2013 Blog Entries
Tuesday, Dec. 31st/13
2013 was quite a year for us! Last January 2nd we booked our dream adventure trip to Maui! Talk about a year opening with lots of promise. Along came Deb's rheumatoid arthritis, and I suffered the worse year of Meniere's attacks I could have ever imagined possible. Both of us were supposed to take our black belt tests in Iaido in the spring. No Maui, no black belt (I did finally get mine in August--Deb is still hopeful). Our beloved little cat Ferdinand passed away, after spending 21 years with us. There was barely time to mourn him with everything else going on at the same time. It literally never rains it pours! I barely got to use my new telescope, due to the cloudiest winter and spring ever. And that was just the first six months of the year!
I have been skimming over my blog entries just to see how bad things were. They were bad. We had plans for our travels to really get into high gear. Maui in spring, NM in summer, dark sky observing somewhere in the fall, and a trip to London in late fall. None of those happened. I have only reviewed January thru June, so stay tuned for the 2nd half tomorrow!
There was some light, however. We got to hear 5 of the Beethoven symphonies in orchestra hall at the DSO festival. Whole Foods opened a store in mid-town Detroit. And Deb did get very quick, first class service from Windsor's medical teams, minimizing her suffering (it only seemed like years).
Tonight was a quiet one spent together at home. For us, it's always the best way to celebrate almost anything! Happy 2014 to everyone. Stop back tomorrow, for the better half of 2013.
Monday, Dec. 30th/13
It's nearly that time when we all begin writing the wrong year for a few weeks! Way way back when I began teaching, I knew my retirement date (2010). For my big trip I was hoping to be able to travel to Mars for a few months. At least the frickin' moon! Nope. And overseas travel has become so pricey (eg. recent fare Detroit to London return--$900 fare and $700 taxes, mostly taxed from England). That's for one person! Not much difference from Chicago or Toronto, either. So likely no Europe this year. For the price of a single airfare to London, we can get a return trip for two, one week with airfare, hotel and car, to virtually any American city we wish. I am currently looking at Salt Lake City, mostly to visit some of the major parks and monuments in Utah. $1600 for the week for 2, includes good breakfasts at the hotel. We also have friends in Idaho we would like to visit sometime. Mountains, mountains and more mountains! And craft beer!
We went to Detroit today, and I was able to bring home a 4-pack of Founders Breakfast Stout, quite possibly the most decadent beer ever! I've brought beer back the last two weekends without anyone at customs batting an eye.
It has turned so cold once again, and it will intensify further later in the week. After even a few days of relative warmth, it hits you like a truck. And significant snow is on the way again, too. A bit tonight and a lot more by Thursday.
We watched "Katie Tipple" today, a Dutch film from 1975 directed by Paul Verhoeven. Though Rutger Hauer gets top billing, he isn't in it very much. The leading lady, played by the very natural and beautiful actress Monique van de Ven, steals nearly every scene she is in. The story is based on the memoirs of Neel Doff, telling of her life of poverty and how she managed to climb the social ladder and escape her doom, which included some pretty sordid jobs even before she got to prostitution. Quite a good drama, with some fine lighter moments interspersed with the almost unbelievable and claustrophobic main sections. Well worth seeking out, and perhaps even the autobiographies, which are very highly praised.
A movie by Paul Verhoeven.
Sunday, Dec. 29th/13
I had a comfortable day, thanks to the wonderful world of muscle relaxants! I even managed a short walk later in the day. Maybe Detroit tomorrow--we shall see how the night passes.
I wrote the January astronomy article for our local club's newsletter. We'll see how long I can keep coming up with fresh ideas for this project. I haven't written anything on my own astronomy blog in a long while, mainly due to the fact that usable observing nights have been few and far between. I have a few ideas, though, and will soon update that site.
Starting tomorrow the 10-day forecast calls for temps remaining below freezing. Can't complain too much now, as it is officially winter. Even though I am about as far south as I can be in my home country, this still is Canada. January is the coldest month, so any days above freezing then are a bonus. Lately February hasn't been much better. One can always hope for an early spring, though. There is no snow, which means the sidewalks are clear. However, without a blanket of snow, water pipes freeze easily, and hibernating animals aren't as sheltered. Still, with each passing year I see less and less need for snow, or winter, for that matter. Bring on Equinox!!
Saturday, Dec. 28th/13
I have pinched a nerve somewhere in the area of my right hip, and it is causing me a lot of pain all down my right leg. Too much Doctor Who sitting, no doubt. I was supposed to go skiing with a friend tomorrow in Michigan, but that won't happen. I can sleep in one position on my back.
Despite frustrating weather we set up our scopes last night on the back deck. Clear skies were predicted but never fully materialized. We managed some observing in between clouds, but it was not a good time. It was quite mild, though. Today was sunny and it went to 47 F. However, the next clipper is well on its way and will arrive early next week. Two more months of winter to go...
I have more to write, but I can't--have to move about...
Thursday, Dec. 26th/13
The Great Doctor Who Marathon is over! 10 hours of viewing yesterday, with 8 unseen episodes, a farewell to Matt Smith documentary, and the latest Christmas Special (which was very special!). Christmas Eve was also a marathon, beginning with the 4-episode series "Paradise Towers" with 7th doctor Sylvester McCoy. We then watched three Doctor Who Christmas Specials we had never seen. All were good, but I liked the flying fish best of all!
Amanda dropped by tonight for a visit, leaving us with a book, "The Map and the Territory" by Michel Houellebecq. Sounds intriguing, especially the map part! Her dad is still in hospital, though slowly improving. She has been going to London, ON a lot to visit him in hospital.
We received about half an inch of snow today, following a nice brown Christmas day. It should be gone soon, too.
My cousin, who lives north of Toronto, has had no power since Sunday early morning. Hundreds of thousands of people just like her are still waiting to get connected again, after last weekend's nasty ice storm. Ontario, Michigan and Quebec are all still in very bad shape, with the ice remaining due to cold weather, and still causing outages due to ongoing downed wires and tree branches. Sometimes people get reconnected for a few hours and then it goes out again. About 10 years ago our ice storm left us with no power for about 32 hours--it seemed like a week! And while some people think that the ice on the trees looks so beautiful, it is also the cause of tens of thousands of birds dying, as there is nothing for them to eat and nowhere to perch. Ice storms are major disasters, and to be feared by one and all.
Tuesday, Dec. 24th/13
Just getting ready for the evening Doctor Who shows tonight, as well as tomorrow's epic extravaganza. Have a happy Christmas everyone!
Sunday, Dec. 22nd/13
And a Merry Solstice was had at Lone Mtn Homestead. Incredible amounts of good food and beverage, music, dancing, and general hilarity and frivolity, not to mention an indoor fire from 9 till 5. It was too warm to continue the fire any longer. Our opera this year was Offenbach's "Tales of Hoffman," one of my favourites! Weatherwise, it was possibly one of the most miserable of days, though we got lucky with just rain falling here (1.5" of it! It rained all morning, all afternoon, all evening, and all night). Others were not so fortunate, and many people in Michigan and Ontario have no power due to a major ice storm. Some places will have power out for days.
Today we enjoyed a fun day in Detroit, beginning with breakfast at Detroit Vegan Soul, a new restaurant in one of the nice neighbourhoods of the old city. Next, we went shopping at Whole Foods, in Midtown. We dropped a bundle of money there, but came away with some incredible food for the next upcoming holiday. Next came a little candle shop downtown Detroit, which has been getting raves from the local papers. We got two, a Pumpkin Cake and a Vanilla Maple Pecan. They are made by the store owner out of soy and natural scents, and are intoxicating to smell even before they are lit!
Next came a stop at Slows for me (57 beer on draft) and Astro Coffee for Deb (next door to Slows). I enjoyed a perfect glass of Coffee Porter from Meantime Brewery in Greenwich, Greater London. Deb and I have visited their Greenwich pub location. Their fine beer comes on tap at Slows from time to time.
Next came the Dearborn comic store, where we picked up the third volume of Dr. Who: Prisoners of Time. We now have all 12 comics in 3 volumes. This is a great read, and the art is really quite good, too. All doctors feature in the story, and most of the companions.
Finally came our mailbox stop, where three classic Doctor Who dvds awaited us! We have a series featuring the 3rd doctor to watch (7 episodes on two discs) and another with the 7th doctor.
And speaking of Doctor Who, thanks to the Space Channel on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day we will get caught up with the Smith episodes at last! We will see two older Christmas specials on Christmas Eve which we have missed in previous seasons. Then, from noon till 8 pm on Christmas Day they are showing the episodes from Series 7 Part 2 (that we missed), the final ones starring Matt Smith. At 9 pm there is a one hour special about the Matt Smith years, followed by the new Christmas Special, where Matt bows out and the newest Doctor arrives! Can't wait!!
Friday, Dec. 20th/13
We have gone suddenly from the depths of January to the thaws of March. Rain and fog have nearly cleared out the snow--it should be gone by tomorrow. As it was a teaching week, the shovelling had to be done. It now seems like a huge waste of human energy! Life is funny, then you die.
With teaching duties done until January 8th, we are faced with 19 days of not knowing what to do with ourselves. HAHAHAHAHA!
We are all stocked up on food (and me with beer, wine and scotch), wood for the fireplace, wood pellets for the stove, and even catfood. Tomorrow is Winter Solstice, and though our original plans had us gaming all day in pubs in Grand Rapids, we are just as happy to be home and inside again this year. All-day fire, all day snacks, lots of music, some reading, gaming. No tv, though, and no computer. Sacred day, holy day. Happy Solstice to everyone!! And remember, the Reason for the Season is the Tilt of the Earth!
Wednesday, Dec. 18th/13
We watched "The Red House" tonight, a mystery movie from 1947 starring Edwartd G. Robinson. Great atmosphere, and the plot echoes Sherlock Holmes' views on the dangers lurking in country houses, isolated from civilization and law and order. This house has a deep mystery, along with a spooky enough atmosphere. There is some very fine acting, with the movie nearly stolen by 17 year old actress Allene Roberts, in her film debut. Good stuff, and highly recommended!
In other news, we have cancelled our weekend trip to Grand Rapids, based on their weekend weather forecast. It looks as if they will get a major storm on Saturday of ice, rain and snow. We might, too, though it looks more like rain for us. We can't risk the power going off when we are not here. So we will be home for Solstice, and spend it with our usual all-day fire and good snacks. We might reschedule for next Friday.
I had a light teaching day today, with 4 of my 7 students missing in action. I get paid regardless! One more day and we begin our Winter Break, with a total of 19 days off!!
We are hoping that with temps finally rising above freezing (predicted for tomorrow, after 13 days and nights remaining below) and with some rain in the forecast, our giant reserves of snow might diminish somewhat. I finally finished all of the shovelling today, including the back deck.
Sunday, Dec. 15th/13
The final week of autumn is upon us, though it has been winter-like for quite some time. The last time we were above 0 C was the 6th of December. Not normal, folks. And we usually only have one or two storms per season of the calibre and strength we just experienced (we got 8" of snow in A'burg). It is going to be another long, very cold winter.
We stayed home again today, which means that piano practicing has been going well. I am currently working on another Bach Prelude and Fugue, a set of variations by Haydn, a Chopin Nocturne, and 4 selections from Debussy's "Children's Corner." On the program in Windsor will also be two duets with my piano partner, Paula, one by Satie and one by Gershwin. For the Toronto concert, the duets might be covered by Amanda L. and Stephen S. As much as I would like to perform in Sudbury, there is no suitable piano available to me at this time.
I found out today that Amanda's dad is still in hospital, in London, ON. He's been in for three months now, recovering from surgery for an abdominal aortic aneurysm. These events are usually fatal, so it is quite good news that he survived. However, his luck has been poor in trying to recover. Wishing the Lucier family, and Gene especially, a solid recovery and a Happy Holiday. We are hoping to see Amanda sometime during the holiday season.
Saturday, Dec. 14th/13
It was a thoroughly miserable day, though not having to drive anywhere made it infinitely more tolerable. 5" of snow so far, and it's still coming down. Can't wait until the winds start up overnight. We have been out twice so far to shovel, trying to lessen the impact of tomorrow's work.
For the 20+ years we have lived here and taught at nearby APS, I was able to ride my bike to school up until the last day of term except for two years. So this is only the third year since 1989 that we have had significant snow early in December. Anyway, winter is here. It's early, it's nasty, and it probably won't go away for several months. There is no positive spin you can put on this, folks. At least we are cozy inside, with plenty to do. And we can wistfully remember Tucson, only four short weeks ago...
Friday, Dec. 13th/13
A truly fabulous DSO concert today, with two works by Mozart and two by Mendelssohn. Mozart Concerto # 17 in G was performed by Marc-Andre Hamelin. A more exquisite piece has never been written, and reminds me of a great line from the movie "Singing In The Rain:"
"He's so refined, I think I'll kill myself." Today that was true of Mozart's piece, the pianist, and the orchestra. Sublime does not begin to describe the experience. Without Bach and Mozart (and Detroit), life is not worth living.
We also heard two of Mendelssohn's best works, the Overture to A Midsummer's Night Dream, and Symphony #4, The Italian. A great way to spend a Friday morning!
We ate lunch at a relatively new diner. The Brooklyn Street Local is owned and operated by a young couple from Toronto, who fell in love with Detroit after a few visits. Though it also serves meat, there are plenty of vegan options on the menu. It's located on the ever-growing and popular strip of Michigan Ave., near the old Tiger Stadium.
And here is an interesting news article, declaring Detroit one of the world's hot spots for tourism in 2014!!!! Easy for me to believe.
It was a lovely day today, my ideal kind of winter day! It wasn't too cold, and there was no wind. We even had a bit of sunshine. Some snow is arriving tomorrow, but even worse is the temperature drop and high winds returning for Sunday.
Wednesday, Dec. 11th/13
Despite the January-like weather continuing indefinitely, and some major snow predicted, I continue to recover from my virus. Tonight I am up to around 80% of my old self. I have resumed piano practice and exercising, and even enjoyed my teaching duties today.
I teach Max and Lily W. at their (incredible) home, as Max is greatly allergic to cats. They have a Yamaha grand. Mom is always at work, so she never gets to hear any duets I play with the kids. Lily is 12, and of course has her own IPad. We were able to set it up beside the piano today and record our duet version of "Silver Bells" for her mom to hear, which is rather nice. She played perfectly, too. Lily is also a ballerina of some note. She was accepted over the summer to the National Ballet School in Toronto, and also offered a full-time position at the school in the autumn. This time she declined the full-time offer, but did attend the summer school.
Lily, a multi-talented young girl.
Max is really developing well as a young pianist.
Tomorrow is supposed to be annoyingly cold and windy, with tonight's temp dipping down to 6 F, and tomorrow only rising to 18 F. Except for feeding the birds we can stay inside all day, and no doubt will.
Deb has noticed more morning stiffness lately, but that could easily be the ridiculously cold temperatures we have been experiencing. The 10-day forecast shows no letup, but lots of snow appears to be on its way. Ho ho ho.
Monday, Dec. 9th/13
We did get a dusting of snow yesterday and overnight, but less than an inch. Still, the bitter cold we have been experiencing is about to get much worse. There is no easing into winter this year--we have just been smacked over the head by it. The 10-day forecast shows us staying below freezing for at least the next ten days. It's difficult to say if Deb's slight increase in stiffness is due to the medicine cutback or the extreme weather.
We went across to our mailbox today, and it was jammed. One of the things in it was a Netflix dvd of the first episode of Dr. Who with the 7th Doctor, Sylvester McCoy. I like him a lot--he has a ton of energy and the viewer's eyes aim straight at him when he is on camera. We are also watching the 3rd Doctor's season at about the same time, though nothing came in this week to watch. We have some Wild Wild West to watch, and two episodes of Lewis, Morse's former detective sergeant now promoted to Inspector. We both really like his sidekick, Hathaway.
At Kroger in Dearborn today we found some Coconut Milk Egg Nog, as well as two new kinds of blends that we purchased. One is almond, cashew and hazelnut drink, and the other is coconut, almond and chia drink, both unsweetened. There was a new rice and quinoa drink, too. Maybe next time. There's never been a better time to be a vegan, at least if one has access to American grocery stores.
I have not resumed practicing piano yet--Sunday we ended up putting out the holiday decorations instead. I still haven't felt well enough to plunge back into the pieces, but hopefully it will happen tomorrow. I will return to Iaido tomorrow night, after missing twice last week due to my lingering virus.
Sunday, Dec. 8th/13
It took a week, but I'm finally over that crappy virus. Even my voice has returned. I can swear out loud again. Got the winter shoes on the car yesterday. A bit late, perhaps, but better late than... It really is January here, with no let up in sight. We will not rise above freezing all this week. The snow is staying away, but it usually does. Still, I get the feeling that this will be a very long and cold winter. I sincerely hope I am mistaken.
The website photos from Tucson have been posted, and even tweaked. If you saw them Saturday, look again. I have enlarged several of the landcapes and even added 4 new ones. By the time I have completed the journal-log of the trip (this one is 73 pages), edited and re-edited the photos, and completed the website update, I have pretty well secured the trip in my head, which is nice. I really enjoyed the flyover of New Mexico each way. It's scary how well I can recognize the landscape, and it's quite amazing when I think of how many summits we have climbed there.
Today is party day, celebrating my return to the land of the living. Piano practice today (yay!!), lasagna for dinner, (with a real glass of beer!), and perhaps more gaming and something fun to watch later on. No wonder they call us the wild bunch!
Friday, Dec. 6th/13
Feeling better this afternoon, but I stayed home and missed out on the concert this morning. I just was not up to it. We may pop over tomorrow for the mail and to have lunch somewhere fun. Bitter cold air descending again, with tomorrow not going above freezing. Add in the wind chill and it promises to be a January day. Winter is the pits, especially when it's still autumn. The good news is that we barely dodged a nasty winter storm, passing about 60 miles to our south. Whew!
My dad was released from the hospital today, none the wiser as to what happened, and why. All tests were good, showing that no damage whatsoever occurred from the incident. No more brooming snow, at any rate.
I may even feel up to some gaming tonight, and continuing to work on the website update for the Tucson trip. Deb has been remodeling in the tortoise room. She took some low res pics of him today.
Ludwig the Tortoise, up close and personal.
Approaching tortoise. Clear the track!
Thursday, December 5th/13
Halfway through the work "week" and I am feeling better--I even practiced piano for an hour today. I mostly lost my voice from teaching last night, though. 5 more students tonight--they will have to listen to me croak my critique!
Deb had a great time at Iaido on Tuesday, with her new light-weight aluminum sword being exactly what she needed. She is very happy with it, and once again beginning to wind herself up for an upcoming Shodan test, possibly before summer.
Last night was Week Two of her reduced dosage of methotrexate. Hopefully it is reduced enough to get her liver back in top form, but not reduced enough to lose any of the wonderful benefits she has received from it. This week should tell the tale for any increase in stiffness or pain, as the drug tends to build up in the body. The effects of the cutback will take time to determine. Bloodwork isn't for another two weeks, so we won't know about the liver for about three weeks.
We are just starting to think about some holiday shopping for our family. Looks like gift cards and charity donations coming from us. Deb really likes Plan Canada (plancanada.ca), which has some really good projects going overseas, some of them especially focussed on keeping girls in school.
Tomorrow is our next DSO concert. Off early in the morning to Orchestra Hall to hear some Brahms, among other things. The concert is usually broadcast live on the internet, so if you have a good connection, go to the Detroit Symphony website tomorrow at 10:45 EST to hear it. Whole Foods is right across the street, where we usually head for lunch after the concert. Next Friday is another concert, and the following Friday we are off on a little Michigan weekend holiday, weather permitting.
Tuesday, December 3rd/13
I had a terrible night of sleep last night, and wasn't feeling too well all day. A little better by nightfall, though still deep into the crappy zone. Deb is off to Iaido by herself tonight. I have to get through 4 hours of teaching tomorrow and on Thursday, hopefully without getting any students sick.
Still no ambition to finish work on the website.
My dad was taken to the hospital for some heart troubles, and will likely remain there until Friday. He has a pacemaker/defibrillator unit implanted in his chest, and the defib went off as he was sweeping snow. All tests look fine. I talked to him tonight and he seems in good spirits and otherwise A-ok.
Monday, December 2nd/13
I am feeling much better today, though no progress was made on the website update. I did manage to get over to Detroit, however, where Deb's newest sword was awaiting her at our mailbox. She needs a lighter and shorter version of the basic training katana, and she found exactly what she was looking for.
I've been mostly resting otherwise, reading, and watching silly movies like Invasion of the Bee Girls and Ullysses Against the Sons of Hercules. Fun stuff! As to my reading, I'm trying to catch up on back issues of Sky and Telescope, Astronomy, Backpacker and Rolling Stone.
Sunday, December 1st/13
I've been working on the Tucson website and was supposed to finish it today. Alack and alas I am sick, and trying to stay away from Deb. Fever last night, though a bit better tonight. Maybe tomorrow.
Wednesday, Nov. 27th/13
Insanely cold air and strong wind continue to plague us. It is the coldest Nov. I can remember. No snow for our county, but it's all around us.
I have completed my photo journal of the Tucson trip, and will soon be turning my attention to the website version. I will be taking down the NM Trip #32 info and photos, so have a last peek if you wish.
On Monday we made our weekly pilgrimmage to Detroit, a city that is changing so fast that it is hard to keep up. Nearly every time we visit a new building is being renovated, a new cafe or bar or restaurant has opened, or a new project is being announced. At least some parts of Detroit keep getting better and better.
We met up later at a pub in Windsor with several former teacher friends--all retired now--for some socializing and catching up. We talked for several hours and had a great time. On Tuesday we went back to Iaido, our third or fourth visit now for Deb and I together.
A bit of bad news today, as we got a call from Deb's doctor. Her liver enzymes are showing increased activity since her recent blood test, and she has to cut back 25% on the drug she takes for her RA. Hopefully the lower dosage will still work for her, and hopefully the liver will not continue to show stress. Fingers crossed. Tonight is her weekly drug night, so she will start the new dosage immediately.
Sunday, November 24th/13
The weekend Dr. Who marathon has come to an end, and I can regain control of my life once again. Another clear night gone by, but it's way too cold to set up the scopes. Feeling like January today and tonight. Wonder what it will feel like then.
