Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Called Home
At 5:30 PM this evening sweet McKenna was called home to Heaven. She earned her angel wings after a long, tough battle with cancer. She was a beautiful little girl. Please keep her as well as her family and loved ones in your thoughts and prayers.
McKenna Update
I'm sure many of you have been following McKenna's struggles over the last month or so. As of this post her family is preparing to say goodbye to sweet McKenna. She's put up a valiant fight and is an amazing little girl - such an inspiration.
Please continue to keep McKenna and her family in your thoughts and prayers as they go through this very difficult time. I can't even imagine what they are going through.
Please continue to keep McKenna and her family in your thoughts and prayers as they go through this very difficult time. I can't even imagine what they are going through.
Sunday, November 25, 2007
A Crash 'n' Numb Toes PSA
Following is a public service announcement for all who choose to read this blog.
Before reading this blog, tell your doctor if you are allergic to any foods or drugs, or if you have: a personal or family history of depression or mental illness, heart disease, high cholesterol or triglycerides, osteoporosis or other bone disorders, diabetes, asthma, an eating disorder, or liver disease.
Before reading this blog, tell your doctor if you are allergic to any foods or drugs, or if you have: a personal or family history of depression or mental illness, heart disease, high cholesterol or triglycerides, osteoporosis or other bone disorders, diabetes, asthma, an eating disorder, or liver disease.
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Contact your doctor or seek emergency medical attention if your blog experience is painful or lasts longer than 4 hours. Avoid drinking alcohol, which can increase some of the side effects of reading the blog. The blog works by reducing the amount of the hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT) in the body. This may block certain types of hair loss in men. You may need to read the blog for up to 3 months before you notice any improvement. Infrequently, reading the blog may cause decreased sexual desire or ability. These effects usually decrease in men who continue to read the blog. If they continue or become bothersome, check with your doctor.
Stop reading the blog and see your doctor if you experience unusual or severe blistering, itching, redness, peeling, dryness, or irritation of the skin; depressed mood, trouble concentrating, sleep problems, crying spells, aggression or agitation, changes in behavior, hallucinations; sudden numbness or weakness, especially on one side of the body; blurred vision, sudden and severe headache or pain behind your eyes, sometimes with vomiting; hearing problems, hearing loss, or ringing in your ears; seizure (convulsions); severe pain in your upper stomach spreading to your back, nausea and vomiting, fast heart rate; loss of appetite, dark urine, clay-colored stools, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes); severe diarrhea, rectal bleeding, black, bloody, or tarry stools; fever, chills, body aches, flu symptoms, purple spots under your skin, easy bruising or bleeding; or joint stiffness, bone pain or fracture.
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Trypin' on Tryptophan
Happy Thanksgiving! If I all the sudden stop typing in the middle of this post know that it must be a combination of the tryptophan and the wine. Oh, and the overeating.
We shall dedicate today's post to the Thanksgiving Holiday. Some of it you may already know, but hopefully we can all be educated a little... and perhaps entertained.
The preliminary estimate of turkeys Minnesota expects to raise in 2006 is 45 million. The Gopher State is tops in turkey production. It is followed by North Carolina (37 million), Arkansas (30 million), Virginia (22.5 million), Missouri (21.5 million) and California (16 million). These six states together will probably account for about 65 percent of U.S. turkeys produced in 2006.
The quantity of turkey consumed by the typical American in 2004 is 13.4 pounds with a hearty helping devoured at Thanksgiving time.
"Thanksgiving is an emotional time. People travel thousands of miles to be with people they only see once a year. And then discover once a year is way too often." - Johnny Carson
"You can tell you ate too much for Thanksgiving when you have to let your bathrobe out." - Jay Leno
"Thanksgiving is the day when you turn to another family member and say, 'How long has Mom been drinking like this?' My mom, after six Bloody Marys looks at the turkey and goes, 'Here, kitty, kitty.'" - David Letterman
Benjamin Franklin wanted the turkey as the official U.S. bird.
June is National Turkey Lovers Month.
The costume worn by Big Bird on Sesame Street is rumored to be made of turkey feathers. (What? Big Bird wasn't real??)
Wild turkeys can fly for short distances up to 55 miles per hour and can run 20 miles per hour.
The National Turkey Federation (NTF) estimates that approximately 45 million turkeys are eaten at Thanksgiving.
President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed Thanksgiving a national holiday in 1863, supposedly as a response to a campaign organized by magazine editor Sara Joseph Hale. In 1939, President Franklin Roosevelt moved Thanksgiving Day forward one week, as it is presently celebrated.
Everyone have a great Thanksgiving Day! Stay safe. Give thanks.
No matter what looms ahead, if you can eat today, enjoy the sunlight today, mix good cheer with friends today, enjoy it and bless God for it. – Henry Ward Beecher
We shall dedicate today's post to the Thanksgiving Holiday. Some of it you may already know, but hopefully we can all be educated a little... and perhaps entertained.
The preliminary estimate of turkeys Minnesota expects to raise in 2006 is 45 million. The Gopher State is tops in turkey production. It is followed by North Carolina (37 million), Arkansas (30 million), Virginia (22.5 million), Missouri (21.5 million) and California (16 million). These six states together will probably account for about 65 percent of U.S. turkeys produced in 2006.
The quantity of turkey consumed by the typical American in 2004 is 13.4 pounds with a hearty helping devoured at Thanksgiving time.
