Christina Applegate, who was diagnosed recently with breast cancer after an MRI, talked more about her diagnosis and treatment yesterday on Good Morning America (you can watch the whole interview with another BC survivor, Robin Roberts here)
She opted to have both breasts removed -- no doubt a difficult decision, especially considering Hollywood's fixation on how people look -- after testing positive for the BRCA1 gene. Fortunately, I tested negative for mutation on both the BRCA1 and BRCA 2 genes, but when my oncologist first discussed the testing with me, she said if I tested positive, she would likely recommend removal of the breasts as well as my uterus and ovaries as prevention against any more cancer. So, a tough decision, but what do you do when it's your life you're talking about?
I really applaud her desire to help other women pay for MRIs and the genetic testing. The MRI is recommended for women at high risk, but not all insurance companies cover it yet. And the gene testing costs about $3,000. A co-worker of mine who's in her 20 or 30s has a big family history of BC, and while the insurance company will pay for her annual mammograms, they won't pay for the gene test unless she or one of her sisters is diagnosed with cancer. That's just nuts.
And big applause to Applegate for going on TV and talking about her cancer, only three weeks after her surgery. At times, she appeared pretty emotional, and I'm sure she's still trying to sort things out in her own head. Having to do that on national TV couldn't have made it any easier. She's a good representative for what many women with breast cancer have had to face.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
All clear
The scoping went well. There's a just some diverticulitis, but no polyps, no tumors, no nothing. He didn't even take any samples. So whoo-hoo!
And it wasn't all that bad. I was out within a few minutes of the IV starting and don't remember a thing until I woke up in the recovery area. I did get to see the few pictures he took. The nurse in the recovery room was pretty funny, too. During the colonoscopy, the doc fills you up with air, so you have to pass that before they let you go. So as I let one rip, the nurse said "Good! That's what we like to hear .... nurses are kind of gross."
After Mom and I left the surgical center, we got a big lunch and got home around 1 p.m. I slept until nearly 5 p.m. I'm still kind of groggy and just hanging out on the couch with the laptop, much to Buster's disappointment. Poor guy didn't get his walk this morning, and all I've done while here has been to sleep. Maybe later this evening I'll feel up to playing with him and take him for a walk if it's not too warm. Until then, I'm not going far from the couch.
And it wasn't all that bad. I was out within a few minutes of the IV starting and don't remember a thing until I woke up in the recovery area. I did get to see the few pictures he took. The nurse in the recovery room was pretty funny, too. During the colonoscopy, the doc fills you up with air, so you have to pass that before they let you go. So as I let one rip, the nurse said "Good! That's what we like to hear .... nurses are kind of gross."
After Mom and I left the surgical center, we got a big lunch and got home around 1 p.m. I slept until nearly 5 p.m. I'm still kind of groggy and just hanging out on the couch with the laptop, much to Buster's disappointment. Poor guy didn't get his walk this morning, and all I've done while here has been to sleep. Maybe later this evening I'll feel up to playing with him and take him for a walk if it's not too warm. Until then, I'm not going far from the couch.
Monday, August 11, 2008
So hungry
So tomorrow is the colonoscopy. That means tonight, no food, other than Jell-O. And nothing red or purple, because that can apparantly cause some discoleration in your innerds. I was allowed to eat a light breakfast, but nothing but liquids and Jell-O after that. I did OK, really, until this afternoon, when I had to put together the food page for the paper. And then a co-worker came in and starting munching on the Chees-its she keeps in her desk and another came in with Chinese take-out.
Now I'm just sitting here on the couch waiting for the colon cleanser to start working. It's not going to be a fun evening. Maybe by the time the doc lets me go tomorrow, I'll feel good enough for a big BIG lunch somewhere.
Oops. I think the stuff is starting to work. It's about time for the first of many trips to the bathroom.
Now I'm just sitting here on the couch waiting for the colon cleanser to start working. It's not going to be a fun evening. Maybe by the time the doc lets me go tomorrow, I'll feel good enough for a big BIG lunch somewhere.
Oops. I think the stuff is starting to work. It's about time for the first of many trips to the bathroom.
Thursday, August 07, 2008
Hmmm, what's been happening?
Gee not much lately. Except ... I GOT MY PORT OUT!
It was last Tuesday. I guess I've been too psyched about it to write about it here, but the port-a-cath is now gone, just shy of three years to the day I got it put in. It's a pretty awesome feeling. I think it's the first time I looked forward to going to the hospital.
It was done with just a local anaesthetic in the afternoon, but you know, my boss didn't need to know that, so I took the whole day off! And that was after having Monday off for working Saturday, so I had a bit of a mini-vacation.
Anyway, there is a bit of a scar, but that will fade with time, just like the first one did. It hurt for only a day or so, and I feel a pull once in a while, but it's getting better. It just feels great to have it gone. It is, as one of my support group members said last night about getting hers out, like a graduation. I graduated from cancer!
On the bitter side of things, though, the second job is gone, thanks to the Legislature not providing the money for social services that everyone was counting on. The hotline has been automated, and the three of us working it got laid off. There's been some other people who got laid off too, from what I understand, and they've had to make a lot of other budget cuts. It's pretty sad, really, because the organization does a lot of good for people who need some help.
Anyway, that's the big news. Later.
It was last Tuesday. I guess I've been too psyched about it to write about it here, but the port-a-cath is now gone, just shy of three years to the day I got it put in. It's a pretty awesome feeling. I think it's the first time I looked forward to going to the hospital.
