Fact: A U.S. constitutional amendment was proposed in 1893, suggesting the country be renamed “The United States of Earth.” Another failed amendment a few years prior wanted to abolish the presidency and install a “Roman-style triumvirate.” As if the United States needed any more comparisons to the doomed Roman Empire!
Bright and early, we headed for the Total Care imaging center, where the CT machine awaited my arrival. I drank this stuff the technician called “Love Potion #9”. From the song, I realized what I was drinking!
“She bent down and turned around and gave me a wink
She said, “I’m gonna make it up right here in the sink.”
It smelled like turpentine; it looked like Indian ink
I held my nose, closed my eyes; I took a drink!”
The potion was not too bad, perhaps like a weak lemonade but thicker? Mary timed me, and it went down in less than ten minutes! After an hour of the Love Potion #9 mixing around in my tummy, I was ready for “the machine.”
Did You Know? Computed tomography (CT scan or CAT scan) is a noninvasive diagnostic imaging procedure that uses a combination of X-rays and computer technology to produce horizontal, or axial, images (often called slices) of the body. A CT scan shows detailed images of any part of the body, including the bones, muscles, fat, organs, and blood vessels, and CT scans are more detailed than standard X-rays.
In standard X-rays, a beam of energy is aimed at the body part being studied. A plate behind the body part captures the variations of the energy beam after it passes through the skin, bone, muscle, and other tissue. While much information can be obtained from a standard X-ray, a lot of detail about internal organs and other structures is not available.
In computed tomography, the X-ray beam moves in a circle around the body, allowing many different views of the same organ or structure. The X-ray information is sent to a computer that interprets the X-ray data and displays it in a two-dimensional (2D) form on a monitor.
I was in the hospital but not “sick”!
After the procedure and in my very weakened condition, Mary took me to Old Ranch for lunch, and I was starved after fasting since 11:00 PM last night. We shared a Cheese Quesadilla and a sandwich; yes, with fries.
We had our private air show. Three C-17s flew right by up, making magnificent turns over the gold course.
Lunch with a view!
We are talking a few hundred feet above the parking lot when we said up close. Our wine glasses even moved. It was quite a show!
Up close and personal!
We headed home to check on Scout the Wonder Dog as he stayed outside with our contractor. After the fly-by, we went to the gym for our bi-weekly workout. I was still favoring the leg, so I did about 80% of my regular exercises.
When I had my knee operation, Scout was there to take care of me; I remember it well!
Nurse Scout is on duty!
The backyard is torn up! I am sure it will be beautiful when done, but now, it is a mess.
More river rocks were discovered!
It will look better than this when it is done because I have learned! We will have a wide distance between the beds, the beds will match the wall already in existence, and the large bed will house corn and watermelons since it will be over six-feet wide.
The beds were just tall enough to sit on and do the gardening activities.
Mary made muffins for the guys tomorrow, and we watched a Sam Elliot movie entitled “The Hero,” which was good.
Lee Hayden is an aging Western actor with a golden voice, but his best performances are decades behind him. He spends his days reliving old glories and smoking marijuana with his former co-star-turned-dealer, Jeremy until a surprise cancer diagnosis brings his priorities into sharp focus. He soon strikes an exciting, contentious relationship with stand-up comic Charlotte, and he attempts to reconnect with his estranged daughter, Lucy while searching for one final role to cement his legacy.
We finally crashed at about 10:00 PM as we had to be in Los Alamitos at 8:30 AM for another full-body bone scan. No more pictures, please!
