tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8965992396463811283.comments2021-04-28T02:30:27.192-07:00Heads nor TailsUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger215125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8965992396463811283.post-53895570744081775302015-09-08T14:41:52.107-07:002015-09-08T14:41:52.107-07:00The child, it turns out, was named "Johnny St...The child, it turns out, was named "Johnny Staples." I found mention and an old photograph with the Utah State Historical Society. So have a thought for little Johnny Staples, who is remembered.The Authorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06045836340288898892noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8965992396463811283.post-33027125570238568822014-09-18T05:35:26.254-07:002014-09-18T05:35:26.254-07:00although I think home school can be great, it is g...although I think home school can be great, it is good to give the boy a taste of the real world. At home he is the center of the universe. He needs to be able to cope in a world were he is not. Best of luck to hom. Glad he is making friends.Merikayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05378095339747943548noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8965992396463811283.post-84318239046733963492014-07-11T03:39:43.860-07:002014-07-11T03:39:43.860-07:00Hey, I appreciate your offering suggestions. I th...Hey, I appreciate your offering suggestions. I think positively a lot of the time, which is why I keep trying--I always expect things to turn out okay, even if I'm scared to death they won't. As for the "parking a mile away," not possible--this is an area thick with HOAs and high-density housing--even to park a mile away on the side of the road, we have to have "visitor passes," which must be obtained well in advance and we are only permitted a certain number of "visitor parking nights" per year. Seriously. There is no such thing as "open, on the street parking" in this area--every last spot is either visitor parking (permit required) or resident parking (decal required). Or limited one-two hour parking in front of businesses. The commuter lot is the closest, and I'm not sure about their overnight policy. I AM sure that my husband can't walk five miles every morning and another five every night on top of his 3+ hour a day commute. "Exercise opportunity?" Yikes.<br /><br />And no, we don't own bikes. <br /><br />I put a lot of thought into things, and I pride myself on my ability to look at things from a number of angles in search of solutions. The solution here is "get the decal in time." And for that to happen, we need for the state to get our new IDs and new registration to us in time. <br /><br />Sorry if I sound snippy. It almost seemed like you were saying we hadn't really put any thought into this. If the answer was something as simple as "park a mile away and walk in," we'd have already determined to do that. Give us a little credit.Mumbleshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06018218539392699050noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8965992396463811283.post-9835661659355771672014-07-10T19:10:13.496-07:002014-07-10T19:10:13.496-07:00They have to have some sort of temporary permit. O...They have to have some sort of temporary permit. Or if they don't perhaps you will have to park mile away and walk in. Anything can be dealt with. Think postitively for a change. Look at it as an exercise opportunity. Do you or your husband have a bike? Drop everyone off , park remotly, and bike in. If you get towed it will be your own choice to take the risk.Merikayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05378095339747943548noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8965992396463811283.post-41688447926952092212014-07-10T13:24:28.496-07:002014-07-10T13:24:28.496-07:00Oh, gosh, I just realized! "Chicken Malibu?&...Oh, gosh, I just realized! "Chicken Malibu?" Malibu Chicken from Sizzler! Love, love, LOVE that! Dipped in a mayo and mustard blend!Mumbleshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06018218539392699050noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8965992396463811283.post-75654218371706419482014-07-02T05:24:00.219-07:002014-07-02T05:24:00.219-07:00This comment has been hidden from the blog.Merikayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05378095339747943548noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8965992396463811283.post-27410015055791797922014-04-24T06:36:37.989-07:002014-04-24T06:36:37.989-07:00Johnny! It was Johnny! Johnny! It was Johnny! Mumbleshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06018218539392699050noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8965992396463811283.post-70088845925202256012014-03-15T08:28:29.946-07:002014-03-15T08:28:29.946-07:00I never did see the sense in them. Going fast and ...I never did see the sense in them. Going fast and taking risks I guess. Kid or not. Merikayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05378095339747943548noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8965992396463811283.post-35556654785059302672013-12-07T19:42:45.877-08:002013-12-07T19:42:45.877-08:00I like knowing where I came from, and I like old p...I like knowing where I came from, and I like old photos of relatives. It's interesting to see that my one crooked tooth in the front has been recurring at least as far back as my great-grandfather, as well as my protruding lower lip. He had that same lip! :) And in America, so many people know that they are "white" or "latino" or "black" but after doing a bit of research, we can actually apply some culture and tradition to it. I'm German, and Irish, and my hispanic half-siblings are Mexican and Cherokee, as well as Irish. It gives me something to be proud of besides my race. Race means nothing, culture means a lot.<br />I recently stumbled across some old family photos going back to the 1870s, which would have been lost to time if they hadn't been labeled. A woman bought them at an antique shop in a state that none of my family lives, and since they were marked, she posted them online and I was able to find them. Amazing! On the other hand, I have pictures of my Ex's relatives from 1915 that were only labeled with the year. Why do I have them? Because his family tossed them since they didn't know who they were. PirateHeatherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06605736515492873293noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8965992396463811283.post-25806051189435112662013-12-05T02:52:12.333-08:002013-12-05T02:52:12.333-08:00For me, it's exactly because they're dead ...For me, it's exactly because they're dead that it has some value--they're gone, and if no one chronicles their lives, then they're lost to time. I like the idea of making some note of their lives. Plus, it's history, plain and simple--what I have learned just in the past week about everything from the Somme in WWI to U-boats torpedoing steamers, the harsh life of Welsh Sailors to the naming conventions for inheriting nobles could fill a book, and I've never been a slouch when it comes to history. When I transcribe a headstone that tells me a woman lost her husband and eldest son in one shipwreck, her next son in another shipwreck, yet another son in a shipwreck, and the last in a mine disaster, I get insight into not just that woman's existence, but the plight of folks in that place and time in general. And the inscriptions sometimes do tell me a lot about how the survivors, many of whom eventually wind up on the same stone, thought and felt. <br /><br />You know me, I'm not looking for any grand religious purpose here, there's no tracing back to Charlemagne (or Adam and Eve, LOL!), but seeing where my family came from helps me to see where I came from, and, more importantly to me, it helps me to make those people remembered in some small way. To me, that's really all we leave behind is a memory of us.<br /><br />:-)<br />Mumbleshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06018218539392699050noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8965992396463811283.post-35648043750410581692013-12-03T08:19:52.681-08:002013-12-03T08:19:52.681-08:00I respect peoples interest in knowing the names of...I respect peoples interest in knowing the names of the dead, but I will never quite understand why it is important.<br /><br />for medical reasons? If a horrible genetic disease is going to be passed on down thru generations, the decendents will either get it or not. Knowing, rarely makes a difference.<br /><br /><br />for inhearatance? I someone several generations back was very rich, it is still unlikely to discover some long hidden treasure that one might be elegible for.<br /><br />Old cementaries, are just land. The dead bodies are long gone. <br /><br />I think the dead are dead, and although there is a very good reason to bury. them, knowing who was burried where long ago is just not important.<br /><br /><br />My grandson is currently doing a research project on his family tree. On one side he can trace back to the 1600's, on the other only to the 1800's. the main thing is they are all dead.<br /><br />THe positive I see in the project is the interaction between the living members of the family. He is talking with his parents and his granparents about something. He is learning to do research and how to put together a comprehensive report from several sources.<br /><br />Now if he could learn more about what these people thought or their reasons for immigration from their homelands, that would be interesting. What their names were is not.<br /><br /><br />To me geneology can be a fun hobby, but is as relevant as who begot who in the bible. Who cares?