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About this blog

Gizmo's,Gadgets and other musings

Entries in this blog

Back on track

Well the MRI is done and all is well. The spot on the liver is harmless according to the dr. Just a broken blood vessel. So all the travel plans have been reset and modified. We are now leaving the day after the Super Bowl. Lesley has reset her driving lesson and rebooked the campground for us. It is sooooo nice to have her helping to do such details without me having to do it all. She is now more computer literate than I am in some areas. The trip had to be shortened to three weeks because Lesl

GeorgeLesley

GeorgeLesley

One phone call

My oh my how one phone call can change things. Last week I had an ultra sound of my liver. The local va has been watching a spot on my liver for almost two years now. This last six month check showed it has grown a bit. My doc called 4 hours after the test and said he wanted an mri to be sure. He does not feel it is serious but wants the mri to see exactly what is going on. It is scheduled for January 18th.   Soooo, all the travel plans due to start this week are out the window. The driving le

GeorgeLesley

GeorgeLesley

The Alfa is gone....

Yesterday I sold my 1991 Alfa Romeo Spider convertible I once posted pics of here. It just did not fit our new much travel lifestyle. Sitting here in the garage only used a few times a year made no sense, so I sold it. I really did not feel sorrow watching it go down the driveway for the last time. Our plans now include so much travel in our motor home that I will not have much time to miss it. Lesley threw a hissy fit at first when I put it on the market, but she has come around now realizing i

GeorgeLesley

GeorgeLesley

I wore it out!!

I got a Bowflex exercise machine about six months before my stroke. For six months it made a nice clothes rack and one more thing to dust. Then my stroke in Dec 2006. As soon as I got home from the hospital and was able I started to use it. Just a little at first, then as I was able I used it more.   Now the good news. The roller seat no longer worked because of wear. The resistance rods also lost all their resistance and now sag uselessly. So a new seat has been installed and I turned the rod

GeorgeLesley

GeorgeLesley

One more battle....

As I mentioned before I now have Colitis. The good news is that it is gone thru a diet our son found for me. As all things in life can be, it was a struggle, but Lesley and I have overcome it. My gut is now better than it has been in my adult life. I used to always have a Tums or Rolaid in my pocket, now we don't even have them in the house. We have both dropped 15 lb or so without even trying. The thought of selling the motorhome because I would no longer be able to use it has passed, and as I

GeorgeLesley

GeorgeLesley

Just the two of us....

Lesley and I are realizing it is just the two of us in the end. I have no family to speak of. She is learning that her family is changing and our lives are changing so there is a divergence of wishes, thoughts, and goals. Her mum is soon 94 and her life revolves around the day she finds her self in. Her health is deteriorating some but she is still amazing. Living on her own but no longer driving. A great spirit still wells up and out of her. Our son just finished 6 months here in the States tra

GeorgeLesley

GeorgeLesley

New life, new place, new friends

We are now well settled in our new home in Erwin, TN.My battle with colitis appears to be under control. Our son found a special diet that supposedly works to fix it. I always am skepical about such claims, I find they usually are just trying to sell you something. Refreshingly, this one is really about getting colitis and other stomach/intestinal sufferers better. The great news is that it works! The past month I have felt better than I have for the previous six months. I am even sleeping bette

GeorgeLesley

GeorgeLesley

Karma and other musings

Longtime readers may remember that I lost my first wife of 28 years, 14 years ago. Since I made a terrible batchelor, I married Lesley 4 months later, but I digress from the point of the blog. My late wife's name was Joan. During the long battle with type I diabetes, cancer and a few other medical conditions, she had to put on more and more medical devices and aids to function.   In the last few years when we both knew we were not going to like the end but still needed a laugh, I started calli

GeorgeLesley

GeorgeLesley

Lesley will be back soon!