It was done with just a local anaesthetic in the afternoon, but you know, my boss didn't need to know that, so I took the whole day off! And that was after having Monday off for working Saturday, so I had a bit of a mini-vacation.
Anyway, there is a bit of a scar, but that will fade with time, just like the first one did. It hurt for only a day or so, and I feel a pull once in a while, but it's getting better. It just feels great to have it gone. It is, as one of my support group members said last night about getting hers out, like a graduation. I graduated from cancer!
On the bitter side of things, though, the second job is gone, thanks to the Legislature not providing the money for social services that everyone was counting on. The hotline has been automated, and the three of us working it got laid off. There's been some other people who got laid off too, from what I understand, and they've had to make a lot of other budget cuts. It's pretty sad, really, because the organization does a lot of good for people who need some help.
Anyway, that's the big news. Later.
Sunday, August 03, 2008
Christina Applegate
She's been diagnosed with breast cancer. She's 36, the same age I was when I was diagnosed. Her mother is a two-time BC survivor, so it seems Applegate's been taking the advised precautions of mammograms and sonograms for early detection. And that says a lot — doesn't matter if you've got a family history or not, women should be doing whatever they can. I didn't, and it really scares me to think what might have happened if I hadn't accidentally felt that lump when I did.
So, no matter your age, do a self-exam monthly. If you're between 35 and 40, get a mammogram — this can be used as a baseline to compare your future mammograms to, which you should have every year once you're 40. If you're at high risk, talk to your doctor about also getting sonograms or an MRI, too.
I had it pretty "easy" with my treatment, in part because it was found fairly early. But I've seen what this disease can do, and it doesn't care how old you are, if you have children, if you're married or not, or what you've accomplished — or could yet do — with your life. Since I joined my support group, we've lost 4 members to cancer, and another is fighting for her life. So don't screw around with your chances.
So, no matter your age, do a self-exam monthly. If you're between 35 and 40, get a mammogram — this can be used as a baseline to compare your future mammograms to, which you should have every year once you're 40. If you're at high risk, talk to your doctor about also getting sonograms or an MRI, too.
I had it pretty "easy" with my treatment, in part because it was found fairly early. But I've seen what this disease can do, and it doesn't care how old you are, if you have children, if you're married or not, or what you've accomplished — or could yet do — with your life. Since I joined my support group, we've lost 4 members to cancer, and another is fighting for her life. So don't screw around with your chances.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Friday, July 25, 2008
Randy Pausch
Randy Pausch, a terminally ill professor whose earnest farewell lecture at Carnegie Mellon University became an Internet phenomenon and bestselling book that turned him into a symbol for living and dying well, died Friday. He was 47
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Roadshow pic
Finally, here's our pic from the Antiques Roadshow (I think they caught me before I was really ready):
Saturday, July 12, 2008
A nice end to the day
Man, I'm stuffed. Mom & I are back from having dinner at Stroud's, not too far from the campground. They're known for their pan-fried chicken, and man, was it good. I ate way too much, though, and feel like I can't move.
The afternoon was pretty rainy, so we kind of waited it out until about 3:30, then went to Botanica, which has about two dozen different gardens. It was really pretty amazing. They didn't have their fountains going because Wichita is having some kind of water problem, but the grounds are really beautiful. They seem to really like lantana, which Mom does too. She has several in the front garden at home along the sidewalk. It was neat to pick up some ideas of what else I could plant at home, too. We got rained on a bit, but it also was nice and cool to stroll the gardens.
We'll head home sometime in the morning. It's been a nice break from the routine.
The afternoon was pretty rainy, so we kind of waited it out until about 3:30, then went to Botanica, which has about two dozen different gardens. It was really pretty amazing. They didn't have their fountains going because Wichita is having some kind of water problem, but the grounds are really beautiful. They seem to really like lantana, which Mom does too. She has several in the front garden at home along the sidewalk. It was neat to pick up some ideas of what else I could plant at home, too. We got rained on a bit, but it also was nice and cool to stroll the gardens.
We'll head home sometime in the morning. It's been a nice break from the routine.
That was fast
Well, our "Antiques Roadshow" experience is over. It's really pretty fast and efficient the way they have it set up. Our ticket entry time was 8 a.m., although we went early, getting to there about 7:15 (in the pouring rain) or so, and we were done by 8:30. I imagine that later in the day, you probably end up waiting a lot more, though, as they had the place set up so lines could wind around and around and around before you get to the actual appraisal area.
I took the sketchbook of the African safari, and the appraiser was real interested in it, but she also had a time making out the artist's signature. She had a laptop to look up information, and found someone who might be the artist, but that's not 100 percent certain, since she couldn't compare the signatures on the computer images too well with what was on the book. But she liked the detail of the work in the book, and appraised it at a decent number. Not enough to quit my job, or even pay off the car if I wanted to sell it (which I don't), but it gives me an idea.
She also looked at Mom's watercolor painting, and she really liked that. She conferred with another appraiser, and for a moment I thought they might want to put her TV with it, but it didn't turn out that way. Mom also had some family jewelry looked at, and that turned out about the way she thought, she said. So no big surprise treasures for us, but we had a good time.
The local PBS station was there, and we had our photo taken. They'll have that available for download late next week, so check back Thursday or Friday to see! And I won an Antiques Roadshow tour T-shirt!
Afterwards, we walked around Wichita's Old Town for awhile and had breakfast at a little soda fountain/cafe that's been there since the early 30s. It's ironic we have to go east to Wichita to find a good dish with New Mexico green chiles. Now we're just crashing in the camper and maybe we'll do something later on.