"Thanksgiving is an emotional time. People travel thousands of miles to be with people they only see once a year. And then discover once a year is way too often." - Johnny Carson
"You can tell you ate too much for Thanksgiving when you have to let your bathrobe out." - Jay Leno
"Thanksgiving is the day when you turn to another family member and say, 'How long has Mom been drinking like this?' My mom, after six Bloody Marys looks at the turkey and goes, 'Here, kitty, kitty.'" - David Letterman
Benjamin Franklin wanted the turkey as the official U.S. bird.
June is National Turkey Lovers Month.
The costume worn by Big Bird on Sesame Street is rumored to be made of turkey feathers. (What? Big Bird wasn't real??)
Wild turkeys can fly for short distances up to 55 miles per hour and can run 20 miles per hour.
The National Turkey Federation (NTF) estimates that approximately 45 million turkeys are eaten at Thanksgiving.
President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed Thanksgiving a national holiday in 1863, supposedly as a response to a campaign organized by magazine editor Sara Joseph Hale. In 1939, President Franklin Roosevelt moved Thanksgiving Day forward one week, as it is presently celebrated.
Everyone have a great Thanksgiving Day! Stay safe. Give thanks.
No matter what looms ahead, if you can eat today, enjoy the sunlight today, mix good cheer with friends today, enjoy it and bless God for it. – Henry Ward Beecher
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
From the Back 40
Today feels like a Friday, and that's a great feeling. And the feeling gets better knowing you have a 4-day weekend ahead. I think all work weeks should be 3 days, with no cut in pay of course!
Julie found out about this website called Black Friday that lists all the special deals that stores are running on Friday. There are definitely some great deals to be had if you're willing to fight the crowd and drive around endlessly looking for parking spots. Pretty much from here until after Christmas you can count on having to park in the back 40 at any mall. Fa-la-la-la-la.
Tomorrow it the Turkey Day 5k and we'll be having a good group of TNT alumni coming down to participate. We didn't make it there last year but I heard it's a very large event. If you want to come down and do a little preemptive strike against the turkey and stuffing you'll be eating later in the day then come on out and join us! Just dress warm!
Here is some good advice for travelers.
NO! Not Chuck Wagon... Chick Wagon!
We had a conversation over the weekend about the lack of any good radio stations in the Twin Cities. Ever since Drive 105 was changed to Love 105 the music choices have been severely limited. The area offers so many great things from food to the arts to all major sports teams but the radio scene leaves MUCH to be desired.
Everyone have a great turkey day!!! Gobble Gobble!
Julie found out about this website called Black Friday that lists all the special deals that stores are running on Friday. There are definitely some great deals to be had if you're willing to fight the crowd and drive around endlessly looking for parking spots. Pretty much from here until after Christmas you can count on having to park in the back 40 at any mall. Fa-la-la-la-la.
Tomorrow it the Turkey Day 5k and we'll be having a good group of TNT alumni coming down to participate. We didn't make it there last year but I heard it's a very large event. If you want to come down and do a little preemptive strike against the turkey and stuffing you'll be eating later in the day then come on out and join us! Just dress warm!
Here is some good advice for travelers.
NO! Not Chuck Wagon... Chick Wagon!
We had a conversation over the weekend about the lack of any good radio stations in the Twin Cities. Ever since Drive 105 was changed to Love 105 the music choices have been severely limited. The area offers so many great things from food to the arts to all major sports teams but the radio scene leaves MUCH to be desired.
Everyone have a great turkey day!!! Gobble Gobble!
Monday, November 19, 2007
Put the Message in the Box
I heard about this story (which you can read about here) on the radio earlier today and I had to look it up on line. Here's the deal.
A Boy Scout troop in Cambridge, MA, put collection boxes at all the polling locations on election day. The purpose of the collection boxes was to gather donations for the troops currently fighting in Iraq. Apparently ONE person called to complain that the boxes were making a political statement which is illegal to do. What political statement was being made?
Now, I think it goes without saying that Massachusetts is a very liberal state, not much of a stretch there. This is one thing I don't like about the left - they continually say they support the troops but then turn around and do something like this. How is deciding you want to send a care package to the troops in Iraq or Afghanistan becoming something other than that?
Let's face it - you can't say you support the troops and then deny people from sending care packages? Otherwise, how are you supporting them? Ridiculous.
Sorry for the short post but I wanted to get this story out there. I'm heading off to bed.
A Boy Scout troop in Cambridge, MA, put collection boxes at all the polling locations on election day. The purpose of the collection boxes was to gather donations for the troops currently fighting in Iraq. Apparently ONE person called to complain that the boxes were making a political statement which is illegal to do. What political statement was being made?
Now, I think it goes without saying that Massachusetts is a very liberal state, not much of a stretch there. This is one thing I don't like about the left - they continually say they support the troops but then turn around and do something like this. How is deciding you want to send a care package to the troops in Iraq or Afghanistan becoming something other than that?
Let's face it - you can't say you support the troops and then deny people from sending care packages? Otherwise, how are you supporting them? Ridiculous.
Sorry for the short post but I wanted to get this story out there. I'm heading off to bed.
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Interspersed with Laughter
Please note there are two posts today. Make sure you read the other one ("Cancer, You SUCK!") as well. It's a good one.
Last night Julie and I went over to the home of our friends Julie and Chuck. They hosted a card/game night and we had a great time! Friends Jen and Lindsey met us at our house and we headed over.