We managed to watch episodes of the 3rd, 7th, and 8th doctors today, with the 8th one being quite intriguing. He only made one appearance as the doctor, in an American tv movie. His TARDIS was the best I have ever seen, very retro/steampunk, looking like the set of Wells' The Time Machine. Great story, too. We watched the half hour specials on the 3rd, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th and 11th doctors, too. I quite like the 7th doctor (the ? mark guy)! Don't think I saw a single episode of his before now. Quite a fun weekend, though not much else accomplished.
Except we watched "Casino Royale," the newer one. Reportedly the best of the modern Bond flics, it was pretty good! I loved Bond in this one! Could have done without the 10 minute nude torture scene (in fact, we did go without it, by fast forwarding through it). Quite the poker game, too, including those intermissions!
Saturday, November 23rd/13
Winter has arrived very suddenly, with temperatures having arrived today we usually see in mid-January and February. It was clear tonight, but just too cold and windy to set up our scopes. We went on the back deck for a few minutes to have a peek with our eyes.
Last night there was a terrible flood in Tucson, as a sizeable winter storm moves through Arizona and New Mexico. Did we time our trip right, or what??
Around here today it was "Dr. Who Day", celebrating 50 years since the show first aired. The Space Channel showed Dr. Who programs all day today, and will continue to show them all night tonight and most of tomorrow. In addition to the worldwide simulcast of "Day of the Doctor", there are 5 new documentaries airing, a new, original movie depicting the origin and early days of Dr. Who, and a full set of episodes from each of the previous ten doctors!! I've watched more tv today than I have since we used to get marathons of MST3k on Turkey Day. The new episode was brilliant, and had four doctors in it (one played by John Hurt was so great!!), including a wonderful guest appearance by --------------, one of the previous doctors. Really great stuff!
I managed to get some work done on the Tucson trip journal today. When it is complete (Monday?), I will begin work on the website edition.
Wednesday, Nov. 20th/13
After 12 days of real actual retirement, I was brought back to reality by my seven Wed. music students. Semester Two is underway! Actually, I am amazed that I still enjoy working with kids involved in music. I can't say that I have a single student this year that I don't enjoy teaching, so lucky me! One of my oldest students (19) was apparently involved in a serious car crash, and won't be coming tomorrow for her lesson, though she informs me she will return next week. Her car is toast, though I have no details.
Many of our young students come from Anderdon Public School, which is amidst a major flu-like epidemic right now. Not good news for Deb, certainly. I taught 5 kids from there today. More tomorrow. Of course they weren't sick today, but were likely carrying it.
We returned to Iaido last night, and Deb seems to be making progress with her sword work. She is still using a small wooden sword, and will for some time. She wants to buy a small steel practice sword. She will not return to a full size one for some time.
I continue to work on my Tucson notebook, and will presently begin work on the website update. The pics I have temporarily placed on Facebook will soon come down. They certainly got a lot of good comments!
Cloudy nights are the rule here in late autumn and winter, and this year is no exception. The future forecast looks very cloudy, and very, very cold. Astromomy slows down, and hopefully piano practice picks up.
Monday, Nov. 18th/13
Our first major trip since Deb's illness struck went off like a charm. There were differences this time around. Deb's hikes were easier than mine, and did not include much elevation change. Still, she was on actual hiking trails and probably walking longer and farthur than many people ever could. The second difference was the pub visits. I was the lone drinker, and was driven home afterwards by Deb. The good news is that I was able to sample much more beer than I would have otherwise!
We spent a little over 24 hours in New Mexico, visiting three of our favourite places: Knight Peak, Red Rock, and the Maverick Lounge! Deb's biggest hike of the week was to Red Rock. Much of it was cross-country, with no trail. It's a desert classic, and we last visited in 1990! No one ever comes here. Ever. Needless to say, we were alone on this walk.
Knight Peak was visited on the windiest day of the week, and we spent much of the visit staying in the car. We located a perfect spot to set up our telescopes, and hope to return here with our own vehicle and telescopes in late October for a week of observing. The altitude is 5800'. It is only 15 miles from Lordsburg, where we will stay at the inexpensive but very decent Best Western Motel.
The Tucson part of our journey was completely amazing, and we have deepened and widened our Southwest roots. We made contact with the Tucson Astronomy Society, too, and even caught an hour of a major astronomy expo on our final morning.
It was a fantastic week, and Deb gained a lot of confidence in her ability to get back into serious hiking. While she did overdo it a few times, there were no repercussions other than the usual stuff--fatigue and sore muscles, in which I joined in fully.
I hiked two major summits while there, Wasson Peak and Picacho Peak. Both ascents were unforgettable and very challenging. A return to the area is likely.
I have edited nearly 450 photos since we got back. I will eventually get around to posting them on this site, but it will take a long time. Be patient, please.
Sunday, Nov. 17th/13
We are back, safe and sound. We had a fabulous trip, filled with hiking adventures, beer and food adventures, driving adventures, and even an astronomy adventure! More later...
Friday, Nov. 8th/13
It's been a long time since our last week-long travel vacation. Over 14 months, to be precise. The physical exercise program is done, and should do its magic for me next week, even though it's shortened by a week and a half. The packing is done, the cleaning, the notes for the house sitter... we are ready for launch. Sadly, launch time means getting up around 4 am. It will be a chilly ride to the airport in summer clothes, too. We were expecting mid 70s next week in Tucson, but it now looks like mid 80s. Desert hiking will have to begin very early each morning, and finish up well before noon.
Some pics will appear on Facebook during the week, but nothing will appear here until we are back.
The leaves on our maple trees are just peaking now in colour, mostly a rich golden yellow, the colour of many stars we see through our scopes on clear nights. With the bright sunlight today the light and glow was spectacular! Won't be seeing anything like that in Arizona or New Mexico. We should fly over western NM on our way to Tucson and back, so I am looking forward to seeing some familiar landscape from 30,000'. Chicago first, then onwards. Au revoir.
Wednesday. Nov. 6th/13
Another crappy day of wind, clouds and rain. I had to bring the Tiguan in for routine service today, a drive of 21 miles each way. Then it was nearly time to begin teaching. With Wed. lessons now complete, only one more teaching day remains in our first semester. Our five day weekend will be expanded this time to 12 days. Bring it on!
I read several amazing articles today in Rolling Stone magazine while I was waiting for the vehicle to be serviced. One was on the increasing number and size of forest fires in the American southwest. Not exactly news to me, but devastating none the less. The worst part is that all politicians in power down there are still in denial about climate change. In the last 10 years, one quarter of Arizona's forests have burned!
A second article had a very long look into the lives of the Inman/Duke children, twins now 15 years old who endured years of abuse while living with their father and stepmother. The article stretches credulity, and the kids certainly aren't always telling the truth. However, what went on in the house of one of America's richest (and most decadent) men would not be believed if it appeared in a fictitious story. The article is very long, but worth reading.
Somewhere in my reading, the unbelievably horrendous crash between two passenger jetliners in the Canary Islands (1970s) came up. I had forgotten anything I once knew about the crash, so I read the article here from Wikipedia. It too is a long article, and mostly unbelievable. The number of things that went wrong all at the same time to cause this crash beggers belief. Again, if this were a fictionalized account, or a movie, no one would or could believe that so many stupid things could happen in sequence. It remains the deadliest air disaster in history.
We have given up hope of any more astronomy outings this lunar session, and have packed up the gear until late November. We managed only three outings, which is somewhat disappointing. On the plus side, they were very productive outings and we had a blast each time. When it gets this cold, fewer outings should actually be welcomed.
Monday, November 4th/13
We enjoyed a partial night of observing last night at Hallam Observatory near Comber. It was spectacularly clear until about 10 pm, when clouds forced us to close up shop. The good news is that we still managed nearly 4 hours of observing, and I was pulling in faint galaxies with the 12" left and right. I have smashed my previous record, set in 1978, of total observing hours in a calendar year!
We came home early, arriving near our home by 11:30 pm. Police flashers and barricades made it impossible to get home. We parked in Pointe West and walked the short distance. There was a wrecked car upside down at the main intersection. We live in the first house down from there. About six police cars were still on scene, apparently from an earlier rollover accident that sent two to hospital, including the intoxicated driver. My neighbour's lawn is a mess from where the vehicle left the roadway, though nothing happened on our property. I was able to go back and get our vehicle (and two telescopes!) about half an hour later, when the investigation was complete. We couldn't even walk to our house directly at first, but had to cut through our neighbour's yard.
Today was the end of Week 4 of advanced training. With a day off tomorrow, I have only half a week remaining before heading to Tucson. I feel confident I will get the hiking done. I have at least 4 major ones planned. We've enjoyed our local hiking. The autumn leaves are quite lovely this year. Some years they just turn brown, but this year is filled with spectacular colours.
Friday, November 1st/13
As usual we had a fantastic Samhain, with an all-evening fire, pumpkin carving, pumpkin pie, colcannon, and our new card reading for the Celtic year. In addition to new cards for the whole year, we chose 8 for each cross-quarter holiday. There were no kids at our door for Halloween, but we gave our private students lots of sugar to take home.
Normally today we visit a major cemetery in Detroit. However, this year we went to the Detroit Institute of Arts instead, where they had 8 Offrendas on display. These are temporary altars/tributes to the dead made popular in Mexico, a crossing of Pagan and Catholic faiths. It was too windy to visit a wooded cemetery, so this was our alternative.
Since Wed. night we have had just over 2.1" of rain. Of course Wed. itself was mild and sunny, so we decided to paint the garage floor. It was not dry in time, so everything from inside the garage had to remain outside during a massive storm. We covered everything we could with tarps. Most stuff is back safe inside the garage today.
We have lost our very expensive smart phone (rather, I seem to have lost it), and all the contacts we had in it. Today we purchased a very inexpensive phone in Detroit. It only costs $10, and we simply buy minutes for it. We will also need to purchase a new Bell phone, as our Canadian contract continues with or without a phone.
Tuesday, October 29th/13
With two recent clear nights, and our exercise program in full swing, things have been very busy around here. That also includes a trip to Windsor for my new eyeglass lenses (both pair), and a grocery and hardware store run today. Also today Chuck finally showed up. Chuck is our tree trimmer, and he had work to do on three trees in our yard. He did one last week then disappeared for six days. He showed up today to finish the job. Our south sky is now free of mangy tree branches, giving us clear views for our telescopes once again.
As for the exercise program, I am now 7 weeks into my training, 3 of those being at an advanced level. 1 1/2 weeks remain before our trip. While I am beginning to feel confident in my abilities once again, it is Deb who seems to be making the most amazing progress. Yesterday we did our main weekly hike, this time at Malden Hill. Deb managed 2.7 miles, and that included some significant hill climbing mixed in. In our most optimistic dreams we wanted her to be able to walk between one and two miles a day in Arizona. It now looks like she will ace it!
We spent Saturday and Sunday nights at the observatory in Comber, staying until moonrise both nights. We were abed by 2:30 am on Sat., and nearly 3:30 on Sunday. I am still tired, but the observing was top notch. I also relearned how to use the club telescope, a fully automated 14" Celestron. I last used it in 2005. It's protected from winds by the dome, so I will likely use it on chilly nights, rather than set up my own instrument.
Tonight Deb makes her 2nd revisit to Iaido class, and she is looking forward to being back at the dojo.
Friday, October 25th/13
Today we experienced both a cultural high point and a low point. The high point was our 2nd visit (of 12) this season to the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. The concert was totally spellbinding, from the first notes of a Wagner overture (The Flying Dutchman) to the final notes of Debussy's orchestral masterpiece, "La Mer." Also in there was the indescribably lovely piano concerto by Benjamin Britten, England's foremost composer of the 20th C. A rarely heard work by Sibelius was also on the program, his "Oceanides", a Homeric ode to the Mediterranean Sea and its myths. The whole program was absolutely electrifying. We had to give up our one chance to hear Andras Schiff perform solo in Ann Arbor, but hearing the Britten concerto more than made up for that.
The low point? The latest Star Trek movie, "Into Darkness." A bigger pile of crap I have never seen. I could not sit through it all, and finally gave up when Kirk entered the reactor core on the ship. The movie is a total let down, and a real disaster for the franchise. It might even be worse than Star Trek 5, which Shatner (mis)directed himself. So sorry I had to actually be exposed to it, especially with today's concert still fresh in my head.
Two weeks until our departure for Tucson. Deb admitted today that she is feeling really good, better than she has since her nightmare began. I can live with that.
Thursday, October 24th/13
Another work week has come and gone, with only two more until Tucson. Training continues to go well, even with Deb, who walked over 2 miles again today, with hills. Her return to Iaido on Tuesday evening went quite well, too.
Deb finally got to the dentist today, too. Her jaw is much better, and she could open her mouth long enough for a good cleaning.
We are getting some tree trimming done this week, something with which we have to do a better job of keeping up. Autumn trimming will be completed tomorrow, and our trimmer will return in the spring for more.
Tomorrow we have another symphony concert in Detroit. We will hear the piano concerto composed by Benjamin Britten, as well as La Mer by Debussy. Unknown conductor and unknown pianist. Stay tuned.
We have recently watched two old sci fi movies that I have never seen before. The first is called "Killers From Space." It sure sounds like I should have seen it, but I hadn't. A nuclear scientist is abducted by aliens. No one believes his story, despite the truth serum given him to tell what happened. It's from 1954 and stars Peter Graves. It's not too bad, either. Thumbs up for slide rulers!
A decent b & w sci fi from 1954.
Another watchable flic from our 50-movie pack "Sci Fi Classics."
Monday, October 21st/13
I have now completed 2 weeks of my advanced readiness fitness program, as I hope to do some serious hiking in Tucson in just over 2 1/2 weeks. Deb has been doing an amazing job herself. Today I hiked 4 miles, and she managed 2.3!! That is her first time over 2 miles since running into her RA wall of infamy. If she is able to continue, she will have no trouble hiking short to moderate length trails.
We were alone today at Oakwoods Metropark in suburban Detroit. It was overcast, breezy, cool and drizzly, but we managed to get our time and distance in. It rained more heavily on our way home afterwards. Tomorrow is a rest day, and on Wednesday Week 3 training begins. We only have 4 1/2 weeks total, about a week shy of our usual prep time.
Oakwoods Metropark, suburban Detroit
Sunday, October 20th/13
Today was Tabitha Johnson's Windsor solo piano recital. She is touring Ontario, performing 9 concerts, over several weekends. She is a Year 12 student from Barrie, ON, and has won three levels of competition to win her tour. She performed works by Bach, Beethoven, Chopin, Liszt, de Falla, and Rachmaninoff. While several works had a few rough spots today, overall Tabitha (Tabby, as her dad calls her) is a true musician. Her tone is otherworldly, and beautiful to listen to when playing very softly or extremely powerfully (and she does have significant power). She is an engaging young woman, and extremely talented. I am glad I got to hear her! As I was the organizer of the concert, I needed some help from Deb, from program design to ticket printing and door sales. It all came off beautifully, and we had about 95 in the audience, her largest yet in 7 concerts.
Yesterday's nearly all-day rain interfered with my fitness plan, as I was unable to get to Malden Hill Park. We went today instead, enjoying a great morning workout before the concert duties began. Tomorrow is supposed to be a long hiking day, but significant rain is forecast once again. I have to go back and see my eye doctor in the morning, too.
The furnace has been switched on since Saturday morning, as it is now getting very chilly. Some snow is predicted by the end of next weekend. I am not too happy to hear that.
We are happy to hear that Amanda's dad is making progress in hospital, though very slowly. A full recovery is expected, eventually.
Friday, October 18th/13
Hard to believe that 6 weeks have already passed from our 1st semester of teaching. 3 more to go and then we are heading for Tucson. I am 1 1/2 weeks into my advanced training for mountain hiking, and Deb is tagging along, too. She should be able to hike about 2 miles by mid-November, a near miracle compared to what she could do a few months ago. Even England might be in our future again if she continues to progress.
Today was a bit of a run-around day, with various Windsor stops, including getting my new glasses prescription filled at Hakim Optical. Once home, we both went out to clear some weeds from our side walkway. It was sunny and mild, and we managed to view the full moon tonight from our back deck. Our full moon fire went from sundown until bedtime, and we dined on gourmet pasta and a moon pie, pumpkin being the preferred one for this holiday. Within about five nights our astronomy cycle will resume, though it is beginning to get chilly.
We still haven't had our furnace on, though tomorrow looks likely, with cold temps and rain predicted for most of the day. Back to Malden park tomorrow, rain or shine, for hill training. Biking on Sunday, and a major hike on Monday, probably at a Detroit Metropark.
Sunday afternoon is the concert that I am in charge of, in Windsor. Tabitha Johnson, a 16 year old whizz kid from Barrie, ON, will be performing on piano.
Wednesday, October 16th/13
In a normal year, true autumn begins in our area anytime after October 15th. We have made it this far with no heat turned on, though it now appears that the seasonal change will be upon us in a matter of hours. It's windy and turning cold, and it finally feels as if autumn is arriving. We have tested the wood stove, the fireplace, and I've also fired up the emergency generator. Only the main gas furnace needs a test run, and that will likely happen tomorrow.
We are in the middle of our short but busy work week, with one day of teaching down and one to go. This weekend I am in charge of a piano recital by this year's winner of the Ontario Young Artist Competition. The concert is on Sunday afternoon, after which my duties will cease. We are hoping to get 100 people out to hear the winning student, whose name is Tabitha Johnson.
Last night was the monthly meeting of the astronomy club, as well as my regular Iaido class. I have missed so much Iaido due to recent clear skies that I decided to skip the meeting and go to class. Deb attended the meeting by herself. Not only is she now a member, but she knows several of the people, from being at the observatory so often.
I found out today that I will receive just over $500.00 per month from Canada pension, beginning this month. That $6,000.00 a year just nicely covers our intended drop in music students this year, and from here on in. When Deb eventually reaches 60 years, we will cut back further, if not completely.
Deb is seeing general improvement in many physical aspects, including her ability to bend her limbs very close to normal angles. Her jaw is also improving. She went to physio today, as well as for her regular blood work. She hopped on the usual weigh scale, and is now happily up to 106 pounds! Hurrah for lasagna and pumpkin pie (over and over again)! She also got her flu shot and a pneumonia vaccine.
Monday, October 14th/13
Many meals of lasagna and pumpkin pie later, the Thanksgiving weekend has come to a close. I guess we were lucky that it was the season of the waxing moon, as we got to stay home and enjoy a normal life for a change. Friday was our last astronomy outing, and we are off-line for about two weeks, until last quarter moon. Then come two weeks of possible observing nights. After that, we are off to Arizona.
I have completed my 4-week basic training for mountain hiking, and have just now completed my first week of advanced training. Usually I need 5 1/2 weeks of advanced training to prepare, but this time I barely have 4 1/2 weeks. All is well so far, and I am beginning to feel pretty good. The hikes won't be as difficult as our usual New Mexico ones, and all but one will be on good trails. Getting excited!
Deb has been doing rather well, too. Today she walked 1.8 miles at Ojibway Park. Not too shabby for a newbie!
We finally got our fall decorations up inside the house, including our Day of the Dead altar. I even got my music student bulletin board updated, 4 weeks after lessons began.
I am hoping to get back into Iaido this week with some seriousness. I plan to attend on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. Friday night is our full moon celebration, so I will stay home for that.
Early tomorrow morning I have a specialist appointment to have a mole on my right hip checked. My own doctor thinks it's fine, but he sent me to here a few months ago to be sure.
Sunday, October 13/13
We had our Thanksgiving dinner last night, with incredible vegan lasagna and scrumptious vegan pumpkin pie!! In true Thanksgiving tradition, we also had it for lunch today, and will have it again soon for tonight's dinner!
Sadly, we had no visit from Amanda L. this weekend. Her dad is in a London, ON hospital, recovering from emergency surgery. She is there with her family, and we wish Gene a speedy recovery.
We are still getting caught up on our astronomy notes from the most recent clear night streak. Tonight is also amazingly clear, but the waxing moon does not set until 3 am. Sigh.
Despite yesterday's long post, I did not get a chance to say anything about our first Detroit Symphony concert of the year. We have subscribed to 12 Friday morning concerts this year. We weren't certain Deb would even be able to attend. She did, and walked over a mile, too, getting from where we parked the car to the hall, then on to the lunch spot we choose and then back to the car afterwards.
My adult piano student Roger P. came with us. The concert opened with three Latin American Sketches by Aaron Copland. Eminently danceable, they were pretty standard Copland material, with some Mexican rhythms thrown in for good measure. Next up was Beethoven Piano Concerto #1 in C, a favourite of mine, performed by Conrad Tao. Conrad is 18, and a living marvel. We heard him play a Saint Saens Concerto with the orchestra two years ago, and were completely entranced by his playing. He handled the Beethoven like he'd been playing it for many years. I will try and never miss a performance by this astounding young man. He is in the same league as Yuja Wang.
After intermission we heard Tchaikovsky Symphony #5, one of the best warhorse chestnuts around. I hadn't heard it in many years, and it was loads of fun to get reacquainted. The orchestra, under the baton of Leonard Slatkin, played as well as I have ever heard them.
We went to Traffic Jam and Snug Restaurant and Brewpub (TJ's) for lunch. They have a vegan Ethiopian platter to die for, which Deb and I usually share. Roger had soup, which he proclaimed as very good. Roger and I also had one of the house beers, a dark Belgian doppelbock that is worth the trip to Detroit to have.
Saturday, October 12/13
Has it really been nearly a week since I posted? Unbelievable! That's what too many clear nights will do to an amateur astronomer. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday nights saw us out very late with our telescopes. Last night we helped host a school group visit, a good reminder of why we are more than happy to be retired from group teaching. Some of the kids were duly impressed, but the parents much more so.
We've been over the border twice this week, once on Monday to hike at a Metropark, and again Friday to hear the DSO, our first subscription concert of the season. Deb's walking ability has increased beyond a mile, and she has now added hills to her routine! She might make it back to real hiking yet!
Speaking of Deb, she visited her rheumatologist again this week. He was quite pleased with her progress, and is keeping her on exactly the same dosage of Methatrexate. It seems to be doing the job!!
Monday we made our first visit to Lake Erie Metropark. The Detroit Metropark system is a phenomenal string of large parks spread across the metro region, offering us some great hiking and nature centers.
Garter Snake, Lake Erie Metropark.
Great Blue Heron.
Lake Erie Metropark.
From the boardwalk, Lake Erie Metropark.
Lake Erie, himself.
