Up Early For A Busy Tuesday

6:47

6:54

7:47

It's early morning, and both of us are up earlier than we would like at 6:45. The lake has become increasingly foggy as we sit here. We were able to see Long Point when we got up, but now we can hardly see beyond the dock. It's a chilly 53º and will get up into the mid-70s with lots of sunshine.

Yesterday went quickly, especially the morning. I slept in, didn't write the blog until after 9:00 and forgot to have breakfast, so I grabbed a banana. I wasn't doing much, just sitting around, having coffee, and trying to figure out what to so I went for a walk around Woodlawn and decided to make sure my Outback started. Well, it wouldn't, so I grabbed my battery charger. clamped the leads onto my battery, and it started. I drove it around for 20 minutes, hoping to charge the battery. I  then looked at the clock, and it was already 11:30, almost time for lunch. Evie heated up some chicken soup and made me a couple of cheese sandwiches, and I watched my show, feeling right at home. I forgot to mention that to make it a perfect morning, I wore my retainer for the first time. When I took it out and ran it under water, the tooth fell out, so I'm back at the dentist's office today. It's great to be home!

I decided I would take it easy in the afternoon and just stay home instead of going to the store. So I went upstairs, tried to take a nap, and changed my mind and went to Wegmans. I went out, tried to start my Outback, and it wouldn't start so I will be taking it in to a mechanic this morning if it starts. So, I took the Kia and drove to Wegmans, where I picked up my meds and Evie's, along with a few other things. Then, I drove to Ryder's Cup and had a fruit smoothie, chatting with Dave, one of the regulars I hadn't seen in a while.

When I returned home, Evie was just finishing up mowing the yard, taking time-outs whenever necessary. It looks great. I wanted to get a few things done and put away all the life jackets, having left them out in the morning to dry. Thinking ahead, I pulled down the snow shovels; you never know around here. I then got the wheelbarrow and took some chairs off the dock, and put our steel dining table next to the garage. Finally, I charged the mower batteries and got out my weed wacker and trimmed around the brick walk. Now the lawn is cut, and the brick path is trimmed. 

Evie was already on the front porch enjoying a glass of wine, so I joined her and we were back in our 5:00 routine. Around 6:15, Evie put together a shrimp stir fry with lots of veggies. We watched The Great British Baking Show while enjoying our stir-fry and ended the night for Evie with an episode of All Saints. She wanted to get to bed early because she starts kindergarten tomorrow, a big day. I stayed up and watched some football and my show Spooks before going up to bed to read and sleep. It was a groovy day for me, for sure.

Home Sweet Home

Son And Great Grandson

9:10

It's amazing to be back home. Everyone ought to spend a few days in the hospital because it makes you appreciate how lucky you are to be living a fairly routine, often boring, unexceptional, but wonderful life. It's exhilarating to walk outside, inhale the fresh air, take in the blue sky, and see the changing colors of fall trees. Enough gushing. 

Zinnias

Cosmos's

It's 9:20 as I start this, having slept in my own bed for eight hours until 8:20. I walked downstairs to a light-filled living room, the lake filled with the reflections of the sun's light,  Evie followed and we had to change coffee machines because our Keurig broke, a potentially disastrous way to start a day, without coffee. I did not kayak this morning, deciding to wait for a couple of days to get back in shape. My doctors have put no restrictions on my activity. 

Yesterday morning was another one of waiting, for my pill, EKG, talking with the doctor, and finally, signing a release from the hospital. There was some concern about the availability of my heart medication, but the nurse clarified the situation, sending me home with a two-day supply of medication and ensuring that my local pharmacy had some of the medication available for me to pick up today. The nurses were all amazingly helpful and caring.

