The "We're Lagging Behind By 0.2422 Days" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Last day of February which happens to be a Thursday this year.  Next year this month will have a 29th day which we will need to keep the atomic clock in sync with...well...time.  Everyone knows that a year lasts 365 days.  Check your calendar if you're not sure.  But, every four years we add a day to make sure we match up with a true year which is how long it takes the Earth to complete one orbit around the sun.  New year will be a leap year and allow a birthday celebration for everyone who was born on February 29th.  A solar year is 365.2422 days in length.  That lag of 0.2422 days might seem small, but over time it adds up.  If we wouldn't have leap years, our seasons would eventually be mixed up with snow in the summer and beach trips in the winter.  But, is that all that bad?  Might be easier for Santa to make his deliveries without having to worry about his sleigh getting stuck in the snow.  If our calendar had never added a leap day, after three centuries January 1 would come in autumn.  After six centuries it would land in summer.  Happened in Rome in the 1st century BCE (before common era) when the calendar had slipped a full two months out of alignment with the seasons.  So, in 46 BCE, Julius Caesar declared that the current year would last 445 days in order to bring the calendar back into alignment with the seasons.  So what happened to everyone's birthday that year?  And, what happened to those who were born during those 80 days that were never to be again?  Boy, I would certainly complain if it were me who was born on one of those days.  Well, some Romans were upset and they referred to this happening as the longest year in history and called it annus confusionis.  The new calendar that Caesar instituted is known as the Julian calendar which adds a day every four years.  So, that made each year 365.25 days long.  That's still not the same as the solar year, so by the 16th century the error had added 10 extra days.  In response, Pope Gregory XIII replaced the Julian calendar with the "Gregorian" one which introduced the modern schedule of leap days.  So, to make this correction, October 4, 1582 was followed by October 15 and said that everyone born on those 11 days that were missed could celebrate their birthday on the 15th.  Now, you know I made that up, right?  So, when will we lose a few more days to make sure we don't have snow in August?  I'm sure none of us will be around to see that.  A few other Ancient people did try and make some different changes to keep the seasons in line with the calendar.  The Hindu, Chinese and Hebrew calendars added leap months to keep pace with the seasons.  Persian astronomer Omar Khayyam measured the length of the year as 365.24219858156 days and devised an elaborate leap-year schedule to match it.  36 years ago Russian math historians Adolph Yushkevich and Boris Rosenfeld analyzed Khayyam's scheme and deemed it superior in accuracy to the Gregorian calendar.  So, now what will we do?  Well, the new figures show our current calendar is accurate to one day in 3,333 years so that means we have until sometime around the year 5000 to decide whether to declare an extra leap day.  And, if you happened to be born on that day, you would die before you were one year old.  One more thing to consider is the leap second.  On 27 occasions since 1972, the International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service (did you know we had one of these) has added an extra "leap" second into the length of a day.  Seems that needed to keep the atomic clock in sync.  The last leap second added was on December 31, 2016. I've lived almost 75 years now and I never knew that! And, to top that, another second will be added on June 30, 2020...maybe!  No one is sure yet, except the time police.  I just hope I'm on a beach somewhere when that happens.  It was another extraordinary day, plus a second, in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "When Will The Parade End?" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Just finishing running the car through the automatic car wash to get the road salt off before driving to Maryland to pick up my wife who was helping our granddaughter recuperate after having back surgery. 

Our 2014 Honda CRV

A few weeks ago I took our 2014 Honda CRV to have it serviced at the dealership where I purchased it.  The car is five years old and had only 34K miles on it.  We kept good care of the car and it showed.  The dealership, Jones Honda, mailed us a letter a few days later offering a fantastic trade-in if we would like to have a new Honda.  Shared the letter with my wife and we made a visit to see Jonathon. 

Our new 2019 Honda CRV

He showed us a few different models and then we drove the new CRV.  I must admit we loved it and after a test drive told him we would call back with a decision.  The car has so many neat features.....features that will take us years to learn how to use since most of them are digital.  We placed the call and asked what the cost would be using the trade-in amount they had offered us.  Shortly afterward I took Carol to Maryland to help with our granddaughter and I made arrangements to get the new car.  The weather was sunny the day I picked it up at the dealership, but went downhill shortly after.  Kept the car in the garage until a day before I was to pick up Carol.  Ran it through the car wash and made the trip to Maryland from our home in Pennsylvania.  The two-hour journey was filled with a variety of problems with the steering wheel vibrating if I went over a line with the tires, the brakes coming on all of a sudden when someone pulled in front of me a bit to close, the blue-tooth system beeping at me continuously as I tired to listen to music from my phone and the inside temperature lowering below 50 since I couldn't figure how to use it.  EVERYTHING IS DIGITAL.....but me and the round tires that are still made of rubber! 

My first car.....a 1953 Henry J.

Our new Honda CRV is one more automobile in a long line of cars Carol and I have owned during our single and married lifetimes.  My first car was a 1953 Henry J which my friend Jere helped me rebuild the engine in his dad's garage. 

A 1955 Ford exactly like the second car I owned.

