529 replies to this topic

[tbear9259]

Chaz,
Sorry you are going through so much. Adding my prayers that things calm down for you and you are soon feeling better.

Hope everyone else is having a wonderful weekend. Ours is kind of quite. The weather is wonderful so I think I am heading outside for a day of sunshine.

Terry

[ireneo]

We're having a great day weather-wise but I have to go to work today. Yesterday our daughter graduated from college. So this weekend isn't all bad.

[islandmomma]

Sunshine here too!! I am expecting that we shall all melt and steam as we warm up.

Congrats to your daughter Irene!!

jan

[Shakabreeze]

Congrats to you too Irene.

Now that folks mention it ... it is mighty nice outside. Today is a recoup day.. maybe I need to check out the outside some today.

[Patoolla]

Sounds like a lot of things going on for everyone. Wow Gilbert, you and Adele are getting younger and younger with all that dancing! Sure puts you in good shape and in such a fun way!

Congratulations on your daughter's graduation Irene! Great accomplishment!

Still praying for you Chaz! My heart just aches for you suffering so much pain! You are definately one strong man enduring it like you do.

Me, I got through the cataract surgery ok and am amazed at the difference in my vision! Guess I'll go ahead and have the other eye fixed too when the doc says its ok to do it. I'm still square dancing and enjoying it so much. Wish I could afford to do it more often and it would help me shape up better but at least I can do it once a week.

Dang, surely the snow season is coming to an end soon for you all getting snowed on! Spring has to be just around the corner for you!!!! Hugs to all, Pat

[Shakabreeze]

Wow Pat. Cataract surgery. Glad that has been a winner for you. Do they put you to sleep for that or what?

I just went for an eye appt a couple of weeks ago..no biggie ... but wow.. I can hardly wait til I can afford some glasses. Hopefully soon. A world of difference.

Best wishes to you. Sounds like a biggie to me to do that.

[Patoolla]

It wasn't too bad at all Shaka! They put drops in the eye to numb the eyeball and give something that makes you drowsy but doesn't put you out. The incision is very tiny for removing the cataract and put in the new lense. I was able to see fairly well right afterwards, but had to wear sunglasses because of the light hurting the dialated eye. No pain at all, just a little discomfort. I was amazed at how easy it was. The only painful thing was the darn IV that the postop nurse didn't do proper and had to be redone in a different spot. My veins are awful for IV's and blood work!

Hope you can get your glasses soon! Its awful not to see clearly! Will pray for a $$$ windfall for you! Maybe your tax rebate will come soon and help! Love ya, Pat

[Denisefh]

Chaz,
I'm sorry to hear that you've been having such a horrible time. I hope you're feeling better by now and that those darn docs of yours get your meds squared away so at least you don't have to go through withdrawals along with everything else.

Gilbert,
I swear I can't keep up with even hearing what all you manage to do! I did try "dancing" as an exercise but have now sent away for formal exercise tapes because my back and ankle still hurt from my attempt.

Pat,
Was your vision cloudy from your cataract? I've got one they think is caused by the Prednisone I'm on and that eye is pretty cloudy. LOL, combine that with the blurred spot in my other eye from a bout with temporal arteritis last year and it makes for some interesting driving. At least I'm only on surface streets.

Hope everyone has a great week!
Denise

p.s. I'm with Shaka: Jan, just what IS the difference between a formal and an informal blissard, lol? We've had some pretty weird weather here, but then this is Seattle and it is to be expected. I'm trying to find a new coat, but all the stores now have bikinis where they used to have coats. We'll stop at REI this Friday when we go downtown...I'm applying for early retirement benefits from SSA. Hopefully it will help with our medical bills.

[islandmomma]

LOL, I just meant that the weather bureau called it that. You have to understand we never get blizzards here, a little light snow yes sometimes....so this was real weather!!

jan

[Denisefh]

"It's a small world"

So true! Yesterday I ordered some low impact Tai Chi type workout video tapes so that I can use them for exercise.

I ordered them from Amazon, though all four tapes are coming from different places (through their Amazon Marketplace).

Anyway, after the order went through, I received through Amazon an email from one of the sellers and it said "Hi Denise, I live in Ballard and can drop your tape off in person if you want. Bet you never had such fast delivery from an online order!". This is hilarious, Ballard is a neighborhood of Seattle which borders our Greenwood neighborhood...this guy is about 4 minutes away!