Evie arrived just before noon as we bid goodbye to the nurses and hospital. It felt great to get outside after being inside for four nights. It was a beautiful fall drive home, the view on both sides of the highway  filled with the color of autumn foliage. We were home by 1:00, unpacked, and I quickly took my first shower in a few days. Evie heated up some chicken soup for my lunch, and we watched the first half of the Bills game before I had had enough and went upstairs and read and briefly napped. The rest of the day was spent watching too much football, but our two favorite teams were on TV, the Bills and Chiefs, and both won. Every hour or so, I would just walk outside and breathe in the fresh air, the view I had missed for days.

Late Afternoon Sunday

Long Point, Reminding Me Of Presque Isle Photo From Yesterday's Blog

Dinner was, at my request, good old-fashioned Salisbury steak with gravy and mashed potatoes. We both loved it and have enough left for tonight's dinner if we choose. We took time from football and watched a couple of episodes of our recent go-to series, All Saints on Hulu. Evie then went up to bed and I watched the first quarter of the Packers/Cowboys game before joining her, excited to be back in my own bed. 

Once More To The Lake

Lake Erie From Hospital

View Of Presque Isle Peninsula: Seven Miles Of Sandy Beaches, 25 Miles Of Trails

It's 8:20, and I have just spoken with the doctor. I should be able to go home sometime after lunch, depending on how long it takes to check out. I had another bad night, but I survived, thinking of tonight in my own bed. It's amazing how good that sounds. It's a sunny, blue sky day here on Lake Erie, a perfect day for a ride home, Inshallah. I just talked with the doctor and will be heading home sometime after lunch, with no limits on my exercise, good news

Yesterday was another long, boring day made bearable by Evie's visit. My days are basically the same, just like at home, but with a different routine. My morning routine was to write the blog, take my pills, have breakfast, then an EKG, and go for a walk around the halls. Evie arrived around 11:30, and she helped me decide what to order for lunch: mushroom barley soup and a cheese sandwich, not very original. After lunch, we walked, and by 3:00, I convinced her to head up because she was going to stop at Wegmans.

Nurse And Aides Lockers

My afternoon was taken up with watching football, the Ohio State/Washington game, reading, briefly napping, and going for a couple of promenades around the hospital wing. It's been a busy and interesting morning for the hospital staff because they were switching their computer system over to something called EPIC, so there were technicians from Pittsburgh in the halls, helping the nurses, doctors, and aides figure out how to get on the new system and use it. 

Learning A New Computer System

I had dinner around 6:30, pasta and turkey meatballs, and was looking forward to another football game, Penn State vs Oregon, which Penn State lost 30-24. I surfed various TV channels and ended up watching CNN's "Have I Got The News For You," with host Roy Wood and guests Lewis Black and Joy Reed. I had my penultimate EKG at 10:15, read some, and turned off the lights at 11:00. It's obvious that hospitals are not quiet at night, with bells going off, patients in stress, loud talking, things like that, so it's no wonder I had difficulty sleeping, but I persevered. 

What A Great Day

Our Newest Great Grandson, Tommy

Our Grandson Nick, Wife Aundraya, And Sons, Rhys And Tommy

Despite my situation, Friday was an exciting day for our family as my grandson Nick and his wife Audraya had their second son, Tommy, our second great-grandson. It's hard to complain and feel sorry for yourself when a great-grandson comes into the world. So I won't

7:44 Sunrise

It's 7:50 and I have been up since 7:00. I had a better night, although I was awakened three times when my door was opened. Supposedly, the hospital is undergoing a systems change to their computers, so much is being done today with pencil and paper until 6:00. So far, I have taken three pills and had 3 EKGs. They all show that I am tolerating the new drug. 

The second best part of yesterday was Evie's arrival around 11:00, bearing heart-shaped sugar cookies that I couldn't resist. She stayed for three or four hours until I made her go home.  While she was here, I had a decent lunch and we took a couple of walks, something I try to do every hour. We were excited about the news of our new great-grandson and couldn't wait for photos. She is excited about today, Saturday, because she gets to take my turn taking the trash to the Transfer Station. After she left for home, I talked with my daughter Beth for half an hour; she had just finished a busy week of teaching sixth graders in Dallas. It was fun to get caught up on her and her family. 