Then came a 1955 pink and white Ford followed by a 1958 Chevy Impala convertible.  The list goes on and on with a few really neat cars in between just boring cars.  Check out the photos I have included of some of the cars we have owned.  Some are the exact same car, but others are photos of similar cars. 

My next car.....a 1958 Chevy Impala ragtop exactly like this one.

As for the new CRV, everyone will see us coming and we will be able to find it in the parking lot at the grocery store since it is Molten Lava Pearl!  Looks red in the shade and orange in the bright light.  A real keeper.  We often wonder when the parade of cars will end.  We still feel capable of diving the car, but not quite sure how it works.....YET!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

Carol's first car.....a 1965 Austin Healey Sprite.

The car I owned when we got married.....a 1961 Pontiac Tempest.

My final photo just had to be a photo of Carol and myself driving our 1987 Corvette Coupe
on the boardwalk in Ocean City, Maryland.  It became too costly so we sold it.

The "The Evil Genius Of The Republican Party" Story

Monument/headstone of Thaddeus Stevens

It was an ordinary day.  Making another visit to a little cemetery at the corner of North Mulberry and West Chestnut Streets in the city of Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  The cemetery is rather non-descript, but there is someone very special buried in the south-east corner of the half-block cemetery.  

State sign in honor of Thaddeus Stevens

That person is U.S. Congress- man Thaddeus Stevens who was a radical aboli- tionist, Under- ground Railroad activist, industrialist and newspaper publisher.  He was the "father" of the primary civil rights amendments to the United Stated Constitution.  The "Old Commoner" chose to be buried at this site because rules established by Martin Shreiner, for whom the cemetery is named, were not restrictive based on race.  Seems most other cemeteries in this historical city, one of the first inland cities in the U.S., wouldn't allow minorities to be buried in them.  That fact went against everything that Mr. Stevens stood and fought for in his life.  His headstone, or should I say monument, is inscribed on the south side with this inscription:

 I REPOSE IN THIS QUIET AND SECLUDED SPOT
NOT FROM ANY NATURAL PREFERENCE FOR SOLITUDE,

BUT FINDING OTHER CEMETERIES LIMITED AS TO RACE,

BY CHARTER RULES.
I HAVE CHOSEN THIS THAT I MIGHT ILLUSTRATE
IN MY DEATH

THE PRINCIPLES WHICH I ADVOCATED
THROUGH A LONG LIFE:

EQUALITY OF MAN BEFORE HIS CREATOR.

Thaddeus Stevens was at one time the most powerful man in Congress.  

Engraved with the verse written above.  Click to enlarge.

His nickname of "The Old Commoner" was well-earned.  During his time in our nation's capital, he was loved by many, but also loathed by many more.  For many of you reading this, you may have never heard of him.  Why is this?  Well, Thaddeus was a nasty man who used his uncommon wit as a weapon.  

The other side of the headstone.

One time, during one of his House speeches, an opponent interrupted him, as he spoke.  Stevens broke in with, "I yield to the gentleman for a few feeble remarks."  He also had a remark for a proslavery congressman when he broke in with, "There are some reptiles so flat that the common foot of man cannot crush them."  It is well known that Stevens fought harder to win freedom and equality for black Americans than any other politician in our history.  

Thaddeus Stevens

Many of his hard fought civil rights battles came after Lincoln was assassinated.  Stevens may have felt the way he did since he was born in Vermont with one leg crippled by a clubfoot which caused him abuse as a child.  The fact that his father was a drunk and deserted his family also played into his character.  But, his mother managed to send her son to Dartmouth where he began to exhibit a lifelong scorn for those lucky souls born healthy and wealthy.  After college he moved to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania and opened a law office where he frequently appeared before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.  His roll as an abolitionist began when he was hired by a Maryland slaveowner to get his runaway slave and her two children back, which he did, but realized later that he had caused three human being to lose their freedom and was so upset with himself that he became a dedicated abolitionist.  

His home at 45 South Queen Street in
downtown Lancaster, PA.

He was elected to the PA state legislature in 1833 and helped pass the state's first law to fund free public schools for all.  The affluent people in PA were upset and another congressman  introduced a bill to repeal the education law.  Stevens was so upset that he rose in congress and told how his education had lifted him from poverty and begged other legislators to give future generations the same chance he had.  His final words when he spoke were, "Build not your monuments of brass and marble, make them of everlasting mind!"  As he limped back to his seat the legislature applauded him and voted to keep school free to all.  He called that his greatest triumph.  It was in 1842 that he moved to my town of Lancaster where he was an attorney and owner of an iron furnace.  It was at this time that he hired Lydia Smith, a 33-year-old mulatto widow as his housekeeper while living on South Queen Street in downtown Lancaster.  He was accused of living in open adultery with a mulatto woman.  

Thaddeus Stevens lying in the state Capitol Rotunda.
The Honor Guard are all African Americans.

