Nelsonville Salt Glazed Sidewalk Pavers: Part I

April 26, 2012

The road trip adventures are embedded into my projects and collecting really make for an interesting life. This first brick transfer/pick up set the stage for the summer of 2012.

There is another road trip on the horizon which could end up being VERY complicated! Billy wanted to go to this big antique phonograph auction in Michigan. He will pay for gas and I will do the motel. We will drive up in Linda’s Honda Element which holds a lot and is good on gas. Billy is in good with the auctioneer. I’ve been promised I don’t need a letter of credit… Billy told him I’m good for at least 200K!!

With as insane as that scenario is, it is nothing compared to what might play out. On the Indiana/ Ohio state line there is a hoard of 832 Nelsonville Sidewalk pavers I’m bidding on.

That is over four tons of bricks to move. That means a detour through Ohio and renting a 12ft U-Haul if I win!

I’m progressing right on schedule to brick over the back part of the driveway  in 100° weather!

At times like this I just laugh when I think how some friends predicted I would be so bored because I retired so early!! Sometimes I think some boredom would be welcome!!!

4/29/2012:

This morning was spent plotting and planning the next road trip Wednesday. Billy will get here tomorrow afternoon and we will hit the road Wednesday morning. We will go as far as Indianapolis, IN. That is 540 odd miles which should take us a little over 8 ½ hours to drive. I’ve got the directions to the Motel 6 and Outback all plotted out for the stop.

From there it is a straight shot to Charlotte, MI where the big auction will be held. It should take us about 4 ½ hours to drive the 230 miles.  

I won the bricks on the E-bay auction, but the bidding did not hit the reserve. The seller put out a second chance to me to purchase them at my high bid, which I did.

Working on renting the U-haul was an experience in itself. The only size truck that can come close to hauling the weight of these bricks is the 14ft truck. The nearest U-Haul dealer to the bricks is some 14 miles away. It gets tricky in that I need to pick up the truck around 5:00 p.m. on Saturday. Many of the locations are closed by then. I called the preferred dealer to first to explain what was going. He told me how the trucks are assigned by the home office and they did not really have control. I had not made out an order when I called a generic number for U-haul. It was explained to me how the trucks are assigned 24 hours prior to the pick up, and the 14ft truck might not be at the location I chose. Nothing can be done till I have a reservation number.

I put my order through and went to the U-haul site and sent them off an E-mail explaining the situation as to my being limited to pick up times. A few hours later I got an answer with a phone number to call for scheduling. I called the number and explained my situation to the most competent woman. I was so very impressed with how she understood what I was dealing with. She told me there were other dealers local to my preferred dealer that would be open late. But, once she understood the importance of my needing this size truck because of the load and the time restraints she went into high gear. I explained I would be driving down I-75 from Lima, Ohio and could pick up the truck anywhere along that route. That should be enough leeway to cover pretty much any problem she explained.

I have the map made out to the Motel 6 in Dayton, OH  just off I-75 which looks to be walking distance to an Outback.

From there it is a straight shot home to Alabama. I have been thinking how many tons of bricks I’ve hauled over the highways to my little home!!!

On the surface this is madness, but trust me; this kind of excitement: plotting out Google maps to motels, auctions, and restaurants makes life so much fun.

May 7th 2012:

Where do I start? For the sake of simplicity I’ll go back to last Wednesday the 2nd. Billy and I got on the road headed up I-65 out of Birmingham. I have done this trip so often I could pretty much drive it in my sleep. We stopped for lunch at the White Castle in Bowling Green. They messed up and gave us large chocolate shakes instead of the medium size. All that chocolate wiped us out!

Our stop for the night was the Motel 6 in Indianapolis. I choose the one closest to the Outback Steak House on the east side. This is located right near the interchange of the 465 by-pass around the city and I-70. We hit here right around 5:30, so the traffic headed out of the city was pretty horrible. Fortunately we were going in the opposite direction.

Got checked in and set out to find the Outback. The Garmin got us there and I enjoyed a delicious wood grilled steak for supper.

Thursday we had ample time to get to Charlotte, Michigan for the auction to allow us to detour to Auburn, Indiana. This is the home of the Auburn Motor Works. We stopped to take a couple pictures at the old showroom which is now a world renowned museum. It is hard to think that in the depths of the depression this little town was thriving producing luxury motorcars for the wealthy.

You can see Billy and me in the window reflection!