The evening was filled with much merriment and the tipping back of a few barley pops. We played some euchre, shot some pool, and finished the evening with a little Catch Phrase. Interspersed in all that was much laughter and a little more imbibing, some good food and a beer chugging contest or two. All in all I lost at euchre and did terrible shooting pool but it was balanced out beautifully with great friends, old and new.
Today we didn't do a whole lot - just got some lunch and did our weekly shopping. Julie did NOT enjoy the heavy snow flurries. At least it didn't last long. She truly can't stand cold weather.
I can't believe Thanksgiving is this Thursday already. It seems like summer was just here and we're already heading into the Christmas season. One of the radio stations has begun playing non-stop Christmas music which I really can't stand. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy Christmas music, just not 24 hours a day. I find it hard to believe there are that many people out there who want to listen to unending Christmas music. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day? Definitely. On November 17th? No thanks.
Speaking of Thanksgiving, one of my fondest memories as a kid was waking up that morning to the smell of the turkey already cooking in the oven. The smell just filled the house. Mom was always busy in the kitchen while dad sat in his chair watching TV. Mom would buy loaves of bread and toast them to make her stuffing from scratch and she'd have me cut the toasted bread into little pieces. I would purposely not eat that day until we had the Thanksgiving meal. I wanted to be sure I could eat as much of it as possible. What a great day it would be.
I found this story on-line today and I couldn't believe it. It's about the first two seasons of "Sesame Street" now being available on DVD. Only in TODAY'S world, it's only suitable for adults. Ridiculous.
Everyone have a great week!
Last night Julie and I went over to the home of our friends Julie and Chuck. They hosted a card/game night and we had a great time! Friends Jen and Lindsey met us at our house and we headed over.
The evening was filled with much merriment and the tipping back of a few barley pops. We played some euchre, shot some pool, and finished the evening with a little Catch Phrase. Interspersed in all that was much laughter and a little more imbibing, some good food and a beer chugging contest or two. All in all I lost at euchre and did terrible shooting pool but it was balanced out beautifully with great friends, old and new.
Today we didn't do a whole lot - just got some lunch and did our weekly shopping. Julie did NOT enjoy the heavy snow flurries. At least it didn't last long. She truly can't stand cold weather.
I can't believe Thanksgiving is this Thursday already. It seems like summer was just here and we're already heading into the Christmas season. One of the radio stations has begun playing non-stop Christmas music which I really can't stand. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy Christmas music, just not 24 hours a day. I find it hard to believe there are that many people out there who want to listen to unending Christmas music. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day? Definitely. On November 17th? No thanks.
Speaking of Thanksgiving, one of my fondest memories as a kid was waking up that morning to the smell of the turkey already cooking in the oven. The smell just filled the house. Mom was always busy in the kitchen while dad sat in his chair watching TV. Mom would buy loaves of bread and toast them to make her stuffing from scratch and she'd have me cut the toasted bread into little pieces. I would purposely not eat that day until we had the Thanksgiving meal. I wanted to be sure I could eat as much of it as possible. What a great day it would be.
I found this story on-line today and I couldn't believe it. It's about the first two seasons of "Sesame Street" now being available on DVD. Only in TODAY'S world, it's only suitable for adults. Ridiculous.
Everyone have a great week!
Cancer, You SUCK!
I was just out to McKenna's Caring Bridge site and was reading through some of the comments in the guestbook and came across a post that I thought was great! I went to the original source (CNN) and have linked it here, but thought I'd paste it in it's entirety here. Please continue to keep McKenna in your thoughts and prayers through these incredibly difficult times.
Did I mention that Jillian is only nine?
In the short time we spent together, the crew and I really bonded with Jillian and her family. By the time we left, Jillian was planning a trip to visit us in Atlanta. Hugs were exchanged. We headed home, looking forward to the next time we would see Jillian and her family.
Weeks later, an e-mail from her mother, Jessica, popped up on my computer screen.
Jillian had cancer... again.
I closed the door to my office and cried.
Jessica has set up a wonderful blog to update family and friends. Recently, she posted a letter Jillian wrote to "Cancer." Jillian agreed to let me share it with our readers.
Dear Cancer,
You SUCK!
You are not very nice.
You are wasting your time because one day you're going to be extinct.
You are definitely wasting your time on me because each time I beat you.
Even if I do feel sick and throw up, I still feel good. I'm still happy because I know I'M winning.
I'm already healing.
You are wasting your time on so many people.
You are not much of a threat anymore.
As I say - you're just a teeny weeny ant and I step on you - SPLAT!
You have taught me that life really is too short.
Learn to LIVE.
Learn to NOT be afraid.
I know kids hate chemo, stinky milk (formula for ng tubes), transplants or even lots of surgeries. But after it all, it's like a new beginning. It's like you're reborn. It's like - WOW - I'm starting over with my life and it's wonderful. That feeling of a new life is wonderful.
Going through all the drama - throwing up, diarrhea, surgeries - when you come through it, it's a miracle.
It's never worth it to have cancer, but once you survive it, it just feels good.
I have had AML 3 times and osteosarcoma just recently.
I have been dealing with cancer since I was 1.
I am 9 years old, have had two transplants and will be 10 in December.
TAKE THAT!
My friend, Jillian:
Keep fighting, continue living life to its fullest.
"Cancer" has no idea who it's messing with.
I look forward to seeing you in Atlanta soon.
Jen
Take THAT cancer!
Jillian Pasley is one of the coolest people I've ever interviewed. I met Jillian, who's funny, smart and sassy, earlier this year as I reported a story about African-Americans, cancer and bone marrow donations. Jillian is one tough cookie. She has beaten cancer THREE times.Did I mention that Jillian is only nine?
