Author: searcyf@mac.com

1 May 2024

It was an inauspicious start to the trip. I left the house at 9:10 and as I was about to turn on Riverland I thought “Did I turn the warmer eye off for my coffee?” I made a loop and went back in and yes, I had turned it off. Better safe than sorry.

My second departure was at 9:15 and I headed west on Riverland and immediately got tied up with parents dropping off kids at the middle school. I managed to finally bypass that and get on the Florida Turnpike.

By the time I got to Palm Beach, the digital road signs kept saying the two north lanes of the turnpike were closed ahead and to seek an alternate route. They didn’t suggest an alternate route nor did they tell you where you could get back on the turnpike to go to Orlando. My GPS suggested going to Jacksonville to I-10 but that would add an hour to the trip.

I tried at the Jupiter exit to get back on and that was a no go. By the time I got to Stuart, you could see the north bound lane of the turnpike and it was a parking lot. I kept on I-95 and followed some transfer trucks. I finally got access at Port Saint Lucie and made quick time from there but I was already badly behind. It was supposed to be a 6 hour and 30 minute trip from my house to Quincy but it ended up being 8 1/2 hours.

Strangely, I felt pretty good driving and when my back started to act up I turned on the heated seat. That works wonders. Even my neuropathy seems better today. It’s a little early in the year but the love bugs are back. My windshield was spattered a little bit but not as bad as it can get. When I pulled in to fuel up for tomorrow, I took a little time getting them off the windshield. They sure make a mess.

Tomorrow should be a 6 hour and 4 minute day (if there are no stops) and the route takes me through Mobile and then up to Hattiesburg and then to the park. I need to leave pretty early tomorrow because at 2:30 I’m going to Charles and Minnie Jean’s for a 1st cousin reunion. Charle’s sister Jean will be there and I’m excited to see them all. If I have time, I’ll check in with Roosevelt and if not, drive directly to Charles and Minnie Jean’s. If I can remember how to go. I grew up on those roads but it has been a while.

Tomorrow is also Tanis’ birthday (Archie’s wife) and I want to take them out to eat either tomorrow night or with the other cousins for lunch.

There are no restaurants close to the Hampton Inn in Quincy. It’s a good thing I have half a sandwich from lunch left.

Stay tuned!

29 April 2024

Surprise! The state of Florida sent my retirement check a day early. That’s always nice to wake up to. Of course, the majority of the check is already obligated.

Another surprise was my cardiologist’s office called and canceled today’s appointment. I’m rescheduled for sometime in June. By then I’ll have the results of my third echocardiogram. He’ll spend 10 minutes with me and listen to my heart and tell me to come back in 3 months.

I made my usual pilgrimidge to Walgreens to pick up two prescriptions. As I sat at the drive through, Chip, an old Coast Guard buddy called. He’s going through some significant health issues and he was updating me. He’s been very supportive of my problems and I hope I can be an ear to listen with him. Once a Coastie, always a Coastie.

I stopped for lunch at the Georgia Pig. It was packed and you had to put your name in for a place. I walked in about the same time as another guy and he told me to put my name in and we could share a table if one became available. It was in line that I met Russell, a retired Delta employee. He was wearing an LSU hat and off we went with stories and tales. He says they still play the Billy Canon runback every year at Halloween in Tiger Stadium.

We both ordered the BBQ Pork deluxe which comes with fries, Cole slaw and a drink. Service, once seated, was quick. The Georgia Pig makes a mustard based BBQ sauce that’s pretty good.

Russell grew up in Hollywood, Florida and, with Delta, went all over the world and the U.S. He was quite interesting and I enjoyed sharing a table with him.

I began overpacking for my trip. It’s hard to guess what to take but May weather in Mississippi can be iffy. Central Mississippi is about 10° cooler at night than South Florida. The weather service predicts rain on a few of the days.

So far, the plan is for me to arrive at Roosevelt State Park on May 2nd. It’s about 6 hours from Quincy, Florida where I’ll spend the night. I’ll try to treat Tanis and Archie to a late lunch. On Friday, the cousins, Archie and Tanis and I will try to do lunch at Ichibana in Flowood. Notice we are doing lunches. The problem is that none of us want to drive at night. That afternoon (or morning before lunch) I’ll see if my cousin Charles is up for a visit.

As far as I am concerned, I feel better today. The neuropathy is ever present but at least isn’t painful today. I did notice that the combinations of medications I’m taking is giving my urine a distinct odor. Shades of asparagus! I suspect after I compete all my treatments I will be classified as a toxic waste site by the federal government. I’ll apply for funding as soon as the classification is made.

Either late this afternoon or tomorrow my neighbor will do my annual tree trimming. The biggest problem is the coconut palm which is loaded with mini canon balls (in a hurricane). His crew goes above and beyond what I expect and my yard looks great for several months after he finishes.

