The Blog: Spellbound by our own imperfect lives...

Regis looked great this morning and even the doctors were amazed. They recommended another day in the hospital just to make sure everything was fine but we'll be on our way home tomorrow. It's like Star Trek surgery...a couple tiny holes and a few band-aides. Amazing.

It wasn't even close to two hours. Everything seemed to take much longer than anticipated. Regis got out of surgery about 3:30 and I talked to the surgeon about an hour after that. He said it was rough as there were many hernias, not just one big one. Almost like every stitch from the old surgery had ripped out. The other part, the plastic ring, went very smoothly and he said Regis should feel much better after this. He was amazed he could get any food through his esophagus. By the time they got him to the room, it was almost 6. We talked for a few minutes, he pushed the morphine pump, and said I should go. I'll go back this morning to spend the day so I'll try to post a couple things later. Right now the doctor thinks he will be able to go home tomorrow but we'll see. He has quite a bit of pain from all the hernia patching.

We got here at 7 this morning. Regis went into surgery after lots of waiting and lots of prep at 11:40 and I'll get an update in two hours. Two hours? They make this look easier on tv. Nothing else to report. I'll write more when I know more.

Sorry for being such a wretch last night. We've worked out our differences over the advanced directive so I won't threaten my husband with a priest today. He called the surgery hotline last night and we have to be there by 8. Of course, we woke up at 4 again. Of all weird ironies, we got a phone call last night from Mary Rogotzki, Regis's nurse when he was in the hospital nine years ago. She took such good care of us both and we've kept in touch at Christmas time all these years. She's going to be at St. Mary's tomorrow visiting a friend so she'll find us and visit for a while. We always felt like she was our angel. I slept fairly well on this hard bed but my shoulder is killing me. Probably fromt toting along all the stuff I might possibly need yesterday but didn't. I'm going to need a massage when I get home...I've got that shoulder issue, zingers in my back on the other side, and a stiff neck. What a mess. Sherry's coming over today to spe...

A quick update on Regis and the surgery and all of that. We got up at 4 and left home at 5 to be here by 6:45. We had appointment after appointment all day with lots of extended waiting which doesn't usually happen to us here. By 3:00, the muzak and the stimulation from FOX television (where everything is a major screaming disaster) reports of the earthquake which you cannot turn off or change the channel of, were starting to get to me. They put us in a room to wait for the last two surgical consults. We spent two and a half hours in that room and spent a total of 4 minutes with the doctors. We did have a few laughs over it, like just leave your card on the chair and let's get the hell out of here. The last guy said the first guy would actually do the surgery and he was just the conduit. Regis said (after he left...and you have to imagine an Italian accent): Conduit? How con-you-a-duit? You canna even get here on time. It was very funny. He claims it's from a movie but I t...

We cooked hamburgers on the grill yesterday for Peter and Tiffany and their dad whose birthday was the day before. Tiffany has always been a good eater and now that she's pregnant I try to have fruit and good things around for her to eat and some to take home. They told a few stories about their growing up years, and I was amazed at what they remembered and how different their memories were. Ella joined us about 3:00 and kept us entertained until about 9. At 8:00, the clock chimed and she said, "It's 8:00 and we forgot to go for a walk!" I think it was an accident that she got the time right; she's only 2 but we laughed. I tried to get her to go for a walk earlier but she didn't want to wear her shoes and she wanted to ride in our stroller. She didn't seem to believe that we didn't have one...maybe it's like the television. She can't believe we don't have one of those either. Regis took some cute pictures so I'll try to post the slide s...

Peter and I had a very nice time in Canby visiting my mom. We didn't do a thing but sit and visit...inside, by the front door, on the back deck. We ordered a pizza and had a margarita for dinner and sat up and visited until almost ten. This morning we did the same...coffee and visiting. It was very nice. On the way home, we had a near-miss with a forty-foot grain bin going down the road. This is not a picture of the actual event...the grain bin we almost hit was MUCH bigger (it took up the entire road and half the ditches on both sides) and it was on a county road. I started to write about it but it involves too many vehicles and too many ridiculous things but no hazard lights, no flags, no nothing to indicate this was ahead of us. Peter, who has little tolerance for this kind of malarky, looked out the window and gave a gesture that said what the hell. All the people in the pick-ups just smiled and waved. Oh, country life. Regis and I will be going to Rochester very early on Tues...

