Heart Bypass Surgery

A.A.A.D.D. deficit I WONDER HOW MANY OF US IS LIKE THIS. I'M DEFINITELY GETTING THERE. Recently, I was diagnosed with A. A. A. D. D. - Age Activated Attention Deficit Disorder. This is how it manifests: I decide to wash my car. As I start toward the garage, I notice that there is mail on the hall table. I decide to go through the mail before I wash the car. I lay my car keys down on the table, put the junk mail in the trash can under the table, and notice that the trash can is full. So, I decide to put the bills back on the table and take out the trash first. But then I think, since I'm going to be near the mailbox when I take out the trash anyway, I may as well pay the bills first. I take my checkbook off the table, and see that there is only one check left My extra checks are in my desk in the study, so I go to my desk where I find the can of Coke that I had been drinking. I'm going to look for my checks, but first I need to push the Coke aside so that I don't accidentally knock it over. I see that the Coke is getting warm, and I decide I should put it in the refrigerator to keep it cold. As I head toward the kitchen with the coke a vase of flowers on the counter catches my eye--they need to be watered. I set the Coke down on the counter, and I discover my reading glasses that I've been searching for all morning. I decide I better put them back on my desk, but first I'm going to water the flowers. I set the glasses back down on the counter, fill a container with water and suddenly I spot the TV remote. Someone left it on the kitchen table. I realize that tonight when we go to watch TV, I will be looking for the remote, but I won't remember that it's on the kitchen table, so I decide to put it back in the den where it belongs, but first I'll water the flowers. I splash some water on the flowers, but most of it spills on the floor. So, I set the remote back down on the table, get some towels and wipe up the spill. Then I head down the hall trying to remember what I was planning to do. At the end of the day: the car isn't washed, the bills aren't paid, there is a warm can of Coke sitting on the counter, the flowers aren't watered, there is still only one check in my checkbook, I can't find the remote, I can't find my glasses, and I don't remember what I did with the car keys. Then when I try to figure out why nothing got done today, I'm really baffled because I know I was busy all day long, and I'm really tired. I realize this is a serious problem, and I'll try to get some help for it, but first I'll check my e-mail. Do me a favor, will you? Forward this message to everyone you know, because I don't remember to whom it has been sent. Don't laugh -- if this isn't you yet, your day is coming! ---- Have a Great Day-----Steve P. ---- Steve! arcman52@...

Hi All, I had the pre-op yesterday and was a bit more calm about this than I was the day before. It was especially interesting to meet someone who had a quadruple bypass on friday, who was going home yesterday! 4 days and outta there! The surgeon was walking down the hall when we were on our way to the ACC section and asked me if I'd like to meet someone who just had in his words a lot more done than I'm having done tomorrow ( single bypass) Meedless to say, my wife and I are like zombies today. We have to be at the hospital at 6AM and the surgery is scheduled for 8AM. Oh and I was told that they don't use staples anymore but an adhesive? Says the scar is much better. Does anyone know anything about this? Thank you and regards Tom

Has anyone in the group had trouble with setting off metal detectors? I have gone through only two airport checks in the 20 months since my operation and did not set off any alarm either time. These were just the walk through detectors. However, I think that the wand detectors might be more sensitive. One time I was surprised to hear one go off when it was passed under my arm. It turned out that it was the zipper for an underarm vent in the travel shirt that I was wearing. Since my sternum wires are so close to the suface that I can easily feel them with my fingers under the skin, I am concerned that a wand passed over my chest might detect them. Any comments? regards, Bob S.

Dear Rus, Thanks for the work you and Donna and all of the others are doing!. Sound like you are on to something big--It like the looks of this type of data base more so than the numbered, In my case, I have lost all of my organizational skills, tolerance, patience, restraints, but I will try to stay focused.. I recently walked out of the Hospital AMA, because I could not see eye to eye with the Doctor. After the angiogram, I walked out with the hep locks still in my arms- sort of dramatic- (took the hep locks out when I got home), however the tactfulness of the Doc seemed a little overwhelming at the time. I realize now, how stupid and dangerous this was. I take plavix and as an anticoagulant, if I had started to bleed out with the blood thinners in me, it could have been

I had the tube for 3 days the first time, they just kept me really sedated and the 2nd bypass I vaguely remember having it removed after 2 days, both times I was so sedated becasue I was so sick going into the surgereies. Gail

Gang, I have deleted all the links, I had placed therm in the Database section and have moved them over in the Links section under a Folder called Heart Bypass Patients. Takes for the suggestion Bill. It looks a lot better there and much more profession. Ya'all know what Donna and I are trying to as far as relating our CABG experience for future new members and to help existing members who may be going thru something that our more experienced members have already encountered and made their way thru it. Below is a list of subjects we plan on reviewing old posts to gather subjective info to be used. 1. Exercise 2. Depression 3. Statins 4. Heart bypass and diabetes 5. Blood pressure meds 6. What to expect from a bypass from hospital to about a year. This one will be a big subject cause it covers a lot of ground and we have talked alot about it. (For example, ICU Ventilator, the methods of trying to sleep, our fav little pillow we carry everywhere, certain milestones regarding our health and when to expect them, etc) 7. Pump head (lol almost forgot that one) 8. Arteries vs. veins. This subject would be very helpful to someone who is getting ready for bypass and it not and emergency. I fitted that category and I've send several other people here that would benefit. Sometimes you do have a little time to think about it. 9. Driving 10. Sleep patterns (this may overlap a little on Depression, but I believe I saw quite a few posts out their just on screwed up sleep patterns. 11. Constrictive Pericarditis, yeah this is a little unusual but there is some interest expressed on this subject and didn't Clinton have this? Any suggestions for other subjects are welcome, if the board has expressed several opinions on that subject. We want subjects that will apply to more than one person not just you. I've already begun looking and summerizing data from the first three begining at Feb 2004, so no need to start these over again, unless you have a story or information which can be incorporated into the summerization. Because we've just been looking at the subject for our info and a lot of info is buried in a post that doesn't have anything to do with the subject. Donna is going to select one and start on it and as she finishes, she will select another on and so on. But since this our group, I think most people would like to participate either by telling their experience (Good or Bad) on one or more of the above subjects, which I or Donna will copy and keep in a separate sub directories for inclusion in the subject when we get to that. These experiences will not tolerate bashing any meds or people, except maybe doctors. :)) As we all know the same med may be great for one and be awful for another. But if you have hads a bad experience with a ned we want to know and what were the symtoms and what did you do to correct the problem. Some of you may have a great interest in one of the above subjects and would like to take on the responsiblity to research our site here for a subjective analysis of the subject. Others can also pitch in there experience with that subjet. That would be great and save Donna and me some work. Just let us know what you want to do and we'll keep a record of who's doing what. No names will be used, but pronouns will be so it won't seem to impersonal. This is something that will be a live growing project as more info becomes available and technology improves. There is no need to get in a hurry because some of us have jobs that will interfere with the more impotant work we are performing here. A month per subject should be enough time to get a draft together for review by the group. Donna found that these summaries will worked like a charm in the file section. The trick is to write the summary in a word document and just import it in. This will allow you the option to edit, delete and cut the document as more info becomes available. Our Exercise doc is already over their. Donna had a test doc placed there, which will be deleted so we'll then we'll only have one exercise. Thanks to Donna on solving this problem. Please don't look at this as homework, but just somethingwhere you can even just jot down notes or short blurbs to send in. They don't have to be complete sentences, correct puncuation, and I love fonics. We have Bill and I'm sure some other english/Grammr teachers or types that can assist here. The reason I keep using Bill by name is he is a lawyer and does have a way with words that can get the point over in less words than some of us. Lets make this a fun project gang. Rus

Your files suggestion worked like a charm. :)) The trick is to write it in a word document and just import it in. This will allow you the option to edit, delete and cut the document as more info becomes available. If you could delete your test, then we'll only have one exercise file there. We are on our way now. Thanks Rus