Stay tuned!

28 April 2024

“Wash behind your ears!” A phrase I never remember my Mother uttering. She uttered a lot about other things. “Keep your elbows off the table.” “Chew your food.” “Don’t wash your food down.” “Chew your food with your mouth closed.” But I never heard wash behind your ears. My Mother neglected my hygiene. I always knew to wash “down there” because of her. I scrubbed my pits to rawness. I even learned to clean the inside of my ears but never behind them.

I always attributed the phrase to some book I read, like a passage out of Dickensian novel. Probably about some street urchin taken in and sent to bathe. You know how those urchins are. “Please sir, may I have more.”

So any way, I was sitting in front of the tube and rubbing behind my ear and realized it was kind of gritty, kind of like toe jam (Mother taught me about toe jam). It was behind both ears and I got to thinking, “Oh my god! Have I been going out in public all these years with ear jam.” People were probably shunning me because of dirty ears. “Don’t talk to him, he doesn’t wash behind his ears.” I’m abashed by my lack of hygiene.

Trust me, ever since I found ear jam behind my ears, I’ve become a reformed behind-the-ears washer. I am now acceptable to go out into public. Friends no longer shun me. But why, oh why didn’t they say something. They are always eager to let me know if my pants are unzipped or if I have a piece of food stuck to my lips, why not tell me I have dirty ears?

How did I get to the ripe old age of 75 and not know about this? What else do I not know due to Mother deficit? Halitosis? Messy cuticles? Crepe skin?

Maybe it’s a good thing everything seems to be online these days. Zoom meetings don’t show dirt behind the ears and the people online with you can’t smell your breath. They don’t even know if you showered before the meeting. There’s something to this social distancing concept. Maybe Gen-Z has it right.

On another note, I started pulling out my camping kitchen equipment for Roosevelt. The room supposedly has a kitchenette but in case it doesn’t have pots and pans, I have my camping stuff available and my drip coffee maker. I have plenty of oatmeal and also freeze dried food.

Tomorrow is my six month appointment with the cardiologist. He’ll spend 10 minutes with me and tell me everything is great. Tuesday I have a PT with Shannon and then Wednesday I head for the Magnolia State. It’s a little early for magnolias but there should still be plenty of spring wildflowers.

Stay tuned!

27 April 2024

It’s been kind of a bleh morning. I went to bed at 9 pm last night and did my usual multi-tours of the bathroom for most of the night. I finally got out of bed at 5 am, had breakfast and checked emails. It’s also wash day. The only thing I can get excited about that is fresh linen on the bed.

What started out as a bright, sunshiny day has turned into an overcast one and we’ve even had an unpredicted shower. We could use a lot more rain since we are in our dry cycle right now.

Yesterday, I called Dinnen Electric to come out and change the timer to the pool pump. It quit working and I wanted it replaced for when I am in Mississippi. I was going to skim the leaves from the pool this morning and then run the pump manually for a couple of hours. When I looked out the window, the Great White was working which meant the pool pump was working. Miraculously, the timer seems to be working again. I’ll need to call Dinnen Electric and cancel the timer order.

I’m starting to get organized for the trip. Today I sorted pill packets for morning and evening meds. Opening the packets and inserting the pills is quite the feat. The arthritis in my hands gave me trouble opening them and then trying to pick up the pills and put them in the packet was a challenge due to the neuropathy. I had completed the morning packets when I looked over and realized I had forgotten to include a baby Aspirin. Back to opening and adding the pills. Fortunately, I had enough medications on hand to meet my needs for the trip except for Omeprazole for my esophageal reflux. I quickly went online and Walgreens fill the prescription which should be ready by Monday.

Tomorrow, I’ll start pulling out “camping” equipment such as my coffee pot and other kitchen items and start filling the suitcase. As usual, I’ll overpack.

Jimmie sent me three more photos from her morning walk. I really appreciate it.

I remember the first time I saw Red Hot Poker in a botanical garden. It certainly catches your eye. It’s native to Africa and has, of course, been introduced as an ornamental in the states. It belongs to a family of plants I’ve never experienced: Asphodelaceae. Calflora.org lists 5 genera and 6 species and all are non-native.

Biota of North America Program lists 5 genera and 6 species but different species and genera for the family. Even the taxonomists agree that the family is a mishmash and catchall family. Generally, the leaves are in a rosette pattern and a central flowering stalk is sent up. As an example of a plant in the family you may be familiar with is Aloe vera.

My first exposure to bleeding hearts was in the Pacific Northwest. I found the Pacific bleeding heart after a long search. Of course, when I did find it, it was so abundant I was tripping over it. This is a plant genus that would possibly be found in Tishomingo State Park in northeast Mississippi and my major professor, Dr. Pullen, asked me to look for it. It is found in Tennessee so there was a possibility. I never found it. I’ve since found it in North Carolina.

