The Senior Observer

Kay surprises me

2012-02-25T10:29:00.001-08:00

Kay continues to surprise me and I continue to learn about how she is able to think. We went to bed early last night and didn't hear Tom call to check up on us as the door was closed to the rooms where the phones were and the TV going. He called around and included the apartment office and left a messas to check on us in the morning. About nine because my wrist had recovered from the sprain and it had stopped raining I took the scooter over to Fred Meyer to stock up on some groceries. During this time the office personnel came to the apartment and Kay managed to open the door but they aparently did not come in. As they were leaving I came up with the groceries. They were greatly relieved to see me because they now knew where I was. Kay was not able to tell them. What impressed me was the fact that Kay remembered their visit and was able to actually say what was in her mind and tell me they had been there. What I think is anything that makes a big impression on her she is able to retain that and maybe act on it to a limited extent. I cant remember now exactly what the sentence was she said but it was a complete sentence. I always expect a one way conversation on things she knows and remembers. But it was only that one sentence she said to me. From then on it was something like "is it bad?" "it is bad" The word "good" is hard for her to get out. But the fact that she was able to get out a complete sentence of what was on her mind should mean something but I don't know what.

Betty Brown

2012-02-25T10:07:00.000-08:00

Betty Brown died day before yesterday. She was the sister in law of Kay. Betty was married to Kay's brother Don who died a couple years ago. I told Kay but it didn't seem to make an impression so I suppse she might have forgotten her. Betty had alzheimers for about 2 years and died from it's complications in California. Don served in the navy in WW2 and after he got out of School they moved to California and spent their life there. Betty was a Californian Betty was a helpmate for Don and was a wonderful person to have as a friend.

Do you have Glaucoma? Important things you may not know. Go here to find out what the doctor may not be telling you.

4 years in 3rd Inf in WW2 Go here My less heroic contribution. KE7PLR Established (born)Aug. 23, 1921

Gas going to 8 0r 10 bucks?

2012-02-22T19:05:00.000-08:00

I don't see anyone connecting the price of gas to the insane policy of blaming Iran for a non-existant nuclear bomb policy. I see where the top American general and the top CIA guy says Iran is not building a bomb. It wouldn't make sense for Iran to make a bomb they could not deliver when Israel and the US have them by the thousands. Sanctions against Iran are now coming home to roost. Iran is no doubt chuckling with glee the way things are turning out. More screws to the delivery of petroleum to the world and the higher the price goes. Time to put some pressure on the politicians to start a sensible approach towards Iran.

Do you have Glaucoma? Important things you may not know. Go here to find out what the doctor may not be telling you.

4 years in 3rd Inf in WW2 Go here My less heroic contribution. KE7PLR Established (born)Aug. 23, 1921

Memories

2012-02-21T18:12:00.005-08:00

Many years ago I was unloading a tank ship in Edmonds wa which has a long pier. Edmonds was just a small town with a ferry dock down the shore a ways as a waterfront. Not a lot there at the time. Union Oil had a tank farm south of there maybe a quarter mile. Tank ships came in and one of my jobs was to unload it. Ships tie up to a dock with a bow line, stern line and one called a spring line. It kept the ship from sliding back and forth. It is the ships responsibility to see it is secured properly. The dock man has an interest too of course. They throw a heaving line attached to the big rope that secures it to the dock. All I had to do was pull the looped end and put it over the cleat so it was secure and could not come loose. Anyway these guys didn't do a good job of securing it to the posts on the ship with enough loops to keep it from sliding loose. After we got the 8 or 10 inch hose hooked up to unload and pump the oil off they went back inside the ship after starting the pumps. They can pump 7 , 8 thousand barrels an hour if I remember right.. Which is about 300 or 400,000 gallons an hour. Big tankers can do more with a bigger hose. But after getting started these guys went inside to have coffee or something knowing the would be there a few hours. But after a while the lines began to loosen because they didn't tie them up securely and the tide which runs pretty fast moved the ship stern away from the dock as the lines loosened. This left only the bow line connected. The spring line doesn't hold it to the dock. The only thing holding the ship to the dock was the bowline and the hose. When the stern line fell off that allowed the stern to swing out from the dock I could not get on the ship and tell anyone what was going on. So I had to just stay there and wait until someone came out and saw what was happening. I don't remember what they were pumping Gasoline, fuel oil, diesel or what. But if it was gasoline and the line had broken I might have been in a bad spot. If it was bunker fuel that is like heavy crude and it would have been disastrous for the environment. In Puget Sound the tides run fast and the ship was broadside to the tide so it was putting a big strain on the hose that was securing the ship to the dock. I have all these years wondered what would have happened if it had broken. How long would it have take them before they came out and noticed they were pumping into Puget Sound. Only now have I thought that if the hose had broken the pumps would have changed their sound and maybe they would have caught it right away. But all these years I have had the willies thinking what would have happened if that hose had broken. I had a phone to the plant I think but not sure. No phone to the outside. It was at night and I was the only one on duty so no one was in the plant. I could only stand there and hope someone came out and found it.

Doyal.

Do you have Glaucoma? Important things you may not know. Go here to find out what the doctor may not be telling you.

4 years in 3rd Inf in WW2 Go here My less heroic contribution. KE7PLR Established (born)Aug. 23, 1921

The latest

2012-02-20T19:15:00.000-08:00

A recent picture

The following post shows that Kay is capable of understand conversations around her and they have an effect on her. We have been careless about discussing sensitive subjects that concern her not realizing what it is doing to her because she does not react to the conversation. I have told how to communicate with her it has to be a one way conversation. She can not talk back and tell you what she is thinking. But she remembers and thinks about it. Recently she would rather go to bed in her street clothes rather than take the effort to change into a nightgown. I think this is more or less SOP for people in her condition. But when I could object without raising her from a sleep I made her get into a night gown. She would grumble about it but did it anyway. Then 3 or 4 days ago while I was in the living room doing something after she had gone to bed she came back in to tell me goodnight in her nightgown. So my insisting that she change made her remember. I think that is great. She is still with me. .

Kay understands more than we know

2012-02-19T19:55:00.000-08:00

Letter to our kids

Kay came into the living room after being in bed after dinner and said to me not to leave her. She said don't make her go away. I finally figured out that she was worried that I was going to put her away somewhere. She must have got to thinking about our conversation the other day and got worried that we were to put her in a rest home by herself. She just now came in again and told me again not to make her go away. That really shocked me and saddened me. To think that we made her worried and that we underestimated her ability to understand. These things make an impression on her and she remembers. This is days later so it shows her memory does work. I remember other times when this might have come up and I did't know what she meant. I need to know what I can do to make sure she doesn't think about this again. She may hang on to it for some time. She took a long time to get over Don's death.

Bobby

2012-02-18T18:16:00.000-08:00

Do you have Glaucoma? Important things you may not know. Go here to find out what the doctor may not be telling you.

I watch the arts channel a lot because I get limited channels from Comcast. There is so much useless junk and I cant stand laugh tracks that the Arts channel just suits me fine. I've watched TV since we turned the TV on just to see the Indian head test pattern so I am full up to here with the brainwashing. I have to thank Ms Charlton at Ballard Highschool for whatever culture I might have had before I met Kay my wife who helped get the hillbilly out of me from then on. She made sure that all our kids including Bob got some training in culture of some kind. I go back over the old pictures we have and I am reminded that we gave him trumpet lessons. He didn't go far with the trumpet but he took up the guitar after I gave him one. Then when I could no longer play he fell heir to the one I had left. I did a stuped thing and sold the guitar my brother bought more me in the early 1930's. But I had picked up another pretty good one (a martin) later and he now has it. But we saw that all the kids had some training of some kind. Dianne did some dancing Tom took up the trumpet, Robbin took up the drums and later organized a rock band, the Town Cryers, later disbanded when his back got so bad it hurt to play the drums.

4 years in 3rd Inf in WW2 Go here My less heroic contribution. KE7PLR Established (born)Aug. 23, 1921

Today with Kay

2012-02-17T12:28:00.001-08:00

Kay got up and about the time I was to get her breakfast (and mine) she said she had to go to the bath room. Then asked where it was. That was somewhat of a shock. I think that shows she is regressing some. Later she had no problem in this respect. I think it is somewhat normal to be confused when first up. I got her scrambled egg and toast. I always give her milk too which she seems to like.

New problem for Kay

2012-02-15T19:12:00.000-08:00

A new situation to meet with Kay today. Kay started asking me today to help her. Or keep asking me to stay with her and not to leave her. Nothing I said could get her to convey to me what she wanted. I would ask her. She could not get it out. Of course I would help what did she want. I'd ask her if she hurt. Or ask her where she hurt. None would get an answer that would help. Similar situations have happened previously so I hoped eventually she would get over it. Even though I stayed beside her she kept asking me to not leave her. No matter what I said she continually kept asking me to stay or help her. Eventually she seemed to calm down and I went in to get dinner. I could just see her in a warehouse with 6 or 8 other patients watched over by one attendant not able to convey she needed attention. Sitting there in misery. Helpless. A really hearbreaking situation but if I am not able to do anything about it all I can do is put it out of my mind. Do what I can and go on with doing what I can to make her life easy as long as I can.

This is frightening

2012-02-15T18:47:00.000-08:00

Today Hilary came and did her weekly clean up. One thing she changed the sheets on the bed from red to white. Kay came in this evening and said she didn't understand something in the bedroom. She made it obvious that what she meant was the bed. That I could not understand other than she might be confused about the bed because of the white sheets. She is extremely worried that something is going to go wrong. She is always a nervous person and is easily frightened. She keeps asking me if it is going to be bad. She keeps saying she doesn't know what to do if it is bad. I try to explain everything is good but it doesn't really sink ok. She cant get over it. A few minutes ago she called and I went into the bathroom where the toilet was about to run over. In fact it did a little before I managed to get the plunger and fix it. This rarely happens any more since 2 or 3 years ago she was putting a lot of tissue paper in the toilet running it over. For some reason it covered the whole floor. After 3 or 4 of these she finally because so traumatized by the experience that she remembered not to put too much paper in and it has not run over until a few minutes ago. Which was just a minor incident. She knew enough to call me. It was done quite a few minutes ago and she has just stopped asking me about it. I will know if she is over it when I go in the next time to see her. But the past few days she seems quite a bit worse then normal. It's late but I need a cup of coffee. If I were a drinking man I would have a drink. There are good days and bad days. I wonder how much she can recover from the bad days. She is still worried about things going bad.
Doyal

Do you have Glaucoma? Important things you may not know. Go here to find out what the doctor may not be telling you.

4 years in 3rd Inf in WW2 Go here My less heroic contribution. KE7PLR Established (born)Aug. 23, 1921

Kathleen Brown Gudgel

2012-02-14T17:21:00.000-08:00

See next post for story with picture

Do you have Glaucoma? Important things you may not know. Go here to find out what the doctor may not be telling you.

4 years in 3rd Inf in WW2 Go here My less heroic contribution. KE7PLR Established (born)Aug. 23, 1921

71 Years today

2012-02-14T17:12:00.000-08:00

Do you have Glaucoma? Important things you may not know. Go here to find out what the doctor may not be telling you.

Today completes my 71 st year of marriage. No marriage could be better. No money to speak of but 4 kids that didn't wind up in jail. I consider she saved my life. She gave me direction and changed my life around in such a way that I would not be here now except for her. She has dementia now and cant appreciate our accomplishment but we are more in love that ever. I am returning to her what she has done for me the past 71 years.

4 years in 3rd Inf in WW2 Go here My less heroic contribution. KE7PLR Established (born)Aug. 23, 1921

the first kiss

2012-02-14T17:00:00.000-08:00

Do you have Glaucoma? Important things you may not know. Go here to find out what the doctor may not be telling you.

The thing today seems to be on the radio talk shows is the fist kiss. I cant tell you what my first kiss was. I had several opportunities when very young but now it is not possible to remember. I do remember one girl I went out with who was her first. I was in high school and took this girl out who had consumption as it was called in those days. I think she went to the same fundamentalist church I went to. When I took her home I gave her a kiss more like a peck on the lips. She thanks me for doing it. I am sure because of her tuberculosis she had never been kissed. Or even taken out I suppose. For years I thought what a dumb thing to do. I later had a sister die from tuberculosis so it wasn't a very smart idea. Most people over 50 years have had the scratch test for tuberculosis which I did. It turned out positive so maybe I had immunity from that as I did ok.

4 years in 3rd Inf in WW2 Go here My less heroic contribution. KE7PLR Established (born)Aug. 23, 1921

Kay's outing to Old Country Buffet

2012-02-13T10:46:00.000-08:00

Do you have Glaucoma? Important things you may not know. Go here to find out what the doctor may not be telling you.

Kay seemed quite alert yesterday morning so I took her out for breakfast. When we came home to the apartment she commented that "I don't think I have been here before" Kind of a shock because we have lived here for over 6 years. I think she felt this way because she doesn't get out a lot and the entrance to the apartment isn't one of her regular experiences anymore. Still, it is somewhat unsettling to hear her say that. I keep alert for things that change in her.

Occasionally I ask her if she want so get dressed and go out for something but she doesn't feel good enough to get dressed. So she isn't getting out as much as she did. Dementia affects people differently. For instance Kay had two cousins that only lived a couple years after diagnoses. Kay has never been officially diagnosed but has had it for 6 or 7 years. I am inclined to think that by putting someone with dementia in a board and room warehouse they become subconsciously shut out of the life they knew and they shut down and die much faster than they would if they stay in their home environment. Kay, because she still is in the environment she has been in for the last 71 years beginning tomorrow. Pres. Regan lived for years. My sister Leoma lived for years. Put them in a facility shut away from their past and they might pine away and die much sooner than if they remain with their relatives and friends. A broken heart is real. I can see it in Kay.

4 years in 3rd Inf in WW2 Go here My less heroic contribution. KE7PLR Established (born)Aug. 23, 1921

Kay's condition now

2012-02-11T08:44:00.000-08:00

Do you have Glaucoma? Important things you may not know. Go here to find out what the doctor may not be telling you.

It is strange how dementia effects different people. Kay has a cousin who died recently and a sister in law who has it but is still living. Her cousin died a fairly short time after being diagnosed with it. Her sister in law is also fast succumbing to it's ravages. Kay has had it now since we moved her nearly 7 years ago probably somewhat longer of course and still can manage to take care of herself in most respects. She dresses, eats, takes her bath with help getting the water and clothes. So in a sense she is still the Kay I have known for 75 years. She still tries to read the paper. A couple days ago she got all upset when she read the story of the guy who blew up his house with his two boys inside. It took her quite a little while to stop asking wasn't that a horrible event.