We arrived first at the Motel 8 before noon. They were able to check us in early. Very nice rooms compared the Motel 6! It was a quick trip to the auction site which was located at the Eaton County Fairgrounds. There were a lot of familiar faces present from other sales and shows. I got registered and issued a bidding number. There are some interesting lots, but there is nothing I really need or want.

A lunch set-up was put out. Home made salads and croissant and regular bun sandwiches. It was funny to watch some of these people eat.  It was like some of them had not eaten in days. One dealer in the crowd had just had triple heart by-pass surgery. He never stopped eating!

Phonograph dealers and collectors are a world into their own. What a cast of characters. I include myself in with them, Utilikilt and all! One dealer in particular had Billy and I in stitches for the three days we were at the sale. I’ve known this dealer for over 30 years. He sat in the front row and as the auction progressed he would jump up to make last minute inspections of merchandise. His pants would always be stuffed up the crack of this butt, almost like a vacuum pulled them in. This cast of characters kept us going as the sale dragged on.

Thursday night we found a pizza place in downtown Charlotte, MI called Reidy's.  Very good pizza. There was “Trivia night” going on between teams. It was so much fun. There was a team of guys across the bar from us who were doing really well. They worked construction and were telling stories of never being able to find straight lumber at Menards. These young guys were so intense. They reminded me when I was that age.

Friday morning Billy discovered that there was no hot water for the shower: for whatever reason the mixer valve in the shower was messed up. There was hot water to the sink so at least I was able to shave! The maintenance man was out of town and not due back for days! They will change us to the room next door when we get back from the sale.

There was a ton of stuff to go through Friday. The “Chicago Boys” were present to protect what they had most likely put into the sale. These guys are all dealers in cahoots with each other in trying to control prices in the automatic music field. The market is way down on Regina music boxes. To have so many Regina changers in an auction can be an invitation to disaster. The prices were low and in a number of instances these were sold to “on the phone” bidders. We were told one phone bidder from Florida was on vacation in India! The games that go on.

During a lull, I contacted U-Haul as to my truck pick up. They came through and it will be at the Troy, Ohio location for a late pick up. That information took a lot of worry off me.

There was one rare item in the sale, a “Regina Model 17a” which is a coin operated machine that dispenses a stick of gum as the music plays.

 The story was told how this belonged to a “little old lady” who held it dear to her heart and would not sell it unless it sold for at least $8,000.00. Billy and I are pretty sure who this “little old lady” is. I can’t say names or post pictures of this man. He was NOT smiling as the sale progressed. I’m pretty sure a lot of the stuff he had in the sale he bought back.

I bought a couple books for very little. As can be typical at an auction, the prices were all over the place. Collectors’ books you can buy new online were selling at over double the $39.95 E-bay “buy it now” price which includes postage! Buyer beware!

Friday night we changed our room. A hot shower felt wonderful!! Supper was Mexican, one exit to the north. It was very good.

There is so much more I have to record, but at this time my head feels like it is set to explode..

Nelsonville Salt Glazed Sidewalk Pavers: Part II

 Saturday May 5th 2012 was the big day for me! The main reason I made this road trip with Billy was to acquire 832 Nelsonville star paver bricks located in Ohio. Each brick weighs in at about 10 pounds which makes this load of bricks total in at over four tons. The bricks were located in a little town north west of Dayton, Ohio. It was imperative I be able to get my U-Haul truck as near to these bricks as possible. There was another problem in the pick up time for the truck. I was picking it up at around 5:00 p.m. on a Saturday. Many U-Haul locations are closed at that time.

The town of Troy, Ohio was the perfect pick up location. Once I made a truck reservation and had a number to deal with, I contacted U-Haul through their website to explain my situation. They do not guarantee you the size truck, or pick up location you request. I was flexible with my pick up location, but I could not vary from a 14ft truck. The maximum weight it could “legally” carry was around 6,000 pounds. The next larger size truck at 17ft was rated to carry even less weight. I did not want to spill the beans I was going to be carrying bricks, but I wanted them to know it was the weight limit as to why I needed the 14ft truck.

I have to give praise to U-Haul. Within a couple hours I had an E-mail reply from their website with a number to call for scheduling truck pick-ups. I spoke with the most competent scheduler. She put me at ease that I would be able to get the needed truck along the route I was travelling. When I learned Friday it would be at the Troy, Ohio location I was ecstatic.