I was introduced to a similar plant as a graduate student at Ole Miss called Mother of Thousands. The reason is everywhere the leaf was notched, it would produce a tiny plantlet.

As the “babies” fell off the plant and rooted, the “mother” would secrete a chemical to retard the growth of any plantlets around her. Only when she died did the tiny plantlets begin to grow significantly.

Flaming Katy certainly stands out with those red flowers. It’s a native of Madagascar.

It’s time to fold clothes and put them away.

Stay tuned!

26 April 2024

I think I shocked the people at physical therapy today. I used my new walker. Shannon came running out of the facility and asked if I was OK. When I told her that two nurses had recommended I get a walker, she immediately replied “two non-PT professionals. She then brought out the two other models and explained that the one I had was for people that were in constant danger of falling. The one with two wheels on the front is for a more mobile person – like me – and the one with 4 wheels is the Cadillac and has a seat for people to rest if they like. She then told me I didn’t need a walker and the cane was just fine. My possibility of falling went from 46% to 38% from the last two evaluations. Of course, when I got home and started to clean leaves out of the pool, I fell the last few inches. My Apple Watch asked if I had fallen and did I need help. Nope. I finished cleaning out the leaves.

What’s interesting to me is I went to several websites and they explained the difference among the various types of walkers but very little was said who needed one and why. Shannon cleared that up for me. I may still use it in the middle of the night when I get up from bed and go to the bathroom.

My cousin Jimmie knows I haven’t been walking lately due to the sprained ankle (better today) so she sent me some flower photos from her walk!

Spring is certainly the time for Azaleas. Here’s a little known fact. Azalea is a common name. The scientific genus for Azalea is Rhododendron. So, Azaleas are of the genus Rhododendron and Rhododendrons are of the genus Rhododendron.

This is a member of the Caryophyllaceae family and if it looks a bit like a carnation, that’s because carnations belong to the same family. It’s commonly called Rainbow Pink or China Pink. The scientific name is Dianthus chinensis.

These used to grow in the yard of the house I was renting with three others when I was in graduate school at Ole Miss. It’s called a Dutch Iris but I have no idea why the moniker. I found them coming up at different points in the yard so I dug them up and lined the path to the front door with them.

This is Bearded Iris. When you look closely at the petals and they attach to the stem, there are short “hairs” and thus bearded. There were a lot of these planted in yards in the Burgundy region of France when I was there years ago but it is called the flour-de-lis. The Fleur-de-lis is based on an Iris but not the Bearded Iris. Instead, it is Iris pallida (Sweet Iris). To confuse you even more, Iris pallida is also a bearded Iris like above.

Thanks for sharing the photos! Spring has apparently sprung in most of the South. Here in South Florida, the weather stays pretty constant and we don’t really see a change in seasons.

Stay tuned!

25 April 2024

It was a restless night – one of those that required a pee break every hour on the hour. I have no idea why, just that I seemed to need to urinate a lot last night. I predict a nap in my future today.

Last night was Key Largo with Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Edward G. Robinson, Claire Trevor and Lionel Barrymore. It was released in 1948 so it’s as old as I am. Claire Trevor won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in 1948 as an alcoholic night club singer. What I didn’t realize is that it was the fourth and last pairing of Bogie and Bacall. The first three were To Have and Have Not, The Big Sleep, and Dark Passage. I’ve seen all of them and To Have and Have Not is the best of the four.

I wasn’t too impressed with Bacall’s performance, but then it could have just been the vehicle. Bogie played Bogie and Barrymore played Barrymore – always in the wheel chair.

I think the thing I most identify with is the shooting location – supposedly in Key Largo, Florida. It was filmed entirely in Hollywood using Hollywood magic with the exception of some clips showing the bridges over the Keys, but there is a certain magic to the Keys.

Tucker behaved himself but pouted that Chris cut him off at four treats. Of course, the pout was for me since I’m feeding him the treats. At one time, he even huffed at me.

My echocardiogram is set for the 15th of May, the day after my May Herceptin infusion. Might as well get all that done when I get back. I haven’t received a call about the orthopedist so I wonder if I was supposed to do that on my own. My ankle is still sore and tender but better today.

By the way, the Katharine Hepburn brownies are just OK. They certainly did come out gooey. I don’t think I’ll make the recipe again but it was fun to make.

Sometime today, I’ll start the packing process for the trip. My main concern is taking some food with me to Roosevelt State Park since there’s not a lot of options in the nearby town of Morton for eating out. Usually on these trips a cup of oatmeal and coffee are fine for breakfast but lunch and dinner could be a problem. I’ll pack some freeze-dried food as a precaution.

The main chore is getting the suitcase down from the overhead in the utility room. That means climbing up on a ladder and you know my statistics on that. I’ll be extra careful and hopefully make it without falling off.