Sunday, October 6th/13
The three and a half days before and after new moon feature the darkest skies possible for astronomers. This week-long event never happens in Essex County. It is always cloudy around new moon. Looking at the upcoming forecast, it will be clear as the moon nears first quarter. This means beginning our operations around midnight, instead of 8 pm. It's as if the moon actually dictates our weather here in Essex Co.
Despite the dire predictions of floods and extreme heavy rain, we only got a few showers today. I managed to get my long walk in, and Deb walked her mile, too. She seems to be able to walk a mile these days without many serious repercussions. Hopefully she can build on this.
It's finally starting to feel like autumn at Lone Mtn Homestead! The sundial is keeping good time, too.
We have been doing some detailed planning for our upcoming trip to Tucson, AZ and Lordsburg, NM. Quite a contrast in towns! I have a decent short hike planned in NM, as well as a ceremonial visit to Knight Peak, our sacred mountain. Lots of hiking planned, no nothing too major. Being November, all the higher elevations will be too cold and icy to do much except look at from a distance, so all hikes will be at desert elevations. At least one hike will push the boundaries a little, and I could encounter snow. I am also planning visits to numerous Tucson brewpubs!
Friday, October 4th/13
Today I returned to piano practice, having left it aside for some time now. The pieces are still in good shape despite the hiatus, and I still hope to perform them in Windsor and Toronto early next year.
I also returned to Iaido tonight, attending open practice and going through every one of my katas except the two requiring two people. Things are pretty shaky. I would have been attending much more regularly, except for all the clear nights we have had recently. That seems to have come to a screeching halt, so for now I am able to return to my sword work.
Deb is now having significant jaw pain, and finding it hard to open her mouth sometimes. 92% of RA sufferers have jaw issues. Sigh. It might be because she has finally been able to sleep on her side, and that is the side with pain. Last night she was able to stay in bed all night. Usually she goes back and forth between the lazy boy chair and the bed.
We are beginning to make some detailed plans for our trip to Tucson, which will include part of two days in New Mexico. As all National Parks are currently closed in the USA due to their government shutting down, we are hoping this is settled by our November visit. If not, we will have to use state parks instead of the big national one.
It has been very warm and humid this past week, and will be tomorrow, too. After that it looks like a return to more normal October weather. So far no heat has been used here, though the air conditioner keeps coming on! We have the thermostat set at 78 F. in the summer, so it has been warm here.
Wednesday, October 2nd/13
The work week has resumed, and I am half way through it already! One day down, one to go. I love my 2-day weeks. Then the 5-day weekend begins. I have now completed 3 weeks of my walking program, with one week to go in the prep course before the real grunt work begins (for 4 weeks). I am getting excited at the prospect of being back in the desert, especially on a backcountry hike. I've never hiked in the Tucson area before. There appears to be enough choice for many future trips, too. The weather in November should be just about perfect, with cool mornings and evenings, and warm days filled with sunshine.
Speaking of sunshine, Deb and I have done 8 nights of observing in the past 9 nights. It's clear tonight, too, but I had to teach until 7:30 pm, and clouds are supposed to roll in around 10 pm. Last night we were out until 2 am.
Deb took her 17th batch of meds tonight, which began on June 12th. Things are so much better now it is difficult to remember how bad it was for awhile. Every week there is more slight improvement, too. Deb may never regain her previous fitness level or physical ability, but where she is now is pretty damn good. Hopefully things will continue to improve, too. Next week she will see her rheumatologist for the 3rd time. We are both anxious to see what will happen next--the meds will continue as before, or perhaps be somewhat reduced.
Sunday, September 29th/13
After six clear nights in a row, and 5 of them spent at the observatory in Comber, we are ready for a night off. Mercifully it is raining today! Last night there were six of us out there, but Deb and I were the last to leave just after 2 am. The crescent moon was rising big and orange as we shut the gates. In bed by 3:30 am. Up at 9:30. I went out to cut some grass before the rain began, and the laundry is in full swing. We worked on our observing notes this morning, and are just waiting for lunch to finish heating up before eating and going back to bed for the rest of the afternoon.
Hopefully we will feel in a bit of a party mood later tonight. Some music, some craft beer (for me), some good food. We are watching an interesting fantasy movie called Solomon Kane. Great visuals and atmosphere, it seems to echo a lot of the great westerns in its themes and plot. Deb thinks this one is based on "The Searchers." Hoping to finish that up tonight, and maybe some computer gaming. We are still amidst a game called "Keepsake."
So far we have managed to get by with no inside heat whatsoever. If we can make it until midnight tomorrow, then it will have been a good September!
Friday, September 27th/13
Tonight will be the 5th clear night in a row, and our 4th in a row heading out to Comber. Clear skies are also predicted for tomorrow night! This is quite unprecedented!! We've also enjoyed some beautiful days. I am about 1/4 through my prep walking program, getting ready for some Arizona hiking in mid-November. I have 6 more weeks to get myself ready. I am only now working out the kinks and stiff muscles, after abandoning my original summer program weeks ago.
Week Three of our 35 week teaching year went well. Everyone showed up on my list, so I had a busy two days. Both nights after teaching we left the house immediately, heading out to the observatory. All of the first term tuition fees are finally in now, so I can plan how much our savings account will grow. Teaching money has been set aside for "fun," as we continue to try and live off our two half-pensions. We used some to buy Deb's telescope, which has been getting a lot of use of late, getting rave reviews from all who look through it.
A big congratulations to our best friend Caroline, who lives in London, UK. She won the lottery, in a manner of speaking. She recently discovered that a generous pension had been earned because of her earlier teaching years at university. Since quitting that job a long while ago she has been trying to make a go of it in the world of film and arts management. While she has been doing financially okay at it, she has spent so much time applying for jobs, grants and the like that it has taken a toll on her life. She now seems financially set and can relax and enjoy, getting on with the things she loves to do!!
Monday, Sept. 23rd/13
A busy weekend ended abruptly today. Mom and Dad left suddenly early this morning. They were supposed to stay until Tuesday. Sigh.
We had a really fun day on Saturday with Dino and Kathyrn, visiting three Detroit brewpubs and some downtown skyscrapers. In the evening, we met my parents in Amherstburg for dinner, along with Dino and Kathyrn.
Sunday, we went downtown Windsor with my parents for brunch at Taloola's Cafe, then for a stroll on the riverfront path. We ate in-house Sunday night, enjoying the first wood fire of autumn.
Today, Deb and I went for a picnic lunch to Colchester Beach. It was a bit chilly, but we had a fun time! Tonight, we are looking forward to some back deck observing with both telescopes.
Deb, Kathyrn, Dino, Windsor riverfront
Outdoor water sculpture, Traffic Jam & Snug restaurant and Brewpub, Detroit
At Motor City Brewing Co., Detroit. Kathyrn, Dino, Deb
Atwater Brewery, Detroit
Santa taxi, Heidelberg Project, Detroit
Friday, Sept. 20th/13
Deb can now raise both arms above her head! This is a really big deal! Her range of motion was so poor when she was suffering in the thick of things that it was hard to even imagine that things would ever get this good again. But they have. Pain meds have also been greatly reduced. The high toilet seat is history. Life is getting good again.
Last night I returned to Iaido after a month-long hiatus. Now that teaching money is flowing in again, I can afford to resume my studies. I received my diploma last night, officially conferring my rank as Shodan (black belt). I am also very stiff today.
Lots of house cleaning got done today. I had hoped to cut the lawn, but last night's deluge, and another one this afternoon, put those thoughts to rest. More rain is expected momentarily. 0".55 so far.
I had a full load of students this week (12). Deb will only have 5 for this year, unless new ones arrive. We are fine with 17 students. It's probably more than we need, especially as I am one month away from getting my Canada Pension.
Wednesday, Sept. 18th/13
Another full moon is upon us. In one more week we can resume observations again, weather permitting. I have had my 12" telescope nearly a year now. Only one month, the last one, provided a satisfactory number of clear nights. The rest were mostly cloudy! So I don't have much hope for the upcoming fall/winter sessions. That is why we observe whenever it is clear, as usually it seldom happens. Last night we went to the first meeting of the year of the local branch of the RASC (Royal Astronomical Society of Canada). For the past several years I have been unable to attend because of Iaido practice. However, there are now 4x each week I can train, so there is no problem missing a Tuesday class once a month.
Our second week of teaching begins today (34 more to go), followed by a busy weekend. My friend Dino and his wife will be visiting from Toronto this weekend. They wish to see something of Detroit. Also, my parents are visiting from Sudbury, and will be in the 'Burg from Saturday afternoon until at least Monday morning. In honour of these two visits/events, I went and got a haircut today, and will soon cut the lawn, too.
The bees are still swarming to their hive in our rafters. So far, we have removed about 40 bees from inside the house. The WD 40 trick does not seem to keep them away for long. We'll see who lasts longer, the bees or the WD 40 guy.
I went and had my eyes checked out on Monday. I have been seeing flashes in the left eye. I do seem to have developed a cataract, which will have to come out within two years. Retina and eye pressure seem okay. Not sure what's causing the flashes, though I probably have enough WD 40 in my eye to cause some kind of visual disturbance. Anyway, I have a new eyeglass prescription and I have to check back with my Dr. in 5 weeks.
Deb seems to have reached a plateau with her healing. More meds tonight, but any further improvements are very subtle. Still, we are both happy with where she is at the moment, hoping there will be no back-pedalling. She sees her Dr. in 3 weeks. She is attending physio every Wednesday.
Saturday, Sept. 14th/13
The wood stove is loaded and ready for action. I thought we might have needed it this morning, but the house stayed at 69 F, so not bad. Tonight is not quite as cold, and the house warmed to 72 F today, so we might make it again tomorrow. Usually no heat is needed until October, but I think this year will be different.
This afternoon we had 9 honey bees make it inside our house! I got them all out safely. We've had a hive up in our rafters outside for some time, but today they were intensely active, and somehow finding their way inside. We called a local pest control company. Poisons are not allowed on honey bees, as they are dwindling so rapidly in the wild, due to a parasite they carry. However, the man who came out told us a helpful trick. By spraying WD 40 into the hole a few times within several hours, the bees are unable to enter, and will eventually drift away. They kept buzzing around the hole, but were not entering. We'll see what tomorrow brings.
For the 2nd night in a row we did some observing off of our back deck with Deb's scope. It shows the lunar surface (with a dark filter) as well as any scope can, and is splitting double stars left and right. The moon is too bright to bother driving out in the county to observe. In two weeks we can resume dark sky observations.
Thursday, Sept. 12th/13
The long, hard work week is over at last!! Time for a five day weekend! I had three students not come this week. Two are away with their family, but the third was a no-show. Deb also had a few missing, so it was a pretty light week. Next week should be a full one.
Last night's storms came through as my last student was going out the door. It really came down for awhile, with some loud, nearby thunder. We got 0".7 of rain. That ended our two-day heat wave. Today is much more pleasant.
I began my walking program today, in preparation for the November Tucson trip. On some days I will be hiking. Deb will be hanging out at park visitor centers in Tucson, and doing the shorter interpretive trails. She will focus on flora and fauna of the desert, including doing some photography. I will focus on surviving some big desert hikes!
Wednesday, Sept. 11th/13
Monday night's observation session was unique in the annals of Aragorn Observatory. We arrived at Hallam Observatory about 8:15 pm. It was 70 F. When we left at 2:00 am it was 78 F! It was a very balmy night, probably what observing in Florida is like this time of year. Yesterday's temp reached 94 F. It was still 80 F when we arrived last night at the observatory, and 79 F when we left. Anyway, last night was our final fling of summer vacation. Today it's back to work!!
Deb's new 6" Orion scope.
The new scope. Deb has already been all over the galaxy with it, and beyond!
Of course around here, work means two half-days per week, followed by 5-day weekends. Hahaha! Don't worry, I'll still complain. I have 7 students on Wednesdays, and so far 5 on Thursdays. Deb has 5 or 6. There is one advanced student I have yet to hear from. There will be no new students this year, as I begin to scale back. When I am 65 (five years) I want to be out of the teaching business.
It's hot again today, with severe storms predicted for the afternoon. With the moon waxing towards first quarter, we are mostly done with astronomy until its waning phase, in about two weeks.
Deb takes another batch of meds tonight. We've lost count how many weeks its been, but she is returning more to normal with each passing week. Her hands are still very bad (can't write, draw, play the harp) and one shoulder is still painful. The rest is good.
Saturday, Sept. 7th/13
Thursday night was a spectacular night at the observatory, and we ended up staying until after 4 am. Which means we got home at 5 am. In bed at 5:30 am. Up at 10 am. Off to Detroit to pick up Deb's new telescope. Home for a nap. Some telescope assembly, then off to Comber again, but this time home by 1:30 am.
Deb is beginning to lose her morning stiffness at long last, as the pills continue to work their magic. She has not taken many pain pills this week at all, now often going without all day. She is zooming around in the car by herself on short, nearby errands. She sees her specialist in about one month from now. Blood work and the monthly weigh-in are next Tuesday.
Her new telescope is a real beauty, and today we finally got it fully assembled and ready to use. If it is clear tomorrow night as predicted, it will see "First Light" in Comber. Pictures will be taken then and posted.
Thursday, September 5th/13
Astronomy seems to be taking up a lot of our time these days, as the warm weather lasts and a few clear nights have actually emerged. New moon today, so only a week left in this lunar cycle. Tuesday night turned out to be one of the best nights ever, and we stayed out at the observatory until just after 3 am. We were so invovled in what we were doing, we thought it was about 1:30 am, and were quite surprised when we saw the time!
Deb's new telescope arrives tomorrow, and we will cross the border to pick it up at our mailbox address. Usually when a new telescope arrives, months of rain and clouds arrive, too. We'll see how that turns out.
Deb drove herself to physio again yesterday, and is on a slow plan to increase her flexibility and build at least a minimal amount of strength and muscle. She popped her pills again last night, and continues to feel pretty good. Stair climbing virtuosity, walking short distances and solo driving are still amazing breakthroughs, not to mention Deb's return to observational astronomy! We are also looking forward to our week in Arizona in just over 2 months.
We heard from Dino this week--he and Kathryn will be visiting us in two weeks! Dino was my best friend through grade and high school, and was best man at our wedding. They want a tour of Detroit on Saturday (21st). Good times ahead.
And Amanda returns to the 'Burg this weekend. We had a great visit with her last Sunday, and she is coming back again, this time for the big area wine festival. If it's clear she may come to the observatory with us, too.
Friday, August 30th/13
I am dog-gone tired tonight. We spent the last two nights at the observatory in Comber, getting home at 2 am on Wed, and 3 am on Thursday. Despite the dampness, we both had good sessions with our scopes. Still waiting for those cool, clear autumn skies, though.
Before heading out on Wed., we went for dinner in Windsor with a large group of friends from the dojo, celebrating Randy McCall's birthday. Randy is a 3rd degree black belt in Iaido, and is one of the main reasons I was able to pass my black belt test. His help was invaluable. We only ate half our food, taking the rest with us to the observatory for midnight snacks.
Earlier Wed., Deb drove herself to physio in Lasalle! This was her first solo drive since March. I might now have a designated driver for awhile. Handy. Deb also took her next batch of meds, her 12th. 11 weeks later and she is doing pretty damn fine! Short walks are continuing, but her ability to stay out late and observe the skies is a very telling improvement, not to mention the driving thing.
Yesterday, we bought her a new Orion telescope, an upgrade from the one she is currently using. Hopefully it will arrive by next weekend. It is a 6" reflector, quite light and portable, and with an object locator like mine. Can't wait to assemble and use it!
We recently rewatched "Detour," a short, very intense cult noir film from 1945. We have not seen it in many years. It is one of the most hard-boiled crime flics ever produced, with staccato dialogue, really really grouchy characters, and one liners and snappy comebacks that never stop. What a great movie!
Tuesday, August 27th/13
We were awakened early this morning by a monster storm. It dropped 1" of badly needed rain on us. It was the kind of storm you see and hear in Frankenstein movies, where the good doctor works to bring his creature to life in a storm that goes on and on and on. We even had a lightning strike about 100 metres away, the perfect hit to revive the monster. More storms were predicted all day, but so far it's been quiet. Very muggy, though.
The dojo is closed for a week, so I had Tuesday night off from Iaido. Can't say I did much with the evening. Oh well.
This morning we went and applied for updated health cards, My old red and white one is literally crumbling in my wallet. I also renewed my drivers' license for 5 years, and afterwards we renewed our two vehicle stickers on line. In the afternoon I went out and cut the grass. So not a totally wasted day.
Jim, our neighbour with whom we share a ride-on lawn mower tractor (and the man we bought our house from many years ago) has sold his house. He and his wife, Pat, will be moving into town, with a smaller yard. I will likely be purchasing the lawn mower from him. The excitement never stops around here.
In more exciting news, Amanda will be returning to A'burg for the weekend, and will hopefully have time for a visit. If it's clear at night (not likely) she may even come out to the observatory in Comber with us.
And tomorrow evening we are attending a restaurant birthday party for a friend from the dojo. Our social calendar just goes on and on.
Monday, August 26th/13
It actually feels strange to have it hot and muggy again, it's been so long. Hoping fervently for some clear nights soon, as the moon is beginning to disappear again for a few weeks.
It's medical week here at Lone Mtn Homestead. Today I went and saw my physician to see if I could get my right ear unplugged. According to the ER doctor I saw last week during my bad vertigo attack, there is a significant wax buildup. The nurse tried about ten times today to flush it out, to no avail. Now I am soaking it with peroxide at home and flushing it out. We got a tiny bit out tonight, but it's still plugged up. We'll try again a few times tomorrow, and Wed. morning I will go back and see the nurse again. Also on Wed. I am seeing my chiropractor to have some head manipulation done, in hopes of helping out with my inner ear problem (unrelated to the outer ear being plugged up). Also on Wed. Deb is going to visit her physiotherapist and try to set up some kind of pain management program for various body parts. Her recent flareup of her right foot is subsiding, though her hands and fingers are still swollen and painful.
So much excitement when you get older (or is it excrement)!
Movie wise, we are amidst "Black Voodoo Exorcist," a 70s horror flic. I will report more tomorrow, but so far it is pretty slow moving and quite bad.
Saturday, August 24th/13
We had been hoping that Deb would be well enough by November to book a major trip. We missed our chance to visit Maui in May due to her illness, and we did not go to New Mexico this August either. However, we feel brave enough now and so we booked a week in Tucson, AZ for mid-November. The weather should be mid-70s in the daytime, though chilly at night. We were able to receive a credit from Orbitz.com for our unused Maui flights, and with that refund we were largely able to purchase flights, 7 nights hotel, and a week's rental car. Tucson is just over 2 hours drive from western NM, so we will be able to visit our Sacred Mountain, Knight Peak, as well. There is hiking if Deb feels up to it, as we will spend considerable time in Saguaro National Park (east and west segments). There are good vegan restaurants, a Whole Foods store, several yummy sounding brewpubs, the Living Desert Museum, and a host of other attractions that will make our week exciting. The Tucson Symphony will be performing when we are there, too.
As there is no direct flight from Detroit, we have to change planes in Chicago. It is a long flight from there to Tucson, about 3 1/2 hours. We are excited and eager for our adventure!
Friday, August 23rd/13
As August begins to draw to a close, the heat is about to return to our area (and the ensuing humidity). It's interesting to note that since we stopped observing last week due to a brightening moon, it has been clear every night except for one. Tonight and tomorrow night are no exception, though the waning moon still rises too early to do anything useful. Looking ahead, by the time it is dark to commence observing again, our ugly heat wave will be here, with clouds and excess humidity. One of the coolest, clearest Augusts ever, and much of it unusable for deep sky astronomy. Sigh. This is why I need to get somewhere with reliable skies.
We went to Dearborn today, to pick up some goodies at our mailbox. Deb got two new eyepieces for her Astroscan scope, as well as a new eyepiece box in which to keep them. She also got a batch of slides for her new microscope, including prepared ones and blanks and wells. She is enjoying her microscopy, reliving her days as a preteen mad scientist.
We plan to be home for the next several days. My ear remains firmly plugged, and I am now trying a different drug to control it. I see my doctor on Monday. Deb is well enough to try out some physiotherapy next week. She will go on Wednesday to seek more relief for her hands and shoulders.
We watched a M*A*SH episode tonight, and finished up a 70s horror flic called "Lady Frankenstein." Starring Rosalba Neri (a real stunner, aka Sarah Bay) and Joseph Cotten, this Italian horror jaunt tries to mimic the Hammer films that were so popular at the time. Erotic, gross and fun.
Not sure who the strawberry blonde is in the poster!--Lady Frank was a stunning brunette, played by Sarah Bay, real name Rosalba Neri.
Wednesday, August 21st/13
This is the "Deb Update" I've been hoping to give for some time now. After 10 weeks on her meds, Deb is coming back to her old self. She is perhaps just over 50% of the way now, something we are both extremely happy about. Week by week progress is being made, and tonight she takes meds batch #11. This week, her neck and shoulders have improved a lot, and her knees bend further than ever. Instead of one or two good days a week, she is now getting five to seven!
We managed a long drive to Lindsay on Sunday to visit her mom. This was a test of her progress, and while Deb is not ready to drive for three or four days out west and then back, she did manage this trip just fine. Not only that, but she drove about an hour and a quarter on Tuesday's drive home! This was her first attempt at driving for five months! That is a drastic improvement!!
We had a lovely visit in Lindsay with Deb's mom, staying over in her condo's guest suite Sunday and Monday night. We were treated to a lovely dinner on Monday, where the chef at a local restaurant prepared Deb and I a vegan salad and a pasta, which was quite fabulous. All in all, a fun visit. Deb and I managed a quick trip to nearby Fenelon Falls, as well.
Today is our 37th wedding anniversary! We usually spend it on some ridiculously difficult hike in New Mexico. This year, we will spend it quietly at home, something that is almost as fun, and a lot less strenuous!
Saturday, August 17th/13
We had a fun outing in Detroit yesterday, getting easily across the border. After fetching our mail in Dearborn, we headed back into the city. Corktown is just one of many Detroit neighbourhoods that is thriving, though the media tends to only highlight ones that have collapsed. Originally an Irish settlement, today it is becoming gentrified and very funky, with hidden gems tucked into the street scene that would make any city proud. Today we went to a new pub, a rather authentic Irish one.