<br /><br />PLEASE do not take this as a "dis". Everyone has their own interests, I just try to understand them.Merikayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05378095339747943548noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8965992396463811283.post-57982634114535029792013-11-13T15:29:58.219-08:002013-11-13T15:29:58.219-08:00I find it outrageous that dental care, which is, l...I find it outrageous that dental care, which is, let's face it, MEDICAL care, is so astoundingly expensive and so poorly covered by insurance plans. I remember back when I was a kid, and dental was just a part of your medical insurance, and it covered everything! By the time I was in my late 20s, it covered most things. By my late thirties? Even after insurance, a root canal was 600 bucks, and my husband's dentures were a rocking two grand AFTER insurance. And now? Our boy's going to require dental surgery and braces at some point, and possible a retainer with tooth, and our "insurance" will only cover 30%. It's astounding, it's a disgrace.Mumbleshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06018218539392699050noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8965992396463811283.post-54939021713248102522013-11-13T08:53:31.169-08:002013-11-13T08:53:31.169-08:00It could be worse. We have no dental insurance. ...It could be worse. We have no dental insurance. Next week I will be paying over $5000 for a bridge replacement. This is in addition to the $500 I payed last spring for some prep and a temporary bridge, plus $475 for a oral surgen to remove a tiny root fragement that broke off last spring.<br /><br />Craig needs some proceedure on the two lower front teeth. He got an estimate, for which he had to pay a $135 office visit cost of $1400 for the procedure. That is with our senior and Cash payment discount. He has contacted a couple of dentists in mexico. Their estimate is $400.<br /><br />If it hadn't been for the root fragement that I didn't have out until last week, I should have looked to going to Mexico too.Merikayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05378095339747943548noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8965992396463811283.post-82603248450870136392013-11-10T00:24:21.870-08:002013-11-10T00:24:21.870-08:00When I was very young, I read the original novel t...When I was very young, I read the original novel that "The Fox and the Hound" was based on. I read a lot of other novels that were later raped by Walt Disney, such as "Bambi" and "Bambi's Children" and "101 Dalmatians" and found all of them to be very good, I can see why the Disney company knew they'd sell. Anyway, the F&tH ends with the fox, having survived the deaths of two mates, the urbanization of his territory, and years of hunting, stubbornly sticking to his old stomping grounds until he collapses of exhaustion after leading the hound on a final, epic hunt. The hound is nursed back to health but the hunter has to put him down due to old age. It is heartbreaking, but the part that made me the saddest was the urbanization of the farmland and the fox's territory. I am weird, I guess. Come to think of it, so is Disney, why would they choose such a realistic and tragic tale to Disnify? The point I was trying to make is that your neighborhood fox will hopefully adapt and survive the loss of his pond and prey, although an urban fox is a sad thing. <br />Final note:Doan is my nephew, my brother named him after another Doan that he was friends with in high school, but none of us knows where that name came from and we mock him endlessly. My brother, not the poor baby he named. I call him Doanut. Donut has a half-brother named Rynden, I call him Ring-Ding but that's sounding mean because he's chubby. Then there is a half sister named Kylir but they call her Mimi. I don't get it either. :)PirateHeatherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06605736515492873293noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8965992396463811283.post-41971697492452760132013-10-28T11:41:11.230-07:002013-10-28T11:41:11.230-07:00You're right about pitbulls. Most of the crazy...You're right about pitbulls. Most of the crazy, unpredictable dogs that I've met have been pitbull mixes, not pure bred, and they didn't have bad owners. When I was 10, my German Shepherd was attacked by a pack of them, but they were from a very bad owner who'd been training them to attack dead animals in his back yard. They completely ignored the kids playing outside, and went for my dog. She survived but needed surgery and a lot of stitches.<br />My defense of pitbulls, is that most of them are not crazy, and they can be very sweet. I think if you've had one for years and it's never turned on you or anyone else, you can trust him. Not, "let him babysit the toddler" trust, but you probably don't have to lock him up when friends come over.<br />My brother was mauled by a dog when he was little, the dog was an Afghan, and it mauled two other kids and bit some adult neighbors before he was finally put down. Also, my friend's dog was attacked by a pack of dogs - Jack Russell terriers, that did almost as much damage as that pack of bullies that got my dog. So, there are other breeds or just other dogs in general that you have to watch out for, but different breeds do have different traits, They are bred for their personalities as much as their physical characteristics, and pit bulls are bred for fighting, physically and mentally. If you get one that is crazy, he's not going to get better, he's going to get worse. Sad, but true.