Recent event....

Well, this past Thursday was a bad day. I was to pick up Sandy from work at 4:30pm. My low blood sugar alarm went off at 4pm. I did everything I was supposed to... ate some carbs, drank a couple of glasses of "real" (non-diet) grape soda, etc. The next thing I know I'm waking up in an ambulance at the intersection of 17th avenue (where Sandy's store was located that day) and Beneva Avenue. Apparently my sugar had continued to drop even after all the things I'd done to correct it! I (while unconscious) ran the red light at Beneva and 17th and hit a brick wall.

First, I have to say that it was the grace of God that kept me from 1. hitting anyone else (at the height of rush hour) and 2. not injuring myself. The Jeep on the other hand was not so blessed (although I was told that the tow truck guy drove the Jeep onto his tow truck). They took me to the hospital anyway to insure my blood sugar was straightened out.

I've been on a new insulin pump for the past two weeks. It actually notifies me when my sugars are too high or too low. It's been working great. REALLY! But my new pump had not been adjusted much since I started wearing it.

Needless to say, we are currently without transportation (the Jeep was the only vehicle we owned). Also, needless to say, I am in the process of readjusting my pump. I have also placed myself on a one month automobile abstinence. Once we have a vehicle again, I will not be driving it until I have been "stable" for one month.

Our prayers are these: First, thanking and praising God for His grace and mercy that no one was injured in this accident! Second, that I will get my pump regulated properly and in that way, my blood sugars, and third that in some way we will gain possession of a vehicle. Your prayers will be greatly appreciated!

Thank you Father and thanks one and all!

My wife the life-saver

Once again, my wife saved my life. Apparently, my blood sugar dropped to the point where I was unconscious again. Sandy called the house to check on me and when I didn't answer the phone, she knew something was wrong. She came home, couldn't waken me so she called 911. I awakened to several EMT's standing over me and a couple of IV's in my arms. Apparently my blood sugar was 44. VERY low.

I'm fine now, thanks once again to my wonderful wife.

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Medical experience?

So, Saturday night late I took the dog out front for a walk. According to Sandy, the dog came back in the house and I didn't! Sandy found me laying on the front lanai.

For a few hours (I presume), I awaken sporadically and see familiar faces around me ( one of my pastors, Kevin; Trace and Jeanette Altman and my wonderful wife, Sandy).. this while the hospital personnel are stripping me and poking me with needles, running CT scans, and the like.

I spent til Tuesday morning in the hospital. While there, I noticed a "spider web-like" thing in my left eye. I figure I jarred myself so hard falling that I jarred something loose in my left eye. I told my primary care physician about it and he referred me that afternoon to an ophthalmologist. Now, let me say at this point that I have the UTMOST respect and admiration for my primary care physician. And, I felt reasonably comfortable with the new ophthalmologist. Then, after an extremely long time of prodding around and shining 9 million watt kleeg lights in my left eye (necessary I should add), he said he was afraid he might have seen a tear in my retina and he was going to get me in to see a retina specialist that afternoon.

I got in to the retina specialist and he spent an extremely lengthy period of time prodding and shining a 9 million watt kleeg light in my left eye. He said he couldn't see the tear, but wanted to talk to the ophthalmologist about it. That I would need to come back in the morning.

So, I got back to the retinal specialist's office at 8:30am. They put drops in my eyes and I waited for my eyes to dilate. As soon as they were ready, I sat in the exam chair and the doctor started probing in my my eye, my RIGHT eye. After looking in my right eye for some time, and having conferred with the ophthalmologists notes, the doctor stands up and proclaims, "I believe I'm zeroing in on what [the ophthalmologist] was referring to." At that point I calmly said, "You do remember it's the LEFT eye, correct?" Needless to say, the retinal specialist was extremely embarrassed and fumbled around a bit and then looked at the CORRECT eye! Of course, he STILL didn't find anything (just blood that was causing the "spider web" effect).

What a WONDERFUL weekend and beginning to a week!

"Date" night

So, Sandy and I finally had a "date" night. We had a lot of fun. We drove to Tampa and saw "A Christmas Carol" in IMAX 3D. Then, we went to Miguel's for Mexican food.

We were both impressed with "A Christmas Carol". I think the thing that we were most impressed with was the fact that it wasn't "politically correct". What I mean is, they left all the lines in that referred to Christ (when Tiny Tim hoped others would see that he was crippled and "remember the One who made blind men see and lame men walk") and ALL the music was traditional Christmas hymns and anthems. REALLY great! They even showed people going into church on Christmas day (and the cross on the church was front and center). I'm not saying this was done on purpose, but it sure fit the traditional "A Christmas Carol". The music was phenominal and the new song at the end (sung by Andrea Bocelli) I think could become a Christmas tradition/classic. We really enjoyed it. There are parts that I think might actually upset smaller children (of course, with all they're exposed to today, I could be wrong), but over all, a great Christmas movie. (Yeah, I know, it's not even Thanksgiving yet.) (Of coaurse, all this in a day and age when our President is going to have a "Holiday Tree" lest he insult anyone who doesn't like "Christmas"! Oh, PLEASE!!!!!)

Oliva cigar tasting

So, last night I attended an Oliva cigar tasting. Met a lot of fellow cigar enthusiasts and bought a few cigars. Tried the Oliva Churchill maduro. EXCELLENT cigar... so I bought a box (hey, everything was on SALE, too!). With the box I got 6 free cigars, too. Nice. Enjoyed the food (the owner, being Armenian, I thought sure would have some of that GREAT Armenian food. Wrong). Enjoyed a little wine (that was VERY good). And just relaxed and chatted with the other CE's (cigar enthusiats). Really had a good time.

So, some of our DEAREST friends are the Downeys

We hung around together in Memphis for quite a few years. Tim and Kaye Downey... then their daughter Brooke (or "Brookie Bear" as we called her). We had GREAT times laughing together. "Moo" contests where we would fill our mouths with half-melted icecream and then try to "moo". Wild tile-rummy games.... with Tim's seriously involved moves only to end up not working. We even vacationed together... fun times on Culman Lake in Alabama. They later moved to Eastern Europe as missionaries. Had two more children (Melissa and Lauren) and are now in Chicago, Illinois.

Well, we hadn't seen any of the kids since they were really little... until this past weekend. Melissa (Tim and Kaye's middle girl) lives in Ft. Meyers, Florida. So she and her roommate came up and had dinner with us this past Saturday!

Melissa

Melissa and Haley

Melissa

We had a GREAT time! After eating at "Old Salty Dog", we went back to our house for coffee and cigars. Again, it was a GREAT time!

Garden to the City from Garden to the City on Vimeo.

So, Sandy's battling a cold right now. NOT fun! She's been down TWO days with it. Jeanette Altman from church brought us some GREAT homemade chicken soup... a salad and dessert! IT WAS EXCELLENT! Made ME feel better and I'm not sick. Thanks Jeanette (and for the listening ear). Been kicking back tonight. Enjoying a nice Don Tomas cigar and a little vino. Can't complain. Still praying God will supply me with a descent keyboard so I can write (songs) again. I get lots of great ideas but can't see them through to fruition... no keyboard. In God's time. Still waiting on the pager to go off for my transplant. Any day now!!!!

More grandkids pictures! I miss 'em a bunch!

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What can I say? I love ‘em!!!