I took the sketchbook of the African safari, and the appraiser was real interested in it, but she also had a time making out the artist's signature. She had a laptop to look up information, and found someone who might be the artist, but that's not 100 percent certain, since she couldn't compare the signatures on the computer images too well with what was on the book. But she liked the detail of the work in the book, and appraised it at a decent number. Not enough to quit my job, or even pay off the car if I wanted to sell it (which I don't), but it gives me an idea.
She also looked at Mom's watercolor painting, and she really liked that. She conferred with another appraiser, and for a moment I thought they might want to put her TV with it, but it didn't turn out that way. Mom also had some family jewelry looked at, and that turned out about the way she thought, she said. So no big surprise treasures for us, but we had a good time.
The local PBS station was there, and we had our photo taken. They'll have that available for download late next week, so check back Thursday or Friday to see! And I won an Antiques Roadshow tour T-shirt!
Afterwards, we walked around Wichita's Old Town for awhile and had breakfast at a little soda fountain/cafe that's been there since the early 30s. It's ironic we have to go east to Wichita to find a good dish with New Mexico green chiles. Now we're just crashing in the camper and maybe we'll do something later on.
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
Three years and counting
Today was another in my six-month checkups with my oncologist. And everything is pretty good. The X-ray and mammo are good, and my blood test was "perfect," she said. I did discuss with her the fact I seem to have had an upset stomach more often than usual for the past month or so, and she decided I should have one more exam -- a colonoscopy. Yeah, fun times ahead! Oh, I did get a rectal exam while there too. That was OK. Well, the results were OK, the procedure wasn't something to look forward to.
When I got back to work, I told my co-workers who were there everything was good, but a couple of them were out for the afternoon, so we still need to do our celebratory ice cream run. I see my surgeon tomorrow, but that should go well, too, so maybe we'll do it afterwards.
I checked on my blog at work, because I knew it was close to when I first found out I had cancer. I was thinking it was the 18th. But it's not. It was today. Three years ago this afternoon, I got my biopsy, and Dr. K said she could tell with near-certainty that it was cancer. It hit me hard, reading that blog entry again. I had to step outside for a bit, in fact. Three years. And I'm doing fine.
All right!
When I got back to work, I told my co-workers who were there everything was good, but a couple of them were out for the afternoon, so we still need to do our celebratory ice cream run. I see my surgeon tomorrow, but that should go well, too, so maybe we'll do it afterwards.
I checked on my blog at work, because I knew it was close to when I first found out I had cancer. I was thinking it was the 18th. But it's not. It was today. Three years ago this afternoon, I got my biopsy, and Dr. K said she could tell with near-certainty that it was cancer. It hit me hard, reading that blog entry again. I had to step outside for a bit, in fact. Three years. And I'm doing fine.
All right!
Saturday, July 05, 2008
Rock in America
Almost forgot about the best part of my July 4 weekend. Night Ranger played in concert here Thursday night, and it was totally awesome! They weren't the biggest band of the 80s, but I had forgotton just how many good songs they really had (and of course, as soon as I got home I downloaded their greatest hits album). And they still put on a great show, even if Jack Blades seems to like the sound of his own voice. Forgot the comedy, man, and just play the music.
They did a terrific version of "Goodbye," first introducing the piano player, Chicago's Christian Matthew Cullen, who played a few minutes of blues, and then went into the song, with Kelly Keagy on the vocals, accompanied through most of it by just the piano. And then BAM! the rest of the band joined in full-force for the end. Great work on a great song. I don't know that I cared that much for the one new song they played off their new album "Hole in the Sun." And on the video screens they had some weird animated dancing robots that without any kind of context didn't make much sense.
Best of the night had to be their best-known song, "Sister Christian," which of course they saved for the encore. I was sitting about midway through the seating area and you could easily hear the audience singing along through the whole thing. They finished off the night with "You Can Still Rock in America." Overall, it was better than I expected. A lot of times at this festival, they get the "old washed-up rock stars tour," but these guys are far above that.
Oh, and the guitarist, Brad Gillis? Damn hot. He was walking through the crowd before the show and was about 10 feet away from me several times. I didn't realize who he was until he was onstage, though; I just thought he was another guy on the crew because the guy he was walking around with had "roadie" written all over him. If only I'd known.
They did a terrific version of "Goodbye," first introducing the piano player, Chicago's Christian Matthew Cullen, who played a few minutes of blues, and then went into the song, with Kelly Keagy on the vocals, accompanied through most of it by just the piano. And then BAM! the rest of the band joined in full-force for the end. Great work on a great song. I don't know that I cared that much for the one new song they played off their new album "Hole in the Sun." And on the video screens they had some weird animated dancing robots that without any kind of context didn't make much sense.
Best of the night had to be their best-known song, "Sister Christian," which of course they saved for the encore. I was sitting about midway through the seating area and you could easily hear the audience singing along through the whole thing. They finished off the night with "You Can Still Rock in America." Overall, it was better than I expected. A lot of times at this festival, they get the "old washed-up rock stars tour," but these guys are far above that.
Oh, and the guitarist, Brad Gillis? Damn hot. He was walking through the crowd before the show and was about 10 feet away from me several times. I didn't realize who he was until he was onstage, though; I just thought he was another guy on the crew because the guy he was walking around with had "roadie" written all over him. If only I'd known.
Some updates
Did a little updating around here today. And everytime I try to change or add to my quotes of the day, the code gets screwed up. I messed around with it for a couple hours this afternoon, and couldn't figure it out, so for now, it's going to stay blank. If any of you know anything about javascript feel free to take a look at the source code and tell me where I screwed up, cause I sure as hell can't see it.