One thing you can not do is order one with dementia around. They have a mind of their own. For instance she eats things I wish she would not. Like butter straight! It doesn't do any good to tell her not to. Of course I try to give her what she will eat. But whether she eats it will depend on what she has been snacking on. On the other hand she is 90 and her vital organs seem to be in good condition. So what then if she eats butter! She participated once in a UW Med. Survey many years ago about people with high cholesterol. At the time I didn't know cholesterol from a hole in the ground. If I remember right hers was somewhere up around 800 or a 1000. I might be wrong about that. I have been meaning to see if I could find out what happened to the survey and what hers was. There should be some recent measurements but have not had any discussions with a Dr. They tend to overlook these things with older people if you don't bring up the subject.

More soon

4 years in 3rd Inf in WW2 Go here My less heroic contribution. KE7PLR Established (born)Aug. 23, 1921

2012-02-10T22:20:00.000-08:00

Do you have Glaucoma? Important things you may not know. Go here to find out what the doctor may not be telling you.

If you have a Seagate drive you are on your own. If Seagate cant make you look the solution up that's it. No help from a human. I have a drive and the Chinese assemblers didn't print on the power input what the voltage is. I have not had it connected for a few months because it is only a 500 gig drive. So in the meantime the power transformer became separated. I have an un-named transformer but it is 12 volts which is more than the usual supply. I will have to compare the other drives to see what they are but don't expect to find any at `12 volts. I wanted to ask Seagate what the voltage was but could not find the answer anywhere in their so called data base. I simple spec section would fix the problem. Seagate that's it for me. Are they others any different? Don't count on it.

2012-02-10T22:19:00.000-08:00

Do you have Glaucoma? Important things you may not know. Go here to find out what the doctor may not be telling you.

Kay came in a few minutes ago and pointed to her forehead. There was a bump on her head where she had obviously bumped into something and it broke the skin and bled a little. She could only tell me to look at it but could not tell me where she got it. I don't know of anything in the apartment with a sharp corner except the kitchen cabinets but she had not been in there. She had come from the bedroom as far as I know even though I am blind in the left eye so she sometimes passes by without me knowing it. She complained it hurt but there is nothing I can do and it will heal ok. I don't think putting a bandage on it will help as taking it off will be worse than just leaving it exposed. But it is a mystery to me how she got it.

--------Fishing in Alaska --------- See how not to fish. here --------- Doyal and I put ours on even though we couldn't live more than 10 or 15 minutes in water like that. Too far to swim and the dinghy wouldn't hold us all.--------------- 4 years in 3rd Inf in WW2 Go here My less heroic contribution. KE7PLR Established (born)Aug. 23, 1921

2012-02-06T16:46:00.000-08:00

Do you have Glaucoma? Important things you may not know. Go here to find out what the doctor may not be telling you.
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Kay feels terrible today but I don't know what to do about it. She cant tell me where or how she feels.She only says I can't live here any more. Meaning I believe that she will die. But her vital organs are good. So that is not going to happen. So all I can do is try to comfort her. Try to give her some hope. I thought maybe a Tylenol might do something to make things easier. This I have not done before. But she rejected it. She has been in bed a lot today or just sitting in the easy chair in the living room. Similar situations have come up previously so maybe she will come out of this as she has done before. I sure hope so.

2012-01-31T19:38:00.001-08:00

Do you have Glaucoma? Important things you may not know. Go here to find out what the doctor may not be telling you.

--------Fishing in Alaska --------- See how not to fish. here --------- Doyal and I put ours on even though we couldn't live more than 10 or 15 minutes in water like that. Too far to swim and the dinghy wouldn't hold us all.--------------- 4 years in 3rd Inf in WW2 Go here My less heroic contribution. KE7PLR Established (born)Aug. 23, 1921

2012-01-26T14:54:00.001-08:00

Weidner apartment homes

2012-01-25T09:26:00.000-08:00

Do you have Glaucoma? Important things you may not know. Go here to find out what the doctor may not be telling you.

It is hilarious how this outfit Weidner Apartment Homes does their public relations with their renters. This outfit has about 350.000 apartments but makes a pretense of making sure the renter is happy with their living in the apartment. Now as this outfit is a billion dollar organization and has been in the business for years and has over 300,000 people renting from them you would think they know what it takes for a renter to be happy. Yesterday I made a request to the office for an ant trap as I saw some tiny red ants. Sure enough on the way to work the two maintenance guys who I know for several years stopped by and gave me the trap. Later in the day I got a call from the office to find out if I got the traps. To me this is not improving customer relations it is checking up on their workers. They didn't thrust their employees enough to do the job but made a call to make sure. They could not wait for me to call back if I didn't get it which would have been the right way to handle the situation. Employeewise too. I cant imagine how it is for someone working for them to be under total spying on their work. If they are not trusted they should get someone they do trust This outfit really want so computerize everything so some bigshot at HQ can push a mouse and see how the organization is doing. In the meantime we who rent have a real bad taste for how this place is run. In an earlier need for minor service they sent me an email to check on their employee to see if it was done. Well I dont want an email from Weidner for any reason. I get enough emails. Here is another instance of crappy customer relations. When a renter had rented for years paying the rent isn't a major event in their life. It has to be done but with other things. But with this outfit if you forget for a day. Just one day they start eviction proceedings the day it is past due. No matter how long you have paid rent. They don't think apparently that you just forgot and make a phone call to you remind you that it is due. They post on your door a piece of paper telling you that this is the first step in evicting you in case you don 't pay the rent. For someone who has rented for years this new approach to getting their rent check sure is galling. The result is their renters could care less about Weidner and it is no longer an apartment home it is just an apartment and who cares about the outfit that owns it. One of the women in the office quit because it had become like it is. She quit because she didn't have to have the job as her husband was retired military and had an adequate income. Also if she got tired of doing nothing she could look for another job to keep busy. It sure has changed though from before. It is apparent that the owner is trying to computerize it so much obviously to reduce operating costs. That is understandable because with this huge outfit keeping track of fraud and theft is a big job. But it is a pain to have this outfit make a pretense of being interested in you as a person. What a laugh. All this stuff about keeping renters happy is just to keep an eye on their employees. If they don't trust their employees maybe I shouldn't trust them either.
DG

-------Fishing in Alaska --------- See how not to fish. here --------- Doyal and I put ours on even though we couldn't live more than 10 or 15 minutes in water like that. Too far to swim and the dinghy wouldn't hold us all.--------------- 4 years in 3rd Inf in WW2 Go here My less heroic contribution. KE7PLR Established (born)Aug. 23, 1921

Apple is a pest

2012-01-24T11:37:00.000-08:00

Apple is a pest. I happen to have iTunes on the computer because some people insist on using iTunes for their attachments. To see what it is I have to have iTunes. But once you get on Apples list they just pester you to death with their reminders to update or install stuff you don't have. I just wish Apple would go away

Do you have Glaucoma? Important things you may not know. Go here to find out what the doctor may not be telling you.

--------Fishing in Alaska --------- See how not to fish. here --------- Doyal and I put ours on even though we couldn't live more than 10 or 15 minutes in water like that. Too far to swim and the dinghy wouldn't hold us all.--------------- 4 years in 3rd Inf in WW2 Go here My less heroic contribution. KE7PLR Established (born)Aug. 23, 1921

Glaucoma

2012-01-16T15:45:00.000-08:00

Do you have Glaucoma? Important things you may not know. Go here to find out what the doctor may not be telling you. Here --------Fishing in Alaska ---------nowaytofish.blogspot.com --------- Doyal and I put ours on even though we couldn't live more than 10 or 15 minutes in water like that. Too far to swim and the dinghy wouldn't hold us all.--------------- 4 years in 3rd Inf in WW2 billswar.blogspot.com My less heroic contribution. seniorobserver.blogspot.com* KE7PLR Established (born)Aug. 23, 1921

Don't expect help from Wal*Mart

2012-01-16T11:13:00.000-08:00

I bought a 2 wheeled electric scooter from Walmart and within a short time the rear tire wore out. ( I wont tell you which country it came from) You would expect to go where you bought the merchandise for parts. But NO, not Walmart. They flat out told me they don't sell parts. Or even have a relationship with the store they sold it from. So to fix it I had to go to the open market and pay double for another rag made in the un-named country. Besides the scooter is dangerous because it does not have disc brakes. These rim brakes cant handle the weight properly so you must plan ahead when you want to stop before running into the side or front of a car for instance. When I bought it from Walmart I just assumed it had disc brakes. This piece of rag is going to cost almost 40 bucks for a small tire and tube. I learned my lesson about Walmart. Have a nice day.

-- --------Fishing in Alaska ---------nowaytofish.blogspot.com --------- Doyal and I put ours on even though we couldn't live more than 10 or 15 minutes in water like that. Too far to swim and the dinghy wouldn't hold us all.--------------- 4 years in 3rd Inf in WW2 billswar.blogspot.com My less heroic contribution. seniorobserver.blogspot.com* KE7PLR Established (born)Aug. 23, 1921

Will the Travel Channel have a show?

2012-01-15T06:23:00.000-08:00

-Do you think the Travel Channel will have a show about the cruise ship disaster???

I can't wait.

- --------Fishing in Alaska ---------nowaytofish.blogspot.com --------- Doyal and I put ours on even though we couldn't live more than 10 or 15 minutes in water like that. Too far to swim and the dinghy wouldn't hold us all.--------------- 4 years in 3rd Inf in WW2 billswar.blogspot.com My less heroic contribution. seniorobserver.blogspot.com* KE7PLR Established (born)Aug. 23, 1921

New post about glaucoma

2012-01-14T10:43:00.000-08:00

You can see my latest entry on the subject of Glaucoma at glaucomascams.blogspot.com
Go here for glaucomascams

-- --------Fishing in Alaska ---------nowaytofish.blogspot.com --------- Doyal and I put ours on even though we couldn't live more than 10 or 15 minutes in water like that. Too far to swim and the dinghy wouldn't hold us all.--------------- 4 years in 3rd Inf in WW2 billswar.blogspot.com My less heroic contribution. seniorobserver.blogspot.com* KE7PLR Established (born)Aug. 23, 1921

Eye doctor no help

2012-01-14T08:51:00.000-08:00

Went to the eye specialist the other day. Learned nothing that I didn't already know.
Still trying to sell the solution that pressure change is the answer even though my pressure is normal. To overcome the problem of changing normal pressure to cure Glaucoma they have come up with a formula that shows them what the new pressure should be. For research on Glaucoma and how doctors scam the public go to glaucomascams.blogspot.com. I am entering his research so it will not be lost.
-- --------Fishing in Alaska ---------nowaytofish.blogspot.com --------- Doyal and I put ours on even though we couldn't live more than 10 or 15 minutes in water like that. Too far to swim and the dinghy wouldn't hold us all.--------------- 4 years in 3rd Inf in WW2 billswar.blogspot.com My less heroic contribution. seniorobserver.blogspot.com* KE7PLR Established (born)Aug. 23, 1921

Every day closer to war in the mid east.

2012-01-04T16:51:00.000-08:00

One thing I have about a coming war with Iran would be the destruction of the ancient artifacts of the region. As in Iraq where there was major destruction it will be worse in Iran because the US or Israel will use nukes if Iran is able to put up strong resistance. A total shame. Remember it was the US pushing Japan to the wall with an oil embargo which brought the US into WW2. For 1,000 days 800 Americans a day were killed or wounded.
In other words in a week there were more Americans casualties than in the entire Iraq war.

-- --------Fishing in Alaska ---------nowaytofish.blogspot.com --------- Doyal and I put ours on even though we couldn't live more than 10 or 15 minutes in water like that. Too far to swim and the dinghy wouldn't hold us all.--------------- 4 years in 3rd Inf in WW2 billswar.blogspot.com My less heroic contribution. seniorobserver.blogspot.com* KE7PLR Established (born)Aug. 23, 1921

Accurate Diabetic blood testing

2012-01-04T09:19:00.000-08:00

I have found a sure to get an accurate b/g test. I've never felt that I could be sure of the results I was getting. If the drop was too little the result might be way off. But if I change my methodology a little I get the same results in a second test. If you have stuck yourself and don't want to stuck yourself again because the drop is smaller than you want just keep the strip up against the drop for two or three seconds being careful to have the drop cover the end of the strip where the blood enters the strip. That will make sure the blood is up against the sensing element inside the meter. I have checked this a number of times and always got the same answer within 2 or 3 numbers. Sometimes exactly the same. Meter manufacturers only guarantee 20 percent accuracy which is almost useless. If you had a reading of 60 mg and you were actually 20 percent lower you might be headed for trouble. With this method you are sure of the reading you get. So develop a habit of keeping the strip in the blood for 2 or 3 seconds to make sure it is an accurate test. If anyone wants to confrm or deny it try it out and let me know.

Bill Sheldon June 17, 1920. April 4, 2001. Four years in the 3rd Infantry Division WW2 His story. Find it at Four years in the 3rd Inf in WW2
If you can't wait to get new posting to this web page get on the list of automatic mail when something new is posted ................KE7PLR......................

No pretense by google

2012-01-04T09:17:00.000-08:00

No pretense by google to be a search engine first then a purveyor of advertisements any more. It continually gets in your face with their advertisements. You look for something but their adds get in your way. Gmail is the same. I am working on making Eudora email as my main mail client. No adds built into Eudora and once you get it set up it will take over. Bing is as bad with Firefox close behind.