St. Cece's is, for the USA, a rather authentic Irish pub. The dark panelling, seats, fireplace etc are all from actual churches in Ireland, and the fireplace boasts a stone map of Ireland with a different stone from each actual county used to make the map.
There is some very good vegan food, too, as well as food for the rest of you. In addition to the wonderful tempeh sandwiches we had, there was raw vegan walnut cheesecake for dessert!! And of course there was a nice selection of micro-beer. I had a wonderful session IPA from Odd Side in Michigan.
Back to movies for a moment--we finally got to watch "Moonrise Kingdom," a film that has been in our dvd queue for a long time. What a great, odd little film. Essentially about two 12 yr. old runaways, the film has a star cast supporting the two kids. Definitely worth a peek if you like off-beat comedy with more charm and innocence than can usually be found in films about young people these days.
Moonrise Kingdom, a highly recommend film.
Deb is feeling pretty good these days. We are going to try driving to Lindsay to see her mom. It is about 5 1/2 hours each way, so it will be a good test of Deb's ability to travel.
Thursday, August 15th/13
It turned out to be a great night at Hallam Observatory last night, and we stayed until nearly 1:30 am. Deb was a bit stiff and sleep deprived today, but she made up for it with a long nap this afternoon. Tonight we are hoping to set up on our deck and observe with the small telescope. No 40-minute drive each way required! The moon is too bright to do much anyway.
We will visit Detroit tomorrow. Saturdays are turning into endless lineups at both borders. Perhaps we will have less of a wait tomorrow. We are both enjoying the cool Autumn weather, something I have never experienced here before for this long a stretch. Keep it coming!
Today would have been the day I left for NM with all of our camping gear, had this been a normal year. It was the year we were going to tackle Wheeler Peak, the highest point in NM. At least Deb got her 1 km walk in again today. She is now ready to upgrade to a slightly longer one, though she still returns out of breath from the 1 km. Not ready yet for Wheeler Peak.
Wednesday, August 14th/13
It's official--last night I was awarded the rank of black belt in Iaido! It will be about two years before I can test for the next higher rank. In Iaido, there are only two ranks above me now. We don't wear coloured belts with our uniforms, so there is no outward show of rank in Iaido. But I am definitely a little more badass now!! My certificate will take a few weeks to arrive--photo op when it does.
After Iaido last night I went out to Hallam with the scope, beginning observations around 11:30 pm (near moonset) and staying until 2:30 am. It was chilly! It felt like late September, especially with the autumn constellations so prominent at that time of night. Tonight, Deb and I are returning together for some observing, though a bright moon will hamper us.
Deb is just about to swallow meds batch #10, as she completes nine weeks of treatment as of 8 pm today. BIG difference, too! Positive things are finally happening, and we hope they continue to happen. Today she went for her 2nd monthly blood work, which keeps tabs on how her liver is handling the meds. No news is good news. Her first check went well, and we hope this one does, also. Deb walked another 1 km today, making 4 km for the week. That is progress one can measure.
Monday, August 12/13
This is the week we normally pack our gear and head to New Mexico for our annual mountain adventure. Though Deb is making decent progress, we are nowhere near being ready for any kind of major trip. We are going very soon to visit Deb's mom in Lindsay, and in early October we might head to western Oklahoma with the telescopes for some prime high altitude dark sky observing. We are keeping mid-November open, too, for a possible trip to Tucson.
Deb walked another km today, her third day in a row. She has also been knitting herself a comforter for the cool evenings of autumn, and the small, individual squares are now beginning to get fit together. She reads a lot, watches old movies, and cooks awesome dinners.
Speaking of old movies, we have seen two of interest from our huge dvd classics collections. The first one was called "Kansas City Confidential," a hard-boiled crime thriller that mixes hope with plenty of desperation. Starring Neville Brand, Jack Elam and Lee van Cleef, among others, the film is amazing to watch, a classic early 50s UA flic.
The lead is played well by John Payne, though we never really know if he is coming out a criminal in the end or a hero. Colleen Gray is radiant as a woman about to undertake her bar exam, the unknowing daughter to the movie's main bad guy (Preston Foster, playing a crooked ex-cop), and in love with the hero. Partially filmed on Catalina Island. Great stuff!
Next up was a really old creaker, a 1920 version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde starring John Barrymore.
It's great fun watching Barrymore sink his teeth into the role (literally, at one point). It's a very claustrophobic picture, with London depicted as a virtual prison of high walls, narrow streets, and consistent darkness. A wonderful old picture, which I had somehow never before seen!
John Barrymore (right) as Mr. Hyde. This is what we watch on rainy nights.
Sunday, August 11th/13
Something amazing has been happening in just the last few days. We are now 8 1/2 weeks into Deb's treatment with methotrexate, and it seems to be working! She is now walking about 1 km most days, feeling less pain and in fewer areas, and is starting to feel quite positive about herself for the first time since all this began. There are still painful areas, and she is not ready to hike in New Mexico, but she is now doing just about everything else she used to do, just a bit slower. Huzzah!!
We went to Dearborn yesterday for our weekly mailbox run. Deb purchased a like-new Celestron microscope, and it was waiting for her. Once home, she set it up. It had been damaged a bit in transit, but she soon had it up and running. It has a digital screen with a built-in camera. It came with 5 prepared slides, so we need to get more, along with some blank ones. Lots of fun for cloudy days and nights!
Last night, Deb accompanied me to Hallam Observatory for a late night of observing. It was open house night, so it was unusually busy and noisy. But the skies were amazing, and we both had a great night! We didn't get home until 2:15. Looks like it might be clear tonight, too!
Thursday, August 8th/13
My teaching is done until mid-September, so I am off for five weeks! Iaido test is over (I think), too, freeing up several evenings each week. And of course it's cloudy all week, since it is new moon. So finally some time to spend at home, stress free. It must be time for a Meniere's attack. Yup. It's been awhile, though not nearly long enough. Enough said.
Deb attended a pain management workshop this morning in Windsor. Not something I hope any of you or your loved ones ever have to attend. I went down to the river and read for two hours. We went for lunch afterwards, to Pause Cafe downtown Windsor. Great vegan soups, salads and sandwich always on offer. Afterwards, we went to our favourite Asian grocery store, to stock up on some supplies. We both had significantly long naps when we got home.
Wednesday, August 7th/13
We are now nearing the end of 8 weeks of meds for Deb. While there has been considerable improvement, especially in her ability to walk and climb stairs, there is still lots of room for much more. Hands, for one thing. She can barely hold a pen, and cannot write, sketch, paint etc. She hasn't played harp now since this all began last March. So we are still optimistic and hopeful as she prepares to swallow batch #9 later this evening. We are making plans to visit her mom in Lindsay.
Deb had her very first night outing since her problems began, not counting trips to ER. She came out to the dojo to watch me take my black belt test in Iaido! While I am relieved that the test is done (results won't be known for a week), I made at least two significant errors in my previous techniques, easily enough to fail. There are seven parts to the test, two of which were written. I know I did fine on those, as well as four of the sword and knife sections. If I did fail, I would likely be allowed to retest in a few weeks. More on that next week. In the meantime, I get some of my life back, as I take a break from Iaido for a full week. If I am promoted, then I begin work on the next level, 2nd degree black belt. That will take at least two years to prepare.
In astronomy news, Sunday night was clear, making for three clear nights within a one-week period. That is something unusual for the period around new moon. The weekend looks pretty good, too.
We are under a severe thunderstorm watch today. The weather has been cool and glorious lately, with little to no rain. Hopefully these storms will pass us by.
Saturday, August 3rd/13
I am not sure where this incredible weather is coming from, but I hope it stays for the rest of August! Today we went back to Eastern Market in Detroit, a favourite haunt of ours, especially Saturdays. It was busier than usual. There is always something new there, too. Today we discovered a new, very impressive pet store (Three Dogs and a Cat), along with a very bizarre and interesting junk store (Aria). Eastern Market is probably the coolest thing about Detroit.
Eastern Market, Detroit
Eastern Market, Detroit
Afterwards, we went for lunch in Dearborn at La Shish, ordering way too much food. Two sandwiches, some baba and we split a fresh juice, all for $15. We couldn't even finish everything. The mailbox was next, where my 5k Doctor Who medal was awaiting me. It is simply the best medal I have ever seen. I did the walk in the neighbourhood, sent in my fee, and got the medal.
Doctor Who medal, for completing a 5k walk! Deb had signed up originally, but when unable to walk it passed the task along to me.
Friday, August 2nd/13
With another clear night last night, my sleep pattern is completely askew. I am feeling it badly tonight. Tried to work out at the dojo, but there was no love tonight. I feel awful, and will be in bed soon after the final period in this entry. I've had two very good nights out with the telescope this week, though, and have seen so many remarkable things.
One more Iaido workout until test night. It can't come soon enough for me now. Let's git er dun!
Deb has swallowed pill Batch #8, the one we've all been waiting for. She has been much more even for the last week, though her collar bone continues to throb, and now tonight her hand feels as if she had smashed it into something and broken it. Ain't RA wonderful? She did manage an outdoor walk yesterday and today, though. And tomorrow we are heading to Detroit's Eastern Market in the morning. The meds are helping her, just not enough yet.
Tuesday, July 30th/13
It was clear last night! I was available to go to the Comber observatory! I went! I had a fantastic night of observing! I am pleased!
Tonight I return to Iaido. With only three practice sessions left until my Shodan test, sweat is beginning to pour from my brow. Will I be prepared for it? Nope. Not in any way. I'm already expecting to be asked to do a retest. If it hadn't been for this miserable cold, which continues to affect my sinuses, I stood a decent chance of pulling it off. The cutting should go well. The review techniques should go well. The written test on parts of the sword (38 of them) should go well. The actual black belt katas are simply not fluid enough at this point, and it will take more than one week to get them there. I will practice at home on Wed, Thurs. and Saturday, as well as next Monday, and even Tuesday before class. I am determined to at least try the test, after the delay which began in late April.
Speaking of which, Deb had another two decent days, though her shoulder and left hand continue to bother her. Batch #8 goes down in about 25 hours. She is hoping to attend my test next Tuesday evening at the dojo.
Sunday, July 28th/13
After ten days it was finally time to return to Iaido. After cutting the grass and doing the laundry, I did some more live cutting on the back deck with our two sharpened swords. That went pretty well. I have to do actual cutting during my Shodan test, which is just over a week away. Class tonight was very small, so I had plenty of room to work on my techniques. Though I am sore and getting stiff from all my activity today, I am glad I went. Only three more classes and it's test time. I missed four classes when I was sick, all of which were badly needed.
Deb had a decent enough day, but there is always pain somewhere. Today it was her right shoulder, neck and collarbone. We are hoping to make our weekly Detroit trip tomorrow, stopping at John King Books before heading to our mailbox and then lunch. I should have a new telescope eyepiece awaiting me. It is officially astronomy season once again, whenever clear skies present themselves.
Saturday, July 27th/13
After nearly 4 days of some pretty bad times, Deb is feeling better today. As usual, the meds take their toll for a couple of days, then she feels better. However, it should be mentioned that "better" still means that she is only about 25% of her physical self. Mobility continues to be severely restricted in arms, knees, shoulders etc. We are not yet seeing the hoped-for degree of relief the meds should provide. And the pain is constant, though significantly reduced on good days like today.
Deb did not catch my cold, which is a bit of a surprise, as it was a nasty one and came upon me very fast and furious. Today is Day 6 for me, and the first day I feel like I am getting over it. I've had to give up three nights training at the dojo, virtually dooming my chances of taking my black belt test next week. Sigh. Today's live cutting practice was cancelled due to weather, and has been put off till tomorrow. I could not have attended today, but hopefully tomorrow I will feel strong enough.
Tomorrow night also begins the new astronomy observing phase, as the waning moon rises late enough to get in a few hours at the eyepiece before it washes out the night sky. So the next two weeks will likely be mostly cloudy. It's been the pattern now for several months.
Here are a couple of recent pics of Deb, from our ill-fated trip last week to Ann Arbor.
Corner Brewery, Ypsilanti, MI.
Jolly Pumpkin Brewpub, Ann Arbor. Both pics were taken Sunday, the day we had fun. By Sunday night I was sick.
Wednesday, July 24th/13
Drug batch #7 is down Deb's hatch, and so far there is no sign of her catching my cold. I have improved immensely since overnight last night, when I could hardly breathe and my sinuses ached through to my eye socket bones. I managed to teach 5 students today, though my voice was not very good. I mostly stayed away from Deb. By tomorrow I should not be spreading germs, and hopefully she will squeak by with no virus to catch her up. However, the fact that she hasn't caught my cold raises the question of her immune system being still too strong for her RA to back off. So we begin Week 7 with mixed feelings. Will this be the week that relief starts to come full tilt for Deb? Is she out of the danger zone for catching my cold? Stay tuned--you will hear about it here first.
Tuesday, July 23rd/13
We headed to Ann Arbor Sunday afternoon, leaving just after lunch. This was supposed to be a fun and relaxing trip, as the last time we had come Deb was just beginning her worst part of the RA thing. Of course by now we'd hoped she would be feeling much better, but it was not to be.
Disaster struck around 8 pm Sunday night, when I came down with a very sudden sore throat. No warning, just bam! I haven't had a cold or sore throat in over five years, so I guess I was overdue. Those sweaty nights at the dojo last week likely drained me of everything I had. Now, me being sick, even with a bad-ass cold like the one it turned into, isn't the end of the world. However, Deb has taken meds for six weeks to lower her immune system! If (or when) she catches this miserable thing, she will have to stop her meds. Tomorrow she is supposed to take batch #7, which is the exact point that most people say this stuff really starts to work. If she gets sick, she has to stay off her meds until she is better. Otherwise, even a small cold could turn into a major disaster. So we could lose six weeks worth of healing thanks to my cold, because she would have to start all over again. It's just too cruel to even imagine. On the other hand, if she does manage (somehow) to evade the sore throat and cold, then it must mean that her immune system is still in overdrive, and she has a long way to go before the meds will do anything for her.
Anyway, I stayed home from Iaido tonight. My nose is running like Niagara Falls when I am out of bed, where I have been all day (away from Deb). I will likely cancel my teaching tomorrow, too. This isn't just a little cold--it's a full-fledged one. Unbelievable.
Saturday, July 20th/13
Things seem the same for the Deb--a nasty Friday followed by a somewhat better Saturday. The drugs seem to take the wind out of her for two days, with Friday being worse than Thursday. By Saturday she seems back to "normal." No major relief yet for her.
Due to some severe storms Friday night, our internet was down from early Friday evening until noon Saturday. We had several brown outs and a few quick power interruptions, which appeared to fry our router. Internet is back on, though the house wi fi no longer works. We had 1.8" of rain overnight, with high winds. A very wild night!
Thursday and Friday nights I trained at the dojo. The heat and humidity have been nearly intolerable. While temps of 32C and 33C are pretty normal for us this time of year, the stifling humidity has been at record levels. Usually when temps get above 90F the sun burns off the humidity as the day goes on. For some reason, this year the humidity stays and actually builds during the day. We've had humidity in the high 60s and low seventies in the middle of the day, something I have never seen before for a full week running, giving us Humidex readings that would seem more at home in India. AC systems have a lot of trouble with this, and thus the overheated dojo. Just over two weeks of intense training remain, however, so I think I can make it through. Today, outside in the heat I did some live cutting. There are basically seven different cuts at my level, and I was successful with all but one of them. Not sure why, as it is one of the most basic of them all.
Today we had an in-house film festival, with shorts as well. We began with an old NFB masterpiece called "Ballad of Crowfoot." It's a 10 minute history of what white people did to the natives in Canada, and it's pretty damning and unforgettable. Next came a very obscure Canadian sci-fi film called "Music of the Spheres," which I still had on video cassette from the 80s when we first saw it. Same with "Crimewave," one of the best and quirkiest off-beat Canadian films ever made. Also one of the funniest. It was from the 80s, too, and on video cassette--hadn't seen either film in about 25 years. Incredible fun! We watched a short film about "The Canadian," the iconic Canadian railroad train and its journey from Montreal to Vancouver. The film is from the 50s, and remains a great piece of advertising. We finished up the festival with an Aussie classic from Peter Weir, "Picnic at Hanging Rock." We've had the director's cut on dvd for some time, still in its wrapping. A beautiful and mysterious film, worth many viewings.
Somehow in there I also got my morning walk in, did the laundry, and we made some totally amazing spaghetti!
Wednesday, July 17th/13
My one-day work week has come to an end, and my six-day weekend has begun. Deb had one student today, while I had six.
Speaking of Deb, she has been ever so slowly improving, though still has plenty of stiffness and pain to go around. Meds batch #6 is now down the hatch, but this has been by far her best Tuesday and Wednesday since beginning to take the drug. Most sources say six to eight weeks are needed, and we are just beginning Week 6. Hopes are running high.
Last night's Iaido training was by far the sweatiest workout I have ever had in my entire life. More of the same is expected tomorrow night at the dojo, and possibly Friday, too. Ridiculous humidity, even for Windsor.
Monday, July 15th/13
Deb has had three decent days now, without a really bad one so far since her last meds. Are things improving? Most definitely, though at a speed that is much slower than anticipated. She even went longer than two days without any pain meds, and was able to walk up stairs normally. One or two more intakes of her meds and I think the worst will finally be over.
We visited her family doctor today, to ask a few questions and to keep him up to date on Deb. It has been just over a month since Deb got weighed, and today we did it again. Same old 100 pound girl--nothing gained, nothing lost. Part of the new normal. Though she did ingest way more calories this month, so perhaps she is actually fighting to keep the weight she has. Anyway, there is no sunshine yet, but I think it's about to stop raining on Deb's parade. Here's hoping.
Saturday night was a really clear night, and I was out at Hallam Observatory with my scope all night, arriving back home bleary-eyed at 5 am. Had a great time. On Sunday night I went back to Iaido class, and for the first time since returning I felt as if I was in control of the sword again, and that my body language and the sword's movements were getting back in synch. This week I will try to attend on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. The moon is too near full now to observe the night sky with a telescope, so my week should be a bit lighter. By Friday I hope to be mostly ready for my black belt test, with just over two weeks left to perfect my technique and do some actual live cutting.
Saturday, July 13/13
We are halfway through Week Five, hoping to see some major improvement in Deb soon. Can't come fast enough for her. Apparently the drug takes longer if your immune system is strong. There is no doubt that Deb's system was very strong when the attack occurred--neither of us had been sick in many, many months, and she was prepared for a half-marathon at the time. So it might take the full 8 weeks, or even a bit more. But hopefully not.
We are going to try a return to Ann Arbor next weekend for a few days. The indoor pool at the hotel will allow Deb some exercise, and a bit of downtown walking will also benefit her. Hoping that in a week she will be feeling better, too. Today is not a bad day, and she is doing some knitting!
Since deciding to return full time to Iaido training, I have had two nights promising enough to set up the telescope. Both nights turned out to be humid and had an abundance of passing clouds, but at least I was able to see some deep sky objects again. So I have been very busy, especially at night. Thursday night I went to the Comber site, where the RASC telescope is. I didn't get home until 3 am. Friday night I had an Iaido class, then went out to Comber again, getting home at 2 am this time. Also in there came some piano practice, grass cutting, jungle clearing and movie watching. Deb is anxious to get back to using her telescope, newly refurbished, and we are hoping that by the next new moon cycle she will be back out with me.
Today is a stay home day for me, though tomorrow night it's back to Iaido. My test is August 6th--so much to learn until then!
Wednesday, July 10th/13
Deb has swallowed meds batch #5, as she has just completed four weeks worth of treatment. According to her doctor, this is the earliest week we might see some clear results, but it could take up to eight weeks. If there is any breaking news, you will read about it here first! Things have gotten much better with her knees and ankles, but it has now spread to her wrists and fingers. Deb managed a bit of knitting today--a simple square just to see if it was doable. It was. Look for more squares in the future.
Despite some foreboding clouds and darkness, we dodged the rain today. As promised, here is our rainfall total since June 10th, when it all began, until July 10th, when it seems to have finally ended. Clear skies are ahead. And the total is.........11.8 inches!!!!! Yikes!! I was supposed to cut the grass today--needless to say, it was too mushy.
Some of today's clouds.
More of today's clouds.
Today was a summer work day for me, with five students attending for piano lessons. My six-day weekend has now commenced!
A new friend at the bird feeder!
Monday, July 8th/13
More rain--talk about overkill. It all began June 10th, nearly a month ago. On July 10th I will publish our backyard rain totals for that time period. And not a single clear night during the waning moon phase. The moon will now get brighter and brighter for the next 14 nights, so clear skies are probably not far away. Of course. Damn.
I returned to Iaido studies last night, and will go Tuesday as well, asking Sensei's permission to attempt my black belt test on August 6th. If he gives me the green light, then I will be very very busy for the next four weeks. Last night I had some memory issues with certain katas, and of course there was no flow to my movements with the sword. It's difficult to become emotionally involved with the art after a long absence, but hopefully that will return with practice, along with a bit of gracefullness, too.
It now appears that the codeine in the Tylenol has been keeping Deb going, as much as the new drug. She cannot get through even a good day without it, though she only takes a maximum of 60 mg per day (some days 38 mg). We would like her to reduce that to 16 mg asap, but the Methotrexate will have to really begin to work its wonders before that happens. As it in itself is not a painkiller, it still will be a while. Today was Day 26, and it was not a happy one for Deb. Still, I feel confident that the drug will work for her, especially since she began taking it very early on in her bout with the disease. As week three comes to an end, we have high hopes for week 4!
Saturday, July 6th/13
Deb continues to ride the roller coaster to wellness. She's up; she's down; she's up... it's proving to be quite a ride. Thursday she enjoyed a pretty good day. Friday was horrible, with pain and frustration. Today was one of her best days yet. Saturday is proving to be pretty consistent as a good day, and Friday considerably less than same.
We enjoyed another fun cross-border day, this time in downtown Royal Oak, MI. I tried some cider (blueberry) and some British inspired pale ale at Royal Oak Brewpub. Both were very good, especially the beer. Then we went down the street for lunch to Inn Season, a veggie restaurant we've been occasionally visiting since it opened in 1981! Superb food, as always. We'd hoped to visit the farmers' market, but it had ended by the time we had finished our lunch. Next came coffee downtown on busy Main Street, and then Deb did some browsing at a very well-run and impressively-stocked Salvation Army store. We finished up at Holiday Market, an expensive but extremely well-stocked grocery store just outside of downtown.