I've kinda picked these subjects to start with. exercise depression statins I've started on these 3 From Feb2004 onward to the present. So no need to dupe our efforts. Other subjects that we seemed to have talked about alot about and may be of use to new comers that I have not begun yet are: 1.Heart bypass and diabetes 2.Blood pressure meds 3.What to expect from a bypass from hospital to about a year. This one will be a big subject cause it covers a lot of ground and we have talked alot about it. (For example the methods of trying to sleep, our fav little pillow we carry everywhere, certain milestones regarding our health and when to expect them, etc) 4. Pumphead (lol almost forgot that one) 5. Ateries vs veins. This subject would be very helpful to someone who is getting ready for bypass and it not and emergency. I fitted that catagory and I've send several other people here that would benefit. Sometimes you do have a little time to think about it. 6. Driving 7. Sleep patterns (this may overlap a little on Depression, but I believe I saw quite a few posts out their just on screwed up sleep patterns. 8. Constrictive Pericarditis, yeah this is a little unusual but there was some interest in that for awhile. I thought of a couple more, but those are wtitten down at the office. Pick one of the 8 to start with or you may already have one in mind or started. There are more out there. Just let me know so I won't do it also. No use re-inventing the wheel. Take your time, we're in no hurry and we want to do a good job. But we can always go back and edit things so a good first draft should suffice. That will give others a chance to look, review and comment. And please folks, for those of us that have worked on committees, you know how unweilding satisfying everyone can be. But we will miss things that need to be brought to our attention, cause here's a bunch of pumpheads trying to summarize and be objective about some very big subjects, that are very personal to us. So be gentle on us. Bill I'm talking about you. LOL Just kidding, you can be very helpful in our verbage,keep us from getting to wordy and just plain make things sound better when we are reaching for a word or meaning. That also goes for all of you. During your research, if you run across any great links or other subjects I missed make a note of them. The links you can put in pretty quickly. The database has a template prepared just for links or maybe we can put them in the link Section under some kind of sub Folder Called Helpful Links from those that have been there. Bill suggested this and it may be the best place in the long run. I looked at a couple of links, in the links section, and they really didn't seem to fit here what I believe we want to do here. We don't want this to turn into a gripe session on a given drug. I've been to sites like that and after about a week I never went back, because all they did was gripe about meds. All meds have pros and cons and effect people differently, the trick here is to give people as much info and personal experience as possible on each med so they can make a fairly knowledgable decision or at least know what to ask there Doc. I'm leaving all names out in my summations. If someone has a gripe about a med all they have to do is google "I hate (insert name of med here)" and they'll be with there kind of people. Now Doctors... it's open season on them. :) That might be a subject all bt itself. LOL This is our site and we want it to be as helpful to future CABG Patch Kids and primary support givers as possible. We know how tough this surgery is and the doctors really do a crappy job on preparing us for it and the after effects. (1st gripe on Docs). Well you all know when I get started I can really sling the BS. So I'll stop. Rus

Did any of you ladies see the March issue of Glamour magazine? On page 44, they show a picture of the 2005 Heart Disease Awareness bracelet. It's a really cute charm bracelet with Swarvoski crystals. Sterling, Red Dress, Red Hearts. They are $55 and $10 from each purchase goes to the American Heart Association. There is a charge for shipping. They gave 800-426-3088 as the number to call and order. I wanted one, so I called. And they were out. This bracelet is retired, so they won't be getting any more in this style. But they asked which state I live, and gave me several cities with storefronts to check. I took the numbers of the two closest to me; Dallas & Plano. Dallas store was out, but I was able to order mine from the Plano store. I think they have only 6 left in Plano. But if any of you are interested I can give you that number....it's 469-366-9952. But you may have a local store in your own state. I recall reading about these in another magazine recently. I believe that it was the actress Gina Davis who put these in gift bags for some celebrity event she hosted. Evidently a new style comes out each year. I particularly liked this one. It's much nicer than any I found on eBay or on the net. Any way....thought I'd pass that info along to the jewelry lovers in the bunch. Connie

I have a bladder infection and that is the reason for the fever. Otherwise I am just sore and get tired easily, which we all know is a normal part of the recovery from bypass. My stomach still does not tolerate solids but I knew that is a side evvect of the surgery for pancreatic cancer. Gail

Gang, You can look at the Exercise database and see the problem I'm having. WHo ever put the joke up, in the database, did a great joke of making the column width wider which I would like to do. Can someone help me with this. Right now it looks pretty crappy and this database should be something we can be proud of. A step by step procedure would be great and would make it simple for a pump head like me. Thanks in advance Rus

Good morning all! After a beautiful sunny warm first day of SPRING, the weather turned stormy to start off the week here in Texas! When I went outside to get the newspaper at 4:45 AM, the sky was lighting up with displays of lightning and rolling thunder, and the smell of rain was so heavy in the air. At 5AM the heavens broke open with not only the rain, but HAIL! It came down so hard and fast you couldn't see the rain! And now the yard looks like it's covered in snow. So much for all my plants....they probably got beaten down. But the tomato plants I planted have been disappearing at a rate of one a night anyway. I don't know what little critter is doing it, but I've had 3 gnawed to the ground, stripped of leaves, and the stalk carried away! No footprints in the large pots of soil. I plant these every year, and it's never happened before! I can't figure out if it's squirrels, raccoons, or oppossums doing it. Never seen any rabbits around here, but we do have plenty of the other 3 little critters. They are also gnawing on the bark of my lemon tree (it's potted also), and stripping it of leaves. Hope everyone has a good week Hope to hear that Gail is doing better today, and that Bogie's familiy is on the mend too. Connie

I got a real bad cold from moving that stained glass window and gargoyls. I got all hot and swetty moving them and it was cold outside. My shirt was realy wet when I came inside. Life never gives me a break. Steve Y.

A nun wearing a full black habit is walking past a bar when a drunk stumbles out, sees her, and punches her in the face. Before she can scream, he lands a quick jab and finishes with an uppercut. she goes down, and the drunk starts kicking her in the sides. A few of his friends walk out of the bar, and as they pull him off the bloody nun, he yells, "You're not so tough, are you, Batman!" Steve! arcman52@...

Bogie and Fred, Just checking to see if you guys are still with us? I know Fred may be in his busiest season here with his business, but Bogie's family was really struggling with the flu when he last posted. Post a short one to let us know y'all are still pumpin' here! Connie Connie Turner

Rus and Connie, Just wanted to say thank you for your kind words and advice. I've taken everything to heart... I realize that I'm not Superman (as much as I'd like to be) and I'm just going to take this one day at a time. As of yesterday her breathing tube is out and her sense of humor is coming back. I'm going to give her a visit today and see if anything has changed. Again, thank you. -Erin P.S. Did any of you have to make some lifestyle changes like food choices or smoking? I have a feeling that that may be a decent- sized hurdle for me. I know I can't force her to change her ways (I have to admit that I've already thrown away her cigarettes... Am I awful?) but I'm sure tempted to. Know what I mean?

Note: forwarded message attached.

Hi everyone. I'm called Erin and I'm new here. I'm a 28-year-old college student (Cincinnati College of Morturary Science), mother to a four-year-old boy, and perpetual health nut and work-out queen. My mom, on the other hand, is a 53-year-old diabetic nurse (that means that she's stubborn when it comes to going to see a doctor) that decided to have a heart attack on St. Patrick's Day. I'll spare the details because I'm sure that her unfortunate story is probably similar to yours or someone you know. In a nutshell, the next day she had an emergency bypass (not triple, or quadruple, but a 5-way. What's that called? A quint- bypass or something?) surgery to try and somewhat correct her somewhat diseased pumper. The surgeon said that if I hadn't gotten to her when I did then she would have died. She gave me life, I saved hers. I guess what I'm trying to gain by joining this group is maybe some words of wisdom, hope, advice... something. I'm her only living relative. She had no husband (My father is probably one of the reasons her ticker's so bad to begin with!), or parents, or siblings and I'm an only child. I'm it. I know that after she gets discharged (she's still in ICU) from the hospital she'll have to have someone stay with her for a while. I'm prepared for that. What I'm not prepared for is everything that goes with this. What else should I expect? How should I act? How will she act? Why didn't she have more kids so that I can share this stress with someone else? Maybe I just need a hug. Who knows. Any advice (or a hug) is appreciated. Thanks in advance... -Erin

Steve just forwarded a great action cartoon joke to me! Really applies in our situations, and I would post it but I've tried to post those kind on the board before and it wouldn't work for me. If anyone would like to have it just request it from Steve or me. Just ask about the naked couple (cartoon figures) on a motorcyle. I'm glad to forward it to anyone who wants it. Mac....you're getting it without even requesting it! I know you well enough to send it to you! Connie

OK Guys, Let's get real. Isn't it wonderful that the hottest topic right now is "Jokes" We are all survivors of Major surgery, life threatening problems, some here are fighting other problems as well, and don't forget that each and every person here has a life beyond this board with it's usual share of ups and downs and some of us might even have more than their share. If, at this point in time there is a lull in problems, or more likely we are just tired of talking about our problems and jokes get center stage, I for one think it's great. There are many topics that have been discussed here that don't pertain to me. I just DELETE what I don't want. I have sent joke's along to other friends and some didn't grab me, but that's ok too. DELETE, DELETE, DELETE. and be done with it. I have had too many brain cells die to waste space in my head over this nonsense. This is a great group, there is much medical knowledge and a great willingness to share on any topic. There is a 12 step saying "Take what you want and leave the rest" So, could we try to lighten up a bit and just enjoy each other for who we are....... Estelle

So I'm supposed to send an email saying what exactly? : ) -Erin

or the same questions asked several times over the past year or so. ok, mouthy is chimming in again(me) I'd truly love to see some of your favorite buffalo recipes. I'm especially interested in very large buffalo wings ;- )~ (wink) Few of us would have the slightest idea of what to do with this low fat meat and you probably have some pretty inviting ways of preparing it. I really think its worth a try. A few months ago we were at trader joes and this man struck up conversation with me in the frozen dept. it was about non other than buffalo meat and that's where he bought his. "trader Joes" Deb