I got to the motel lobby early for breakfast. There was a little set up to make waffles, cereal, bagels and bread. These set-ups drive me crazy. It always seems these people just stand around the counter in a daze trying to figure out how to flip over the waffle baker, or locate some condiment. I was getting set to leave when it was discovered there was no more waffle batter. Then the milk ran out for the cereal. The “kids” in charge at the front were pretty much in “whatever” mode. I was glad to have gotten breakfast in before leaving for the auction.

I picked up some more inexpensive books and bid the price of some very special music box discs way up so a “favourite” collector had to pay double had I not been in the auction! Billy got a cabinet for piano rolls.

I was out bid on a nice little brass blade fan. Later in the auction this fan turned up missing. Billy’s friend Mike had won it. After a big drama it turned out the fan was handed to Mike’s son, who packed it away unknown to his dad.

Billy and I cashed out a little after noon. We had to reload the Honda Element to hold all the purchases. There was one problem… the cabinet was missing. I can’t imagine anyone deliberately taking the thing, but it was no where to be found. One of the auction workers and I went around the parking lot peering into vehicles and trucks to see if this had been loaded up by mistake.

There was a totally different sheet music cabinet on a table all by itself. It turned out the people who owned that cabinet left it behind and packed up Billy’s cabinet! They were en-route to Wisconsin. It took about 45 minutes for them to return and switch out. These are dealers who had bid against Billy on this cabinet. They did not look happy as they loaded up their germy music cabinet. We know these dealers. I really wonder now if what occurred was an honest mistake or not. These people never apologized for the mix up or problems they caused. They are forever on my "shit list" for the aggravation they caused.

We got on the road and headed to Troy, Ohio to pick up the U-Haul. It was a little before six when I was behind the wheel trying to get the feel of driving a box truck for the first time since 1996. I had my Garmin to direct me to Arcanum, Ohio where the bricks were located. Billy was following me. I was driving on narrow country roads. The road I drove out of Troy was called, Horseshoe Bend road. I saw a sign which read “no busses or trucks”. I figured they meant semi trucks. There were hairpin turns where this road dropped to a creek. I had to back up on the worst bend to be able to negotiate the turn. I was a wreck by the time I arrived at the brick pick-up.

The 834 bricks were located on pallets against a far wall of a garage. Billy was able to back up the truck pretty close. We had to transport those damn things by hand. Justin, the guy selling them had two helpers, so there were five of us. We had one person in the truck while two people made up stacks of bricks four high and the others convoyed them to the truck. Ever so slowly the truck got filled. I was so glad to close the door and latch it shut.

Four plus tons of bricks stacked in the U-Haul:

Our destination for the night was the Motel Six in Dayton. I deliberately chose this location as an Outback was just down the road. I tried to call to make the reservation, but the call would not go through. We decided to just take our chances and show up.

It was only about a 25 mile drive to the motel location which was one exit south on I-75 from the interchange of I-70. The Motel Six is now a Best Value Inn. I checked us in. Billy backed the U-haul into a parking spot up front and I put my lock on the latch.

We washed the worst of the dirt off us and headed to the Outback. It was Prime rib tonight after the day we had.

A hot shower did wonders before bed. We slept in and did not get on the road till after 7:00 a.m. Traffic was light through Cincinnati. It took a while to get comfortable driving the truck. It was a few hours into the trip before I got at ease enough to start passing and driving a bit more aggressively. I’m so glad to be driving this load on a Sunday instead of bumper to bumper weekday traffic.

I was telling Billy at the rest stop before Louisville, that it would be shorter to take the Watterson Expressway around the city. One of the state workers overheard this discourse and he recommended we take the longer Gene Snyder Expressway. He explained there was still clean up going on from the Kentucky Derby, and the Snyder was only about four or five miles longer and was easier driving.

This was good advice. We stopped for lunch in  Bowling Green at the White Castle. We took a break leaving the truck in the White Castle lot and driving in the Honda to the Flea Market. This is the nasty place I used to frequent back when I lived and worked in Bowling Green. I was cornered and asked if I played the bagpipes because of my Utilikilt! The human interaction that garment brings me!

It is a five hour drive to Tuscaloosa from Bowling Green. Nashville was a nightmare to get through as I-24 was closed down for construction. Once we were able to exit onto 40 west things picked up again. Normally I would have detoured to Trader Joe’s in Nashville. Not this time. I just wanted to get home.