<br />I think I heard a woman call her son "Radisson" while I was at the store yesterday. Yeah.<br />I know the photographer you speak of, he does make beautifully fake pictures. Not just of Ogden, he seems to travel, but I don't trust his photos of other cities, either. That said, I like Ogden more than you do. I've lived other places, and Ogden isn't the best, but it ain't the worst, either. The winter air is ridiculous though, and I'm sick of the locals blaming it on the mountains and the inversion and never admitting that we allow polluters to foul up what ought to be a pleasant place to live.<br />Oh, and witchcraft? Bullshit, utter, complete bullshit. The history behind it is all made up to suit their stories. Druids never wrote anything down, so it's impossible that you're carrying on their traditions. Salem didn't have any witches, it had some asshole teenagers and some religious prudes that combined lethally for a few unliked women, and one man. Gypsies use "magic" to fleece, and yes, "gyp" gullible folks out of their money. It's all bullshit. If you want to do it for fun, admit that it's for fun and don't ever call it "fact" because there are NO facts behind any of it.PirateHeatherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06605736515492873293noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8965992396463811283.post-40159736211545554012013-10-26T12:33:09.025-07:002013-10-26T12:33:09.025-07:00That's the crazy thing--it's not a "t...That's the crazy thing--it's not a "tumor" at all. There's no walls, no lines of demarcation, no encapsulation at all. There is nothing that sets this apart, radiologically/imaging-wise, from the surrounding adipose tissue. It IS adipose tissue, and it's a part of the surrounding layer of fat--it isn't in any way different or set apart. In fact, all you can see on the x-ray, the ultrasound, or the MRI is a dent and bump in the fat--same as you can see from the outside with the naked eye. There's no tumor, this isn't a lipoma. So yeah, biopsy. Definitely.Mumbleshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06018218539392699050noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8965992396463811283.post-84187280471737300182013-10-25T03:09:33.297-07:002013-10-25T03:09:33.297-07:00I was just listening to David Sedaris, telling a s...I was just listening to David Sedaris, telling a story about a lump he found that turned out to be a fatty tumor. He was living in Paris, utilizing their great health care, and the doctor told him, "It's a fatty tumor, dogs get them all the time!" So, I hope it is just a fatty tumor, and that's it. Dogs get them all the time!<br />PirateHeatherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06605736515492873293noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8965992396463811283.post-57829955101377472422013-10-22T21:08:40.944-07:002013-10-22T21:08:40.944-07:00Last year I had a small lump in my breast. Severa...Last year I had a small lump in my breast. Several years ago I had cancer in the other and went thr surgery and radiation.<br /><br />My oncollogist kept checkin this lump every three months, and finally said she was sure it was not maglinent, but best to have it out.<br /><br />It was a small fatty toumor. No cancer, but we didn't ignore it.<br /><br />I have had several biopsies over the years. All were negative, except one. If my doctors hadn't continued to check on every one, they would have missed it.<br /><br />Get the biopsy if you can. Nothing like conclusive evidence to help you sleep and put this behind you. Merikayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05378095339747943548noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8965992396463811283.post-62187472149703139882013-10-21T06:59:57.286-07:002013-10-21T06:59:57.286-07:00Heather, that was my first thought, but my blood s...Heather, that was my first thought, but my blood sugar (until this morning) has been pretty normal. This morning, for no apparent reason, I woke up at 156. That's 50+ higher than usual with nothing in my food intake to indicate why. I do the "dawn phenomenon" gig, where I go to bed at 98 and wake up at 110, but I've never done this before, and I wonder if it's yet another stress thing? Another oddity? Normally, if I've done the "dawn phenomenon" thing, the only thing that brings it down is EATING. Seriously, I eat a banana, and two hours later I'm at 98. Four hours later, I'm at 80 or slightly less. Exercise, which usually brings me down sharply, doesn't work with the dawn phenomenon. Except today. Today I climbed on the bike at 156, climbed off an hour later at 82. I'll take it, but I sure do wish I could make sense of it.Mumbleshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06018218539392699050noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8965992396463811283.post-32627039501826500572013-10-21T06:56:30.856-07:002013-10-21T06:56:30.856-07:00Merikay, you