Queen is reading the paper and I will soon. There wasn’t a whole lot of news in it today.

Now let me be clear on this.

I just got this from Queen’s cousin Bob Greenawalt. I want it understood that only a few parts of this apply to us.

  REMEMBER THE RULES

  We always hear "the rules" from the female side. Now here are the rules from the male side. These are our rules!

  Please note.... these are all numbered "1" ON PURPOSE!

  1. Learn to work the toilet seat. You're a big girl. If it's up, put it down. We need it up, you need it down. You don't hear us complaining about you leaving it down!

  1. Sunday sports. It's like the full moon or the changing of the tides. Let it be.

  1. Shopping is NOT a sport. And no, we are never going to think of it that way.

  1. Crying is blackmail.

  1. Ask for what you want. Let us be clear on this one:

  Subtle hints do not work!

  Strong hints do not work!

  Obvious hints do not work!

  Just say it!   Here here!!! This one applies to me especially.

  1. Yes and No are perfectly acceptable answers to almost every question.

  1. Come to us with a problem only if you want help solving it. That's what we do. Sympathy is what your girlfriends are for. This one I strongly disagree with.

  1. Anything we said 6 months ago is inadmissible in an argument. In fact, all comments become null and void after 7 days.

  1.. If you won't dress like the Victoria's Secret girls, don't expect us to act like soap opera guys.

  1. If you think you're fat, you probably are. Don't ask us.

  1. If something we said can be interpreted two ways and one of the ways makes you sad or angry, we meant the other one. True!!

  1. You can either ask us to do something  or tell us how you  want it done. If you already know best how to do it, just do it yourself.

  1. Whenever possible, please say whatever you have to say during commercials.

  1. Christopher Columbus did not need directions and neither do we.

  1. ALL men see in only 16 colors, like Windows default settings. Peach, for example, is a fruit, not a color. Pumpkin is also a fruit. We have no idea what mauve is.

  1. If it itches, it will be scratched. We do that.  [for Bobby this includes gas!! I think she might name me Flatch!!]

  1. If we ask what is wrong and you say "nothing," we will act like nothing's wrong. We know you are lying, but it is just not worth the hassle.

  1. If you ask a question you don't want an answer to, expect an answer you don't want to hear.

  1. When we have to go somewhere, absolutely anything you wear is fine...Really.

  1. Don't ask us what we're thinking about unless you are prepared to discuss such topics as baseball, the shotgun formation, or monster trucks.

  1. You have enough clothes.

  1. You have too many shoes.

  1. I am in shape. Round is a shape.

  1. Thank you for reading this.

            Yes, I know, I have to sleep on the couch tonight; but did you know men really don't mind that? It's like camping.

I just got this from Lee Bollinger about the bit on Indian Trail Park.
“BOB,

I REMEMBER INDIAN TRAIL PARK, MY GRANDPARENTS AND MY UNCLE PETE LIVED IN CHERRYVILLE AND HE WOULD TAKE ME TO THE POOL TO SWIM, IT WASN'T VERY BUT WAS VERY NICE COMPARED TO "THE WELL" IN AQUASHICOLA. I REMEMBER THE PENNY ARCADE WITH THE COWBOY AND BASEBALL CARDS, AND WHO COULD FORGET THE ROLLER COASTER.

                                                                                                           LEE BOLLINGER”

Earlier I got this message from Betsey Burnhauser. Here in part is what she said,

“I really enjoyed Barbara Shepherd's reminisce. The input from subscribers is especially enjoyable.”

Well that goes for me also. I do like to hear from all of you.

          Tonight for supper Queen had a small half of a chicken breast each, small red potatoes, fresh spinach, fresh green beans, low fat cottage cheese, and applesauce. For dessert she had a small dish of ice ream and fresh coffee. It was an excellent meal.

Monday, April 12, 2004 7:27 AM 39 deg at LVIA and 40.2 in the bus stop
This morning the weight is 205 and the blood sugar 141. Rain is predicted for the next few days. It is supposed to start here this afternoon.
I took the recyclables to the alley this morning. I shall have to go downtown for my blood pressure medication prescription. I am not going to the Ironworks today. Tomorrow is my stress test and I want to be rested up for it.

Today is washday for Queen. At least it isn’t the big one. Queen and I were outdoors and I took some more pictures of the bulb flowerbed. It is a shame that they don’t last all summer.

                                                                                                             

It is unfortunate that there was no sun when I took these pictures.  It would have made the colors much more vibrant.

Well this afternoon DeSousa’s Plumbing called to come and fix the outdoor faucet. A problem that dummy caused in the first place by forgetting to turn off the valve to the hose in the basement and disconnect the hose at the onset of winter. When I did attempt to do it, it was frozen solid as a rock. This of course caused me to twist and break off the valve stem on the hose faucet. Well all they had to do was twist off the old faucet and put on a new one. Sheez!!!
Then the “glow in the dark” Nuclear medicine department at the hospital called to remind me to be at the Hospital at 7:15 am tomorrow for my stress test.