Room With A View Of Lake Erie (not mine)

The rest of the afternoon and evening was uneventful,  much the same as the day before, with watching some TV, reading, listening to podcasts, and napping. I continue to get texts and comments on my blog, wishing me well, which is great. And I try to walk every hour for five or ten minutes, a depressing walk down hallways filled with patients, nurses, and aids. 

I had chicken and mac n cheese for dinner, some vanilla pudding, and of course, Evie's sugar cookies. It was sports night as I switched back and forth between the Indiana/Las Vegas basketball game and the UVA/Florida State football game, both of which were fun to watch. Before I close, I want to mention my nurse from yesterday, Jamie, a Mom of four, including a one-year-old. I don't know how she does it, but she's always helpful and enthusiastic. I turned off the lights at 11:00, and continue to have a hard time falling asleep, making it even worse if they wake me up in the middle of the night.

Photo Of Heron By Evie

Just Another Day

Baby Tarzan

It's 8:50  and I have just finished my breakfast, an omelet with tomatoes, mushrooms, cheese, and spinach, not bad, and a cup of coffee. I had a hard time getting to sleep last night, due to the irritation on my chest from numerous EKGs, but I did manage to get six and a half hours, so I must have slept for some time. Since I don't have any interesting photos of the lake, I am including photos of my darling great-grandson. They give me pleasure, and I hope you like them.

Nurses Are The Best

Yesterday, I spent much of the morning waiting for a cardio conversion. They finally took me down to the lab at 10:30, and since I was in atrial flutter, they shocked me back to a normal rhythm. It took about five minutes, but I had to remain in the lab for half an hour. They took me back to my room and basically, that was it for the day. I ordered lunch, soup, and a hot turkey sandwich with gravy and ginger ale, lots of choices. The rest of the afternoon, I read, watched some TV, napped, and went for a walk around the floor every hour, just to keep myself in shape. My cardiologist came by around 5:00 and explained my next few days. The protocol for my new drug Tikosyn required that I take the medicine six times, once every 12 hours followed by an EKG to see how I am tolerating it. That meant, unfortunately, I wouldn't be able to go home until Sunday afternoon, after my Sunday morning pill and EKG. And so it goes.

View Of Erie

Lots of friends have texted me or commented on my blog, which was really nice. Once I found out I had to stay until Sunday, I was a bit depressed, but sucked it up knowing there are many people a lot worst off than me in my wing. I had soup and pot roast with mashed potatoes for dinner, not the best pot roast I have had. At 8:00, I took my first Tikosyn, then watched a documentary on Jim Valvano and his amazing ride to an NCAA title.  About 10:00, I realized the NFL game was on so I watched that until I received an EKG at 10:30, and then I could go to sleep. I watched the end of the game, then tried to sleep and eventually did drift off. 

A Morning In Erie, PA

A Morning Delight: My Great Grandson, Rhys

It's 5:30 in the morning, and I am in my hospital room at the UPMC Hamot on the waterfront of Lake Erie. I am awake, having slept poorly(four hours according to my Apple Watch) in the hospital bed, so I thought I might as well finish my blog before they take me away for tests this morning. It's 6:00 now, and I might try to sleep.  It's almost 7:00, and they just drew more blood. So I am up for good, waiting to be taken away. It may be a while. 

My View

Yesterday was a day of waiting to drive to Erie to see my cardiologist. We got organized in case I was admitted to the hospital, which we knew was a possibility. After breakfast and lunch, I packed my phone, computer, Kindle, and chargers, just in case. We arrived at 2:30, saw the doctor around 3:00, and talked for maybe five minutes before he asked if it would be okay to be admitted to the hospital for a few days because I was in atrial flutter. 

He wanted to administer a new antiarrhythmic drug, Tikosyn, which involved a hospital stay, to make sure I could tolerate it. So we checked in at the ER, waited in the lounge for half an hour before they took me to an ER room. I stayed there for half an hour before I was taken up to my hospital room. 