give good advice, and I will overstat...Merikay, you give good advice, and I will overstate things to speed the dreadfully slow process. I did try to make a direct appointment with local oncologists, and not one would see me without a referral and a "definitive diagnosis of cancer." So it's all down to tomorrow--either the MRI shows a non-malignant mass (like a lipoma, even though he said it's certainly NOT a lipoma--wouldn't be the first time a doc's told me "oh, it can't be that" only to have it be exactly that), or it shows something either nasty or questionable. Either of those should lead to a biopsy, which should be performed by a doctor experienced in doing core-needle biopsies for suspected malignancies. I'm dreading the "Hey, are you qualified to do this?" discussion, but it WILL happen. I try to calm myself with the knowledge that, while there are a variety of soft-tissue and bone cancers, they're all quite rare, so the ODDS are I don't have a malignancy. That said, I DO have a growing mass in my arm that IS beginning to affect how the arm/wrist feels. And hey, sarcomas may be rare, but SOMEONE'S got to get 'em, right? Why not me? Mumbleshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06018218539392699050noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8965992396463811283.post-22018438262525171852013-10-20T14:13:28.666-07:002013-10-20T14:13:28.666-07:00Blood sugar issues give me that feeling. When it&#...Blood sugar issues give me that feeling. When it's low, even if it is not TOO low, I get dizzy, and when I and standing for more than a few minutes, I start to feel like I'm wobbling back and forth, even if I an hanging onto something or leaning on a wall so I know I'm not really wobbly. The headache thing also happens when my sugar is too high, but only if it's REALLY high - over 250 for example. And if it's low, but not too low? Only a real meal makes me feel better, snacking will solve the numbers problem but doesn't make the dizziness go away.<br />You probably have a lot of tension in your neck and shoulders, too, try some shrugging and relaxing exercises, and see if anyone will squeeze the muscles for you. <br />PirateHeatherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06605736515492873293noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8965992396463811283.post-62466827069901115362013-10-20T10:32:44.948-07:002013-10-20T10:32:44.948-07:00If all you get is a referral at some distant time ...If all you get is a referral at some distant time in the future, I would get in to see an Oncologist on your own.<br /><br />The cost is not worth the pain of having such an unknown.<br /><br />Do what you have to. Write a bad check, or put it on a credit card if that is what it takes. You need to know, now!<br /><br />Chances are you are OK and this new discomfort is indeed stress, but that is the case, the only thing that will make it go away is knowing.<br /><br />Unless you want to be a victim of the system, which I know you do not, stand up for yourself and demand to see someone NOW, not next week, NOW. <br /><br />A good ploy for "tricking" the referring doctors into an immediate appointment is to exaggerate your symptoms.<br />Are you like me, that when the doctor comes into the exam room and asks how you are, you reply "fine."<br /><br />Words are descriptions of reality. Who is to say that your "not quite a headache" can be described as one of the worst headaches you have ever had. It is, because it has caused fear. No "sort of dizzy. Very Very dizzy. Very painful. CRY if you have to, but get that appointment for this week!<br /><br />You need to know . <br /><br /> I've been there. I had cancer so I know how fearful it can be.<br /><br />But I do think all will be OK.Merikayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05378095339747943548noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8965992396463811283.post-3746580034509041892013-10-11T08:22:14.676-07:002013-10-11T08:22:14.676-07:00I was a Republican Catholic when I was 18. My sib...I was a Republican Catholic when I was 18. My siblings still are. I do not have much of a relationship with them any more. Sad but true. Merikayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05378095339747943548noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8965992396463811283.post-76869209285917442832013-09-23T22:13:19.594-07:002013-09-23T22:13:19.594-07:00There really are a few good people in the world. ...There really are a few good people in the world. Glad he got his music back.Merikayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05378095339747943548noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8965992396463811283.post-29033720639089149822013-09-19T14:37:44.057-07:002013-09-19T14:37:44.057-07:00One of your better posts. I wish some of my right...One of your better posts. I wish some of my right wing, christian family would read it, but that will never happen eitherMerikayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05378095339747943548noreply@blogger.com