-- --------Fishing in Alaska ---------nowaytofish.blogspot.com --------- Doyal and I put ours on even though we couldn't live more than 10 or 15 minutes in water like that. Too far to swim and the dinghy wouldn't hold us all.--------------- 4 years in 3rd Inf in WW2 billswar.blogspot.com My less heroic contribution. seniorobserver.blogspot.com* KE7PLR Established (born)Aug. 23, 1921

War on Iran coming

2012-01-01T15:22:00.000-08:00

Looks like the US will be attacking Iran when it responds to cutting off the sale of Iran's oil. Think back to WW2 which was caused by Japan responding to the US for embargoing it's oil supply.
Too bad. More misery and killing. No wonder so many vets today come back mentally mixed up. Killing the innocent is disturbing. In WW2 at least we were convinced killing those beasts was a good thing.
DG

-- --------Fishing in Alaska ---------nowaytofish.blogspot.com --------- Doyal and I put ours on even though we couldn't live more than 10 or 15 minutes in water like that. Too far to swim and the dinghy wouldn't hold us all.--------------- 4 years in 3rd Inf in WW2 billswar.blogspot.com My less heroic contribution. seniorobserver.blogspot.com* KE7PLR Established (born)Aug. 23, 1921

Accuracy in B/G testing

2012-01-01T12:02:00.000-08:00

To all you diabetics out there who take so much confidence in the readout of your meter when you test for glucose. Did you read the fine print where it says it is accurate to 20 percent? Well, for monitoring your B/G that is next to useless if you can't improve the accuracy. Let's say your actual B/G is 100. 20 percent of that is down to 80 or up to 120 what your meter can say and still be in it's spec's not much good though for adjusting you B/G. How you can increase the accuracy to 1 or 2 percent is when you sample the blood with the strip you keep it exactly where you sampled it so the strip does not move but keeps taking in blood if it needs it. You will not be able to see this if it does need the extra blood. This will give it the proper amount of blood to give an accurate reading. I use a Bayer which reads out in 5 seconds and keep it in position for 4 seconds if possible. This works fine on any size drop of blood if the sample into the strip does not reduce the size of the blood sample. If it does reduce the sample size that means it did not get full. But if you don't see a reduction in the blood drop you will get an accurate reading because it had it's fill. This works for very small drops. The main problem then is getting the ding and drawing the strip out too soon. I keep the strip in for several seconds although I am not sure it really needs that long for accuracy. Maybe even one second would be ok. It is easier for me to just keep it in to be sure instead of sticking myself the number of times to figure it out. Now if you happen to have a reading of 110 and want to bring it down to 90 you can check yourself 15 or 20 minutes later and be fairly sure the reading you get is correct. If you are only sure of 20 percent it would be useless to adjust with that information.

-- --------Fishing in Alaska ---------nowaytofish.blogspot.com --------- Doyal and I put ours on even though we couldn't live more than 10 or 15 minutes in water like that. Too far to swim and the dinghy wouldn't hold us all.--------------- 4 years in 3rd Inf in WW2 billswar.blogspot.com My less heroic contribution. seniorobserver.blogspot.com KE7PLR Established (born)Aug. 23, 1921

New years party for Seniors and Handicapped

2012-01-01T09:23:00.000-08:00

Contrary to our normal way on New Years eve of just going to bed about ten Kay and I went to an eve party organized by Kathy the young (compared to us) girl who comes to the Tuesday Bible reading session. Almost everyone there was sick with something from old age related or other maladies. What struck me was the ignorance they had of their condition and the trust they had with their doctor to do something for them. Most doctors do that but some let the money get in the way of what is best for the patient.
Einstein, I think it was. said. "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over expecting a different result."

In the group was a fairly young woman with her lower leg is some sort of cast. I asked what was wrong with and she said she had a toe infection. I immediately asked if she was diabetic. She said yes. This shows that what ever the doctor was doing was not working. You don't have to be a doctor to know that these things happen because of lack of blood circulation to the feet. Then it becomes infected because of lack circulation then you get gangrene then they cut off the toe. The problems resurfaces in the end of the foot where the circulation is still bad where the same condition can exist and so on until they get to the hip. However you might be dead before then of course.

Circulation of course depends upon good healthy blood. Blood loaded with glucose is not healthy. Too high a b/g results in poor circulation because the vessels get plugged up with too much glucose. This is a layman's
way of describing it but true none the less. Sort of like the days you made home made ice cream and you put the excess ice cream in the freezer where the sugar settled to the bottom in a couple weeks. This is a layman's way of describing what is happening but it is clear that what has to be done is improve the blood supply. Reduce the glucose. These things don't happen to young healthy people. If there is an infection to a cut they treat it and then they, in normal circumstances, get over it.

It's apparent that this woman's doctor has not improved her diabetes. He is doing the same old thing hoping for a different result.

These things being done to people really make me sad. Sad because something could have been done about it. Now I am not so sure. It wouldn't hurt for her to get Dr. Richard Bernstein's book "Diabetes Solution" which shows how to normalize b/g, and follow his recommendations for normalizing b/g. Strangely though many people are so enamoured with some guy with a Dr. in front of his name they cant see that the doctor is killing them.

I am going to offer the book to her but I don't expect anything to come of it. My uncle Virgil went through this many years ago. Before I knew anything about diabetes. But I will still feel bad watching her slowly die when she might do something about her condition.

-- --------Fishing in Alaska ---------nowaytofish.blogspot.com --------- Doyal and I put ours on even though we couldn't live more than 10 or 15 minutes in water like that. Too far to swim and the dinghy wouldn't hold us all.--------------- 4 years in 3rd Inf in WW2 billswar.blogspot.com My less heroic contribution. seniorobserver.blogspot.com* KE7PLR Established (born)Aug. 23, 1921

How brainwashed we are

2011-12-30T10:35:00.000-08:00

I occasionally run into a woman in a wheelchair who lives in a nearby senior apartment. She told me I would not be seeing her for a while. When I asked her why she said she was going in for surgery and chemo treatments. When she told me where it was localized it was apparent it was just about throughout her internal organs. But they are going to operate then give her chemo which will put her in much misery. From the description it seems to me all that will happen is that some doctors and hospitals will make a lot of money. She will die anyway. But she is so brainwashed that she has hope something good will come of it.

-- --------Fishing in Alaska ---------nowaytofish.blogspot.com --------- Doyal and I put ours on even though we couldn't live more than 10 or 15 minutes in water like that. Too far to swim and the dinghy wouldn't hold us all.--------------- 4 years in 3rd Inf in WW2 billswar.blogspot.com My less heroic contribution. seniorobserver.blogspot.com* KE7PLR Established (born)Aug. 23, 1921

Cataracts

2011-12-24T10:05:00.000-08:00

I have been having eye problems like flaring when I look into the sun. Makes it unsafe to drive as under that condition I cant see what is in the shade. I thought it was some sort of infection causing my eyes to run. The Dr. who did the eyelid life concluded it was a cataract. I was surprised as it seemed to come on quite suddenly. Like about a month. Maybe I just missed it. I have known about the cataract for years though. Sight in it is 20/30 which is pretty good but they have not done a field test for how sensitive it is. Glaucoma is continuing. It will be a shock to doctor believers who believe pressure creates glaucoma that after my eyelid lift my eye pressure went from about 20 to 14. That is drastic and pretty much destroys the notion that eye pressure causes glaucoma. It wont have any effect on treatment though because that doesn't leave many other treatment alternatives. I refer to my kind of glaucoma. Open angle.

-- --------Fishing in Alaska ---------nowaytofish.blogspot.com --------- Doyal and I put ours on even though we couldn't live more than 10 or 15 minutes in water like that. Too far to swim and the dinghy wouldn't hold us all.--------------- 4 years in 3rd Inf in WW2 billswar.blogspot.com My less heroic contribution. seniorobserver.blogspot.com* KE7PLR Established (born)Aug. 23, 1921

Kay is 90 today. No gifts please!!!

2011-12-22T08:58:00.000-08:00

I had made breakfast for Kay and she was standing in the doorway to the kitchen so I decided to go over and tell her she was 90 today. This really seemed to get her attention. Then she began asking me how long we would live. This went on for quite some time which happens when something really makes an impression. So I had to spend quite some time trying to answer the question no one can answer. Of course nothing I could say could she comprehend. These situations are somewhat unsettling because I hate to have her upset. Even after she went to bed for a nap and I went in to open the blinds so she could look out the window she never seems to think of this herself she was still thinking of being 90. Getting older before she got this way didn't seem to bother her too much. Maybe I just didn't realize it--------------------------------------------------------------------------
90 years, birthday, getting old

-- --------Fishing in Alaska ---------nowaytofish.blogspot.com --------- Doyal and I put ours on even though we couldn't live more than 10 or 15 minutes in water like that. Too far to swim and the dinghy wouldn't hold us all.--------------- 4 years in 3rd Inf in WW2 billswar.blogspot.com My less heroic contribution. seniorobserver.blogspot.com* KE7PLR Established (born)Aug. 23, 1921

Kay 70 years ago

2011-12-22T08:57:00.000-08:00

Bill Gates and Charities

2011-12-20T18:48:00.000-08:00

It is all the rage at the moment to pay the balance on Layaway merchandise for people who don't have the money to pay for it all at once. Maybe you have put something on Layaway sometime in the past. Most people do it because they just don't have the money. So the people who pay the layaway balance sees that it goes to the needy.

Have you ever heard of Bill Gates with his millions ever doing anything like that? He gives money but in all instances as far as I can see he gives money to big institutions who will makes his name famous. That seems to be what he is working for. Fame. Take the woman who runs an organization that donates dresses to children in Africa. These dresses go to the individual girl who is in need. Not to some government agency who can buy her computer programs. True charity goes to those who can do nothing for you in return.

-- --------Fishing in Alaska ---------nowaytofish.blogspot.com --------- Doyal and I put ours on even though we couldn't live more than 10 or 15 minutes in water like that. Too far to swim and the dinghy wouldn't hold us all.--------------- 4 years in 3rd Inf in WW2 billswar.blogspot.com My less heroic contribution. seniorobserver.blogspot.com* KE7PLR Established (born)Aug. 23, 1921

An inspired Bible study today

2011-12-20T16:56:00.000-08:00

When the cleaning lady gets done cleaning up each week on Tuesday about 11:30 a half dozen neighbors come in and we read a couple chapters in the Bible. Then discuss what we read. Today I got an idea for a different routine. We read a few verses of Christmas story in St. Luke and St. Matthew then we halted the reading and I would play a Christmas Song. I had a CD with about 10 pieces so it worked fine and I think they enjoyed the change. The CD had songs by Bing Crosby, Al Martino, Gordon MacRae, The Lettermen and others. There was only one I would not play even though it was by Fred Waring and the Pennsylvanians and that was Jingle Bells.
Merry Christmas to you and yours.

-- --------Fishing in Alaska ---------nowaytofish.blogspot.com --------- Doyal and I put ours on even though we couldn't live more than 10 or 15 minutes in water like that. Too far to swim and the dinghy wouldn't hold us all.--------------- 4 years in 3rd Inf in WW2 billswar.blogspot.com My less heroic contribution. seniorobserver.blogspot.com* KE7PLR Established (born)Aug. 23, 1921

Kay says she cant see.

2011-12-08T17:08:00.000-08:00

Kay has not been very good today. It is about 4:30 PM and she came in the hall outside the computer room door and said she could not see. I don't know exactly what she meant as once before she complained she could not see but what ever it was she came out of it a little later. I expect she will come out of this too. Unfortunately she cant explain herself. So I just cross my fingers and hope for the best.

I don't know if she could not see or her mind could not process her thoughts. Dementia takes so many varieties it is hard to know what is going on. As long as they cant do any thing about it what should I do? Her cousin died within about 3 years of diagnoses. A little later she said she could not think. She could do motor things like walking, talking and so on. Maybe that affected her ability so see.

I am taking drops for my eyes because of some sort of infection it seems. Sort of common for after operations of the kind I had. Looking into the sun makes me almost blind. Not bad in cloudy weather. Looks like I am looking into a bright haze.

When the Dr. or assistant called the other day, not the Dr who did the operation, she seemed to be in a haze. I kept trying to straighten her out on where to call in the prescription. She couldn't seem to understand "Wal mart" I had told the receptionist that morning, it was Wal Mart and the phone number. She kept repeating a different pharmacy name.
Finally I gave up and made sure she had the right phone number. Turned out OK. But who never heard of Wal mart. It works out ok for Kay to put the drops in my eye.

-- --------Fishing in Alaska ---------nowaytofish.blogspot.com --------- Doyal and I put ours on even though we couldn't live more than 10 or 15 minutes in water like that. Too far to swim and the dinghy wouldn't hold us all.--------------- 4 years in 3rd Inf in WW2 billswar.blogspot.com My less heroic contribution. seniorobserver.blogspot.com* KE7PLR Established (born)Aug. 23, 1921

Kay didn't eat this afternoon

2011-11-17T20:05:00.000-08:00

Kay slept quite a lot today. At dinnertime I got a Meals on Wheels TV dinner for us plus salad and cottage cheese. Kay dabbled for a while than told me to put it back and save it. Well, if you don't eat a TV dinner the first time it is doubtful if you will eat it the second time. I don't know how Meals on Wheels can produce so many varieties of meals yet they all smell about the same when you open them up. I thought Kay might be sick so I asked if she was but she said she was just full. I considered if she could not tell the difference between sick and full as she had not even snacked on anything that I knew of for some time. But as there was nothing I could I let her go back to bed while I cleaned up. Dementia sufferers finally get to the place where they are unable or unwilling to eat and I am concerned about this. But I am pretty sure she is not anywhere near that condition so what the problem is I don't know.

I am working on extracting scenes of Kay from all of our 80 years of home movies. What I have done is make a mess. There are so many DVD's I have made from 8,16 mm film and video tape that it is hard to know when I made and what excerpts there are. After Robin and Mary came down with a dinner I showed some to them and that particular DVD had lots of duplicate scenes. He laughed when I told him I hoped it would be done by Christmas. No one know how hard it is to do this particular job. So the end result may be some missing scenes and some duplicate scenes. But this is a pretty unique project because how many people have film of their family for 80 years. Not every year of course but enough to have a record. This is without still pictures too which I have not gotten into. I intend to add some to some places that might be appropriate.

-- --------Fishing in Alaska ---------nowaytofish.blogspot.com --------- Doyal and I put ours on even though we couldn't live more than 10 or 15 minutes in water like that. Too far to swim and the dinghy wouldn't hold us all.--------------- 4 years in 3rd Inf in WW2 billswar.blogspot.com My less heroic contribution. seniorobserver.blogspot.com* KE7PLR Established (born)Aug. 23, 1921

The (real!) depression in Seattle

2011-10-21T09:07:00.000-07:00

Growing up in the depression

There are always some stories going around about what it was like in the great depression in the 1930's because there seems to be the fear that we are headed in the direction because of the economic conditions at this time. That't not going to happen with all this money floating around except for those perhaps who have lost everyhing. But conditions are not even close to those of that day. One of my greatest joys was once as a kid I found a Popsicle stick in the gutter which offered a free Popsicle if it was returned to the store for a free one. So that kept me with my eyes in the gutter for a long time looking for another free Popsicle. Which never happened of course.

One way to get money for a kid in those days however was to try to sell the Seattle Times or Seattle PI or even the Seattle Star. The Times and PI sold for 5 cents and the Star for 3 cents. I'm talking about 1933 or 34. Almost an impossibility because someone already had the good routes or had the best street corner paper shacks.

My solution was try to to sell for Neversleep a black guy who had a shack on 12th and Jackson. I guess he lived in it although I don't know how he managed the other necessity of living needs.

