I decided to change horses in mid-stream, and go with another topic for “Friday Fun.”
So now it’ll be “Saturday Smile.”
Nov 272020
SoINeedAName
Nov 262020
At least for some:
[OOPS! I forgot. Here’s a link to the cute Turkey Day cartoon:]
And while Macy’s annual Thanksgiving Day Parade has been scaled back because of COVID, they did add one new balloon thanks to Sacha Borat and Rudy Giuliani:
Happy Thanksgiving!
Nov 172020
GREETINGS PP Folks!
Just a (maybe more than) brief Update Note!
I’m home since Sunday afternoon – and boy does it feel GOOD!
When triaged into the ER on Tuesday morning (God, I am glad I drove myself there ASAP & not wait for ambulance) as the sickest patient.
(NOTE: No one likes to wait in the ER – but trust me … you do NOT want to be at the top of the list to be seen … “Please, take SOMEONE else first if possible”!) and saw my VS monitor screen.
(Not to be overly dramatic, but I honestly thought I was going to die looking at those numbers!!)
Maybe sometimes ignorance IS bliss. But knowing what the numbers meant I honestly thought this was my “Hello, Jesus” moment.
That was reconfirmed a day before my discharge when the nurse for the Hospitalist told me I was blue, mottled, drenched in sweat and gasping for breath. (I was there – I remember!)
I have NEVER been so scared in all my life!
As my Vital Signs (VS) deteriorated, I do not believe I would NOT be here if it were not for the BIPAP machine!
GIF
It was literally a lifesaver!
As you are all aware, Trump’s gross mismanagement of the COVID Pandemic has put literally MILLIONS of Americans at risk – and is the cause of TENS of THOUSANDS of DEATHS! (That is NOT hyperbole!).
Given the COVID crunch, on Wednesday morning they tried to wean me off the BIPAP to make it available to someone else. (Understandable – all the BIPAP & AIRVO machines were in use.
At least at this hospital, you get a 4-hour window to see if you can tolerate being off the BIPAP before they take it away.
After an hour, I could tell I was NOT going to make it. My ER nurse told me to think “positive thoughts”.
I told her I was – and I was POSITIVE I was NOT going to be able to tolerate being OFF the BIPAP. (She was not pleased – understandable given the crunch … but survival is a damn strong force.)
When I was gasping again & my O2 saturation dropped below 80% (Normal: 95-99%), she put me back on the BIPAP
Second time that machine literally saved my life!
On Thursday they moved me to a Telemetry floor and started to SLOWLY wean me off the BIPAP machine.
By Friday I was off the machine, and just on nasal FiO2 starting at 7 Liters.
They slowly weaned me down & by Saturday morning I was on Room Air (RA).
When you’re on the BIPAP you cannot eat or drink. (They give you tiny sponges soaked in water to suck on.)
So I fasted from Tuesday morning to Friday.
Not that I couldn’t use a fast weight-wise, but I’d rather be more proactive in selection.
My Hospitalist (assigned – no chose) was really pretty good.
The Cardiology & Pulmonology consults he ordered were EXCELLENT!
The entire hospital system – from doctors to dietary personnel – were excellent! I was VERY pleased w/ the care I received!
My only major complaint is that I felt a GREAT deal of pressure to get me OFF the BIBPAP and OUT of the hospital.
I can understand the pressure – but I wonder what happens to folks who don’t have the background knowledge I bring to push for my own interests.
(WRONG – no, I really do not wonder … THEY DIE!)
I lost 20+ pounds during my hospitalization per my scales. (I believe them)
Mostly just fluid loss I’m sure. BUT the good news is I’m glad to get rid of the weight no matter how!
The bad new – wonder if all the fluid retention is a possibility for Congestive Heart Failure (CHF).
My BNP (Brain Natriuretic Peptide) was only 1,020 – which is right on the margin of normal. But most folks in CHF have BNP values ot 20k-30k!
So 1k is just on the border of normal.
The Hospitalist thinks I have CHF. My Cardiologist does NOT!
The Cardiologist does NOT believe my acute onset & fulminant course could be explained by a BNP of only 1,020.
It is what it is, but I’m certainly in a gray area.
