Archive for the ‘Dana’ Category

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »

Man readmitted to hospital after beeting

Friday, November 4th, 2005

• An excerpt from Dana’s most recent update:

“Last night Pam went out to celebrate a new job, and I prepared a
gourmet meal for Bruce—venison medallions with balsamic reduction and
celery/pear puree, plus a side dish of steamed fresh beets.

“Pam came in after I’d gone to bed, so she wasn’t apprised of the menu. In the middle of the night when she helped Bruce with the ostomy, she saw what she thought was blood and called the doctor. At 5 am, she woke me and said we were to take Bruce to the ER. I drowsily pulled on my jeans, put on shoes, and drove them to the hospital.

“While we waited for results of ordered tests, we were all talking and
Bruce said something about having beets for dinner. Then it hit us. It
wasn’t blood; it was beets. We all were laughing when the resident came back in, and we confessed to the false alarm, which was confirmed by a negative result on the test for hemoglobin.

“Our mirth was short-lived, however, as they had determined that his
white blood count was too high. They said they would start him on an
antibiotic and send him home. Later they said they wanted to keep him
for diagnostic tests until tomorrow. By this evening, they’re saying he might stay 3 to 5 more days.”

(The “headline” is Bruce’s quip, so he’s keeping his sense of humor.)

Posted in Bruce, Dana, Family, Food | Comments Closed

Various & Sundry, part twenty-six

Tuesday, November 1st, 2005

— Month of October workout totals: Swim-4; Bike-1; Run-3; Lift-0; Yoga-0

— I’ve been wondering why I’ve felt tired lately, and this morning it became obvious to me just how much the frequency of my exercise has dropped off over the last couple weeks. Wouldn’t you think I’d have more energy if I wasn’t out running and cycling? No, gang—it works the opposite way. And so I made my way to the pool at noon to put this period of inactivity behind me with a solid workout, which included an 850-yard swim in 16:22.

— Bruce continues to improve at home, but needs 24/7 care. Pam got a new job, so that means Dana will be staying there to help until Terie can go up to relieve her. I saw Dr. Liebschutz today and when I told him that Bruce was out of the hospital, all he could say was “Unbelievable.”

— I picked up Marty after school and we went to dinner at the King Buffet and then stopped for groceries. Lee and David had extra tickets for Leahy at Norton Center, so we walked over to the concert, but decided to leave at intermission. There was nothing about the performance that was disappointing. We just didn’t want to stay out that late. The dynamic ensemble of brothers and sisters is an impressive lot, and they’re shaping up to be the most successful group of musicians to come out of Canada since The Guess Who.

V & S

Posted in Dana, Exercise, Family, Friends, Marty, Music | Comments Closed

Light at the end of the tunnel—priceless

Thursday, October 27th, 2005

Bruce‘s release to home care remains a day-to-day affair as Dana maintains her Indianapolis vigil. She has her PowerBook G3 with her, and the two of us trying to work together at long distance reminds me of when we were making the transition to Kentucky. I was here in Danville and she was in Dayton. Our studio survives, but it’s been a weird year so far for us—obviously.

Bruce is still slowly improving and we anticipate he’ll be home by the weekend; if not, we’ve endured false starts before. He just fights on. Although many details of his financial status are certain to emerge later (millions of dollars for just the hospital bill; doctor fees unknown), I think it’s fair to say he’s considered an indigent ward of the state at this point, and could be for a long time. The important thing is that he’s among the very few who make it through this malady. In time, the artist in Bruce will surely provide a glimpse into this grim, months-long soul journey and the forbearance it coldly demands.

Posted in Art, Dana, Family, Priorities, Studio | Comments Closed

Town House Tuesday

Tuesday, October 25th, 2005

With Dana into her fourth day of an Indy holding pattern, it was a particularly odd day for me, as I was forced to troubleshoot JavaScript in the studio (way out of my element) while supervising two tradesmen who were replacing a cracked drain pipe on another floor of the house.

Posted in Dana, Studio | Comments Closed

Update on Bruce, Book Four

Thursday, October 20th, 2005

I think it might be a good idea to share—in its original format—my sweet wife’s most recent note about Bruce.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Dear friends and family,

It’s been nearly two months since I’ve given an update, but now Bruce is showing marked improvement. Today completes seven months in the hospital. At seven weeks, that seemed a long time, but I had no idea what we were facing.