We've been waiting to hear from the insurance company and the MC about the surgery. I was nervous because we're getting close to the end of my summer but they called yesterday and have him scheduled for next Wednesday, the 30th. He'll be in the hospital at least through the weekend. We're glad there's finally a scheduled date and it's going to be done, but it's the weekend of Jane's retirement party and I'm very disappointed that we can't go. We had reservations at the Sleep Inn in Mount Vernon, were going to drive down with Tom and Betty and the gift gazebo, we were bringing the table linens, old friends from my early teaching days in Cedar Rapids were going to be there, I had written a poem about our years of crazy friendship. Of course, I've frittered away the last three weeks and now I'm going to have to get busy. Peter and I are going to Canby today to see mom and won't be back until tomorrow. No more posting today...

Kramer had a yeast infection in his right ear. The vets and the techs are so kind there (at the Kind Vet Clinic) and took very good care of all of it. I won't even complain about the cost. They run a very tidy ship there and they're all so professional. Nobody gave us the razzmatazz about teeth cleaning or the senior blood panel. Regis had the day off so we went shopping. We rarely go to stores anymore without a specific mission in mind. We were looking for a beer can chicken cooker and found a nice one at Home Depot. Also a chimney charcoal starter that will be a birthday present for a friend of ours who starts his charcoal with gasoline currently. Whoosh. We worry about that. We stopped at Kohl's and Regis got a pair of nice khaki shorts and I got some stemless white wine glasses. The sales were great. At Gordmann's I bought a a set of appetizer plates that I really didn't need but they were two dollars and I figure it's an excuse to have a party. New wine gla...

Disclaimer: Mom just notified me (see the comment) that I made some mistakes in my chronology and in my math. Disregard all the numbers in this post. I'm not sure exactly when she graduated or which reunion this was. It's clear I suck at math. And memory. Peter was disturbed the other day because I didn't remember what year he graduated from high school. A person has only so much room in his head. Mom's getting a lot of press lately because it's her birthday month. This is a picture of the 70th reunion of the Twin Valley High School class of 1948. (Almost did the math wrong and wrote 1930.) She's the second from the left in the first row. You might have to click on the picture to be able to see it but she has a ring of flowers in her hair from the Scandinavian Street Fair in Fargo. At the reunion, they were supposed to stand up and tell about themselves and she did, reluctantly, then asked if they were done with the obits so they could have some fun. Re: the ...

I stepped in a puddle of dog pee first thing this morning and had to get out the Spotbot and do some carpet cleaning. An outdoor wireless radio that Regis bought from some lame internet company, aside from not working, left a big puddle of oil on my stone-top table. Now we have to make some poultice to try and draw the oil out of the stone. Yeah, that'll work. I think while we're mixing up the poultice, I'll mix up some hex juice for this internet company that sells junk. My dog has an earache and has to go to the vet at 1:20 this afternoon. We'll be bombarded with requests for permission to do senior blood panels and teeth cleaning and sonic toe nail polishing. It's not easy having a dog anymore. Regis is trying to get his surgery set up with the MC. They've been helpful but the insurance company, has not. They told him this morning they have 10-30 days to give approval and they've only had the request since the 10th of July. I guess that means they have 30...

As you can see, I'm being put forward by a grassroots movement for President. To hell with action plans! I've spent all day monkeying around with video, trying to get my pc to recognize my video camera, trying to make the damn thing import video, and trying to upload the stupid video to youtube so I can post it here. I finally quit. It's not easy being technologically hip. I see now that you can upload video from your mobile phone. Loud piercing scream. I can't even tell you how many times I typed in those stupid mixed up letters. Those are not written for anybody with less than 20/15 vision. Holy shit, Batman. The video was Regis doing the first thirty seconds of The Evolution of Dance which might not be funny to you anyway. And since you can see the real video of the E of D in the background, I'd probably get brought up on copyright violation charges and spend the next five years in the pen. If the food was good and the mattress wasn't too bad, maybe I could ...