I am fortunate to have my own room and bathroom. I got settled in and talked Evie into leaving for home before it got dark. I had blood tests and an X-ray, again, the third time in less than a week. I ordered my dinner, ate, and watched some TV before turning off the lights around 10:30. I slept fitfully, and here I am at 5:50, waiting for them to take me for possibly a cardioversion before taking my new drug and having EKGs every couple of hours to see how my heart tolerates the new drug. And so it goes. 

Another Bad Day

 

8:10

8:05

It's a quiet morning on the lake, under gray skies. Not a boat is in sight, and rain is forecast for most of the day. It's 9:15 as I finish the blog, Evie is up, and so far, I feel fine. 

Yesterday started out well, with breakfast, my blog, and some hope for the day. I decided to see how I felt if I drove, so I drove over to the CI, walked for five minutes, and came home and felt fine. Chris, who takes care of my boat, called to say he would be over in half an hour. So I went out, started to take the cover off my boat, and suddenly, I was out of breath, my pulse racing. I sat down, and gradually I was able to walk into the house. Once he was here, I walked out to the dock to get a few things from the boat, put them in a wheelbarrow, and started back to the house, and it happened again. I relaxed on the couch in the house, and my pulse returned to normal. I learned my lesson and didn't try to exert myself again.

I had lunch, soup, and the leftover pastitio while Evie was at the store. When she returned, I got up to walk to the bathroom, and my pulse jumped again to 190. Once it stopped, I tried to go upstairs to lie down, and it raced again, and I had a hard time breathing. I almost passed out, so this time we called 911. They took me to UMPC Chautauqua this time, and during the drive, they administered a dose of medicine that calmed my heart. 

When I arrived, they immediately found a room, put me on various machines, and I was diagnosed with both Afib and Supraventricular Tachycardia. My heart settled down, and I was in the ER for a couple of hours. They gave me a dose of  Metoprolol Succinate to slow down my heart rate, a drug I have been taking each morning, but they upped the dose. The doctor suggested that he would admit me for observation, but that would mean I would miss my appointment with my cardiologist today. Before I left, they walked me around the ER for five minutes to make sure I did not go back into Afib.

We were home by 7:00, and Evie made us fried eggs and home fries, and we watched our usual shows until she went to bed. I was anxious about walking upstairs, afraid it might set off my rapid heart rate, but I was fine and was able to read some and go to sleep.

This afternoon I meet with my cardiologist in Erie and hope he has some solutions. 

Overcast Skies And A Calm Lake

9:12

It's almost 9:00, and I have been up for an hour on my MacBook Air. Evie's up as well, and we are about to put on the radio and our morning show with Michael Smerconish. The lake looks perfect for a paddle, alas. I am finding it difficult to write my blog because I am not supposed to do much but sit around. 

11:46

12:39

12:40

Monday went quickly for some reason, maybe because of the change in the weather. My days have been the same recently, as I don't do much but sit around and read, get on my Mac, or watch TV. So by 10:00, I had finished my blog, had breakfast, and got back to my book, The Correspondent. It had yet to start raining, so I sat out in the side yard until it began to thunder. 

I have two things to look forward to...lunch and dinner. So about 12:30, I heated up  a bowl of potato and leek soup, compliments of Linda, and had a small portion of the pastitio. I watched an episode of Spooks and then couldn't wait to go upstairs and take a nap because Evie had changed the sheets. Nothing like a bed with newly washed sheets. For some reason, I have had a hard time getting to sleep, both at nap time and at night, maybe because of my lack of activity. 

4:32

It rained off and on most of the afternoon, and we received just about an inch, including overnight. I am lucky to have a book I really like, The Correspondent, so I can easily fill my afternoon with it. I did go for a walk to get the mail, and I felt fine, which is encouraging. We had our happy hour at 5:00, enjoying a glass or two of wine, listening to the thunder and drizzle. We had another Wegmans special for dinner, a pouch of Thai red curry chicken. Just put it in the oven for half hour and you have a pretty good chicken curry, served over rice, along with a salad. We watched an episode of The Great British Baking Show, then another episode of All Saints, before Evie went up to bed. I then watched the first half of Monday Night Football and then went up to bed to read. 

