Medical

While Monday was fun picking up the dogs, today is not a fun day.
I see my GP  (doctor)  twice a year to have blood test for the A1C  - something diabetics do on a regular occasion.  Today is the day. 
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He talks.  He prods.  He pokes.  He uses a rubber glove  (once a year only).  We chat.  I have blood drawn.  I really like this doctor.  He is above par.   First of all I believe he could have been a concert pianist or some degree.  His brother was a band director in the HEB area and now teaches trumpet on the side at SMU  (he retired & does this now).  He talks softly and intelligently.
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I am really not one to cultivate friends.  Somehow, it never seems to work out.  I don't make enemies - not that - and sure, I have friends - some very good ones - but I am awkward when it comes to social settings such as inviting people over for dinner or going out with another couple.  We have done this with one local couple.  But, I am really not good at it.  I want to be.  
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I believe the good doctor would be someone who would be good to socialize with; but, there is the problem of socialization with someone who knows you - and I really do mean the word "Know."
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So I move on.  Time to get ready for the prods and the pokes ....
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While I am here, I would like to mention that my previous next door neighbor, Lelanie Petty, has just been diagnosed with a stage 2 to 4 brain tumor.  She is also our insurance agent.  This whole thing just makes me mad.  Lelanie is holed up at Baylor hospital (Dallas) waiting test results.  They cut open her head yesterday and removed a fist-size tumor.  Why do bad things have to happen to good people?  Makes me mad.

fun day

One might think this was a fun day.  One might not.
We returned last night from San Antonio where we watched the Southwest championship of the DCI - drum corps international ... in the alamodome.  We got to see about 25 different corps from all over the US.  Garfield - no wait - the Cadets from Allentown, PA came in first followed really closely by the Blue Devils.  Those of you into this activity will know what I am reporting.   The Cadets were originally (I think) from Garfield, NJ.  Then, I suppose, when better funding was necessary, they became the Cadets of Bergen County (NJ).  Sometime they made the switch over to Allentown.  Interesting (to me).   
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We stayed in SA motels for two nights.  I can say that both motels are lacking.  The Best Western Garden something has a problem that I cannot touch here.  The La Quinta on Toepperwein has mold growing in the bathtub and toilet area.  I may touch more on that in a bit.
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What made the day fun was that we picked up our dogs from the Vet after 3 days of boarding.  I miss the dogs when they go on vacation.  It was fun picking them up and being loved again.  Yes, Oscar & I played ball twice today.  I just gave every dog a new squeaky dog toy - Oscar got a squeaky ball.  We are in Heaven.  As an add-on:  Oscar played with the ball from 4:30 until 10:30 non-stop.  The squeaker has finally died; but, he doesn't care.  Oscar loves the new ball more than food itself.
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2 asides here:
1.  We have taken Bruno to the Vet twice recently and this time makes #3.   All 3 times, that is ALL THREE TIMES, Bruno "Woos" on the floor of the waiting room.  (If you don't know the word Woo - it is explained in a previous posting  - dogs  wee and woo.   If they do both at the same general time, it is called a Woopee.)   Each time he wooed, the little girl has to come out of the back and pick it up and MOP the floor.  Bruno doesn't care at all.
2.  When they led the dogs out of the back room, Greta and Liesl were first.  I hooked them up and led them to the car.  I picked up Liesl and put her in the back seat (short legged dogs don't jump into cars usually).  I turned around and Greta was squatting on the street, doing her job.  Normally, Greta wets for about 5 seconds - she has a small bladder.  This time she wet and wet and wet - I stood and waited.  Meanwhile the other two dogs were brought out of the building.  Greta was still wetting.  I swear she held the pose with water puddling for a full minute.   I am wondering if she wet even once over the 3 days they were kept.
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later