It was about 6:30 p.m. when I parked the truck in the empty parking lot across the street from my house. I was numb and “rubber legged” as I stepped down and out of the cab. We had covered some 600 miles.

Life and Friends

The day started out with pictures and graphics not showing on webpages. In trying to figure out the problem I ate up too much time. When I sat at the table for bacon and eggs the pressed oak kitchen clock gonged six times. I planned on being out of the house by 6:30 as I had a 7:10 dermatologist appointment and I wanted to stop by the recycle bins to drop stuff off. 

After shaving and just about to trek to the outside shower I heard food crunching. That couldn't be Holly as she was in the hallway. Tiptoeing to the kitchen I spied a little possum at Holly’s food dish! What a cute little guy. I left the back door open and closed off all the rooms I could. He was by the fireplace when I left the house. Holy was unfazed at this intruder. (When I returned from the doctors he was nowhere to be seen.)

I had a good check up and only had to have a few spots sprayed with the nitrogen. Because of the Melanoma I beat in the winter of 2017 I have to see the Dr every three months which will slow down to every six months next year. I really like my Dr. I had him and his assistant laughing. He said my incisions looked really good. I told him how visiting with friends when there is a lull in the converstaion I will pipe up and say, “I’ve had an operation and let me tell you about my incisions!” I had to explain that line is from a favourite 1934 “B” movie “City Limits.”

 https://archive.org/details/City_Limits_1934 

Got to the “Y” about 10:20 and did my second 8,000-meter erg in two days. Will get my last 40,000 meters for the “Dog Days of Summer” Concept 2 challenge in easily now. I was tore up from that erg to be even more tore up after my Yoga class! 

Leaving class, I saw my good friend Danny sitting on one of the hallway benches. I’ve not seen Danny in quite a spell. Danny did character photos for a painting he wanted to do of me back in the spring of 2017. He has been so busy I honestly almost forgot about the painting. Danny said he had stopped by my house and figured I was at the “Y” as my truck was still in the driveway. He finished up the painting and wanted me to have it. I nearly cried when I saw it… it truly was me:

When Danny first approached me to do this painting he explained to me how he wanted to capture real me and not just a reflection. 

To be really me for the sitting I first wore my first Utilikilt I bought in Dallas back in 2009 on my way to the brick swap. I laugh today to think how intimidated I was in wearing it. I had such a rush from the dealer I wore it the Motel 6 and then to the Outback. I did not have the courage to wear it to the swap. That would have to wait till the meeting Kalamazoo, MI in 2010 for the “brickers” to see me “as I am!” 

By the time I wore it for this sitting it was so shredded from the various brick projects I could no longer wear it in public. 

The work boots were from a fall motorcycle trip to Western, PA in 1990. My friend John was hosting the Spartan’s, a motorcycle club out of Washington, DC. He thought I’d enjoy meeting everyone. I made the trip down from Lockport and experienced such a great weekend. Those boots were bought at the best boot/leather shop in the tiny crossroads town of Gipsy, PA. Those boots still fit after all these years. A lot of bricks were acquired wearing those! 

The tee shirt I wore was from when Ron and I would do “theatre weekends” in New York City. We loved seeing the shows done by the “Ridiculous Theatrical Company” founded by Charles Ludlam. The Wagner “Ring Cycle” which runs some 20 hours was boiled down into two acts. It was called “Der Ring Gott Farblonjet” a masterwork. When Brunhilda was put to sleep on the magic rock and then surrounded by impenetrable fire which was cardboard flames suspended by wire and then rocked back and forth it was brilliant “camp magic.” I could live another lifetime from the memories of those trips to New York City with Ron.

 The book I’m reading from is the first journal book I bought in London the summer of 1970. It was a blank diary for 1971. I had hopes of documenting my time at watchmaking school. My life in school was pretty dull and I only kept writing in it for a few months. My last “school entry” was March 27th 1971. It was not till a 1985 trip with Don to Rochester turned out to be so bizarre I had to write it down which spurred my journalling. 

That first entry turned out to be such a life changing event. Once again that old diary was being written in. I filled out the last page in June of 1991 and other book had to be purchased. My journalling is now done on line and shared all over the world. 

Of course, perched on the swing hanging from the pergola surrounded by bricks is pure Jamie. It is funny how events in life seem to tie together. 