There is a big difference between selling papers on the corner just past the light where people could stop and make their purchase as compared to the other side which only allowed you to sell while the light was red and the cars were stopped. In their archives the times has an article on Neversleep. I would go to Neversleep and get some papers from him and sell on commission. The other solution was to walk downtown to the Star and buy a few papers to sell somewhere. We lived at 1415 Jackson (in the back of course) I never knew where the Times and PI were. Probably too far for a 11 or 12 year old to walk from 12th and Jackson. But as the star sold for 3 cents even though you might sell one occasionally what point was it when your profit was probably 1 cent per paper. Because the Star sold for 3 cents there wasn't much incentive for paperboys to sell it. I think that was a main reason the Star folded. No one wanted to sell it when you could sell the PI or Times for a nickel. Why they couldn't figure that out is beyond me. So concurrent with an occasional effort to sell papers for Neversleep I bugged Western Union for a job delivering telegrams. In those days there was Western Union and Postal Telegraph delivering telegrams. Another system falling to progress.The telephone was coming into use and if there was a telegram for a house that had a telegram Western Union would just phone the message. Long distance was still more than a telegram. But as rates came down the telegraph business fell off and there was less need for delivery boys. This created less business for delivery boys and less pay. So we were back to making less money and how to fix that. One way was to form a Union and force Western Union to pay more. Which is what we did in the middle 30's. But that only forced the company to do it's utmost to telephone more messages. My future father in law who was depot agent for Railway Express Agency asked the boss at WU why WU paid so little who told him the didn't want the boys to make a career out of it. A lie of course because WU was on it's way out of course.

By the time I got a job delivering telegrams my mother had moved the family to Fremont at 3410 Albion Place almost under the Aurora bridge. A city bus driver got assaulted on the bridge while driving his bus some years ago and ran it off the bridge and it fell where the house would have been if it had not been demolished. I was able to make 6 or 7 dollars a week if lucky.

Messengers knew most of the secrets of the city. Where all the whore houses were for instance. There were some cribs not more than 2 or 3 blocks from city hall. There were a string of them on Yesler Way on the south side over where the freeway passes under now. City hall and the PD were in a triangle building about 5th and Yesler. There were more a block down on Washington street. The women were not above accosting boys like me when I might be walking by on my way to the downtown library. Some have contested this location and said they were only on Washington street. There were other places of prostitution here and there. Always on the second floor. These were the best places to deliver because the girls most likely would give a tip. I delivered the first singing telegram in Seattle to a party in an apartment house about 7th and Union now long gone of course. I got a 50 cent tip which was not bad in those days.

In those days WU also delivered packages around town. This is still being done buy other message services of other kinds. Getting hurt was always a danger. I think messengers always got hurt usually when they first started and got the hang of riding around town. Not always by cars however.

Hard times? Yes. Of course there were no lunch for the poor kids. If you could afford to pay yes. My mother managed to for me to earn a lunch by cleaning the restrooms. Both Boys and girls rest rooms. I cant remember how long I did it. But when we moved out to Ballard and I went to school there I had no lunches except what I brought with me. Which was no doubt peanut butter and jam most of the time.

You won't find me opposing school lunches, food stamps and other aid to keep the poor from starving. But I am sure there is graft, corruption and other waste which should be rooted out to make sure the needy get the help they need. That will happen when it stops raining in Seattle.

Have a nice day.

-- --------Fishing in Alaska ---------nowaytofish.blogspot.com --------- Doyal and I put ours on even though we couldn't live more than 10 or 15 minutes in water like that. Too far to swim and the dinghy wouldn't hold us all.--------------- 4 years in 3rd Inf in WW2 billswar.blogspot.com My less heroic contribution. seniorobserver.blogspot.com* KE7PLR Established (born)Aug. 23, 1921

SS increase is not an increase

2011-10-19T09:58:00.000-07:00

The reason they made the Social Security increase dawns on me. They had these rate increases in the works and if they didn't make the increase in our SS we would get less which would not go well. Now they get a pat on the back from the brain dead for giving us a raise which is not really a raise. This is the reason I have total disgust for politicians. You can quote me.

-- --------Fishing in Alaska ---------nowaytofish.blogspot.com --------- Doyal and I put ours on even though we couldn't live more than 10 or 15 minutes in water like that. Too far to swim and the dinghy wouldn't hold us all.--------------- 4 years in 3rd Inf in WW2 billswar.blogspot.com My less heroic contribution. seniorobserver.blogspot.com* KE7PLR Established (born)Aug. 23, 1921

Kay is bored a lot of the time.

2011-10-16T14:58:00.000-07:00

Kay is extremely bored much of the time. She has in the recent past told me she wants to get out of here. Meaning she is getting bored with the four walls. If my eyes were not so bad I could take her places. I have the computer and pictures to keep me occupied. But TV doesn't hold much interest for her because of her inability to keep up with the dialog I suppose. She will go to bed, sleep for a while, get up come in the living room. Spend some time go back to bed and either sleep or just look out the window. Going to a retirement center would not help because she couldn't keep up with the talk etc. This is quite evident of how she responds when we have our little bible study on Tuesdays. She is unable to take part in the conversation. No one takes time to visit her except Tom occasionally. The others are too far away to do much visiting. Some do not even call. Bob, and Kristina do some times.There may be Karma. Keep that in mind. Virginia is good about talking to her when I get her on the phone.

She just came in and I am going to take her over to Fred Meyer to break the routine

-- --------Fishing in Alaska ---------nowaytofish.blogspot.com --------- Doyal and I put ours on even though we couldn't live more than 10 or 15 minutes in water like that. Too far to swim and the dinghy wouldn't hold us all.--------------- 4 years in 3rd Inf in WW2 billswar.blogspot.com My less heroic contribution. seniorobserver.blogspot.com* KE7PLR Established (born)Aug. 23, 1921

150 year technology beats modern texting expert.

2011-10-16T12:08:00.000-07:00

A TV talk show host staged a contest between a modern texting expert on a ipad or similar machine and an old time Morse code operator.
I saw another contest of this nature and the Morse code beat texting. I could never have done it. It takes a lot of experience. These guys used a bug which is much faster than the old style key. Receiving, if you are experienced enough, you don't have to write it down as you can just read out loud. Military always wrote it down of course. In ww2 we used the key. Each operator had a particular style and the other side sometimes got to know each operator which was useful as they knew where it was coming from. If they knew what outfit the guy was assigned to they could keep track of units location. Communication by CW (Morse code) was between divisions, army and I am not sure if regiments as the lower units communicated by walkie talkie. Such as artillery fire control. Morse code also allowed them encrypt messages. We used a machine similar to the German Enigma. They make a lot of the English breaking the Enigma code. However I understand that there was one naval code they never broke. ( and perhaps others too.) But no doubt it helped the Allies to win the war. With the advent of the computer you don't even need a bug to transmit code. Have the computer do it as fast as you want. That takes the fun all out of it. Texting seems to have replaced Ham Radio for amusement for the younger generation.

Doyal

-- --------Fishing in Alaska ---------nowaytofish.blogspot.com --------- Doyal and I put ours on even though we couldn't live more than 10 or 15 minutes in water like that. Too far to swim and the dinghy wouldn't hold us all.--------------- 4 years in 3rd Inf in WW2 billswar.blogspot.com My less heroic contribution. seniorobserver.blogspot.com* KE7PLR Established (born)Aug. 23, 1921

Tearing down Lake Forest Park Elementary School

2011-10-05T10:54:00.000-07:00

Son Bob wanted the film of tearing down Lake Forest Park Wa Elementary school. I found it and here it is. Now maybe he will record my audio tapes of our trip to Alaska.

Remodeling this blog.

2011-10-03T07:44:00.000-07:00

I am not at all happy with the way this blog is working. I am doing some things recommended buy Google which is not looking the way I expected it to work. . I don't know if it the way I am doing it or the way google planned it to work. I am going to split off the family experience in WW2 am make it a separate blog. Now it is buried in the archives and I am sure no one take the time to look it up. I occasionally add something to it as it comes to mind. Therefore when some one wants to read it it will be a simple click on the mouse from here to get there. What I will be doing is eliminating the pages at the beginning and make direct links to the WW2 blog. Plus creating the new blog. I have more time than money and not much of either,

-- --------Fishing in Alaska ---------nowaytofish.blogspot.com --------- Doyal and I put ours on even though we couldn't live more than 10 or 15 minutes in water like that. Too far to swim and the dinghy wouldn't hold us all.--------------- 4 years in 3rd Inf in WW2 billswar.blogspot.com My less heroic contribution. seniorobserver.blogspot.com* KE7PLR Established (born)Aug. 23, 1921

Still waiting for Bob

2011-10-03T07:07:00.000-07:00

I am still waiting for Bob to come up with the audio from our trip to Ketchikan. I guess I will have to call him and find out what is going on.

-- --------Fishing in Alaska ---------nowaytofish.blogspot.com --------- Doyal and I put ours on even though we couldn't live more than 10 or 15 minutes in water like that. Too far to swim and the dinghy wouldn't hold us all.--------------- 4 years in 3rd Inf in WW2 billswar.blogspot.com My less heroic contribution. seniorobserver.blogspot.com* KE7PLR Established (born)Aug. 23, 1921

My greatest complement.

2011-09-29T16:12:00.000-07:00

I think I received my greatest complement today. The lady down at the apartment is quitting. She's 50ish married to a retired military. She told me that I was her incentive to quit. This takes some explaining. She has noticed how well I take care of Kay and thought her life with her husband was more important than working 5 days a week. I agreed with her that she should spend time with him rather than taking time away on a job where they really don't have to have the money. I thought that was quite an complement.

-- --------Fishing in Alaska ---------nowaytofish.blogspot.com --------- Doyal and I put ours on even though we couldn't live more than 10 or 15 minutes in water like that. Too far to swim and the dinghy wouldn't hold us all.--------------- 4 years in 3rd Inf in WW2 billswar.blogspot.com My less heroic contribution. seniorobserver.blogspot.com* KE7PLR Established (born)Aug. 23, 1921

Internet advertising.

2011-09-29T14:38:00.000-07:00

The internet is getting worse than TV. No matter where you go you get assaulted with advertising. Email, browsers. I've taken the approach of when I click on something like local radio station link if I get advertising first I decide that it isn't worth the time to watch the commercial to get to the article I wanted to see. No article is worth that much. I just x out of whatever it is.

-- --------Fishing in Alaska ---------nowaytofish.blogspot.com --------- Doyal and I put ours on even though we couldn't live more than 10 or 15 minutes in water like that. Too far to swim and the dinghy wouldn't hold us all.--------------- 4 years in 3rd Inf in WW2 billswar.blogspot.com My less heroic contribution. seniorobserver.blogspot.com* KE7PLR Established (born)Aug. 23, 1921

Hikers released by Iran

2011-09-26T14:33:00.000-07:00

The two American hikers should be grateful that they were not captured by Americans and put in Guantanamo Prison. They could have been there without any charges either for a lot more than 2 years. Besides being tortured also,

-- --------Fishing in Alaska ---------nowaytofish.blogspot.com --------- Doyal and I put ours on even though we couldn't live more than 10 or 15 minutes in water like that. Too far to swim and the dinghy wouldn't hold us all.--------------- 4 years in 3rd Inf in WW2 billswar.blogspot.com My less heroic contribution. seniorobserver.blogspot.com* KE7PLR Established (born)Aug. 23, 1921

Kay is upset.

2011-09-24T19:22:00.000-07:00

Kay wanted to express something this afternoon but could not. Normally she just gives up and goes to something else. Today she got real upset asking what was wrong with her. What do you say in answer? I told her that her memory was bad knowing that she probably could not understand and it enabled me to give some sort of answer. It's been some time that she realized there was something really wrong. She finally settled down.

-- --------Fishing in Alaska ---------nowaytofish.blogspot.com --------- Doyal and I put ours on even though we couldn't live more than 10 or 15 minutes in water like that. Too far to swim and the dinghy wouldn't hold us all.--------------- 4 years in 3rd Inf in WW2 billswar.blogspot.com My less heroic contribution. seniorobserver.blogspot.com* KE7PLR Established (born)Aug. 23, 1921

More fishing in Alaska to come.

2011-09-15T20:06:00.000-07:00

I'm not done with the fishing in Alaska story yet. I am waiting for the digital copy of my
audio tapes I made realtime on the trip. As it happened. There were three three inch audio tapes I made during the trip. When something happened I'd go to the tape recorder and record my impressions of the incident. Some years ago one of them went missing and I don't know which one was lost. My son who has the tapes is in the process of recording them and will post them for me to download for insertion of pertinent sections. The only part I remember now is a recording of the marine weather report during our crossing of Queen Charlotte Sound which you will hear if it is on the tapes.
To see the whole story go here

-- --------Fishing in Alaska ---------nowaytofish.blogspot.com --------- Doyal and I put ours on even though we couldn't live more than 10 or 15 minutes in water like that. Too far to swim and the dinghy wouldn't hold us all.--------------- 4 years in 3rd Inf in WW2 billswar.blogspot.com My less heroic contribution. seniorobserver.blogspot.com* KE7PLR Established (born)Aug. 23, 1921

Photography in my life.

2011-09-15T16:58:00.000-07:00

It's been a mystery to me why everyone isn't interested in taking pictures during their life, why they don't plant and have flowers wherever they live. I have always done that. Photography has been a large part of my life and I have now made of total mess of them. I will explain this later if you are still with me. Now I think I will go back over how it all came about. I am talking about pictures now and where it lead me.

Before I was able to take pictures or even get a camera my folks or a relative some way or other took some pictures. So even though I moved around a lot I have an occasional picture of me or the family somewhere. These would be added to my pictures and movies when I really got into it later about the time I got marred. I comment on this because I found that not everyone had an interest in taking family pictures. I met some people recently nearly my age which is ninety who have hardly a picture of their past. That was inconceivable to me.

I was able to get into photography when I in the Army at the end of WW2 in Germany where I was able to trade a non working radio to a German for an old 2.25 by 3.75 film pack

camera. Because flash bulbs were not available I took some pictures with flash powder like in the real old days. I had always heard of German engineering so tried to get one of their Lica cameras but to no avail. What I did learn was they also made a lousy cameras too. I had to use one on my trip to Berlin in October '45. I even had some glass negatives all of which of\\have disappeared somehow. But if you have ever worked with a glass negative it is no mystery of how the old photographers were able to do such marvelous work. A glass negative is just out of this world when compared to standard negatives, even the best ones. The effect is not obtainable in other forms of photography in my opinion.
-- --------Fishing in Alaska ---------nowaytofish.blogspot.com --------- Doyal and I put ours on even though we couldn't live more than 10 or 15 minutes in water like that. Too far to swim and the dinghy wouldn't hold us all.--------------- 4 years in 3rd Inf in WW2 billswar.blogspot.com My less heroic contribution. seniorobserver.blogspot.com* KE7PLR Established (born)Aug. 23, 1921

2011-09-12T10:06:00.000-07:00

Unless you have a microscope you will look in vain for lemon in lemon meringue pie in the supermarket. That goes double for eggs in angel food cake. Now check out the butter fat in 2 percent milk compared to whole milk. Is the same in Fred Meyer milk. BTW they make 2 percent milk by skimming milk then putting back 2 percent cream. How do they make whole milk? Beats me.