My mom's Lutheran Church in Canby has a little food stand where she works during the Yellow Medicine County Fair. She's the morning egg fryer. Mom sent me a note this week that said: I am a nasty chef and when people ask for different version of eggs I growl and tell them they get them like I make them. No scrambled, no over easy, no soft, no hard, just plain fried eggs. Good help is hard to find. I thought her comments were so funny I told her I wanted to publish them and I had her take a couple pictures of the stand. You can see it used to have a walk-up service window but now has two window air conditioners. Mom told me to zoom in and see that they still sell coffee and lemonade for fifty cents. Just no over easy eggs. In fact, click on the picture and check out the menu. That's pure Midwest. We're in (Is that IN or UNDER?) a tornado watch. We planned to cook on the grill but Regis had to go out and cover it so it doesn't get wet if we do get rain. Miles, when...

While Regis was at work this morning, I cleaned the bathroom and scrubbed the kitchen floor. I was wicked hot and sweaty by the time that job was done. When he got home about noon, we headed to Mankato to buy groceries, stop at the liquor store looking for Daly's pina colada mix, and to go to Office Max for Print Artist. The grocery store was packed of course, it being Saturday afternoon. We're accustomed to shopping early in the morning so this was a pain in the ass. I came home way over-stimulated and maybe a tad cranky. I'm going to have something cold to drink and maybe take a nap. My sleep was interrupted last night by the dog shaking his head like he had an earache. Poor thing. When I rubbed his ear, he moaned and rolled over for a belly scratch. Well, not in the middle of the night, Kramer. Now to top it off, we are under a tornado watch until 10:00 tonight. I hate that. The weather is really brutal. It's only about 80 degrees but the humidty is 78% and the dew p...

We made beer can chicken on the grill tonight. If you aren't familiar, this is where you set the chicken's butt on a beer can on the grill. Here's a picture of the guy cookin' there. We used olive oil and a nice dry rub with salt, pepper, thyme, garlic, and onion, and oh my it was delicious. It's a strange deal. We dumped some of the rub into the beer can (half full) so the moisture and the herbs marinated the chicken while it cooked. I'd recommend it although we might try to find one of those beer can chicken holders. The tripod effect was difficult to obtain. There's something about working with a whole chicken that's unappealing. They look like they have arms and legs, if you know what I mean. I like my meat to have a less than human appearance. Peter went to The Dark Knight this evening. I just got a text from him (hip, eh?) and they got tickets but had to wait in line for an hour. It's the Batman movie if you aren't hip. I went for a walk t...

Four years ago today, my dad passed away. I know they say that after a few years go by, the memories of the death fade. I haven't found that to be true but the memories of the weeks and days leading up to his death haven't overshadowed the memories of his death. He was good man and I'm glad I was there with him at the end of his life. My brother Pat's birthday is today. I can remember all the birthdates of my brothers but not their ages. I know I'm the oldest. Steve is the youngest and he's about 9 years younger than me. Pat's in the middle so he must be around 50. (Mom says 51.) Happy birthday to you, Pat!

This picture and the one following are from the family reunion at Ottertail Lake in June. Nobody took many pictures, but Deb took a few. This one is beautiful. Here we are after Saturday's dinner, going out for a ride on the pontoon. There are a bunch of people on the pontoon and a bunch more on the beach. We've gotten to be quite a multitude. Here's our current weather map, Miles. Big rain and storms coming. You might have already had some in Owatonna . It's starting to rain here now and you can see the red stuff is coming right over us. By the way, I saw the pictures of Career Day at the daycare center. Keep your eye out for something that isn't too dangerous and where you can make enough money to support your toy and diaper habit. Another thing: maybe when your Mom & Pop get into their dotage, they'll want to live in your basement, so keep that in mind, too. The things a baby has to worry about these days. I had a nice visit with my friend Jill yesterday...