I added a blogroll to the right-hand column, too. There's some I like to read for health information and various tips and tricks about life and work. Karen is a former co-worker/friend who recently quit the newspaper to follow her own path (go, Karen!) ... oh, and she's marrying that Erik guy in the title of their blog. And then there's my mom's travel blog. She only posts when she's on the road, and that won't be for awhile, but you can catch up on her past couple of trips.
Kriss Carr did the documentary "Crazy Sexy Cancer," in which she takes you along on her journey after finding out she has an incurable form of cancer. It aired on TLC and is available on DVD. You should check it out, if you haven't seen it. Diablo Cody is the Oscar-winning writer of the movie "Juno" (which one of these days, I'll get around to commenting on). Her blog just rocks. Julia Sweeney you might remember from "Saturday Night Live" some years back. She's got some new and different projects. And she had cancer, too.
Then there's a few journalism blogs I like to read (although they're somewhat depressing these days). Most are about copy editing. Best among them are Common Sense Journalism, Blogslot and You Don't Say (I worship John McIntyre). Then there's also a couple of colleagues I keep in touch with. Scott Aust is a contributor to the Rapid City Journal's Mount Blogmore, and Down the Road is Joy Leiker's blog of her coverage area for the Muncie, Ind., newspaper.
Anyway, that's the updates. Hope to get those quotes working again before long.
I added a blogroll to the right-hand column, too. There's some I like to read for health information and various tips and tricks about life and work. Karen is a former co-worker/friend who recently quit the newspaper to follow her own path (go, Karen!) ... oh, and she's marrying that Erik guy in the title of their blog. And then there's my mom's travel blog. She only posts when she's on the road, and that won't be for awhile, but you can catch up on her past couple of trips.
Kriss Carr did the documentary "Crazy Sexy Cancer," in which she takes you along on her journey after finding out she has an incurable form of cancer. It aired on TLC and is available on DVD. You should check it out, if you haven't seen it. Diablo Cody is the Oscar-winning writer of the movie "Juno" (which one of these days, I'll get around to commenting on). Her blog just rocks. Julia Sweeney you might remember from "Saturday Night Live" some years back. She's got some new and different projects. And she had cancer, too.
Then there's a few journalism blogs I like to read (although they're somewhat depressing these days). Most are about copy editing. Best among them are Common Sense Journalism, Blogslot and You Don't Say (I worship John McIntyre). Then there's also a couple of colleagues I keep in touch with. Scott Aust is a contributor to the Rapid City Journal's Mount Blogmore, and Down the Road is Joy Leiker's blog of her coverage area for the Muncie, Ind., newspaper.
Anyway, that's the updates. Hope to get those quotes working again before long.
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
I are a college graduate!
Just took the online quizzes for the field trip classes I took this last week to finish out a bachelor of general studies degree. And I passed. Looks like I've got a degree.
Or I will come May, since there's only one graduation a year.
Or I will come May, since there's only one graduation a year.
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Classes are done!
Well, I'm on my way to finishing my degree. On Sunday and today, I took the two one-hour credit geology field trips to finish out my bachelor's degree as a Bachelor of General Studies. All I have to do is take the quizzes online (I'll probably do that tomorrow) and score at least 60%, which should be pretty easy.
The classes were actually fun. Today's was a trip to sites across the northern part of the county, and it was interesting to learn about where I live. I'll probably look at everything differently now that I know more about the different types of rocks and minerals we have here and how and when they were formed. The previous trip was to a nearby reservoir. There we learned about some of the older types of rock formations and also stopped at the site of a sinkhole that has caused problems along the interstate over the years.
It really is pretty country, too. Everyone thinks Kansas is really flat, but those are the folks probably seeing it just from the interstate or the air. Get on the back roads, and there's some rugged, beautiful sites. One place we went to today was probably one of the highest points in the county. You could stand on the hill and see miles and miles of green hills and pastures and big, open sky.
After this, then what? I'm not entirely sure yet. Graduate school's still a possibility, but I need to find out some more info. I do need something different, though, because I just can't say I feel all that secure about my job. I'm almost certain that, at best, in three years my job won't be there. After all, who needs a page designer if there's just not as many pages to design? I really don't see newspapers the size I'm working at continuing to be published on a daily basis on paper. Online, sure, but you don't need a lot of people to put a Web site together, once it's there. So I guess I'm in search of something new. Just wish I knew what it was!
The classes were actually fun. Today's was a trip to sites across the northern part of the county, and it was interesting to learn about where I live. I'll probably look at everything differently now that I know more about the different types of rocks and minerals we have here and how and when they were formed. The previous trip was to a nearby reservoir. There we learned about some of the older types of rock formations and also stopped at the site of a sinkhole that has caused problems along the interstate over the years.
It really is pretty country, too. Everyone thinks Kansas is really flat, but those are the folks probably seeing it just from the interstate or the air. Get on the back roads, and there's some rugged, beautiful sites. One place we went to today was probably one of the highest points in the county. You could stand on the hill and see miles and miles of green hills and pastures and big, open sky.
After this, then what? I'm not entirely sure yet. Graduate school's still a possibility, but I need to find out some more info. I do need something different, though, because I just can't say I feel all that secure about my job. I'm almost certain that, at best, in three years my job won't be there. After all, who needs a page designer if there's just not as many pages to design? I really don't see newspapers the size I'm working at continuing to be published on a daily basis on paper. Online, sure, but you don't need a lot of people to put a Web site together, once it's there. So I guess I'm in search of something new. Just wish I knew what it was!
