In Colleen's World

Total Knee Replacement 3 1/2 week update

2008-12-14T07:54:00.002-05:00

Well, I am discouraged. I am walking pretty well but my range of motion is not good. I can bend my knee to about 90 degrees, but I should be at about 105 degrees. To bend is just so painful and I am so tired of taking pain pills. The therapist said to really concentrate on bending this weekend, take the pain pills and just keep working on it....well, I took 2 pain pills and then I was sick to my stomach all day! I don't know what happened.

So, I am going to try again today to push through the pain and get this leg bent! This knee replacement was way more than I thought. For some ignorant reason, I thought this was going to be a piece of cake. WRONG! I know that eventually everything will be OK....but right now I am down in the dumps and discouraged. If anyone has any words of encouragement, please leave a comment!

Total Knee Replacement Week 2

2008-12-01T08:56:00.001-05:00

On November 19, 2008, I had a Total Knee Replacement on my right knee. I was out of the hospital in 4 days and I was told that I was doing very well!

This is deffinately the most painful thing that I have ever had. The therapists still say I am ahead of schedule but the pain is unreal during the exercises. Here is a picture of the knee on day 12.

If anyone reads this and has words of encouragement, please respond.

-- Post From My iPhone

USA Energy - COAL!!!

2008-11-11T10:07:00.006-05:00

Where I live I overlook a railroad track. Each day I watch 10-15 trains go by filled with coal. This coal is traveling from my childhood state of West Virginia to Norfolk to be shipped overseas. Does this make sense? I suppose for trade with other countries, but not to solve our energy situation....

If our country does not start using our most abundant natural resource to free ourselves from oil dependence, well, shame on us. I am going to start sending letters to our newly elected officials to encourage and push for the development of "clean coal" power.

What are your thoughts on Coal?

I am proud to be an American

2008-11-05T09:45:00.000-05:00

Today when I woke up I felt a relief. Like a huge rock had been lifted. I am proud that our country has moved in a new direction...change is a good thing..no matter how we voted we need to embrace our new president, just as we did when George W took office.

So, if anyone reads this please respond and let me know how YOU feel today!

-- Post From My iPhone

Our World Condition

2008-10-01T09:28:00.002-04:00

When I think about the state of our economy, and really think....it is very scary! I am not scared by the fact that the bailout bill did not pass, I am scared that our whole economy is built on paper and it all means NOTHING! We developed this system and now we have to live with it. When I look around, in my very small field of vision, I see that everything is out whack! Have you ever watched someone work? Just pay attention to a co-worker and really watch what they are doing, you will be shocked! People do very little all day! They get paid BIG money to yap with co-workers, react, react, react, go to the bathroom, make coffee, run errands, and who knows what they do online!

Who is going to run our country in 20 years? I think it is a crime that our next generation is so out of touch! The "fortunate" kids are the worst; they think that $100,000 jobs are easy to get and they think that is a lot of money! Well, after taxes, car payments (another thing that makes me mad), mortgage/rent, utilities, food and now add in "play" money and there is nothing left!
Let's talk about cars; you will never find me buying a $50,000 car...and that is a cheap one! My parents brand new 5 bedroom house cost $47,000 in 1967!

OK, it is 9:45am and I am so irritated I can hardly stand it!

Again, I am going to start posting on a regular basis!

2008-09-26T09:43:00.003-04:00

Ok, I have been gone for 9 months, go ahead and punish me! Well, I am back...I am working on setting up a websitem, but until then I am going to continue to post here....

We just got back from Emerald Isle (a week long vacation)! We had the best time...a friend's 50th birthday celebration! We had so much fun! Stand by for more!

The Bazzar Bazzar in Richmond

2007-12-02T09:11:00.001-05:00

Carol, Mary and I went to this crafty event yesterday at the Richmond International Raceway. For years I have heard that this was so wonderful and that the stuff was really cool....well, hit me in the head, but this was just like, identical to any other craft show. What was supposed to make this such a wonderful show and what was to make it stand out from all of the rest?