Just a quick weather update for Miles: no clouds, no rain, no lightning. Just a beautiful summer night. Belinda might be a hottie but she missed on this one. Sleep in your diaper. More notes tomorrow on the Hynes-McGraw burger feast tonight.

Peter and I were going to Canby this week but suddenly the days are full. That happens in the summer if you wait too long. It would have been a good week to go. Here's the line-up at the Yellow Medicine County Fair: Kicking off the musical entertainment at the Pavilion, are fair favorites, Lonesome Rail's bluegrass band. Thursday, The Anderson family take the stage Friday, 5:30 p.m. with a variety of old-time fiddling. Peter & Paul and the Wendiger Band perform polka music Saturday, July 19 at 5 and 7 p.m. The gospel singing Herrlinger family of Wisconsin will appear on Sunday, July 20 at 3 p.m. Saturday’s hay bale tossing and goat milking contests are free for both spectators and contestants alike and the kids’ pedal power pull on Sunday is open to all kids ages 4 through 11. It sounds more entertaining than the Nicollet County Fair, let me tell you. That hay bale tossing contest sounds interesting. I suppose it's a weight and distance thing like the tractor pull. T...

Errands were done today but it was a trial. I stopped at school first then went to the courthouse. Had to drive around and around for a parking spot. When I tried to find the thing for my tabs. It was gone. I would have gone in to see if I could get them by some other method, but I knew it had a name on I haven't had for ten years and that might complicate things so I drove back to work and there it was laying in the dirt. I had walked over it and driven over it several times. It was mangled but readable. Got my tabs, then went to the PO, but forgot the big envelope so had to go home and get one of those. I was really organized for this trip, too. Regis wanted to cook chicken on the grill but I have an aversion to heat and didn't really want to sit out there. I had no gumption and I was grumpy. Then I remembered an old trick my parents used to do in the days before AC. I took a big white dish pan out, filled it full of icy water from the hose, and sat with my feet in it. Amazin...

Regis and I got up early and went for a walk before the day heats up and gets unbearable. He and I have different walking styles. He likes to accommodate the dog and I'd rather leave him at home. He is a very lovable dog with humans but he has no tolerance for dogs. You always have to be on the look-out for unsuspecting mutts, the doggy appearances of which Kramer would prefer to alter. So he makes me nervous and I'm always scanning the road ahead for possible canines. Regis generally approaches a walk like a military mission. He has paths plotted out that are different lengths and he goes down the road at a good clip, knowing exactly where he'll go. I like to wander and look at things and visit as I go. It's a compromise, our walking together. I have a piano for sale. When I was a little girl, I envied my friends who had pianos and who learned to play even though they hated their lessons. When my kids were little, I was determined to have a piano. They both hated pian...

I went to a meeting this afternoon then stopped to see a friend of mine. We sat outside and even though it was nice and there was a good breeze, I got heated up. Regis and I cooked patty melts on the grill that were delicious but it was more heat so I had to get in the pool a while ago. I know some people have their pools in the backyard but we have ours in the little indoor room with the toilet. I'm in the midst of a do-over: Returning to Earth . It's kind of the sequel to True North by Jim Harrison, or at least it happens after that book. The characters are so vivid in both books that my mind wanders to them during the day. I've read True North a couple times, too, and Regis said the only other book that I've gone on and on about is Oranges by John McPhee. My family members actually got so tired of my facts about oranges that they told me to shut up about it the summer I read it . Did you know that all the orange trees in Florida are grafted onto the roots of a rou...

If I could draw cartoons, I'd draw a cartoon of two turkey vultures floating over our house tonight. We'd just finished a barbecued pork loin dinner and were lounging in our Cabella's chairs. I told Regis that one vulture said to the other one: I'm not sure I can get that woman off the ground but that scrawny guy looks like he'd be easy to pick up. Now, that's funny. We spent all day today outside. I got up from time to time and watered some plants, picked up sticks, pulled a few weeds, but mostly we just sat and watched the clouds roll by. Regis sat with his knees sticking out in the skin cancer zone all day and didn't get one lick of sunburn. I sat in the shade and burned the hell out of one arm. How does that happen? Don't I have any of those things that people at the equator have? Our neighbor with the red shed, "Get Your Yum On" Paul , came over with a sample of his barbecued pork and black bean burritoes. Man that guy can cook and it'...