No naps today for Deb, just walking and eating. All is good, with today (Day 24) possibly being the best yet.
Thursday, July 4th/13
Sitting here at 10 pm listening to fireworks from Michigan--been going steady since 6 pm, and getting worse and worse. Last night from 10 pm until midnight. If only it would rain!
A fun day today, beginning with my first intensive hill walk at Malden Hill Park. If today is any indication for Deb, we should have no problem travelling west in August if we wish. Usually the day after taking her pills she is quite down and tired. Not today. Except for the pain, it was almost like having the old Deb back again. No nap, chipper all day, able to walk up stairs leg over leg (normally). Day 22 and she seems to be making steady progress. Sometimes it's sudden, like two weeks ago, and other times it's very subtle, like last week. We'll see what tomorrow brings, but today was an amazing day!
In the afternoon Jennifer came over for a craft beer tasting event. Deb made chili. We sat outside, and we got the new gazebo set up. Ruth came by for a few hours, too. A very fun afternoon, and Deb was right in the midst of it. It was almost weird seeing her so up for things. And she is still awake, watching a movie on tv. Go figure.
Wednesday, July 3rd/13
The 4th batch of meds are down the hatch, and Deb is pretty certain that there is improvement. She had decent days both yesterday and today, so hooray! Two days of "meh" coming up, and then hopefully even more improvement.
Got the grass cut today, after my first piano student (yes, it was a work day--summer holidays are over until Aug. 8th). I also got the lower deck repaired, replacing 4 of the rotten boards. Nothing was accomplished on the jungle clearing project, however, and nothing will get done tomorrow, either.
I did begin my mountain hiking prep program, even though it is unlikely to prove useful this summer. We'll see--if Deb is much better by the end of July, we might still be able to pull something off. If not, then we will try later in the year.
Yesterday I spent the day in Detroit with Jennifer G., a former student and now good friend. She and her young son Aston visit family here every summer (they are from B.C.). Jenn is a craft beer afficianado, and we visited three pubs. Deb stayed home. Not only can she not drink, but she is not likely to easily last a full day trip at this point. It was her first full day home alone since the crisis, and she made out just fine, even doing a batch of food prep in the afternoon.
Tomorrow Jenn is coming over here, and we will sample some of the craft beer she brought with her from the States. Can't wait for that!
Monday, July 1st/13
Well, wasn't that a fun holiday in Essex County? It poured rain from 1 pm until 7 pm, canceling many events, including the fireworks. It probably didn't make too many campers happy, either. At least it gave me a day off from clearing the jungle, though now it will just grow that much more. Today, 2".2 of rain landed in the old backyard rain gauge, and our muddy, fast-flowing creek shows it.
I added up the rain totals for June--7".15!! Considering that none fell until the 10th of the month, the floodgates opened after that and have yet to close. That's nearly 9".5 of rain in about 3 weeks. I think that's enough. We will be swatting mosquitoes until December down here.
Deb continues her battle with RA, fighting off pain and extreme fatigue as best as she can. Right now I would say that her condition is stable, meaning that it is not getting worse, nor anywhere near the desperate condition she was the first time she saw her Rheumatologist, when he took one look at her and gave her a massive shot of cortisone. Today wasn't a bad day for her, so she has had three days in a row of somewhat less discomfort. She is sleeping longer and better now, too, though is always very stiff when she wakes up. Only one pain pill today, too. Two more days until her next large dose of meds. We are hopeful the tide has turned, and that each week will bring additional relief. It's still too early to say that it is definitely happening. Hopefully we will be saying that it is in a week or two.
Sunday, June 30th/13
Deb enjoyed another day with some slight but noticeable improvement. Her ability to bend her knees was much better, and again it was 1 1/2 pain pills today instead of the usual two (A Tylenol 3 counts as one, and a Tylenol 1 counts as a half). Due to her wrists improving over the past few days she has been able to resume drawing her RA cartoons. Some are very very funny, and if you know an RA sufferer you should really send them the link to Deb's blog (opposite, above the large photo).
My day began fine, with a long walk and some work outside the house taming the jungle growth. Just after lunch I had another attack of Meniere's, my first in just over two weeks. It was my fifth one for June, but I do hope they continue to lessen. 50 mg of Gravol helped control it, but as usual I am now left feeling like a burned out light bulb.
It hasn't rained here in two days. Tomorrow I will publish the monthly rainfall amount here.
Saturday, June 29th/13
Friday did not provide Deb with any relief, and it was a slow-moving and painful day for her. Somewhat discouraging. Then today she noticed some improvement, though nothing like last Saturday, when we went to Ferndale. However, we will take any improvement at this stage, no matter how small.
We went ahead and planned a Saturday outing anyway, and met up with five very good friends for lunch in Windsor. Deb managed to sit for nearly 90 minutes, so that is impressive. Instead of her usual two pain killers every day, today she took 1 1/2. So a slight improvement, and we will take it. We are still two to four weeks away from when we should be noticing some big changes, but we are impatient. Hopefully she will get at least one more decent day out of this week.
After lunch I went and filled up my growler with IPA from the nearby Walkerville Brewery, and enjoyed a refreshing glass of it later on at home. After that we went to Fred's, a great produce/specialty grocery store in Windsor, which we pass often on the way home. So there were good things for supper tonight, and for the next few days to come.
I continue to do my best to clean up the gardens and yard. I should have done a before and after photo--things already look so much better, but there is still a nearly endless amount to do.
It's been just over a year since I broke my foot in Detroit, attending one of Deb's races. Though it still aches from time to time, all is mostly well. And it's been well over two years since I injured my knee (at my very first Iaido class). It still hurts from time to time, as it did today. I must have twisted it while weeding.
Thursday, June 27th/13
Day 15 has come and gone, as we get closer to the magic number, which is somewhere between 45 and 60. By then we will have a very good idea of how much Deb will improve with her RA meds. The third batch, her first of the larger ones, went down the hatch Wed. evening with no problems or side effects. Some people react so badly that they have to do it by injection. The day after (Thursdays) Deb is always very tired and still quite sore. The past two Fridays have seen improvements, and we are hopeful for even more tomorrow and Saturday.
I had every intention of going to Iaido tonight, but the timing of our storms meant that I did not get the garbage, recycling and cardboard outside until well after 8 pm. I may attend open practice tomorrow instead.
It seems an impossible task for one person to keep up with the yard work this year. With so much heat, humidity and rain things are totally out of control. This is my third or fourth day of trying, but it seems quite hopeless. I need my helper back. At least most of the weeds pull out easily when it's wet out. But they grow 3-6" every day. Chop them down and they are right back up. Sigh. I also need to replace a few rotten boards on the lower deck, and get a new gazebo up. The mosquitoes are way too bad to sit out in the evening without screening.
Monday, June 24th/13
Today I will begin with a few Mike updates, before giving one on Deb. First to piano--Phase One: Learning to Play the New Pieces has come to an end, and Phase Two has begun. Theoretically I now begin to memorize the entire program. Reality usually sets in about a month later, when it becomes all too apparent that my brain will not allow such a task to be fulfilled. But at least some of the great works I will perform in the autumn will get memorized.
I am playing a Prelude and Fugue by Bach, in C minor from Book 2. The fugue is in 4 voices, and if I could only even memorize this work I would be a happy guy. Next up is a set of variations by Haydn. This should get memorized without too much pain--it is a very emotional and fantastic piece, and I can't wait to perform it.
The very first Chopin Nocturne, in Bb minor, will be next on the program, followed by 3 Debussy selections from Children's Corner. I am performing the Prelude, Jimbo's Lullaby, and The Snow is Dancing. I seldom have difficulty memorizing works by Debussy.
The Windsor program will conclude with two duets performed with Paula M., a piece by Satie and another by Gershwin. For the Toronto version of the concert, I will try and talk Amanda L. into doing the Satie with me, and perhaps Steven S. for the Gershwin.
Besides returning to music, I have managed to get my walking program back. I have just completed 5 weeks of a six-week basic program, which will be followed by the 6-week advanced course, for backpacking and hiking in the mountains. If Deb is feeling better by mid-August, we may still try and make it to the west. Deb would not hike yet, but if she can drive she can drop me at the trailheads in the mornings and collect me later on, while spending time in Taos or in the woods closer to the vehicle.
Iaido has only happened once since the crisis began, though it may happen a 2nd time later this week. Nothing definite decided there yet.
And now, to Deb. She has just completed Day 12 on her meds, as we anticipate the first bigger dose this Wednesday. We now know the meds do work for her, but in a very limited capacity. Day 9 (last Friday) she noticed a difference. On Day 10 she peaked, noticing a big difference. Day 11 (yesterday) was a return to Friday's level, and today was a bumpy descent once again. The question is whether or not her meds are strong enough to completely kick the disease back, or whether she will have to make do with 3 or perhaps 4 good days a week. Of course that would be a big improvement and help, but we are hoping for so much more. Stay tuned for further updates, but assume for now that Deb has a few bad days ahead. Hopefully by Friday she will be bouncing back again, stronger and longer...
Saturday, June 22nd/13
We had further evidence today that Deb's meds are beginning to work for her, despite only being Day 10, and she still on the lower dosage. Deb had a fairly awesome day, especially when compared to Thursday, when her pain and depression were getting to be a bit much for her. Yesterday was better, and we suspected the meds. Today she had a good day, managing a trip to Ferndale, a funky near-suburb of Detroit. It was very hot and sticky, and there was a fair amount of walking involved as we explored shops, book stores, a brew pub (for lunch), a great little grocery store, and a cafe. Deb was very pleasantly surprised at herself, even back home when she was expecting to be really stiff from all the car sitting and the walking around. Now we are really anxious for next Wed., when the dosage will be upped. Are we seeing light at the end of the tunnel of pain? Too early to say, but we are both now cautiously optimistic. We had a really fun day, one of the best since Deb got her shot 5 weeks ago that helped her so much. Stayed tuned for further updates.
Deb peruses the menu at Woodward Avenue Brewing Company, in Ferndale, MI.
The food and beverages arrive.
Deb ordered a salad and a house-made root beer. I had a glass of gazpacho, and another one of pale ale, also made in-house.
Friday, June 21st/13
Summer Solstice has come and gone! Happy Solstice! As the sun turns about, it's time to prepare for the great darkness of winter. However, if you wish to put it off for a few months, that's quite acceptable. It has actually been a very pleasant spring in our area. It began on the cool side, and a major heatwave has yet to strike. This is all good. And apart from our 3" of rain on the 12th, it has been dry and pleasant.
Deb has successfully swallowed her 2nd batch of meds, her final one at the "introductory" level. Next week she increases the dosage by 25%. We are looking forward to it. Today wasn't a bad day for Deb (yesterday was, with some very bad pain). Maybe a 10% improvement today, possibly caused by the meds trying to switch off her immune system. She only took one Tylenol 3 today instead of her usual 2. Saturday we are hoping to get our weekly Detroit excursion in. It will be a hot day, and stormy.
Tonight I performed with a colleague at a gathering of adult students. We played duets by Satie and Gershwin. It went very well!
Wednesday, June 19th/13
Only one day of teaching left, and it's summer holidays! Beginning in July we will only teach on Wednesdays, and only for 6 weeks. We have a fair number of students registering for summer lessons, so Wed. will be busy.
Deb takes her 2nd big batch of meds tonight. No problems last week (and no results that we could see), and we anticipate none tonight. Next week she begins the full dosage. Two weeks after that we might start to see some improvement. She is still walking without a cane, but her wrists have become very painful lately.
I returned to Iaido last night, for the first time in over two months. I haven't decided yet if I will return full-time to complete my Shodan test. It would mean leaving Deb alone a lot of evenings, especially as the test neared. Not an easy decision. Not sure my schedule can handle it at any rate.
Sunday, June 16th/13
It was student concert day today! It was held at the university, in the music building. We had a huge turnout of relatives and friends. All of our students performed well, and the audience was very impressed (as were the two teachers). We should have a group photo to put up here by the end of the week.
Yesterday morning I awoke to my upteenth Meniere's attack of 2013, pretty much losing another whole day. This spring has been the absolute worst series of attacks I could have ever imagined. Usually after one or two, they go away for months at a time.
Friday night was clear, so out I went with the telescope again. It turned out to be not such a great night, as the humidlity was 85%. It was like trying to look at stars though a fish bowl. Tonight, though, is one of the best clear skies I have ever seen in Essex County, though the bright first quarter moon makes any thought of deep sky observing out of the question. Sigh.
Deb continues to survive, as we patiently await the effects of her new meds. She is using Tylenol 3s in the meantime. No cane at all today!
Friday, June 14th/13
Wednesday night was quite a night, as rain came down heavier and for far longer than I have ever seen here in Amherstburg. Thursday morning the backyard rain gauge showed 3"!! That is an amazing amount of rain to fall in one night. The creek was flowing fast and muddy, but everything seemed okay.
Even more amazing was that it cleared up and I was able to set up the telescope in Malden and observe until 1:30 last night! While I had a fun night of it, it didn't do much to help my sleep deprivation.
Deb downed her first batch of meds Wed. at around 8 pm. She will take it once a week on the same day and at the same time. In 4-8 weeks she could be much better. There is a chance the meds will not work at all for her, and alternatives become increasingly toxic. This drug is no picnic, but other than a "hangover" feeling on Thursday, she made it through okay. Same dosage next Wed., and then it increases by 25% thereafter.
Though she continues to stiffen up and use her pain meds, she felt okay to follow along on our weekly Detroit adventure again today. First I had a cleaning appointment at the dentist, and then we crossed the bridge and headed to Buddy's Pizza in Dearborn for lunch. They have a new deep dish pizza called "Vegan Tuscan." Damn good, too! Half left over for dinner. Deb finally realizes that she needs to ingest a hefty amount of (healthy) calories, or she risks becoming the next Incredible Shrinking Woman. She ate as much pizza as me today, so that is a good start.
Our small (4") Astroscan telescope has returned from Edmund Scientific, and was waiting for us at the mailbox. The mirror was cleaned and it looks like new! It had looked so bad we thought it needed replacing. $39 and we are now good to go!
Looking good for tonight, as clear skies prevail. I'd nearly given up hope of using my telescope again. Two nights in a row seems like a dream come true.
Wednesday, June 12/13
The 4-week wait between doctor appointments with Dr. Abdelgader didn't go too badly, though Deb is now at 100 pounds, down from about 118 before this started. If she loses a few more pounds, I'll be able to carry her piggyback style on our hiking expeditions.
She began her drug regime this evening, and tonight we will learn if any of the many possible side effects will bother her. She takes 15 mg of Apo-Methotrexate once a week for two weeks, then ups the dosage to 20 mg, indefinitely. She also has to take a large dose of folic acid daily. And that's it. We see the doctor again in early October, hopefully with the symptoms vastly reduced or in remission. Deb has to have blood work every 4 weeks, to monitor her liver, as she is essentially taking a chemo drug, quite toxic to much of her body. This is not fun stuff, but it is supposed to have a good chance of working for her. It will likely be 4-8 weeks before we notice a change. So we are still going downhill for a while yet.
Tuesday, June 11th/13
Well, my hopes for returning to Iaido tonight were dashed. Not only did I get less than three hours sleep last night (long story, to do with yesterday's Meniere's attack), but today I got hit by a major allergy attack. To say that I had no energy today, and am going to bed very early tonight, is an understatement. Hopefully next week, perhaps even Sunday. I have not been getting any breaks lately.
We finished watching Black Rain, a devastating Japanese film about the aftermath of the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The film jumps between ground zero on the day of the bombing, and five years later as the radiation poisoning takes its effect on people who were in the area after the event, referred to by the people in the movie as "The Flash." While the horrific scenes on the day of are very hard to watch (they are remarkable for realistically showing what it must have been like), the real genius of the film is in showing a peaceful and beautiful mountain village years later, and the everyday sort of people that inhabit it and who suffer the consequences of the bombing. An unmissable film, it has been next to impossible to see in the USA (hmm, I wonder why), but is now more widely available (we rented our copy from Netflix).
We also finished playing a computer adventure game called Gray Matter. Created by Jane Jenson, the woman behind the Gabriel Knight series, this was very nearly a brilliant game, let down eventually by its own good storytelling. The story of Samantha the Magician and her involvement with David Styles, an Oxford professor doing some heavy brain research, is so good that the puzzles get in the way and slow the story down to a crawl. This would have made a fantastic graphic novel, even better than a computer game. Ironically, when we began playing it on March 11th of this year, there was no hint yet of Deb's oncoming illness. We've been playing together off and on as things developed.
Tomorrow is Deb's 2nd appointment with her Rheumatologist, so a full report will follow tomorrow evening.
Monday, June 10th/13
Another decent day for Deb, and she was not unduly stiff or sore from her successful walk yesterday. Two more sleeps and we return to her doctor, hopefully to begin treatment at last. We even got out for groceries later in the day.
I am really hoping that I can return to Iaido tomorrow night, and possibly take my delayed black belt test in early August. We'll see how the ear is doing tomorrow, but right now it seems okay.
We received some much-needed rain today, 0.6" to be exact. It has not been a very wet spring, nor very hot. Not complaining!
Sunday, June 9th/13
The gods were smiling today, as Deb had a good day. She completed her 1 km walk, raising $465 for the Arthritis Society at the same time. A far cry from her favoured 20+ km marathon walks she prefers, but we'll take what we can get. Mary M. came out to cheer Deb on. The first 500 metres went very well. The return was a slog, but it got done! Huzzah!
It was a small but dedicated group that participated today. Most everyone did the 5 km walk (or attempted it). Maybe next year.
Deb heads for the start, sporting her new hand-painted shirt (Slow Moving Vehicle).
The payoff!!
Saturday, June 8th/13
Like a clock that is slowly winding down and running slower and slower, Deb finds herself one night away from her 1 km walk tomorrow at Malden Hill Park. Today she walked 1/2 km, and it tired her out completely. She recharged after a lie down, then lunch, then a long nap. It will be a tough go for her--probably tougher than her half marathons used to be when she was in top shape. It will be a big day. It will also be a good marker event, seeing how far Deb can walk and at what cost, before she begins her new medication. We are supposed to see decent results after 8 weeks (mid-August), so tomorrow will be a good reference point.
I got a start on deforesting the yard today. I've been kept busy with grass cutting and weed wacking, and have had very little time to get at the wild shrubs and dozens of small trees that grow every year on our property. I cleared two small areas today, working up a good sweat. So much more to do, at least three more attacks on different areas. Within about three years our house would be overrun by vines, climbing ivy and new trees if left to their own devices. It's a constant battle against a very healthy ecosystem.
Friday, June 7th/13
A busy and fun day today, and no nap! That made it an early night for Deb, though. We went to Detroit this morning, including a trip to our mailbox. After unsuccessfully searching a big drug store for a portable, foldable seat cushion for Deb, we headed downtown and into the newly opened Whole Foods Market. It was outrageously busy, simply packed with people. We managed to have a quick look around (yup, it's a Whole Foods all right, but a small one), picked up a few supplies, then headed to Seva for a delicious vegan lunch. The chairs there are very small and uncomfortable, but Deb lasted the 45 minutes, and ate a ton of food, too!
Returning to Windsor, we went to Tepperman's Furniture Store. Deb needed a recliner, and we found a perfect one for her. She gets very uncomfortable sleeping in the same position in bed at night (she has no choice, as only one position works right now), and has been suffering from neck and shoulder pain as a result. With a recliner, she will be able to split her night between her new bed and her new chair. We also picked up an adjustable stool for her to sit on. Our chairs are too low. We found a sweet one in the sale room, and her life is now that much more comfortable. By the time we got home, got the old chair out of her room and the new one in, it was too late to take a nap. That didn't stop Deb from enjoying her new chair, and looking forward happily to tonight's sleep. Four more days until her next medical appointment, hopefully to begin taking new meds.
Thursday, June 6th/13
With another week of private music teaching now wrapped up, we are left with two more weeks of our final semester, plus the student concert on the 16th. After that comes a week off, followed by a six week summer semester, of which we only teach one day a week. We don't know yet if Deb will teach at all. Hopefully she can make it through two more weeks. Her donation page is now well over $400 for Sunday's walk. Deb has been in training for it, and may have a small delegation there to cheer her on. It begins at 10 am at Malden Hill Park. She hopes to walk an entire 1 km, but there are no guarantees. Her ankles are swelling again, and pain is increasing and spreading. So far she has been using only one Tylenol 3 each day, but that will likely increase before her medical appointment next Wednesday.
Tuesday, June 4th/13
Deb's "Get Out of Jail Free" card is slowly expiring. Her ankles are swelling again and things are sliding backwards. We'd hoped for 4 weeks of better times. At least there is now only one more week until she sees her doctor again, hopefully to begin treatment. Her spirits are still reasonably good, as we both hope for results from the upcoming meds she will be taking. She was able to get out yesterday and get her hair trimmed, and then we went for groceries.
I enjoyed a clear night out in Malden with the telescope last night. It was supposed to be clear Sunday, too, but it wasn't. I had a lot of fun observing, packing things up around 1 am and not getting to bed until after 2 am. Then it was up early today, as we were getting our south picture window covered with a reflective covering. Just today it made a significant difference of about 2 degrees F, helping keep the house cooler on sunny days.
After nap time, Christine D. dropped by for a visit with Deb. I wrote up my astronomy notes, then taught piano for a short time. I have almost eliminated Tuesday teaching from my schedule already, something I am looking forward to next year. Three more weeks of teaching, plus our final concert, and the season will be over. I have a performance with Paula on the 21st, too.
Saturday, June 1st/13
I finally had my full blown Meniere's attack last night. What is that like, you ask? You'll be sorry. After over 10 days of having my right ear plugged (and only about 20% hearing in that ear), it began to unplug last night around 6 pm. During plugged times, ordinary sounds seem amplified and harsh. General body balance is not good. Usually when it unplugs it is good news, as the pressure in both ears become equalized at last. But by 7 pm I was swallowing Gravol as fast as I could. Things begin to spin out of control. Violent nausea results. If sitting, I have to stare at one spot on the wall. Moving the eyes even slightly from right to left causes a freak out. Walking is all but impossible. It took an hour, but the 150 mg of Gravol helped settle things down enough that I could lie on the couch. Attacks usually last 4 to 6 hours, but this one went on much longer. By 9 pm I was able to crawl upstairs to bed with my trusty bucket lined with a plastic kitchen garbage bag. The meds literally knock me out. I awoke at 1:30 am with everything spinning like crazy again. The meds had worn off, and the attack was continuing, only worse now. I managed to get another 150 mg of Gravol down, but became violently sick about forty- five minutes later. Back to bed, and mercifully the drugs knocked me out again until 7:30 am.
