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The
Squamidian Report – Dec. 13 / 25
Online
Versions
Of This And Past Issues Issue
#1229 Nova Scotia Sus Carol Gary Doug
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From Nova Scotia Sus
We are even deeper in snow than last week. Yesterday was the first good day for traveling anywhere so we decided to take a trip to Truro to do some Christmas shopping. Truro has a big shopping centre for one stop shopping. Also some good restaurants for lunch. So we had a great day away. This month is going by so fast and I'm pretty late with everything like sending out Christmas cards. I'm also late with sending presents. My Swiss family will have to wait. I usually send a parcel to them in early November so it will make it in time for Christmas. Not this year. I believe the reason for my lateness is too much babysitting. Its amazing how much time a 3 year old can take up. We love her dearly though and she must come first. We don't spoil her. She just takes up time. She used to have naps for a couple of hours each day but not anymore. Next year she will start school...they can go at 4 years old these days. She already takes swimming lessons and dancing lessons. And she is smart as a whip. When we take her for drives she knows exactly where we are....she sees everything from her backseat. Doug I love the pictures of you and Jane singing with the mountains in the background. Keep up good work. I hope the next time I get out west I get to enjoy your singing. Carol thanks for your Christmas card I still have the same address just the mail goes to a new box.
Sus ****
From Carol
I’m sure most of you have heard about the polar vortex, that strong wind that blows counter clockwise about 10 miles above the pole. There is also a polar vortex above the south pole but I don’t know which direction it blows. The polar vortex is what normally keeps the cold in the polar areas. Because of global warming the vortex is wobbling right now which is allowing the polar jet stream, which is closer to the earth, to take some of the cold south. Ironically, because of warmer weather at the pole more cold is escaping and blowing down across Canada and Europe. They are predicting a cold winter for most of us. None of us expected this cold snap we are in to continue without a break, and it isn’t even winter yet. I really feel sorry for the homeless. Jackie and Jim went to Punta Cana and are arriving back tonight (Thursday). They will be coming here to visit us for a couple of days. With their B&B we don’t see them as much as we would like but that is life. Of course most of you we don’t see at all so we are grateful when you add your voice to this newsletter, even as a reply all. I would love to read about everyone’s Christmas plans over the next couple of Squids.
Carol ****
From Gary
It’s Friday again already. A quiet week in Picton. We had about 4” snow again so everything is white. The other night we had about 3” more before it turned mild and wet snow then rain and wet snow again. Way too heavy to shovel and the snow blower kept plugging up. Got things cleaned up just before the temperature dropped and turned the wet snow into cement. No sign of coyotes this week. Take care and stay safe everyone.
Gary ****
From Doug
Well, I had my eye surgery this past Monday. Very glad thats over with. It went fine but the logistics involved in getting there, there being way down in the middle of Vancouver, and in arraigning for someone to be with Sue, were stressful. I can’t thank Lauren enough for being my transportation. I hired the company that runs the Alzheimer day program to send someone to be with Sue.
Having a lens replacement in one’s eye is similar but much more invasive than simple cataract surgery, and requires longer healing etc. It starts off with a stupidly long wait in the pre-waiting room, before finally being called in to the waiting room, then into the prep room where a nurse puts a whole bunch of drops in the target eye, followed by a second dose of drops. Then, they take your vitals, blood pressure, oxygen level, ecg stuff. Then there are more eye drops followed by being hooked up to a heart monitor thing and an oxygen thing and then an IV. None of this is needed for a basic cataract procedure. The IV injects something to keep you calm which is good because it is followed by several injections in and around the eye that would not be fun if you were ‘more aware’. I could feel the side of my head go num.
Then you get wheeled in to the OR and your face is covered with a plastic sheet that has a hole in it for the target eye, and more drops are dropped into the eye. For normal cataract surgery you are very aware of the painfully bright light shining into your eye but because of all the freezing, you don’t see anything, just dark. You are well aware of them cutting and slicing and doing whatever it is they do to get the old lens out and new on put in. I have no idea how they seal up the incision and perhaps don’t want to know. At some point its finished and you are wheeled back to the prep room where they unhook all the stuff that you are hooked up to. A patch and shield are taped over your eye and they ask if someone is here to take you home, as they won’t let you leave on your own.
Then, you are require to go to a specified clinic (luckily right next door this time) to have your eye checked. As we (Lauren and the girls) walked in I mentioned to the person at the desk that they are my ride back to Squamish. Because the waiting room was full, they let me jump the line and get checked out right away, thank goodness. Then we headed for home. I sure was glad I didn’t have to drive in the down town Vancouver traffic, pouring rain and all. Lauren seems to be quite good at it.
When I took the shield and patch off at home, I realized I could not open my eye. I had been informed that the eye lid would probably not respond for a day or so. That was weird. With just one eye working I had no depth perception. That gave me a little insight into what Gary has to live with and I certainly feel for him. Next morning my eye would still not open but I realized it was because it was stuck shut by gucky stuff. As I’m not aloud to touch the eye it was tricky to clean it a bit and pry it open. After that the lid worked fine. By mid week my vision had improved to at least where it was with the old lens and by week’s end vision was perhaps better than it had been. It will take a few weeks for the eye to heal and settle so as far as I can ‘see’, this was a success. * There is a young couple (probably in their mid or late 40’s) up the street who are very nice to us. We got to know them, or more correctly they got to know us, because their dog George really likes me. They’ve had us over for dinner a couple of times to give me a break from cooking etc. Last summer I had her come over so I could teach her how to change the strings on her guitar. She had never done that before. When changing strings or doing other maintenance type things to my guitars, I use my handy dandy home made table top guitar neck stand to hold and support my guitars. I’ve seen luthiers use similar things. I had made mine over a decade ago and in fact had made several. I had given away all of them as gifts at the time except for the one I kept for myself. I don’t know if any of the ones I gave away were ever used or not and theres nothing I can do about that.
So, I decided I would give a stand to Melanie as an X-mas gift. Only problem was I didn’t have any of them except for the one I use. So, I decided to make one. Problem with that is I needed to purchase the required materials include a nice 1X4 oak board that only comes in 6ft lengths or longer. That meant for the price of making 1, I’d end up making 5 stands. Ok, fine, no problem. So I made hers and have 4 left over. Perhaps at some point I’ll run into people who might need or want one for themselves. I’ll wait until just before Christmas to give it to her so she doesn’t have any time to reciprocate.
Doug ****
Have
a
Good One ****
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