She was at his bedside when he died.  Stevens left her $5,000 in his will which she used to buy the house that they had shared in Lancaster.  16 years ago, when preserva- tionists were working on his house on S. Queen St. they found evidence that Stevens and Smith used the house as a station on the Underground Railroad by concealing runaway slaves in a hidden cistern connected to the house by a secret tunnel.  In 1848 Stevens was elected to the U.S. House and became a leader of congressional abolitionists and fought agains the Fugitive Slave Law and the spread of slavery to western territories.  It was during one heated debate on slavery that a Mississippi congressman pulled our a Bowie knife and lunged at Stevens, but was subdued before he could cause any damage.  Stevens was known in congress as the abolitionist who was bold and couldn't be frightened.  In 1861 Lincoln insisted the Civil War was a war to restore the Union and not a war to end slavery.  Stevens strongly disagreed and told Lincoln to "Free every slave, slay every traitor, burn every rebel mansion if these things be necessary to preserve this temple of freedom."  November of 1861 saw Stevens introduce a bill to outlaw slavery in America.  It didn't pass, but he kept chipping away with a bill to free slaves in the District of Columbia, a bill to free slaves owned by Confederate soldiers, a bill to enlist 150,000 black soldiers in the Union Army.  Only the first bill passed, but Lincoln, along with senators Charles Sumner and Henry Wilson kept pressuring Lincoln on the issue.  Lincoln hated slavery also, but wasn't quite sure how to end it.  That moment came after the Union's victory at Antietam in 1862.  Stevens promised the President his full support and since he was the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee and Lincoln needed huge sums to finance the war, Stevens provided it.  By the end of the war in 1864, the President turned his attention to slavery and with the help of Stevens got Congress to pass the 13th Amendment which outlawed slavery forever.  That wasn't the end of it thought, since after Lincoln was assassinated, new president Andrew Johnson took over and happened to be a Southern slave owner.  Stevens eventually tried to get Johnson impeached.  He was frail and sick when aides carried him in an armchair to the door of the Senate where he shuffled in, leaning on his cane and asked that they impeach Johnson.  The battle went on and on until April 27 of 1868 when Stevens, barely able to stand, rose and delivered his speech demanding that Johnson be tortured on the gibbet of everlasting obloquy.  He couldn't finish.  On May 16, 1868 the Senate voted.  Stevens lost!  He was carried from the chamber in his chair and told the crowd outside that, "The country is going to the Devil!"  He declared that his life had been a failure!  He died on August 11, but before he died he made sure he would be buried in a cemetery that wasn't just for whites.  It was at this point that he wrote the decree that is found on his headstone/monument that I had just taken a photograph of in the little cemetery in the center of the city of Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  Stop some time to see it if you want to pay respect to this abolitionist who fought for the rights of all.  He most certainly was the "Old Commoner".  My wife and I thought enough of him that we gave our third child the middle name of Thadeus, in honor of Thaddeus Stevens!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. 

The "A Love Affair & The Monkees'" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Monday, September 6, 1966 and my girlfriend Carol Baker and I were sitting in front of the small TV in my parent's living room watching a new TV program named "The Monkees".  We had our first date in the summer of '66 when our parents made the arrangements for me to stop at her place on my motorcycle and take her for a ride.  My dad and her mom worked together at Meiskey's Jewelry Store in downtown Lancaster, Pennsylvania and they thought we would enjoy a date with each other.  Well, I picked her up on my cycle and a few minutes later it began to rain so I brought her back home.  Stayed for a while and left knowing I would one day marry her.   Now, that's a true story, but not the one I will write about today.  Today's story still goes back to 1966, but it has to do with the wacky group known as "The Monkees".  In the early 1960s filmmakers Bob Rafelson and Bert Schneider had formed Raybert Productions and were trying to figure out how they could come up with a film like the Beatles' film "A Hard Day's Night." They decided they would develop a TV show about a fictional rock and roll group.  In 1965 Screen Gems bought the idea from them and two other guys, Paul Mazursky and Larry Tucker, completed a pilot script by August entitled "The Monkeys".  About 400 hopefuls turned up for auditions to play one of the "4 insane boys" in the show.  Fourteen were called back and Raybert chose the final four after audience research.