Monday, June 23, 2008
So long, George
I was really shocked this morning when I heard this morning that George Carlin had died. I mean, yeah, he was 71, but he just seemed like one of those people who would always be around, someone bigger than life. Someone this world needed. Maybe it's because I became a fan at an early age, when we got HBO when I was around 9 and he was already a huge name. I quickly got hooked on all the comedy specials and would stay up late on weekends and during the summers to watch them again and again and again and again.
It wasn't just the "dirty" stuff that appealed to me. Most especially with Carlin, it was how he was able to pick out the absurdities of life, our language and our world. And no one group was off-limits to him. He made me think. I didn't always agree with what he said, and didn't always like what he said, but I was always amazed that he just came out and said it. And I always laughed.
So have a few laughs, courtesy of the late, great genius:
And there's some excellent clips of his routines here. "Feminist Blowjob" is one of the best.
It wasn't just the "dirty" stuff that appealed to me. Most especially with Carlin, it was how he was able to pick out the absurdities of life, our language and our world. And no one group was off-limits to him. He made me think. I didn't always agree with what he said, and didn't always like what he said, but I was always amazed that he just came out and said it. And I always laughed.
So have a few laughs, courtesy of the late, great genius:
Honesty may be the best policy, but it's important to remember that apparently, by elimination, dishonesty is the second-best policy.
The very existence of flamethrowers proves that some time, somewhere, someone said to themselves, "You know, I want to set those people over there on fire, but I'm just not close enough to get the job done."
Well, if crime fighters fight crime and fire fighters fight fire, what do freedom fighters fight? They never mention that part to us, do they?
When someone asks you, A penny for your thoughts, and you put your two cents in, what happens to the other penny?
I thought about how mothers feed their babies with tiny little spoons and forks so I wondered, what do Chinese mothers use? Toothpicks?
"I am" is reportedly the shortest sentence in the English language. Could it be that "I do" is the longest sentence?
And there's some excellent clips of his routines here. "Feminist Blowjob" is one of the best.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
New photos
Butterfly weed 6-08.JPG
Originally uploaded by junogle.
Took a few pictures around the garden this morning. Here's the butterfly weed that took hold under the pecan tree last year. It's really doing well there, along with the hosta. And out front, Mom's poker plants are looking just incredible -- so many blooms!
Monday, May 26, 2008
What a weekend
Ever read about someone who survived a hit by a tornado, and they say "It sounded like a freight train"?
It sure does.
Friday night, two tornadoes hit my little town. There wasn't a lot of serious damage, and no really serious injuries, but it was awful scary.
The storms started building up to our southwest, with reports of rotation and funnel clouds, along with heavy rain and large hail. Mom and I got our "storm shelter" prepared. I put that in quotes because our best shelter here at the house is probably one of our closets -- walk-in with no windows, and somewhat centrally located. So we put the computers, some valuables and blankets in there, along with Buster's leash. We already have a storage bin filled with emergency supplies, and I have a battery operated radio.
Then the TV and radio people announced there was a confirmed tornado at the nearby reservoir. It's about 8 miles away as the crow -- or tornado -- flies, so we knew it was time to get in the closet and shut the door. It was just a bit cramped in there with Mom, Buster and I. We kept the TV in my bedroom on since they were giving better information. The first reports said the tornado should be at our town at about 8:07 -- giving us about 20 minutes warning. Then they kept pushing it back -- 8:11, 8:14. The rain was falling hard, and there was some small hail. We heard the TV weather man say the tornado should be right over town as he was speaking, but it hadn't reached us yet.
And there was another one behind it.
Then everything went black.
Mom turned on the lamp we had with us and we listened to the radio -- the tornado had been spotted 4 miles southeast of town and was heading right for us (and we live on the southwest edge of town!).
Then it got quiet. The rain stopped. The wind stopped.
And then we heard it. A wooshing noise, like a wind I'd never heard before. It wasn't the throbbing, chugging sound of a freight train, but it had that same dopplar kind of effect, starting quiet and then increasing in intensity. We pulled the blankets over our heads and held onto each and Buster. There was a big THUD against the roof. Then another and another, and the whole house began to shake.
And then it began to fade. We pulled the blankets off of us and tried to breathe a sigh of relief, but it was getting hot. The closet, at least, was all in one piece and we were OK. We didn't quite dare just yet to open the door. We knew the second tornado was on its way. We waiting and listened to the radio for a bit longer.
And then it started again, about 10 or 15 minutes later. Just like before, the total silence. The sound of a big, swirling wind growing closer. Debris thudding against the roof. And then the wind fading.
We waited a few more minutes before we dared to open the door. I was afraid we'd look out my bedroom window and through the lightning flashes see all the trees behind my yard stripped and mangled. But they made it through OK.
We lost one of the willow trees along the creek, and a couple big branches off the old cottonwood, but for the most part, everything was OK. One of the garage doors got bowed out slightly, but it still opens OK. Mom took off to go check on dad and the house and her camper. All were OK.
The neighborhood was mostly OK, too. Al, who lives next door to me, lost his flagpole. A neighbor down the street did have a large tree in their backyard uprooted. It fell on their shed, knocking the carport down on their car. The tree took down some power lines in the alley, but of course power was already out, so no fire danger.
People were coming out of their houses, and we compared notes. It's kind of odd that it takes something like this to bond with your neighbors. We got to know a bit more about those people we just kind of said hi to in passing. At least if this happens again, we know we can run across the street to a neighbor's basement.