-- --------Fishing in Alaska ---------nowaytofish.blogspot.com --------- Doyal and I put ours on even though we couldn't live more than 10 or 15 minutes in water like that. Too far to swim and the dinghy wouldn't hold us all.--------------- 4 years in 3rd Inf in WW2 billswar.blogspot.com My less heroic contribution. seniorobserver.blogspot.com* KE7PLR Established (born)Aug. 23, 1921

Scared today. Really really scared.

2011-09-07T19:33:00.000-07:00

30 minutes after the incident I am just getting over the shakes. I do my shopping in the neighborhood on a two wheeled battery powered scooter. To stay alive I just get used to watching out for dumb dangerous things done by careless drivers. If you want to stay alive you watch everything coming from the direction that can kill or injure you like someone doing a right turn across the pedestrian crossing trying to make the light green when you in the crosswalk are crossing with the light. These are just normal stretching of the rules that if a cop was around would get the driver a ticket. But as cops are not usually around the bad drivers get away with it and it is up to you to stay out of the bad drivers way. That I do pretty well but today just pure luck kept me from getting either killed or badly injured which at my age probably is the same thing. Today though I had all the normal circumstances covered but a driver did something nowhere near the rules of the road. Something you are absolutely unable to forsee. He blew through an intersection from the inside left turn lane reserved for people to turn left before cars going straight through are permitted to go. However he went through high speed when the traffic had the light in the other direction. Not just after it had turned for them but after the left turn cars already completed their turn and the cars crossing the intersection and pedestrians (me in this instance) were crossing. Only because I was not quite going into the middle of the street where the left lane turns did I not get hit by this guy who was probably doing 30. His coming in the left turn lane was hidden by the cars legally waiting for the light in the through lanes. I always watch hidden lanes but this was so unexpected I am not sure I would have seen him in time to stop as the brakes on this scooter are not disk and therefore pretty bad. But this near miss was so unexpected it really scared the heck out of me. This intersection has lots of accidents as it is a major intersection because the main street is a state highway and there is lots of traffic from the shopping center nearby.

I've calmed down but if I was getting complacent before this happened this incident will fix that attitude.

Pedestrians get to see the glazed look on lots of drivers. Drivers who just don't stay alert.

-- --------Fishing in Alaska ---------nowaytofish.blogspot.com --------- Doyal and I put ours on even though we couldn't live more than 10 or 15 minutes in water like that. Too far to swim and the dinghy wouldn't hold us all.--------------- 4 years in 3rd Inf in WW2 billswar.blogspot.com My less heroic contribution. seniorobserver.blogspot.com* KE7PLR Established (born)Aug. 23, 1921

New location for Going fishing in Alaska, Click on click. Get it?

2011-08-28T21:07:00.000-07:00

For the story of our trip to Ketchikan go to nowaytofish.blogspot.com
Keep looking for a complete update soon of the fishing trip. I have found the audio tape I made of the trip as it happened. I brought a tape recorder with us and as something happened I recorded my impressions of the incident. Also there is a recording of the weather conditions from the weather bureau which I will post to give you a exact idea of what the weather conditions were. New pictures are being posted as I find them.
Keep looking. Pleasure no end!
-------------------------------------------- Be Sure to read the hilarious story of Kay going with me on a fishing trip to Ketchikan. ------------------------------------------- Bill Sheldon June 17, 1920. April 4, 2001. Four years in the 3rd Infantry Division WW2 His story. Find it at Bills War ................KE7PLR......................

Kay drawing again.

2011-08-24T12:08:00.000-07:00

My idea to get Kay to draw again is working. I don't know how long I can keep her interested but as she gets her skill back maybe she will continue on her own. I gave her a portrait to copy and this is the result. When and if she gets better I will give her the sketching pad and pencils to work on the 16 by 20 pad. Is that what is used to draw with? I am totally ignorant of painting and art.

Bill Sheldon June 17, 1920. April 4, 2001. Four years in the 3rd Infantry Division WW2 His story. Find it at Four years in the 3rd Inf in WW2
If you can't wait to get new posting to this web page get on the list of automatic mail when something new is posted ................KE7PLR......................

Kay may do some artwork.

2011-08-23T20:58:00.000-07:00

Jean Stay

I got out the board today and got Kay to draw a couple simple pictures. That worked well but my next project is to get her to do a more complicated project. I'm lucky. Her cousin who is about the same age maybe two or three years younger also has dementia. Her dementia has taken a dramatic difference. She has been diagnosed much more recently but with a more vicious version. She has a hard time swallowing. She has lost a lot of weight and even though she has had it much shorter period of time it is obvious that she is near death. Her sister in law (Betty )who also has it cant read or distinguish colors. I'm not up to date on what else might be wrong. Tomorrow if Kay seems OK I am going to get a real picture and see if she can do anything with it. She draws on a board we can wipe off. If she got really good, which I doubt, I have a large drawing tablet for her to try her drawing on.

Today I drew her a smiley face to get her started. If I give her another idea maybe that will work. Here are the two she did today.

My brilliant idea

2011-08-14T15:18:00.000-07:00

My brilliant idea but will it work. Kay sometimes sits looking out the window. Just looking. I've been urged to get games, play checkers and all kinds of things to keep her occupied. The next post below this one has a picture she drew when she was about 16. Today I wondered if I could get her interested in drawing again. So I went over to Fred Meyer and bought a sketch pad. We have tons of pictures on the walls she could copy if I can get her to try.

So stay tuned as I try to get her interested in sketching again.

Bill Sheldon June 17, 1920. April 4, 2001. Four years in the 3rd Infantry Division WW2 His story. Find it at Four years in the 3rd Inf in WW2
If you can't wait to get new posting to this web page get on the list of automatic mail when something new is posted ................KE7PLR......................

Frustratiions of getting Kay to eat.

2011-08-08T07:25:00.000-07:00

This is a drawing Kay did when she was about 16. She was pretty good.

I got up early because Kay was restless and continually moved in the bed a little. So I just got up. (4:15) After reading the paper a while I decided I'd get some breakfast. This was about 5:45. If she is up I get breakfast for both of us of course. As she was not up and doesn't usually get up until somewhat later I just pre-prepared her egg cup for poached egg on toast in milk. I will put bread in the toaster to make toast, put milk in the microwave, get the water boiling for cooking the egg so that when I want to start I put the egg in the water start it cooking, push down the toaster handle, go over to the mic and start it going. Then I can take out the milk when hot, butter the bread, and finally take up the egg and put it on the toast in the milk bowl. For both of us if she is up. It's nice to be able to do this for both of us which takes a lot less steps on my bad knees than if I have to do it twice. Today she came in just as I started the toaster so I put in another piece of bread and her egg in the pan and another bowl of milk. Not a lot of extra steps but will make fewer than if I had had to wait until she got up later. Unfortunately things do not go as planned. Usually just when I tell her to sit down and eat she heads for the bathroom. All of the above can work but what if she isn't hungry? Then I will have to throw it out because eating it later doesn't work. I don't want to refrigerate it as the bread will be unacceptably soggy. That's what happened today. It's there but I don't think she will eat it.She was not hungry and put the bowl in the reefer. That's where it stands now. As far as eating the kind of food she should be eating. One probablem is she is snacking on things that ruin her appetite when it is time to eat. A while back I wondered how this was effecting her so had the Dr. (reluctantly) include a A1c test. This was during the time she was having the low iron problem. Her test came back 6.2 which is more than mine and I am diabetic! So you people out there who are not diabetic and think it doesn't matter what you eat take a second look. The results are the same as if you were diabetic. What you eat is important. Hi collestorol, blood pressure, heart trouble, andever thing that blood has something to do with is effecting you.

Yesterday she moved extremely slowly. Not good at all. But last night before bed she cleaned the kitchen and besides just stacking the dirty dishes in the sink, (which helps) she actually put them in the dishwasher and turn it on and did the dishes. Something she rarely does the dishes.

One thing more. She came to the room and berated me for getting her up. Goes with the territory. She is back in bed now.
Here is a sample of the breakfast. Egg on toast in milk.

ll Sheldon June 17, 1920. April 4, 2001. Four years in the 3rd Infantry Division WW2 His story. Find it at Four years in the 3rd Inf in WW2
If you can't wait to get new posting to this web page get on the list of automatic mail when something new is posted ................KE7PLR......................

I'm making Thunderbird my email client.

2011-08-07T09:09:00.000-07:00

Gmail is getting so bad with add's cluttering up the page it leaves me with about a 15 inch screen monitor. I bought a new 24" led backlit LED superduper monitor but by the time it's all said and done I have about a 15in monitor because Google has so many add's on it. Frequently also I click on a link in an email and instead of the link showing what I get is an add for viagra or some such. These software companies think they can do your thinking for you they continually bring up stuff you don't want. They are not that smart. So I decided to give Mozilla Thunderbird a chance (again). So far what I get is a page of an email form. Not a lot of advertisements. It also has some features gmail does not have but on the other hand gmail has some Thunderbird doesn't. Addons may fix this condition need to One thing I do like is that "Reply" and "send" are always there and you don't have to go looking for it.

Bill Sheldon June 17, 1920. April 4, 2001. Four years in the 3rd Infantry Division WW2 His story. Find it at Four years in the 3rd Inf in WW2
If you can't wait to get new posting to this web page get on the list of automatic mail when something new is posted ................KE7PLR......................

Kay went for a walk

2011-08-06T14:16:00.000-07:00

Kay decided she would go for a walk... Without me and without telling me. I was on the computer with my blind eye on the side the door is on so I wasn't paying attention. She had picked up a couple items and turned out the lights then went out the door without me knowing anything about it. In a few minutes I got off the computer and noticed the apartment was dark not an exceptional condition. But then I started looking around for Kay and she had left the apartment. I immediately put my shoes and shirt on and went around the block. The apartment complex that is. As I didn't see her I figured maybe it was time to call the cops and ask if they had picked up a lost woman. It had probably been 15 or 20 minutes since she left. Plenty of time to go a long ways as any parent knows with young children.

As I was near the office I stopped in and told the nice lady Debbie. She immediately closed the office and I found out later told the maintenance man, and an off duty policeman. I was going to call the PD but then thought I'd just take one short look around on our street we frequent when going to Starbucks or Fred Meyer. I found her about 3 blocks away just past the new Covington Place apartments.
She seemed to be just looking around at the various things like what ever is on the side of the road and so on. I got out and led her to the car and we came home by way of the office to let them know. I dont think she was yet aware of the fact she was lost.

When we got back to the apartment she was very subdued. As if she was aware that something was seriously wrong. She seems to have that capability at times. That is the hard part knowing she has problems and not knowing what it is or what to do about it. It leaves your stomach tied in knots with the uncertain future. She still knows all her kids and old friends so when I am with her it means a lot to me
Dementia sucks

A little excitement in sleepy Covington

2011-08-02T22:54:00.000-07:00

I had taken Kay over to Starbucks to watch the traffic and pedestrians when while we were sitting outside on the deck when we heard a huge explosion. I looked back and saw black smoke coming up from something across the street near the carwash. Within the next 3 or 4 minutes there were several other loud explosions but not as loud as the first one. But the surprising thing other than the ongoing fire was something Kay said in the ensuing video you will hear Kay say something about them blocking off the street without any hesitation. This is astounding because she gets so frustrated trying to say something that is in her mind but usually has to give up in frustration. This has been especially bad today before and after we went to Starbucks. But yesterday she brought something out without a moments hesitation. I've noticed in other instances where she almost holds a normal conversation.

What had happened across the street was a minivan trying to gas up his propane tank. Today I went over and looked at just exactly where it was on fire and looks like it might have been within about 15 or 29 feet from the above ground supply tank. If that had blown we would have been in a dangerous position in relation to the explosion. I haven't check the time line on my video I took but it seems like it must have been about eight or ten minutes for the fire department to get to the fire. This hard to understand unless the trucks were on a call somewhere or perhaps everyone expected someone else to call 911. The fire station is only about half or three quarters of a mile away. I never even gave it a thought to call. So the first huge explosion was the propane tank and the second was no doubt the gasoline tank. The others, who knows. Each scene of the fire was listed in sequence. There were three scenes right at the height of the fire that were missing so I don't know what happened to them. That's unfortunate because once in a life time an event comes to you right at your front door. My one good eye is so bad that I could not see details on the camera monitor because of the sun . Then the little viewer didn't zoom in sync with the monitor so when I tried to zoom what I was aiming at was just a guess more or less. The scene of the burnt up van shows this as I only got a picture of the top half of the van. It looked like there were some suitcases so apparently it was someones vacation going up in flames. Gassing up a vehicle or filling a propane tank in this hot dry weather is a dangerous business so take care. I myself treat these instances as if I was handling dynamite. For several years I was head operator at the Union Oil refinery in Edmonds WA so I have a healthy respect for petroleum products. Especially propane and gasoline. But someones vacation is a disaster plus their loss that will take a lot of money to get over. I really feel sorry for whomever owned the van. I don't think anyone was hurt. Two aid cars came to the scene but didn't hurry off with sirens going.

This video is not that great but it is worth only so much time and effort to put up on this blog. Especially since I lost the best video.

Bill Sheldon June 17, 1920. April 4, 2001. Four years in the 3rd Infantry Division WW2 His story. Find it at Four years in the 3rd Inf in WW2
If you can't wait to get new posting to this web page get on the list of automatic mail when something new is posted ................KE7PLR......................

Cant remember this picture

2011-07-27T15:06:00.000-07:00

Just found this after forgetting about it.

I obviously was married as I was wearing a wedding ring. I could have been in the army but my hair looks too long for the army. The only time I saw her again after going in was on leave just before going over seas. I don't recognize the location where the picture was taken either. I only stayed around Seattle during the week or so on leave.

Bill Sheldon June 17, 1920. April 4, 2001. Four years in the 3rd Infantry Division WW2 His story. Find it at Four years in the 3rd Inf in WW2

You can look at my less heroic activity in the archives here.

................KE7PLR......................

How things change

2011-07-25T11:37:00.000-07:00

Queen Elizabeth 1945

If you wonder how something like this could happen even way back in then wonder no longer. This is part of the publication put out on the QE 1 (I suppose) On the ship were about 16,000 troops including nurses, USO, and other women. Up on the officers deck of course. Just another thing to alienate the common soldier from the gentlemen by act of congress.

