boy howdy, is this a blog cleanup misc. post

This has been quite a time since I lasted posted.  I doubt I make it too funny cause it's snot.  Last post  had my brother's wife getting a heart transplant.  I drove up there to Baylor Hospital in Dallas for the event.  It was a non-event.  I guess I have watched too much TV about this sorta thing.  I thought the process had to be done in a blink of an eye - heart found - everyone running around like chickens with their heads cut off (there is an image for you) - slap that heart in - whew we got it done in 29 min and 59 seconds, just under the 30 min deadline.
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Well, folks, I am here to tell you, it takes longer than that.  She went under about 11 a.m. and somewhere about 5 they called it off.  The heart had looked good at the first hospital; but, upon examination at Baylor, a spot was found - melonoma - wait, that is wrong:  melanomma   -- not it either: melanoma.  That works better.  If she had received this heart, she would have cancer.  Does anyone think this is a good idea?
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I drove home.  They woke up eventually; but it took hours to find this out.
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The following week we drove down to Round Rock where my daughter was having an operation.  As it turns out, it was a day surgery.  The docs just get em in and shove em out the door.  She is doing just fine.  The day after surgery, we went shopping for a little bit; then, she got tired.  Being a single lady, she needed help with her house - cooking, dog care, etc.  My wife, being the mother she is, had to provide this service.  I suppose the best part happened a few days later when I got to go see the Hobbit in 3D.  I enjoyed same and am looking forward to the 3rd installment.
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Since then, I decided I need to reread the Hobbit.  I went out into the garage and found my 3 copies - two regular and an annotated edition my other daughter gave me in 1999.  Since I had not read the annotated one, I have it with me now.  Quite interesting all the extra stuff you learn in the annotated.
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Example:  in the first edition of the Hobbit, Tolkien had Bilbo go get some chicken and tomatoes for the dwarves (Tolkien's spelling of dwarfs) - in later editions it changed to chicken and pickles because tomatoes were from the new world and probably not in Bilbo's world.  I find that interesting.  You may not; but, then, you would be wrong. That is interesting.
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I learned the dwarf spelling thing in the book too.  Moving on.
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reminds me - and this posting and the next will all be about rambling - we have this great recording of a Cow's Christmas with such hits as Hal-le-Moo-ya  and Santa Cow, etc.  Even if you don't have kids, it is a fun recording.  Now, moving on.
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Operation in Round Rock - our plan - go home on Monday or Tuesday - 16th, 17th.  We get this message on the 16, really early, they have another heart.  Well there is no way we would make it to Baylor in time to be a support group.  We didn' t go.  Went home on Tuesday because I had a Corsicana Swing Orchestra rehearsal preparing for an event.  It was a tough practice for an old guy who had been unable to practice at all.  We practiced every song at least once and did some twice and actually rehearsed on some others.  It was a long tiring rehearsal.
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Wednesday:  packed up and went to Baylor to visit.  She had come out of her stuper but = later, didn't remember our visit - later I will explain more about this.   She was in ICU and the visit was short.  We got Jim to go eat with us - Baylor cafeteria, not a feast for sure, but it was really pretty good and not over priced.  The whole thing took quite a while - but the ole gal has a 20 year old heart thumping away.  That is something.
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closing now - next post will take up more junk - time to eat lunch with my wife's uncle at Furr's Cafeteria.  They have good food.
m3