It's Raining!!!!

Clean Up Time For Our Great Grandson Rhys

7:50

Well, for the first time in weeks, we are getting rain —a half inch overnight — and at the moment, it's also raining, according to my weather app. The possibility of rain is forecast for the next six days. Right now it's 63 at 8:35, and both Evie and I are up after a restless night, enjoying our first cup of coffee.

Sunday Morning View From A Lawn Chair

Sunday was supposed to be football Sunday, but neither of us had much interest in the games on TV until the Chiefs game in the evening, so we spent little time watching the games. I had my usual kayak-free morning, alas, and sat around most of the morning in the yard either on my computer or reading, rueing my idleness. I did try to do some raking of dead grass, but immediately had trouble breathing, so I quit and went back to doing nothing.  Evie, however, is a busy beaver, cleaning, washing, and making sure I have something healthy to eat that won't bother my sore gums. 

For lunch, she made me avocado and tomato sandwiches on soft brioche buns, and I watched a bit of the first NFL game before returning to my series, Spooks, since I finished Season 8 of Shetland. I was happy to go upstairs and read and nap because I was tired and bored. I was hoping Chris would come over and take our boat out, but he wasn't able to make it. Maybe today if the weather cooperates. 

We were both looking forward to 5:00, when we could relax on the porch with a glass of wine. Evie was able to put together our dinner, a Greek dish called pastitsio, basically spiced beef, noodles, and tomato sauce. Since the bass tournament ended around 3:00, the lake calmed down, and by dinner time, hardly a boat was to be seen. I really liked our dinner, the pastitsio with a salad, and we watched a couple of more episodes of All Saints. We are on episode 22 of the first season, so we have lots of episodes to go. Evie went to bed just as the Chiefs' game was starting. I made it through the first half but was happy to get to my new book, The Correspondent, which I really like, thanks to my sister Ellen's recommendation. Finally, I found a book I am enjoying after trying a couple of thrillers. 

A Beginning Change In The Weather

 

8:17

It's 9:00 and both of us feel the change, a wind, partly cloudy skies, and a 60º morning. The bass boats and ducks litter the lake. I slept in until 8:00, which is unusual for me, and I feel about the same as I did yesterday. 

Yesterday was the same as Friday. I basically took it easy, had my breakfast, wrote the blog, and read for most of the morning, occasionally walking outside to check if my pulse had jumped. It did so I continued to sit around to my dismay. Evie had been great, making sure I didn't go crazy. I had coconut milk yogurt and blueberries for breakfast, then rinsed with a mouthwash, something i am supposed to do four times a day. Around 10:30, we made a list and Evie drove off to the Transfer Station, getting rid of our trash, then drove on to Wegmans and shopped. 

She was quick, no meandering around Wegmans, and was home by 12:30. Lunch was easy, heating up our friend Linda's leek and potato soup and hummus with pita crackers. I watched a bit of football but returned to Shetland. I helped Evie put away the groceries, then went upstairs and read until I fell asleep and napped. 

Using the iPhone Pro Telephoto from Our Dock

The rest of the afternoon I read, played with the camera on my new iPhone Pro, either in the side yard or out on the dock, since it was such a lovely afternoon, warm enough to enjoy the outdoors but not too hot. My sister Ellen called, which was fun, catching up on her grandchildren. Evie did the same, talking with our daughter Beth, enjoying the yard, and reading until wine time, when we sat on our front porch. Dinner was great, wild blue catfish filets from Wegmans, with tartar sauce, spinach, and scalloped potatoes from Wegmans. We watched a couple of episodes of All Saints until Evie went up to bed, and I watched the last two episodes of Shetland. I went up to read briefly at 10:00, then fell asleep.