The day after an attack is a lost day. I have no energy, no emotions, no appetite and even less ambition. I am writing this just after 9 pm tonight, and just beginning to feel normal again. After a hiatus of about five years, the attacks have returned and are now more frequent than ever. I can only hope they go away again. In the meantime, you may wish to purchase shares in Gravol.
Friday, May 31st/13
Heat, humidity and storms seem to be the norm of late. No hope in sight for a clear night of observing.
My piano practice and walking schedule have been going great guns lately, though even walking early on is getting to be uncomfortable.
Deb's Arthritis Walk donation site has received well over $300 to date. Her goal was to reach $100. Thank you to all our generous friends and relatives! Deb is really pleased.
Deb continues to hold her own. It's been two weeks since her cortisone shot, so she is likely halfway through her respite. As the cortisone gradually wears off her symptoms will slowly and inevitably return. In 12 days she will see her Rheumatologist again, likely to start her low dosage chemo meds. The idea is to scale back her immune system, so her body will cease and desist attacking itself. She hasn't been sleeping well lately, though she still tries to take her p.m. snooze. Her shoulders and neck are not happy about having to sleep in one position all of the time (on her back). Her sore hips make it impossible to sleep on her side.
We are hoping to complete our usual weekend trek to Detroit tomorrow. My ear is still bad, though not as bad as yesterday. Can't wait for that problem to go away for awhile. We each seem to have a disease for which no cause is known, nor is there a cure. All I can do is keep taking Gravol. At least it allows me plenty of sleep.
Tuesday, May 29th/13
Things are still running relatively smoothly around here, though I have yet to return to Iaido. I had hoped to go back tonight, but my Meniere's has been troublesome for a week now. The right ear gets a full sensation, and my balance suffers. I have not had a full attack in some time, though even where things are now I cannot drive to Windsor. Perhaps Friday I can make it.
Deb has been blogging on her Walking Fool page, so if you haven't been there before, here is the link. Also, if you have not donated yet for her 1 km walk on June 9th to raise money for the National Arthritis Society Walk, you may do so here. Click on "Donate" and then enter "Deb Ethier." And thank-you!
Sadly, Deb's disease goes considerably beyond arthritis. There are no known triggers for Rheumatoid Arthritis. It's nothing she ate, or didn't eat. And it certainly isn't from a lack of exercise, or an injury or overuse. Or anything that anyone really knows. It may go into remission. It may continue to worsen. The upcoming course of meds may halt the symptoms, slow them, or have no effect whatsoever. As far as fighting back somehow, it is a very frustrating disease. There is really nothing you can do. That doesn't stop people from giving advice, however....
Saturday, May 25th/13
While my life begins to return to normal, Deb is learning to adjust to a very new normal. Deb was never one to take naps, whereas I will grab one whenever I can. Now she must sack out for 2 1/2 hours each day after lunch. Walking is currently possible for her, but very tiring. Less than a mile yesterday cost her some pain and tiredness today. However, spirits are up and pain is down.
I managed my first full piano practice today since the crisis began, and things look promising for tomorrow, too. Some yard work got done yesterday and today, and poor Ferdinand's ashes finally got spread beneath his favourite bush, just outside our back deck. My walking program has resumed, too, after a month-long hiatus. If I can return to Iaido this week, then all will be well with my world, at least until Deb begins her treatment.
Sero Negative has no cure, so it's a bit tough adjusting to that scenario. Controlling the symptoms is the best we can hope for, allowing Deb a normal but different kind of life. We should know more after her June 12th appointment with her rheumatologist.
Roses sent by Patricia and Kevin Blok, our two unbelievably incredible Senseis from our dojo, helped Deb's spirits a lot this weekend. It also allowed me to use my newest camera, which was purchased for our (cancelled) Hawaii adventure.
Details from the amazing bouquet of roses sent by Sensei Patricia and Sensei Kevin Blok.
Thursday, May 23rd/13
Two medical appointments today took up our entire morning, beginning at 8:30 am at Hotel Dieu and ending at noon at the Windsor Cardiac Center. 99% of it was waiting around, but the 1% we were with doctors brought two pieces of good news.
First, from Hotel Dieu--no knee surgery is needed at this time. With the swelling currently under control, things will be left alone for the time being.
Secondly, the heart check-up went well. Meds have been scaled back to once daily instead of twice, and no mention was made of having the surgery redone in London. He wants us to check back in one year! Compared to one week ago, when things were at their very worst, we could not have imagined a better week for Deb than we have had! No more medical appointments now until June 12th, when she will likely begin her meds for Sero Negative RA.
In other good news, it rained today! Nearly a half inch in the rain gauge. The robins seem to be quite pleased, along with the grass and flowers. It's getting pretty damn cold, though.
Tuesday, May 21st/13
Hot and dry weather continues. After a very cool early spring, it has turned into a hot late one. We need significant rain. It's been over three weeks now, and the trees are looking droopy. I haven't cut the grass in a while, either, as it will just burn itself brown. We did not get the predicted nasty weather. Rain we need; storms we don't. Poor Oklahoma.
Tonight was the night I was supposed to take my black belt test in Iaido. Hopefully I will be able to prepare myself for an August test instead.
Deb continues to do well, and is happy for now and at ease. Today she had an echo cardiogram done in Windsor. We go back for results on Thursday, as well as to see a different doctor about her knee problems.
Monday, May 20th/13
Three good days for Deb (and thus for me). What a difference a week can make (and a whole team of doctors). The treatment we received last week at Hotel Dieu (and the week before) was first rate, and equal or superior to anything we could have received in Michigan, had we gone that route. Without the visit to Emerg last Sunday, though, nothing would have happened. Nothing. Deb, through her family doctor, was scheduled to see a rheumatologist in November! That would have never happened--we would have been off to Henry Ford Hospital very quickly.
We both really hope that the worst of her suffering is over, though things are very unpredictable with auto-immune diseases.
Yesterday we managed a short walk in the woods at Maidstone Conservation Area. We always take a May 1st wildflower walk, though this year it looked as if we would have to miss it. Better late than never. The forest was carpeted in wild geraniums.
Last night Amanda L. came to visit, bearing arm loads of gifts in the way of music books from RCM. Wow! She stayed for dinner and a bit of observing with the telescope after dark.
Today we stayed home, enjoying a quiet day. Tomorrow morning Deb goes back to the heart doctor, to see what comes next in her big (unwanted) adventure...
Deb on the boardwalk yesterday at Maidstone Conservation Area. She overdid it a bit, but thoroughly enjoyed getting back to the woods.
Saturday, May 18th/13
Deb is even better today, and though we know it is temporary and not part of a cure, it certainly is great to see her doing most things for herself once again. She was able to make a quick trip to Detroit this morning with me, and we didn't have to stop once to let her get out and stretch. Back in Windsor, we went to a favourite downtown cafe for lunch. Needless to say, her mood is vastly improved, too. Instead of pain levels of 8, 9 and 10, she is back to 3s and 4s.
As for me, total exhaustion has finally set in. Despite 7 hours sleep last night, and a necessary 2-hr snooze this afternoon, I am ready for bed again at 6 pm. My body clock is totally out of sync with reality. I feel as if I flew to Hong Kong and back on the same weekend. Hopefully a few nights of good sleep will get me back on my feet. Though it is clear tonight, I could never stay awake until dark. No observing tonight.
With all the activity going on concerning Deb, we have not had time to properly mourn our little friend Ferdinand. He was put to sleep on Saturday, April 20th. He was with us for 21 happy years, about as long as we have lived in our house. It just isn't the same without him around. Tomorrow is Ferdie's day. We will also spread his ashes in the back yard.
Friday, May 17th/13
Hallelujah! Deb had a good day, with the promise of more to come. Despite her worst morning yet, we got her back to Windsor (after three stops to stretch), this time to see a rheumatologist. And he is going to actually help her! Ever since the visit to Emerg last Sunday, things have been happening so fast. It took only five days to see this doctor, as opposed to 7 months to see a different one through Deb's family doctor. For us, Emerg was the turning point. Once the doctor there saw how much pain Deb was in (and swelling that has startled every doctor since), wheels were set in motion. We even have a pretty certain diagnosis. "Sera Negative" is what they call rheumatoid arthritis when it does not show up vbery clearly in the blood test. He said her symptoms were classic. He spent nearly 40 minutes with Deb and I today in his office. He does not have all her test results yet, and will see her again in less than 4 weeks. At this point she should be able to begin treatment, which is lengthy and involves taking a pretty strong drug. In the meantime, he gave her a shot of cortisone that should last a while. She began to feel immediately better, and though we did not go dancing tonight, Deb says she feels now like she did a month ago. Her pain has been progressive and steadily worse till now, and for the first time in a long time she went to bed tonight in a fairly relaxed state.
Thursday, May 16th/13
Two more doctors today make six so far, and number seven is coming tomorrow. Back to Hotel Dieu Hospital this morning, where more tests were done and more doctors became amazed and sympathetic to Deb's plight. Each medical adventure brings us more information, though no treatment has started yet. It seems to be Lupus, though. Tomorrow we see a rheumatoid arthritis specialist. Yay. Today was five days in a row in to Windsor; tomorrow makes six. Next week is shaping up to be nearly as busy. The MRI and the bone scan show some big problems with knees, ankles, hips and shoulders. Blood work shows elevated r.a. levels. Bakers cyst behind left knee (they didn't check the right, which is also painful--these can be caused by Lyme disease). Torn meniscus in left knee.
Deb underwent a very painful fluid extraction from her swollen and very tender left knee today. I had to take a walk during that one...
So, we now have heart problems, possible Lupus, and a left knee in need of surgery. Good grief.
In other news, it seems as if it will be clear tonight. I have set up the telescope on the back deck in anticipation. Have to get up early tomorrow, though, to go back to Windsor for medical appt with Deb.
Wednesday, May 15th/13
We saw Deb's physician today, mostly bringing him up to date on recent happenings. We are still awaiting results from the Lyme disease blood test, one week after blood was drawn. He gave her some decent pain meds, and she is giving them a try tonight.
Tomorrow we are up bright and early for an appointment at Hotel Dieu with a specialist in internal medicine. This marks five days in a row with medical appointments. Although we are hoping some treatment can get started, the doctors are limited by the Lyme disease thing. Until we know one way or another, a full treatment plan cannot begin, even for rheumatoid arthritis. With the long weekend coming up, if the results aren't back by Friday we will be even less happy than we are now.
Amanda will be coming back to the Burg this weekend, so we are looking forward to some socializing. It's been very quiet around here, except for students and parents.
Despite the grimness of the situation, we are doing our best to keep a sense of humour. Lots of off-colour joking, trying to find something funny in a very bad and serious situation. Sometimes spitting out water can be a good thing.
Tuesday, May 14th/13
We are amidst five days in a row of medical events. Sunday was a visit to emerg, Monday was back to the hospital for ultra-sound on knee and ankle, and today was back yet again for an MRI on the knee. Tomorrow is an appt with Deb's GP, and Thursday we see an internal medicine specialist back at the hospital. By that time we had better have some treatment underway, or we are off to Michigan.
I teach piano to three lovely children from the Savoni family, and at Christmas I was generously given a $50 gift certificate to Toscana, a restaurant in south Windsor. We finally made it there tonight, after the MRI. Deb had wine, I had Muskoka double IPA, and we shared two orders of sushi and a black bean bruschetta. Everything was top notch, and the service was impeccable. We hope to be back.
Sunday, May 12th/13
We both spoke to our mothers today. All seems well with both of them. It was cold and windy in Lindsay and Sudbury, with the addition of some snow in Sudbury.
Deb had her worst day yet, in a continuing downward spiral of pain and immobility. By 6 pm I'd made up my mind to bring her to emerg. We made our preparations and were at Hotel Dieu by 7 pm. We had to stop twice on the way to get Deb out of the car for a brief stretch.
By 7:25 pm she was in a bed (triage did not like the sight of her badly swollen foot). Next came blood work, several visits from a doctor, a nice needle with some decent painkiller, an x-ray and some blood results showing a strong possibility of r.a. However, he sent off another blood test for Lyme Disease, as the symptoms fit like a glove. The damned test takes over a week for results, and he could not give the antibiotic that would cure it, as it can have a negative effect on symptoms of r.a. So, if it is Lyme disease treatment will be an antibiotic and hopefully a fast cure. If it is rheumatoid arthritis, then somewhat longer to get better. However, we are booked for ultrasound tomorrow, and back to the hospital in about two weeks to see internal medicine specialists. We still have the MRI Tuesday and an appt with the family doctor Wed. But at least things are moving faster now.
It is very clear out tonight, but I am too tired to set up the telescope. I had a lovely though chilly night last night on the back deck, and would have loved another one, but it is not to be. It's midnight now, so goodnight.
Saturday, May 11/13
Deb's knees weren't too bad today, though swelling is still prevalent, especially the left knee and ankle. Today's problem was the right shoulder, which appears to be seizing up. I've been through several months of shoulder therapy myself, so we went through many of the exercises today. Her left shoulder wasn't too bad, but the right one needs work, to put it mildly.
We had our first non-medical outing in a week today, as we went to Lasalle for groceries and pet food. Counting down the days (4 more) until Wednesday's medical appointment. The MRI is Tuesday, but that seems a mere formality at this point. It won't tell us anything we don't already know. The knee is sore and swollen, but so are the ankles, hips and shoulders. We need to know what is happening to her entiree body, not just the knee. Way back when the MRI was ordered, it was just the knee. Seems like the good old days now.
Deb's heart monitor has been mostly quiet, except when she accidentally hits the button and sends a reading downtown. Oops. Must happen all the time. The cardiologist detected some problems with the heart rhythm, so her meds are also keeping that stabilized. We don't know yet if this is a separate problem, or if everything is somehow related.
I managed to snag a clear night finally, and set up the 12" on the back deck. It was too cold and too windy to go anywhere else, and I was suitably sheltered. The skies are not that great from my location, with Amherstburg's light pollution spoiling much of my sky. However, I did see some remarkable things tonight, including many bright galaxies, a globular star cluster, and, after midnight, Saturn and its amazing rings. I will soon be lying in bed with lovely images in my mind's eye.
Thursday, May 9th/13
A relatively normal day, though Deb certainly did not improve, nor get to her high point that she was able to reach even a week ago. So we are slowly sliding downhill still, and likely will unless we hear something regarding her recent blood tests. It's impossible to see her family doctor before Wednesday, which is totally ridiculous, so we will likely go to the clinic before then and see any old doctor to get her blood and bone scan results sooner. If it is Lyme, then she needs antibiotics a week ago, not a week from now. One would think that someone would contact her, but that doesn't seem to happen here. We can't contact her doctor, either. Utterly crazy, inefficient and heartless.
Week two of teaching is over, with 6 more to go until summer. We have already notified Anita L. that we might be unable to teach music camp this summer. Utter bummer, as that pays our dojo fees for a whole year.
As to the dojo, I may try and go tomorrow night, though I may skip to Detroit instead, to pick up some shoes for Deb at the mailbox, and our monthly shipment of vitamins.
As to astronomy, it looks like a write-off for the weekend. It was to be a dark sky night at Point Pelee on Saturday. That seems unlikely, at least at this point.
Wednesday, May 8th/13
We were in the Lasalle lab early this morning for blood work, checking Deb this time for Lyme Disease. Got through today (so far) without any emergency, but Deb's ankle and foot are now swollen beyond belief. It just never stops. She was very sore today, likely from the 15 minutes on the treadmill yesterday. That may be causing the swelling. Hopefully it will be better tomorrow, or back we go into a walk-in clinic or maybe emerg.
She is taking a beta blocker now to keep her heart rate low (that might also cause more swelling, as her circulatory system has been slowed down). It makes her tired at night, and she slept well last night. So did I. We both managed to get through our teaching afternoon, with Deb's last student calling in sick.
This was a very disappointing astronomy season. Last Wednesday we had a beautifully clear night (it seems so long ago now), but nothing since. Tomorrow is the new moon, and that big old light will get bigger and brighter every night, putting off most astronomy until June. Sigh.
Tuesday, May 7th/13
Lately there has not been a dull moment around here. Did I say two trips to Windsor yesterday? Make that three. And another one today. Last night I had just got settled in at the Malden site with my telescope. Deb called me as she was getting into bed. I missed the call so I called her right back. She had just begun having an SVT attack (Supraventricular tachycardia). Symptoms are very rapid heartbeat, as if you are running full speed, breathing is shallow and rapid, and it's a scary though not immediately life-threatening situation. We went through this with Deb 10 years ago, and she had surgery in London, ON to correct it. Apparently sometimes that surgery needs to be repeated.
Anyway, I threw the telescope back into the SUV and sped home. Deb was shown a technique to try and convert the heart rhythm back to normal, and had been told (10 years ago) to wait twenty minutes before summoning medical help. I got back just after the twenty minute limit, and Deb had no luck in converting her rhythm. We summoned the paramedics, and they did a good job of getting her heart rate down from over 200 beats per minute to around 120-140. Off she went to Hotel Dieu in the ambulance. I came along soon after in the car.
Deb was released from Hotel Dieu emerg at 1 am, and two tired folk headed home to bed. Emerg managed to get her an appointment next day (today) with a leading Windsor cardiologist.
So it was back to Windsor today, and we were at the cardio clinic from 1:30 pm until about 4 pm. It is a great place (we were both impressed with Emerg, too), extremely high tech, and they took great care of us. I even got to see inside Deb's heart (on a monitor) pumping away as she walked on the treadmill. She is wearing a heart monitor for two weeks, when we go back for another appointment.
Interestingly, Deb had done some on-line research today at the Mayo Clinic website. She put her main symptoms in, including the recent heart problem, and came up with Lyme Disease as a possible cause. Hmmmm. We mentioned this to the cardiologist and he gave her bloodwork papers to test for it. So back to the Lasalle clinic tomorrow for blood work. And on it goes.
The cardiologist said that Deb will have to undergo the catheter heart surgery in London once again. We are less than thrilled about that. Let's hope this secomd one lasts forever.
Monday, May 6th/13
Two trips from Amherstburg to Windsor today for Deb's bone scan. First appointment was at 8:30 am to have the injection of radioactive material. We did a little shopping after that, as we try to adapt parts of the house for Deb's comfort. A higher toilet seat was a must, and also grab bars for getting into and out of the bath tub for a shower. We are looking into replacing our tub with a walk-in shower.
We are also putting a new, small bed downstairs. Early mornings are Deb's worst times, and getting down the stairs is a time-consuming process. This is also a safety issue, if we ever had to evacuate the house during the night.
We returned home after our shopping (never thought I'd talk about toilet seats in this blog, but it sure makes a difference to someone who cannot bend their knees very much), had lunch and a rest, and were back in Windsor for the actual bone scan. It took about 45 minutes, and there was one part Deb simply could not do, but she scored flying colours on the rest! Hopefully, after all her effort to stay still for so long on a hard table, it will aid in her diagnosis.
We finally got an appointment for her MRI (knee only, as that was the only part hurting when she first saw her physician). That will be next week's ordeal, along with a 3rd visit to her doctor.
Hoping for clear skies tonight--it's been hazy skies for nearly a week now.
Saturday, May 4th/13
Some of the biggest ups and downs one could imagine have been Deb's lot this week. Her worse times are getting worse, but she still does get better times, usually all within one day. Early mornings are the worst, with such stiffness and immobility issues that it is easy to imagine she will never walk or do anything normal again. However, 3 or 4 hours later, with considerable moving around, things improve. Today we went from zero mobility early this morning to sitting and having lunch in a pub in Detroit! We talked to a pharmacist today who suggested a different over-the-counter drug for pain etc. Deb took one at bedtime, so we'll see how things go overnight.
I managed to go to Iaido last night. Deb, as usual, was easily able to look after herself by late afternoon. She still cooks supper (as delicious as ever) most nights, and insists on doing 90% of tasks by herself, to keep herself active and mobile. She is being as strong a woman as one could ever be in such a devastating predicament. Bone scan Monday to get through, our next medical event.
Thursday, May 2nd/13
It's been a busy week, especially with two clear nights. We had to pack up early on Tuesday night because of my Meniere's, but Wednesday was an incredible observing session, with Deb at the controls of the Astroscan and me with the 12". Deb had a good night out, though neither of us slept much when we finally got to bed. Her pain seems to follow a daily rhythm, with worse times being mornings and early afternoons. Improvement occurs later in the day. Monday she has a bone scan, and on the 15th another appointment with her M.D. We are on our own until then, with only regular pain killers to help out.
This was our first teaching week of the fourth semester of private lessons. One down, seven to go, along with the final concert on June 16th. I am down two students, and quite okay with it. Hopefully things will continue to diminish next year. I could have added three new students to my roster, but politely declined. I'm learning!
Monday, April 29th/13
We have not had a really clear night since April 5th. We had hopes for this week, but with temps that will be soaring to near record highs, we will not be seeing any crisp, clear nights. It will be mostly humid and sticky. Ugh.
A brief outing today again, but mostly home and awaiting better times. Deb continues to progress, though with pain still behind both knees. She cannot lift her arms high enough to even think about picking up her sword yet. I seem to have had a better day, too, though dizziness is evident as I write. I've been on Gravol for five days now, and they make me groggy and sleepy, even after I awaken.
We are making no progress of late playing Grey Matter on the pc. Frustrating when two minds cannot figure out what to do next.
We finished Series Three of Sapphire and Steel, a low budget British sci-fi tv show starring David McCallum and Joanna Lumley. The shows are usually about the dark side of time and time travel. Interestingly, two of the series inspired adventure games for the pc that I have played. One of them is Barrow Hill.
Sunday, April 28th/13
Deb continues to slowly improve. Sleeping is much better, as is walking. Still pain and swelling, but better. Affected areas include both knees, especially the back of them, her left ankle, and both shoulders.
My Meniere's attack continues, and seems to be reaching a point where it will be a major one. When it hits, it isn't going to be much of a picnic.
Glad I got the grass cut yesterday, as it has rained all day today. Managed to get the laundry done, too. Practicing proved too difficult, due to the pressure in my right ear. Some reading, some astronomy notes done. Maybe now a bit of gaming. We are currently playing Grey Matter on the pc.