In the short time we spent together, the crew and I really bonded with Jillian and her family. By the time we left, Jillian was planning a trip to visit us in Atlanta. Hugs were exchanged. We headed home, looking forward to the next time we would see Jillian and her family.
Weeks later, an e-mail from her mother, Jessica, popped up on my computer screen.
Jillian had cancer... again.
I closed the door to my office and cried.
Jessica has set up a wonderful blog to update family and friends. Recently, she posted a letter Jillian wrote to "Cancer." Jillian agreed to let me share it with our readers.
Dear Cancer,
You SUCK!
You are not very nice.
You are wasting your time because one day you're going to be extinct.
You are definitely wasting your time on me because each time I beat you.
Even if I do feel sick and throw up, I still feel good. I'm still happy because I know I'M winning.
I'm already healing.
You are wasting your time on so many people.
You are not much of a threat anymore.
As I say - you're just a teeny weeny ant and I step on you - SPLAT!
You have taught me that life really is too short.
Learn to LIVE.
Learn to NOT be afraid.
I know kids hate chemo, stinky milk (formula for ng tubes), transplants or even lots of surgeries. But after it all, it's like a new beginning. It's like you're reborn. It's like - WOW - I'm starting over with my life and it's wonderful. That feeling of a new life is wonderful.
Going through all the drama - throwing up, diarrhea, surgeries - when you come through it, it's a miracle.
It's never worth it to have cancer, but once you survive it, it just feels good.
I have had AML 3 times and osteosarcoma just recently.
I have been dealing with cancer since I was 1.
I am 9 years old, have had two transplants and will be 10 in December.
TAKE THAT!
My friend, Jillian:
Keep fighting, continue living life to its fullest.
"Cancer" has no idea who it's messing with.
I look forward to seeing you in Atlanta soon.
Jen
Friday, November 16, 2007
Careful: May Cause Irritation
Howdy folks. Long time, no post. Just when I think things will start slowing down it goes in the other direction. It's been a very long week and one I'm anxious to get behind me. On with the post, this is it...
Thanks to all of you for keeping McKenna in your thoughts and prayers. After coding last week she is recovering slowly. Baby steps, they say. They started dialysis which has helped tremendously but there is still a long road ahead. They were told they may want to decorate the room for Christmas, but they still have hope that she will be home to celebrate the holidays. She is quite the little fighter!!
It has definitely cooled down outside and is feeling more like November. Julie has a desk calendar and today's had a list of the 7 animals that hibernate in the winter. How many do you think you can name? I have the list at the bottom of the post. See? We educate AND entertain! Well, at least we try to educate...
Some might think their home life is in the crapper, but THIS takes it to a whole new level...
I bought the new Cities 97 cd yesterday. I really had no intention of buying it until they were talking about it on the morning news and one of the DJs said that Shawn Colvin's cover of Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy" was on the cd. I knew I had to have it. I got to the Super Target in Chaska around 7:30 AM and the line was pretty long. By the time I got to the front of the line they only had about 50 left. Got there just in time! Oh, and the cd is really good, with one notable exception - that being the live "Anna Begins" by Counting Crows. I really can't stand the way Adam Duritz sings live. Totally irritating. Worst concert ever.
No, I'm not a nerd. Honestly.
Have you tried the Ice Breakers Sours? Very good. Very sour. On the back of the container it carries this warning: "Careful: Sour level may cause irritation to the mouth." Yeah, they're sour.
Okay.....
Today's post will end with a little more education. Oh, and the 7 animals that hibernate are.... drum roll please... bears, skunks, woodchucks, jumping mice, raccoons, bats and chipmunks. Who knew? Did you? And what the heck are jumping mice? I don't think I want to know.
In honor of Veteran's Day which was this passed Sunday comes this story about the Vietnam War Memorial. There is some wisdom in here that can be applied to where we find ourselves today.
The Vietnam War Memorial was dedicated NOVEMBER 13, 1982, honoring 58,000 American troops who died. U.S. forces inflicted over a million enemy fatalities, yet politicians did not allow a victory.
A former Communist North Vietnamese colonel, Bui Tin, called the American "peace movement" essential:
"Every day our leadership would listen to the world news over the radio to follow the growth of the American anti-war movement. Visits to Hanoi by people like Jane Fonda and former attorney General Ramsey Clark gave us confidence that we should hold on in the face of battlefield reverses."
On October 12, 1967, during Operation Medina, Marine Sergeant George Hutchings of Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 1st Marine Division, had a dozen men killed around him when ambushed by the North Vietnamese in the Hai Lang jungle.
Months later, after numerous battles, George was shot three times, bayoneted and left for dead. He survived and was later awarded the Purple Heart.
Of the Vietnam Memorial, George Hutchings said:
"On that wall is the name of Corporal Quinton Bice, who was hit in the chest with a rocket running a patrol in my place. A Christian, he had shared the Gospel with me, but I didn't understand it till he gave his life in my place."
Thanks to all of you for keeping McKenna in your thoughts and prayers. After coding last week she is recovering slowly. Baby steps, they say. They started dialysis which has helped tremendously but there is still a long road ahead. They were told they may want to decorate the room for Christmas, but they still have hope that she will be home to celebrate the holidays. She is quite the little fighter!!
It has definitely cooled down outside and is feeling more like November. Julie has a desk calendar and today's had a list of the 7 animals that hibernate in the winter. How many do you think you can name? I have the list at the bottom of the post. See? We educate AND entertain! Well, at least we try to educate...