Gang thanks for all the support, But as most of ya'all know my depression has realy screwed up my sleep patterns. I got about an hour and a half before beddy by time. So I'm going to catch a movie with my lovely very tolerant wife now. You all take Care and see ya tomorrow. Rus

Hi All, I went for a second opinion up in sarasota and was told essentially the same thing. My LAD is 100% blocked and I need to get this taken care of or it will get worse. I have NO symptoms and have had no symptoms which is one reason why I've questione having to have this done. I'm told that I am having ( in a nutshell) a single bypass, mammary to LAD, off pump surgery. I'm also told that this is a simple bypass surgery and because of my age ( I just turned 50) and health in general that I should come thru "perfectly". The doctor says 3-4 days in the hospital, and 4-6 weeks in recovery after which I can start to drive again etc. He says I might even see MORE energy than what I'm used to after a period of time. I haven't been able to go back thru so many posts here to get a brief of peoples experiences with this. Despite having comcast net connections, it really does take a great deal of time to go thru this forum in trying to find how everyone has done by and large with this surgery. I'm sorry, but can some of you all tell me if what the doctor is telling me is "pie in the sky"? Thank you all in advance. Rgrds Tom

Subject: FW: Letter to IRS Think I'll try it!!! Subject: Letter to IRS Gee !! Don't you really wish someone had the real guts to do this !! February 8,2005 Internal Revenue Service Department of the Treasury Washington, DC 20001 Dear IRS: Enclosed is my 2004 Form 1040, together with payment. Please take note of the attached article from USA Today archives. In the article, you will note that the Pentagon paid $171.50 each for hammers and NASA paid $600.00 each for toilet seats. Please find enclosed in this package four toilet seats (value $2,400.00) and six hammers (value 1,029.00). This is in payment for my total tax due of $3,429.00. Out of a sense of patriotic duty, and to assist in the political purification of our government, I am also enclosing a 1.5 inch Phillips head screw, for which HUD duly recorded and approved a purchase value of $22.00, as my contribution to fulfill the Presidential Election Fund option on Form 1040. It has been a pleasure to pay my taxes this year, and I look forward to paying them again next year in accordance with officially established government values. Sincerely, Another satisfied taxpayer Steve! arcman52@...

See ya around gang I really looked forward to looking at the board in the morning, to see what has been going on in the lives of us fellow CABG patch kids. We do have lives and try to live them as normal people, not being continually reminded that we have sometime wrong with us and that is all we are suppose to write about. And heaven forbid if a person sometimes would get carried and talk about a friend of a friend or a uncle or aunt, but it really for the patient itself. How would someone know that? And not 1 joke has been written in here for 2 years till lately. Now that is really very sad, that the only thing people on this board hope for is others to continue to get sick so they can talk about their ailments. What a downer! If this is what this board is all about then fine, but I sure as hell don't want anyone to get sick so they can post here and keep the board going. It appears that bad news is good news here cause then people will post. Well, when I get sick or have an ailment Donna, I'll be sure to post so everyone can get their jollies. It's so sad to enjoy getting off on other peoples misfortunes, I sure wouldn't want to live that life. And "again" I'm going to ask, where and when did I make fun of you or made you the brunt of any joke or do you just make unsubstantiated comments about people if you don't like what they do? Are recipes allowed, they have nothing to do with sickness and laughter has also been shown to be good for the heart, especially bypass patients. How many recipes and jokes can we tell a week. What can we talk about and what's off limits? I'll stop, cause All I'm doing is getting more pissed off by the this. I'll miss the friendship and closeness, this board has become in the past year, and when someone did have a heart question, most of us fell all over ourselves to help them. Try helping people Donna instead of complaining all the time. And apologize for the jokes to people, what audacity and a self righteous attitude. Who died and made you the conscience of this group. I don't need fopr you to apologize to for me. Rus Future Lurker, unless I'm sick, then I'll post so Donna can get off on someone elses misfortune.

Dayton, Thank you! I have been lurking and reading all the posts this week. And I am back!! I've been in this group on a daily basis for 2 years now. All the items that have been discussed here for 2 years have been on medical and helping each other. Sometimes a person get carried away and talks about a friend of a friend or a uncle or aunt, but it really for the patient itself. And not 1 joke has been written in 2 years till lately. Not that a joke here and there would kill any of us, like who doesn't like to laugh, need to laugh, want to laugh. It's just been overkill on the jokes, I think. But that's just my opinion, which has been overruled, so be it. I just hope that someone who needs support, isn't turned off of our wonderful support, because all they read is jokes. Thanks again Donna Roseville, Mn

A couple of interesting things I found in the March issue of the AARP Bulletin: Health Nuts: Researchers at the University of Florida have found that roasted peanuts pack a lot of antioxidants, which fight heart disease and cancer. In fact, roasted goobers have as many antioxidants as apples, carrots and beets, and are even on a par with antioxidant-rich blackberries and strawberries. Golden Drool: Paion, a German biotech company, has developed a stroke-treatment drug derived from the saliva of vampire bats. Clinical trials suggest that Desmoteplase, which dissolves blood clots, can be safely administered up to nine hours after a stroke - three times the limit for the current leading treatment. Just thought I'd pass these along. Tom

Had such a pleasant surprise this morning when I got on the PC. My wife likes to change the cursor once in a while. Instead of just the plain little arrow, she's found a site to download creative little things to attach to the arrow. For example , prior to Valentine's Day, we had a little red heart, then she switched, of course, to a green shamrock. Today I got on and found that I am pointing to things with a gorgeous little pink rose. (Norma is extremely fond of roses.) I'll ask her later where she gets this stuff and pass it along to the rest of you. There are some areas where I do better on the computer than she does, but many areas where she is far better than I. What a team we are, and it's been like that for 35 years. But I digress.....

Note: forwarded message attached.

Please be aware that, due to ongoing financial constraints, the light at the end of the tunnel has been turned off for an indefinite time period.

Connie, you had asked me to post here what I found out in ontario the other day so I did just that. But danged if I see it posted on the board. Did you get it? Deb

A study published this week in the Journal of the American Medical Assn. (JAMA) found that high doses of Vitamin E can increase the risk of heart failure, especially in diabetics and those with who already have heart disease. A lot more research needs to be done, but the initial findings are alarming. Smaller doses such as found in daily multi-vitamins don't seem to create a problem, but stand alone doses of perhaps 400 mg or more are now suspect. I was alerted by a small piece in my local paper, but found lots more in a Google search using < Vitamin E + heart failure in group, and this may be new info for many of you. Tom

Took two pain pills and 1/2 of a xanax and got my daughter to drive me to my mammogram and sonogram appointment today! I was 2 months past mymandated 6 month checkup, because of the tenderness left by the bypass and gall bladder surgeries. Bad news....it still hurt in spite of the medication. Good news...no change in the appearance or size of the tumors in 8 months, so I don't have to go back for 1 year now. Glad it's over, and I SLEPT ALL AFTERNOON! Connie

Keep thinking about Steve telling me a few days ago about that 3 inch floppy I could have even tho it was useless or something like that Did you realize that there is a generic drug now available for this type of problem? Its called mycoxaphlopin Deb

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Debra, I read your joke. Blush. Are jokes like this really necessary? Well, ahh....ah...ah..YES!!! Signed, A dry calico

The judge ruled that I am the sole owner of the window and the 8 gargoyls that I saved. The mayor is realy pissed off. I had a leagal document drawn up giving these items to the historical socity so the city cannot sell them. They are to stay in our musium and be restored. They will be put on display as soon as they are restored. I can`t do anything with them. The window weights over 500lbs. The gargoyls weigh 75lbs a piece. I am proud to have saved them for all to see. I have no place to display them. My name will be on them as the donator. Now for the bad part. I did a lot of damage to my body pulling, pushing and lifting these things. I am on bed rest for a week and taking musle relaxers and vicodin for pain. I think this is a small price to pay for saving a piece of our citys history. They will be here next week to pick up the items. Steve Y.