Tonight we are dining in God’s restaurant. Queen’s spaghetti was on the menu and it was delicious. She has a sure fire hit there.

Yesterday I moved the feeder out of the dogwood tree and put it next to the bus stop.

Tuesday, April 13, 2004 6:47 AM 41 deg at LVIA and 40.6 in the bus stop

 My blood glucose is 151 and the weight is 204. Well, at 7 am I leave for the hospital for my stress test. More later.

 <10:30 am> I am back. It wasn’t bad at all. The nurse put all kinds of patches on my chest and established the set up for an IV. She had a terrible time doing it because of the hair on my chest and arms and my naturally oily skin. Old Bobby, who Queen sometimes calls “Hairy gorilla”, is also a grease ball. Geez. She said that oily skin is good for me but hard for her job. Then it was over to X ray where I asked to drink 16 oz of water and was placed on a trolley and had to lay  still with my arms over my head for 15 or 20 minutes. Back to the EKG area and onto the treadmill. A young lady from the nuclear medicine department arrived with a small metal container that must have been lead lined. I said "Wow that must be powerful stuff." She laughed and said it was mostly for their protection because they were around that stuff all day. That made sense to me. Then my cardiologist Dr. Kolecki arrived and supervised the treadmill test. Man they pushed the Hell out of me. They had me walk on it for a time and then gradually increased the incline and the speed. I was told that they would increase the machine’s settings so that I would be at my maximum heart rate for one minute. They asked me if I could do it while they administrated the isotope IV. Well I did it with really no great difficulty.  Oh but I was puffing like Hell. They kept asking me if I had any pain or if could handle it and I gasped “No. I was all right." I really think I could have gone a little bit longer, not much, but I wouldn’t have cared for them to push it up a couple more notches Both Dr. Kolecki and the nurse said I did very well. By the time I was finished I was gasping pretty damn hard.

You know I have always said my swimming continuously without stopping 1/3 of a mile every day,seven days a week during the summer swimming season was money in the health bank which I draw upon for the coming winter. Well I sure withdrew from that account to its maximum today.

          He did admonish me to tell Queen that we both should keep active but he stressed do not overdo and to watch my weight as well.

 Speaking of that Queen has been suffering for the last few days from pain in her left leg. She had the vein stripped by the now deceased Dr. Asa several years ago.  Wearing elastic stockings they gave her after the operation relieved the pain. This has had occasional flare-ups ever since she has it done and this has all happened before We both think she has been going at it too hard outdoors in the yard work department. However it is very hard for her to slow down. My entreaties are useless. She really knows better. Ha!!!!

 Then it was back to the X ray machine more water and them the final scan. As I lay there,I could glimpse an occasional view of the small display screen attached to the top of the machine. I could see something was going on in my chest area. As an electronics buff I found that very interesting. I would love to have a digital picture of it.

When I returned to the EKG department the technician was running behind schedule because Doctor Kahn was late. He was the doctor for the patient before me, Annette Halmi’s husband. She said Dr. Kolecki is never late and is very polite and courteous. He is a pleasure to work with.

          This morning in the post we got this picture of our granddaughter, E Lana. She is the daughter of Linda and our late son Jack. She is a beautiful young girl. We are so glad to have the picture that Linda sent us this morning along with a very nice card and letter. We do appreciate it very much.

E Lana

Tonight for supper we had salmon, a small baked potato each, broccoli for Queen and Brussel sprouts for me. Cottage cheese and applesauce added to the good meal. Then we had a small dish of ice cream with fresh cut strawberries on it. That with a cup of fresh ground 8 o’clock coffee finished a superb meal. I think I shall sleep better tonight. Ha!!

Wednesday, April 14, 2004 7:08 AM 48 Deg at LVIA and 49.8 in the bus stop

Golly, to say the least I am glad yesterday’s hospital trip is over. This morning the blood glucose was 143 and the weight 204. It is a gray murky foggy morning so far today. As soon as the coffee is ready Butternut and I will be heading outdoors.

<Later> As I sat out on the lower park bench with Butternut it was comfortable sitting there contemplating my surroundings and our lives. Sitting out quietly like that is a marvelous tonic to make one appreciate the little things in life. Just to have the time to be able to do this is also a blessing. These days everyone is in a hurry.

Queen and I are indeed fortunate to be as well as we are and to have as good health as we do in our lives. It is no accident because we do work at it. I suspect both of us picked “good parents” genetically Ha!! . More and more I appreciate the blessings we have had bestowed upon us. We are not ungrateful. I am a contented man!!

I think I will go to the Ironworks this morning and have a crack at the machines.

<Later> Well I am back. I took Dr Kolecki’s advice. I had a pleasant walk on the treadmill but did not push myself. Actually using the upper body equipment was the hardest part. I renewed my membership for this month but told him that once PMPA opens that will be the last of me until next fall.

