Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
“Those we love don’t go away; they walk beside us every day. Unseen, unheard, but always near; still loved, still missed, and very dear.” – Anonymous
Zack, Nick, and Theo celebrated their birthdays together at Old Ranch in September 2014. Lisa and Sue watch all the action taking place.
Sue and I had something special, very, very special. We never spoke an angry word to each other in thirty-five years, we ALWAYS departed with a hug, a kiss, and an “I Love You”. When separated, and those times you can found on one hand, we called each other all the time. It was special. We had an eclectic family, but we loved them with all our hearts. Sue was a fantastic person who loved life, loved people, and loved me! I miss her every single day, and I just want a little hug.
She was my everything!
The rooster must have gone to bed early because that sucker was awake this morning, getting me up at 6:00 AM. It was refreshing outside, so I walked in the garden and determined that it will be corn-time this weekend. It will also be time to plant another mess of corn, and I have a perfect spot for it! Now I will have fresh corn all summer long.
To the berry plants I went making a quick pass over the blackberries and absconding with a half-cup of them healthy critters! From bush to mouth in precisely 3.5 seconds!
I called Colleen and got an update on Disneyland East, a term I now use for her back yard. She and Mark are putting in a 30×30 area with swings, merry-go-rounds, etc. for her grandkids (my great-grandkids).
Super grandparents!
My bathroom scale was BAD this morning telling me that I gained a couple of pounds, but then I thought to myself, yesterday, I was naughty having biscuits and gravy followed by a chili-size and sprinkling three drinks in as the day progressed. I did much better today.
Checking my social calendar revealed I was going to be busy today. First thing, at 10:00 AM, was stitch-removal from the minor surgery on the back of my neck. The surgeon popped in and said, “The biopsy revealed nothing to worry about, just a cyst.”
As I departed the building, I ran into my cardiologist, and I asked him how my lab work came out. He looked at me funny and said, “Hell, Paul, I don’t remember. Follow me up to my office, and we will find out!”
We went to the doctor’s entrance, and I followed him. He headed for the stairs and asked if I needed an elevator. I laughed and told him I never use an elevator unless it is eight flights or more. Well, by the time we got to his office on the 4th floor, he was “winded” and I was doing just fine. I “out-age” him by twenty years; he was impressed.
While I was there, he gave me an EKG and also informed me I had lost eight pounds since I saw him in April. The lab results were terrific. Everything indicated I should be fifty and not seventy-five. I need to work on my “good HDL” as it was five-points low. No problem.
His EKG machine seemed to be a little dated!
HDL cholesterol is often referred to as “good” cholesterol. HDL picks up excess cholesterol in your blood and takes it back to your liver, where it’s broken down and removed from your body. In 2016 my HDL was at 70 (because I was exercising a lot, walking a lot), but the last two years have been difficult. I will see the doctor again in September, so I expect it to be returning to the 60’s by then.
From there, it was off to Roger Dunn Golf Shop to get my clubs which were getting regripped. While I was there, I stocked up on balls, tees, and I got a new rangefinder from GolfBuddy. This one is voice-activated, so I do not have to look. I can ask it, “How far to the pin?”
I just talk to it and voila, like magic, it gives me the distance!
Back home again, I decided to walk before Robin arrives, and off I went like a speeding bullet whispering “Come on HDL; Come on HDL.”
Perfect timing, one hour, and 2.6 miles, so I upped my average speed. Good for HDL
Robin came over at about 3:00 PM after having a flat on the 91 freeway. Poof! She missed walking with me, but that’s OK, we can do it tomorrow.
We sat around and visited for a while before deciding to Zoom with Cousin Dave and Colleen. The four of us chattered for almost 90 minutes, checking up on everything. Great fun!
Then it was time for dinner as I was starved since I was attempting to get the weight back down after my splurge from yesterday. We ordered half-salads from CPK and went to the park and dined in the great out-of-doors.
Salads in the park!
I got a call from Joe, and I have been invited to Movie night Saturday at his house. I will get to revisit the grand-kids and see everybody. Exciting! I plan to bring some kind of a movie snack, but I have yet to figure it out?
Tonight is movie night, so, in my attempt to satisfy Robin’s lust for “eye-candy”, we selected “The Son’s Of Katie Elder” because Dean Martin was in the movie. I asked Robin if I could be “eye candy,” and she replied, “Well, probably not as you are certainly sugar-free, and you are kind of a fudgy-duddy!”
I put my head down and went back to watching the movie. Robin felt bad and added, “OK, if you were eye-candy, you would be…”
If you can’t stand the answer, don’t ask the question!
Another great movie, thank you, Joe, for the recommendation (although we did check the rating). Summary: Four ne’er-do-well sons reunite in their Texas hometown to attend their mother’s funeral. Led by older brothers John (John Wayne), a gunfighter, and Tom (Dean Martin), a gambler, the four soon learn that their father gambled away the family ranch, which was the cause of his murder. The brothers decide to avenge their father’s death and win back the ranch, a situation that quickly leads to trouble with the local sheriff and violent conflict with the rival Hastings clan.
During the movie, I got a little hungry, and I remembered that Robin brought a box of Roma tomatoes over, so I decided we needed a snack. Roasted Romas a’ la Paul meaning onto the baking sheet, a little olive oil, and whatever spices were handy in the spice rack. Twenty-five minutes at 400 degrees, and we have a super snack with very few calories but great flavor.
Dang! A perfect snack for the movies!!!
After the movie, I introduced Robin to “Haven”, my latest find on NetFlix, and explained what was going on. Robin, like me, likes the supernatural series. She loved it, so she is going to binge tomorrow and catch up with me!
We crashed at about 11:00 PM, but I stayed up to finish the Daily Diary.
