Transmissions from the Northern Outpost

Tag: The Wife

  • To life, to life, l’chaim

    Every Thursday, or Friday or Saturday, I share three good things from today, in the past week, and/or in the week or weeks to come, to focus on what is good. I encourage you to share in the comments your three good things too, if you want. I was introduced to thinking on three good things for the week by Deb Nance of the blog Readerbuzz who lists hers every Sunday on her blog.

    As it is Thanksgiving, I am almost obligated to share three good things, being the theme of the day. Today, however, I’d like to give thanks for one major thing: my wife is not preparing to go to the hospital for a very serious heart issue that could, and almost did, kill her. The condition – the short version, her mitral valve in her left lower heart not working correctly – necessitated her being in the hospital for the month of December last year as doctors and nurses almost literally resurrected her.

    The longer version, for those with questions or don’t remember or know about, I refer you to her CaringBridge website we set up to keep family and friends updated on her stay at the hospital.

    One year later, her mitral valve is working correctly and while she still has primary lymphedema and lipedema (Google, please – it’s too long to explain and you can go down your own rabbit hole), she is alive and kicking.

    She just ended a two-week vacation during which she was able to visit her dad, stepmom, and sister, brother-in-law, and two nieces in Maryland and just returned to work last night. We had early Thanksgiving with those on her shift and significant others, with Kim making the majority of the side dishes.

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  • 29 years, ramen, and gelato

    Every Thursday, or Friday or Saturday, I share three good things from today, in the past week, and/or in the week or weeks to come, to focus on what is good. I encourage you to share in the comments your three good things too, if you want. I was introduced to thinking on three good things for the week by Deb Nance of the blog Readerbuzz who lists hers every Sunday on her blog.

    Tomorrow, Kim and I are celebrating our 29th wedding anniversary. We both are off for the entire weekend; Kim, ending a two week vacation on Tuesday. We had thought about going on Sunday to a Mexican restaurant about an hour away, but decided last night, we probably would just hang out all weekend with TV and movies we’ve been meaning to catch up on. We’re silencing our phones except for calls from immediate family who might want to wish us happy anniversary Sunday.

    Also influencing our decision was we unexpectedly went out to dinner last night. It wasn’t planned, but when I went to get gelato pints at a local eatery, the chef there was doing ramen, only his second time. With the place, having a small kitchen, and us not ordering ahead, we had to wait about an hour but it was good.

    Oh, yes, we still got the gelato pints and will enjoy them today and maybe tomorrow, although not likely. In fact, as I’m writing this early, I think I’ll go have some now for breakfast.

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  • Fantastic Four & more!

    Every Thursday, I share three good things from today, in the past week, and/or in the week or weeks to come, to focus on what is good. I encourage you to share in the comments your three good things too, if you want. I was introduced to thinking on three good things for the week by Deb Nance of the blog Readerbuzz who lists hers every Sunday on her blog.

    I’m going to keep this simple today, compared to other days when this is very complex, ha.

    Kim is visiting her dad and stepmom in Maryland , and they’ll be visiting her sister, our brother-in-law, and their two daughters, who live about half an hour away. Kim got there yesterday and she’ll be back Sunday. So that’s Good Thing No. 1, that she’s able to see them. It’s been awhile.

    Meanwhile, I have today and tomorrow off, and I’m catching up on movies that Kim didn’t want to watch but I do. So, this is Good Thing No. 2. First up, and one I’m watching even now in the background with closed captions as I dictate this, is The Fantastic 4: First Steps. I’m about an hour and 10 minutes in, and it’s pretty good , if not great. (I actually finished by time I finished this post and can recommend, although maybe not highly – but fun, if in right mood, which I was). Of course it doesn’t take much to be better than the other iterations of this.

    Among the other movies on my list are Jurassic World Rebirth, Thursday Murder Club, and Prey, part of the Predator series, which I’ve had in queue for a while. I’m planning on watching in Comanche, which is one of the options.

    Good Thing No. 3 is when Kim returns home, her vacation continues into the following week and ends the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. On Sunday, Nov. 23, we also celebrate our 29th wedding anniversary. Nothing special planned but I’m also off from work, so that will be good too.

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  • Pete and Repeat…

    Every Thursday, I share three good things from today, in the past week, and/or in the week or weeks to come, to focus on what is good. I encourage you to share in the comments your three good things too, if you want. I was introduced to thinking on three good things for the week by Deb Nance of the blog Readerbuzz who lists hers every Sunday on her blog.