Chautauqua Belle

Not Much To Say

7:35

8:52

It's 8:30 and Evie and I are on our devices, enjoying the morning, watching the leaves fall, and a blinding lake sun. Its reflection is so bright that I have moved twice to avoid it. I was up at 7:30 to a chilly 50º morning. No kayaking yet because of my elevated pulse, unfortunately, but I feel fine if I just sit and relax.

Yesterday was uneventful, mostly sitting around, checking my pulse, and wishing I could do something. On Thursday, I spent the day reading, waiting for lunch or dinner, and watching TV. The highlight of the day was the arrival of my new iPhone 17 Pro. I was able to get it through my son Tom's T-Mobile plan. Once we took it out of the case, we decided to transfer the info from my old phone to the new one, and it should have been simple, but it wasn't. I won't go in the angst and hysteries as one thing after another didn't work according to the directions, but eventually we got it done after maybe an hour, thanks to Evie. 

For lunch, I had the rest of the lentil soup and cheese sandwiches. Meals are the highlight of my day. I started an old series, Shetland.on Prime. Usually, it's available only on Britbox, but for some reason, Season 8 is now on Prime, with two women as lead detectives, replacing Jimmy Perez. After lunch and Shetland, I read and napped, then spent the rest of the afternoon on the couch, bored with reading and watching TV.

At 5:00, Ron and Linda arrived to celebrate Evie's birthday, bearing gifts, wine, a chocolate cake, earrings for Evie, and potato/leek soup for me. We talked about their trip East last week and, of course, analyzed my heart problem. They left around 6:30, and by 7:00, we were enjoying Greek spaghetti and a salad and watching a couple of more episodes of Old Saints. After Evie went to bed, I watched another episode of Shetland before joining her. It was not exactly the best of Evie's birthdays, but we made the most of it. 

A Long, Boring Day

Happy Birthday To Tommy And Evie
Hawaii, 1970

8:03

8:43

It's 8:23 and I have been up for an hour, on a surprisingly gray morning. No sun, no blue sky, and a brown lawn strewn with leaves, a result of a lack of rain. It's 60º and we should get some sun later in the day. Today is a special day because it's both Evie's and our son Tom's birthday. What a way to celebrate it, with me not feeling well. 

Yesterday was a long day for me because I couldn't do much other than sit around, read, nap, or watch TV. My HR is still higher than usual, and  I get winded easily. So Evie took care of me, making me breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and making sure I didn't do any strenuous activities. Lots of people inquired about my health, which was nice. And I measured my day by the four times I have to rinse my sore gums with a mouthwash.

Evie had a busy day, however,  making sure I was taken care of, although I don't need much help since all I have done is sit around and be bored. We have yet to hear from the cardiologist, but his nurse called and said she will call us sometime today with his instructions. My only chore is to rinse my sore mouth four times a day. Fortunately, I read and enjoyed my book for much of the day, The Storied Life Of  A. J. Fikry and finished it late afternoon while sitting in the yard. 

4:07 PM

We had an easy dinner, a Turkish omelet with tomatoes and feta cheese, and watched a couple of episodes of All Saints before switching to the Buffalo Bills game. I stayed up for the first half, then went to bed as did Evie. They won 31 - 21 in a close one. 

Not The Best Of Days

7:23

8:39

It's 8:15, and Evie has just come down to join me for coffee. It's another spectacular lake morning, and I once again did not go out for a paddle, and I will explain why below.