Some might think their home life is in the crapper, but THIS takes it to a whole new level...
I bought the new Cities 97 cd yesterday. I really had no intention of buying it until they were talking about it on the morning news and one of the DJs said that Shawn Colvin's cover of Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy" was on the cd. I knew I had to have it. I got to the Super Target in Chaska around 7:30 AM and the line was pretty long. By the time I got to the front of the line they only had about 50 left. Got there just in time! Oh, and the cd is really good, with one notable exception - that being the live "Anna Begins" by Counting Crows. I really can't stand the way Adam Duritz sings live. Totally irritating. Worst concert ever.
No, I'm not a nerd. Honestly.
Have you tried the Ice Breakers Sours? Very good. Very sour. On the back of the container it carries this warning: "Careful: Sour level may cause irritation to the mouth." Yeah, they're sour.
Okay.....
Today's post will end with a little more education. Oh, and the 7 animals that hibernate are.... drum roll please... bears, skunks, woodchucks, jumping mice, raccoons, bats and chipmunks. Who knew? Did you? And what the heck are jumping mice? I don't think I want to know.
In honor of Veteran's Day which was this passed Sunday comes this story about the Vietnam War Memorial. There is some wisdom in here that can be applied to where we find ourselves today.
The Vietnam War Memorial was dedicated NOVEMBER 13, 1982, honoring 58,000 American troops who died. U.S. forces inflicted over a million enemy fatalities, yet politicians did not allow a victory.
A former Communist North Vietnamese colonel, Bui Tin, called the American "peace movement" essential:
"Every day our leadership would listen to the world news over the radio to follow the growth of the American anti-war movement. Visits to Hanoi by people like Jane Fonda and former attorney General Ramsey Clark gave us confidence that we should hold on in the face of battlefield reverses."
On October 12, 1967, during Operation Medina, Marine Sergeant George Hutchings of Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 1st Marine Division, had a dozen men killed around him when ambushed by the North Vietnamese in the Hai Lang jungle.
Months later, after numerous battles, George was shot three times, bayoneted and left for dead. He survived and was later awarded the Purple Heart.
Of the Vietnam Memorial, George Hutchings said:
"On that wall is the name of Corporal Quinton Bice, who was hit in the chest with a rocket running a patrol in my place. A Christian, he had shared the Gospel with me, but I didn't understand it till he gave his life in my place."
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Sing, Sing Along
I must say I'm not usually glad to see a weekend come to a close, but from a football perspective this one was a stinker. Not only did the Buckeyes lose but so did the Lions. The OSU one really hurts. A small consolation tho - Michigan lost as well. But, I'd rather they both win than the Buckeyes lose. Oh well. Next weekend is The Game. Should be good.
Yesterday was the TCM/Nike post event party/get together. About 25 of us met for pizza and then we went to the American Legion in Golden Valley. After a few pitchers of beer we left the Legion and headed over to the VFW in Uptown. We were joking that we were going to leave the VFW for the Elks. The popular topic of the evening was Dublin in '08. I think we're going to have an incredible group going. Sooooo can't wait.
The VFW was great. Chuck the chicken was there and everyone was gravitating towards him. They had Karaoke and Chuck was a little disappointed that they didn't have the Chicken Dance, but he did sing along with most of the songs.
Karaoke is always interesting. There are some people who do really well and others are just so bad you wonder if they know they're as bad as they are. Teresa, one of our mentors, did a killer (no pun intended) version of "Goodbye Earl" by the Dixie Chicks. All the women definitely liked that one.
Here is a link to a great column that was written by John Christy, co-recipient of this year's Nobel Peace Prize (shared with Al Gore) for his work with U.N.'s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Definitely worth the read.
I thought this was an interesting picture but I'm curious as to what the black square is to the left of the wagon. Any ideas?
Please continue to keep McKenna in your thoughts and prayers. She had a stable weekend and is making baby steps in the right direction but she still needs our help. Thanks so much.
Sorry. Short post. Long weekend. Tired. Bed.
Yesterday was the TCM/Nike post event party/get together. About 25 of us met for pizza and then we went to the American Legion in Golden Valley. After a few pitchers of beer we left the Legion and headed over to the VFW in Uptown. We were joking that we were going to leave the VFW for the Elks. The popular topic of the evening was Dublin in '08. I think we're going to have an incredible group going. Sooooo can't wait.
The VFW was great. Chuck the chicken was there and everyone was gravitating towards him. They had Karaoke and Chuck was a little disappointed that they didn't have the Chicken Dance, but he did sing along with most of the songs.
Karaoke is always interesting. There are some people who do really well and others are just so bad you wonder if they know they're as bad as they are. Teresa, one of our mentors, did a killer (no pun intended) version of "Goodbye Earl" by the Dixie Chicks. All the women definitely liked that one.
Here is a link to a great column that was written by John Christy, co-recipient of this year's Nobel Peace Prize (shared with Al Gore) for his work with U.N.'s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Definitely worth the read.
I thought this was an interesting picture but I'm curious as to what the black square is to the left of the wagon. Any ideas?
Please continue to keep McKenna in your thoughts and prayers. She had a stable weekend and is making baby steps in the right direction but she still needs our help. Thanks so much.
Sorry. Short post. Long weekend. Tired. Bed.
Friday, November 9, 2007
Please Help - McKenna Needs Your Prayers
As I told you about in a previous post I have added a link to McKenna's Caring Bridge web site and she is having a very difficult time right now and needs as many people praying for her as we can get. Please let others know. Below is what her mother posted on there site today. Please pray for peace and comfort.
