Al and the BusTUESDAY EVENING UPDATE:
The bus left the hospital about 3 p.m. - That means my treatment that has been taking six hours was done in four. Because of the shuttle schedule I sat there 2 fewer hours that I've been saying (under my breath) other times was lack of coordination in getting all the steps done in a more timely manner. Lisa just got everything in order and we zipped through it all. I am wearing the pump again and will get it taken off Thursday at the Pinedale Clinic. I go back Monday the 21st to see the Huntsman Doctor Ward. Beverly and Gloria will be here to go with me.
We all had a jolly time on the trip home, visiting and reminiscing everything we all had in common in the past. Thought it would be fun next time to have a party bus - like the train that goes to the ball games in Laramie. Heard Al's story about how he got from his folks butcher shop in Brooklyn to finding his way west by being at camps and outdoors in the Catskills/Poconos, then working for the BLM and Forest Service with stops in Michigan, sent for a summer to Colorado Rockies where he worked for the Forest Service, fell in love with that country and set his dream goal to come back to working in the west. Then Grand Rapids, Wisconsin, Minnesota. Got his masters I assume at Michigan, Worked for the F.S. in Pittsburgh of all places, and was then sent to Priest River in No. Idaho. From there he's worked all over the west, and wherever he went one or more of us on the bus knew something about the area, so lots of stories were exchanged. He also drives a Start Bus for the City/County in Jackson 3 days a week. (Jackson has long had a great bus system.) On Tuesdays he makes the two trips back and forth to Jackson to pick us up and take us back to Sublette Co. He's about 65 and he and his wife are snowbirds going to MESQUITE in the winter. They have an RV just inside the Arizona line where a lot of development is going on. The bus is still in the shake down phase for getting the air conditioning working right, getting a cell phone for him in case he breaks down with a bus load of patients in the outback, and all the other ins and outs. He spent a lot of time fiddling with the air. And the bus can go very fast! Almost like a flying with many curves to lean around ... or a theme park ride. Back to Stanleys Junction about quarter to four. Dropped Judi off at her car at Rendezvous Point. Thanks for going with me Judi. I went back to Ridley's and bought cold stuff and vegetables. THEN GOT GAS!! See..... my memory is o.k. The gas station was packed so doesn't seem like people are worrying about prices. I had been trying to buy a lemonade and after three tries with no lemonade and NO FRITOES! (Is anyone else experiencing a dearth of Fritoes??) I got a root beer freeze and so far that has been dinner. Judi told me my voice mail on the cell phone was full (I was surprised) and that I should stop where there was still a signal and check it. How could that be unless all my family and friends had tried the number. Well, guess what? The phone said it needed to be charged. So I drove about 25 more minutes charging it up, and stopped at the Irish Canyon Road, where I taught myself to access the voice mail. I had two manuals out and reading..... reading..... never found anything that said "Listen to Messages". Must be this is one of those things where they are expecting that surely you know something already. ( EEEsch Don't call me Shirley.)I'm sure by arbitrarily punching buttons I sent somebody some kind of text messages, it kept saying "message sent". I'm afraid what kind of response I may get to that! After about 30 minutes sitting sweltering in the sun I figured out what to do from obscure directions, but did accomplish getting to where I could hear the messages. ALL OF THEM were from "contact my jewelry distributor immediately" and "special calls for John". Those sounded like someone on meth. Very weird. I think they are deleted now. That took another 15 minutes with the Blue Bunny melting in the heat. But if they are saved I have to figure that out next and get rid of them. It sounds like something I need to tell Verizon about - why am I getting those calls for someone else. And boo hoo no one I know called me. I would have sat there and called you back. But then ..... perhaps the mailbox was full??
So continued on home, arriving after 7, Joe packed in the sacks and put the car away, groceries put up, jammies on and blogging. Feeling just a tad nauseous and not much more yet. The most uncomfortable symptoms begin to show up about 10 p.m. or so, and the next couple of days are not so great. So will see how it goes this time. And if it goes as usual I won't get much sleep tonight. Watching Letterman and Craig Furguson - I think he's hilarious. He has grown a mustache. - - - - Yes! I KNOW!! And he says people all over the world are blogging about it.
White Lupine among Purple.
Today I left home about 7:30, and got to Pinedale about 8:30. Took a few pictures along the way, and it was a nice leisurely dirve. Thought the drug store opened at 8, but it doesn't open until 9. So I got a sausage and egg muffin from the deli for breakfast and sat there to eat it. Saw pharmacist Cris and she said they wouldn't open early for me, not until 9, so I shopped for all the things that would be o.k. sitting in the warm car. Will go back this evening for vegetables and cold stuff.
Checked the groceries out and went and stood at the drug store pick up window. At first I thought they weren't finding my prescriptions, but they did - in the last place she looked. Paid for them and was running out of the store to meet Judi, but they called me back - instead of charging me $12, they charged me $2, so had to go through the payment procedure again. Ran to the car and got the groceries unloaded from cart into the back of the SUV and headed for Rendezvous Pointe to meet Judi. And here she came walking over from Ren Pt and worried about where I was - we had planned for a little before 9. She hopped in and we went flying off to meet the shuttle at Stanley's Junction at 9:20 - Got there at 9:23 The bus was there waiting and we parked next to it, loaded up and waited for another man who was later than me. so I wasn't the only one late. Bob got there about 10 minutes later than me. He's from Pinedale and went to the Clinic to meet the shuttle. Wrong. He soon arrived and we left for Jackson. I took half a motion sickness pill. It worked fine and I didn't get a bit of nausea. It was a good drive despite lurching and bouncing. (So here's another story. I hurried so fast scrambling through the sack of prescriptions I only thought I took a nausea pill. I found out when I got home it was half a pain pill. Funny thing..... I never did get motion sickness this trip. Is it all in my head or not?) We arrived about 10:45 and they put me right in the chair. I think we are going to be done in about 3 hours instead of six, and they are trying to hurry each phase of the procedure so the bus can go back in a reasonable time. Why don't they do that each time instead of making us be here so long. Judi and I ordered lunch which was good as always. I had the excellent beef stew special lik thick hearty soup with a biscuit, and Judi had grilled ortega turkey sandwich, we both had the great cream of broccoli soup, and shared a piece of cheesecake. Did I ever say that lunch for both of us is free. So I'm blogging as I sit here getting all the bags of Full Fury dripped in. Judi went over to see a friend in the nursing home. We should be back on the bus by 2:30, and that will be a record fast time for Full Fury. I'll stop at the store to get the veggies and cold stuff. And hope I remember to get gas which I forgot to do last time. Joe had to put some more in from our tank at home s o I could get back to Pinedale. I was lucky I made it home without running out. I've never forgotten to get gas before, my poor memory. I'm having trouble with things like that right now on occasion. Hard to admit it, but true. I told Judi Gloria was my middle sister - and she is the youngest. I used to know that!!
