Our house

A Father's Day segment on the CBS Morning Show featured a reporter returning to help his own father clean out his childhood home. One his father built. His dad's health is such that he needs to move closer to a relative - somewhere that isn't 2 stories, now that he uses a walker.

The reporter reminisced about his childhood home and talked about how safe he felt there. That took me to my own "Wayback Machine". Click on the link to see more on this term - Yes, my life has deep roots in cartoons. It explains a lot, no?

The Bullock home was my own safe fortress. My Dad (and Mom, because she was there more due to Dad's life on the road) was it's king. Even though Cindy told Betsy that a monster was in our closet (therefore Bets always had to sleep with it closed), I felt safe there.

Like the CBS reporter, our house was designed and built by a father. Not mine, but my mother's - Herbert Leslie Morehead. It was a modern design for Atlantic, Iowa in the 1950's. That flat roof brought headaches in years to come, but the unique style was always pleasing to the eye.

With my grandma Morehead when we remodeled the house

One memory I have is the sound of the screen door slamming behind me as I dashed in for a drink of water, use the bathroom, grab a bite, many times a day. I bet we drove Mom wild. The action was outside - in the "woods" the thin strip of trees on the lot next to ours. Or in the sandbox, swing set and playhouse designed and built by our grandfather. And that was just in our yard.

Take our yard and multiply it times about 20 - due to the post World War 2 families clustered in the neighborhood. Each day was an adventure. Would the Mallon boys try to encroach on our pretend family with a house in the woods? Our dog Jud always barked at that crew! Maybe Patrick Hayes would ride his bike down the street. The Reinertsons were always visiting from next door. Perhaps something was up across the street - at the Tylers and Westbrooks. Or I might head to Fairlawns where we knew who lived in every single house! Graysons, Fausts, Wereshes, Smiths, Bredensteiners, Van Nostrands, the Hensley boys, Drakes and oh so many more! We wandered randomly on our bikes too - into storm drains. I learned how to cross barbed wire fences.

But at the end of the day, the house at 202 Crombie swallowed me up. I had a much-needed bath. My Dad my come in and say "I'm getting a drink of very, very cold water now...and then pretend to throw it on me...or really do it!" Oh how I'd scream! Mom would say, "DAVE!" Miss you Dad.

Happy Father's Day to the bestest daddy.

Bemidji 1991

Making a statement

I thought of my Grandpa, Wallace Orville Bullock - Bubba-  tonight while watching American Pickers. The boys, Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz, made a stop at a place where there were a bunch of VW "bones". Volkswagens - including the classic Bugs. Bubba loved VWs.

Bubba

Mike said people purchased Volkswagons to make a statement. Yep, that was Bubba. His nickname for me was Yogi. I was his favorite grandchild. (I'm sure each of his seven grandkids could make a case...).

similar to Bub's first VW

Bubba was a unique guy. He was a successful salesman. When he retired he took up oil painting - lessons in Omaha. He did well at that and won local awards. In his spare time, he would take us for rides in his VW Bug. He smoked a pipe. I remember each VW he had, including the last one - a Rabbit. The tan one had a really difficult parking break to disengage. My Aunt Jeanie and I had to use both our thumbs to get 'er done!

In the early 1970's, Bubba went to Omaha and came home with a new model - light blue, all the bells and whistles. With a Bug, that means it had an engine! Those things were bare bones man. I should know - I benefitted in the mid-70's. I got to drive that sweet thing while my grandparents, Momo and Bubba were in St. Petersburg, Florida for the winter. The motor in the rear end of the car helped me make it up the hill to the High School. My HS homies loved riding around in the Love Bug - scooping the loop! It was a cool ride.

A car very similar to Bubba's Love Bug

  I'd love a chance to talk to Bub now - all growed up as I am. It would be an interesting visit.

That's why

they call them accidents. Ugh. It wasn't my turn! I was so looking forward to a summer of activities including biking...after feeling so badly last summer prior to the Graves' Disease diagnosis.

No energy, abdominal pain, muscle and weight loss. Plus high anxiety. I was a mess. So I was determined to return to my "fun girl" self this year. Meds have brought my thyroid under control. It's amazing to feel better. I've been walking and felt ready to add biking to the mix - putting about 30 miles on my lovely steed Albie.

old pic of Albie - on right

Finally the city opened up the trail under I-35 which adds a world of trails to us. Yay! After a long day at work Wednesday, we decided to take advantage of the gorgeous day and ride to Saints - just down off 50th for a meal and a beer on the patio. It's about a 5 mile round trip.

We weren't the only ones with that idea. We saw Bill and Kathy Matthews there. They are the couple we purchased our townhome from. Huge bikers themselves, Kathy plans to ride from Iowa City to Washington DC soon - and she must be around 70 years old as they just celebrated their 50th anniversary. Very cool people.

Then our niece Barb and her daughter Mandy stopped by our table. They were there with another mom and daughter pair. Sometimes West DM is a small place!

I chose to have one beer only - so I wasn't wobbly on my bike on the route back. And I had a big salad with a whole chicken breast. It almost felt like we were on vacation for that short time - it was a lovely evening.

Until the trip home. We were so close to our house when I made a bad decision - to pass a woman on the grass. When I tried to re-enter the sidewalk, my upper body strength wasn't enough to pull the bike back up and I flopped down - hitting on my elbow on the grass on the other side of the narrow sidewalk. I heard something pop - with pain. My head bounced but not bad. There was a scrape on my knee. My hip hurt. It was about 7:30 p.m. Maybe I should have had a second beer - that fall would have been easier?