Friday, November 9, 2007 8:26 AM CST
We got a call at 5:50am that made our hearts sink...."Your daughter is coding. You need to come in." We have been here with her since 6:30 this morning and as of right now she is stable once again. She gained over 3 kilos in the last 24 hours. That's 7.5 pounds. She is up a total of 17 pounds since entering this ICU.
The oscillator is giving her the max output of 100percent and the Mean Airway Pressure (MAP) is up to 30. Yesterday we had it down to 23 and we were so close to moving to the Vent. Her O2 sats are sitting right around 88-89....not great but still okay.
Mary is here with Scott and I. We are waiting for the ultrasound people to come up and see if there is any fluid in her abdomen or around the right lung that they can tap. The Crash Cart has been outside her room since 5:30----her BP and O2 sats started steadily dropping at about 4am and they did everything they could to get her oxygenating again, including flipping her over a couple of times. Didn't work.
We are also going to be consulting with the kidney docs again and Scott and I have decided that we will DEMAND dialysis. We have nothing to lose at this point and the pros of getting the fluid off quickly far outweigh the cons---which is her dying without trying it. We would never forgive ourselves for not at least trying. We will give her every chance we can to make it through this. If more of her organs start to shut down or if it comes to a point where there is no hope of recovery, then we will hold our little girl close and let her go. She has fought SO HARD and we are SO PROUD of her. What a brave little girl....
Pray for us all and please hug your kids today and tell them how much you love them! I'll keep you updated.
Krista, Scott, Nana and Boo Boo from the hospital
11:30AM update
She's hanging on. They are going to be starting dialysis soon. The doc is in her room right now and will start a new IV access for Dialysis ONLY and there will be a dialysis catheter inserted as well. We are praying that this is going to work! This is the last resort to get the fluid out so that her pulmonary functions can resume again. She is struggling but hasn't given up yet and either have we. The prayers will either help her get through this or they will help her to grow her angel wings. PLEASE keep praying for the comfort she is needing. Whichever way it goes, we are tearfully here, fighting with her every step of the way. Nana has not left her bedside and she is keeping vigil as I type.
Friday, November 9, 2007 8:26 AM CST
We got a call at 5:50am that made our hearts sink...."Your daughter is coding. You need to come in." We have been here with her since 6:30 this morning and as of right now she is stable once again. She gained over 3 kilos in the last 24 hours. That's 7.5 pounds. She is up a total of 17 pounds since entering this ICU.
The oscillator is giving her the max output of 100percent and the Mean Airway Pressure (MAP) is up to 30. Yesterday we had it down to 23 and we were so close to moving to the Vent. Her O2 sats are sitting right around 88-89....not great but still okay.
Mary is here with Scott and I. We are waiting for the ultrasound people to come up and see if there is any fluid in her abdomen or around the right lung that they can tap. The Crash Cart has been outside her room since 5:30----her BP and O2 sats started steadily dropping at about 4am and they did everything they could to get her oxygenating again, including flipping her over a couple of times. Didn't work.
We are also going to be consulting with the kidney docs again and Scott and I have decided that we will DEMAND dialysis. We have nothing to lose at this point and the pros of getting the fluid off quickly far outweigh the cons---which is her dying without trying it. We would never forgive ourselves for not at least trying. We will give her every chance we can to make it through this. If more of her organs start to shut down or if it comes to a point where there is no hope of recovery, then we will hold our little girl close and let her go. She has fought SO HARD and we are SO PROUD of her. What a brave little girl....
Pray for us all and please hug your kids today and tell them how much you love them! I'll keep you updated.
Krista, Scott, Nana and Boo Boo from the hospital
11:30AM update
She's hanging on. They are going to be starting dialysis soon. The doc is in her room right now and will start a new IV access for Dialysis ONLY and there will be a dialysis catheter inserted as well. We are praying that this is going to work! This is the last resort to get the fluid out so that her pulmonary functions can resume again. She is struggling but hasn't given up yet and either have we. The prayers will either help her get through this or they will help her to grow her angel wings. PLEASE keep praying for the comfort she is needing. Whichever way it goes, we are tearfully here, fighting with her every step of the way. Nana has not left her bedside and she is keeping vigil as I type.
Thursday, November 8, 2007
The Adventures of Chuck, Part 2
If you haven't read The Adventures of Chuck, Part 1 then click here.
We left off at the end of "Part 1" with Chuck enjoying the sites of San Francisco, including Alcatraz which he thought was cool yet creepy. Not a good place for a chicken to be locked up, he figured. That was Friday night and part 1 of the trip. Now for "Part 2"...
Chuck was having a great time in San Francisco hanging out with the team. He had a place to sleep in our room and he was rested up for the fun we had on Saturday. The team went to pick up their packets at the expo. As you can see from the picture below Chuck was stylin' in his shades.
Some of us went to lunch at this little deli on the corner. We were surprised to learn that chickens are cannibals - Chuck had the chicken salad. After lunch we sat in the deli watching the people walk by. Below is a picture from outside the deli of Chuck with his friends Mike and Becca.
Sunday was the marathon. Julie and I weren't sure if we were going to see Chuck out there on the course - he's kind of a small guy. There were some 23,000 marathoners and only 900 of them were men. I think Chuck might have been the only chicken running that day but we still weren't sure we'd see him.