    Basically, this week is a repeat of last week with minor variations and an addition:

    1. We watched the fourth season of the British version, the original one, of the series Ghosts last weekend, and this weekend, we’ll watch the fifth and final season.
    2. While baseball is over, we, mostly I, are/am watching the Major League Soccer playoffs. It’s a diversion for the most part from “the world.”
    3. The addition is Kim’s vacation starts Sunday and runs through Thanksgiving. She works that day, but we both are off for our 29th wedding anniversary the weekend before. She also is going to see her dad, stepmom, sister, brother-in-law, and two nieces in Maryland for a few days next week and into the weekend.

    So, what’s good in your life today, this past week, or in the week(s) to come?

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  • Ghosts, sports, and Twilight

    Every Thursday, and sometimes Friday like today, I share three good things from today, in the past week, and/or in the week or weeks to come, to focus on what is good. I encourage you to share in the comments your three good things too, if you want. I was introduced to thinking on three good things for the week by Deb Nance of the blog Readerbuzz who lists hers every Sunday on her blog.

    Starting today, Kim and I are off for three days. So, basically those are the three good things this week. However, within the three days also are three good things:

    Ghosts Marathon

    We never finished the British version, the original one, of the series Ghosts, so this weekend, we’re planning on rectifying that. Last year I bought the series on DVD and I think we have seasons 4 & 5 left. We’re looking forward to seeing the gang again.

    Sports

    Kim and I were “into baseball” this past season. Even though our teams are out of it, we’re still following the World Series with Game 6 tonight. We don’t have cable so we’ll be catching the game through the MLB app with highlights usually shortly after they happen. We’re both pulling for the Blue Jays.

    I also have been following Major League Soccer, and the teams that are left are now in the playoffs with a slate of games scheduled Saturday afternoon and night. I’m not really pulling for one team or one player as much as I am just watching the passes (like a cat watching a tennis ball) and the play on and off the ball.

    Twilight movies

    A few years ago, we purchased the Rifftrax soundtracks for the Twilight movies and watched them(you sync them up with the movies) . Now we’re going to try them again with the commentary from Mike, Kevim, and Bill, which really is the only way to watch them. They really are horrible, horrible movies but the Rifftrax guys make it more than tolerable. Here’s a sample:

    So what are you all up to this Halloween weekend?

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  • Pizza, pumpkin cider, & more

    Every Thursday, I share three good things from today, in the past week, and/or in the week or weeks to come, to focus on what is good. I encourage you to share in the comments your three good things too, if you want. I was introduced to thinking on three good things for the week by Deb Nance of the blog Readerbuzz who lists hers every Sunday on her blog.

    Today

    That was what I had for brunch this morning, leftover pizza and a pumpkin hard cider. The photo was edited so everything is not that “orangey” and blurred in the background (obviously). It was a good start to a day where my wife Kim and I are both off work.

    In the past week

    Got through two longer (than I am used to) days to start the week. I work part-time at a small-town library and usually only a few hours per day when I do. But certain days are longer than others because our director varies my schedule. It’s just when you’re not acclimated to those longer days, it can be mentally draining. I survived, though. Whew.

    In the week(s) to come

    Just by the quirk of the schedule, I also am off tomorrow (I work Saturday). Kim also learned this week that in the next couple of weeks, she has extra time off for which she’ll still be paid thanks to a bookkeeping error. On several days instead of going in at 6 p.m and working until 6 a.m., she can go in at midnight and only has to work six hours instead of her normal 12. It means we’ll have some extra evenings together. She also has a couple of weeks off in mid-November, thanks to the same bookkeeping error that was caught (again obviously).

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  • Refueling, reuniting, reconnecting

    Every Thursday, I share three good things from today, in the past week, and/or in the week or weeks to come, to focus on what is good. I encourage you to share in the comments your three good things too, if you want. I was introduced to thinking on three good things for the week by Deb Nance of the blog Readerbuzz who lists hers every Sunday on her blog.

    Today

    Today, I am off from work and am using today as a “down day,” where I’m not going anywhere and am refueling after a long weekend for both Kim and me (see next section). Kim also is off today but she is away most of the day at a Pride event at a nearby university with Free Mom Hugs, a group with whom she volunteers. We’ll hang out tonight, but this morning and afternoon, I’m doing…not much of anything, maybe TV, maybe reading, maybe music, maybe listening to a podcast or two. I don’t know yet.