The lovely days just go on and on this summer. Yesterday was hotter than hell and we had some violent weather last night, but no damage. Just a lot of Cumulonimbus Mammatus clouds and heavy rain and lightening. The party was fun...a retirement party for an old friend and colleague, Jim. Lots of good stories to go with the weather! This morning, Regis and I got up early and headed out for our weekly grocery shopping trip. When he worked weekends, I did all the shopping very randomly and irregularly but now that he comes along, he's taking this very seriously. We have a spreadsheet with prices, ads with things circled, and a bag of coupons and a calculator. It's not so bad with the weekly menu but sometimes I just can't summon enough brain cells to care about the linear footage of wax paper. Now, that's funny. As soon as we got home, we drove up to the OK Corral for lunch with Cousin Deb and Larry. Here we are posed in front of the Constitution or something. The food wa...

I missed posting yesterday. It was so hot in the afternoon, I pulled the curtains closed and watched the movie Elizabeth . I liked it but I did have to peer through my fingers a couple times because they seemed fond of lopping off of heads in those days. Good movie, though...lots of historical intrigue. After dinner, Regis convinced me to try the yard for a while. I thought it would be too hot but it was pleasant. From my lawn chair, I could see the tops of five or six trees in the neighborhood. I bet I saw a dozen orioles...or the same few orioles multiple times. I brought out the binoculars and tried to spot a nest but they must hide those pretty well. There were at least two adults and two juveniles, who I think are yellow and not orange. Maybe the yellow ones are just a different variety of the orange ones. Looks like storms here again this afternoon, Miles. Take your umbrella to work. Yesterday, we only got a few minutes of strong winds. No rain, no hail, no damage unlike what th...

Regis had to leave the house at 4:30 this morning to get to Rochester for a metabolism test at 7 a.m. I like to get up early but in the post-Ambien days, that is ungodly. I stayed in bed until 6:30 but I'm not sure I slept. I did a few chores (a weak attempt at sweeping the floor), took a short nap, and spent the rest of the day outside. I pulled a few weeds, made a couple swipes with the watering utensil, and sat in the lawn chair breathing deeply. This is my baby, Tiffany, with our grand-daughter Ella. Tiffany just called to tell me that her pregnancy was confirmed by a doctor tonight and her baby is due in February. In true Tiffany fashion, her next statement was, "Oh my God, my car just died. I'll call you back!" Nothing without drama. We're very happy for her and for Eric. She'll have a beautiful baby and she'll be a wonderful mama. There was a fat baby robin on the back step this morning when I went to the door to let Kramer out. Uh oh. Baby robin...

It's why I sit here with a glass of iced coffee, letting the breeze blow in the front door, waiting for the smell of beans to tell me they're boiling. Somebody has offered me a lot of money to spend my day doodling on this blog. It's not true but it would be nice if life were like that. There are things blooming in the garden: monarda, coneflowers, lilies, and things of which I do not recall the names. I'm going to have Regis take pictures tonight at dusk as it's the best time for garden pictures. The pictures will make it look like Martha Stewart's garden and if you happen to go by here, you'll see that's not true either. I embrace weeds as well as moles and rabbits. Sometimes weeds yield a pleasant look. I don't like things in rows and I think the Monet effect of plants running into each other is nice. Last year one night, I lit dozens of candles in the garden and Regis took pictures. It was just lovely. When I was in college, I spent one hour in a...