Located in Rus' photo Album. These photos take up my free space, so I'll delete them every Friday or maybe stop posting them altogther. Haveto save space for other stuff. The jokes seem to be much more enjoyable anyway. Rus

Some if not most have probably sense this on but I thought I post it for anyone who hasn't. Obituary Today we mourn the passing of an old friend, by the name of Common Sense: Common Sense lived a long life but died in the United States from heart failure on the brink of the new millennium. No one really knows how old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He selflessly devoted his life to service in schools, hospitals, homes, factories helping folks get jobs done without fanfare and foolishness. For decades, petty rules, silly laws, and frivolous lawsuits held no power over Common Sense. He was credited with cultivating such valued lessons as to know when to come in out of the rain, why the early bird gets the worm, and that life isn't always fair. Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you earn), reliable parenting strategies (the adults are in charge, not the kids), and it's okay to come in second. A veteran of the Industrial Revolution, the Great Depression, and the Technological Revolution, Common Sense survived cultural and educational trends including body piercing and "new math." But his health declined when he became infected with the "If-it-only- helps-one-person-it's-worth-it" virus. In recent decades his waning strength proved no match for the ravages of well intentioned but overbearing regulations. He watched in pain as good people became ruled by self-seeking lawyers. His health rapidly deteriorated when schools endlessly implemented zero-tolerance policies. Reports of a six-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate, a teen suspended for taking a swig of mouthwash after lunch, and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student only worsened his condition. It declined even further when schools had to get parental consent to administer aspirin to a student but could not inform the parent when a female student was pregnant or wanted an abortion. Finally, Common Sense lost his will to live as the Ten Commandments became contraband, churches became businesses, criminals received better treatment than victims and federal judges stuck their noses in everything from the Boy Scouts to professional sports. Finally, when a woman, too stupid to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot, was awarded a huge settlement, Common Sense threw in the towel. As the end neared, Common Sense drifted in and out of logic but was kept informed of developments regarding questionable regulations such as those for low flow toilets, rocking chairs and stepladders. Common Sense was preceded in death by his parents, Truth and Trust, his wife Discretion, his daughter, Responsibility and his son, Reason. He is survived by two stepbrothers: My Rights, and Ima Whiner. Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone.

Good morning gang, I had to take off today because the power co. is coming out to reset 2 new poles and both are in my landscaping beds so I may have to do some quick digging and transplanting to save them. 3 are just switch grasses so I don't really worry about them, just a little goes a long way for those familiar with ornamental grasses, However the other 2 are a nine bark bush and the other is a mock orange we planted last year. It's a shame I have to take off today with the weather going to be sunny and 60 (sarcasm icon here), but we all have to make some sacrifices. Since I had my 45 minute walk already this morning at 6:00 am, I'm pretty much left to my own devices until the power co. comes at 9 or 9:30, (yeah sure prob closer to 12. Then it's into the woods to split some more wood I cut yesterday. I'm also slowly adding stuff to the databases as I run across stuff or the same questions asked several times over the past year or so. If anyone has any suggestions, please chime in. So If I get to wordy today, from boredom just tell me to shut up. :)

DIABETIC FRESH APPLE COOKIES 1 3/4 cup flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 cup butter 2 medium apples, chopped 1 egg 1 cup All Bran cereal 1 1/2 teaspoon sugar substitute 1/2 cup nuts, chopped Cream butter well. Add egg, beating well. Stir in sugar substitute. Combine dry ingredients and add. Stir in cereal. Stir in the apples and nuts. Drop by teaspoon on greased sheet. Bake at 375ºF. for 12 to 15 minutes or until done.

A man is new in town and finds a quiet neighborhood bar, sits down at the bar and orders a beer. After a few minutes, a guy at a table calls out "Twenty-seven!" and the whole place breaks into laughter. The man is quite puzzled at all this, but just sits there, quietly enjoying his beer. After a few more minutes, someone else calls out "Fifty-nine!", and, again, everyone in the whole place seems to think that's hilarious. The man really can't figure out what's going on, but still says nothing, and orders another beer. Soon, another patron yells out "Fifteen!", and, once again, there is laughter all around. Well, the man can't contain himself anymore and calls the bartender over and asks what is so funny about calling out numbers. The bartender explains, "You see, it's a pretty regular crowd, been coming here for years, been telling the same jokes over and over, and they're all still pretty funny. So, to make it easier, we assigned each joke a number, and now we just call the number instead of having to retell the joke." "I see," said the man, "very cute idea." He goes back to drinking his beer, and, after several minutes, turns to the crowd and calls out, "Twenty-seven!". No laughter, not even a snicker. He calls the bartender over and asks, "What happened? I heard that joke number called earlier and it got a huge laugh." The bartender answered, "Well, some people can tell a joke, and some just can't....."

Diabetic Cream Cheese Chocolate Fudge 2 pkg. (8 oz. ea.) cream cheese, softened 2 (1 oz. ea.) squares unsweetened chocolate, melted 1/2 cup Splenda sugar substitute 1 tsp. vanilla extract 1/2 cup chopped pecans In a small mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, chocolate, sweetener and vanilla extract until smooth. Stir in pecans. Pour into 8" square baking pan lined with foil. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Serve chilled. Cut into 16 squares.

GRAPHIC PHOTO! How Babies are Delivered. This is a really helpful photo for any of you who have kids, grandkids, nieces, nephews, godchildren actually, for anyone who spends even a little time with young children. Eventually, you'll have to face the "where do babies come from?" issue, and this picture is definitely worth a thousand words. But prepare yourself -- it's pretty explicit! You might want to look at it privately before sharing it with the children in your life. Don't delete, a must see! l l l V [INLINE] This is too adorable not to share! *

Dayton, Just got this from the wife, Fornby's Paint & Varnish remover, but any no name will do. The trick is to let it sit & let the remover do the work. It may bubble quickly, but it hasn't gotten all the paint, so don't scrape it until the 10-15 minutes has past. Don't work in the sun or the breeze, either. It will dry it up, before it works. We scrap with a putty knife and then use a hand sander if necessary. Rus

Yesterday I went up to watch them tear down my old high school that was built in 1866. My dad, me and 2 of my kids graudated from there. It has set abandoned for 15 years and was sold 3 times. It was sold to a demolition Co. to make way for a new Kroger Store. When it was half down I spotted an old stained glass window that was in my old Band room. I hoped the fence and got the forman that I knew. He got his crew to help me remove the window and bring it home. I now have a 10ftX 15ft stained glass window in my gurage. The city of Fostoria found out what I did and they want it back. The Mayor, city council and the historical socity are all on my ass. They are going to charge me with trespassing and theft. The school does not belong to the city anymore. It belongs to the demolition Co. who gave it to me. The Demo Co. lawyer is helping me keep it. If the city wanted it so bad why dident they take it out before it was sold. The Mayor wants to auction it off to buy books for the school. What should I do gang. The court will settle this. I risked my life to get the dam thing.I will NOT let some outsider get it that has no ties with my school. Our Mayor is from California and has no ties to our school Steve Y

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Top O' the mornin' to All. Rus, I love that particular Irish blessing, in fact I have a plaque hanging in my dining room with that one one it. My Irish always come's out today (on mother's side)and I do plan to be wearing green to work, corned beef already cooking in the crock pot for when I get home from work and I might sing a chorus or two of Danny Boy in the shower this morning. It's not going to rain or snow and the temps are going to be in the 40's so it's a great day for the parade. Since everyone is a wee bit o' Irish today, Enjoy!!!!! Estelle PS. There are so many posts I would love to answer but I just don't seem to have the time. But I read all and say a prayer for each and every one of you.

Barbee, Why can't I ever think of snappy comebacks like that! I mean I do, but it's usually AFTER the incident is over with! How funny... Connie Charlie & Barbee <mstrsn@... Subject: Nasty receptionist!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Connie Turner

A man was sick and tired of going to work every day while his wife stayed home. He wanted her to see what he went through so he prayed: "Dear Lord: I go to work every day and put in 8 hours while my wife merely stays at home. I want her to know what I go through, so please allow her body to switch with mine for a day. Amen. God, in his infinite wisdom, granted the man's wish. The next morning, sure enough, the man awoke as a woman. He arose,cooked breakfast for his mate, awakened the kids, Set out their school clothes, fed them breakfast, packed their lunches, Drove them to school, came home and picked up the dry cleaning, took it to the cleaners And stopped at the bank to make a deposit, went grocery shopping, Then drove home to put away the groceries, Paid the bills and balanced the checkbook. He cleaned the cat's litter box and bathed the dog. Then it was already 1 P.M. and he hurried to make the beds, do the laundry, vacuum, dust, and sweep and mop the kitchen floor. Ran to the school to pick up the kids and got into an argument with them on the way home. Set out milk and cookies and got the kids organized to do their homework, Then set up the ironing board and watched TV while he did the ironing. At 4:30 he began peeling potatoes and washing vegetables for salad, breaded the pork chops and snapped fresh beans for supper. After supper, he cleaned the kitchen, ran the dishwasher, folded laundry, bathed the kids, and put them to bed. At 9 P.M. he was exhausted and, though his daily chores weren't finished, he went to bed where he was expected to make love, which he managed to get through without complaint. The next morning, he awoke and immediately knelt by the bed and said, Lord, I don't know what I was thinking. I was so wrong to envy my wife's being able to stay home all day. Please, oh please, let us trade back." The Lord, in his infinite wisdom, replied, "My son, I feel you have learned your lesson and I will be happy to change things back to the way they were. You'll just have to wait nine months, though. You got pregnant last night." Voted Women's Favorite Email of the Year..