The Monkees' as seen in 1966

 If you were living back in the 1960s you probably know by now that those four included Micky Dolenz who was the 10-year-old star of the Circus Boy series in the 1950s.  Another, Davy Jones, was an English actor and former jockey who had achieved some success on the musical stage appearing with the cast of Oliver! on The Ed Sullivan Show the night of the Beatles' live American debut.  Another member was Michael Nesmith whose mother had invented correction fluid and founded the company that became Liquid Paper.  Michael had served in the U.S. Air Force as Michael Blessing.  He showed up at the audition wearing a woolen hat to keep his hair out of his eyes when he rode his motorcycle.  That lead to his being nicknamed "Wool Hat."  And, if you remember, his hat became part of his wardrobe on the show.  Finally, Peter Tork who was recommended by Stephen Stills.  Peter was a skilled multi-instrumentalist who had performed at various Greenwich Village folk clubs.  Carol and I watched the show that first night and made it a weekly date at my parent's house, where I stilled lived, to see the show.  The show only lasted two years, but during that time the show won an Emmy for outstanding comedy series and the group placed seven songs in Billboard's Top 10.  Three of those songs, "I'm a Believer," "Daydream Believer" and "Last Train to Clarksville" reached No. 1.  So what ever happened to the group after the show was discontinued?  Davy Jones died at the age of 66 with a marijuana-like chemical in his system at time of death.  Michael Nesmith is living a quiet life in Carmel, California where he still works on his own music as well as with other musicians.  He is 76 years old.  Micky Dolenz will turn 73 in March.  After the show ended he worked in a few movies as well as doing directing work for films.  As for Peter Took, he was known as the goofy, lovable bass guitarist who was the group's best musician.  He played bass guitar, keyboards, banjo and lead guitar.  I saw his obituary in the newspaper a few days ago.  Peter died at the age of 77.  I read about these guys and how old they are or were when they passed.  How can they be that old?  Seems like only yesterday that we were watching them on TV.  Wow!  And then I realize I am the same age as these guys are.  As far as my love affair with Carol,  well, we have been married for 51 years now and still enjoy the songs of The Monkees'.  Rock 'n Roll is here to stay we were always told.  So be it!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "RX: Part IV - She's Almost Two Inches Taller" Story

Granddaughter Camille

It was an ordinary day.  Sitting with my granddaughter Camille who had just come home the week before from Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland after going through surgery to correct her scoliosis which she had inherited from my side of the family.  My mother, my niece and myself all had curvature of the spine, but not to the degree that Camille had suffered through.  I had driven my wife, Carol, to Maryland to stay with Camille for a few weeks so both our daughter and son-in-law could go back to work while Camille recuperated at home.  

Camille's Xray.

A few years ago Camille noticed pain in her hips which is a sign of severe scoliosis.  She began treatment by wearing a brace whenever possible.  But, that didn't seem to help and when the curvature reached 61 degrees her Orthopaedic Doctor suggested she have surgery to correct the curvature.  Her doctor arranged for surgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital which is about 50 miles from Camille's home in Urbana, Maryland.  The surgeon whom she recommended and obtained for the procedure was Dr. David Sponseller.  Our daughter Brynn and son-in-law Dave took her to Baltimore where the surgery was performed.  Brynn stayed with her for four days at the hospital until she was able to come home.  The surgery itself took 4 1/2 hours and was performed on January 18.  It began at 1:10 pm and was complete slightly after 5:30 pm.  That evening she had a 6" Subway sandwich, since she was so hungry.  Dr. Sponseller was extremely impressed with her attitude and cooperation as well as her being able to eat the sub a few hours after major surgery.  It has been slightly over a month since the surgery and Camille, after going through many painful days and nights, has returned to school at Urbana High School.  

This Xray shows her spine in the center with
metal rods in the upper area and screws to
hold the rods in place.  

I have seen her twice during her recovery and am amazed with the results.  She has an incision from the top of her spine to just about her waist which after time will disappear into the crease in the center of the back.  What impresses me the most about her is the fact that she is almost two inches taller than before.  The spines curvature was so severe that it had caused bending in her back that made her shorter.  Now, a few notes about the surgeon who performed the surgery on my youngest granddaughter.  Dr. Paul Sponseller is a professor of urology and orthopaedic surgery at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.  His areas of clinical expertise include pediatric spine disorders, cerebral palsy, clubfeet, hip dislocations and hip dysplasia.  

This side view shows some of the 16 screws
that hold her backbone in place.  Some ribs
had to be broken.

He is the chief of the Division of Pediatric Orthopaedics at the Johns Hopkins Children' Center.  I could go on and on, but you may tire of reading all his credits and outstanding comments.  A few honors for the doctor though are: Clinical Teacher of the Year at James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute as well as Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in 2013.  Hero with a Heart Award from the National Marfan Foundation in 2006, Teacher of the Year Award in Orthopaedic Surgery at The Johns Hopkins Hospital in 1993, 2017 Baltimore Magazine Top Doctor and the 2019 Best Doctor Award from the Woods and Mencarini Families.  A few days ago our daughter send a photograph taken of Camille standing next to her Aunt in their living room.  Amazing!  She is truly an amazing young women who this past field hockey season didn't allow a single goal scored against her the entire season.  She will now be pain free while playing in goal.  We all love her and hope for a complete recovery in a short time.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

Camille standing next to her Aunt Lauren.

Dr. David Sponseller

Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, Maryland

The "RX: Part III - The Ringing Of The Bell" Story

The Ann B. Barshinger Cancer Institute in Lancaster, Pennsylvania

It was an ordinary day.  Sitting in the beautiful Ann B. Barshinger Cancer Institute waiting for my wife to return to the waiting area with her news.  She has been coming to the center every weekday for the past month for treatments to eradicate her breast cancer.  The people who work at this building are some of the nicest and most caring people in the city of Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  

The beautiful hallways of the institute

Doctors, nurses, techni- cians, adminis- trative staff, custodians and even the fellow that will transport you to your car are all wonderful.  Carol has gone through a very taxing month of radiation treatments and hopefully today will be her last.  As I wait, I finally see her exit the treatment rooms with a big smile on her face.  She is smiling for a few reasons, but one of the most memorable was the "Ringing of the Bell."  The tradition of ringing a bell after your final treatment began with a woman by the name of Emma Payton.  Emma was 8 years old when she was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma in 2013.  Her family flew from Manchester, England to Oklahoma City in the United States for treatments at ProCure Proton Therapy Center.  When her treatments were complete she rang a bell that had been installed at the center to mark the celebration.  Her mother was so moved by the ringing of the bell that when she returned to England she popularized the practice in the United Kingdom.  