Yesterday morning, I was up at 7:00, grabbed a coffee and went out to kayak. I pulled my kayak off the launch, sat in it, and had a hard time breathing. I just sat there, next to the shoreline, checked my watch, and realized I was in AFIB and my heart rate was 200. I was scared of passing out, so I sat there, took deep breaths until my heart rate went down, got out of the boat, and sat down on the grass once again because I was having a hard time breathing. Once I felt a bit better, I walked to the house and lay down because my heart rate once again jumped. My heart rate dropped to 110, so I relaxed until Evie got up around 8:30. We debated what to do and wondered if my dental surgery might have had something to do with my heart problems, so we called the dentist, but they seemed to think it didn't have anything to do with my heart's rhythm. We didn't know what to do so I got up, walked around for a couple of minutes, and it was hard to breathe again and my HR shot up to 177. So we called 911, and the guys arrived in maybe 15 minutes and hooked me up for an EKG and tried to decide what to do. They called a local doctor, and he talked them out of a helicopter and thought driving me to UPMC Hamot in Erie was a better option, 10,000 dollars less. So we drove to Erie, and during the ride, the medic gave me an anti-arrhythmic drug, Cardizem, and it seemed to work because my HR fell to the low 100s. He was a good guy, from Lakewood, and had been doing this for 34 years.

The hospital took me right into a room, fortunately, because people were waiting in the hallways for a room. There was an initial flurry of nurses, drawing blood, getting me hooked up to machines, taking an EKG, and xray. From then on, I mostly lay around, waiting for Evie who arrived soon after. My heart rate stayed at around 100, and I was no longer in AFIB. After talking to a couple of doctors, they explained to me that, according to Medicare, they could not keep me because I was no longer in afib and my heart rate was acceptable. Every time I got up, however, I had difficulty breathing for 15 seconds and then was able to walk normally. So we left around 3:30, after signing at least three documents, with no attempt to find out what was causing my problems. And so it goes. 

When I got home, I felt fairly normal except when I tried to do something physical, and I had a hard time breathing. So I just lay around, napped, and read and watched some TV. I had lentil soup for dinner and baked potatoes, both of which tasted good. It's difficult to eat because I am missing front teeth and the post that was implanted was still bleeding a little. Lots of fun. We watched a couple of shows before Evie went up to bed and I watched my show before going up to bed.

When I woke this morning, I had alerts from my iWatch that my heart rate and breathing were above normal, higher than usual.  I could tell because I had a hard time sleeping and woke quite a bit. My cardiologist's nurse called yesterday, and I told her about my problems, and she is supposed to get back to me today after talking with the doctor. My heart rate is still in the 80s or 90s when it's normally in the 60s and 50s when I sleep. A change in my meds may be warranted. 

Partly Cloudy And Sunny

6:43

It's 8:30, and I skipped a paddle because I wasn't feeling well when I stepped into my kayak. It's probably from my dental work yesterday or something else.

Yesterday was not as bad as I thought, and I got in kayaking and a good breakfast before going to the dentist at 9:30. She had to cut out a bridge so that took at least a half hour, and I had trouble with the water used to cool the drill. It made it hard for me to breathe. Anyways, I was happy that was over and went straight home, relaxed and had lunch. I had to take four antibiotic pills an hour before my second visit to the oral surgeon. We arrived at 12:30, and Evie had to accompany me, but went shopping at Wegmans for half an hour, which was across the street from the dentist. 

The prep is always extraordinary at this office, with always a couple of technicians along with the dentist. He worked quickly, and I wasn't even sure what he was doing until I realized my front tooth was gone and he had implanted a post. It was easier than my morning visit. They gave me lots of instructions, and I am due back in six weeks. Until then, I have to eat soft foods and chew with my back teeth. They gave me a bridge, but I can't eat with it on. Without it, I look like a character from the movie Deliverance or a seven-year-old who just lost his baby teeth. 

When I returned home, I took a two-hour nap and woke refreshed. I also took Tylenol so the surgery did not bother me much, and I kept an ice pack on my jaw. I obviously didn't do much the rest of the afternoon except relax or read. Evie had made dinner in the morning, orzo and pasta, so it was easy for me to eat, and it tasted good. We watched our typical shows, Bargain Block and All Saints, and I went to bed early and felt pretty good. 