 Cornelius stopped by last evening and we visited on the front porch. He was stretched out on the porch swing while I was in the rocking chair. Holly was between the columns at the top of the steps watching the street. Neighbors, joggers, and walkers would exchange “Hey’s” and waves with us as they passed. I said to Corny that Norman Rockwell would be hard pressed to paint such contentment as we were living.

 After Corny left I picked up my copy of “Blue Heaven” by Joe Keenan. This book is a favourite summer read. I got my copy second hand to replace my original hardback which was never returned after loaning it out. This paperback is even better as it is autographed by Joe Keenan.

 There is also an inscription on the front page: “…. Say my glory was I had such friends.” Yeats

His Eye Is On the Sparrow

Facebook people are famous for posted stories that leave the readers wondering if the events happened for real or are just pure fabrication. This is one such story but for what it is worth, I’m recording this event in the first person. This drama occurred in the late morning of October 07, 2017. In a way I wish I had pictures to enhance this tale but I’m old school and don’t carry my phone with me 24/7. There are times you just live life as it happens and go with it all. This was one such time.

I was annoyed to start out with as I began my computer work. The local NPR station has stopped broadcasting the archived “Car Talk” programmes for a news annotation show. At 10:00 a.m. this new show started with a run-down of the weeks dreadful news they would be rehashing. The radio was turned off and I went to my trusty Pandora station instead.

I have been meaning for over a month to make my hotel reservations for the upcoming brick swap in Little Rock, AR. I contacted the main convention hotel which is located right near the heart of the action. The man at the front desk informed me the room block was filled and no other rooms were available. The hotel was sold out. DAMN!

Hotels.com came to the rescue and I was able to book a comparable room at the same rate and still be in close proximity to the Brick swap. I was working on printing up Google maps of the area as I don’t like to put my full trust into the GPS.

While all this was transpiring Holly came tearing through the cat door into the back study. She was at her breakneck speed which means “something is up.”

I caught a glimpse of her as she ran into the hallway and realized she had something in her mouth. Cicada season is pretty much over so I prepared myself for the worst.

Holly has a stopping & resting spot in the hallway on the bottom shelf of the carved Victorian etagere. I was able to free a little green bird from her mouth at this point. This poor little bird was inanimate and I was afraid his time would soon be over.

I cradled him in my hand and carried him to the front porch. Checking him over I could not see any blood or puncture wounds. His left wing was not at a “normal angle” his left foot was pressed tight against his body. This bird was so docile and let me pet him with my index finger. He messed with his wings which resulted in that left wing looking a lot better. I cradled him on his back so I could pet his front a bit. Changing his positions, I could feel his feet moving a bit.

He seemed a lot more alert. I placed him on the stand made from a water meter cover and sewer pipe. This little guy just stayed put. There was no way I was going to leave him alone with Holly still outside.  

Mail was hanging out of my mailbox. In the mail was my statement from Fidelity with the monthly report of my managed investment accounts. I was separating these account statements for easier filing. I was happy to see how well these holdings are doing.

Looking over my statements I kept one eye on my new friend as he moved a bit more and looked a lot more alert. He perched on the edge of the water meter cover and took off in flight.

The pure unadulterated joy I felt at that moment has been too rare in my life lately. With all the nasty happenings going on this respite was just what I needed.

Seeing that little bird have another chance at life meant more to me than the increase in my portfolio.

I’m breaking my rule and will post this to my Facebook ahead of my early morning check ins.  I hope this will bring a smile and perhaps a bit of happiness in these dark times to my friends and family.

Grandfather Clock History

The house has been quieter than usual. The grandfather clock has only been running sporadically for the past few months. It has been ten years since it was last overhauled. Just oiling the pivots as I’ve done for the past year to keep it running is not a good idea as the accumulated dirt and oil form a gunk which can really wear away the steel pivots over time. It is time to bite the bullet and get it overhauled.

I promised my niece who loves this clock a detailed history. Like everything I own it has quite the story behind it.

The year was 1972. I was attending Watchmaking School in Lancaster, PA. John, Jerry and I shared an apartment just down the street from school on Chestnut St. Today I see the students around my moving in with U-Hauls full of furniture and every creature comfort and think back to how spartan we lived. What a compare and contrast.

I was supporting myself working for a supermarket. Mom and dad paid my tuition and tools while I paid for everything else. I did not have a vehicle then. I witnessed how much it cost my friends to drive and could not incur that kind of expense. Blue laws were still in effect leaving Sundays open and free. Once I discovered Renninger’s Flea Market and Schups Grove in Adamstown, PA I was there every Sunday. So much for attending Duke St Methodist Church. I would make the journey either on my 10 speed or by hitchhiking. It was about 20 miles of potholes on the old route 222.