A nun wearing a full black habit is walking past a bar when a drunk stumbles out, sees her, and punches her in the face. Before she can scream, he lands a quick jab and finishes with an uppercut. she goes down, and the drunk starts kicking her in the sides. A few of his friends walk out of the bar, and as they pull him off the bloody nun, he yells, "You're not so tough, are you, Batman!"

A guy sticks his head into a barber shop and asks, "How long before I can get a haircut?" The barber looks around the shop and says, "About 2 hours. The guy leaves. A few days later the same guy sticks his head in the door and asks, "How long before I can get a haircut?" The barber looks around at the shop full of customers and says, "About 3 hours." The guy leaves. A week later the same guy sticks his head in the shop and asks, "How long before I can get a haircut?" The barber looks around the shop and says, About an hour and a half." The guy leaves. The barber looks over at a friend in the shop and says, "Hey, Bill, follow that guy and see where he goes. He keeps asking how long he has to wait for a haircut, but then doesn't come back." A little while later, Bill comes back into the shop, laughing hysterically. The barber asks, "Bill, where does he go when he leaves here?" Bill looks up and says, "Your house.

[INLINE] Steve! arcman52@...

Hello--- to all of my friends, long time no posting, but health problems you know! Any way I went back and have been doing some serious reading from this group--- what a bomb! Great stuff---- see you all later---- thought I could throw a different twist- a little humor- a little seriousness and a little inspiration----Steve P --5 X CABG, Cancer, 4 angiograms, numerous stressors---- ouch, --on the mend, Talk at you later!!!! Steve! arcman52@...

To all you warm and friendly people in this wonderful group, my electronic neighbors, I offer once again my favorite of the Irish Blessings that I posted earlier in the month: May the road rise up to meet you, May the wind be always at your back, May the sun shine warm upon your face, The rain fall soft upon your fields, And until we meet again May God hold you in the hollow of His hand.

Here in Central New York we had beautiful sunshine all day, temps in the mid 30's for the second day, 2 days in a row WITHOUT SNOW (a first in about 2 months), the snow cover is beginning to recede, it's 4 days until Spring on the calendar and even the weatherman admits that (but who believes him anyway), and to cap it off, on the way home from work I hear a small flock of birds chirping in a tree. LIFE IS GOOD! Tom

I will be lurking for a while. All the skin has come off my fingers from putting the brakes on my daughters car. Both thumbs and pointing fingers have no skin on them. This is from enscrewing and screwing the bolts by hand. My hands used to be tuff but now they are like a babys. Dam, It`s hard to type. Bandaids and a keyboard don`t work to well togather. Steve Y.

Well at least I spelled joke right and got my heavy pinkie off the shift key quicker for this subject line this time. :) Also the pic of the day is in the photo section in Rus' Album. Have a good day all Rus Dog vs. dog.... George Bush and Osama Bin Laden decided to settle the war once and for all. They sat down and decided to settle the whole dispute with one dog fight. They would have five years to breed the best fighting dog in the world and whichever side's dog won would be entitled to dominate the world. Osama found the biggest, meanest Doberman and Rottweiler female dogs in the world and bred them with the biggest, meanest Siberian wolves. They selected only the biggest and strongest puppy from each litter, removed his siblings, which gave him all the milk. After five years they came up with the biggest meanest dog the world had ever seen. Its cage needed steel bars that were five inches thick and nobody could get near it. When the day came for the dogfight, Bush showed up with a strange looking animal. It was a twelve foot long Dachshund. Everyone felt sorry for Bush because they knew there was no way that this dog could possibly last 10 seconds with the Afghanistani dog. When the cages were opened up, the Dachshund came out of its cage and slowly waddled over towards Osama's dog. Osama's dog snarled and leaped out of its cage and charged the American Dachshund -- but when it got close enough to bite the Dachshund's neck, the Dachshund opened its mouth and consumed Osama's dog in one bite. There was nothing left at all of his dog. Osama came up to Bush shaking his head in disbelief. "We don't understand how this could have happened. We had our best people working for five years with the meanest Doberman and Rottweiler female dogs in the world and the biggest, meanest Siberian wolves. " That's nothing", said Bush. "We had our best plastic surgeons working for five years to make that alligator look like a weenie dog." GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!!!!!!!

Gang, Since I work for the Federal Government, I can really understand this joke, cause we do love our meetings and studies and get a big kick out of it, but it probably aplies to other business' and life in general. Rus Dead Horses The tribal wisdom of the Dakota Indians, passes on from one generation to the next, says that when you discover that you are riding a dead horse, the best strategy is to dismount. But in government, because heavy factors are taken into consideration, other strategies are often tried with dead horses, including the following: 1. Buying a stronger whip. 2. Changing riders. 3. Threatening the horse with termination. 4. Appointing a committee to study the horse. 5. Arranging to visit other sites to see how they ride dead horses. 6. Lowering the standards so that dead horses can be included. 7. Reclassifying the dead horse as "living-impaired." 8. Hiring outside contractors to ride the dead horse. 9. Harnessing several dead horses together to increase speed. 10. Providing additional funding and/or training to increase the dead horse's performance. 11. Doing a productivity study to see if lighter riders would improve the dead horse's performance. 12. Declaring that the dead horse carries lower overhead and therefore contributes more to the bottom line than some other horses. 13. Rewriting the expected performance requirements for all horses. And, as a final strategy... 14. Promoting the dead horse to a higher position in the organization.

My condolences to any West Virginia fans in the group (I know there must be a couple) for the defeat that Syracuse U. gave them in the Big East Tournament last weekend. Now it's on to the NCAA's to see if they can repeat what they did 2 years ago - bet they blow it, but we around here can always hope. I'm not a super sports fan, but I do like to see SU do well, and they do give us some excitement around here. My wife is not thrilled, though, that the opening games will knock her soap operas off the air for a couple days - bummer. Tom

DON'T EVER STOP DREAMING YOUR DREAMS" Don't ever be reluctant to show your feelings when you're happy, give in to it. When you're not, live with it. Don't ever be afraid to try to make things better you might be surprised at the results. Don't ever take the weight of the world on your shoulders. Don't ever feel threatened by the future, take life one day at a time. Don't ever feel guilty about the past what's done is done. Learn from any mistakes you might have made. Don't ever feel that you are alone there is always somebody there for you to reach out to. Don't ever forget that you can achieve so many of the things you can imagine. ... It's not as hard as it seems. Don't ever stop loving don't ever stop believing, don't ever stop dreaming your dreams. --By Laine Parsons

A . A . A . D . D. Recently, I was diagnosed with A. A. A. D. D. - Age Activated Attention (also know as But First Disease) Deficit Disorder............................ This is how it manifests: I decide to wash my car. As I start toward the garage, I notice that there is mail on the hall table. I decide to go through the mail before I wash the car. I lay my car keys down on the table, put the junk mail in the trashcan under the table, and notice that the trashcan is full. So, I decide to put the bills back on the table and take out the trash first But then I think, since I'm going to be near the mailbox when I take out the trash anyway, I may as well pay the bills first. I take my checkbook off the table, and see that there is only one check left My extra checks are in my desk in the study, so I go to my desk where I find the can of Coke that I had been drinking. I'm going to look for my checks, but first I need to push the Coke aside so that I don't accidentally knock it over. I see that the Coke is getting warm, and I decide I should put it in the refrigerator to keep it cold. As I head toward the kitchen with the coke a vase of flowers on the counter catches my eye--they need to be watered. I set the Coke down on the counter, and I discover my reading glasses that I've been searching for all morning. I decide I better put them back on my desk, but first I'm going to water the flowers. I set the glasses back down on the counter, fill a container with water and suddenly I spot the TV remote. Someone left it on the kitchen table. I realize that tonight when we go to watch TV, I will be looking for the remote, but I won't remember that it's on the kitchen table, so I decide to put it back in the den where it belongs, but first I'll water the flowers. I splash some water on the flowers, but most of it spills on the floor. So, I set the remote back down on the table, get some towels and wipe up the spill. Then I head down the hall trying to remember what I was planning to do. At the end of the day: the car isn't washed, the bills aren't paid, there is a warm can of Coke sitting on the counter, the flowers aren't watered, there is still only one check in my checkbook, I can't find the remote, I can't find my glasses, and I don't remember what I did with the car keys. Then when I try to figure out why nothing got done today, I'm really baffled because I know I was busy all day long, and I'm really tired. I realize this is a serious problem, and I'll try to get some help for it, but first I'll check my e-mail. Do me a favor, will you? Forward this message to everyone you know, because I don't remember to whom it has been sent. Don't laugh -- if this isn't you yet, your day is coming! GROWING OLDER IS MANDATORY. GROWING UP IS OPTIONAL LAUGHING AT YOURSELF IS THERAPEUTIC!

