Poker Stars!!

So, here is some background on this YouTube video. My friend Edie, the famous traveling vet from the Keys, has won a chance (top ten online texas hold'em player) to invite two friends to make a video and possibly get to fly (expense free) and compete for some "real" BIG money!!! Why I got in on it??? Hey, I was invited and I can play pretty good!! Mia is a pro for sure and plays online a lot, as does Edie. I guess I best get started at some point, I'm good at in person play for sure, but should practice online I guess if she will need any advice from me.

They came after work to me meet me and we had a cocktail (can you tell?) and made this from a camera phone of Edie's... Pretty good, first take... LOL...



Watch the video, comment on us, and wish Edie GOOD LUCK!!!

Вивальди "времена года" Лето-3часть

WOW. He's playing an excerpt from Vivaldi's Summer from the Four Seasons. Excellent.

The instrument is a Russian 'Bayan' Chromatic Accordion called a Jupiter Lux. It costs about $17,000 US fully-loaded.

Happy birthday, PopPop!

Even though PopPop will never see this, it's still fun to say Happy Birthday here. The D's and P's came over in time for most of the Patriot's game. Damcat made an excellent lasagna and we all pigged out bigtime! Queenee picked up a small cake and we sang Happy Birthday. Everyone was tired, so we called it a night early.

I had a great time in AR, C&S are fun people! I'll post about it (with photos) later in the week. For now, I'm hitting the hay!

Happy Birthday Sistah!!

I'll probably be on a plane when you read this, but I wanted to wish you a very happy Birthday! I hope you get a chance to relax and enjoy the day — at least it's not a work work day, though I know you have your hands full at home. Have a glass of wine and catch your breath!

WABBIT

Have a wonderful visit this week, we hope for good traveling, safe journey. We know you'll be in good company from what you've told us, relax, sketch, chat, enjoy! We look forward to hearing all about your Southern escape! Hopefully business will take a back seat and this will be an early Bday present to yourself.

Miss P will have her day!

When is the final question.

Dr Thomas Sangiovanni, MD Orthopedic Foot / Ankle Surgeon Miami, FL, has submitted to Miss P's insurance a request for an overdue surgery that is needed. Her appointment with him was wonderful by all accounts. She has absolutely no cartilage in her ankle (which has practically fused itself these past years). The good news is that she was thought to only walk for a "few" years after her last surgery and she has lasted longer than that, although not pain free. She is a trooper in that department and the long awaited approval for the FDA approved ankle replacement has come just over 2 years ago and has proven remarkable in its results. This doctor not only has performed about 40 of them, he teaches the technique as well to other surgeons.

Miss P went to the office knowing she had all the factors against her; age the most significant. He informed her that no matter what factors were involved, she needed it now. We have found out that her insurance will cover 80 percent of the hospital costs. That is significant! She will need to be off her feet in a cast for approximately 6 weeks (weekly visits for check ups and recasts). Then another 6 weeks in a boot (more than half of those off her feet as well). Then after about 3 to 4 months in physical therapy for unknown time. All this resulting in her being able to walk normally (depending on degree of movement he can provide in the ankle) and without pain. A limp without pain is wonderful I'm sure, no dancing etc. and results may last up to 10 years depending on how it goes. Good news is that it can be "re-done". Bad news is that this will be the 3rd surgery on the ankle and that her heel is in bad shape and cannot be fixed, but the ankle is what is most needed. AND HE CAN FIX IT!!!!! Being the great/talented doctor that he is, he asked her to most certainly consult other ankle replacement surgeons and find the person who she feels most secure with and whom she feels would best fit her needs. She told him that she is MOST comfortable with him and his talents (he is the best around from what everyone has said) Baptist is a wonderful hospital and best rated. He would do the surgery at Doctors Hospital. So.................

The other patient is Mr. B.. He is recovering perfectly from what the doctors are telling him. He goes for follow -up again beginning of November. Vision is not improved and there is still some scarring preventing perfect clarity, but until the cornea fully heals they say that is normal. We wait. He is miserable. We wait.

Mr. L passed on the opportunity to travel as an ambassador with people to people in Australia to the Great Barrier Reef, Sydney Opera House, the Outback with the Aborigine peoples. Flying isn't his thing, and money isn't ours! So it all worked out, but definitely a missed opportunity!

Mr. R.... hmmmmmmmm Mr. R.

Me, my knee is killing me, my eyes are hurting, my brain has melted, my wrinkles a bit deeper, and my true hair color a mystery.

Sorry for the long wait on this info...... I'm tired.... so tired.

We are scrambling.

FOUR!!