This part of PA was an antiques capitol in the 1970’s: The stuff that would turn up. A good friend John from school was in the antiques trade through his mother and uncle. Being a dealer he told me he could get me into Merrit’s Antiques as well as Fred and Dotties. These concerns were huge antique importers selling only to the trade. There were container loads of clocks and English furniture imported into the US during this period of time. Thank you Google: Merrits is still in business. Fred and Dotties was liquidated in 2015.

One of the main style differences between English and American grandfather clocks is in the case proportions and woods used. Many of the English clocks were fabricated of oak with mahogany accents. In American clocks the center section is narrow. In English clocks this part of the case is usually much wider. In the 1970’s clock collecting was in full gear. These English clocks were not held in very high esteem by “A list” collectors.

I found my clock at Fred and Dotties and paid the dealer price of $300.00 for it through John. He needed the receipt for some reason so it worked out well.

This clock was typical in that it had been run to death. The plates needed to be bushed and the pivots needed attention. This initial restoration grew to be a group effort with my classmates. The back center wheel pivot was pretty much worn to half its original size. Richard capped it off and turned a new pivot. The hands needed new mounting holes which Richard also made.

I had learned enough to where I wanted to preserve the original finish on this clock. There had been a few nasty coats of varnish applied over the years. Rubbing it down using 0000 steel wool brought back the original finish.

Pictures were not a priority at this point of my life. There are only a couple photos documenting my life on Chestnut St. This is one:

In the spring of 1972 I moved to a shared house. There was not a lot of furniture and big stuff so my friends Dave, Jim and Bob helped me to move “on the fly” and just carry my meager belongings. I can still see Bob walking on Chestnut St with the clock case over his shoulder and people snapping pictures from the passing tour bus! From the old apartment on Chestnut St to my new digs on North Duke it was just a little over a mile.

In October 1972 mom and dad made the drive to Lancaster. They returned to Lockport with the back seat taken out of the 1965 Chevy and the tall case clock riding out the trip from the trunk all the way to the front seats. That Thanksgiving of 1972 I was able to get the clock set up and running on the landing which would be its home for some 22 years.

The passing of life that clock witnessed. This picture is from XMAS 1972. My sisters got dressed into their wedding dresses and my niece was the flower girl!

After cleaning out the homestead after mom’s death in 1994 the clock had a place of honor for two years in my “Lockport house” before being moved to Tuscaloosa, AL. It was in October 1996 I filled and moved a U-Haul with my antiques in preparation of the transfer south. It would take nearly two years before that transfer materialized.

Over the years the clock developed a bad lean forward. After retiring from Corvette Assembly in October 2005 I had the time to finally attend to my collection.

Digging into the clock case I discovered the problem. This was not a piece of furniture built in the league of Duncan Fyfe or Thomas Chippendale. The animal hide glue had let loose and the tiny nails holding the moldings to the case were snapped through. The case was reglued and nailed back to where things needed to be. Hopefully that repair will outlast my lifetime.

The clock has had this place of honor in my home since October of 1996. That is almost as long as it was at mom and dad’s house.

The clock dial was filthy when I first got the beast. It got a gentle/safe cleaning back in 1972. The Numbers were always faint and are even more so now. I’m putting out feelers on having the dial restored. The bulk of the painting is fine and I don’t want to have an amateurish job trying to touch it up myself. Looking close I can see where there were once outline rings around the numbers.

Researching out pictures for this entry had me going into forgotten picture files. I always get a smile when I find a long ago picture of my old “goober boy” Stumpy.

This picture was taken in March of 2006. I had just acquired my first digital camera. Stumpy was soaking up the late winter sunshine in the backyard. He was helping me to restore the Morris Chair which is another story…

Adventure at UAB

I began this entry late Friday morning in the backyard squinting at the laptop screen in my backyard after returning from Em’s house in Birmingham. Naturally the deck chair was in the full sun to be toasty warm. Holly was on the patio rolling around. What bliss… Then I thought to myself, “You asshole! You just put yourself through Hell with a melanoma and here you are in full sun exposure!”