Crazy huh......for many years, sex was great,then got too tired, wasn't that interested for some years, now, I ask where is it, how does a married lady solve this problem Donna, my last marriage was 27 yrs. Sex was never that great, you know, exciting etc but the closeness shared during it was the important part. When we divorced we had not had sex for about 9 yrs. It is important!! I do know exactly what you meant. In my marriage we also were dealing with the death of our son and my husbands alcohol problem and that made all things worse. If I were you I would do whatever it takes to bring back that kind of closeness within your marriage. And we both know that an erection isn't the only way to accomplish this. Whatever gets that closed door open do it! Talk to him about it openly. The hardest thing to overcome here is that initial time of reconnecting. The first time it might seem strange and you feel like its not worth the bother but every time its supposed to get easier and feel more like that love and desire for each other that you are missing. Go for it girl! Love each other in all ways. Sincerely, Debbie

I know this is strange, but has anyone had itchy ears?

Note: forwarded message attached.

Note: forwarded message attached.

I hope you don't follow through with your thought of posting no more jokes Rus, I for one look forward to the humour everyday and my family loves to hear me laugh out loud, they know that means I am getting better Gail

I'm really tired of discussing this subject and I'll think I'll just stop posting for awhile and lurk for awhile. I don't want to break up the chemistry of the group. If I post, I'll keep it short and strictlu to the point as long as it applies to heart bypass. I didn't want this joke thing to get so far out of hand. SOme of the folks here have a very limited sense of humor and this is the joke of the day forum, so I'll limited my responses to BYpass Surgery Recovery Support.

Well I've shot my mouth enough, but to my lousy meeting. Rus

A woman went into a funeral home to make arrangements for her husband's funeral. She told the director that she wanted her husband to be buried in a dark blue suit. He asked, "Wouldn't it just be easier to bury him in the black suit that he's wearing?""No," she insisted as she handed him a check to buy a dark blue suit. "It must be blue."When she came back for the wake,she saw her husband in the coffin, and he was wearing a beautiful blue suit. She told the director how much she loved the suit and asked how much it cost. He said, "Actually, it didn't cost anything. The funniest thing happened. As soon as you left, another corpse was brought in wearing a blue suit. I noticed that they were about the same size, and asked the other widow if she would mind if her husband were buried in a black suit. She said that was fine with her, so I switched the heads."

Gang, I just added a FAQ on Salt/Seasonings. This is at least the 2nd maybe the 3rd time this subject has come up since I've been here and it hard and time consuming to go back and try to find the answers, cause sometimes they are buried under different subject. I hope no one cares, but when a subject is brought up periodically and has a pretty straight forward answer it should be added. I hope no one cared. We can delete it if so. Rus

Ivanhoe Newswire) -- A simple white blood cell count may help predict which women ages 50 and older are at higher risk for heart disease and stroke. That's the key finding from a large study conducted by investigators from Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis. They set out to determine if inflammation as measured by white blood cell count may be able to identify women who would go on to develop cardiovascular disease. More than 72,000 women between ages 50 and 79 took part in the study. All were free of cardiovascular disease and cancer at the start of the research. The women were screened for white blood cell count and other cardiovascular disease risk factors including age, race, high blood pressure, smoking, diabetes, body mass index, physical activity, use of aspirin or hormone replacement therapy, and levels of C-reactive protein -- another marker for inflammation. The women were screened at the start of the study and were then followed for six years. The women were divided into four quartiles depending on their initial white blood cell counts. At the end of the study, results showed women with the highest counts had twice the risk of dying from heart disease than those with the lowest counts, even after results were adjusted to take the other risk factors, including C-reactive protein, into account. Those with the highest counts also had a 40- percent greater risk of having a nonfatal heart attack and a 46- percent greater risk of having a stroke. These women had a 50-percent higher risk of dying from any cause. The investigators believe these findings suggest a simple blood test to measure white blood cell counts could play an important role in the early identification of older women who are at risk for cardiovascular disease.

Donna, I hit "REPLY"...then, I type above the other messages. I then highlight and delete anything below that's not essential to the question I am replying to. If your husband HAS seen a doctor already, and is on so much medication that it still doesn't happen, then I don't know what else to suggest. Hope you feel better from your dental trips. I've got to call and get an appointment myself. Connie Donna Delaney <donnakaydelaney@... Hi all, Someone mentioned before my e-mails are a way lot of space used or something...how does everyone REPLY..hit reply, I usually start at the top of page and start writing with all the rest of at the bottom of the page. Just this time I noticed, it went all the way down to the bottom, then I started writing/typing. What does everyone do to reply?????? Connie, thanks for your concern, what do you mean by helping him? His amount of pain pills and depression pills, take all of libido away. Viagra doesn' t even work to have a erection. He is totally not interested in any sex at all. We kiss all the time, we hug a lot, he loves me to death, he respects me, I haven't made his breakfast/lunch for almost 40 years , started with me being nauseated at pregnacy 41-1/2 years ago, the eggs made me vomit, usually didn't even have time to close the door behind me...lol....so that ended that...lucky me...then a few years later, he was up at 4:30-5:00 to go to work,so he let me sleep, sleep, someone was always up in the middle of night, we sick, having a nightmare, wanting a drink a water, whatever, he got up with me then too, if they were sick...that was a major...being sick... We had 4 girls to tend to,babies and get the girls to school, make their lunches, fix their breakfast, which was my morning job, because he was gone and working 6 days a week. Connie Turner

Good morning gang, The pic of the day is in photos under Rus and below is the joke of the day. I almost got chauvinistic with my joke, but I fought the urge today :). Hope all is well with everyone. I've got a boring meeting from at least 8:30 am till 2 pm, what a drag. Enjoy the day. Rus Country boy in the Army Dear Ma and Pa: Am well. Hope you are. Tell Brother Walt and Brother Elmer the Army beats working for old Man Minch a mile. Tell them to join up quick before maybe all the places are filled. I was restless at first because you got to stay in bed till nearly 6 a.m. but am getting so I like to sleep late. Tell Walt and Elmer all you do before breakfast is smooth your cot and shine some things -- no hogs to slop, feed to pitch, mash to mix, wood to split, fire to lay. Practically nothing. You got to shave, but it is not bad in warm water. Breakfast is strong on trimmings like fruit juice, cereal, eggs, bacon, , etc., but kind of weak on chops, potatoes, beef, ham, steak, fried eggplant, pie and regular food. But tell Walt and Elmer you can always sit between two city boys that live on coffee. Their food plus yours holds you till noon, when you get fed. It's no wonder these city boys can't walk much. We go on "route marches," which, the Sgt. says, are long walks to harden us. If he thinks so, it is not my place to tell him different. A "route march" is about as far as to our mailbox at home. Then the city guys all get sore feet and we ride back in trucks. The country is nice, but awful flat. The Sgt. is like a schoolteacher. He nags some. The Capt. is like the school board. Cols. and Gens. just ride around and frown. They don't bother you none. This next will kill Walt and Elmer with laughing. I keep getting medals for shooting. I don't know why. The bull's-eye is near as big as a chipmonk and don't move. And it ain't shooting at you, like the Higsett boys at home. All you got to do is lie there all comfortable and hit it. You don't even load your own cartridges. They come in boxes. Be sure to tell Walt and Elmer to hurry and join before other fellows get onto this setup and come stampeding in. Your loving son, Zeb P.S.Speaking of shooting, enclosed is $200 for barn roof and ma's teeth. The city boys shoot craps, but not very good

Two Muslims

Connie, I have to get a referral from my pac to see the cardio until I reach 65 and then I can use anyone without a referral as long as they take medicare. At 65 medicare will be my primary insurance and Blue Cross my secondary insurance so I won't have to use a blue cross provider anymore. Thanks for the information. Think since my problems are mostly just pains and mental, I will push again for the annual cardio visit. Ann

Debbie, We use No Salt, BUT it is all Potassium & I have heard that Potassium has a different effect on the heart. I have been wanting to check this out. One thing I noticed is...if the meat is really spicy, then we all need less No salt to begin with. So we use Mrs. Dash. There are a lot of different flavorings They are saltless & no MSG. The other spice Rus uses (even on top of the Mrs. Dash) are the white pepper, garlic pepper, lemon pepper, etc. The whole extended family loves & uses the garlic pepper now and if you grind your own, the flavor is richer & stronger. Rus & Wife

Today I put new brake pads and roters on my daughters car. I am so stiff and sore I can hardly move. My arms and hands are shaking so bad I can hardly type. This is what gets me down. I enjoy this type of work but I have to pay like hell for doing it. Steve Y.

Gang, In my photo album called Rus, I put a picture joke of the day. Thought I'd try this. Each will only stay up for a few days. Rus

Hilarious, Steven! Loved it! Have we opened the door to blonde jokes in here though? That could be dangerous - there are thousands of them out there, and I can't even count how many are in my own files. I will try to resist the temptation...... Tom

Note: forwarded message attached.