I had a good time, mostly because we were out of the house, around people that were enjoying one anothers company and I didn't have to do any type of work....but midway through we had to leave; how many hours can you spend looking a crafts that do not interest you. Do these people really make money? The only booth that was selling up a storm was the "Cherry" Farm people.....everything made from Cherries!

Well, we attended, but I don't get it!

PS...Carol did buy a blouse and Mary had some bags....

Italy and Greece Vacation is approaching

2007-05-07T13:28:00.000-04:00

May 24th we will be leaving for vacation. Carol and I are really excited, we are finishing up the of our trip and we hope to publish updates while away. I do hope that you will read the Posts....I will have an itinerary posted within a day or so....and update on packing etc. Stand by for more...

A Rejuvinated Blog

2007-03-08T09:50:00.000-05:00

Hi all...I know I have been slacking posting my blogs, but I am back and I am going to start moving forward with postings to get everyone back on board. We have a vacation coming up and I will be posting from the vacation as a "Vacation Journal".

We are going to Italy and Greece the end of May.

Another upcoming event...spring fishing season! This spring I will be going to new places in Virginia and West Virginia. Stay tuned for more!

Hello from Lake Pearl

2007-01-20T09:49:00.000-05:00

We are visiting my cousin David, Janet and their son Jackson....this is a picture from their deck. Today we are going to Providence RI to the Biltmore....More to come

Greetings from MA

2007-01-19T14:28:00.000-05:00

We are on a special break in Boston visiting my cousin David. Please stay tuned...more to come this weekend!

My First Geocache

2006-09-29T08:46:00.000-04:00

Now I am going to tell you all about this, but I can't tell you were it is! Ha! There are hundreds of "caches" in Richmond alone....and there are thousands and thousands worldwide. Anyway, I searched the website, www.geocaching.com and there were several within a short distance of our house.

Each listing has the coordinates and a dialog about the cache, sometimes the there are a lot of hints and sometimes there aren't. The main idea is to put the lat/long in your GPS and then find the hidden treasure. My first was a "micro" meaning that it is not a traditional cache (a box of items that you take something and then leave something) instead it is very small and usually only has a sign-in log. So, I set off knowing it was something really small....I searched for about 20 min. and found the clue, but stood there without any idea what I was looking for. Now one of the things you have to be aware of are "muggles", the public watching you and the fear is they will get the cache or destroy it....so you do not want the public to figure out what you are doing.

So, I didn't find it...I returned home very deflated....I talked about it and then Carol gave me a suggestion, so I set out the next day and found it! It was a little wooden plug that was in a knot in a tree that had been hollowed out with a little metal capsule inside. It was very, very clever in it's design. I looked at this the first time and thought it was a branch that had been pruned!

So, if you want to get out in the fresh air and go treasure hunting this is a really fun thing to do!

Geocaching....Another Fun Thing!

2006-09-05T09:00:00.000-04:00

You know how I love a gadget, well, while searching around my new GPS I came across an icon that I did not recognize....Geocaching. I went to the Garmin website and read about it...and man, this is right up my alley....Treasure hunting via the the internet and GPS! Can you believe it?

What you do is go to www.geocaching.com and register (for free) then you put in your zip code (or the zip code where you will be traveling) and a list of "cache" sites will come up near the zip code you entered. you will get the lat/long and some clues and off you go to find the "cache" (treasure)....once you find it you then sign a logbook, take something and leave something....I found out there are several with 1/2 mile to my house!

Since I just found all of this last night at 9pm, I do not have all of the details but if you know me...you know I will have ALL of the details within a very short period of time. You know this might even enable me to get a little bit more exercise! (stay tuned, I am going to find my first cache as soon as it stops raining!).....

PS. I will be posting more entries...thanks for hanging in there for the summer!

The First 24 Hours

2006-07-14T09:16:00.000-04:00

For our trip to the Canadian Rockies we decided to rent a 30' RV, a true home on wheels! Tammy arrived 2 days early to provision and clean the RV in advance of our arrival on 7/1/06 (Kim, Carol and I). On 7/1/06 all was well until we discovered we (Carol and I) missed out flight to Calgary because of delays in Atlanta. This meant that Kim and Tammy would need to replay "The Terminal" and hang in the airport from 1pm until 9:30pm! When Carol and I finally arrived we went to our rented home in the "oversized" parking lot, what a site!