I’m now in the shade, Holly is on “backyard patrol”, and my Pandora station is softly playing. Life is good…

I drove to Em’s house in BHAM Wednesday afternoon so to save me a morning drive on Thursday. I first called UAB to make sure they would operate as my sinuses were going crazy. My teeth had been aching Monday which is a sure indication of a sinus infection. The pain gradually subsided Tuesday and was pretty well gone Wednesday. There was no fever and the discharge was clear. I was told by the nurse practitioner from my symptoms I should be set to go and not to worry.

I could not understand why Em was making such a big deal about being careful on the drive over. It was not till I arrived at his house I realized the reason for his concern. He had the weather news on which was giving reports of heavy rain, wind, and hailstones. There were horrible storms passing all around. The worst of the storms hit away from Em’s. The rain hit pretty much when I pulled into his driveway. I don’t know if this falls under the category of “Ignorance is bliss” or “The devil takes care of his own!”

I just enjoyed seeing Holly tearing across the backyard at full speed as Daggy and Stumpy used to do. We are both happy! Back to my entry….

If there is one thing I have learned in my almost 65 years, it is how you must be on top of things that have a direct impact upon your life. Em and I arrived at UAB in plenty of time Thursday morning for my surgery. The check in was where my papers indicated, right across from Starbucks. How good a grande would have tasted! I gave my information the “admittence lady”. She opened a book asked for my birthday and then she handed me my surgery paperwork and gave me directions. I told her I first needed to have dye injected in Nuclear Medicine located in Jefferson Towers. She looked closer and realized her omission and gave us directions to the Towers. (When I was being prepped for surgery one of the nurses told me how sometimes they get people in my situation all prepped and ready for surgery only to discover they had never been sent for their dye injections!)

The tech giving me my “Nuclear treatment” was so nice. He informed me of what was going down and apologized on how I’d be feeling discomfort. He needed to do four injections just under the first skin layer. He was very good and I was not really under that much discomfort. I’ve got a pretty high pain tolerance and did deep breathing to get me through. Then I was under a scanner to take pictures of the dye. I’m not claustrophobic which was a relief to him. This process can take some time. He told me he has had horrible experiences with some people. I explained to him I realized he was helping me and I would not do anything to make that job any harder.

Em and I returned to the admittance desk to get the paperwork for surgery. Surgery was on the 7th floor. I did not have to wait long before I was called in.

The nurse doing my history and vitals explained how he was being trained on this floor; his normal spot was in the emergency room. I told him of the stories I’ve heard from ER friends and what a battle zone it can be. He laughed and said how different it was in surgery. Kim was overseeing his charting which is all done on computers now. This is a far cry from the clipboards hanging off the patient beds in the old soap opera “General Hospital” days of the 1960’s.

They finished up the charting history questions with:

Kim: Is there anything else we should know about your medical history?

Jamie: Well, at my last physical my doctor told me my veins were too close.

Kim and Trevor: Very puzzled looks..... Your veins are too close??

Jamie: Yes, My Dr told me I had very close veins!!!

That really made them laugh!!

My operating Dr arrived and I had to explain what was going to happen as a procedural “check and balance”. I explained the impending operation the best I could. I lamented as to how nicely the original incision healed up only to be dug out again! The Dr smiled and agreed it had indeed healed up nicely.

The last thing I remember before surgery was the anesthesiologist saying, “Now I’m going to give you something to make you very happy.”

Coming to after the surgery I felt like I was flying and was so toasty warm under a number of blankets. I did not want to wake up.

Em came back after my recovery and I prepared to leave. The Dr had told him after my surgery all went well and only one lymph node was removed. He would not go into detail saying how they must wait for the biopsy results and he would discuss it with me. I’m very encouraged the results will be good. I will know the outcome March 14th.

This episode of my life can’t pass without a “Jamie moment.”

When I packed my back pack for this hospital adventure I wanted to have loose comfortable clothes for “operation day.” I had washed my heavy sweatpants with pockets so I could hold my vital information cards along with a loose fitting pull over sweatshirt. Clean socks and boxer shorts were also packed. On surgery day I needed to have on freshly laundered clothes after showering a third time with the special anti bacterial soap.

When Em pulled into to the pick up area I was wheeled out into the parking deck. When I stood up from the wheelchair to get into the car I felt a big draft. Instantly I realized I was wearing the sweats that split up the crotch when I was painting the brick shelf. OMG I was horrified. The entire crotch was ripped out of these pants. I was so distracted I never realized it getting dressed at Em’s or putting them back on again at the hospital! Em was laughing saying how he told some of the nurses and receptionists how sad it was I had to dress in rags!!