Good morning all....guess everyone is sleeping in today! No posts! It's a beautiful Sunday morning....rise and shine! I won't be at the computer again until later tonight....gotta go to my Mom's today. High winds (possible tornado?...or straight line...not sure?) destroyed one of her small barns about 2 1/2 weeks ago. Took tin all over her acreage, and one panel slashed through 4 panels of a larger barn. Hubby has to go up there and do some clean up, repair, and tear down. It's been too wet the last two weekends to attempt it, so on this glorious sun shiney weekend...we have to "make hay while the sun shines"...instead of relaxing and enjoying it! Bummer!!! But most of us with elderly parents (both of our are widows living on farms) understand how often we are running to do for them instead of not doing the things we need done at home! Enjoy your families today! Gail....you, especially! Connie Connie Turner

I'm not a big fan of the man, but I certain wish him no ill will,and I'm glad to see that he is doing well. His celebrity status brought a great deal of publicity to his condition and his surgeries, all of which is good. Heart disease is the nation's #1 killer and gets plenty of medical and research attention. However, the media spotlight was suddenly focused on bypass surgery, and people learned that, although it is complex, it is not as risky as many believed, recovery to a full productive level is possible, and complications like Mr. Clinton's are somewhat rare. We CABG patch kids all knew this stuff, but what newspaper or TV station was about to run our stories? We can all fully empathize with him, and it has all turned out for the best. Tom "Life is a banquet! And most poor suckers are starving to death."

Hi Everyone, Just wanted to let you know I am home and not doing too badly. Thanks for all your prayers and concerns. Hope to be in touch more in a few days Gail

went down again at 6AM this morning. He was out about 30 seconds, lost bladder control then started breathing again. He is now up running around as if nothing is wrong. The depression and suspence is killing me. Steve Y.

Good morning all, It's cold and snowy here in southern Ohio this morning. Time for a little quiz. Your on the honor system when it comes to grading your own test. Everyone have a good weekend. Rus 1. In 1970: American University of Beirut President, Malcolm Kerr, was murdered in Beirut, Lebanon by: a. Huey, Dewie and Louie b. Heckle and Jeckle c. Sylvester and Tweetie or d. Muslim male "extremists" mostly between the ages 17 and 40. 2. In September 1970, TWA Flight #741 and Pan Am Flight #93 were hijacked by: a. The Marx Bros. b. The Smothers Bros. c. The Franciscan Brothers or d. Muslim Male "extremists" mostly between the ages of 17 and 40 (in the case of the so-called Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) who then flew the planes to Ammam, Jordan). 3. In 1972, 11 Israeli athletes were killed in the Munich Olympics by: a. Grandma Moses b. The night cleaning crew at Rockefeller Center c. Invaders from Mars or d. Muslim Male "extremists" mostly between the ages of 17 and 40. 4. In March 1973, U.S. Ambassador Cleo Noel & DCM George Moose were murderd in Khartoum Sudan by: a. Tom & Jerry b. Ben & Jerry c. Dean & Jerry d. Muslim Male "extremists" mostly between the ages of 17 and 40 5. In June 1976 U.S. Ambassador, Francis Meloy and Two other Americans were killed in Lebanon by: a. The Lennon Sisters b. The Pointer Sisters c. The Sisters of Mercy d. Muslim Male "extremists" mostly between the ages of 17 and 40 6. In 1979, The U.S. Embassy in Iran was taken over and embassy officials held hostage for 14 months by: a. Norwegians from the Lichen Herbarium of the Univeristy of Oslo; b. Elvis; c. A tour bus filled with 80-year-old women; or d. Muslim Male "extremists" mostly between the ages of 17 and 40 7. In April 1983, U.S. Embassy in Beirut was attacked with 49 killed and 120 wounded by: a. The Three Stooges b. The Three Muskateers c. The Three Blind Mice or d. Muslim Male "extremists" mostly between the ages of 17 and 40 8. In October 1983, the U.S. Marine barracks in Beiruit was blown up killing 241 U.S. Marines and injuring hundreds of others by: a. A Pizza delivery boy; b. Crazed Feminists complaining that having to throw a grenade is the beyond it's burst radius in basic training was an unfair and sexist job requirement; c. Geraldo Rivera making up for a slow news day; or d. Muslim Male "extremists" mostly between the ages of 17 and 40 9. In June 1984, TWA flight #847 to Athens was hijacked to Beirut and U.S. Navy diver Robert Stethem was brutally murdered by: a. Alan King; b. Rodney King; c. B.B. King; or d. Muslim Male "extremists" mostly between the ages of 17 and 40 10. September 1984, William Buckley, CIA station chief in Beirut, was kidnapped tortured and murdered by: a. Jerry Lewis b. Carl Lewis; c. Shari Lewis; or d. Muslim Male "extremists" mostly between the ages of 17 and 40 11. Also in September 1984, The U.S. embassy annex in East Beirut was bombed and two American's were killed by: a. Hugh Grant b. Cary Grant; c. Ulysses S. Grant; or d. Muslim Male "extremists" mostly between the ages of 17 and 40 12. In October 1985, the Achille Lauro cruise ship was hijacked and an elderly American man (Leon Klinghoffer) in a wheelchair was ruthlessly murdered by: a. The Vienna Boys Choir b. The Harlem Globetrotters c. The French Foreign Legion; or d. Muslim Male "extremists" mostly between the ages of 17 and 40 13. In September 1986 Pam Am Flight #73 was hijacked in Karachi, Pakistan and 17 people were killed, 150 wounded by: a. A Polish Polka Band b. A Spanish flamenco troupe c. A group of Argentinean gauchos or d. Muslim Male "extremists" mostly between the ages of 17 and 40 14. In February 1988: William Higgins kidnapped in Lebannon and murdered by: a. Members of the AARP b. Members of the AAA c. Members of AA or d. Muslim Male "extremists" mostly between the ages of 17 and 40 15. In December 1988, Pan Am flight 103 was bombed and 270 people killed by: a. Luca Brazzi, for not being given part in "God Father 2" b. The Tooth Fairy; c. Bunch and Sundance, who had a few sticks of dynamite left from their train mission; or d. Muslim Male "extremists" mostly between the ages of 17 and 40 16. In 1993, the World Trade Center was bombed, six killed, hundreds injured by: a. The entire cast of "Cats"; b. Martha Stewart c. Cheese-crazed tourists from Wisconsin; or d. Muslim Male "extremists" mostly between the ages of 17 and 40 17. In March 1995, Americans employees of the U.S. consulate in Karachi, Pakistan were killed in response to arrest in the World Trade Center bombing suspect by: a. Royal Canadian Mounties; b. Mexican Mariachis c. Peruvian Indians; or d. Muslim Male "extremists" mostly between the ages of 17 and 40 18. In November 1995, U.S. troops were attacked in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and five Americans were killed by: a. A Hassidic Rabbi; b. A Jesuit Preist c. An Amish Farmer; or d. Muslim Male "extremists" mostly between the ages of 17 and 40 19. In June 1996, U.S. Marine barracks in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia bombed; 19 Americans were killed by: a. Sigfried and Roy after having been mistaken for Liberace impersonators b. Shannon Dougherty c. Anna Nicole Smith; or d. Muslim Male "extremists" mostly between the ages of 17 and 40 20. In 1998, the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania were bombed by: a. Mr. Rogers; b. Hillary, to distract attention from Wild Bill's women problems; c. The World Wrestling Foundation to promote its next villain "Mustapha the Merciless"; or d. Muslim Male "extremists" mostly between the ages of 17 and 40 21. On October 12, 2000, the USS Cole was attacked, 17 crew members were killed and 39 others injured by: a. The little old lady from Pasadena; b. A coalminers daughter; c. The Swiss Guard d. Muslim Male "extremists" mostly between the ages of 17 and 40 22. 09/11/01, four airlines were hijacked and destroyed by: a. Bugs Bunny, Wil E. Coyote, Daffy Duck, and Elmer Fudd. b. The U.S. Supreme Court, c. Barney; or d. Muslim Male "extremists" mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

Donna, I am so sorry to hear how bad things are for you right now. I have done real well with my depression the past few years BUT since everything that has happened to Charlie since Dec. I am really struggeling. Plus, I am cutting back on my meds, not stopping them, just cutting back because I can not afford mine with Charlie being on 12 right now. I have to get his. I sent his off for the three month fill, so next month I will not have to fill any of his and I can order mine. Right now with no money coming in the and bills being due, plus everything else that seems to be happening with family and friends. Yesterday, I just felt like I was falling, really fast. I have not been sleeping well the past week too. I have been out looking for work, since Charlie can not work any longer. We have not heard from SSDI, yet. It has been nine years since I have worked outside the home. So this is a real challenge. I am not a skinny young chic, and that seems to be what everyone wants or what all my competion is. Not an old worn out, gray haired, 49 year old, grandma. lol It very well could be that the tylenol is messing with your meds. Call the doctor and ask and maybe they can give you something else. Keep us posted. If it gets too bad and you just want to talk we are here for you. Hugs, Barbee