I knew I needed to go to an emergency room. Paul and I walked our bikes home - about a block. Then we headed to Methodist West, right next to DMOS, where my shoulder surgeon resides during daytime hours. Emergency was a zoo. I finally had an X-Ray about 2 hours in. The docs, tech and nurses were all very nice. Broken shoulder was the diagnosis.

You can't put a cast on a shoulder. You can just put it in a sling and take pain meds because it's very painful. I could feel it grind around a little. I had a few choice words for myself. What a stupid thing to do. Now this summer will be shot as well...

I called my surgeon at DMOS the next day - Dr. Schulte. They snuck me in and one more XRay confirmed the diagnosis. I'll go back in a month to see how it's healing. The break is near the armpit. Pop! $(%*#

It's likely to freeze back up. Nice. At least this time there will be a reason. Sleeping isn't easy. I've been taking the pain meds as directed. Atlantic buddy Patrick Hayes has a similar injury. He gave me some tips. I'm worried about turning into a big gelatinous blob this summer - need to figure out how to get some exercise. With this pain level, that isn't happening though.

God bless Paul Goldsmith for doing laundry and opening my car door as needed. He's been a saint!

Work will be interesting. That goodness I have some flexibility regarding working offsite. I will meet with my supervisor next week. My left hand isn't the strongest...but working on the laptop is preferable to a standing work station at the Wallace Building (with real mice).

They say 4-6 weeks for the sling. Then the aftermath. It's going to be another long summer - but at least this time I know what's going on! Thanks for your thoughts and prayers.

June bugs

When I worked at the Union County Landfill, I was privileged to see so many different types of insects. NOT. I hate bugs. Recent visits to landfill facilities for environmental management system audits have reminded me of that fact.

One year at the landfill I directed, there was a particularly robust "hatch" of June bugs. They were attracted to the nightlight and swarmed there - especially near the drive through for the household hazardous waste facility. I didn't like the noise made when people would drive over them - all those tiny bug screams. No not really - but they did make an icky crunchy noise.

So I would use the large shop broom and the hose to clear them out of the drive. But no! They were like zombie bugs - marching towards me. I'd dream about them. I'm glad I don't work in the wilderness any longer. I hate bugs.

Team Thor - DNR Audit Team with Carroll landfill in the background

It's a busy time of year at work! We are making site visits around the state each week - across the northwest to the southeast corners. Despite arachnids and insects, I quite enjoy visiting the landfill, recycling and household hazardous waste facilities. The employees there are doing such good work - above and beyond mere trash and recycling. They are working on clean water and are reducing energy usage too. This week I'm off to Fort Madison.

Paul and I have been getting out more too now that the weather has warmed up. Monday we rode our bikes to Saints - yay the trail is open under the Interstate! Thursday we attended Teambuilding at the Locust Street Tap - finally opened again after being condemned.

Paul - building the team at the Locust Street Tap

Jud and Kara arrived from St. Louis in Friday. A sorority sister of Kara was getting married the next day. We took Jud to the Farmer's Market for a breakfast burrito - courtesy of Prescott folks. It's practically a suburb of his hometown, Creston. Later that night we went to a movie and the kids attended the wedding near that pumpkin farm by the Interstate west of DSM. Jud ran into a High School classmate. They partied at a bar in West Glen later and ran into most of the ISU men's basketball team.

Paul and I  had a nice bike ride early this morning. I saved a tiny turtle from the wheels of some unsuspecting bicyclist. I spotted him - he'd floated out with mulch during the hard rain in the storm the night before. Paul placed him gently back into the mulch.

 

After a big breakfast, Kara and Jud headed home. We're glad we get to see them again when we head to their place in a few weeks. I heard from Amy today - she's on her way to New York City with bf Corey who will be working there this week. Amy will hang out and work too. They'll squeeze in some tourist stuff too. These kids are hard to keep up with!

Roid non-rage

Guess what these are? You're right...I've been visiting the doctor's office again. I'm a sucker for these models. Brains, ladyparts, sinuses. I like 'em all. Cuz they're plastic - not real guts!

This time I was visiting a new endocrinologist. You may recall that when I found out that my thyroid was wacky, I didn't wish to wait for the Des Moines group of doctors at Iowa Diabetes and Endocrinology Center (IDEC) to get around to phoning me for an appointment. They seemed to be way to busy for little old me - who was in the midst of angst and anxiety, the result of not knowing what was wrong with me and my illness.

So I was referred by my nurse practitioner, Sheryl Young ARNP, to an Endocrinologist at University of Iowa Hospital and Clinics. Despite the fact that I'm a big Cyclone fan, they nicely got me in for an appointment fairly quickly. While I was on the way to Iowa City, IDEC finally called me to make an appointment. Right.

Dr. Doelle got me on the right track. We kept in contact using the secure online system. I needed periodic blood tests and that was a bit of a hassle for both his staff and me though. So I decided it was time to switch to a local doc. Thus the visit to Dr. Vanitha Singaram last week. She was nice and seems very thorough and plans to run a test to make sure that I have the Graves antibody, important as I go forward with this illness.

I'm down to 1 pill every other day. We'll see how that goes - aiming for remission. I hope the thyroid cooperates. Mine is shaped pretty normal - like the one on the left BTW. Don't look for me to get a butterfly tattoo like some people on the Graves Facebook page...