I have a Pharmacological Stress Test scheduled for mid-December w/ a F/U (medical Follow/Up – NOT the other F/U) w/ my new Cardiologist.
I really liked my original cardiologist – but he’s at a different Medical Center. I haven’t decided which one I’m going to go with.
(Nice to have choices that are BOTH good.)
Makes sense to consolidate all my care around the new Medical Center – particularly WRT communication/sharing of info.
Will have to wait and see how it goes – but that’s the direction I’m leaning.
(Hard to leave folks who’ve I liked & worked hard for me. We’ll see …)
Bottom Lines:
Felt like I was on the brink of death – LITERALLY (I know it’s chewing-the-curtains dramatic-wise, but I honestly believe it) – so happy to be posting this.
Glad to be alive
Very pleased with my care
Still questions down the road.
I deeply missed you guys!
Going back, I’ve been in the hospital overnight four (4) times previous to this – going back to being hit by a car as a 5 y/o kid.
This is the FIRST time I’ve been in longer than overnight!
It was a true eye-opening experience (which I would have been HAPPY to forgo).
But I had NO idea how energy-sapping a hospitalization (when you’re really not doing anything) can be.
(TC – I yield to your “expertise”.)
I’m EXHAUSTED!
I’ll see how it goes, but right now I doubt there will be a “Friday Fun” for a week or two.
I’m just all done-in.
Hugs & “THANK YOUS” for all the thoughts & prayers sent my way!
But I hope I NEVER have to call on your powers again!!!
Nov 062020
Truth be told, I actually wasn’t going to do a Friday Fun because I’ve been gloomy about the election. (Although it now looks like we might very well have a LANDSIDE Electoral College victory!)
But then, courtesy of Right Wing Watch, I came across Trump’s “spiritual advisor” – Paula White – leading a prayer to turn the results around to make him win. I wanted to make sure to share with you guys & gals how far off the tracks the Trump Train has gone.
Presidential spiritual adviser Paula White is currently leading an impassioned prayer service in an effort to secure Trump's reelection. pic.twitter.com/hCSRh84d6g
— Right Wing Watch (@RightWingWatch) November 5, 2020
Those not familiar with Paula White, a talibangelical christianist and Grifter-Supreme, of course she has a very scandalous background – including multiple marriages, bankruptcies and having her “church” investigated by the Senate Finance Committee from 2007 through 2011. Is it any wonder Trump would pick her as an “advisor”?
Oh, and if you want to scroll through some views of her $1.1+ MILLION home in Florida (naturally), be my guest:
Back to the “prayer” – I did find a Transcript of what she was saying:
“Strike, strike, strike until you have victory, for every enemy that is aligned against you, let there be that we would strike the ground for you will give us victory, God.
“I hear a sound of an abundance of rain, I hear a sound of victory, I hear a sound of shouting and singing, I hear a sound of victory.
White repeats the “I hear a sound of an abundance of rain, I hear a sound of victory,” a couple of times and then says: “The Lord says it is done, the Lord says it is done, the Lord says it is done.
“For I hear victory, victory, victory, victory in the quarters of heaven, in the quarters of heaven I hear victory…
“For angels are being released right now, angels are being dispatched right now, [speaks in tongues] for angels have even been dispatched from Africa right now, Africa right now, Africa right now, they’re coming here, they’re coming here in the name of Jesus, from South America, they’re coming here…”
As you can imagine, there are literally dozens and dozens of music remixes to her “supplication” – which all are lost on me. So I’ll stick to the ones that have a visual impact.
While most cats were incredulous …
— modern goat (@modern_goat) November 5, 2020
There was one who definitely was feeling the beat …
well sorry @Eminem for that. But that's the first instrumental track i thought about. pic.twitter.com/5uce3N3GSP
— Capitaine OSEF (@Soapmoine) November 5, 2020
While lots of people are trying to figure out who the guy carrying a bathrobe and reading a newspaper walking behind White was doing, this is the longest clip (at the end) that I was able to find of him:
— UK Rave YouTube Comments (@UKRaveComments) November 5, 2020
Saving the best for last, someone decided to improve on White’s hammering away during her “pleadings”:
#PaulaWhite totally gets it ! pic.twitter.com/73Stmhms51
— Felieze 🌷🌍 👊🏽👊🏼 #PTC lid sneer en snaai (@FeliesMadretsma) November 5, 2020
“Pray” all you want Paula – to quote a certain someone: “It is what it is.”