Because we had to bring everything, Carol and I had 6 pieces of luggage and backpacks! We got all of the luggage in the RV and hit the road. Within an hour we started to see the gigantic mountain range in the distance. I had no idea how big those mountains would be until we saw them. It was really cool to be driving at 10:15 at night and still somewhat light out. The average sunset was about 10:20pm! Our first night we had reservations at the Banff Tunnel Mountain Campground. We arrived hooked up, which consists of plugging in the electric cord, and connecting a water hose. Carol and I unpacked for about a half and hour and we were all set for a cocktail!

The next morning we had to be up early 6am. we had to be in Canmore just south of Banff to go our first activity....we went on a helicopter ride over the Mountains and one of the southern glaciers. It was a stunningly beautiful morning about 70 degrees and bright sunshine. We flew over the area that Brokeback Mountain was filmed and discovered that 90% of the movie was filmed within 100 feet of the road! We were done with this activity by 9am and then hit the road North on our way to Jasper National Park. We stopped for a few things in Banff and then continued on 1A North in hopes of seeing wild animials. Our first animail was a giant Elk with a full rack!

News from the Canadian Rockies

2006-07-11T00:49:00.000-04:00

After spending 10 days in the Canadian Rockies, I will be spending my next several blogs concentrating on the wonderful observations and general "stuff" from our vacation. To get started, this is a picture from our 1st day when we took a helicopter ride over the lower Rockies near Canmore. What a cool way to start the vacation...as you can see, the weather was wonderful and that was the way it was for the entire trip except for last night when it poured (a sign that it was time to come home...). There were four of us on this trip, we rented an RV and just traveled the Banff, Jasper and Yoho National Parks, I have to say one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. Stay tuned for more about the trip, as well as travel information...!

Zenith Zak's Rules for Responsible Dog Owners

2006-05-21T09:00:00.000-04:00

I bought a toy for my dog (Fargo the Jack Russell) and inside the packaging I found, "Zenith Zak's Rules for responsible Dog Owners".....As I read the list of 10 items my eyes were filled with tears...

1. A dog's life is likely to last 10 or 15 yesrs. Any separation from you will be very painful.
2. Give him time to understand what you want from him.
3. Place your trust in him - it is crucial for his well-being.
4. Don't be angry with him for long, and don't lock him up as punishment. You have your work,
your friends, your entertainment. He has only YOU!
5. Talk to him. Even if he doesn't understand your words, he understands your voice when it's
speaking to him.
6. Be aware that however you treat him, he'll NEVER forget it.
7. Before you hit him, remember that he has teeth that could easily crush the bones in your
hand, but he chosses not to bite you.
8. Before you scold him for being lazy or uncooperative, ask yourself if something might
be bothering him. Perhaps he's not getting the right food, he's been out in the sun too long
or his heart may be getting old and weak.
9. Take care of him when he gets old. You, too, will grow old.
10. Go with him on difficult journeys. Never say, "I can't bear to watch it" or "Let it happen
in my absence." Everything is easier for him if you are there. Remember, he loves you.

My eyes are filled with tears again!

The Great Outdoors

2006-04-24T13:07:00.000-04:00

Yes, I have been remiss by not posting my blog over the last month! But, I must say I have spent the last month truly enjoying the great outdoors. I have been flyfishing at least 6 times this spring as well as spending time in our RV.

Two weekends ago, we (Carol, Kim, Tammy and I) went in the RV to Escatawba Farms, a private flyfishing stream in Western Virginia. This was a real treat, between the four of us we caught about 45 fish or more. We had a guide for the day and he was one of the best teachers you could have. He had Carol casting and catching rainbow trout in less than an hour! Escatawba Farms is a beautiful farm that was once a cattle farm that has been passed down through the family. www.escatawba.com

We had a great time in the RV and discovered that being in the outdoors sets the tone for creative thinking and really clears a person's mind. The troubles that we think are so important are put in their proper place, we are renewed and able to see things much more clearly.