In recent months, it’s been difficult to report because he’s teetered back and forth while battling infection. He would have good days followed by days of fever and nausea. It was hard think he was getting better when I’d see him get pints of hemoglobin, but he fought on.

About the time the infectious disease specialist was ready to throw up his hands in defeat, the surgeons declared that they didn’t want to set him back with another surgery, that they would stay the course. That was almost a month ago.

Since then, they decided to test out the pancreas by giving him juice. The next day, he was told to pick out what he wanted off the menu. This seemed outlandish to me, since he’d had nothing but ice chips for more than 6 months. His stomach and taste buds must have been in shock. He doesn’t actually digest what he consumes due to bypass tubing, but I would have thought a return to food would be more gradual. He is going easy on it since his basic nutrition is still provided by tube feeding. He still has frequent nausea, but the pancreas and blood sugar are not over-reacting to this new challenge.

He’s been off antibiotics for several days, and no fever so far. The pain is getting better, so he’s being weaned off the “patch,” and he’s asking for Dilaudid less often. His voice is now strong, and he is using a walker twice a day. His ability to concentrate is suddenly much improved.

I expect that he will go home soon, although having to travel for dialysis will be a whole new challenge. With the hospital bill alone over $8 million by last month, everyone’s eager for him to go home. Very few people, whatever their station in life, could handle the co-pay on such an amount.

Recently we were told that the survival rate for someone with pancreatitis this severe is about 1%—an eye-opening statistic if accurate. I tell you this so that you’ll know how vital your kindnesses to us have been. We will be eternally grateful for your understanding and support and for your thoughts and prayers on Bruce’s behalf.

With a grateful heart,

Dana

Posted in Dana, Family, Gratitude, Prayer | Comments Closed

If it’s Sunday, it must be Indy

Sunday, October 16th, 2005

Dana and I were heartened to see a vast improvement in Bruce when we spent most of the day with him, including a trip to one of the hospital courtyards, where he used his wheelchair as a “walker” to get some good exercise in the sunlight. His progress over the past week gives us reason to believe the topic of his going home may be under discussion before long. On the way back, Dana read aloud to me from “Reading Lolita in Tehran,” as did I while she was driving, selecting a chapter from “The Fellowship of Ghosts,” the evocative account of a journey through Norway’s nearly inaccessible mountains by novelist Paul Watkins. As a massive sunset peaked, we passed a caravan of mobile homes with FEMA emblems heading south. The cloud pattern filled half the sky like glowing lava splashed against a field of robin’s egg blue.

Posted in Dana, Family, Nature, Nonfiction, Personalities | Comments Closed

Today’s thoughtform—YAY

Wednesday, October 12th, 2005

Speaking of the augury of birds (were you not?), Dana and I saw a blue heron fly over our path (from left to right). It was the largest heron I’ve ever seen. It reminded me of our pelican omen of 1979, when we christened our business partnership, which has survived 26 years. Whether or not we’ve begun a new cycle of good fortune, it certainly feels as though the recent studio tribulations are firmly behind us.

Posted in Business, Dana, Nature, Studio | Comments Closed

The world has gone mad today and good’s bad today

Monday, October 10th, 2005

Dana and I drove to Indianapolis after the reunion so we could spend time with Bruce. Some anonymous medical genius had him so sedated he could barely keep his eyes open. They load him up with drugs and then stop in and ask him if he’s feeling depressed. Well, that makes perfect sense, doesn’t it? On our lunch break we walked along the canal, visited the Indiana History Center, and looked at some Bodmer lithographs and 1860 watercolors of Old Richmond. By the time I’d stopped in the Cole Porter room to see the Hirschfelds and play a couple tunes on the Wurlitzer, I felt somewhat better, although I took out my residual frustration on a nurse by insisting Bruce get some plain yogurt instead of the version with artificial sweetener, which gives him a headache (no problem, we have drugs for that, too). I’m certain everyone’s glad when the grouchy step-dad leaves.