Stay tuned!

24 April 2024

Where has April gone? It seemed to go by so fast! At least I feel better today. I did a light clean of the house: vacuum, mop, bathroom, trashcans, etc. and then tackled the inside of the refrigerator. Something on a top shelf leaked and coated every shelf under it in red. It wasn’t blood (I don’t keep meat anywhere near the top shelf) and I couldn’t find anything leaking as I removed stuff but it took a while to get the thing clean.

I don’t mind cleaning a fridge if it is not too dirty but when it was like this, it’s a real chore. Not that I clean it very often.

I did order a walker today. I didn’t realize how complicated it is to select the proper one. I chose a standard (no wheels) as it gives the greatest support. Then you have to worry about what type of handles you want on it. Next it’s setting the proper height – arms should form a 15° angle with the walker’s top. You step into the walker with your weakest foot (my left) but don’t extend it past the walker. You then follow with the other foot by pressing down with your hands on the top of the walker. Whew! I’m tired of thinking of it.

After cleaning, I headed to Walgreens to pick up my happy pills (Cymbalta – double the old dose) and then to Publix to pick up my Lyrica prescription. The difference in pricing from Walgreens ($112.38) to Publix ($14.14) is amazing. Dr. Velez recommended using GoodRx and I think I’ll definitely start comparing pricing with that app.

I can only hope Dr. Velez is correct and that the combination of Lyrica and Cymbalta will help alleviate the neuropathy problem. It was exceedingly painful last night – both feet and hands. Today, it’s not nearly as bad as yesterday.

While at Publix I stopped for some chicken tenders and potato wedges. I was hungry and not very particular. The parking lot at noon was totally filled. It’s my “old” Publix that I don’t shop any more unless it’s an emergency and it certainly has gotten a lot more busy,.

Tonight is movie night with Chris and her time to choose the film. We both will have to keep an eye on Tucker. Last week, I went to the bathroom and Chris went to the kitchen and while we were both gone, Tucker reached up on the coffee table (no small task for his small size) and seized the bag of treats that Chris brought over. He was put in time out and given a severe talking to.

This morning’s New York Times had a recipe for Katharine Hepburn’s Brownies. I was intrigued and clicked on it. The recipe is simplicity itself although it does dirty a few dishes.

Here’s the recipe.

1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (I used pecans)
1 teaspoon vanilla
pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 325°F

Melt butter in saucepan with cocoa and stir until smooth. Remove from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes then transfer to a large bowl. Whisk in eggs one at a time and stir in vanilla.

In a separate bowl, combine sugar, flour, nuts and salt. Add to the cocoa-butter mixture and stir until just combined.

Pour into a greased 8 x 8 inch square pan. Bake 30-35 minutes. Do not overtake. The brownies should be gooey when cooled. Cut into bars and enjoy.

Stay tuned!

22 April 2024

Today has not started out the best. I don’t feel well. The neuropathy in my left had has decided to be painful and my foot neuropathy is playing catch up to the hand. My ankle is still sore and I’m limping around the house.

I called first thing to schedule Herceptin infusions. Apparently, I have to wait on a call from “infusion scheduling” in order to get anything done. I’ve begun to wonder if anyone in the world is designated to answer an actual question on the behalf of a patient. You seem to be channeled over to someone else every time.

I also called the doctor’s nurse, Danielle and left a message with her. Speaking of the doctor, chem fog is real. I ran across a name in my address book a few days ago and didn’t recognize it. It also didn’t have any accompanying information with the entry and I was about to delete the contact when I realized the name was of my hematologist/oncologist. I’ve only been seeing him for almost a year.

Hopefully they will get the infusion problem solved. I don’t know why it falls to me to schedule infusions since I don’t know how long I’m to have them other than sometime in August of this year. I certainly don’t have the authority to order more on my own. You’d think the hematologist/oncologist who ordered them would re-order any that are needed.

The reason this is important is Jimmie and I scheduled our trip to Mississippi based on my infusions. May 1 would have given me plenty of time to recover from tomorrow’s supposedly scheduled infusion and I would return to Fort Lauderdale a couple of days before my next one. If they don’t get me in rather quickly, it’ll throw the schedule off.

I also have physical therapy today at 1:50 pm. I’m not sure what I can do with two sprained ankles but I’ll see what Shannon suggests. Right now, I’m borderline canceling everything and going back to bed.

We are scheduled for some needed rain today. Otherwise I’ll have to add water to the pool. We are predicted for 100% today but when you look at the breakdown, it’s scheduled for late this afternoon and only 15-20%. I’m not sure how they predict 100% rain and then say it’s 15-20% but I’m not a weatherman.

Sorry to be in such a whinny mood today. It’s just one of those days you want to curl up in a fetal position and stay there. I promise to do better.

Stay tuned!