While driving to Moorman's River yesterday I remembered that when I was little, even before I was in school, I would have my mother pack my lunch and I would go to our backyard to the wood pile to eat my lunch. I would climb up on the wood pile all by myself and sit there feeling like I was deep in the woods. It was an adventure in my mind, but it tells me why I feel so good after spending time in the wilderness.

Spring Rejuvenates Me

2006-03-23T07:18:00.000-05:00

I am sitting having my coffee at 7am and found myself looking outside thinking of all of the things I want to do this summer. I saw the weeping cherry tree and I started thinking about how much I like to be outdoors....that lead to thinking about RV trips.

Just as I believe that spring does rejuvenate us, I think we are all capable of a lot more than we think. We don't push ourselves enough in every facet of our lives. You know the saying, "you can do anything that you put your mind to", it is true! I do not think we have confidence in our abilities....so I am going to concentrate on putting my mind to a few new things and see what happens!

So, think about it...what could you push yourself on? Try something new, do something that you have never done!

A Wonderful Day of Fly Fishing

2006-03-05T21:44:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I went trout fishing west of Charlottesville. It was colder than I thought but it really didn't matter, the day was crisp filled with brilliant sunshine and the beauty of the mountains took my mind off things that I could not control. I could not control the fact that I was so excited to go trout fishing that I took every fishing gadget and piece of equipment for fly fishing but left home without gloves or warmer clothes. I stood in 42 degree water with my new waders and wading boots with only jeans underneath...again I must say, it didn't matter. On a normal day, back in the city I would have obsessed about being cold and would have had to "make it right". It seems as though getting out in the wilderness makes one appreciate what we have, even makes us think that there is more than just our material lives.

For about 6 hours I stood in the water or streamside watching the lives of rainbow trout. Ask me to stand anywhere else for 6 hours and you will be sorry...I can only imagine how I would whine and complain; "my feet hurt, my knees hurt". But, yesterday I could have stood there fly fishing without any complaint for a very long time. I am grateful for the mountains and I think everyone should get out in the woods and get a breath of fresh air.

PS. I caught 4 decent rainbow trout and about 5 got away (all were released unharmed).

First Memories 1958 Westfield New Jersey

2006-02-18T21:37:00.000-05:00

I have a very distinct first memory; I was 2 1/2 years old...my Mother, Brother and I had just finished grocery shopping in the A&P in Westfield, New Jersey and my Mother had two bags of groceries in her arms. I was holding on to my Mother's skirt when my Brother asked to go to the car to listen to the ball game on the car radio because my Mother stopped to window shop at the florist shop.

I remember thinking that I would be fun to g0 with my brother, so I let loose of the skirt, ran out between the parallel parked cars and BOOM....hit by a car that never saw me. I then remember the man from the Esso Station pulled me out from under the car....from then I remember my Mother with me in an ambulance and we drove up the street like we were going t0 my brother's school; we drove through Mindowaskin Park to the Medical Center.

The driver of the car was only 17 years old and she did not have a license! As for me, I got about 17 stitches along the top of my head. We went to court about this crash when I was about 7 or 8 years old. The judge had me sit on his lap and he asked, "How do you think that this accident has affected you? Has anything changed?" and I replied, "Yes, my hair used to be blonde and I now love spaghetti!"

A Lifetime of Jobs

2006-02-09T10:47:00.000-05:00

Have you ever listed all of the jobs you have had over your lifetime? Carol asked me today to list all of my jobs (I think she is going to display them in a clever fashion for my Birthday)! Here goes...in chronological order.