    This past week(end)

    Kim and I went to a multi-year high school reunion in southern New Jersey that included her class and the class of her sister, who graduated a few years before Kim. We stayed at the hotel where the reunion was for two nights, then at her sister and brother-in-law’s place in Delaware on Sunday night before coming back back home Monday morning. We also met up with one of Kim’s classmates Friday night since he was unable to attend the reunion Saturday night. Here is a photo of Kim in the hotel room before the dinner:

    The week(end) to come

    I work tomorrow and then I’m off for the weekend. Kim is working both days, and my plan is much as the same with the exception of catching up with a couple of long distance friends via phone. It’ll be good to reconnect as we often do, once a week with the one friend and at least once a month with the other. I usually end up talking an hour or more with each.

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  • My niece turns 11, Corner Gas, & a high school reunion

    Every Thursday, I share three good things from today, in the past week, and/or in the week or weeks to come, to focus on what is good. I encourage you to share in the comments your three good things too, if you want. I was introduced to thinking on three good things for the week by Deb Nance of the blog Readerbuzz who lists hers every Sunday on her blog.

    Today

    Today, my niece turned 11. This is her shortly after she was born with me and her brother:

    This is she and her brother today at breakfast at a restaurant in the town where they live, that my sister took her for her birthday:

    This past week

    Kim and I are rewatching a series we’ve watched before and enjoying it all over. Here is a clip of the show:

    This weekend

    Tomorrow, Kim and I are going away for the weekend for her high school reunion on Saturday in southern New Jersey. It’s a multi-year reunion so also includes her sister’s class from a few years before Kim. We’re staying at the hotel where the reunion is being held for two nights, then with her sister and her husband in Delaware Sunday night before coming back Monday morning. Also, we’re meeting up with one of her high school classmates, who isn’t going to the reunion, for dinner tomorrow night. It ought to be a good weekend all around.

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  • A Real Pain, a clean bill of health, and a reunion

    Every Thursday, or sometimes Friday, – like today when I thought I hit “Publish” yesterday, but didn’t – I share three good things from today, in the past week, and/or in the week or weeks to come, to focus on what is good. I encourage you to share in the comments your three good things too, if you want. I was introduced to thinking on three good things for the week by Deb Nance of the blog Readerbuzz who lists hers every Sunday on her blog.

    Today (Thursday)

    Kim and I are off today together and one of the things we did was watch this movie.

    I’ve had it in our Hulu queue for several months. It was very good. It was directed by Jesse Eisenberg and starred both him and Kieran Culkin, who was outstanding.

    The Past Week

    I had a follow-up appointment Monday with my primary for blood pressure and recent bloodwork, and all was well. I also had therapy yesterday and it went well too. I’m not as crazy as I thought. Ha.

    The Week(s) To Come

    Next weekend to start October, Kim and I are going to her high school reunion in southern New Jersey. We’re staying at the hotel where the reunion is being held for two nights, then with her sister in Delaware Sunday night before coming back Monday morning. The reunion is also a multi-year reunion, so Kim’s sister, who graduated a few years before Kim, will be there too.

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  • Vaccines, celebrating 62, & wine

    Every Thursday, or sometimes Friday as today, I share three good things from today, in the past week, and/or in the week or weeks to come, to focus on what is good. I encourage you to share in the comments your three good things too, if you want. I was introduced to thinking on three good things for the week by Deb Nance of the blog Readerbuzz who lists hers every Sunday on her blog.

    Today

    I got both a covid and a flu shot about an hour and a half ago. My wife Kim is getting both, plus a shingles vaccine next Friday.

    The Past Week

    Kim and I visited with my parents, sister, and her family yesterday. My parents celebrated their 62nd wedding anniversary on Monday. We were at their house for that and to go over wills, advanced health directives, and discussions about the potential of nursing homes or home health care as both are 81 and are in declining health. Nothing was decided yet, but at least we all discussed it, and our talk together was productive.

    The Week(s) To Come

    Starting Sunday, I work seven days in a row, but only a few hours each day for most of the days. Then at the end of the seven days, next Saturday, my wife Kim and I are going to an equinox party at a local winery. Woo hoo!

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