Morning came and we took a bit more of an assessment of the damage. Just the willow trees are down, and they didn't really damage anything. I noticed in the afternoon the neighbors had gotten their car out from under the carport after the tree was removed, so it must not have taken too much damage. The high school had a big hole in the roof over the gym, and a house across the street from the school lost a small cinder-block garage. Some windows were blown out across town, and a barn less than a mile north of my house had its roof blown off. The metal roof blew across the street, knocking down the power poles and lines that are a main supply of electricity to town. And crews were out working on it by mid-morning.
Saturday, Mom, Dad and I went into town to get breakfast. Mom had to work, so Dad and I got some ice for the ice chests and a few things to eat, then headed back home and drove around and looked at some of the damage. So was everyone else, of course. That's what you do in a small town. There was a steady flow of traffic to the city's tree limb burn site, with pickups and trailers just full of branches and even tree trunks. I ended up writing a story and taking a few pictures for the paper I work for, then had to work at the hotline from 5 to 10. It was very eerie driving into town when there were very few lights on. On the edge of town, the city's new water plant and the assisted living center next to it both had generators, and the co-op gas station a block down the road did too, and here and there a house with a generator had a light or there were candles flickering in windows, but otherwise it was black and silent.
Sunday, I had to work the hotline from 9 to 5, and Dad called in the early afternoon to tell me the power had been back on for a couple hours. Hooray! But as the afternoon went on, the sky got darker. And yes, we went through it again. This time, no tornado hit town, but there was one spotted north of the town I live in. The co-worker who was to relieve me at 5 p.m. came in about an hour early, just as the storm hit with rain and some hail. She had been out on the golf course and they chased off the golfers because of the lightning, so she came to the office a bit early. We kept our eye on the TV reports of the weather, and listened to the tornado sirens going off, but never had to go for shelter. I stayed about an hour late until the worst of it had passed, and got home about 6:30. Poor Buster seemed pretty happy to see me. I'd been pretty worried about him since storms make him nervous. I was worried about Dad, too, but I was able to talk to him, and I knew he was keeping an eye on things. By the time I got home, I was just exhausted. Fortunately, today I have the whole day off. I'm going to enjoy it. As long as it doesn't cloud up too much.
Here's some pictures I took Saturday:
This is a panoramic shot of the creek at my house Saturday. The willow trees, to the far left, used to lean out over the creek. And all the trees on my side are normally a couple feet above the water level.
A county worker uses a backhoe to remove the trees and limbs that had piled up against the bridge near my house. I woke about 4 a.m. Saturday morning to hear a lot of cracking and crashing. I don't know if it was this stuff hitting the bridge or a tree upstream falling.
The dam at our city lake. Normally, it's probably about 20 feet to the water level on the downstream side of the dam.
This guy lost his garage. This is on the other side of town from where I live, near the high school.
It sure does.
Friday night, two tornadoes hit my little town. There wasn't a lot of serious damage, and no really serious injuries, but it was awful scary.
The storms started building up to our southwest, with reports of rotation and funnel clouds, along with heavy rain and large hail. Mom and I got our "storm shelter" prepared. I put that in quotes because our best shelter here at the house is probably one of our closets -- walk-in with no windows, and somewhat centrally located. So we put the computers, some valuables and blankets in there, along with Buster's leash. We already have a storage bin filled with emergency supplies, and I have a battery operated radio.
Then the TV and radio people announced there was a confirmed tornado at the nearby reservoir. It's about 8 miles away as the crow -- or tornado -- flies, so we knew it was time to get in the closet and shut the door. It was just a bit cramped in there with Mom, Buster and I. We kept the TV in my bedroom on since they were giving better information. The first reports said the tornado should be at our town at about 8:07 -- giving us about 20 minutes warning. Then they kept pushing it back -- 8:11, 8:14. The rain was falling hard, and there was some small hail. We heard the TV weather man say the tornado should be right over town as he was speaking, but it hadn't reached us yet.
And there was another one behind it.
Then everything went black.
Mom turned on the lamp we had with us and we listened to the radio -- the tornado had been spotted 4 miles southeast of town and was heading right for us (and we live on the southwest edge of town!).
Then it got quiet. The rain stopped. The wind stopped.
And then we heard it. A wooshing noise, like a wind I'd never heard before. It wasn't the throbbing, chugging sound of a freight train, but it had that same dopplar kind of effect, starting quiet and then increasing in intensity. We pulled the blankets over our heads and held onto each and Buster. There was a big THUD against the roof. Then another and another, and the whole house began to shake.
And then it began to fade. We pulled the blankets off of us and tried to breathe a sigh of relief, but it was getting hot. The closet, at least, was all in one piece and we were OK. We didn't quite dare just yet to open the door. We knew the second tornado was on its way. We waiting and listened to the radio for a bit longer.
And then it started again, about 10 or 15 minutes later. Just like before, the total silence. The sound of a big, swirling wind growing closer. Debris thudding against the roof. And then the wind fading.
We waited a few more minutes before we dared to open the door. I was afraid we'd look out my bedroom window and through the lightning flashes see all the trees behind my yard stripped and mangled. But they made it through OK.
We lost one of the willow trees along the creek, and a couple big branches off the old cottonwood, but for the most part, everything was OK. One of the garage doors got bowed out slightly, but it still opens OK. Mom took off to go check on dad and the house and her camper. All were OK.
The neighborhood was mostly OK, too. Al, who lives next door to me, lost his flagpole. A neighbor down the street did have a large tree in their backyard uprooted. It fell on their shed, knocking the carport down on their car. The tree took down some power lines in the alley, but of course power was already out, so no fire danger.