I thought you might enjoy a look at how they handled these subjects.

Viva la sexism!

Kay Today

2011-07-25T10:49:00.000-07:00

Kay has not been bringing in the folding chairs from the patio each night for the last 3 or 4 nights. I was wondering if she had forgotten this. But last night she brought them in as usual so things are back to normal in this respect. I am glad because I hate to see her mind degenerate. Still I cant be sure.

Bill Sheldon June 17, 1920. April 4, 2001. Four years in the 3rd Infantry Division WW2 His story. Find it at Four years in the 3rd Inf in WW2
If you can't wait to get new posting to this web page get on the list of automatic mail when something new is posted................KE7PLR......................

Blue Eyes Brown Eyes.

2011-07-24T17:11:00.000-07:00

It is heart breaking to listen to Kay try to get out something that is in her mind and can not do it. We had come back from Old Country Buffet and I was sitting at the computer looking at a video Bob and I had made several years ago. She came in and watched it with me over my shoulder for a while then tried to ask me a question about her mother. As far as she could get was "Did you ever think that ...... " She tried rewording it several times and could never quite bring out the words she needed for me to get what she wanted to tell me. I couldn't quite make out what she was driving at so in the end she had to give up and leave. I tried a couple times to answer as if I knew what she was trying to tell me but I don 't think I quite made her think I knew what she was trying to tell me. After a few minutes I went in to comfort her if it was bothering her a lot. She had been thinking about it all that time and brought up the subject again and this time began asking me if I ever wondered if she was "dark" because her eyes were brown. Of course I had never wondered because she was very white skinned. Anyway all her family are white so I didn't question it. But it really had bothering her for some reason when she was looking at the pictures. I asked her what color eyes her dad, Shirley, and her mother were and she knew instantly. Her mom was brown and her dad and sister were blue. So for some reason looking at the wedding pictures of her sister got her to wondering for some reason. I was able to tell her I never wondered. My mother told her that she was the first person in our family not to have blue eyes. I have no idea if that had anything to do with the question today but it did make an impression on her those many years ago. Maybe it has been with her all these years.

I feel better since she got it out.

Bill Sheldon June 17, 1920. April 4, 2001. Four years in the 3rd Infantry Division WW2 His story. Find it at Four years in the 3rd Inf in WW2
If you can't wait to get new posting to this web page get on the list of automatic mail when something new is posted ................KE7PLR......................

How it is when Kay is "normal'.

2011-07-19T09:01:00.000-07:00

Kay cried last night because she can not understand what is going on. She still recognizes that she cant comprehend and it bothers her. We had been watching Antiques Road Show on Public TV. She kept telling me she could not hear it. What she really meant was that she didn't understand the words but could not express it. At times she would go to the end of the bed in front of the TV but come back to bed. She did this two or three times. Later I figured out she was doing this because she was trying to understand what was being said. I was confusing clarity with volume. The reason it took me so long to figure this out is because her hearing is so bad she misses most of what you say. Usually you have to say it two or three times. This in addition to not understanding and expressing what she is thinking. So I just figured that she wasn't hearing the words. So when I turned off the TV she cried in frustration of her condition. This means she still has some reasoning ability left. It is hard on her emotions to be in this condition. Mine too.

Her kids need to contact here more because she is happy when they are in contact.

She has a very limited ability to say what she is thinking. If she doesn't understand or is something she doesn't approve it is "bad". But bad covers a lot of territory so it sometimes takes some doing to figure out what she means when she calls it bad. She cant express it when she thinks something is good. -----------------

Bill Sheldon June 17, 1920. April 4, 2001. Four years in the 3rd Infantry Division WW2 His story. Find it at Four years in the 3rd Inf in WW2

If you can't wait to get new posting to this web page get on the list of automatic mail when something new is posted ................KE7PLR......................

Kay yesterday

2011-07-16T08:50:00.000-07:00

Kay must have "rebooted" herself yesterday because she about as normal as she can get. Today she got up although she is moving around pretty slowly she is awake and seems to think to her normal level. I rushed and got her her breakfast as I had prepared it when I got mine and had her sitting down to Milk toast with a poached egg on it. If she eats it is something else however. I suppose when it gets to the stage where she cant feed herself then it is an entirely new ball game. However other things could cause dramatic changes before she gets to that stage I suppose. Because just eating and swallowing could be impossible as I have seen in other people.

On leave from either Ft Lewis or Ft. Sill, probably Ft. Lewis as the cap looks too new

When I went overseas in WW2 she did some volunteering at the USO located in the downtown Young Women's Christian Association I think it was. She was a pretty good dancer. Me? I had two left feet. I never in my whole life managed to learn to dance even though she begged me to learn. Even though I played in dance orchestras many times. But at the USO she was sometimes pared with a good soldier or sailor on the dance floor and the other dancers would clear the floor to watch them dance. I suppose it was Boogie Woogie dancing. She told me this after the war when I came back. She also knew the Hula. Of course during the war and as Seattle was a major seaport it was crawling with servicemen looking for a place to have a good time. I cant remember the name of the nightclub on First Avenue close to the waterfront but the owner of the club approached her and offered her a job as performer in it. it stayed open for some years after the war. Because of her upbringing as a good old fundamental Free Methodist, although she herself didn't particularly go along with their severe approach to fundamental Christianity, no doubt her upbringing influenced her not to accept the job but continue to get along on the $80 dollars a month the government doled out. She certainly could have used the money.

I'll occasionally post some more memories of that period from time to time.
Bill Sheldon June 17, 1920. April 4, 2001. Four years in the 3rd Infantry Division WW2 His story. Find it at Four years in the 3rd Inf in WW2
If you can't wait to get new posting to this web page get on the list of automatic mail when something new is posted................KE7PLR......................

Kay wants to sleep

2011-07-13T14:09:00.000-07:00

It is 2 PM and Kay still hasn't got up and dressed. She got up about noon but sat in the living room lean back chair and dozed until now. I suggested she go back to bed although she did ask why she should. So I just let her to go back to bed or just stay where she was. She just hasn't woke up so far and I don't know how it will turn out.

Bill Sheldon June 17, 1920. April 4, 2001. Four years in the 3rd Infantry Division WW2 His story. Find it at Four years in the 3rd Inf in WW2
If you can't wait to get new posting to this web page get on the list of automatic mail when something new is posted ................KE7PLR......................

Trip to Fred Meyer today

2011-07-11T20:36:00.000-07:00

Kay seemed pretty out of it today but around 1:00 p I decided to get her out of the house and go to Fred Meyer for something to eat. We sat there she picking at her food and I reading Time magazine. She said she had to get to the bathroom as we had a mess on the table I decided to take her there to the restroom. Usually I would just go home as it is just a couple minutes away. However when we got to the restroom I tried to tell her to go to that door to get to the restroom which took some time for her to understand. I was then worried if she would be able to find her way out when she was finished. After a while I had ask a lady going to to check on her. Which she did and Kay came out under her own power. Very depressing. Later in the afternoon at home she asked if I had new shoes. Which I do having bought then either yesterday or the day before. That raised my spirits considerably. They were white sneakers whereas I have been wearing black so perhaps not that all significant. But to recognize them at all was something I think. At another time I asked her if she was hungry but did not know.

Bill Sheldon June 17, 1920. April 4, 2001. Four years in the 3rd Infantry Division WW2 His story. Find it at Four years in the 3rd Inf in WW2
If you can't wait to get new posting to this web page get on the list of automatic mail when something new is posted ................KE7PLR......................

Kay is really confused today

2011-07-09T14:20:00.000-07:00

Kay came into the living room this morning and asked me where was she. She said she could see the surroundings but could not tell where they were. It is hard for her to get these things out. It is hard to know what to say under these circumstances. But it was clear she is very confused and does not know what to make of it. Under these circumstances it is hard to know what to say so usually I just tell her her memory is bad. Later I came and put my hand on her to comfort her and she told me she was afraid. I think her mind is clear enough to recognize the fact that there is something terribly wrong with her and her future is in serious trouble. That is a sad thing to be in this condition and know you have trouble and cant understand what it is. I will stay as close to her as I can to keep her mind off her condition.

Later when she settled down we were going to go to Starbucks and watch the traffic and pedestrians go by. But as I was a little hungry we went to Fred Mayer's and had a bowl of soup. This was enough so afterwards we came home and she went to bed for a nap.

Bill Sheldon June 17, 1920. April 4, 2001. Four years in the 3rd Infantry Division WW2 His story. Find it at Four years in the 3rd Inf in WW2
If you can't wait to get new posting to this web page get on the list of automatic mail when something new is posted ................KE7PLR......................

How honest are doctors?You re

2011-07-08T14:38:00.000-07:00

How honest are doctors? Probably about the same as other people. The question probably should be How willing are they to tell the truth if the truth might cost them, If you keep up with this blog you probably have read my experience under anesthesia during my eye lift operation. I was wondering how they would handle the Operation Report of the operation. After every operation doctors write up what they did and how it turned out. As this one had a circumstance that caused an emergency trip to the hospital Emergency room and thousands of dollars expense I wondered how it would be reported. I got my answer today on half the crew. The anesthesiologist I have yet to receive. I went to the Dr. today for a final checkup. I wanted the report more or less for my own information. The final result seems fine and I seemed to have come around OK after my experience. When I read the surgeons report I noticed she said absolutely nothing about the trouble with the anesthetic, Now I will wait and get a report from the anesthesiologist and see how he reports it. This disaster should go into the record books because of the awful experience it causes at times.

Bill Sheldon June 17, 1920. April 4, 2001. Four years in the 3rd Infantry Division WW2 His story. Find it at Four years in the 3rd Inf in WW2
If you can't wait to get new posting to this web page get on the list of automatic mail when something new is posted ................KE7PLR......................

A bad few minutes yesterday.

2011-07-07T08:58:00.000-07:00

I had a real scare yesterday. I went into the living room yesterday and Kay looked very bored. Just looking out the door at the parking lot which has a lot of traffic as it is also a public street. She looked so bored I asked her if she wanted to do something which I cant remember what it was right now. She said she did so I went to another room to prepare to do what ever she would do. When I got back she had gone somewhere. I looked around the apartment double checked to be sure she was not in the apartment. It was definite so this concerned me as I was afraid she had gone for a walk. If she got out of sight of the apartment she probably could not find her way back. As it had been several minutes since she had disappeared she could have gone a long distance making the search distance a lot bigger than if she had been gone just a minute or two. Then I had to decide whether to call the cops or Tom or take a look around the area before calling for help. I decided I should take a quick look myself and got the electric two wheeled scooter out. The last time I looked for her on it when I found her I had to come back at a speed I could not maintain equilibrium easily so I decided I'd better take the car. I went to the car and got in and there she was just sitting there. What a relief. So I asked her if she wanted to go to Starbucks and watch traffic from the outside which she indicated she would like that. I could then start using the card Robin, I think it was had given me, for fathers day. She cant drink coffee but I would get her tea if Starbucks sold it which they do I found out. So we went over to Starbucks and she had so much fun watching traffic, commenting on the pretty cars that struck her fancy or wondering what was in trucks going here and there. She had so much fun we must have spent an hour watching traffic and people going by. I promised her we would come back today and do it again. The weather is cloudy right now but it is warm enough to go back and sit outside again. So maybe in the early afternoon we will go back and do it again.

Bill Sheldon June 17, 1920. April 4, 2001. Four years in the 3rd Infantry Division WW2 His story. Find it at Four years in the 3rd Inf in WW2
If you can't wait to get new posting to this web page get on the list of automatic mail when something new is posted ................KE7PLR......................

Kay feels bad today.

2011-07-06T12:21:00.000-07:00

Kay came into the computer room and told me she felt bad. She uses "bad" for anything she doesn't like. I could not find out if she meant she was sick or she was depressed. I am inclined to think meant depressed as she could not tell me if she hurt. That's sad

Bill Sheldon June 17, 1920. April 4, 2001. Four years in the 3rd Infantry Division WW2 His story. Find it at Four years in the 3rd Inf in WW2
If you can't wait to get new posting to this web page get on the list of automatic mail when something new is posted................KE7PLR......................

Parting company with the Seattle Times

2011-07-04T09:43:00.000-07:00

After about 78 years I have decided to get along without the Seattle Times. I got their bill today and they now want $72 dollars for 3 months subscription. I know things are tough all over but it is going to be up to the Seattle Times to make it without my help. I have either tried to sell the Times or read it since 1933 now I am going to get along without it. Let them woo me like Time magazine is doing. If they come up with a better offer then I may come back. Nothing would please the politicians more than not having a newspaper breathing down their backs. Especially Washington State politicians who make an African crook look like Honest John. The investigative quality of TV News is a joke. The big newspapers is what concerns the politicians.

Whether the Times is going continue publication doesn't really depend upon my subscription anyway so at least I don't really have their demise my responsibility.
Sorry about this.

Bill Sheldon June 17, 1920. April 4, 2001. Four years in the 3rd Infantry Division WW2 His story. Find it at Four years in the 3rd Inf in WW2
If you can't wait to get new posting to this web page get on the list of automatic mail when something new is posted ................KE7PLR......................

Veterans Administration Stalls while Vets die.

2011-06-30T22:28:00.000-07:00

I started out thinking that the bureaucracy of the Government was the reason it took so long to get a decision on my application for assistance to care for my wife who has dementia. You know what happens if I am not the one doing it. The tax payers are going to do it. But I want to do it as she helped me for 70 years. However the more I think about the delay in getting some help for me is something more sinister than incompetence. This also applies to all Veterans. While I have been waiting for an answer, depending upon various estimates, 120,000 to 200,00 WW2 have died the past year. No one really seems to know about how many could be left. For if they are still alive they would be probably 85 and up. So no doubt they are dying at a fast clip. I am 89 and will be 90 in August. So the life expectancy is not long. So a few months stalling can solve a lot of problems.

So if the Government has a budget crunch how else to relieve the crunch by stalling on assistance to veterans? They wont spend any money on a hundred thousand or so except for burial expenses. You don't think it is possible for a politician to think this way? Think again. They don't want to cut back on their wars but want to cut benefits to their old and the sick.

The more I think about it I am convinced that the delay is a deliberate attempt to avoid settling these claims knowing the vet will die or shorten the time they do provide help. Whether or not it is true is beside the point. That is what is happening.

Fortunately I have a wonderful lady who I pay to come in for a couple hours
once a week to clean up. But it is the physical aspect I could use more help with.