Posted in Angst, Art, Dana, Family, Music, Personalities | Comments Closed

Take my hand, take my whole life too

Sunday, October 9th, 2005

By last evening we were in Dayton for Dana’s class of 1960 high school reunion, which she always enjoys so much, even though they’re a bit strange for me. Come to think of it, she might say they’re a bit strange for her, too. The music was provided by a classmate who’d worked in Nashville with Barbara Mandrell. He played solo pedal steel with a funky percussion unit that ran off a floppy disk. I was having some trouble listening to his interpretation of Richard Carpenter songs, so I requested a Linda Ronstadt or Roy Orbison ballad. The closest thing he could come up with was Elvis, but Dana was too busy talking and we never did get to have our dance.

Posted in Dana, Music, Personalities | Comments Closed

Dispersed from Hollywood to Holywood

Saturday, October 8th, 2005

While Dana and I enjoyed a splendid dinner with my “big sis” last night in Danville, it occurred to us how abruptly her “House of Joan” has spread across the world. According to Jeeves, the distance between Caitlan (Oxford, England) and Ian (Glendale, California) is 5389.0 miles (8673.0 km). However, if you’re traveling from one to the other and make a stop in Kentucky (anyone would, of course), it measures over 5800 miles, which is fairly close to Joan’s quick estimate of 6000.

So, there you have it. Who needs you, Jeeves, you pompous know-it-all?

Posted in Caitlan, Dana, Family, Ian | Comments Closed

Various & Sundry, part twenty-five

Friday, October 7th, 2005

— Dana and I began our day having coffee with Kristi, my niece whose family is temporarily displaced by Hurricane Katrina. What a lovely person! I’ve met few people in my life who exhibit such thoughtful striving. I’ve never been more impressed with her, and I was incredibly impressed with her the very first day I met her in 1977. Take care, sweet heart.

— Being with Kristi makes me think of Caitlan, my neice who’s off on her adventure in England. That first week can be quite lonely. I was there. I don’t mean England, although I was there, too. I mean alone in Europe, facing a long separation from family and friends. I was the same age. It was difficult at first. It was also one of the most important personal challenges I’ve ever surmounted, perhaps the most important one of all. Caitlan is a terrific young lady—one of the most gifted people I know. She’ll get through this. She’ll be ok. If you’re the type of person who gets homesick, it never completely goes away, but when she discovers the intellectual center of her universe in Oxford, she’ll do just fine.

— David the Mac Guru urged me to just “sit tight” and await the arrival of a new startup drive for our G4, so that’s what I’m doing, but trying to keep clients happy in this crippled state is gnawing at my nerves. Get a grip—I’m not experiencing anything that countless millions haven’t already dealt with over the centuries—since that first clever human who chose to link mental equilibrium and financial well-being to an infernal machine.

— I was just thinking about my recent stay in the U.P. and the extraordinary “moments” I manage to bring back (in spite of my frayed memory bank). Like observing that remarkable “cinematographer’s moon,” as translucent clouds swept a midnight sky above the dancing treetops, or crossing the brisk Moscoe Channel in full open-water gear—wet suit, cap, goggles, fins, and my treasured diving gloves (generous Jerome will never know how much good use I’ve gotten out of them). I recall those minutes of tense exhilaration when, after all the effort, a big king takes the hook, and all mental energy is directed to the goal of successfully boating the fish, working with the net handler, knowing you may not get a second chance… my annual rediscovery of the pleasures associated with simple industry—preparing a meal, washing dishes, maintaining the boat, butchering and freezing the day’s catch, or salvaging a rusty salmon smoker… the sense of comfort and belonging that has now replaced the former disbelief, when I arrive and first absorb the low-key majesty of the Les Cheneaux… and that elusive point of peak relaxation which occasionally comes with fishing, recognizing that consciousness has been emptied of all thought when mind floods back into the vacuum…

V & S

Posted in Caitlan, Dana, Exercise, Family, Fishing, Nature, Technology | Comments Closed