The good news is that Lesley will be back in a few days. Yea!! The bad news is that her mum responded well as previously reported to the band aids that worked in the hospital. Unfortunately now that she is home the bacterial infection is gone, but the fluid from the congestive heart failure is coming back. Her family doctor and personal friend stopped by a few days ago and said there is fluid in her lungs and around the heart.   The doctor told Lesley to go home now, and we will deal with mum

GeorgeLesley

GeorgeLesley

Surprise ending

Well mum has surprised us again. She is now much better, back home again with a good prognosis at the moment. The blood bacterial infection is gone and the fluid around the heart and in the lungs also gone. She appears to be capable of assisted self care again. I will say New Zealand does a great job of keeping people in their homes rather than carting them off to a nursing home. A lot of daily and weekly care is provided at little or no cost to the recipient which helps greatly.   Looks like

GeorgeLesley

GeorgeLesley

sad times, trite sayings

This entry is difficult to write and will not be the usual upbeat tone. Sadly Lesley's mum is likely not going to be with us very many more days. Lesley went to New Zealand last month for her annual visit. The first week went well, then mum got sick and wound up in the hospital. Mum is 92 so any hospital trips are always concerning. It appears her body is shutting down. As a nurse for over 30 years lesley knows the signs and is well aware of what is happening.   We all have our trite sayings w

GeorgeLesley

GeorgeLesley

Settling in

We are now well settled in Tennessee. The house is now our new home, not just a house. We went back to Minnesota in June to pick up some stuff we left there, camo in our RV with some good friends, and of course fish some. Wow the fishing was fantastic! I caught more large in two weeks that I usually did in a whole season when we lived there. But now I think I have closure on that season in my life. Not sure if and when we will go back there. Maybe to camp with our dear friends there, but probabl

GeorgeLesley

GeorgeLesley

Things piling up

Those of you that have read my blogs for some time know I am usually upbeat. I must confess things are piling up such that it is increasingly hard to be upbeat. The move to TN has cost way, way more than was expected. We are recovering but it will be a year before I feel comfortable with the checkbook again. That being said, we love the area and are making friends sooner than expected.   The main reason for things piling up has been my medical issues. The new to me VA doc has ordered many test

GeorgeLesley

GeorgeLesley

Here at last in Tennessee

Sorry for the long gap in postings, life has been busy to say the least. The saying goes that old age is not for sissies. I can now say that moving across country is not for sissies either. As previously posted we were planning to move from MN to TN. The move is now done, new to us house and all furniture shipped and accounted for.   Nearly finished with the endless address changes, insurances, vehicle registrations, etc, etc. The new house is fine but as expected some changes needed to make

GeorgeLesley

GeorgeLesley

New direction

Well it has been awhile since I posted. Life has been extremely busy. The quick story is that we (Lesley and I) are selling our house and moving to Tennessee. We have been contemplating it for some time, but I was not ready to give up my fishing here in summer just yet.   We have been cutting our fall RV trip short because of the need to get back here (Northern MN) before winter sets in. All the winter activities that drew us here in the first place 10 years ago we no longer do. Living in such

GeorgeLesley

GeorgeLesley

Great trip, then comes the "stuff"

Lesley, the dogs, and I just finished a 7,600 mile six week trip in our RV. We started here in MN, then went to ND, SD, WY, MT, ID and then back to MN. we spent the most time in Idaho and absolutely loved it. We started at the north end near Bonners Ferry and just zig zagged down to the southern part. 4 of the 6 weeks of the trip were spent in Idaho. We travelled every paved highway into the mountains and along every river to it's or the roads end.   We saw a rodeo in Boise and more fresh fru

GeorgeLesley

GeorgeLesley

Quick update

Just have time for a quick update. Summer is flying by as always up here. June was a blur as several cousins, etc came to FISH. The pressure was on to guide them to good fishing. I worried about all the usual things like will the weather allow it, will the bugs eat them alive, etc, etc. In the end it all went well, all caught fish including the 9 yr old boy. Both canoes in use stayed upright and dry, another worry of mine.   The 4th of July weekend we went to visit some friends in Wisconsin an