Lots Of Sun And Blue Skies

Our Great Grandson, Rhys, With His Dad, Nick
Inherited Their Granny's Genes

6:56

8:05

It's 8:10 and I was up early, before 7:00, and got in a forty-five-minute paddle, down to Booty Bay and back. Strangely, I did not see any herons or eagles, just Canadian Geese. I am sure that the ospreys have migrated, but not the herons. I will have to wait a few more weeks for the waterfowl that migrate to the South. I am not looking forward to today because I am having major dental work done, two appointments, one at 9:30, another at 12:30. 

After my paddle, I had breakfast, finished the blog, and then we planned our morning. I wanted to get a car wash and do some shopping. So first went to Dunn Tire to get them to check my tires to see if mine were worn out, and I am going to need four new ones. I got a quote, checked with other dealers and Walmart, and they all seem to charge about the same for each tire, just under two hundred a tire. Nothing is cheap anymore. I then stopped at the bank and cashed a small check, and went to Wegmans for a few things for our dinner and wine time, some sushi. I then got my car washed and checked to see if I might stop by and see a friend who is convalescing in his home. I was unable to connect with his wife in time, so I came home. 

When I returned home, Evie had been busy organizing and offered to make me a couple of tuna sandwiches for my lunch. Neither of us is very good in the afternoon, so we both watched some TV and read, and I napped, of course. Around 4:00, I felt like getting something done, so I cut down some branches and took the debris and leaves up to the wood pile at at the top of our road. 

We were looking forward to wine time because I picked up some sushi as an appetizer. It was another picturesque September afternoon, as we enjoyed our wine and sushi. And Evie didn't need to worry about dinner except for making a salad because we had pizza leftover from Sunday night. We watched the first episode of the new season of a series on Fox called Doc, which we enjoyed last year, and it looks to be pretty good this year as well. We then watched a home improvement show, Bargain Block, and then Evie went up to bed, and I watched some football and my series Spooks before going up to read. Another good day.

Morning Fog

7:25

9:00

I was up at 7:15, to a fogged-in lake, and now, at 8:00, the sun is beginning to burst through the fog so I may be able to kayak soon. It's 55º and the high today will be in the high 70's, another sunny day without a chance of rain. It's 8:10 as I finish writing this, and the fog has yet to lift. I suppose I will turn to the always disturbing and depressing news in The New York Times or The Washington Post. I managed to kayak for forty minutes, starting when I thought it was lifting, but I was wrong as it got more and more foggy as I paddled towards Long Point, then home.

Kayak Morning

Into The Fog

The Sun

Long Point, Man And His Dog

Fishing

Clearing Up

Bald Eagle

Heron On Victoria Dock

Same Heron

Sunday was a wasted day of football, although it started out well. I was up early at my sister's house on Lake Erie, wrote the blog, and had my coffee before anyone else was up. Mornings are great because my brother-in-law, Rich, loves to make a big breakfast. So once everyone was up, he and Linda made breakfast: scrambled eggs, hash browns, bacon, juice, toast, and jam. And all Evie and I had to do was wait to be served. It's always a great way to end our stay. We love coming to Euclid because Linda and Rich are such good hosts, and we get to see their lovely family. Like us, they are proud great-grandparents of three. 

We said our thank yous and were on our way home at 10:45. We decided to save some money and skipped our usual stop at Trader Joe's so we could get home in time to see the Bills game. We made it home by 15 minutes, at 12:45, and quickly saved the game so we could empty the car, put things away, and get things sorted out. And that was it for the next five or six hours, sitting in our TV room watching the Buffalo/New York Jets game, then the end of the Dallas game before watching the Chiefs lose their second game of the year to Baltimore. 

Around 5:30, I suggested having pizza for dinner, so I drove over to Bemus Point and picked up a large pizza with extra pepperoni and sauce for $25. When I returned, Evie had a salad made, and we watched the end of the Chiefs game while enjoying our pizza and salad. By 7:00, we were tired of football and cleansed our brains with an episode of The Great British Baking Show for an hour. Evie then went up to bed, and I watched a few minutes of Sunday Night Football before returning to my series, Spooks, and watched an episode before going up to bed to read my new book, The Storied Life Of A. J. Fikry.