Over a year ago I made my application. When my son called today they now say they needed another form filled out. Well, why have they not notified me without me calling them? More stalling. This form does not cause a delay in processing my application

Doyal Gudgel

Bill Sheldon June 17, 1920. April 4, 2001. Four years in the 3rd Infantry Division WW2 His story. Find it at Four years in the 3rd Inf in WW2
If you can't wait to get new posting to this web page get on the list of automatic mail when something new is posted ................KE7PLR......................

Things are bad today

2011-06-30T13:26:00.000-07:00

Kay is pretty bad today. Seems pretty lethargic. I decided to take her to Fred Meyers to get out of the apartment. First she put on her shoes without socks although she did recognize that was not right. Finally, after getting dressed she said for me to go. I asked if she was in pain. She held her finger to her head and drew a circle indicating she wasn't thinking clearly. With that I decided to go pick up some soup and a couple other things on the scooter.

I went to the dentist (again) a couple days ago and took her with me as I cant leave her alone. She sits in the chair for people who come with the patient. This was sort of a long session and has periods of waiting sometimes with my mouth open. Two times now after a while she comes over and holds my hand. I think that is nice. The technician who is pregnant must think it is real if she does this after 70 years. Sets a good example. Right?

Bill Sheldon June 17, 1920. April 4, 2001. Four years in the 3rd Infantry Division WW2 His story. Find it at Four years in the 3rd Inf in WW2
If you can't wait to get new posting to this web page get on the list of automatic mail when something new is posted ................KE7PLR......................

Kay not good today

2011-06-25T10:08:00.000-07:00

Kay is in a bad condition today. I got breakfast for myself with enough left over to make Kay her breakfast too. Many times she comes in about the time I sit down to eat. Sure enough it happened today. But I had French toast ready and asked her to take a bath while I made breakfast. She didn't even respond but just sat there looking ahead. I insisted she come in the bathroom and I drew the water and put out her clothes. I came back in a few minutes and tried to get her to take her bath but she just looked ahead and shook her head. She left the bathroom and went and sat down in the recliner chair. I watched her a minute and it seemed that she was indicating she was in some sort of pain so I asked her the usual questions. She indicated she was so I took her into the bedroom and gave her a
couple ant-acid pills then applied some ear drops to her left eat which usually washes out what is causing her pain. She then went back to bed.

The best time to contemplate is when your mind is not busy. Folding clothes is one of those times. I've been putting this off since Wednesday. Usually Hilary does this when she comes to clean up. But this week she could not come so I did it. In the past Kay would fold clothes and I put then away but things may have changed now and she no longer will fold clothes. But I got to thinking could we have done more kindness to other people in our condition or did we do all we could All in all I think we did a real good job of taking care of her folks and others in the same condition. Kay has always been a kind person. But on the other hand we could always have done more. After all those people have to live 24 hours a day and being kind just a few leaves a lot of time left over. So that is one regret of mine is that although by normal standards we did well we could have done more. Sorry about that.

Sheldon June 17, 1920. April 4, 2001. Four years in the 3rd Infantry Division WW2 His story. Find it at Four years in the 3rd Inf in WW2
If you can't wait to get new posting to this web page get on the list of automatic mail when something new is posted ................KE7PLR......................

Glenn Campbell has Alzheimers

2011-06-23T21:22:00.000-07:00

I am really sad to hear that. When I recognized that Kay had dementia and could still understand these things I kept it from her. Eventually she got past the stage where it could really sink in about what was wrong with her. . For a long time she would plead for me to tell her what was wrong with her. Of course I could not do that. Eventually Glenn will also forget what he has and the pain will not hurt him any longer. That may take a while. But it is still very sad and I am sorry for him and his family.

Bill Sheldon June 17, 1920. April 4, 2001. Four years in the 3rd Infantry Division WW2 His story. Find it at Four years in the 3rd Inf in WW2
If you can't wait to get new posting to this web page get on the list of automatic mail when something new is posted ................KE7PLR......................

Kay takes a walk

2011-06-08T09:59:00.000-07:00

About 6 AM this morning Kay decided to take a walk. Down the parking lot in another building a friend of ours preparing to take her dog for a walk looked outside and saw her . As this friend knows of Kay's condition she knew she was not supposed to be outside alone. So this friend got her and brought her back to the apartment. I was still asleep because I had been up several times during the night trying to get her over hurting from her acid reflux. She had burnt an ulcer in her esophagus from acid reflux some years ago and of course it hurts bad when acid gets on it. I had been a little lax recently I think because she seemed to be getting along so well. I had not been able to give her the protonix pill every day as I should have done. This will make me be sure not to get careless about the pill. She had been up a lot and I think she just decided to go for a walk. This is a rare occurrence but shows it can happen. If the neighbor had not seen her she would not been able to find her way home I am sure.

Bill Sheldon June 17, 1920. April 4, 2001. Four years in the 3rd Infantry Division WW2 His story. Find it at Four years in the 3rd Inf in WW2
If you can't wait to get new posting to this web page get on the list of automatic mail when something new is posted ................KE7PLR......................

The most horrible day of my life,

2011-05-26T17:34:00.000-07:00

For a realtime check of my eye progress go here

I am trying to get everything down because I am sure they will want to know everything about it. It caused everyone a lot of grief to say the least. So far no one I've talked to has remembered anything like this happening in medicine

The incident yesterday was beyond anything I could imagine. It was beyond imagination because I was in a situation so bad that I would have accepted death to end it. I thought about it. I would have done anything to stop the torture but I was helpless to do anything because I was sedated. I didn't want death but to get out of my torture I was in a state of mind to accept it if that is what it took. I thought I might be dying. I thought "is this how it is to die? I didn't know where I was or what was going on so I didn't know if I was ever to escape. I knew where I was supposed to be but what was going around me didn't match that place. So how do I to get out of it except to die?" Not knowing was the problem. If it was a temporary situation then you could try to bear it. But I didn't know what was causing it and it didn't show any signs of letting up. It just kept going on and on. Noises of all kinds like I had never heard before.

I could not understand anything that I was hearing. It was so loud that it seemed as if my ears were turned up to maximum. Or I was in a room with the stereo volume turned up but the sounds were not recognizable. There was all kinds of noises, I cant describe what they were. I'd never heard them before, It seemed to go on and on. Just wouldn't stop. I couldn't do anything to get out or stop it.

When you are under anesthetic you know how helpless you are. I wondered if this was how it was to die. Not what I had read about. But no one has come back from the dead except our Christ to tell us. Eventually after what seemed like an eternity the sounds and lights began to ease up and I began to recognize the doctors voice and understand what she was saying to the nurses in the room. I could also feel her doing her stitching as she sewed up my eye. I had not told her that the some Gudgel's, I included, had a genetic defect in their left eye that causes it to droop a little and I think that this might have had something to do with her inability to properly adjust the closure of the lid. I will tell her just as soon as practicable so she can consider it. I wasn't too concerned though about the closure because I don't see out of it anyway.
I had gone in to a surgery center to get my eyelids lifted. I have only one eye and it isn't much good because the eyelid covered part of the pupil. Actually I had had an eyelid lift 30 or 40 years ago with such minor disruption I could not remember the details except the Dr. looking down into my face as he did his work. And remembering that I had had a lift sometime in the past. It was not until I saw a picture of my face today with the puffy eyelids that my memory came flooding back.

When the doctor was finally finished she started the ending procedure of showing her fingers and moving her hand around to check the results of her work. Then she started doing more of it and asked me something about how many fingers she was holding out. Then I told her I couldn't see her hand. It seemed real dark in the room I asked about this time if my eyes were open. It looked like my eyes were closed and I was in a dark room. I had no feeling in my eyes so I couldn't tell if they were open or closed. They told me they were open so I then knew I was blind. But until they told me they were open I didn't know

Then of course it was apparent that I was blind and things began to get a little hectic, The doctor checked out my eyes and they passed the tests. It had to be something else. Then they began to think of stroke. When the doctor could not find anything wrong in my eyes she made immediate arrangements to go to Emergency and get the usual head procedures of MRI and CAT scans. You don't just get an MRI scan without going through the Emergency Entrance. Not me of course I was going with the doctors orders to go direct to the machines. But I still had to go through the registering procedure and that meant Tom had to be there. During this process of being blind I began to think. "So this is what it like to be blind? What do we do now?" I didn't panic but thought so I am blind and it comes sooner than I expected. During my blind stage I could see a faint outline of the fluorescent light fixture above my head. A good description would be looking through a very dense black and white negative when they used negatives in photography. The color was about the same too. Not the black of a printer. So within a very short time they had me under the CAT scanner. Immediately after the CAT scan they took me to the MRI torture chamber. By the time we went into the MRI machine I could see some outlines of objects in the room. Very faint but still visible. The big well lit objects especially. None of the small objects. There may have been no small ones anyway. As it is black in an MRI machine I don't know when my sight returned. When I got out I could see quite well except for the fuzziness from ointments put on them by the doctor. My hearing was normals too. But it had been normal since coming out of the horror procedure I had been in

So that is where it stands now. My eyes are responding as expected. You can see a picture of them by going to temporaryposts.blogspot.com/2011/05/eyes.html

I don't know why but when my eyes are clear of tears they work better than before the operation. With the swelling the lids still droop about as much as before but I can read the print on the computer screen better than before. I always had to use reading glasses and sit up close even with large print because they would be fuzzy. But now I can read the print 3 feet away, That's good.
Yesterday Kay was with us all day long. Today she keeps asking me what about my eyes. She has totally forgotten.
------------------------------------------------------

Bill Sheldon June 17, 1920. April 4, 2001. Four years in the 3rd Infantry Division WW2 His story. Find it at Four years in the 3rd Inf in WW2
If you can't wait to get new posting to this web page get on the list of automatic mail when something new is posted ................KE7PLR......................

What was happening to me

2011-05-26T11:09:00.000-07:00

I have been able to figure out what was happening to me during the eyelid lift when I went blind. During the surgery in addition to incredible noise going on I was also experiencing light. No doubt I could see but it was varying depending upon if she was obstructing the light behind her or perhaps her light shining into my eye, moving my eyelid around as she worked on it. . But no doubt I was seeing. None of it was in focus. Sort of a light show. So if you combine the light show and the incredible racket of the sound it was a horrifying experience.

I haven't heard from anyone today yet but expect calls in the future.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Bill Sheldon June 17, 1920. April 4, 2001. Four years in the 3rd Infantry Division WW2 His story. Find it at Four years in the 3rd Inf in WW2
If you can't wait to get new posting to this web page get on the list of automatic mail when something new is posted ................KE7PLR......................

The Doctor thinks he knows what caused my reaction to the anasethic.

2011-05-25T15:44:00.000-07:00

The doctor thinks he knows what caused my reaction to the anaesthetic. It wasn't anything like what happened to me but he had enough evidence to think so,, I had a nice long talk with him yesterday I think it was. I went over what went on and cleared up some miss-conceptions you would get when getting something second hand which he did, He was very apologetic of course and did not try to blame it on a TIA or other type of stroke. The drug he named was Ketomin. I referred him to my blog here for detailed information on what I experienced.

As I didn't see any evidence of negligence or malfeasance ( but what do I know) I will drop the matter as I seem to be recovering normally. You can keep up with my recovery progress by going to temporaryposts.blogspot.com
Itching and watery eyes are a big nuisance

Sunday May 29. Things are beginning to clear up. I looked for Ketomin on the Internet. I could not find anything on that drug on Google but found a lot on MS Bing. In fact google said the drug it found by another spelling Ketamine was not used on humans. I found a lot all bad. I don't know what other drugs are available but Ketamine is like a LSD trip gone bad. Or a alcoholic fighting demons to get off alcohol. In addition to the list I found I also went blind. This will take further investigation.

Bill Sheldon June 17, 1920. April 4, 2001. Four years in the 3rd Infantry Division WW2 His story. Find it at Four years in the 3rd Inf in WW2
If you can't wait to get new posting to this web page get on the list of automatic mail when something new is posted ................KE7PLR......................

Picture of the headstone

2011-05-24T08:14:00.000-07:00

William Gudgel 1877

Andrew and Elizabeth Payne Gudgel

On family farm there in Owensville IA

Paul Tutmarc and the Islandaires.

2011-05-19T11:17:00.000-07:00

Recently there has been some interest generated about Paul Tutmarc.
Because I played with Paul in his Hawaiian band I've been asked to write something about what I know. For some reason I can't remember when I first got acquainted with him. In any case I was about 16 and had studied Spanish guitar since I was 12 or 13. It probably was through my search for more experience that we came in contact. He had a studio on the second floor there at 7th and Pine over a tavern. Paul had a parking space behind the tavern in the alley where an incident happened that I will tell you about a little later. I had been active in church music. Anyone who lived in the thirties probably remember Rev. Offler. How about Painless Parker?

I played in several churches orchestras who also had some radio programs but I don't remember Paul ever being active in church activities during the time I knew him. We never had any contact with his family during this time.

Anyway, Paul organized a small Hawaiian orchestra called the Islandaires. I was a member. I played lead guitar. Paul, of course played the Hawaiian steel guitar of which he also manufactured. It's amazing how little I knew of that part of his life at the time considering the fact that I was with him quite a lot for at least a year or so. There is quite a lot to his story regarding his manufacturing and inventing the Hawaiian steel guitar and it is amazing I know so little considering the time I knew him. On the other hand maybe I just forgot. I was only 15 or 16 and business wasn't a big part of my life. Music and girls probably.

This part of his life I don't remember ever having much to do with his family and business activities. His association with Les Paul was totally unknown to me. In fact I don't think I knew about Les Paul at the time.

We didn't talk about that because we would be busy practicing. Other members of the band were Wesley Coatney who played string base. Then there was Jack Gress who played the ukelele and second guitar when needed. I think we had a singer available too but the singer didn't practice with us and the times we played we didn't need a singer. Especially if we didn't get paid. Just like the rock and roll days. I wanted to make a trio or quartet to sing some of the songs. But I kept putting off doing the harmonizing because actually I didn't have the background in music to do it. A shame too because I wanted so much to know music.

Somewhere in my things is a picture of the Islandaires done for promotional purposes that Paul had done. I had a couple hard drives crash and it may have been lost. But I have so many duplicates that it has to be somewhere. And then there is the original picture. Downsizing to an apartment causes lot of problems if you are one who values their history. I also saw it here at the apartment but where I don't know where now. I am still looking.
We continued to practice and started getting occasional jobs. One time we were at the Olympic Hotel back stage and Paul and Johnny Cherberg got into an argument. Cherberg became a politician. I don't remember if he was at the time. Quite important later. I believe there is a hall out at the U of W named after him. Paul accused Johnny of owing him a dollar. They almost got into fista-cuffs over this. Then there was a time at Paul's studio when Paul wanted to park in his parking space in the alley but some guy in the tavern was using it. Paul just blew his stack. He picked up a good sized rock and started beading on tthe hood of the car just enraged. The guy came out of the tavern imploring Paul to stop beating on the hood.