Various & Sundry, part twenty-four

Saturday, October 1st, 2005

— Month of September workout totals: Swim-7; Bike-4; Run-3; Lift-0; Yoga-0

— I was reliving the moment of confusion, pain, and regret when I learned of Mike’s illness, so I decided to learn more about rheumatoid arthritis. The books in Dana’s own natural healing library here at home were a big help, and she spent time doing some digging herself. RA is an autoimmune condition, and there are strong indications to suggest that it’s related to food allergies. The ability of foods to trigger an immune response is often associated with a weakening of mucous membranes in the intestine that allow undigested food to pass into the blood stream and collect around tissues. In the case of RA it would be the joints. His immune system is mistaking cells around the joints as the enemy and will eventually destroy them if the complex isn’t unraveled. I put together a packet of information so that he can get another perspective. I believe, in most cases, orthodox medical care and natural healing methods can work side by side. It should only help him feel better if he combines dietary and lifestyle refinements with his current therapy.

— Bruce has had a powerful week of positive developments after a long summer of erratic recovery. For the first time since March he was able to take food by mouth. Imagine that… well, I know you can’t… neither can I. He also made it down the hall to the Dialysis Center with a walker, on his own—another first. This man has grit (or as my Uncle Don would say, “the Means”).

V & S

Posted in Dana, Exercise, Family, Friends, Home | Comments Closed

Preoccupied territory

Sunday, September 25th, 2005

Biked out to Mack’s Cabin to hear Milton’s remarks about the “intelligent-design-vs-evolution” argument. My hip didn’t feel too tender. Dana and I spent most of the day at Simpson Farm relaxing with our friends, but the Macintosh Panic was hanging over my head throughout the visit. Why is it that my storytelling ability degrades dramatically whenever I realize I’m “telling a story?”

Posted in Angst, Dana, Exercise, Friends, Technology | Comments Closed

Day Seven at Barefoot’s Resort

Sunday, September 18th, 2005

Mike, JD, and Bob headed south this morning. Even though Bill and I stayed up late talking, we were up early to say our goodbyes. I’m glad I took the group shot last night, having learned that morning portraits are difficult to pull together on a departure day (plus we end up looking sleepy). Following Bill’s lead, I joined him on a workmanlike trek for perch in one of the small boats, starting at Little Joe Island. The outing was characterized by a lack of enthusiasm. We came back to Moscoe and spent time at the weed beds with little success. Bill caught a sunfish and keeper perch or two, but I got nothing except a bit more tan on my back… hasn’t been a good week for pan fish, but we sure tried.

I told Dana on the phone that maybe our fishing luck had run out, but the results of an evening run to Dolomite Bay were quite to the contrary—two nice Chinooks for Bill (10-1/2 and 13), and a nine-pounder for me. A lot went wrong because we weren’t used to a two-man trolling crew (snags and tangles during the salmon runs), but we managed to get each of our fish into the boat. It didn’t compare to the “Friday Night Orgasm” of 2004, when three of us hauled in 60 pounds of King in one twilight session, but it was an outing full of excitement and surprises. It gives us a good reason to resurrect Walt’s old smoker. The weather forecast for tomorrow looks like a rain-out.

Posted in Dana, Fishing, Friends | Comments Closed

Day One at Barefoot’s Resort

Monday, September 12th, 2005

Dana and I left Augusta early, barely catching the first ferry across the Ohio.
Wick had already told us that he’d never seen a day that the ferrymen hadn’t
operated due to fog, and today it was so thick we couldn’t see the other side until
the last moment (kinda spooky). We missed the rush hour in Cincinnati and arrived
at my good friend’s Tipp City house in time for Dana to make her rendezvous
with her chums from Wright State days. It was tough to say “bye” to my sweetie
after such a precious day together, but we parted and I continued north with Bill
Barefoot. I expected it to get cooler when we traversed Michigan, as it usually
does, but it stayed warm instead, all the way to the Upper Peninsula. We arrived
at Barefoot’s Resort and settled into Cabin One. The last patrons were leaving
for the season, so we had the lakefront to ourselves. After grilling a tasty
supper, we stayed up too late in fairly heavy conversation, and then took a boat
out into the channel for a midnight drift, soaking in the reality of being back in the
Les Cheneaux.

Posted in Dana, Food, Friends, Nature | Comments Closed

Honoring that day in ’82 when it was just our 9/11

Sunday, September 11th, 2005

It’s been a while since the sleepy voice inside my pillowed head murmured, “Yes… a perfect day.”