People were coming out of their houses, and we compared notes. It's kind of odd that it takes something like this to bond with your neighbors. We got to know a bit more about those people we just kind of said hi to in passing. At least if this happens again, we know we can run across the street to a neighbor's basement.
Morning came and we took a bit more of an assessment of the damage. Just the willow trees are down, and they didn't really damage anything. I noticed in the afternoon the neighbors had gotten their car out from under the carport after the tree was removed, so it must not have taken too much damage. The high school had a big hole in the roof over the gym, and a house across the street from the school lost a small cinder-block garage. Some windows were blown out across town, and a barn less than a mile north of my house had its roof blown off. The metal roof blew across the street, knocking down the power poles and lines that are a main supply of electricity to town. And crews were out working on it by mid-morning.
Saturday, Mom, Dad and I went into town to get breakfast. Mom had to work, so Dad and I got some ice for the ice chests and a few things to eat, then headed back home and drove around and looked at some of the damage. So was everyone else, of course. That's what you do in a small town. There was a steady flow of traffic to the city's tree limb burn site, with pickups and trailers just full of branches and even tree trunks. I ended up writing a story and taking a few pictures for the paper I work for, then had to work at the hotline from 5 to 10. It was very eerie driving into town when there were very few lights on. On the edge of town, the city's new water plant and the assisted living center next to it both had generators, and the co-op gas station a block down the road did too, and here and there a house with a generator had a light or there were candles flickering in windows, but otherwise it was black and silent.
Sunday, I had to work the hotline from 9 to 5, and Dad called in the early afternoon to tell me the power had been back on for a couple hours. Hooray! But as the afternoon went on, the sky got darker. And yes, we went through it again. This time, no tornado hit town, but there was one spotted north of the town I live in. The co-worker who was to relieve me at 5 p.m. came in about an hour early, just as the storm hit with rain and some hail. She had been out on the golf course and they chased off the golfers because of the lightning, so she came to the office a bit early. We kept our eye on the TV reports of the weather, and listened to the tornado sirens going off, but never had to go for shelter. I stayed about an hour late until the worst of it had passed, and got home about 6:30. Poor Buster seemed pretty happy to see me. I'd been pretty worried about him since storms make him nervous. I was worried about Dad, too, but I was able to talk to him, and I knew he was keeping an eye on things. By the time I got home, I was just exhausted. Fortunately, today I have the whole day off. I'm going to enjoy it. As long as it doesn't cloud up too much.
Here's some pictures I took Saturday:
This is a panoramic shot of the creek at my house Saturday. The willow trees, to the far left, used to lean out over the creek. And all the trees on my side are normally a couple feet above the water level.
A county worker uses a backhoe to remove the trees and limbs that had piled up against the bridge near my house. I woke about 4 a.m. Saturday morning to hear a lot of cracking and crashing. I don't know if it was this stuff hitting the bridge or a tree upstream falling.
The dam at our city lake. Normally, it's probably about 20 feet to the water level on the downstream side of the dam.
This guy lost his garage. This is on the other side of town from where I live, near the high school.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Catch up
So, where to begin? A lot has really been happening.
• Mom and I will be going to Wichita in July for "Antiques Roadshow"! She got tickets and we can each take two items. She's taking a painting she inherited and some jewelry, and I'm taking a sketchbook of an African safari and ... something else. More on this as it draws nearer.
• Buster doesn't seem to like to swim. I had to haul him out of the creek Sunday after he jumped in after some people going by in canoes. He chased them downstream a ways, into the trees on the neighbor's property. He found a good spot to dive in -- and I think he didn't expect it to be as deep as it was -- but then he couldn't find a spot to climb back up out of the creek. So I had to make my way through the trees to where he was and pull him out. It was hard not to laugh at him, even though he was obviously a bit scared of the predicament he'd gotten himself into. Still, he did go in the creek today (in the shallow part) after our walk.
• Piano music does something odd to Buster. Tonight, we had been watching "Antiques Roadshow" on the local PBS station, and afterwards, the station showed a calendar of local events, with some piano music playing underneath. Buster pricked up his ears and started trotting around the house, from the back door to the front door, to my bedroom window, like he was looking for someone. He calmed down after the music stopped.
• Buster was a big help getting through Sunday. It was on Mother's Day last year that Nipper died. I sat under the pecan tree in the backyard, where Nipper and I spent his last afternoon enjoying the warm day and the breeze, with the windsock Mom had put there blowing around us, it's streamers falling down around Nipper's face and back. On Friday evening, I was at that spot planting some flowers there, when a breeze picked up and blew the streamers around my shoulders. Without even thinking, I said, "I miss you, too, Nipper." It really felt like my ol' pup was sending me a hug. Sunday was much the same as it was that Sunday last year, and as I sat there, Buster came and sat beside me. The wind turned and blew the streamers toward Buster, and they settled on his head and shoulders. And that was almost like Nipper saying "He's a good dog, too. He'll watch over you." I'm sure some people will think I'm reading too much into nothing, but that's what it felt like. And I really think love can transcend boundaries -- even the love from a dog.
• I'm doing well health-wise, and so is my family. My support group is another situation, however. One member has had a reoccurance and will begin chemo next week, after having had a mastectomy and surgery to remove a kidney, where a tumor was found. Her prospects, are good, and she's in good spirits. However another member told us at our meeting last week that the doctors told her she has six months to a year to live. She has battling this for almost three years straight. It seemed like she was on good ground and then they found new tumors -- first in her lungs, which went away with chemo, and this latest bout with tumors in her brain. The chemo seemed to be effective a couple months ago, though, as she reported they were shrinking. And then this news. It's kind of hard to take, because she has been so active all throughout these last few years, even with the treatment. She has a teenage son she's raising herself, and she's done a lot for the deaf community, both locally and at the state level. It just ain't right.
