the afternoon. Watching cars cruising up and down the street and crowds on the sidewalk contributed to the festive atmosphere. Then midnight came and everybody moved to the street. Very gradually things settled down some. Even wrapped in a sleeping bag it is difficult to sleep on a busy street.. We " let " the kids have the privilege. We then stayed home on New Years. The new tradition changed to a big pot of chile simmering on the stove. Crispy rolls and fresh fruit finished out a eat when you are hungry day.