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I'm here in Richmond visiting Michael, Kim, and Felix. Michael's showing me how to add pictures to my posts.
Sunday, August 12, 2012
Richmond, VA
I'm here in Richmond visiting Michael, Kim, and Felix. Michael's showing me how to add pictures to my posts.
Cuter than a National Park but...
Despite little Felix being far cuter than any National Park, we are headed out west this Thursday to explore Utah and Colorado...
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Mr. Baby is now Felix Wolfe Lease. He was born to Michael and Kimberly on May 1, 2012, at 3:30 am, 5lbs 14oz, 19 inches. Of course he's beautiful! There was a lot of crying when Serry and I met him at the hospital, but Michael and I finally stopped; Felix didn't make a peep. Serry and I were never sure we'd actually have a grandchild, and we were okay with that, but now that we really have one, it's just great. I can't wait to teach him guy-thing like sports, and hunting and fishing--all the things I tried to teach Michael, but that never really took. The hard part for us will be staying away. If Felix wasn't 100 miles from here, we'd be finding excuses to be there every day. Oh well, this way he'll look a bit different each time we see him.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
BIG DOINGS
Upper Marlboro - November 17, 2011
I've been remiss. Michael reminded me that I must have something to write about since the big flood, so here goes.
Well, we didn't replace the ruined Accord with a Maserati. Bought a new Honda CR-V instead. I'm too old to get in and out of a low-slung sports car.
Moving on to lesser events...on October 15 Donna and John were married in a beautiful outdoors ceremony at Billingsley Manor on the banks of the Patuxent River in Upper Marlboro. It was a beautiful day and evening and Donna and John couldn't have looked happier.
Donna has now officially changed her name to Donna Grace Lease Batdorf. Donna is of the view (I believe) that her last name is now Lease Batdorf. My view is that without a hyphen connecting the two names, Lease is just an extra middle name. I know, I know...who cares, other than a retired guy with too much time on his hands...
And as if the above weren't enough, Michael and Kim announced that they're pregnant, with the baby due in May!
So this has been a big year for us...and it's not over yet. On November 27 Serry and I will be married 46 years! And the next day Michael will be 39! (We no longer announce Donna's age.)
I've been remiss. Michael reminded me that I must have something to write about since the big flood, so here goes.
Well, we didn't replace the ruined Accord with a Maserati. Bought a new Honda CR-V instead. I'm too old to get in and out of a low-slung sports car.
Moving on to lesser events...on October 15 Donna and John were married in a beautiful outdoors ceremony at Billingsley Manor on the banks of the Patuxent River in Upper Marlboro. It was a beautiful day and evening and Donna and John couldn't have looked happier.
Donna has now officially changed her name to Donna Grace Lease Batdorf. Donna is of the view (I believe) that her last name is now Lease Batdorf. My view is that without a hyphen connecting the two names, Lease is just an extra middle name. I know, I know...who cares, other than a retired guy with too much time on his hands...
And as if the above weren't enough, Michael and Kim announced that they're pregnant, with the baby due in May!
So this has been a big year for us...and it's not over yet. On November 27 Serry and I will be married 46 years! And the next day Michael will be 39! (We no longer announce Donna's age.)
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Wrong place and wrong time
September 13, 2011 - Upper Marlboro
On September 8 tropical storm Lee hit Upper Marlboro hard, flooding the town and a number of businesses, including Marlboro Tire, the shop where we get our cars serviced. Unfortunately, our 1996 Accord was there and was completely submerged in thick, oily water. A complete loss. We had been thinking about replacing this car for some time, so now we'll actually have to do it. Choices range between a Honda Fit and a Maserati. How to decide!
On September 8 tropical storm Lee hit Upper Marlboro hard, flooding the town and a number of businesses, including Marlboro Tire, the shop where we get our cars serviced. Unfortunately, our 1996 Accord was there and was completely submerged in thick, oily water. A complete loss. We had been thinking about replacing this car for some time, so now we'll actually have to do it. Choices range between a Honda Fit and a Maserati. How to decide!
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
We looked at each other and the earth moved...
August 24, 2011 - Upper Marlboro
Serry and I were biking yesterday on the Indian Head Rail Trail in southern Maryland. We stopped by a wooden deck overlooking a lake to check out the birds and butterflies when the deck and surrounding ground began to shake. For a moment we thought a train or something was causing the shake, but since there are no trains anywhere near, we quickly realized it was an earthquake! We'd never experienced an earthquake before (and figured we never would), so it was kind of amazing to feel the earth move like that. When we got home we found a couple of things had fallen off shelves and a few pictures hanging askew, but no damage of any kind.
Others were not so lucky. Serry visited a friend this morning who had a dresser topple over and a TV fall from a wall, among other things.
One of our friends was kayaking on the Patuxent River when the quake occurred. She said when it started it felt like a huge fish brushing the bottom of the boat, and then bubbles rose. Finally, the river seemed to erupt, with churning water and waves, something that never happens on the placid Patuxent.