This morning was one of those where you can't breathe or move without sweating. By ten o'clock, though, a nice wind moved through and cleared all that crap away. Now it's a day that would take your breath away. You want to stand in the yard, stare up at the sky, and breathe deeply. I made pico de gallo this morning. I'm going to make chicken tacos for dinner and Regis is making frijoles. I think I'll call Peter and tell him to pick up his contribution on his way home. And I'm not talking Taco Johns either. This is a meal that cries for an icy cold beer. I filled the bird feeders this morning. Someone told me the other day that orioles won't eat cheap grape jelly which of course is what I have, believing that birds can't tell the difference. I haven't had an oriole since we went the cheap route. Can this be true? I moved the suet feeders to the back yard where the catbirds can enjoy them. In the front they just attract those nasty grackles. I love thi...

When the pizza guy brought our dinner last night, he pointed out this beetle on our screen door. He might look like a lady bug but he was about two inches long. Ever-helpful google images search points out that it's a June bug. He's very pretty with a dark bronze body and looks like an Egyptian scarab.

We've had two really hot days in a row. The kind of days when an icy cold beer would taste good. Neither of us has the gumption to motor to the liquor store, however, so I guess it's just a dream. The liquor store is about two blocks away...not like we like in the sticks and can't make it there in five minutes. After a very muggy day, all of a sudden a bout 5:00, the dew point dropped, the sky cleared, and a nice breeze came up. We had a couple very nice hours sitting in the shade in our new Cabella's chairs. One of our distant neighbors was doing some cement work as we lounged. He had a giant saw that made this horrific noise and raised a fierce cloud of dust. Our closest neighbor had a cement guy over there scoping out the situation, apparently in preparation for major sidewalk revision. I said one of the things that really annoys me about summer is that some people feel this compulsion to do loud home improvements. I should live in a town that doesn't require sid...

Some things I like in the news: I posted an entry about this guy last year. He ties all these balloons to a chair and flies through the air. He lands by shooting the balloons with a BB gun. You have to read the whole stor y to believe it. It's not the kind of thing I would ever do, being a chicken, but it's the whimsical kind of thing I really admire. This is a kid from Owatonna who works in a fireworks stand called Vapor of Smoke. I would never work there, being a chicken, but I admire the name of the place. Thanks, Annie! This is the 35W bridge in Minneapolis. This is one of those things, like airplanes and birds, that's just beyond comprehension. How do they even begin to plan something like this, and then, most amazing of all, it meets in the center like it should. This reminds me of a story. After the tornado, our front walk was destroyed. I had in my head that I wanted a paver walk so I looked in the Herald and called some dude who advertised that kind of work. He cam...

Here are some pictures of the birthday picnic. I'll write more later. We're going out to relax in the sun.

We had a great day at the parade and the events following. The weather couldn't have been better and there were some memorable moments. The marshals of the parade were members of the Engesser family dressed in their circus garb: clowns and a strong man. The next group was a large contingent of Chinese students who are studying at Gustavus for the week. It was the sweetest thing; there they were carrying flags, smiling, and waving. The Democrats made a good showing in this parade, too, and several of them came over to shake hands with Regis. It isn't like they know him...he just seems to be a magnet. Reggie says it's because he's a tree-hugger. Ha! Al Franken's son came over with a guy carrying a sign that said, "This is Al Franken's son, Joe Franken." I said I want his job. Sign carrier. One of our favorite units was the Lutheran Summer Music Camp. It was a large group of young Lutherans marching together in matching t-shirts and playing kazoos. It wa...

Today is Independence Day . On this day in 1776, the Second Continental Congress unanimously adopted the Declaration of Independence, and the United States officially broke from the rule of England. Happy Birthday, USA! Regis and I were on a little mission and we ran across these two enterprising kids with a lemonade stand. They explained how it folds up and fits on a cart that they pull from their house down the street. We were their third and fourth customers. This is what Washington Avenue looks like on the 3rd of July. People come out very early to claim spots on the boulevards and in the parks. You can't see it in this picture but some of the blankets are held down with a steak knife in each corner. Regis is amazed that the whole process is so orderly and nobody messes with the stuff overnight. More blankets and chairs by the library. One of the most fascinating parts of St. Peter's history is the strong circus presence this area had through the Engesser family during the ...