The ringing of the bell celebrates your last treatment

Carol told me that at the end of her final treatment she was able to ring the bell which served as a testament to all the "hard work and dedication" of the department's nurses, doctors and specialists as well as herself.  Carol said that when she rang the bell everyone there celebrated and before long tears were streaming down the cheeks of every one in attendance.  It was a very moving and celebratory time for all involved in her treatment.  Actually the ringing of a bell at the end of cancer treatment dates back more than two decades in the United States when retired Navy SEAL Admiral Irve Le Moyne introduced the practice when he brought a brass bell to the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston on his last day of treatment.  He explained to the hospital staff that bells are used as a timekeeper device at sea, so sailors associate ringing them with the end of a work shift.  My guess is that Carol's ringing the bell meant much more to her than ending a work shift.  It seems that the Peyton family, which I mentioned earlier in my story, was so moved by the experience that they have now raised funds to pay for over 200 celebratory bells for centers throughout the United Kingdom.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. 

The "RX: Part II - New Molecular Treatments For Cancer" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Sitting in my dermatologist's office waiting for my turn to be relieved of that which I shouldn't have on my body.  I wrote yesterday telling you that I have been found to have the BRAC2 Gene mutation.  Remember, the word MUTATION is the key word here.  So what is that and why should I care if I know about it?  First, I should try and tell you what the BRACA2 gene is.  (The following is only a condensed  description of what I have read.  Please Google the genes to find out more if you feel a need to do so.)  

The BRCA2 human gene symbol

The BRAC1 and BRAC2 are human genes that produce tumor suppressor proteins.  These proteins help repair damaged DNA and ensure the stability of each cell's genetic material.  When either of these genes is mutated, or altered, such that its protein product is not made or does not function correctly, DNA damage may not be repaired properly.  As a result, cells are more likely to develop additional genetic alterations that can lead to cancer which is a disease caused by an uncontrolled division of abnormal cells in a part of the body.  Specific inherited mutations can cause a variety of different cancers.  Breast, ovarian, fallopian tube, peritoneal, prostate, pancreatic and melanoma skin cancer are some of the cancers associated with the BRCA2 gene mutation.  The gene mutation can be inherited from a person's mother or father.  Each child of a parent who carries a mutation in one of these genes (BRCA1 or BRAC2) has a 50% chance of inheriting the mutation.  My father had prostate and liver cancer while my mother had breast cancer and melanoma skin cancer.  As far as I know, neither died from those cancers.  But, I seem to have been the son who is carrying on the BRAC2 gene mutation within the family.  Hereditary mutations are present in both a patient's cancer cells and in the rest of the cells in their body.  Researchers have known for many years that hereditary BRAC mutations increase cancer risk, but they are now learning that patients who have these mutations are more likely to benefit from a class of targeted therapies, called PARP inhibitors, than patients without these mutations.  When I found I had prostate cancer, my doctor, Dr. Paul Sieber, made sure I had a genetic test.  His son is a geneticist and he realizes how important it is to know your genetic makeup before treatment for any disease.  Many cancer patients are increasingly receiving treatments guided by the molecular characteristics of their cancer cells so it is important to know if you have a specific gene mutation before treatment.  While waiting in my dermatologist's office today, I picked up a magazine titled cancertoday with a sub-title of "Practical Knowledge. Real Hope."  We all will die sometime, it's a fact of life, but I'm sure you aren't ready yet.  Same for me!  I have too many places to visit, too many things to do, to many stories to write and tell and too many laughs to laugh.  I'm convinced that I have doctors who will make sure I will live as long as possible.  My wish for you is that you too have some of the best care available to give you a long, successful and meaningful life. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  PS - Tomorrow I will take you along with me as my wife tells some of the things she has experienced along the way with breast cancer and the feeling of triumph.

The "RX: Part I - We're Gonna Need Some More Band-Aides!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Crossing off my latest doctor's visit on my calendar.  I used to tell my wife that all my mom and dad did was go to the doctors.  Good they didn't have to go to work anymore since it would interfere with their doctor's visits.  Well, it's time to laugh at myself a bit, since I have reached that plateau in my life.  Last week I had an appointment at my urologist, an appointment at my orthopedist and an appointment at my dermatologist.  Before I walked out the door to go to my final appointment my wife yelled to me to get another box of Band-Aides before I came home.  She just knew I was going to look like I had just come home from the war.  

Bandaides cover a few of the basil cell spots.