• Mom and I will be going to Wichita in July for "Antiques Roadshow"! She got tickets and we can each take two items. She's taking a painting she inherited and some jewelry, and I'm taking a sketchbook of an African safari and ... something else. More on this as it draws nearer.
• Buster doesn't seem to like to swim. I had to haul him out of the creek Sunday after he jumped in after some people going by in canoes. He chased them downstream a ways, into the trees on the neighbor's property. He found a good spot to dive in -- and I think he didn't expect it to be as deep as it was -- but then he couldn't find a spot to climb back up out of the creek. So I had to make my way through the trees to where he was and pull him out. It was hard not to laugh at him, even though he was obviously a bit scared of the predicament he'd gotten himself into. Still, he did go in the creek today (in the shallow part) after our walk.
• Piano music does something odd to Buster. Tonight, we had been watching "Antiques Roadshow" on the local PBS station, and afterwards, the station showed a calendar of local events, with some piano music playing underneath. Buster pricked up his ears and started trotting around the house, from the back door to the front door, to my bedroom window, like he was looking for someone. He calmed down after the music stopped.
• Buster was a big help getting through Sunday. It was on Mother's Day last year that Nipper died. I sat under the pecan tree in the backyard, where Nipper and I spent his last afternoon enjoying the warm day and the breeze, with the windsock Mom had put there blowing around us, it's streamers falling down around Nipper's face and back. On Friday evening, I was at that spot planting some flowers there, when a breeze picked up and blew the streamers around my shoulders. Without even thinking, I said, "I miss you, too, Nipper." It really felt like my ol' pup was sending me a hug. Sunday was much the same as it was that Sunday last year, and as I sat there, Buster came and sat beside me. The wind turned and blew the streamers toward Buster, and they settled on his head and shoulders. And that was almost like Nipper saying "He's a good dog, too. He'll watch over you." I'm sure some people will think I'm reading too much into nothing, but that's what it felt like. And I really think love can transcend boundaries -- even the love from a dog.
• I'm doing well health-wise, and so is my family. My support group is another situation, however. One member has had a reoccurance and will begin chemo next week, after having had a mastectomy and surgery to remove a kidney, where a tumor was found. Her prospects, are good, and she's in good spirits. However another member told us at our meeting last week that the doctors told her she has six months to a year to live. She has battling this for almost three years straight. It seemed like she was on good ground and then they found new tumors -- first in her lungs, which went away with chemo, and this latest bout with tumors in her brain. The chemo seemed to be effective a couple months ago, though, as she reported they were shrinking. And then this news. It's kind of hard to take, because she has been so active all throughout these last few years, even with the treatment. She has a teenage son she's raising herself, and she's done a lot for the deaf community, both locally and at the state level. It just ain't right.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Vibrant spring
Spring is in full bloom around here, and it looks to be a good year for the flowers.
The hyacinths are just about faded, and the daffodils are starting to fade, but it looks like my work on the hillside the last few years is paying off. Not only were there a dozen or so blooming daffodils, but it appears we'll have a lot of irises blooming as well. Most of them have been in the ground on the hill for about three years now, so it's nice to see there will be some color there this spring. The mums and the aster I planted there last year are coming back (especially the aster), too, so there should be some late summer/fall color. Now I just need some summer-blooming flowers to put there. Maybe some native flowers that could withstand the sun and heat.
I don't know if it's just me, but the flowering trees around here seem to be much more vibrant this year, especially the redbud trees. There's lots of them around here -- they do very well in the prairie, really -- and it just seems like their blooms are so much more plentiful and vivid than in years past. In fact, we discovered there five of them behind my property. We knew of two --- right near the back gate and a small one down on the creek bank -- but there a few other small ones, too. Not sure if they were there before and just didn't really bloom, or if they're new.
Speaking of trees, while my mom was traveling around the South in late winter/early spring, she fell in love with dogwood trees. So she bought two to bring home! We planted one with pink flowers in the back yard, and the other will go at my dad's house. So hopefully next year, we'll have some pretty flowering trees, too.
The hyacinths are just about faded, and the daffodils are starting to fade, but it looks like my work on the hillside the last few years is paying off. Not only were there a dozen or so blooming daffodils, but it appears we'll have a lot of irises blooming as well. Most of them have been in the ground on the hill for about three years now, so it's nice to see there will be some color there this spring. The mums and the aster I planted there last year are coming back (especially the aster), too, so there should be some late summer/fall color. Now I just need some summer-blooming flowers to put there. Maybe some native flowers that could withstand the sun and heat.
I don't know if it's just me, but the flowering trees around here seem to be much more vibrant this year, especially the redbud trees. There's lots of them around here -- they do very well in the prairie, really -- and it just seems like their blooms are so much more plentiful and vivid than in years past. In fact, we discovered there five of them behind my property. We knew of two --- right near the back gate and a small one down on the creek bank -- but there a few other small ones, too. Not sure if they were there before and just didn't really bloom, or if they're new.
Speaking of trees, while my mom was traveling around the South in late winter/early spring, she fell in love with dogwood trees. So she bought two to bring home! We planted one with pink flowers in the back yard, and the other will go at my dad's house. So hopefully next year, we'll have some pretty flowering trees, too.
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