We got lucky though. Just before mile 7 Julie and I were standing by the side of the road cheering everyone on when we saw Chuck coming up the hill. As he went by he had a surprised look on his face (pretty much his signature look) since he wasn't expecting to see us at that point. Below is the picture I took as he ran by. He looked really good at this point. I think the can of broth he had right before the race really helped.
Things weren't going so well for Chuck the second time we saw him. It was around mile 22 and Julie and I had just gotten out of the car and made it over to the course when we saw Chuck in peril! We ran up to him just in time - a young Colonel Sanders had his hands on Chuck and was trying to force Chuck into his KFC bucket! Luckily we were able to free Chuck from this sinister fried chicken fiend and get Chuck back out on the course. Below is a picture of the situation when we got there - keep your eyes open for that KFC scoundrel. No chicken is safe!
Chuck was now on his way with about 4 miles left in the marathon. He was understandably shaken up after the incident but I also think it motivated him to get his tail feathers in gear.
Between mile 25 and 26 things took a turn for the worse. We had told him that he should drink another can of broth at mile 13 to help keep his meat from drying out but since he was feeling fine he decided to skip it.
That proved to be a critical mistake and coach Mike ended up having to help Chuck over the finish line. If you look closely you can see Chuck right "behind" Coach Mike and the two of them crossed the finish line at 6 hours and 49 minutes.
While it was a personal record for Chuck he felt bad that he needed assistance to cross the finish line. We tried to tell him that he did a great job and should be proud of himself. After all, only 1 in 20 million chickens ever complete a marathon. But that seemed to be of little consolation to Chuck.
Little did we know how much Chuck would let loose at the Victory Party and at the bar afterwards. You'll get the scoop on that in the Adventures of Chuck, Part 3, coming soon to a blog near you. Check your local listings... you won't want to miss it.
We left off at the end of "Part 1" with Chuck enjoying the sites of San Francisco, including Alcatraz which he thought was cool yet creepy. Not a good place for a chicken to be locked up, he figured. That was Friday night and part 1 of the trip. Now for "Part 2"...
Chuck was having a great time in San Francisco hanging out with the team. He had a place to sleep in our room and he was rested up for the fun we had on Saturday. The team went to pick up their packets at the expo. As you can see from the picture below Chuck was stylin' in his shades.
Some of us went to lunch at this little deli on the corner. We were surprised to learn that chickens are cannibals - Chuck had the chicken salad. After lunch we sat in the deli watching the people walk by. Below is a picture from outside the deli of Chuck with his friends Mike and Becca.
Sunday was the marathon. Julie and I weren't sure if we were going to see Chuck out there on the course - he's kind of a small guy. There were some 23,000 marathoners and only 900 of them were men. I think Chuck might have been the only chicken running that day but we still weren't sure we'd see him.
We got lucky though. Just before mile 7 Julie and I were standing by the side of the road cheering everyone on when we saw Chuck coming up the hill. As he went by he had a surprised look on his face (pretty much his signature look) since he wasn't expecting to see us at that point. Below is the picture I took as he ran by. He looked really good at this point. I think the can of broth he had right before the race really helped.
Things weren't going so well for Chuck the second time we saw him. It was around mile 22 and Julie and I had just gotten out of the car and made it over to the course when we saw Chuck in peril! We ran up to him just in time - a young Colonel Sanders had his hands on Chuck and was trying to force Chuck into his KFC bucket! Luckily we were able to free Chuck from this sinister fried chicken fiend and get Chuck back out on the course. Below is a picture of the situation when we got there - keep your eyes open for that KFC scoundrel. No chicken is safe!
Chuck was now on his way with about 4 miles left in the marathon. He was understandably shaken up after the incident but I also think it motivated him to get his tail feathers in gear.
Between mile 25 and 26 things took a turn for the worse. We had told him that he should drink another can of broth at mile 13 to help keep his meat from drying out but since he was feeling fine he decided to skip it.
That proved to be a critical mistake and coach Mike ended up having to help Chuck over the finish line. If you look closely you can see Chuck right "behind" Coach Mike and the two of them crossed the finish line at 6 hours and 49 minutes.
While it was a personal record for Chuck he felt bad that he needed assistance to cross the finish line. We tried to tell him that he did a great job and should be proud of himself. After all, only 1 in 20 million chickens ever complete a marathon. But that seemed to be of little consolation to Chuck.
Little did we know how much Chuck would let loose at the Victory Party and at the bar afterwards. You'll get the scoop on that in the Adventures of Chuck, Part 3, coming soon to a blog near you. Check your local listings... you won't want to miss it.
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
New Site List - Please Check It Out
I have added another category of web links on the right side of the blog called "Hero Web Sites". Here you will find links to patient heroes who are at various stages in their battle with a blood cancer. They truly need our support and prayers. Please check out the links when you get the chance.
The first link in this new category is for McKenna. She's a team honoree for one of our winter TNT teams and is going through a very difficult time right now. Please send her and her family your thoughts and prayers as she courageously fights this difficult battle.
She has a brother and a sister. Her sister, Jadyn, is fortunate enough to be a perfect match and has donated her bone marrow to McKenna to help save her. Read the guest book and see some of the posts that Jadyn has out there for her sister - she's truly an amazing little girl.
Thanks for taking the time to read about McKenna and please keep her in your prayers.
The first link in this new category is for McKenna. She's a team honoree for one of our winter TNT teams and is going through a very difficult time right now. Please send her and her family your thoughts and prayers as she courageously fights this difficult battle.
