Monday, February 23, 2004

February 23, 2004 - Monday

Subject: SHIVERCITY GAZETTE

02/23/04 MONDAY group 6
The Shivercity Metropolitan area is 5 degrees below freezing. The sky is
cloudy and an 8 MPH breeze is hauling Canadian air south.
Last years H/L temperature 2/-17
Normal H/L on this date is 25/7
The Fair Oaks Golf Course will remain closed til further notice. According
to course management, winter rules.
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"Profanity makes ignorance audible"
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L O C A L:
We've lost a lot of snow cover due to the warm weather the past several
days. Already one can see shingles again on many area homes.
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GRAND FORKS HERALD:
I like it. A first front page and a second front page. That's a super idea.
A "local" paper, paying attention to "local issue's". The second I picked up
todays Herald. I noticed the picture of a sugar beet factory. That really it
home. I spent 36 years of my life watching vapors emit from a Crystal sugarbeet
factory.
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NO SCHOOL:
There will be a break in the school year this Thursday and Friday. It's one
of those breaks that would always be scheduled anyway. It just happens to fall
on the same days our state hockey tournament falls on.
Small towns can do that kind of thing. If I remember right. The band played
for a celebration one time, and, as luck would have it. There wasn't any school
that day either. Of course, the concert was in the middle of the summer,.... on
a Saturday afternoon.
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I LOWERED MY CHOLESTEROL!!!
Yup, (that's Norwegian for, it could have been worse.) I, actually we, Pat,
Wendy and I went to "my" Doctors appointment this morning. I went because I had
to. Pat came along because I don't always "hear" what I should and sometimes
bring home an inaccurate story.
Wendy,...she came along to make certain I didn't "forget" to tell the Doctor
everything. She took notes, she asked questions, she took notes, then more
questions. Then, like a true politician, she started telling the doctor
"things" that she "said" she heard from other siblings.
The RDV. If something don't change in the next few weeks. Dr. Omotunde is
going to open up a 55 gallon barrel of butt whooping, and dump it right on my
head.
It is true, my bad cholesterol is down. Unfortunately the good ones are way
down. I also found out this morning, that getting your bad cholesterol down has
absolutely no (zero) effect on high blood pressure. Doc didn't say it, but I
got the feeling he wasn't pleased with my BP. (that's a medical term for blood
pressure)
When I asked if having high blood pressure was any benefit to having high
sugar levels. He looked me square in the eye, leaned back in his chair and
said. If you don't get this down soon (quick, fast, right
away) you will be injecting yourself with insulin three times a day.
Now then, those of you that know me, know that got my attention. Okay, so
here I am, high blood pressure, high sugar levels, good cholesterol levels that
are to low, and a pair of feet that tingle when I sit to long. It ain't all
bad.
Then of course, my dear sweet Wendy has to mention I may not be quite as
steady as I was a while back. "Oh yes", said Doctor Omotunde, now we must deal
with the Parkinsons.
A cane Doc said. No I don't think so, I said. A cane with three or four
"feet" on it, for greater stability, Doc said. A walking stick, once in a
while, I said. A cane with three or four "feet" on it. One that you can rely on
while your walking, he said. I might, I said give some thought to using a
walking stick,.... "some times".
Right about here, Dr. Omotunde quit looking at me and starting talking to Pat
and Wendy. He said, "I think he should try using a cane with three or four
"feet" on it for stability, and if he wants, he can try a walking stick as
well. Almost anyone could finish the rest of that story.
I spent 40 years of my life watching my paralyzed father do things and go
places that would have been so much easier for him. Had he been able to have
such a simple thing as a "handicapped" parking place. I was always aware of the
seriousness of dads disability. Even though many were not. I'll never forget
the look on dads face when he would encounter an obstacle he couldn't
overcome.
I have always accepted the responsibility of my life. I will go to my grave
knowing I am significantly better off than many. I would be less than honest,
however, if I didn't say. Signing the papers today for a handicap parking
permit is a milestone in my life I would just as soon not have past.
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FISHING REPORT:
I just received a fishing report from my friend Lee B. It was a little hard
to read. What I think he said was. He went crappie fishing over the weekend.
And he caught the first four letters of the fish he was after. Or, something
like that.
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GOTTA GO WORK ON MY DASH
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P.S.
Don't forget to get Charlie's birthday cake for tomorrow.
Write if you can, call if you can't, and, tell your loved ones they are, before
it's too late.