What caused the demise of the Islandaires was the depression. We managed to scrape up 25 bucks for the jackets for our picture but after we played for the Real Estate magnate somewhat later the Musicions Union demanded that if we wanted to play paying jobs we had go join the union which was $75. None of us had that kind of money so we disbanded. I don't know if Paul had it but he would not spring for our dues so we quit as an organization.

I lost contact with Paul for a few years and later someone notified me, probably my wife Kay, that he had divorced and married Bonnie Guitar. I was in Germany by then in the Army.

Stay tuned more later.

Doyal Gudgel

Bill Sheldon June 17, 1920. April 4, 2001. Four years in the 3rd Infantry Division WW2 His story. Find it at Four years in the 3rd Inf in WW2
If you can't wait to get new posting to this web page get on the list of automatic mail when something new is posted ................KE7PLR......................

5 day cure for toenail fungus. Free

2011-05-05T21:44:00.000-07:00

Here is a cheap fast way to get rid of toenail fungus. Most cures on the web is just hype. Here is the cure. Got to Wal*Mart and get a 7 dollar electric tooth brush. Use the rotary brush and brush tooth paste to the toe under the nail and around. If the top of the nail is unsightly brush it also. Apply some apple cider vinegar too after or before the toot paste, Do this a couple times a day. Within a week the live fungus should be gone. The old hardened fungus will not be removed probably. It will still be there. You can tell it is working because the black fungus on top of the toenail will be gone and a natural toenail will be show. If anyone tries this please let me know of your results. It worked great for me.

Bill Sheldon June 17, 1920. April 4, 2001. Four years in the 3rd Infantry Division WW2 His story. Find it at Four years in the 3rd Inf in WW2
If you can't wait to get new posting to this web page get on the list of automatic mail when something new is posted ................KE7PLR......................

Kay can remember some things.

2011-04-29T20:58:00.000-07:00

An emotional incident happened today that really effected Kay. Usually she can't remember anything that happened a few seconds ago. Today though she came to me and asked what it was all about. This was remarkable as it just doesn't happen. Sometimes Kay will have something stick in her mind and she will constantly ask questions. Usually the same question. But this incident was remembered a couple hours after it happened. To me this is startling. I was also amazed that Kay was effected enough to defend me in the incident. She didn't passively stand by not realizing what was going on. This was a part of her mind I was not aware of. I think this is the payoff for dedication to each other we have made in the past 70 years. I have made a special video for either mothers day or the 70th anniversary party the kids are putting on next month. I was inclined to make it for the 70th but it would fit either one. Waiting for the 70 would allow me to make a lot of improvements. I think I will show it to our Tuesday meeting group and make an improved version for the 70th anniversary.

Bill Sheldon June 17, 1920. April 4, 2001. Four years in the 3rd Infantry Division WW2 His story. Find it at Four years in the 3rd Inf in WW2
If you can't wait to get new posting to this web page get on the list of automatic mail when something new is posted ................KE7PLR......................

How to get Kay to eat properly

2011-04-22T08:54:00.000-07:00

How do I get Kay to eat properly? Yesterday I made her breakfast of the same when I made my own poached egg on milk toast. But she didn't eat of bite of it. Today I intended to make a piece of French toast but she started eating a piece of bread and butter and an orange before I could get it made so she didn't get to eat something with protein in it. A couple weeks ago in a blood test her A1c came back 6.2. That is higher than my A1c which was 5.2. She is either diabetic or is eating so poorly that her blood sugar is high fom the way she eats like that above. Doctors dont like to prescribe medicaton for someone especially with b/g of 6.2 a1c because the patient is going to go hypoglycemic because of overdosing the medication. They don't want to give the job of controlling their blood sugar to the patient because the patient does not know enough and the a1c isn't high for the doctor to prescribe medication without the patient going hypoglycemic from too much medication. So the dr pays his bills by constant visits by the patient. Of course the simple solution is for the patient to manage their own medication. But Kay is not able to do this in her condition. Some day this condition will catch up with her but as it varies from patient to patient we wont know until it happens.

Bill Sheldon June 17, 1920. April 4, 2001. Four years in the 3rd Infantry Division WW2 His story. Find it at Four years in the 3rd Inf in WW2
If you can't wait to get new posting to this web page get on the list of automatic mail when something new is posted ................KE7PLR......................

Smmomething I don't understand

2011-04-17T12:18:00.000-07:00

Virginia Sheldon pointed out something to me yesterday that completely flabbergasted me. Kay can come to me and cant get the words out to tell something that is on her mind. Her memory at work I guess. I had been telling her how Kay can not tell me what is on her mind that may be there when she may be in the bedroom or another place that she wants to tell me. Like someone who has had a bad stroke. Usually I have Virginia talk to Kay as best she can when we are on the telephone It's pretty much a one way conversation as Kay cant remember anything more than a minute ago. From her end Kay will ask something like "What can I do for you" because Kay cant remember anything to tell Virginia. But she can ask for information. But this is where the miracle comes in. Kay can talk to Virginia on the telephone but can't talk to anyone here at home one on one. Oh well. It isn't something I have to understand so I wont spend any time on it. I have other things to think about.

Bill Sheldon June 17, 1920. April 4, 2001. Four years in the 3rd Infantry Division WW2 His story. Find it at Four years in the 3rd Inf in WW2
If you can't wait to get new posting to this web page get on the list of automatic mail when something new is posted ................KE7PLR......................

Kay

2011-04-16T08:33:00.000-07:00

Bill Sheldon June 17, 1920. April 4, 2001. Four years in the 3rd Infantry Division WW2 His story. Find it at Four years in the 3rd Inf in WW2 If you can't wait to get new posting to this web page get on the list of automatic mail when something new is posted................KE7PLR......................

Something new I noticed

2011-04-16T08:16:00.000-07:00

Lately I have noticed milk in a sauce pan. Today I know why. Kay could not figure out she should pour milk in a cup instead of a pan. She got up today and got the milk jug. She then asked me where she was to put the milk. So I knew then that she didn't know where to put it the times she put it in the pan. This also means she did it the previous times when she put it in the pan because she didn't know where to put it. I depend on her drinking milk for her liquids because I cant just hand her a glass of water and expect her to drink it. She will drink milk however most of the time.

Bill Sheldon June 17, 1920. April 4, 2001. Four years in the 3rd Infantry Division WW2 His story. Find it at Four years in the 3rd Inf in WW2
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Confused

2011-04-13T10:25:00.000-07:00

Kay got up this morning very confused. Apparently she had been dreaming something about her mom and dad. I couldn't understand what she was trying to tell me. Even when she is completely awake she cant get out what she wants to tell you. Later I got her an egg in milk toast but I don't think she ate more than a bite of the toast and egg. Before that she had eaten one soda cracker. This means when she gets up later she will eat and snack on things that cause her b/g to go up. I don't think she is necessarily diabetic but eats things that keep here b/g elevated. Her kidney function GFI was down probably because of her constant elevated b/g. So regardless of ones diabetic condition constant elevated b/g will create the same conditions as if you were diabetic.

I had the Dr, get a A1C test which turned out 6.2. That is higher than mine. The doctor said this was not the time to medicate which I agree. As Kay can not manage here own diabetic medicine there is no way for a doctor to do it., They don't want to begin so called treating diabetes until the a1c gets up over 7 and their prescription will not cause the patient to go into a hypoglycemic condition.

Bill Sheldon June 17, 1920. April 4, 2001. Four years in the 3rd Infantry Division WW2 His story. Find it at Four years in the 3rd Inf in WW2
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I remember a near disaster

2011-04-07T19:42:00.000-07:00

Have you ever had the shakes for what nearly happened? What nearly happened to Kay many years ago still makes me almost shake with the fear of what would have happened to Kay if this had really happened to her, A most horrible thing. We lived on Wallingford Street in Richmond Highlands north of Seattle in a real "starter" of a house. In those days you bought a small house and worked your way up as your family grew.

One night we were going to bed. I was already in bed on the edge. Kay was close by about arms length away. . She was in a filmy nightgown. Next to her was a space heater. Somehow she brushed up against it. Her nightgown caught on fire. I had about 3 seconds before the nightgown was out of control if I didn't do something. Instantly I reached over and got her nightgown in my hands and wadded it up and smothered the flame. I don't think my hands even got singed. But in two or three more seconds the flames would have been out of control with the nightgown acting as a chimney. With the belt around the nightgown I would not have been able to pull it over her head or jerked it down and off her that way. But by being as close as I was I was able to put out the fire by wadding the nightgown in a ball and killing it that way before it spread out of control. Horrible disfigurement would have resulted if her nightgown had burned.

Even now 65 years later I get a funny fealing when I think about it. So close to disaster.

Bill Sheldon June 17, 1920. April 4, 2001. Four years in the 3rd Infantry Division WW2 His story. Find it at Four years in the 3rd Inf in WW2
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Kay's blood test is back.

2011-04-03T16:59:00.000-07:00

Click on picture for probably a full page pix.

I took Kay to the lab for a recheck of the potassium. Don't expect necessarily a completely honest report by the doctor. I think they minimize things in order not to alarm the patient. But they said the potassium was ok. But there is OK and then there is a real healthy OK. They can consider what is healthy for a young person then there are readings that they consider healthy for an old person. But you can die from the ok reading for an old person. Like an a1c reading for a diabetic as an example. A healthy young person will get a reading of less than 5.0 a1c. But there is a wide range of what is OK for an older person according to doctors. Actually it boils down to what the Dr figures he can manage without causing the patient to died from an overdose of Insulin. This is the result of the patient being totally ignorant of how to manage their own diabetes Expecting the doctor to do it for them. But as the dr can not be there every time the patient takes a bite of something to adjust the mediction it s impossible for the Dr. to manage it. That is the reason the doctors let the blood sugar run so high. Medication prescribed to take care of the b/g to a close tolerance makes it very easy to overdose and die from hypogylcemia. In King county Washington State each year medics make over 4,000 emergency calls for overdosed diabetics. So you can see that doctors don't want to prescribe a close management of b/g for a pattient. That HAS to be done by the patient. Most of them can't do this.

The other day MG/DL came back 92. I was a little surprised because she was not supposed to be diabetic. Now 92 is not high for a diabetic. A non diabetic however should run under ninety, around 83/85. Doctors don't see it that way though. But Kay had not eaten for a couple hours and if she was not diabetic her insulin should have brought it down to the normal diabetic. In other words 83 or 5. But it was 92. So as long as she was going in for a blood test anyway I asked the Dr, to take an a1c read. She was skeptical of course as the mg/dl was 92. But she humored me by ordering a test also. Well, low and behold when the report came back the next day it was 6.2! That's higher than mine! Mine was 5.2 or 5.6 which I am real unhappy about as I have had it 4.9 to 5.2. The doctor kissed it off as not bad enough to medicate which I agree with as Kay would be unable to help in her diabetes management. Kay had told me in previous years that her mother had diabetes which I did't really know about. But I wasn't into those things in those days.

This is probably why her GFI is where it is. Her b/g is ruining her kidneys. So if I want to save Kay I will have to change her diet as her b/g is obviously going sky high from what she is eating now. The problem now is to get her to eat what is not going to kill her. Like this morning I made her a poached egg on toast in milk. I don't think she ate more than a bite of egg. The rest of the day she has been snacking on things that will run her b/g up where it should not be. This new situation will require some thinking.

Bill Sheldon June 17, 1920. April 4, 2001. Four years in the 3rd Infantry Division WW2 His story. Find it at Four years in the 3rd Inf in WW2
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Kay today

2011-03-31T08:41:00.000-07:00

I got up at 6:00 AM and cleaned up then read the paper for a while until Kay came in so I quit to make breakfast. Poached egg on toast in milk. I had to urge Kay to come in and eat. But she just sat there in her nightgown doing nothing. I tried to even feed her but she would not eat except for one bite. In a little while she got up and went to the bedroom and lay down for a while. She hasn't said a word so far. I am supposed to take her to the lab and get some blood drawn so they can test her potassium, and kidney function which the GFI was 45 the other day. I've asked for an A1c too which the doctor has agreed to although she thinks it unnecessary. She is sitting at the kitchen counter but doesn't seem to be eating. I did a perfect job on the egg too.

Bill Sheldon June 17, 1920. April 4, 2001. Four years in the 3rd Infantry Division WW2 His story. Find it at Four years in the 3rd Inf in WW2
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Kay couldn't care less

2011-03-26T11:13:00.000-07:00

See update on Kay's doctor's visit at end of page;
Kay wandered into the computer room this afternoon and seemed pretty bored. I asked her a couple questions and she just said she knew nothing. Meaning she couldn't think. I asked her what she wanted to do, She said she would like to go somewhere. I've been needing a haircut so figured this would be a good time for us to go get a haircut. She had on a knit heavy sweater which is not unusual because she gets cold easily. So I told her we would go get a haircut at the Indian Barber Shop. We went to the shop and when the chair became available I started to take the knit sweater off but she had nothing on under it! Well, the barber rolled down her collar and put a cover over her front to make her decent and cut her hair. The longer she has dementia the less she cares what she wears. I have to make sure she changes to a night gown or she will go to bed in her street clothes. This is common with people with dementia. Some will put layer on layer or blouses although Kay has not been doing that a lot lately. Instead of dressing to go out she will just get some clothes on . I have been getting quite a bit of fluids in her by setting out a cup of milk as she likes milk pretty well. We are going to the Dr. on the 22 to see if she is anemic. She has been sleeping a lot in the day time. I've been giving her quite a bit of cream of wheat lately to hopefully make up for her snacks that she eats.
Kay is not anemic. Her potassium is a little elevated so we are going back to the lab for a new blood test. Her kidney GFI was 45 and the doctor said 59 (I think) was normal but the x nurse at the office looked it up on google and she said above 88 was normal. I asked for an a1c test although her Mg/dl was 92. Whatever the Mg/dl is I'd like know what the a1c is anyway. So it will be done next wednesday.

Bill Sheldon June 17, 1920. April 4, 2001. Four years in the 3rd Infantry Division WW2 His story. Find it at Four years in the 3rd Inf in WW2
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Tommy Begley Killed in WW2

2011-03-26T11:09:00.000-07:00

Kay today

2011-03-16T08:45:00.000-07:00

When Kay gpt up today I found she had 3 panitys, a brazier, blouse, 2 sweaters and a heavy overcoat. But I caught her right away and had her take a bath before she got in the kitchen for breakfast. Why do people with dementia want to put layer after layer of clothes on? I've heard of others doing it too.

ft Lewis June 1944