Mr. Donut ($1.65 an hour) 1973
Frankenberger's Holiday Gift Wraping
Embee's elevator operator
Gas Station attendant
The candy counter at the Huntington Department Store
School Supply warehouse shipping clerk
Lifeguard
Swimming instructor
Driving range attendant (I drove the tractor to pick up the balls)
Golf Course Supervisor
Stone & Thomas Clerk (in Woman's World)
Cocktail waitress in a disco
UPS Truck Loader
Hickory Farms Shipping Clerk
Nasco Inc. School Fundraiser
Orkin Pest Control
W.VA Citizen Action - Fundraiser
Dump Truck Driver
Shawmut Bank Teller
Star Market Grocery Store cashier
ND Security Alarm Monitoring Supervisor
AFA Protective Systems - Systems Coordinator
Seaside Alarms - Office Manager
Boston Globe Newspaper delivery
Atlantic Rentals - Vacation Rental Manager
Coldwell Banker real estate agent
Whelan & Co. Leasing Manager (Triton PCS, Suncom)
AT&T Local Network Services (Site Acquisition Manager)
Cingular Wireless/SAI (Site Acquisition Manager)
Cingular Wireless/SAI (Zoning Manager)

Now is that a list or what! What were your jobs?

Galley Bay, Antigua Scores an A+

2006-02-07T14:27:00.000-05:00

I wanted to get home and settled before I gave my "official" opinion of Galley Bay Resort in Antigua. As you know there were six of us that went on the trip...and of those six there are some sharp critics of food and accommodations! After 7 days at the resort we all came to the same conclusion...Galley Bay does a great job!

The rooms were spacious (deluxe beachfront rooms) and very comfortable. Each room had a king bed, 2 easy chairs, coffee table, desk, walk-in closet, huge bathroom with walk-in shower with a seat and double pedestal sinks. Whether you were on the 1st floor or the 2nd floor you have a deck with cushioned lounge chairs and 2 chairs and a table.

As for service, it was truly the staff that made the visit exceptional. Every single staff person was gracious and truly trying to make your stay a good one. The restaurants were very good, and one day Pine inquired about Fungi a local dish and Timeka (the dining room supervisor or equivalent) said she would have the kitchen make us a special lunch. So, 2 days later we had a local dish of Fungi (corn meal with okra) salt fish with onions and sauce and a vegetable dish with eggplant.

The bar service was exceptional! The beach was suburb! The rooms were very nice. The food was exceptional! What else would you want?

Now you say, something must have been bad...the only thing that we felt was a disappointment was the presence of flies...Although once the problem was identified, they fogged at 5am and that seemed to help a lot. The only other thing, the spa services were good but could be improved some.

Regardless, I give Galley Bay an A+! Go to http://www.eliteislandresorts.com/site/resorts.asp?islandID=1&resortID=10

Galley Bay, Antigua

2006-02-03T20:18:00.000-05:00

There isn't enough good things to say about Galley Bay Resort. We have enjoyed every minute of this vacation and would highly recommend this resort.

This is a picture of the swimming pool. We have been hanging out on the beach because it is so beautiful!

We leave tomorrow and once I get home I will give a complete report. All for now....

More News from Antigua

2006-02-01T09:41:00.000-05:00

Today is Wednesday and we are having a ball! Yesterday the weather was wonderful but today we are back to a mixed bag. We have had many adventures, all worthy of mentioning. One of the best was our rental car! The battery cables can jump off at any time which means the car just stop at any time! So, whoever is in the "shotgun" seat has to get out of the car and play mechanic. This has happened no less than 15 times while out exploring! We got this problem solved this morning by calling the rental company and having them deliver a new car....actually, I think we will miss the old one.

Carol and I went scuba diving yesterday and saw spotted ray with a wing span of about 6 feet, huge lobsters, tons of bright coral and fish; it was a great outing. Today we are going to take kayaks to a sunken ship and go snorkeling (providing the weather is still good). Right now there is a championship ping pong tournament with Pine/Bobby and Chris/Carol battling it out.

The resort, Galley Bay, has exceeded all of our expectations. We have been very comfortable and have enjoyed the "all inclusive" atmosphere. We would recommend this resort!

All for now....I will try to post a picture later today.

Hello From Antigua

2006-01-29T10:48:00.000-05:00

We arrived in Antigua yesterday afternoon only to be welcomed to gail force winds and rain! Believe it or not, we were happy...we were greeted with rum punch at our resort and the rooms are great.

We slept to the sounds of a crashing surf and a salt breeze. Life is good!