Saturday, April 27th/13
Deb is improving since being on the meds she received on Thursday. She is sleeping well now, too, as a result of less pain and swelling. Her mobility has also improved, including stair climbing. We are hoping it continues this way. The meds last for 7 days, and must be tapered at the finish.
We got out on the deck with both telescopes tonight, though hazy clouds hampered decent seeing.
Still, it was good to set up the 12" again and view some galaxies. I have also resumed my walking program, in an attempt to regain some basic fitness. My ear continues to be problematic, as I await the onset of my expected Meniere's attack. I am obviously not driving while this goes on.
Friday, April 26th/13
End of Day Two on meds for Deb, plus she went in this morning for blood work. She had a rough morning, but as per usual she felt better in the late afternoon and evening. She even came out on deck for an hour this evening with the telescope. Things are now leaning towards auto-immune system problems. There are over 90 types of such diseases, so diagnosis may take some time. Hopefully the meds will take some of the swelling down in her knee and ankle.
I'm having my own problems with my Meniere's acting up quite a lot lately. Still managed an hour of observing, though we only set up the small telescope (4"). Tomorrow night I hope to set up the 12" on the back deck!
Despite some awful chilly weather the lawn is green and growing, and will likely get cut tomorrow for the first time of the season. Lucky me.
Thursday, April 25th/13
Deb saw her physician today for the 2nd time. 1st time he ordered x-rays and an MRI for her knee. The x-rays showed nothing unusual, and the MRI lab has yet to call us to schedule an appointment. Today he ordered blood work, a bone scan and an appointment with a rheumatologist. He also gave her a prescription to try and bring down the swelling. So she is fully in the system. Things just don't happen too quickly. Blood work tomorrow and bone scan on May 6th. Hopefully MRI soon.
Sun and rain and sun and rain and sun today. It's supposed to be clear for the full moon rise, just after 8:30 pm. I am getting antsy to be out with the telescope again. Beginning Monday I should be able to stay out a few hours before moonrise spoils things.
Piano work has resumed, and tomorrow I will hopefully go back to Iaido. There are just over three weeks remaining until my black belt test.
Wednesday, April 24th/13
It wasn't exactly Maui, but our two-night stay in Ann Arbor was fun. Deb's mobility is becoming more and more restricted, so there was very little walking. We stayed at the Clarion Motel, about two miles from downtown. Before even getting to Ann Arbor, we headed over to Milan, MI for our second visit to Original Gravity Brewpub. We settled in for some gaming and a pint. I had a delicious ESB, while Deb had IPA (big surprise!).
Pints of goodness and a funky lamp, Original Gravity Brewing Co., Milan, MI.
Original Gravity malt from England and Canada.
We taught ourselves to play "Seven-Up," a card game that is part of the "All Fours" family. We continued to play it all weekend, too. We also had our first round of Carcassonne of the weekend.
After visiting Plum Market near our hotel, we checked in and headed for the pool. Deb was able to do a bit of physio in there. I headed for the sauna, and Deb also enjoyed the hot tub.
Later on we headed downtown, enjoying a pint of cask ale at Grizzly Peak.
On tap at Grizzly Peak, including two cask ales.
We walked over to Jolly Pumpkin for another pint and some dinner before heading back to the motel to try out Jim Beam's new "Jacob's Ghost White Whiskey." Good stuff!
The hotel is centered around a vast indoor courtyard that has the pool, exercise room, bar, breakfast area and large sitting area. Hung from the high ceiling are pennants from all the university teams that have stayed here when playing against Michigan. Why didn't I take a photo?
After breakfast (complimentary) on Monday morning we headed for the pool area again. Around lunchtime we headed downtown, visiting Aunt Agatha's Mystery Book Shop before settling in at Arbor Brewing Company, where imperial-size pints are half price all day on Mondays! We played cards and then Carcassonne, had lunch and a few pints, then visited a large downtown urban garden/farmer store. It even had some lovely bonsai trees for sale! We bought some garden seeds, including one packet for growing popcorn corn.
Coffee was next (cafes are abundant in Ann Arbor), and then back to the hotel for a rest and some ice for Deb's knee and ankle.
We stayed inside Sunday night, playing cards and Carcassonne, and reading some of our newest purchases from Aunt Agatha's Mystery Book Store.
The weather was sunny and clear for our entire stay, and by Tuesday it was getting really warm, too. After checking out late we went to Middle Earth gift store downtown, a must-visit store, then headed for home via our Dearborn mailbox and the nearby Kroger store.
We had sunny weather for our entire stay in Ann Arbor, and it had warmed up nicely by Tuesday.
I returned to Iaido training Tuesday night. Today we are staying home and enjoying our wood stove on a chilly, very wet day. Tomorrow morning Deb is seeing her family doctor for the second time, as we await her date with the MRI scanner.
Friday, April 19th/13
Computer problems today, but it looks as if we are back up and running--time to back up the system once again. A hectic day, with Ferdie to the vet, Deb to physio, and our end-of-semester student group lesson. A good turnout today and some very good playing by the students. However, that was our final group lesson. They will be eliminated next year, as part of our efforts to cut back a bit on teaching. I am going from three days to two, and can't wait for that.
Things are not good for Ferdie, our 21-year old cat. Looks like tomorrow is the end of the road for the little guy. Of the five cats we have had the pleasure of living with, he is the most even-tempered, friendly one of the whole bunch. He is also the only one to connect with the other four, as he lived with Chaco and Syracuse, and now with Gustav and Mogi. Quite a charmer, with some significant piano student girlfriends in his past (and present).
Seems strange not to be packing for Maui. That would have been just so hectic. Tomorrow we have to get through the Ferdinand thing. It will be a tough day.
Thursday, April 18th/13
With Deb's swollen knee unimproved after nearly three weeks of ice and rest, and the swelling now spread down into her ankle, the Maui trip was officially cancelled today. She would have never lasted the 10-hr. flights. I was actually psyched for it now, and we had planned a laid back but really fun week. It was just not to be. Except for a very modest cancellation fee, we got our money back on the hotel and car. We were unable to get our flight money back, but we can use the full amount up to Jan. 2, 2014. So overall a pretty sweet exit for us.
We booked two nights at a hotel in Ann Arbor as a consolation prize, close enough to return home if Deb's MRI gets scheduled.
Ferdie ate a tiny bit of food today. He'll be back at the vet tomorrow morning.
Very warm today (80 F in the city) and lots of rain and scary dark skies. So far we have received 1.9" in our rain gauge since last night. More coming, too.
Wednesday, April 17th/13
Ferdinand is going downhill fast, and just three days before we leave on our trip. He did make it to 21 years, but just barely. Deb's knee is showing no improvement, and the wonders that belong to medical science are of not much use to her. Two weeks on pain killers is a long time, and it looks like it will continue indefinitely.
Clouds and more clouds have put an end to observing with the scope for a few weeks, until after the next full moon. April skies weren't totally bad, but they were not that great, either.
Three nights from now and we will be in Maui. We have a whale cruise booked for Thursday's full moon, and it includes a talk from an astronomer. This is good, as I have a lot of questions about southern skies to ask. Can't wait to get back here and resume the spring observing program, though Mother Nature likely has other plans.
Iaido is now done for two weeks, and upon returning I will have to shape up quickly for my black belt test on the 21st. I will likely be stressed about it for my whole vacation. Originally the test was supposed to be over and done with before Maui, but things did not work out that way.
Saturday, April 13th/13
Another cold, grey, blustery day, making it feel more like March than April. Month reversals are very common in Essex County, as if it didn't matter at all which month's weather comes next. As an astronomer who requires frequent clear nights to get his observing fix, I now realize that living in this part of the world is simply not to be. I want to live somewhere where I can decide when I want to observe ('hmmm, I think this month I'll set up the telescope on Sundays and Wednesdays'). NM is perfect for this, and I feel more certain than ever that it will happen. Having said that, here I am again being suckered into waiting up for predicted clear skies to appear. Within three hours it is supposed to be clear. Past experience has taught that this kind of prediction seems to have about a 100% failure rate, yet here I am awaiting clear skies. The entire time before new moon is always highly anticipated by astronomers. It's been terrible here for a week now, and the moon is finally beginning to wax. Sadness and frustration abound. Oh well, perhaps May will be better (laughs maniacally).
I managed to complete my first draft of the essay required of me as partial fulfillment of my Shodan requirements in Iaido. The test is still more than a month away, but I am beginning to think I just might be able to pull this thing off after all. Two more classes to attend before we abscond to Maui for a week.
I also began memorizing two Debussy pieces for piano this afternoon. Hopefully they will reside in my head before departure. It should be relatively easy to call them back after our trip.
Deb's knee is still completely buggered. She was supposed to do a half-marathon today, but of course that was shelved due to her swollen and painful knee. Haven't heard anything about the x-rays, or when her MRI is scheduled. She is hoping to walk a 5k in Maui in two weeks. We'll have to wait and see.
Thursday, April 11th/13
After some careful consideration I have decided to go ahead and attempt the Shodan test (black belt) in Iaido on May 21st. I have some doubts regarding my readiness, and with the Maui trip hitting next week, it really hampers things. Upon returning, it will be astronomy season again, too, and things can get really out of hand if a clear streak hits. I will have to practice every day in Hawaii, and study both ways on the plane. My goal for this weekend is to get in two more formal practices and write the first draft of the required essay. I pretty much have the parts of the sword memorized. My biggest concern is that my advanced katas do not have the necessary flow and appearance of ease. This simply comes with practice, something that has been rather rare lately. I also need to get some live cutting done soon, once before Maui if possible and once again afterwards.
The piano program is progressing rapidly, and I will soon begin to memorize the two Debussy works. The Bach is playable, the Chopin nearly so, and the Haydn Variations even begin to sound like music. The Haydn work is such a masterpiece!
Teaching went well this week, with no incidents to report, except a new 7-year old student who seems like she will be amazing. Next week is the final regular week of lessons in Semester Three, as well as our group lesson next Friday. Saturday will be a long flight to Maui, via Dallas and L.A. Homeward we only stop in Dallas. I honestly am not very excited about this trip, and would be rather going to Europe or NM. I plan to take it rather easy on the island. Deb's knee problem won't allow her to do much anyway.
Amateur astronomy, a hobby that had gone quite dormant in me the last five years, has come back alive with a vengeance. I seem to be thinking more about astronomy these days than all my other interests combined. The new 12" scope has really grabbed my attention, though I already look forward someday to a 16"!
Tomorrow will be our final Detroit day until leaving for Maui. As soon as we are back, I will have to really get serious about my Iaido test (or just cancel it if I can't really get my head around it). Too many things going on right now. Too many things.
Tuesday, April 9th/13
Off to Iaido alone tonight--Deb's knee is not getting any better, and remains swollen and tender. She did manage a 30 minute walk with me today, though. Awaiting X-ray results and a date for an MRI. Sounds like she caught something from me. I am hoping my own knee lasts long enough to complete my Shodan test on May 21st.
A good week of astronomy is now marred by the 10-day future forecast, which does not include a single clear night at this point. Which means with our trip coming up, I will be unable to use my scope again until April 29th. At least I will be able to focus on Iaido and piano.
I had a new student today. Emily is 7 and quite smart. Her piano teacher went off to South Africa! So Emily is not a beginner, and is just ahead of one of my 8 year old boys. I am now back to 16 students, though 10 would be perfect.
The weather has been very spring-like this year, with much cooler temps than usual. I'm liking it, but I just wish it would clear up. I am really really enjoying my new telescope. Can't get enough of it.
Saturday, April 6th/13
Tuesday night clear. Iaido until 10:30, then home for set up and astronomy. Wednesday night clear. Off to Malden, on the edge of Ruth's property for a great night of observing after teaching. Thursday night clear until midnight. Off to Ruth's for some observing fun. Friday night clear--off to Ruth's until late, joined by Randy G. A 4-night observing streak is almost unheard of in these parts, and despite Iaido and teaching committments, I managed to take advantage of all 4 nights! Mercifully, it is cloudy tonight.
Trying to maintain a normal lifestyle while shifting one's body clock is not an easy thing to do. I have managed to mostly hold on to piano practicing and to my walking program during this very intense observing period. I absolutely love my new telescope, and I would use it every single night if it was clear. We are even considering a move to south Malden, where skies are appreciably better than our location here in Anderdon.
Spring is taking its time arriving, and 3 of my 4 nights outdoors have seen winterish temps. Sudbury is expecting 4" of snow today! Same in London, UK, where Caroline reports frigid temps and snow continues to cause havoc in the north.
Sunday, March 31st/13
We are enjoying a very fun and relaxing weekend, especially having Friday and Sunday nights off from Iaido training. I managed to get outside with the telescope Friday night, too, with a slight chance for the same tonight and tomorrow night.
Yesterday we had a fun morning at Eastern Market in Detroit, and then later downtown, visiting a few pubs and a new shop. Despite the fact that nothing special was going on, downtown was relatively busy (for Detroit) on a Saturday. The main park (Campus Martius) was being spruced up and prepared for spring.
At the mailbox, my new eyepiece from Orion had arrived, along with a new red light LED flashlight. Can't wait to use both. The eyepiece will give 100x on its own, and 200x with the Barlow. I hope to find a lot of galaxies with it!
Shed 2, Eastern Market, Detroit. What a fantastic place!
We even strolled over to Greektown. Haven't been there in years! It used to be the only place to go when downtown. Things have changed considerably, for the better.
Thursday, March 28th/13
Monday night we took Holly, Alicia and Melisa to the Detroit Civic (Youth) Orchestra concert at Orchestra Hall. The program consisted of an overture (Beethoven's Egmont), a movement to a Mendelsshon string quartet, and then the Emperor Concerto by Beethoven. Emmanuel Ax and Leonard Slatkin both volunteered their time, having performed the previous night in Pittsburghwith their professional orchestra. The youth orchestra has an average age of 16. Sometimes they sounded like it, and at other times were totally and completely amazing. Ax did a perfect job with the concerto, and even played a Schubert Impromtu for an encore.
The world's sweetest 18 year old music students--l to r is Holly, Alicia and Melisa.
Sunday, March 24th/13
March marches on, with only minimal improvement in temperatures. There has been no improvement in cloudy skies, at least from Amherstburg. Coming out of a concert deep in Detroit last night, the sky overhead was clear and very bright, due to a waxing moon. However, a massive cloud bank could be seen in the direciton of Amherstburg. Sure enough, upon arriving home it was cloudy overhead. On Friday night it was clear at sunset, so I set up on the back deck. I just got observing underway when 'whoosh' came the clouds. I waited about an hour, then finally took everything inside.
Anyway, last night's concert was really different. Piffaro is a Renaissance Band, and the 8 members play dozens of instruments, including harp, guitar, recorder, bassoon, bagpipes, trombone, oboe, and perscussion. The theme of the concert was music from the New World meeting that of the Old World. Renaissance Spanish musical influence in Mexico and South America provided a rich area for exploration. The ensemble is a crack group, and I'm glad we made the effort to hear them.
My Iaido Shodan test and our Maui trip are racing towards me. Time flies when you are having fun, so I must be having a hell of a lot of fun.
Monday, March 18th/13
It shouldn't have to end, but after 11 days of just kicking around, it's back to work tomorrow. Well, only two students. But still, it's the principle of the thing! Wed. and Thurs. will be much harsher. Five more weeks in the semester, and then a little trip to Maui.
Got my latest star atlas today, the all-sky version of Uranometria. It rocks!! We also tried out a new pub downtown Detroit, and a new cafe. Both were pretty awesome, with the first one having about 40 beer types on draft and another 100 in bottles. And at the cafe, after you order your coffee (type of bean), the beans come flying through tubes overhead to be freshly gound as your cup is brewed. Pretty cool!
However, what a crap weather day it was. Has there ever been such a crap weather day? Crap weather day, thy name is March. More crap weather is planned for tomorrow, possibly even crappier than today.
Saturday, March 16th/13
Waking up to 2" of fresh snow was a bit of a surprise. With the snow plows passing continuously during the early morning hours, maybe it should not have been so much of a surprise. What a difference a week makes. Looks like another week of winter, though our area should now be well past such nonsense.
I started an astronomy blog today, deciding to use Google Blog Spotter instead of this site. I am going to use it to talk about different ways of approaching the night sky with an amateur telescope. The blog is here.
We were home all day today, a refreshing change of pace. Piano practice has been going well. I will introduce the newest program in an upcoming entry.
I watched Bad Taste, Peter Jackson's first feature film. It is a gore-fest comedy. I found some of it hard to watch, as the gore is very gory. It is now understandable why Jackson focuses so much on battle scenes in Lord of the Rings. He seems to think audiences and studios demand plenty of violence in a film. There are some very funny scenes, as the character played by Peter Jackson realizes his brains are leaking out the back of his head. He first tries to contain things with a tight hat. When this gets shot off, he uses his belt. Recommended, with suitable caution. There is continuous violence and gunfire.
Friday, March 15th/13
Hard to believe, but both Wednesday and Thursday nights brought clear skies! I set up on the back deck both nights, observing objects in my late winter constellation of Monoceros, the Unicorn. It is packed with open clusters, many of them very faint. It was an intense two nights, but my eye has now regained much of its skill. I've sketched a few of the clusters, too. That is a really good exercise. If you have never tried to accurately draw dozens of faint stars with a clipboard and pencil while at the eyepiece, you are missing something worthwhile. Even just as a mental exercise it is quite valuable, but it is actually fun to do, and then to compare later with sky photos, if available.
I am just beginning to grasp what the 12" scope is capable of doing. My backyard skies are suburban and quite poor, but with the tarps up and most stray light blocked, I can live with it. Once the trees have leaves again it will improve somewhat. The fact that I am now calling 11th magnitude stars "bright" tells me that this scope is just what I need now. My spring constellation will be a new one for me, Leo the Lion. I may need to get to Comber to view the faint galaxies that lie hidden in that constellation, though I may try my Malden site first.
At the conclusion to
Wednesday's session, I was stopped from continuing by a massive auroral display, one of the largest I have ever seen. I thought it had clouded over, but it was a huge outburst of aurora, travelling right down into Orion! That is really far south. And Thursday night there was a second outburst, though mostly in the north and not as impressive.
We are contemplating an astronomy holiday in October, either to Gila, NM or to Black Mesa, OK. Either promises deep, dark skies beyond an amateur astronomer's wildest dreams. NM offers great comfort in a casita, while OK would be a camping experience. However, NM is over 1800 miles away, a 4-day trip each way. OK can easily be done in 3 days each way. Obviously, OK would also be much, much less expensive. So far I am leaning towards NM, as it is further south and would offer the very best deep skies. If it should be cloudy (nothing is 100% guaranteed), then NM would be the place to be, with unlimited hiking and scenic drives to undertake. I will decide over the weekend.
I am also going to set up an astronomy page on this site, detailing some of the things I see and do, as well as keep track of the objects I have observed. So stay tuned. It should get started later this weekend.
Friday, March 8th/13
First day of our 11-day vacation. Funny thing is I think I need it! Looking forward to next year, with fewer bills and perhaps fewer students. The Golf is now all but paid (half a monthly payment still owing), so that will really free up some income.
We took Ferdinand to the vet today for a check up. He is losing weight and not walking so well. Got him some arthritis meds, and a good nail trim. The meds are working already, and he seems much more comfortable tonight. With his big, thick nails much reduced he is also walking much better,
It was sunny and mild all day, AND it was clear skies tonight. I took the scope to the farm for some late winter observing. I was very limited as to where I could set up because of all the mud and water in the yard, but I had a good night regardless. I haven't had a night this good in several months. Still, I wish we lived nearer to dark skies. Saw a huge meteor tonight, or at least the bright twin flash from it. By the time my eyes turned skyward all I saw was a ghostly trail.
Monday, March 4th/13
Undoubtedly one of the worst possible hobbies one could undertake in Essex County is Astronomy. Despite an eagerness to observe for most of the winter, clear nights are almost impossible to come by. The hobby is not helped by weather forecasting. Usually when clear skies are predicted, it is overcast. When overcast skies are predicted, it sometimes clears, usually after I have committed to another activity. Sunday night was supposed to be cloudy, so we headed off to Iaido. Guess what? It was clear and I missed a decent night of observing. Tonight was supposed to be clear. Guess what? After setting up the scope and preparing the back deck, readying my notes, and dressing like an Inuit, I am left standing outside watching the clouds roll in. Luckily I have piano, iadio, gaming, reading and writing, or else I would go crazy.
Saturday, March 2nd/13
March, often the cruelest month, has arrived with a January winter pattern well in place. It's still cold, there are snow flurries, and the sky is dull and grey. However, look for a change in a very few days. Spring is finally about to sprung!
Today we found ourselves in an uncrowded Slows restaurant, enjoying Poet cask ale. We had a vegetarian sandwich there also, before heading to the Wayne State Library. I contine to try and view, in detail, every 24,000 scale topo map of New Mexico. I am currently in the latter part of the "Cs". There are over 2000 maps, and I am viewing them alphabetically.
I am very much in earnest anticipating the next clear night. My new telescope has barely seen first light. Monday looks promising.
Tuesday, Feb. 26th/13
12:10 pm
Just finishing up an amazing and fun weekend. It officially continues until 5:30 pm today, when my work week gets underway. Yesterday's Full Moon celebration was a good one, with plenty of food, a wood fire, great beer, dark rum, and a new recipe moon cake! We also started playing a new adventure game for pc, having finished up "Barrow Hill." That last game was suitably spooky and atmospheric, and we both enjoyed it a lot.
The newly-loaded game is called "Dead Reefs," and is virtually unknown. Ghost pirates and hidden treasure, ahoy!
We tried to get tickets on-line today for a March 16th concert featuring Yo Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble. Sold out. Damn!
On Sunday, we heard the finale of the Slatkin/DSO Beethoven Festival. To think that I nearly abandoned these concerts. Luckily we were able to make three of the five, hearing the 2nd, 4th, 5th, 7th and 9th Symphonies. The 9th was the climax of them all, and it really was a major life experience. Nothing that I know of is more uplifting than a fine performance of this work. The orchestra performed at top peak capacity throughout the Festival, and I'm sure they won many new supporters.
This afternoon and this evening we are expecting the latest winter mess. With the calendar nearly at March, winter is fighting a dying battle. Stay inside and wait it out. Warm days are just around the corner.