Yep, Dr. Lucking cut out two basil cell spots on my face and froze numerous pre-cancerous spots on my face, neck and upper body.  I have a standing appointment every six months since I am rather prone to skin cancer.  Often wondered why that was so until my urologist, Dr. Paul Seiber, had me take a genetic test a few years ago.  The reason for his concern was the treatment I was about to have for my prostate cancer.  My gene test came back with the notice that I had the BRCA2 Gene Mutation and therefore am a carrier of the gene which makes me more likely to get breast cancer, prostate cancer, gallbladder cancer, bile duct cancer, stomach cancer, pancreatic cancer and malignant melanoma as well as other skin cancers.  

The BRACA2 Gene configuration.

Truly a life sentence!  I naturally passed the information on to my children and grand- children and began to fill my calendar with future dates for testing and treatments where necessary.  Also scheduled more vacations to exotic locations, just in case. Well, Dr. Lucking does a very thorough search and treatment for me knowing I am a BRACA2 patient.  She digs out anything that remotely looks suspicious and freezes those spots that perhaps she wouldn't take a second glance at on another person.   My orthopedist isn't as concerned as my other specialists, since he is treating me for my back problems.  

A recent X-ray showing my latest hardware
I have in my L-4 and L-5 spine region.  My spine
is somewhat curved at this point.

I recently had my fourth back surgery on my lower spine.  I had noticed my left foot becoming numb a few years ago and it continued to grow more numb, even up to my knee.  I had many scans done and he thought he could do some more repairs in my spine and free any nerves that may be pinched in my back due to a slight curvature of my spine which I inherited from my mother.  My last trip to the hospital this past August had him put more rods and a few screws in place to help with the leg problems.  My trip this week to visit with him caused some concern and some hope.  

Side view showing the titanium screws.

I told him my right foot is now experiencing some numbness.  He told me that it will take at least two years from my latest surgery until the nerves can regenerate and help my numbness.   I told him I hope I get a chance to feel that before something else gets me.  My urologist now has me taking an antibiotic pill to control the bladder infections I have begun to experience.  He at first thought my prostate cancer was returning, but every visit found I had a bladder infection so I am on the antibiotics until I can have a cystogram which he will do soon.  That test is a radiogram of the urinary tract and bladder and he told me I could watch it on his monitor if I care to do so.  I had watched with one of my other doctors when he did a sigmascope to make sure he had removed all of the cancerous polyp he had found during a colonoscopy.  Well, my calendar is filled until vacation time in a few months.  And, I'm sure my children are laughing at me and my wife since it seems all we do anymore is make visits to our doctors with a few side trips to the hospital from month to month.  Hey, hope you can stay healthy!  But...don't stay away from your doctor if you know something just doesn't feel right in your body.  Only you can know that and a visit may help save your life.  It has mine...many times over!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  

The "Tips That May Help You!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Asking my wife if she remembered the time I painted all my school keys different colors.  When I taught school I had keys for just about everything.  I was the athletic manager for a few years so I needed a key to the locker room and one to the metal cage where I washed all the uniforms.  I had to have a key to get into my classroom as well as keys to the other classrooms for the Industrial Arts Department.  Since I did the in-house printing I needed another key to get in the school on weekends and holidays.  Keys to garage doors and side doors were also needed.  Since they all looked the same, I painted the top of each key a different color.....and painted the matching lock with the same color paint.  My classroom key had red paint on it and the small center of the doorknob that you put the key into matched my key.  Went well until the next faculty meeting when the principal asked the person who painted all the doorknobs with different color paint  to remove it.  I wasn't real popular for a few weeks when he found out it was me.  Well, I recently read that what I did is a great way to remember which key went with which door lock.  Jeez, I could have written about that a long time ago.  There were quite a few really neat ideas that were part of the article I found and I thought I would share some of the best ideas with you in case you may want to try them.  (1)  Naturally the key/lock painting idea is my favorite. 

Make wine ice cubes for cooking or even chilling your wine.

A few ideas that will help those of you who love wine are: Chill wine with frozen grapes so you won't dilute the flavor of the wine with ice cubes and if you cook with wine, make wine ice cubes and when needed, defrost them and pop them in your recipe. 

Pretty neat way to make your charger
cords last longer.

(2) We all have cords for our phones and computers, chargers for just about everything and anything from Kindle chargers, etc.  If you take the spring off a pen refill and wrap it around the cords it will protect the ends and keep them from fraying.  (3) If you play the piano or even an organ, how do you clean the keyboard?  Do you wipe them with a dust cloth.  That may push the dust and dirt between the keys and cause problems for the future.  Take a Post-It Note and use the sticky part of it to remove the bits of food or pieces of grime.  (4) Do you ever need to slice through dough?  If you make pastries or maybe certain cookies you may create a roll and then cut it with a knife.  Try using dental floss instead, since it will help slice the dough without having to push a knife through it. (5)

Punch holes in the protective cover and shake it out.

When you buy some cooking oils or dressings they come with a thin aluminum covering over the top of the bottle.  That is placed there so you know that no one has opened the bottle and placed something in it before you purchased it.  Leave the foil in place and punch small holes in it and you can shake the oil or dressing through the holes.  Works with mineral oil, rubbing oil, etc.  (6)

Great place to keep snacks and treats.