Oct 312020
I hope you’ll agree that this is a boo-tiful story of a little boy and his special friend – Benny.
Because of the CDC guidelines (courtesy of the Trump virus) 2-year-old Theo Brady had his playdates cancelled and wasn’t able to visit his friends. But Theo eventually figured out a solution on September 15th, thanks to a leaking water heater. (Great example of the old adage: “A door shuts – a window opens.)
Theo and his Mom, Abigail Brady, took their dog down to the basement to put in the kennel before heading out for a trip to the beach. But what she found was a flooded basement from a leaking water heater.
She moved holiday decorations stored nearby out of the way so they wouldn’t get wet, and began mopping up the mess. But then she heard Theo crying out “Mommy! Mommy! Sel-eton! Help!”
She turned and saw Theo trying to lug the 5-foot tall plastic skeleton decoration up the steps. She had bought it a couple years ago for $20 at the grocery store to help decorate their front porch for Halloween. So she helped Theo bring the skeleton upstairs before they headed out.
But Theo adamantly refused to get in the car until the skeleton joined them. Abigail figured that being “locked down” Theo was lonely, and decided the skeleton would be a great friend.
So they got all buckled up in the car and headed out …
But when they got to the reservoir’s beach, Theo refused to get out of the car unless the skeleton joined them. So away they went, where they delighted other beachgoers with Benny propped up in the sand. (The family decided the skeleton needed a name since he’s been Theo’s constant companion – so they decided on Benny, after the taxi-driving skeleton in the Disney Channel movie “Halloweentown.”)
Since their first outing, Theo and the skeleton have been inseparable – they even eat together. (Abby says Theo loves to feed him, and then watch the food fall through his ribs) …
And run errands together, like grocery shopping …
Abby shares that since COVID has made 2020 such a stressful year for everyone, it gives her great pleasure to see the smiles and hear the laughter when folks encounter Theo and Benny.
Fortunately, Benny happens to enjoy the same activities as Theo – which works out well. So whether it’s quiet play enjoying some tea with Mom …
Or a trip to the playground …
You can be sure Benny is always included.
The only problem has been the few times that Benny’s head has fallen off – it upsets Theo terribly: “No, Mommy – no, no, no!”
Abby decided that she should share the joy that Theo and Benny have been providing friends, neighbors and strangers in their hometown of Herriman, Utah – so she started posting pictures and videos on her Instagram and TikTok social media platforms.
One video Abby shared of their adventure on TikTok, has been viewed more than 2.1 million times!
Abby and her husband, Casey, were a bit concerned about dealing with bedtime. But Theo and Benny enjoy watching Tim Burton’s “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” (They’ve watched it together at least a dozen times.)
And then Theo will “read” Benny a bedtime story …
They were concerned about actual sleep time. But Theo convinced them that Benny should remain in the room. So Benny quietly sits in a rocker keeping an eye on Theo.
No surprise – this Halloween Theo is naturally going to dress up as a skeleton. But they’ll just have some family members over because of COVID.
Abby admits that it’s a very cute friendship – “creepy, but cute.” (Her words.) She did say if Theo starts dragging a coffin around, Benny’s going back down to the basement. She actually hopes that by Christmas, Theo will move on to some toy that’s a little more manageable.
And although they actually took Benny with them to a wedding (not sure that’s such a good idea to upstage the bride) they haven’t had the guts to take him to a restaurant. But Dad is sure that if they did, Benny would order the spareribs.
But no bones about it, they’ve become such close friends that with some innards and epidermis Benny could be Theo’s brother by a different Mummy. So I hope I’ve tickled your funny bone, because friends and strangers agree that Theo and Benny are very humerus.
Let’s say “Good-Bye” to Theo and Benny with a quick recap:
Oct 302020
I have a cute and unusual Halloween-themed story that I’ve decided to save for tomorrow.