Another month of fun

7-10-15
Everytime I come on here, I swear that I will write more frequently.   Everytime, I fail.  Does this mean I am some type of loser - or does it mean, that I have little incentive to write more often - more money, more praise, more acceptance to my brilliance, add other "mores" here.______________________________________________________
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Lots of water has gone over the bridge since I last wrote during the middle of June.   Most recent first.  I bought a house in Waxahachie.  We are not planning to move there; it will become a rent house.  I calculated (with my phone calculater) that I could bring more cash home with a rental than I could with some of my stocks.  So I cashed some in - bit the bullet so to speak - and became a slum lord.  The rest of the story.....
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Now I am spending time in Wax-your-hachet working on the place and getting the business taken care of that a rent house demands.   The rest of the story.....
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My daughter Laura has been hired as the elementary music teacher in Blooming Grove.  She is so excited to get back to teaching.  I am excited that she is returning to her music roots.   But, living in Cisco prior to the hire, requires her to move back to this part of the country.   She raises rabbits, not to eat, but to love.  Her number is down to 10 now. Apparently there are lots of other people doing this cause she can sell a baby rabbit for $30 to $50 or more.  It is hard to believe for an old trumpet player.
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Her husband Tom works for the post office out there.  He applied for a transfer and will move in another month or so.
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Where does one live when they have a dog, 10 rabbits and a bunch of rabbit cages.  That is a tough one.  Apartments are not good.  A bunch of soul searching and thankin'  (thinking for those up north) brought me to the rent house idea.  After all, who would be the best FIRST tenant than your own, employed, daughter and son-in-law?  Yeah, if they were bums, it would be a bit different.
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Thus part of the past month has been in buying the house - moderate work on it - daughter moving ... and, this brings us to Son Roger.
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Roger and wife Penney have brought their girls up in the soft ball world.  Their oldest Megan, now in high school, plays on a team that signed up for a soft ball tournament in Taylor.   My oldest daughter Christine lives in Round Rock, just down the road from Taylor.  So - if you are following this - we fired up the motorhome and drove to Rd Rk parking in the old Settler's RV park next to Dell Diamond.  It is an RV park.  Not any fancy stuff.   We parked there - Rog and Pen plus the two youngest girls stayed in the RV while wife & I stayed over in Christine's house.
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And for two days we went to the ballgames.  I missed a couple.  It was a good outing me thinks.
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If you have kept up with me over the years, you know that we have a Grammy Camp each summer, usually in August.  Since Megan is a marching band member, she begins marching practice in August.  It came to me in a flash (with a little wife help), after the tournament, load the girls up and take them with us - GRAMMY CAMP!!
But, wait, Laura's moving at this time.
Solution:  We took the girls with us - home - on a Sunday.   Monday we helped Laura get settled (all girls and us).  Tuesday, we RV'd the girls to Galveston for a couple of fun days on the beach. They seemed to have a good time on Galveston Island.    Being raised in the Panhandle, the girls had never seen the Ocean (Gulf) and waves and seagulls and shells.  Which reminds me, they had so much fun throwing food in the air for the Gulls.  They would step on the beach - one seagull in sight - throw food up - 30 to 50 seagulls magically appeared out of nowhere.  Amazing.
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I watched a guy get out of his car on the beach with a big white bucket.  He took a net out of the bucket and walked into the sea up to his waist.  The man threw the hand net out into the water and pulled it back in with the rope.  He turned around, walked out of the water, dumped a fish into his bucket, and drove off.  One throw, One fish.   Amazing.
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We worked our way home on a Friday meeting Roger and Penney.  Sat., that family was off.  They toured Cowboy Stadium and went to a Ranger's game in the evening - 4th of July Fireworks and all.   They returned to our house between 1:30 and 2:00 a.m.   After sleeping the morning away, they loaded up their car and returned to their home.   I think Grammy Camp was good this year. Next year I am thinking we should take them to Colorado or Arizona or Timbuktu.
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Last stone.  This week we drove to Waxa and gave moral support to Laura as she test drived - test droved - tested by driving cars.  Her old 1998 Ford Explorer was on its last leg and headed for $4000 and up repairs.  It was time to let it go.  She ended up with a nice Chevy Equinox, red.  Her old car was gone.
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Our experience in the Waxahachie Ford House was miserable.  The salesman was a nice kid.  His idea of a test drive was:  He drove us down I-35 eventually stopping.  He let Laura turn it around and drive it back to the Ford House.  We thanked him and explained that her husband had to be brought into the conversation.  Fine.  Wham.  Out came his boss.  This clown was aggressive and insulting to any intelligent human.  Finally, I just stopped and told him that he was being too aggressive, and we needed to leave until she could talk to her husband.   The guy was truly a jerk. If I ever buy another Ford, his store won't see my shadow.
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Other things have happened in the past month.  Those stones will have to wait.  I am going up the hill to get the mail and my newspaper.  See Ya, Guys.
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