If your family drinks coffee and buys coffee creamer, use the empty creamer bottle to hold snacks such as cheerios, trail mix, etc.  Good for the car or boat and you don't have to worry about spilling the snacks.  (7) I saw that you can take the metal tab from a soda can, or something similar, and place it over the hook on a clothes hanger.  That will give you two places to hang something if your closet space is slim. 

Use the soda can tab to hold an extra hanger.

(8) My next favorite trick, after painting the keys, is to put a large rubber band around your paint can while painting and it will allow you to take excess paint from the brush before you use it.  Beats running your brush along the lip of the can to remove excess and having the paint get in the groove.  I'm sure you put the top back on and used a hammer to seal it and splashed excess paint all over the place.  There are more ideas I have found, but I think you might get bored if I try to write more.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

A favorite of mine is using a rubber band to scrape excess paint from my brush.  Keeps the lip of the can clean. 

  

The "Framing Of A Monster Job" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Working at Grebinger Gallery in Neffsville, Pennsylvania on perhaps the largest framed piece of artwork that had ever been accomplished in the gallery.  

This artwork is as tall as me and almost
as wide as my reach from side to side.
Click photographs to enlarge them.

The owner of the gallery and former student of mine, Keith Grebinger, told me about the artwork and how the customer wanted every bit of the piece showing within the frame.  The didn't want a mat, just the artwork.  The artwork was a Chinese painting that looked as if it had been done on a material that was a combination of silk and papyrus.  Loose pieces of thread could be seen on different parts of the artwork which we did not touch.  The piece measured close to six feet tall and about three-and-a-half feet wide. Keith had to order wood for a frame that would be used to hold the piece in place on a piece of oversized conservation mounting board that is 1/4" thick.  It overlapped the artwork by about an inch.  

This is the frame that touched the artwork.
It is upside down and I am placing acid-free
strips around the edges and black foam and
black suede mat board around the sides. The
table that holds it is 4 feet by 8 feet in size. 

After an inside frame had been cut to size, strips acid-free mat board were attached to the bottom of the frame, that part of the frame would touch the sides of the artwork.  To hold the piece in place I had to use Japanese tape that is attached to the bottom foam board and then lightly glued to the artwork using water.  We left that set overnight to make sure the tape would be thoroughly dry.  In the meantime I cut the outside frame, which had a curved aluminum piece on the outside.  When the glue on the outside frame had dried I drove metal corners into the frame from the bottom on the machine designed to do that.  Many of the procedures I have described so far, as well as the ones to come, had to be done with Keith and I working together to avoid any twisting and bending of corners.  

On the counter is the artwork which is
fastened only on the top to a piece of
conservation board with the 1st frame
placed on top of it.  The second frame
sits to the left of the counter in the front.

On the inside of the frame that went against the artwork I placed a layer of black 1/4" foam and a layer of black suede to give a more visual impact.  When the large outside frame was finished, we placed a piece of 1/4" conservation Plexiglas into it.  This plexi is non-static, acid free, non-glare, and UV safe.  Expensive stuff so you can't scratch it by mistake.  We removed the paper coating from each side by rolling a large cardboard tube across it as the coating stuck to the tube.  Then the plexi was placed in the outside frame.  Next, I once again placed black foam and black suede around the entire frame and then we placed the frame over the artwork that had the first frame on it.  Did I lose you yet?  Perhaps the photos will help!  

This is the top frame glued and held in place
with metal clamps.  You can see the shiny
aluminum covering of the top frame  to the
bottom left of the photograph.

Finally, I got under the job, with the help of Keith holding it, and drove metal wedges around the inside frame to hold the two frames together.  We then placed the job on it's side and screwed a piece of 1/8" Masonite on the back to prevent someone from grabbing the middle of the frame to try and lift it and have the Plexiglas come loose.  A special hanger was screwed along the top edge for hanging.  Keith and I placed the job in his van and he transported it to the customer who was supplying help to hang it with Keith.  The job took a few weeks to complete, working on it some days and then waiting for more deliveries to finally complete the job.  I sure hope the customer loves the job.  It was a tremendous amount of work and it turned out beautiful.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

Here I am removing the backing paper from the Plexiglas.

The top frame has the Plexiglas in it and a layer of foam and suede matting is
being wrapped around the entire edge of the frame on the inside.

The entire outside frame is ready.  Next this is turned over and placed on top of the artwork that is in another frame.  I climbed under the job to fasten the two frames with artwork together with a special driver that puts a metal piece in place.
I'm sorry to say I don't have a photograph of that prodedure.

The job has been stood on it's side and I am fastening a piece of 1/8" Masonite around the back.  We kept the Masonite 1/4" in from the edge so you won't notice it when the artwork is hanging in the customer's home.  

The final result one more time.  Must have weighed close to 75 pounds.