So Friday Fun will morph into Saturday Smile.
Oct 232020
You probably noticed that I left out the word “Fun” from my usual intro. It wasn’t a typo – it was purposeful. But that’s not because this is a sad tale. In fact, it’s a story about Joe Biden that most of you are familiar with. But I wanted to flesh it out a bit by sharing a couple of items you might have missed.
Perhaps the two most frequent words used to describe Vice-President Joe Biden are “decent” and “empathy”. Not only are they well-deserved appellations, but those two words are totally foreign to Trump.
Most, if not all, of us are familiar with the backstory of the tragedies that Joe Biden has endured with exemplary grace and dignity. He lived through the unimaginable tragedy of losing his first wife and 13-month-old-daughter, Naomi, in a car crash in 1972, just a few months after being elected to the U.S. Senate. His sons Beau and Hunter, 3 and 2 at the time, were in the back seat, seriously injured and hospitalized for days. Sen. Joe Biden had just turned 30.
From that tragedy, Biden nurtured his innate ability to connect with other people and show compassion for their thoughts, emotions and feelings. It was Pres. Obama who said while endorsing Biden’s run: “When Joe talks to families who’ve lost a hero, we hear another parent of an American veteran; a kindred spirit; somebody whose faith has endured the hardest loss there is.”
It was that ability so clearly demonstrated in this candid talk in 2012 to military families and friends who had lost a loved one, speaking openly of the anger, questions of faith and wounds that really don’t ever fully heal.
That speech made me realize what kind of man Joe Biden is. While long, the entire talk is worth watching, partly because you see him struggle to put into words his thoughts and emotions.
For me, the most moving, yet comforting, moment occurs at about the 16:10 mark:
“There will come a day, I promise you and your parents, as well, when the thought of your son or daughter or your husband or wife brings a smile to your lips before it brings a tear to your eye. It will happen. My prayer for you is that day will come sooner or later…. But the only thing I have more experience than you in is this: I’m telling you it will come.”
As most of us have come to learn, Biden endured hardships while growing up from a serious stutter affliction. It’s one of the reasons he gives his phone number to any child he encounters who stutters (a tribulation that affects 70 million people worldwide), telling them they belong to the same club.
You might recently remember one such child, Brayden Harrington, that Joe first met on a rope line:
You also might well remember seeing Brayden give Biden a must-watch endorsement at the DNC Convention.
But I really want to share a recent video of Brayden showing the impact Biden’s empathy has had on him while giving Joe a “pep talk”. The kid is amazing!
To close, I want to share a very brief video from two years ago of Biden meeting and comforting Parkland families who lost loved one in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School mass shooting. It was recently re-posted by the videographer because he wants to be sure that Biden is elected, and rightfully believes his empathy is one of his strongest assets.
The clip ends with Biden shaking hands with Debra Hixon, who explains she’s the widow of Chris Hixon, the heroic coach who died trying to save students in the shooting.
But after this exchange while Biden is walking away, Hixon’s son, Corey – a special-needs boy, runs after him for a hug. And Joe Biden’s reaction is just what we’d expect from a man with such boundless empathy.
While he wasn’t my first or second choice, I can honestly said we can be proud and are blessed to have him as our candidate …
I'm one of those who frets that the election will be much closer than the polls indicate. That in a world where non-voters are never targeted by Dems, huge turnout could contain multitudes. So I'm dropping some old footage of Joe Biden here: pic.twitter.com/74UROClgbh
— Arun Chaudhary (@ArunChaud) October 21, 2020
Oct 162020
Under the EPA Guidelines of “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” I’m going to re-post my autumnal article largely focusing on the science that makes Fall such a great time of the year.
So if you want a refresher course on Photosynthesis, Chlorophyll, Carotenoids and Xanthophyll – or just want to enjoy some gorgeous photos of the season – click here:
http://www.politicsplus.org/blog/2018/10/19/friday-fun-autumn-recycled/
But I’ll also note that I’m not the only one who absolutely loves enjoying Autumn. Why, some of them are even very well-known to anyone with a passing familiarity of Mother Goose. So I put together a portfolio of photos commemorating that (but it might take a second or two to figure it out):