Hi and thanks Barbee, sometimes we need to hear about other peoples problems too, makes one feel better, somehow....crazy... Good Luck looking for a job, are you experienced in anything besides being married and raising kids? I did mostly office secretary and accounting positions. My last job was at a ACE Hardware STore, I really liked that, being on the floor, talking to everyone in the neighborhood, helping people, cashiering. didn't pay a lot but it was fun. Then I went into the office for accounting, guess I talk to much..lol...but I missed all the customers too. I also worked at a College Post Office, that was pretty good too, like the contact with all the students, waiting for their previous mail and sending out more. Valentines' Day was a wild and fun place in the post office. Now I'm 60....nobody wants me, lol.... I don't think I could work anymore, just to tired all the time, too many problems still going on. I applied for SSDI in 2002 but got turned down, then I'm just starting to apply again. In 2002, I was having heart failure problems but didn't know it. Now diabetes, RH, anemia, heart disease, 2 hearts attacks, triple bypass. Do you think I would quailfy? I know they are tough, maybe heart cornary stuff is enough??? Does anyone else get SSDI??? Donna Roseville, Mn

Once upon a time, there was a nonconformist sparrow who decided not to fly south for the winter. However, soon the weather turned so cold that he reluctantly started to fly south. In a short time, ice began to form on his wings and he fell to earth in a barnyard, almost frozen. A cow passed by and crapped on the little sparrow. The sparrow thought it was the end. But the manure warmed him and defrosted his wings. Warm and happy, able to breathe, he started to sing. Just then a large cat came by and, hearing the chirping, investigated the sounds. The cat cleared away the manure, found the chirping bird, and promptly ate him. THE MORAL OF THE STORY: 1. Everyone who craps on you is not necessarily your enemy. 2. Everyone who gets you out of the crap is not necessarily your friend. 3. If you're warm and happy in a pile of crap, KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT!

If it's jokes the folks like, allow me to join you, Rus, in maybe making a few smiles. See my next post..... (I cleaned it up slightly) Tom

Tom, Glad you find the article useful. I signed up for news reports from Mayo Clinic years ago and get some really good reports each week. Wanted to pass it along to those who may have questions. Barbee

Hi Does anyone know about Linus Pauling discovery of a very simple formula which is said to clean out the arteries. High doses of vitamin c and somethingelse, is it snake oil? Sorry if i keep posing questions about these unknown people, i guess its because i'm always searching for alternatives for my dad who had a triple bypass and has not yet fully recovered after more than a year. He still has some kind of swelling now close to his little toe and he tells me that the pain is terrible, the vein was also taken out of his other leg. The GP thought it was gout and to let it pass, but i always thought gout attacked the joints. He cant take any pain meds because he has low functioning kidneys also. RIchard

Deb, Even if you don't plant something, sometimes bird or small animal droppings will leave seeds behind. I had a huge pot with soil in it, but no plant, and something started growing in it! Turned out to be poke salad....you know, like grows wild in the woods, and some Southern people eat it! Had to have come from bird poop! It's been growing there for 4 years now. And last year, the squirrels got into Mark's storage building where he has his deer feeder, and got into the corn. I had a small corn patch of three plants growing in my backyard under the oak tree....and I didn't plant that. Even some tomato seed may have dropped out of a hamburger someone ate out on the patio, and created your miracle plant. Connie Connie Turner

Hi all, I recently turned 50, male and quit smoking about 6 weeks ago ( yay!). Went to see a doctor for a cramp in my lower right calf when walking longer distances and it turned out to be a blockage of the rt femoral artery 100%. The surgeon then sent me for stress test and carotid artery doppler and ct scan. Carotids 50% blocked on right and less than 40 on left, no surgery suggested. Thalium type stress test showed large blockage when stressed and went for cardiac cath last week which confirmed a blockage of 100% in LAD. No symptoms as far as I can see however, that is no chest pain of any kind etc. The surgeon recommended mammary to lad single bypass, minimally invasive beating heart surgery. I researched the net and it looked as though my chest would not be cracked open. However when I spoke to him over the weekend he told me yes in fact my breastbone would be openned. He was kind enough to allow me access to him on the weekend but I wanted to ask him then what did he mean when he said "minimally invasive", ? I am suffering major anxiety over this and have postponed his recommendation for surgery ( he wanted to do the surgery right away). I saw the cardiologist yesterday who did the cath test and when I told him the surgery was scheduled for next week he remarked " hmmm not wasting any time" and seemed a little surpised to me but of course I could be wrong. He also gave me a prescription of beta blockers and lipitor. ( my cholestrol was 225) I guess I would like to get another opinion, find out what this minimally invasive surgery really means and if not available here where I am, then I'd be willing to go to where it is available assuming my insurance would take care of most of it. How do you ask a surgeon to postpone a surgery, and not alienate him by telling him you would like to get another opinion?? Oh, I was told the surgery would be about 2 hours, I'd be in the hospital 2-3 days, recoup in 4-6 weeks. That I am lucky. ( I don't feel lucky) Thank you very much for any guidance, or experience you can help me with.

Sorry, Deb I forgot to tell you my meds yesterday... I took all of these prior to bypass: Zyrtec 10 mg 1 x pm (allergy) Synthroid 88mcg 1 x am (thyroid) Estradial 2 mg 1 x every other am (hormone...we're weaning) Ditropan XL 15 mg 1 x am (bladder spasm) Lexapro ( 10 mg....but I'm only taking 1/2 tab a day, 'cause I'm getting some of what I need in the Zelnorm) (depression) * I also took Lipitor prior to bypass, and 1/2 the dosage of Altace that I now take. * I'm suppose to take Fosomax....but I forget to! It's a once a week tablet for bones. I take these since the gastro problems began after bypass: Zelnorm 6 mg 2 x day (colon spasm) Nexium 40 mg 1 x am (acid reflux) I take all of these since bypass, and they are all related to blood pressure, cholestral, statin, lasix/potassium for edema....all that heart stuff: Altace 10 mg 2 in am and 2 in pm Zocor 40 mg 1 x pm Metoprolol 50 mg 1/2 tab 2 x day Klor-con 10meg 1 x am (potassium) Furosemide 20 mg 1 x am (lasix) Tricor 54mg 1 x am I have Xanax for anxiety as needed, and Ambien for sleep when needed (been a long time since I need that one....or the pain pills I have) But I may need the pain pills tonight I was lugging 40 pound bags of potting soil yesterday and today. I will pay for it....LOL Mark felt like he was coming down with a coworkers flu yesterday......sure hope not! But I'm keeping my distance from him....no kissy last night! He didn't look very good and was coughing. He had to go to a new plant to work this week, and guess he's picking up new germs he's not used to there! It's beautiful in Texas today! Sun is shining, and I'm going out to plant some tomato plants. Y'all all have a wonderful weekend! Connie debra j cruz <her_timid_heart@... My meds are: Vicodine Vicodine And more vicodine Ecotrin 325 mg Metoprolol 50 mg 2x daily (beta blocker for long q.t. Not for bypass Lovastatin 20 mg zestril 2.5 mg (kidney protector) pepcid 20 mg 2x (stomach protector) xanax as needed ativan as neededflexeril 10 mg as needed micronaise10 mg (diabetes) glucophage 850mg x2 (diabetes) Lantus 2to8 units, depending on last two days fasting sugars (diabetes) PREMARIN (I wish!!!!!!!) I need to take a break now and find something to kill!!!!!!!!!! Connie Turner

Rita and Donna, I don't have the problem with my feet that y'all do, because I'm not diabetic. I have had swelling, gout, lots of cramps, and broken bones in my feet throughout the years. I occasionally use something that I wondered if it would bring relief to y'all too. They are made like houseshoes (bootie type) in a velveteen material, but you don't walk around with them, you can only use them when resting, because they are made on the same concept as the herbal/rice pillows I use on my neck/back/chest/wherever it hurts. Except in this case, the soles of the booties are filled with the herbal/rice. I've mentioned in the past that I heat these pillows in the microve, but both the pillows and the booties can be kept in the freezer also. With what you described as your feet feeling hot/pink with fever, I wonder if booties like this, chilled would bring relief? I bought these booties a couple of years back after seeing them on the Oprah show. I got mine from Drugstore.com. I haven't checked to see if they are still available there, but if they are not, they may be available elsewhere on the net, or at health stores. Just a thought... Connie rita_p44 <rita_p44@... Yep..that is why l am up....toes and soles on my feet...feel like l have a fever...they hot pink too...

During my recovery my wife took good care of me . She waited on me hand and foot. But after I got well she had to go back to work to pay the bills. Now I do all the cooking, cleaning, make beds and laundry. This is the only way I can pay her back. I bought her a new car and let her pick it out since she is the only one that can drive it. She has no work to do in the h