You have to be able to laugh at yourself. I like to think some people got a smile or chuckle from my dilemia. I know it made me and Em laugh!!!

Hospital Overload

I was all set to document my day Tuesday evening the 21st. The evening was damp so I lit the gas logs, set up the laptop, and settled into the Morris Chair. Holly climbed on board for huggs and loves. A purring cat giving head butts and licks was more important than working on a journal entry. I fell back on Scarlett O’Hara’s mantra, “I’ll think about that tomorrow.”

Contentment with Holly:

Tomorrow morning is here. Turned off the news and Pandora is streaming my soothing “Cowboy Celtic” station. The coffee is dripping through the 1940’s aluminum Wearever drip coffeepot. After I pour my first cup, the cast iron frying pan will replace the kettle on the burner and my home fries will start cooking in lots of butter and onions. Another typical day: How I relish my morning routine.

There is a favourite movie that always entertains me even though I know pretty much every line of dialogue. It’s a 1934 “B” movie called “City Limits” with great action and amusing dialogue.    City Limits       In the beginning plot development, a newspaper reporter is masquerading as a Dr for a story. The hypochondriac sister latches onto him and says, “Doctor, I’ve had two operations and let me tell you about my incisions!” That line got used a couple times yesterday by me….

I left the house at 8:00 a.m. to drive to the Kirklin Clinic in Birmingham, AL. My appointment was not till 10:40 but I was going into unfamiliar territory and would rather be early than frantic and late. The directions were easy enough to follow to the parking deck. There was not an empty space till I hit the 6th floor.

I’m out of my element in Hospitals. I only hit one wrong reception desk searching for the proper one to check in. I was way early but explained how I had a good book to read and it would give me time to clam down. The reception people would rather see people early than late I think!

My first blood pressure was 135 which was very high for me. It had to be from the stress of the drive and all. UAB is the medical teaching hospital branch for the University of Alabama. The real technical division of UA is in Huntsville where all the space research is going on. The “football division and everything else” is in Tuscaloosa.

Once I was checked into the system things just flowed. Everyone was so kind and encouraging. That means so much when you are uncertain and worried. After going through triage one of the Dr’s pupils entered to do an assessment. Everyone is so young!

I had copies of my lab reports “just in case”. I have to say after I researched those reports on line I felt much more assured. The Dr arrived and checked where the growth was removed and felt my lymph nodes. The growth was small at 1.55mm, but it was over the 1mm threshold of not spreading. He explained the procedure I’m to undergo which is to inject dye and then remove more of the skin from where the growth was taken out to do further testing for melanoma. The dye will be traced to the nearest lymph nodes which will be x-rayed and biopsied as needed. This is the course of action I had read about on line. The Dr told me this was caught early enough I had a great chance the cancer had not spread and if it did he did not think it could have progressed far. Surgery is scheduled for Thursday the 2nd.

There is another screening process for surgery. I lucked out and was able to get a slot that afternoon which saved me an added drive to Birmingham.

When I had my blood pressure done again it was down to a more normal 115 over I forget but that number was good! There is such a protocol to go through. I have never had an operation where I have been totally out. I made sure it was documented I have caps on my front teeth. Aunt Fran had one of her teeth broken off during an operation for kidney stones, but we are going back to the very early 1960’s.

I had my last nurse practitioner laughing telling mom and my GP Dr’s stories. Being an army nurse mom only took us kids to see the doctor for life or death situations. The NP said that is what her kids tell her! I also told her how I had to explain to my GP that when I start to get that white fungus or whatever on my toenails, I just apply Vicks Vapo Rub and it clears up almost instantly. She was laughing as I said how good it makes your feet feel and smell.

Speaking of my GP, when this is all over and done with I’m going to send him a letter of thanks. Basically he saved my life. It was through his insistence at my first physical with him that I went back to my dermatologist. He explained that flaking skin on my scalp was not just dandruff but instead actinic keratosis. I had written that annoying flaking skin off to being annoying dandruff and not pre cancerous skin growths.

It was through my yearly dermatology examination this melanoma was diagnosed. It is hard for me to imagine how my life has changed in only two weeks. There is a down side in that after the surgery I’ll be limited for a while physically. This will drive me crazy as I have a lot of bricks to move!! But I need to follow doctor’s orders so when I tell people, “Let me show you my incisions” they are looking at something pretty!!