An article today in the Washington Post said the quake lasted about 30 seconds, but it seemed to last no more than about 5 seconds where we were. Perhaps that's because we were in the country, where there were fewer things to shake than in the city, or perhaps it lasted longer in some places than others. Whatever, since we weren't harmed, it was an interesting experience, one we never expected to have--certainly not so close to home.
Serry and I were biking yesterday on the Indian Head Rail Trail in southern Maryland. We stopped by a wooden deck overlooking a lake to check out the birds and butterflies when the deck and surrounding ground began to shake. For a moment we thought a train or something was causing the shake, but since there are no trains anywhere near, we quickly realized it was an earthquake! We'd never experienced an earthquake before (and figured we never would), so it was kind of amazing to feel the earth move like that. When we got home we found a couple of things had fallen off shelves and a few pictures hanging askew, but no damage of any kind.
Others were not so lucky. Serry visited a friend this morning who had a dresser topple over and a TV fall from a wall, among other things.
One of our friends was kayaking on the Patuxent River when the quake occurred. She said when it started it felt like a huge fish brushing the bottom of the boat, and then bubbles rose. Finally, the river seemed to erupt, with churning water and waves, something that never happens on the placid Patuxent.
An article today in the Washington Post said the quake lasted about 30 seconds, but it seemed to last no more than about 5 seconds where we were. Perhaps that's because we were in the country, where there were fewer things to shake than in the city, or perhaps it lasted longer in some places than others. Whatever, since we weren't harmed, it was an interesting experience, one we never expected to have--certainly not so close to home.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Colonoscopy
August 11, 2011
This entry has nothing to do with traveling (other than my "journey through life"--poetic and deep, huh?). It's really more of a journal entry about something interesting that happened to me. Perhaps no one else will read it, but I'll read it sometime and be reminded of the incident. I found that by reading my blog entries of our cross-country trip, I was reminded of things I had forgotten. So here goes...
In June I had a routine colonoscopy. I had my first one about three years ago, during which the doctor found a couple of polyps and was able to remove them with the colonoscopy tube. They turned out to be benign, but when they find any you're supposed to have another colonoscopy in about three years (rather than ten).
Anyway, when I woke up after the one in June, the doc told me she found a flat polyp which she wasn't able to remove. She advised me to contact one of her associates who is skilled at removing the flat ones.
A regular polyp is like a little mushroom on a stalk. The tube snaking through the intestines has a cutter on the end that allows the doctor to snip and remove the polyp. They need to be removed because they can turn cancerous if allowed to remain. As I understand it, there are two ways to remove a flat polyp. The good way is for the doc to somehow squirt a saline solution on the flat polyp with the colonoscopy tube in hopes of lifting it enough to be able to get under it and snip it out. If the saline solution method doesn't work, the polyp has to be removed via an endoscopic procedure which involves removing the part of the intestine that has the flat polyp. This means you wind up with a colostomy. It will probably be only temporary, but yikes! Who knows how long "temporary" might mean? A minute would be too long as far as I'm concerned.
I had the saline solution procedure on August 2, and I'm happy to say it was successful, and the polyp was benign. Nevertheless, to be sure he got everything, the doc wants to take another look in six months. Another opportunity to drink a gallon of the awful stuff that cleans out the intestines. Better than getting cancer, of course, but only barely.
This entry has nothing to do with traveling (other than my "journey through life"--poetic and deep, huh?). It's really more of a journal entry about something interesting that happened to me. Perhaps no one else will read it, but I'll read it sometime and be reminded of the incident. I found that by reading my blog entries of our cross-country trip, I was reminded of things I had forgotten. So here goes...
In June I had a routine colonoscopy. I had my first one about three years ago, during which the doctor found a couple of polyps and was able to remove them with the colonoscopy tube. They turned out to be benign, but when they find any you're supposed to have another colonoscopy in about three years (rather than ten).
Anyway, when I woke up after the one in June, the doc told me she found a flat polyp which she wasn't able to remove. She advised me to contact one of her associates who is skilled at removing the flat ones.
A regular polyp is like a little mushroom on a stalk. The tube snaking through the intestines has a cutter on the end that allows the doctor to snip and remove the polyp. They need to be removed because they can turn cancerous if allowed to remain. As I understand it, there are two ways to remove a flat polyp. The good way is for the doc to somehow squirt a saline solution on the flat polyp with the colonoscopy tube in hopes of lifting it enough to be able to get under it and snip it out. If the saline solution method doesn't work, the polyp has to be removed via an endoscopic procedure which involves removing the part of the intestine that has the flat polyp. This means you wind up with a colostomy. It will probably be only temporary, but yikes! Who knows how long "temporary" might mean? A minute would be too long as far as I'm concerned.
I had the saline solution procedure on August 2, and I'm happy to say it was successful, and the polyp was benign. Nevertheless, to be sure he got everything, the doc wants to take another look in six months. Another opportunity to drink a gallon of the awful stuff that cleans out the intestines. Better than getting cancer, of course, but only barely.
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