GeorgeLesley

GeorgeLesley

Busy, busy, busy

We have been so busy I just have not had time to even think about blogging, But here goes. First the frustration of trying to post a new gallery here. I have some pics I would like to post of our Alfa but could only get one to add to an existing album. So you may have to look at previously posted pics as well. I cannot make a new gallery, and I just don't have the time or mental energy to fight it now. I have never been able to easily add photo's here and I just do not know why. When I try to f

GeorgeLesley

GeorgeLesley

Reality check

The last blog entry I shared my dreams and fanticies. Now reality has set in. Lesley and I spent two days shoveling 3-4 ft of snow off our roof. The forecast of and additional 1-2 ft of heavy, wet snow sparked us into action. The snow we shoveled off the garage then had to be reshoveled from the door, or our car would have been trapped until spring whenever that may come. Our roof is about 2300 sq ft. I doubt we will do that again! We did save about $500 by doing it ourselves vs hiring it out. N

GeorgeLesley

GeorgeLesley

Hummm?

Musings, what if's, wondering what could have been, woulda, coulda, shoulda, maybe taking the other fork in the road...... WARNING, I have not a clue exactly where this is going, but here goes. Put on your helmet and goggles. A few nights ago Lesley and I went to a local concert put on by local musicians doing much of their own written music. Then the same feeling came on me that usually does at such events. I hate to say it but at such times I confess to having a touch of envy watching musician

GeorgeLesley

GeorgeLesley

Cold winter update

Well it has been a real 1950's style winter here in Northern MN. We have had 93" so far this season. Did I mention the cold? A few weeks ago the local airport, which is just a few miles from us measured -61 below 0 wind chill. The actual air temp was -31. I measured -30 the same day. The dogs go out and do what they have to very fast! No sniffing everything like they usually do!   I have never plowed so much snow as I have this year. Seems like that is mostly what I have been doing. A few wee

GeorgeLesley

GeorgeLesley

Missing man found

On my last entry I told of a man who had gone missing while picking blueberries. His body has been found. It was about a mile from his truck. He apparently fell down a rocky slope and died. Don't know if a medical reason caused his fall or he just slipped. The autopsy should reveal the facts. The area he was found in had already been searched three times. The spot is so difficult to get to that when the people that found him tried to lead the sheriff back to the spot they had trouble finding it.

GeorgeLesley

GeorgeLesley

Good times, sad times

The good news is that all is well here. Lesley's 91 year old mum is doing well and still driving and living alone. While Lesley was there this spring she got mum set up with many benefits she was entitled to. New Zealand does a very good job of helping seniors stay in their homes as long as possible. Just a few of the benefits are extra money for getting her lawn mowed each week, two hours a day with a real person to get her up, showered, go shopping, clean house, etc. Also has a life alert type

GeorgeLesley

GeorgeLesley

Small voices in the head

Anyone ever have two competing small voices in the mind each trying to make it's point? Speaking of point I'll get to mine. During the recovery from my recent knee surgery, exercise was not possible. OK, now that the recovery from the surgery is done I decided it is time to start exercising again.   You would not believe the reasons the voice in my mind came up with to put it off. I started today expecting lots of strength loss because of the layoff of 2 months. Happily not much loss, but one

GeorgeLesley

GeorgeLesley

June camping trip pic's

I finally got the pic's downloaded and published. It is a very complex procedure here, at least it is to me. I nearly gave up but finally got it done, don't ask me how.   Anyway, not many pic's but enough for you to get the idea. We are planning next years trip already. Great new friend.   We are off to Cleveland, OH for modifications to our motor home. About a ten day trip. I did get the portable satellite working a few days ago, now when we are on long trips we can watch TV if we choose to

GeorgeLesley

GeorgeLesley