The "The USA Celebrates Their Leaders Day" Story

It was an ordinary day.  President's Day 2019 and today we celebrate all U.S. Presidents, past and present. President's Day was originally established in 1885 in recognition of President George Washington's birthday.  It is now celebrated on the third Monday in February after the Uniform Monday Holiday Act was passed in 1971.  The Act was meant to create more three-day weekends for the nation's workers.  Actually, some states still have individual holidays honoring the birthdays of Washington, Lincoln and other figures.  The special day began in 1800, following the death of George Washington in 1799.  His birthday, February 22, became a perennial day of remembrance with events in 1832 to celebrate his 100th birthday and in 1848 to celebrate the start of construction of the Washington Monument.  It wasn't until the late 1870s that his birthday became an official federal holiday.  The measure was signed into law in 1879 by President Rutherford B. Hayes.  Originally the holiday was meant for the District of Columbia, but six years later was expanded to the entire country.  At that time there were four other federal holidays in Christmas, New Year's, Fourth of July and Thanksgiving.  Washington's birthday was the only federal holiday that celebrated an individual American until 1983 when we began to celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.  Then in the late 1960s Congress proposed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act.  The Act included a provision to combine the celebration of Washington's birthday with that of Abraham Lincoln, which fell on February 12.  The Act took effect in 1971 following an executive order from President Richard Nixon.  Eventually Columbus Day, Memorial Day and Veterans Day were moved from their traditional dates to Mondays.  Seems people love the three days off they may get due to the holidays.  For many workers it doesn't matter what day the celebrations may occur, since they have to work on all holidays.  I did find a rather unusual fact:  President's Day never falls on the actual birthday of any President.  Four Presidents (Washington, Harrison, Lincoln and Reagan) were born in February, but their birthdays all come either too early or too late to coincide with Presidents Day which is now always on the third Monday of the month.  Presidents Day and Independence Day are viewed as a time of patriotic celebration and remembrance. 

Abraham Lincoln postcard from 1909.

Some states require that their schools spend the days leading up to President's Day teaching students about the accomplishments of all Presidents with a focus on Washington and Lincoln.  I recently read a story from a person in Lancaster, Pennsylvania where I live that said as an elementary student his class covered the bulletin board with rail fences and log cabins of construction paper for the 12th, then replaced them with cherry trees and cannons for the 22nd.  Included in the online story was an unmailed postcard that commemorated Abraham Lincoln.  It was believed to have been printed in 1909.  So, today, let us all remember all Presidents of the United States on this, their special day of remembrance.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "The Emerald Isle Of The Caribbean" Story

Montserrat position in the Caribbean: mid-left on the map.

It was an ordinary day.  Watching one of my favorite shows, Jeopardy, and one category in Double Jeopardy had to deal with the word "Emerald".  The answer was:  The Caribbean isle that throws a St. Patrick's Festival that lasts for more than a week.  The question was:  What is Montserrat?  I looked at Carol and said, "I didn't know that one." 

This volcano on the island is responsible for spewing
ash over many of the other islands close to it.

We have traveled to many of the Caribbean islands in the past 20 years, but we have never set foot on the Emerald Isle known as Montserrat.  We do remember sitting on the beach at St. Martin and talking with other bathers about the cloudy sky that was attributed to the volcano in Montserrat erupting and spewing ash into the atmosphere. 

The volcano did this to the town of Plymouth.

That particular day the wind was blowing from the south-east, spreading the ash over land and sea.  The two islands are a little over 100 miles from each other, thus the ash in the air.  After inhaling the air for an hour or so you could taste the ash and feel it in your throat.  Needless to say we stayed off the beach when that began to happen.  Every time we talk about what island we might want to see from year to year, we always seem to mention Montserrat, since we have never been there, but we never seem to make it one of our final choices. 

Another building in Plymouth covered with volcanic ash.

There are several reasons why we usually pass on going to this island.  It has black-sand beaches, plenty of coral reefs with cliffs and shoreline caves.  Not the kind of island we have become accustomed to during our travels.  We usually like the soft powder-like white sand beaches on which we can plant our umbrella and lounge chairs.  Its population of only about 5,000 residents tends to make you think they are not going to have the tourist type events and shopping experience that other islands in the Caribbean may have.  The south side of the island was badly damaged in the 1990s and the island has established an exclusion zone where they don't want tourists. 

This map shows the size of the Exclusion Zone.

Eruptions also have destroyed the Georgian era capital city of Plymouth.  The Montserrat Volcano Observatory publishes current risk assessments and exclusion zone limits.  And then you have hurricanes that can strike during the fall hurricane season.  The tourist bureau pushes the northern half of the island saying that it is beautiful, lush and perfectly safe.  Actually, the volcano is a tourist attraction itself if viewed from a distance.  I imagine it must be spectacular if you could see it when it is spewing ash and lava from it.  But, there are a few things to do that are rather different from other islands. 

An aerial view showing the south end where the volcano is located.

The Beatles established a recording studio which draws many Caribbean musicians that you may see while on the island.  A new town is taking shape at Little Bay with an expanded port to draw tourists.  One nice thing about the volcanic eruptions is that the island is growing.  But I doubt it will grow fast enough for me to see it before I can't travel anymore.  Oh well, Carol and I still have plenty of places in the Caribbean to visit where we can relax on their beaches and warm water.  Can it get any better than that?  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.