She has a brother and a sister. Her sister, Jadyn, is fortunate enough to be a perfect match and has donated her bone marrow to McKenna to help save her. Read the guest book and see some of the posts that Jadyn has out there for her sister - she's truly an amazing little girl.
Thanks for taking the time to read about McKenna and please keep her in your prayers.
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Life Ain't Nothin' But a Funny, Funny Riddle
Much to the disappointment of some - today's post is pretty much just random nothingness.
It occurred to me as I was walking out to my car after work tonight that the old body needs to get re-acclimated to the colder temps. I was physically shivering by the time I got to my car and it was only in the mid-30's! I was shaking like it was 10 below in the middle of January. Or, you could say, I was shakin' it like a Polaroid picture.
The circus boy dances like a monkey on barb wire...
If you haven't noticed I updated our picture below our profile. Kids will be kids...
The writer's strike in Hollywood is really the lead story on the news? How will we all survive?
Guilty pleasure: John Denver.
Does the whole world turn their clocks back for daylight savings or is it just in the U.S.?
If John Lennon wouldn't have been killed do you think the Beatles would have gotten back together?
So there were a lot of school referendums (referenda? referendi?) on the ballots today throughout the state. Is it just me or would you like to see what the heck they're doing with the money they already get? If you compare school spending today to spending 20 or 30 years ago it's skyrocketed, and yet I think you could make a case that we're not educating the kids. Where is the money going?
Hamburger gravy over mashed potatoes is WAY good.
The equator is long enough to circle the entire earth exactly once.
It occurred to me as I was walking out to my car after work tonight that the old body needs to get re-acclimated to the colder temps. I was physically shivering by the time I got to my car and it was only in the mid-30's! I was shaking like it was 10 below in the middle of January. Or, you could say, I was shakin' it like a Polaroid picture.
The circus boy dances like a monkey on barb wire...
If you haven't noticed I updated our picture below our profile. Kids will be kids...
The writer's strike in Hollywood is really the lead story on the news? How will we all survive?
Guilty pleasure: John Denver.
Does the whole world turn their clocks back for daylight savings or is it just in the U.S.?
If John Lennon wouldn't have been killed do you think the Beatles would have gotten back together?
So there were a lot of school referendums (referenda? referendi?) on the ballots today throughout the state. Is it just me or would you like to see what the heck they're doing with the money they already get? If you compare school spending today to spending 20 or 30 years ago it's skyrocketed, and yet I think you could make a case that we're not educating the kids. Where is the money going?
Hamburger gravy over mashed potatoes is WAY good.
The equator is long enough to circle the entire earth exactly once.
Monday, November 5, 2007
It's Been Such a Long Time
Where the heck have we been? It's been a long couple of weeks and I've finally got a few minutes to post. Let's see if I can make it interesting...
Things have been crazy at work. Not only am I doing my job but I'm also doing the job of a co-worker who is on maternity leave. For the last two weeks I've been fighting with my laptop and it's been winning. It finally got to a point where the folks in IT had to bring me a desktop computer in hopes I could get stuff done while we try to rehabilitate my laptop. The results have been 50/50 so far and the days continue to be long.
This past Friday I went with TNTer's Suzanne and Mike along with Mike's wife Karen to the Springsteen concert in St. Paul. This was I believe the 6th time I've seen Bruce and I'm said to say it was my least favorite show - much below the normal Bruce standards. Suzanne thought the show was fantastic but she didn't have past shows to compare it to. Don't get me wrong, it was still a good show but it lacked the energy and intensity of the typical Springsteen & the E Street Band concert.
Saturday night some friends of ours (sisters Melinda and Mikala) had a beer bash/fundraiser at Bootlegger's downtown. We had a blast hanging with them and catching up with some of the alumni from the past season. It was our first time to Bootlegger's and the only thing it lacked was a kitchen. A place like that needs good bar food. Also, there was a waitress there who looked EXACTLY like Tracey Gold from Growing Pains. Dead ringer.
OK, maybe running in Minnesota in the middle of winter isn't that bad... It could be worse.
Well, my brain is mush. Watch for the ongoing adventures of Chuck the Chicken Part 2 in a future post.
Goodnight.
Things have been crazy at work. Not only am I doing my job but I'm also doing the job of a co-worker who is on maternity leave. For the last two weeks I've been fighting with my laptop and it's been winning. It finally got to a point where the folks in IT had to bring me a desktop computer in hopes I could get stuff done while we try to rehabilitate my laptop. The results have been 50/50 so far and the days continue to be long.
This past Friday I went with TNTer's Suzanne and Mike along with Mike's wife Karen to the Springsteen concert in St. Paul. This was I believe the 6th time I've seen Bruce and I'm said to say it was my least favorite show - much below the normal Bruce standards. Suzanne thought the show was fantastic but she didn't have past shows to compare it to. Don't get me wrong, it was still a good show but it lacked the energy and intensity of the typical Springsteen & the E Street Band concert.
Saturday night some friends of ours (sisters Melinda and Mikala) had a beer bash/fundraiser at Bootlegger's downtown. We had a blast hanging with them and catching up with some of the alumni from the past season. It was our first time to Bootlegger's and the only thing it lacked was a kitchen. A place like that needs good bar food. Also, there was a waitress there who looked EXACTLY like Tracey Gold from Growing Pains. Dead ringer.
OK, maybe running in Minnesota in the middle of winter isn't that bad... It could be worse.
Well, my brain is mush. Watch for the ongoing adventures of Chuck the Chicken Part 2 in a future post.
Goodnight.
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