Saturday, Feb. 23rd/13
An interesting week, if not one of the greatest. I got a new camera! My S1600 is sold and I purchased an S4200. Fujifilm has made the best inexpensive cameras to date, and they continue to make improvements. No doubt this camera will document many fun adventures.
Nearly full moon, with new camera. If I use a tripod next time, I should be able to get a very decent image.
Tomorrow is Slatkin and the DSO's final performance of the 2013 Beethoven Festival. We will hear the 9th Symphony tomorrow afternoon.
Earlier in the week I had an attack of Meniere's, sending me to my bed mid-afternoon and cancelling my teaching on one of my busiest nights. C'est la vie. The Gravol seems to work well if I get it in place soon enough.
This morning I hurt my back. I had just stepped out of the shower when it went out. Ice, back brace, and pills helped the day pass easily enough. It is still very tender at bedtime.
Sunday, Feb. 17th/13
It's been a busy three weekends in a row now, this time following hard on a full week of teaching. Tonight we finally returned to Sunday night Iaido class, and are looking forward to Tuesday and Friday sessions later this week. With our Shodan test coming up soon, there is literally endless work to do refining our techniques.
Yesterday, following our surprise snowstorm, we attended the second of three all-Beethoven concerts by the DSO. We heard some of the most precise playing ever, as the orchestra and conductor seemed fused into one being. The 2nd Symphony and the 7th were presented flawlessly, with the woodwind section totally capturing my heart.
Friday night we went to hear KODO, the incomparable drumming group from Japan. It was our 2nd time hearing them, and we will likely not miss another show by them, ever. It was the DSO of drumming groups, though more connected to martial arts than to music. Utterly fabulous!
Earlier on Friday I attended an ORMTA meeting, my first for this year. That made for a lot of driving on Friday--80 minutes for the meeting and then 150 minutes for the concert. At least Friday's weather was clear.
Friday was also the day of closest approach for a rogue asteroid, one big enough to cause havoc with our planet had it struck. Of course we knew it would miss us well beforehand. What we didn't know was that a 50' meteor would streak across Russia, exploding over the Ural Mountains and breaking glass and injuring over 1000 people! How cool is that?
On Thursday, Deb performed at a Valentine Seniors' Party at Richmond Terrace here in Amherstburg, finishing up just in time to tackle our teaching duties for that day (I teach 4 until 8:15). So yes, I do feel a bit breathless just now, though quite inspired.
Despite all of the activity, I have managed to keep at my new pieces. I had hoped to put up some of the older ones on Youtube, but the sound is so bad that I cannot even think about doing it.
Wednesday, Feb. 13th/13
It was back to work today, with a full load of teaching. Lesson One of a new semester is also pay week, so the money is rolling in just now. We should have the VW Golf paid off really soon! One more giant lump payment, and two and a half regular monthly payments, and it should be done!!
I have recorded three of my piano pieces to video, and when time permits I will upload them to Youtube. They are simple one-take movies, and the sound quality is basic. But unless you were at one of the concerts, it's all you're going to get.
Today I formally began work on my newest program, which will include duets with Paula, and possibly two pieces for flute. I have chosen a new Prelude and Fugue by Bach (my 11th!), the F Minor variations by Haydn (one of my all-time favourite pieces!!!), the very first Chopin Nocturne, and Snow Is Dancing by Debussy (from Children's Corner). Paula and I will perform some Gershwin and some Satie for 4 hands. I am a beginner once again.
Sunday, Feb. 10th/13
I am back from another whirlwind visit to Toronto, my 2nd in just over 2 months. I left on Friday afternoon, riding the train through this season's biggest snowstorm. The train was amazing, and we were only 18 minutes late arriving.
The snow was coming down on my train ride to Toronto on Friday.
Glencoe Station.
London Station.
Back at home, we finally finished playing "Dreamfall," a seriously flawed but amazing game/movie for PC. Now, it is just after 9 pm and I am going to bed!
Wednesday, Feb. 6th/13
For the third time in a row, a major storm system is going to impact my trip to Toronto. Friday's storm will certainly delay my Via train, at minimum. And Toronto itself is likely to be buried as I arrive. Ha ha, what fun! Not.
As we have minimal teaching duties this week (an off-week, with more to come next year), we have been having some fun at home and abroad. Yesterday we went to Detroit, stopping off at Orchestra Hall for tickets to the upcoming Detroit Symphony Beethoven Festival. We are only available for three of the five main concerts, but it's better than nothing. Our first one is this Sunday, the day after I return from Toronto (if I get there). We also have tickets for next Friday's appearance by Kodo in Ann Arbor, and then back to Detroit Saturday for more Beethoven.
After purchasing our tickets and picking up our mail, we headed to Seva in Midtown for a delicious vegan lunch. In the mail were ten sealed starter decks for our Middle Earth: The Wizards collectible card game. Along with the booster packs we ordered today, we should be good for the next five years at least! Also in the mail were our tickets to hear a Renaissance band in March!!
Practicing for the Toronto concert has been going quite well. If time permits before I leave, we will videotape some of the pieces for my appearance on Youtube, where family and friends can view my progress.
Today was sunny, and we managed to get outside for a lovely walk before playing a tournament game of Middle Earth: The Wizards. It was briefly clear tonight, though I did not set up the scope. With fresh white snow on the ground (and a lot more coming soon) the sky was very washed out. Still, it was nice to know that the stars are still out there, kind of.
Monday, Feb. 4th/13
A fluffy 5" snowfall today becomes our largest of the season so far. Easy to shovel, so not much of a problem. Snow season has just begun. I expect we will see a lot more of the stuff over the next few weeks.
I went to Paula's today to freshen up a few of the pieces in my recital program. Since Saturday's concert I have made a number of significant improvements, and hope to make a few more before heading to Toronto on Friday.
Ric came to tune the piano today. Wish it could have been done for Saturday's recital, but c'est la vie!
Sunday, Feb. 3rd/13
Winter is getting old, and we still have 6 weeks until spring officially arrives. Sigh. Even if we had clear skies it is too cold to to go outside and observe. The temperatures at least need to get back into the average range, which now is mid-30s F. We've already had too much snow (above average), and a lot more is coming this week. Drat.
It's beginning to look less and less likely that we will be ready for our Shodan test in 8 weeks. Even attending regular classes, most of our time is spent teaching others, and not getting any training for ourselves. There needs to be a balance, but there doesn't seem to be one.
Following yesterday's recital I had a very productive piano practice today. Nothing like a small performance to point out things that should have been obvious before but were not. Hopefully the Toronto concert will see significant improvement. At least my memory wasn't too bad, though physical tension problems still abound.
Friday, February 1st/13
The weather continues to worsen and winter continues to deepen. Many very bad accidents involving multi vehicles on the freeways, including Detroit. The 401 got hammered, too. It's turning into a cold, bitter winter. Not much snow yet, but obviously it's going to come sooner or later.
Tomorrow is Candlemas, one of the Celtic cross-quarter days. In more northern latitudes it celebrates the return of longer daylight hours, heralding the beginning of the end for winter. At our latitude (about 42 degrees N), we postpone our main celebration until around the 15th of the month. Still, we will enjoy a wood fire and some other ceremonial activities, including our new tarot cards.
Today we hosted two group music lessons. Younger children and their parents came at 4:30, and older students at 6. Even Roger came and played!
My turn to perform tomorrow!
Thursday, January 31st/13
Alas, we are actually putting in a five-day week this time around! With regular teaching completed, we are entertaining a lot of people at the house this weekend. Friday evening we are hosting two group lessons, one at 4:30 pm and another at 6 pm. On Saturday we are entertaining up to ten people for my first recital of 2013. Not much rest until later Saturday afternoon, and a lot of house cleaning before then!
I heard from Kati Gleiser yesterday. She is performing the Beethoven 4th Piano Concerto with the Mississauga Symphony on Feb. 9th. Sadly, I will be on my way back home by train after performing my solo program in Toronto the same afternoon. Strange coincidence.
I am anxious to get out back and observe with the telescope. Alack and alas, only clouds on the horizon. The ten-day forecast shows clouds continuously. It likely has to do with the lakes being unfrozen.
Monday, January 28th/13
After a week of very intense winter temperatures, a brief thaw makes its appearance. Snow fell last night, and it was heavy and wet. However, it vanished before our eyes today. I went out for a pm walk and was surprised by how mild it was!
Today I finished my written program notes for my two upcoming concerts, and with Deb's help got a start on my NGC object list. I am trying to record exactly how many and which sky objects I have seen to date, beginning with the 8" notes. Afterwards, I will go back and include the 4.5" Tasco observations. I will know which ones to revisit with the 12", as well as which ones were overlooked. Now, if only I could get clear skies for the next several years!
Sunday, January 27th/13
While awaiting for the weather to improve for a return to astronomical observing, I have been going through my old notes. The summer of 1971 was the first of the golden years of observing, and I will always remember that summer at Penage with my newly aquired 4.5" Tasco reflector ("The Lunagrosso"). When the Edmund 8" came along in 1978, my interest peaked and I began to see the most amazing sights that the universe has to offer. Deb was with me on much of the sessions, and her drawings really make the hobby come alive. I have viewed thousands of objects, including single, variable, double, triple and multiple stars, open clusters, globular clusters, planetary nebulae, galactic nebulae, and of course, galaxies. Planets, comets, the moon, the sun, eclipses, occultations, transits... on and on it goes.
My primary interest has always been observing deep sky objects, including the Messier objects, Herschel list, NGC, IC and others. I have now seen so many of these objects, most of them remote, tiny and faint, that I would like a way to keep track of exactly how many I have seen. With over 7800 NGC objects alone, typing out a list is just not practicable. It is a problem that will occupy me until I solve it.
Saturday, January 26th/13
Not too bad a week. Lots of piano practice, teaching went well, and despite the coldest temps in years the days passed quickly. Next week is the last formal lessons of semester two. Groups lessons here next Friday, my recital here next Saturday, then a week off from teaching and a recital in Toronto on the 9th. I think I would rather hibernate in winter, but if not then it's better to keep very busy.
Today we went to Dearborn for some shopping, enjoying a free pizza at Buddy's thanks to Deb's birthday club membership. Their pizza is awesome, and can be ordered with vegan cheese!!
Tonight was the monthly full Moon party, and as usual it included a wood fire, dark rum, and a delicious chocolate moon cake. Music for tonight was courtesy of Native America, the Bulgarian Women's Choir, and de Falla's "Nights in the Gardens of Spain." Fun times!!
Ferdie by firelight, at the Full Moon party.
Tuesday, Jan.22nd/13
2 student no-shows today, so a fairly relaxing day of work. We skipped out on Iaido tonight, too, due to the cold weather. I find it hard to believe that I grew up (for 22 years) in a climate much colder than it was here today. The cold would last from December until the end of March. Here, it comes and goes, and never as severe. Sudbury hit - 30 C. this week. No thanks!
I was finally able to send out a few invitations to my upcoming recital. So far, five are confirmed. I will try to have around 8 people in for it. I also booked my Toronto weekend, where I will perform for a similar number of friends a week later.
The program has taken me far longer to learn than I expected. I am considering a large Beethoven sonata for my next project. I already have a new Bach Prelude and Fugue picked out, a Chopin Nocturne and a Debussy piece. Paula and I will also revive a Gershwin piece we did a few years back.
Monday, Jan. 21/13
Winter has finally set in, as we suffer some of the coldest temps in a very long while, along with some blowing snow. Fortunately, it will warm up again by the weekend.
Today I ran through my piano program for Paula, only badly messing up the Scriabin (memory). Next, I went over to Claire Durocher's for a lesson on the Bach and Rachmaninoff. Very helpful! Wish I'd had more time.
On Saturday we celebrated Deb's birthday in Detroit, beginning with some Best Brown cask ale at the newly revamped Slow's on Michigan Ave. After collecting our mail in Dearborn, we headed down to Detroit Beer Company for a free birthday lunch, and a 2nd brew for Deb. We spent an hour planning our April Maui trip, getting the week roughly mapped out.
Next came a packed house performance of the Snow Queen by the nearby Detroit Puppet Theatre. While the story was overly simplified, the sets, costumes, lighting and music were superb! Very enjoyable.
Detroit Puppet Theatre Museum.
Atwater Brewing Company taproom. We had very unique seating!
Saturday night we were assaulted overnight by the highest winds we have experienced around here in a very long time. With gusts up to 100 km/hr we were certain our power would fail. Somehow the power stayed on here, but we did not get much quality sleep.
Sunday night we attended Iaido class. Deb and I were the only students. As a result we now have all of the material needed for our black belt test! Now to perfect it!!
Friday, Jan. 18th/13
I've been taking advantage of our snowless winter again by walking outdoors as much as possible. Today's winds, however, meant an indoor day.
Though my piano practice has been intensifying for the last week or so, there are still too many mistakes creeping in. Though the program is challenging, it should in no way be impossible for me to give a decent performance of these works. Some of the errors are being caused by excessive speed, a hazard of playing brought on by over-familiarity with a piece. Others are caused by a lack of concentration. And many are caused by tension building up in the muscles. With only two weeks left before the first big performance, much remains to do.
We attended open training tonight at the dojo, our first Friday of the new year. It allows us time and space to review every kata, of which there are now an overwhelming number. We learned one of two remaining techniques required for our black belt test. Either Sunday or next Friday will complete our black belt level material.
Wednesday, Jan. 16th/13
Way too many music students, though I love most of them! Today I taught from 2:30 pm until 8 pm. Tomorrow it's 4 pm until 8:30 pm. I wish I was retired!
I did manage a brief telescope session Monday evening, though by the time it cleared up (9:30 pm) the constellation I am currently working in was nearly past my viewing window. It was cold. Too cold to use the push-to system. I am slowly learning to star hop with the Dobsonian mount, but it's not easy when it's so cold. It should be clear tomorrow night, but I won't be able to get outside until after 9 pm again. Damn!!!!
No snow in January is always a weird event, though I am almost getting used to it. With record high temps now just a distant memory, after a mild weekend it looks as if some real cold will descend upon Essex County all next week. That should wipe out the dandelions! We are still picking them, however.
Next week I will play my solo program for Paula, then Sister Claire, and lastly Philip the following week (hopefully, if he remembers). I must get out the concert invitations! It is Saturday, Feb. 2nd, 2 pm at the University of Windsor School of Music building. You are invited.
Sunday, Jan. 13th/13
Another spring-like day, with a lot of rain. Temps are falling again and it looks as if early spring will have a setback. Still, there are now about 4 weeks of true winter left for Essex County. After mid-February, things brighten considerably. I think I can live until then.
We almost didn't go to Iaido tonight, though we are glad we did. There were just three of us as students, and all at 1st Kyu. As a result we got to practice our Shodan katas for the full hour! This helped solidify our moves, especially the tricky footwork. Only two things left to learn now.
I have upped the piano practicing now. I have a lesson with Philip Adamson Tuesday morning, which should give me a pretty good idea of where I am right now with these pieces. Most of them feel right in my hands, though not all of them.
Saturday, January 12th/13
Another day of 59 F! More dandelions were found and picked for the tortoise. Some very heavy rain coming up very shortly, and we head back to January weather tomorrow.
Last night I suffered through a minor Meniere's attack, finally falling asleep after 4 gravols managed to keep me from going over the edge. I didn't get up until nearly 11 this morning, and then spent the day most quietly (after a walk) reading. I didn't even make it to the piano.
This evening we attended a charity dinner in Windsor, but managed to escape relatively early. Tomorrow, it's back to the piano!
Friday, January 11th/13
An astonishing day, as the temperature officially reached 59 F! WTF!! We were out and about in Detroit, picking up tons of mail, going for lunch and a pint at Motor City Brewery, going for coffee and vegan cookies at Avalon, and going to Slows only to find the renovations on-going, and nothing on the cask this week. Flowers were blooming in the city, and back home we gathered dandelions for the 23rd month in a row. This is scary stuff, folks. Seasonal temps return on Monday, but nothing that would indicate a severe spell.
Flowers were blooming in Mid-town Detroit today.
In the mail today we got three dvds from Netflix, our two Maui guidebooks (one is exclusively hiking) and excellent topo map, two mask and snorkel sets, a waterproof camera holder for our smallest Fuji Finepix, Deb's newest shoes, her Martian socks, and the next mystery book by Pat MacIntosh. It was like Christmas in January!
Once home we picked dandelions for Ludwig and then practiced Iaido outside on the back deck. There were a lot of flies, too.
Thursday, Jan. 10th/13
I had an absolutely unforgettable, stunning night out on the back deck last night with the 12" reflector. Not only were the skies superb, but it was really mild, too! This was only the second time in my life I have observed with a telescope in January (first time was in 2000). Last night I was out for 3 full hours!! I am methodically going through the list of objects in the constellation of Lepus The Hare, and made considerable headway. I re-observed R, a variable in that constellation which is the most stunning colour. Last night it resembled a glowing coal, and remains a favourite object. I also went through the suggested object list for January on the scope's computer. Most memorable and exciting, as winter skies are almost unexplored by me. I usually get around to them in March, but it's not the same.
One full week of teaching is over, though with three no-shows it didn't seem that difficult. A new student began piano lessons tonight. Her name is Julia. She has studied with another teacher, but because of a recommendation from another student of mine, just switched over to me.
Time to enjoy our first 4-day weekend since getting back to work. Off to Detroit tomorrow, likely in the rain...
Tuesday, Jan. 8th/13
I was barely recovered from Sunday's Iaido class. I will be feeling tonight's workout for days to come. So much work on the knees. Sigh. I was going to stay home and set up the scope, but there were a lot of clouds at 7:30 pm when we headed to the dojo. Once home around 11 pm, the skies were perfect, but I was wiped out. Sigh.
First day of teaching went relatively well. 17 yr old, 5 yr old, and then a 66 yr old. Kind of a strange job that way. Much bigger line-up tomorrow. Practice went well, and I am starting to undertake extra work now, in the hopes of performing reasonably well in February. I will practice at Paula's house on Thursday, on her piano.
I own a 100 dvd pack called "Mystery Classics." So far there are quite a few good ones on it, though there have been a few creaky old clunkers. Today we finished watching "The Man on the Eiffel Tower," a Hitchcockian flic beautifully set in Paris. With an impressive cast and wonderful locations, the movie has plenty of suspense, several noteworthy chase scenes, and the final climax high atop the tower, with some unforgettable stunt work. That is a very high tower!! Directed by Burgess Meredith, he also stars in it, as a wacked out knife-sharpener trying to get ahead in life.
One of a hundred movies in my dvd pack entitled "Mystery Classics." This one is from 1949, and stars "The City of Paris."
Monday, Jan. 7th/13
As usual, it's been a blast! 18 days of vacation have not hurt us in the least. In fact, I could almost wish for another 18 just about now... not to be too greedy.
I will begin the week with another new student, bringing the studio back up to 28 or 29. However, I finally came up with a solution for next year, when I have to reduce my income because of receiving my Canada Pension. Rather than worry about having to reduce the number of students, which would not be a fun task, we will simply teach a few less weeks, perhaps 32 instead of 38 during the school year. Providing parents are agreeable, we should be fine.
The cats, especially Ferdie, really enjoyed having us home so much, along with all the warm fires and stove.
Ferdinand enjoyed his 21st Winter Solstice holiday with us.
Our homemade dark porter was a big hit this holiday. Much more of that to come.
Deb completely refurbished the Winter Sun Solstice Catcher this year. It's been with us for a generation now.
As for the immediate future, besides returning to three half-days of teaching, I must intensify my focus for four weeks on my piano repertoire. I have booked the piano and room 126 at the university for Feb. 2nd. Invitations will go out next weekend. Feb. 9th will be the Toronto concert.
Amidst all of this, I must also intensify the Iaido work for April's Shodan test. Busy times ahead!
Sunday, Jan. 6th/13
A return to routine tonight, as we attended Sunday evening Iaido class. During the extended holiday, our garage doubled as a part-time dojo. One can't move about freely, but the katas are doable. Still, it was good to get on the main dojo mat again. There are exactly three months until our Shodan test. Before that, there is the matter of a few piano recitals to complete.
It's looking like the Feb. 2nd weekend for Windsor, and Feb. 9th for Toronto. The pieces are all in reasonable shape--a few lessons this month with Philip Adamson and some intensive practice leading up to the concerts, and things should go as planned. It is a much more emotional program than I have ever performed before, with two works in particular touching upon the very depths of grief. Hopefully the pieces are ordered so that there is a lead-up to those two works, and a chance to step away from them afterwards.
In Mauri news, Deb has ordered us masks and snorkels!
In astronomy news, there is a possibility of clear skies Monday night. If so, I hope to have a look at Orion, and do some detailed work in Lepus.
Friday, Jan. 4th/13
I've ordered two books and a topo map of Maui, and Deb has done a lot of on-line research. Sounds like it will be an awesome time, including hiking, snorkeling with sea turtles, kayaking and biking. We have rented a car to get to some of the more remote areas. There is rain forest, quiet beaches, and a 10,000' volcano, which is also a National Park! More later, as we get even more excited.
We went to Detroit today, venturing to a new cafe on the outskirts of Mid-town. Bottom Line Cafe is located in the basement of the Beethoven Apartments, and seems to be a pretty cool place to hang out away from the hordes. We'll be back.
Tonight we watched a great Harold Lloyd movie called "The Milky Way." One of the amazing things about this truly funny old film is how great lines and gags are shared by all the cast, not just the star. A mild milkman gets tricked into becoming a boxer. Great lines and wonderful sight gags make this a classic worth many viewings. Not many cows, but there are two starring horses. Watch out for the bagpipers, and be sure to check out their airbags.
Our Friday night home movie. It was great!!
Wed., January 2nd/13
The holidays continue on merrily, though the end is in sight. Lots of gaming this year, and reading. Piano practice continues to occupy me daily, though today I booked off. I did have one student, though, as Justin is booked for a Gr. 2 piano exam in January. I scored him at a 77% today. We'll see how he does on the big day.
I do not yet have a set date for my recitals, nor have I decided if I will go to Toronto to perform. I should know very soon.
Tonight we booked a trip to Maui (Hawaii) for April. Plenty of hiking and fresh scenery awaits us, though it is a grueling day of travel each way. The jet lag is the same as to London, but we will be doing things in reverse this time. Deb got to choose the destination, having London, Budapest, Amsterdam or Maui as her choices. More later on this momentous journey (in April).
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