Then I had to stop at IGA  Queen wanted a few emergency supplies for her candy making today. I also stopped at the T.N. and spoke to Pattie. She wanted some more information for the article she is writing about both the    and myself. I was able to fill her in on all that stuff. It will appear this Saturday.


I got this site from Bob Dunn quite a while ago. It is very informative. This from that page.
 Military Numbers Are Rising Virginian-Pilot April 14, 2004
Despite a rising tide of combat deaths and the prospect of deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan for years to come, Americans continue to volunteer for duty and are re-enlisting at record rates.

The services believe a combination of patriotism and the economy is driving people to the military and keeping them there.

"The war is not only not having a negative effect, but it is helping to reinforce the number of people who want to join," said Cmdr. John Kirby, a spokesman for the Navy's Bureau of Personnel.

Even the Army National Guard, which has had 150,000 citizen soldiers mobilized for up to a year, has seen retention rates "going through the roof," said Guard spokesman Maj. Robert Howell.

"Mass exodus has not been the case in the Army National Guard," said Howell, deputy chief of the Strength Maintenance Division at the National Guard Bureau in Washington.

The Guard was prepared to lose up to 18 percent of units returning from lengthy deployments, but it has averaged just 16.6 percent, with some as low as 12.6 percent, Howell said.

The Guard fully expects to again reach its recruiting goal of 56,000 members this year, to maintain its total strength of 350,000.

The Guard's goal for first-term re-enlistments , for those with less than six years of service, had been 65 percent this fiscal year but has rocketed to 141 percent - which indicates that additional members re-enlisted early, usually to take advantage of bonuses.

The goal for second- and third-term enlistments, or those considered "career" soldiers, was set at 85 percent in the Guard but has come in at 136 percent, Howell said.

The Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard all met or exceeded their year-end recruiting goals for fiscal year 2003, which ended Sept. 30. The figures continued to climb in the first half of fiscal year 2004, which was reached March 31.

The Army is at 100.1 percent of its "active duty mission," said spokesman Douglas Smith, reviewing numbers current as of March 29. Smith said 34,593 soldiers had been enlisted for the active Army and 8,331 for the Reserves. The Army has been ahead of its goal every year since 2000 and every month this year, Smith said.

The Navy is meeting all recruiting and retention goals and has cut the number of new recruits this year to the lowest target in 30 years.

Instead of bringing 41,200 new recruits into the service this fiscal year, the Navy will cut it off at 40,450, said Lt. Bill Davis with the Navy Personnel Command in Millington, Tenn.

"Thus far, through March, we've recruited 15,636, but this is normally our slow period," Davis said. "Things kick up in the summer with high school graduates. Where we've been getting 2,000 a month, we'll jump to 4,000 a month in the summer."

Navy re-enlistment rates are at an all time high, with 62.3 percent of first-term sailors signing up for additional service. That compares with a targeted goal of 56 percent. The rate has grown each year since 2000, when 48.2 percent of the first-term sailors re-enlisted.

For those with six to 10 years of service, the Navy re-enlisted 74.1 percent; its goal had been 70 percent. For those with 10 to 14 years of service, 88.7 percent re-enlisted so far this year; the goal was 85 percent.

The last time the Navy missed its recruiting goal was in 1998, Davis said.

In the Air Force, new recruit contracts are coming in at 104.2 percent of goal in fiscal year 2003 and reached 102.6 percent of goal through March.

The Air Force is retaining 67 percent of its first-term enlisted members, 75 percent of its second term, and 98 percent of its career enlisted .

Like the Army, the Marine Corps has been in the thick of combat in Iraq, yet the Marines have exceeded their monthly recruiting goal every month for the past 106 consecutive months, or for nearly nine consecutive years.

From October to December 2003 - the first quarter of fiscal year 2004 - the Marines recruited 9,201 potential members, surpassing their goal of 8,729.

Even the Coast Guard, which has grown by more than 10 percent to 40,000 since the terrorists attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, is keeping its members .

The Coast Guard has lost 7 percent to 8 percent of its force through attrition each year. In 2001 the rate was 7.65 percent; in 2002 it was 7.9 percent, said Chief Petty Officer Paul Rhynarb, at Coast Guard Headquarters in Washington.

But in 2003 the rate fell to just 2.68 percent, Rhynarb said.

Chief Petty Officer John Hoesli, who heads the Coast Guard's recruiting station in Chesapeake, responsible for recruiting from Williamsburg to Cape Hatteras, has never seen recruiting so good. His office has been the most productive in the past four years and was named the best throughout the Coast Guard in 2001.

"Whether it's patriotism, or defending the nation by keeping the fight here and keeping terrorism out of here that draws people, I don't know," Hoesli said. He suspects those are some of the reasons, along with an economy that is sending more people into the service .

While the Coast Guard aims its sights mainly at the 18- to 20- year-old recruit, Hoesli said he is seeing older, more experienced candidates in their mid- to late-20s, many with college degrees.

After I was home, Queen wanted me to install the new bird feeder she just received from Birds and Blooms.