There are FOUR foxes!! This is the first time I've seen four together, but it's possible there have been four all summer. In the beginning, I only ever saw one fox at a time, though at two times in an evening, which made me think there might be two. Eventually, I saw two together — hence, I began calling them the 7 o'clock and 8 o'clock foxes. Later in the summer, I saw three at the same time and was thrilled to think the pair had successfully raised a kit. Now, it seems, what I was actually seeing may have been one adult with two kits, because tonight I saw four foxes. One is fairly large, which should be the female. One is a bit smaller, and the final two are smaller still. It looks like we have a family of four!

They come earlier in the evening these days, as the daylight leaves earlier. For now, I can get food out by 6:30pm and be safe, but I'm having to move my time table up. Soon I'll be leaving them leftovers from the previous night at 4:30pm, instead of fresh leftovers like I'm giving them now.

I'm trying to get them used to eating under the deck. They are less than pleased about this now, but come winter it will be a useful habit. Meanwhile, they *do* eat what I put out (they much prefer their dog food mixed with something tasty and wet), and they race around the yard like crazy beasts having a wonderful time.

If I'm right about this being a pair with two youngsters, they'll stay together through the winter. In the spring, the kits will move out and be on their own, but hopefully the adult pair, having established themselves, will stay.

And as I'm writing this, I can hear a Great Horned Owl hooting from somewhere down toward the pond.

Dianne DeVanna benefit

Queenee, Barbara and I went to a benefit dinner/show for the Dianne DeVanna Center last night. Dinner was buffet-style and wasn't bad. The show itself was good. The speaker volume was a bit loud for the room, which wasn't designed for acoustics, but it was fine. Billed as "Roy Orbison and Friends", the show was a group of impersonators, starting with Buddy Holly, then Dionne Warwick, Elvis, Tina Turner, Celine Dion and finally, Roy Orbison. The Warwick, Dion and Orbison singers were very good, and Elvis was really funny. We had a good time and the place was sold out, ten to a table and at least twenty tables. None of us won anything in the raffle, but that was ok. We really don't need another basket of stuff.

We saw Janet LaBerge there, dancing away and having a great time. She managed to get Queenee up and dancing, along with a slew of other folks. She is one of the nicest people you will ever meet, kind, thoughtful and generous - and just a lot of fun to be around. Queenee did a fair bit of dancing throughout the evening!

After dinner, the plates and leftovers were collected to be thrown away. It seemed such a waste and I mentioned to the young man clearing our table that I would usually ask for a doggie bag to take home leftovers for the foxes. He said they really weren't set up to do that, since then everyone in the room would be wanting a doggie bag, but he'd see what he could do. Bless his heart, about twenty minutes later he tapped me on the shoulder to let me know that there was a bag of leftovers under my chair. The foxes will have a feast tonight, thanks to him!

Queenee's excellent colonoscopy

Now there's a headline for you!

Queenee got a clean bill of health for yesterday's colonoscopy — no polyps, no problems, no need for another colonoscopy for ten years!

Her friend Bev was not as lucky. She had surgery to remove her lung cancer, but it is wrapped around many arteries and cannot be completely removed surgically. The doctors got out what they could, but she'll have some serious chemo and radiation to go through. Fingers crossed.

Wizard of Oz

Thank you, Elder Pea!

She bought tickets weeks ago for the one-night-only digital showing of The Wizard of Oz and we saw it last night. The D's and Peas, Queenee and I all went. We had dinner at the Olive Garden to start, which was a small adventure in itself. The D's had never eaten at an Olive Garden and they both enjoyed their meals. We had an apprentice waiter, his first night, and the poor thing dumped a tray of drinks on two women sitting in a booth behind us. DamCat and I both assured him that it happens to all waitstaff sooner or later, and it was probably a good thing that he got it out of the way on his first night. He seemed fine when we left to head to the theater.

The movie was preceded by a short introductory piece narrated by Robert Osborne (of TCM) and Angela Lansbury. Then on to the movie, which looks great. You can see Judy Garland's freckles on the big screen, something I never noticed on tv. The remastering has really enhanced the image and brightened the colors. The sound has been remastered as well, and it sounded great to me (through my earplugs).

I was surprised that the movie wasn't sold out. Queenee was surprised that nobody showed up in costume. EP and I considered going in full costume, but I wouldn't have had time between getting home from work and heading out to dinner. We had a great time anyway!

Happy Birthday Queenee!

Happy Birthday to our Queenee! We'll raise a glass and toast to you! xoxoxox

Happy birthday Dawg!

It's Dawg's happy birthday today! Best wishes drift your way through the ether - hope you enjoy your day of fishing!