Bob is meeting him this morning at Tully's, a coffee shop located in our building. The guy said he would be wearing a black jacket, blue jeans and no hair, lol.

What are the odds???

Denise

[Shakabreeze]

OMG Denise... That is a trip!! Hope Bob bought him a cup of Joe. Yes that is hilarious.

Unfortunately I love Amazon. I should own stock. A good portion of my CD stock comes from them. Sooo easy. I always think how convenient they are but you have beat that hands down.


Now... hop hop or Tai chi Tai chi.....

[Patoolla]

Yes Denise, the vision in my right eye was VERY cloudy and it seemed to give me problems focusing and gave me headaches. It seemed that my left eye had nice, clear vision .... until I had the right eye done! Now I see that the left eye is pretty cloudy too so I will get it done also, as soon as they say I can. I am still amazed at how clear my vision is in the right eye and I don't think I'll even need to wear my glasses after I get both eyes fixed. The doc said he is able to correct nearsighted vision with the new lense he puts in. However, I will need to wear reading glasses still. Wow, I'm on Prednisone too and have been for about 15 years! I didn't know it caused cataracts along with its other bad side effects.
but I have to have it for my RA. You won't regret it if you get yours taken care of because it is so painless. Keeps you busy running to the doc for all of it...4 trips to doc total for 1st eye and 3 for the 2nd eye, but it will be worth it!

[gschmitt]

Haven't had an evening like this since the 70s and don't think I could do it every week. We might not have painted the town red but maybe left it hot pink. We started at two Saturday afternoon and went to the Gerst Haus for the Derby party. The band there was an Evansville fixture and legend by the name of Doc Stocker and the Dixie Muskrats. Doc is in his late 80s and there are still two others of the original band still playing also. His music is unbelievable and always upbeat. We danced until five when the Derby started and then around six headed across the street to Smitty's Tavern.

At Smitty's it was pizza for supper. Adele and two others had calzones, a third couple shared a pizza and I had an eight inch favorite of cheese, mushrooms, sun dried tomatoes and no sauce. A white pizza as known in some places. At 7:30 we all left Smitty's and Adele and I headed home to pick up some jackets then headed to the Eagles to cap the night with another great band until eleven. Home by midnight and straight to bed.

Sunday morning I slept till six then put an eight pound pork butt and a spatchcocked chicken on the smoker at nine. We had some of the chicken for a late lunch/early supper at two and the butt came off at five for a two hour rest before pulling.

Next weekend we'll be taking it easier and more relaxed. We'll go to Germania Friday night with my brother and mom for supper and dancing. Saturday we've got tickets to Indy for pole day that runs from nine to six but will get there when we get there. After Indy at which three of Adele's sisters and their families will be there also we'll head for Lafayette and spend mother's day with a family reunion around Adele's mom. We've both taken a vacation day Monday to we have a day to travel back and rest a bit before returning to work.

The thing is that I've finally decided to get out of the house and be active again. Not worried that the wrong move might make the ICD do it's thing or have to shake out a nitro or two. I take my meds, watch my diet (mostly) and am having a good time while I can. I've got a 90 year old mother who can polka with me like she was my age and I'm not about to let her show me up.

[islandmomma]

It all sounds like great fun and great eats, Gilbert! I would fight for some of that pulled pork....

I have to ask though, what is a spatchcocked chicken?

I envy you your dancing. I used to get out of breath doing the polka even as a young person LOL! Now I will just stick to my treadmill (at fairly slow), I think...

jan

[gschmitt]

Jan,

You can spatchcock any bird to fix on the grill or oven if you wish. Indirect heat on the grill is best. You just remove the back bone completely, save it for broth, and open the bird like a book and remove any visible fat. If you wish take out the keel bone but you don't have to. Season or rub as you wish. If you can only find enhanced birds then don't brine. There is no need to turn the bird during the smoke but your smoker should be as air tight a possible to hold the temp even over several hours.

On the smoker this opens the bird for more smoke penetration and cooks is a bit quicker though not by much. I've done turkeys like this but can only get two 15 pound birds on my smoker at a time. I'll keep the fire between 225 and 250 with a lot of smoke going. I'll use a remote thermometer in each bird and take them off at 180 to foil and rest for an hour. I like to remove the meat completely from the bones before serving and the bones of a smoked or roasted turkey or chicken along with the skin make a killer of a broth. I make my broths straight up, that is only water, a bit of salt and the bones and skin and nothing else.