Our 23rd Anniversary celebration was in full swing by midnight. Dana and I had arrived at our B&B abode only a few minutes before, drastically delayed by a leisurely dinner at a winery across the Ohio near Maysville plus our unfamiliarity with the route to Augusta. It would have been easier to find our destination by river, since it was right at the waterfront, but this is not 1805, so we traveled by car and twice missed our turn before we located the historic Thornton Marshall House. I knew that the adverse circumstances would be a strong indicator with respect to the personalities of the proprietors, and indeed they were. Despite that fact that we arrived hours late, after they’d left more than one voice message to our dead-zone phone, our hosts met us with good cheer, warm hospitality, and a bottle of Chardonnay chilling in the spacious second-floor bedroom above their art gallery and antique shop.

The next twenty-four hours defy description—by this mediocre scribe, dear reader—so forgive a mere laundry list of the activities that filled our “perfect day” with aesthetic delight, Epicurean pleasure, and a deep soul satisfaction born of true companionship:

• Waking up to the throaty horns of barge boats working in the fog, as a magical ambient light flooded our riverside chamber.

• Our sunny walking tour of old Augusta, which survived a fiery attack by Morgan’s raiders, and a tasty buffet lunch at the Country Inn.

• Kayaking with my sweetheart up the surprisingly clean Ohio and exploring a quiet Kentucky tributary.

• Enjoying our spectacular window view of the wharf, as we listened to Eric’s “Cooler” and relaxed with generous Jerome’s old vine Zin.

• Strolling down to the Beehive Tavern for a delicious gourmet supper and getting invited (three times!) to come back for their 20th Anniversary party later that night.

• Meeting Heather on the sidewalk (a fellow graduate of DAAP) and accepting an offer of a personal tour of her design work on the Rosemary Clooney House (those brown eyes!).

• A stop near the riverbank to look downstrean at a painterly sunset over water (those frontiersmen sure knew how to pick a spot).

• Experiencing the surprise celebration for Chef Luciano “Sean” Moral and the fulfillment of a 20-year vision for his tavern and the restoration of Augusta’s riverfront, with the most extravagant “potluck” spread I’ve ever seen (alas, too sated to exploit it).

• The spontaneous song fest, including “My Old Kentucky Home” on the harmonica, and Sean’s operatic serenade for his family and friends (We were stunned to discover his “O Solo Mio” was absolutely magnificent!).

• Watching fireworks over the river (20 rockets—one for each year) as the stars came out and the carriage horse ended her long day with enough spirit to gallop down the street.

• Oh yes… leaning over a candle to look at something before bedtime and singeing the hair on my head (1805 was dangerous, man).

Posted in Dana, Exercise, Food, History, Music, Personalities, Wine | Comments Closed

They were gentlemen… and giants

Wednesday, September 7th, 2005

I regret that my schedule today didn’t allow me to attend the service for Charlie Hazelrigg. Unlike so many others in this community, I never got to know him well, but I’ve had the pleasure of his kindness, charm, and wit on so many occasions that I’m feeling like I’ve lost another friend. I think he was the kind of person who had that effect on everyone who knew him.

He took a shine to Dana in the early 90s when he was asked to scrutinize her manuscript for a 64-page community viewbook we produced. His admiration for her writing skill had a strong and lasting influence on Dana’s confidence as a communicator, or that’s my observation, in any case. He never failed to ask about her when we chatted, and usually would make a characteristically mischievous remark about her good looks. That was the Dr. Hazelrigg I knew. I could imagine him as the young and dashing Naval officer… a ladies man, no doubt.

I’ve been a Rotarian for eleven years and the most memorable lunch program during that time was the meeting when Bill Balden and Charlie Hazelrigg talked about their recollections of serving in the Navy during the second World War. Balden was one of the first aviators to successfully conduct long-range bombing missions off an aircraft carrier and land at night without much fuel left. In an era of dangerous occupations, it was considered an outrageously perilous feat to achieve even once, and yet he made history by doing it again and again across the South Pacific. Hazelrigg had his ship struck by a bomb and a kamikaze plane off Iwo Jima, and the crew went on to accomplish its mission under his command. What kind of rare leadership does it take to face those circumstances and inspire men to surmount those odds?

Both Bill and Charlie are gone now. I’m proud to reside in the town in which they chose to live. It was a community made finer by their presence. It is a community now diminished by their absence.

Posted in Community, Dana, Death, Friends, History | Comments Closed

We have GO for throttle up

Tuesday, September 6th, 2005

Back home at the Town House, and it doesn’t take long before the studio engines are revving: deadline for a horse industry magazine ad, and Kentucky Trust jump-starts more Website refinements.

In addition, the Salvation Army Captain and I will be having a working lunch tomorrow to map out a local community relations plan for the hurricane disaster response. There are a lot of developments that the public needs to know right away. We’ll be setting up a “disaster response center” for the collection of emergency goods that the Captain will take with him when he leaves for the damage zone. The United Way wants to partner with the Army to organize a team of local volunteers to provide help under his leadership. He hopes to act as an on-site source of information for the media back here at home. The Kentucky-Tennessee Division, like others in the Southern Territory, will be opening up our summer camp for evacuee relocation. And there’s even more to communicate.

Timing is tricky, because Dana and I have a lot to accomplish before Friday, so we can take the weekend for our 23rd anniversary observation, and then after that I’ll be leaving for Lake Huron and my annual salmon harvest.

Posted in Community, Current Events, Dana, Fishing, Studio | Comments Closed

Labor Day with BJW

Monday, September 5th, 2005

After breakfast with Mombo, Joan, and Darb, it was time to shake off the corsair dust. Dana, Marty, and I traveled to Indianapolis and spent the holiday with Bruce. He was eager for activity, so we did a wheelchair trip to the fountain courtyard and took some pictures. Then Dana cut his hair while Marty and I watched the middle part of “Clear and Present Danger,” which features the Bogota RPG assault on the SUVs. Harrison Ford reportedly did his own stunt driving in the final escape. I knew that scene was coming up, but I’d forgotten how well it had been crafted. If Ford can use his clout to make sure “I-J-4” comes anywhere close to the excitement of that sequence, it won’t even matter if Indy has a beer gut. (But I’m certain that Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, and Frank Marshall couldn’t care less about my apprehensions when it involves their decision to monkey with that trilogy.)

Posted in Dana, Family, Holidays, Marty, Mombo, Movies, Personalities | Comments Closed

Sunny Indy Sunday

Sunday, August 21st, 2005

We were with Bruce on his birthday today. Delivered a package of cards, my Cosmosaic (the fourteenth), and a memory-foam pad for when he gets to go home. Perhaps that will be soon; he looked good. Brandon caught his flight to NC, wrapping up his Indiana summer. On the way home, Dana and I finished listening to “Gates of Fire.” I hope there’s truth to the rumor that Michael Mann has signed to develop the novel as a screenplay. It would make an incredible motion picture under his meticulous leadership. (Armand Assante as Leonidas?)

Posted in Dana, Family, Fiction, Movies, Personalities | Comments Closed

Simply together

Saturday, August 13th, 2005

It’s been a while since Dana and I shared a day of such relaxed enjoyment. And then she drove away to be with her son, as I faced a tangle of computer cables in the studio, thinking of her.

Posted in Dana | Comments Closed

Mombo-style recap

Tuesday, August 9th, 2005

Walie wanted to play with toys all day. APS replaced our crashed hard drive with an even bigger one. I had a 150-yard PR time in the pool during my midday workout. The American economy continues to grow. I solved the cascading style sheets problem in the preliminary Website for Kentucky Trust Company. Dana had an informative talk with a local man who recovered from a case of pancreatitis worse than what Bruce has. Seth helped me put the finishing touches on “Pirate Revenge,” the final segment of my goofy “Houseboat Trilogy” (originated as a teen not much older than he). Discovery landed safely and the astronauts held a press conference. Josh had another night’s sleep at the Blue Bank Farm.

Posted in Creativity, Current Events, Dana, Exercise, Family, Mombo, Movies, Pets, Pirates, Space, Studio, Technology, Television | Comments Closed

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »