A Little More Waiting, A Little More Vietnam....and a Little More Global Warming

First off check out the extended forecast for Grand Lake over the next 10 days....doesn't look much like Mid March, to say the least.  Sure we get an occasional warm day or two in March, here is West Central Ohio....but, like much of the Winter, this one is going to be much above normal....and as I've said many times before, "If this is Global Warming, I'm all for it"

With the exception of today, which will struggle, despite the sunshine, to get out of the 30s....the next nine days to follow, if the forecast is correct, looks to be 15 or so degrees above normal....We Will Take It!

Aftermath of the Visit to the Surgeon_____

Patricia and I headed over to Lima yesterday afternoon, for my first visit with the cardio surgeon.  I planned on a long wait, paper work, and sitting for a couple hours....I could not have been more wrong or pleased with that part of the visit.

With the paperwork and CDs of last weeks tests in hand, we waited no more than 5 minutes, were ushered back into the small room, a quick check of the Blood Pressure{as usual 50 points higher than at home, thanks to the "White Coat Syndrome"}, and the doc, who I was meeting for the first time, introduced himself, and got right to the point.

"Your left artery is 100% clogged, your right one is 85 to perhaps 90% the same...do you want to see the CT of your head and problems"?  "Sure, let's do it", was my response....the changes in Medical Imagery are something to behold, especially over the past decade.

"We want to operate soon" was the gist of the visit.  He talked about the procedure, the chances of failure/stroke and success, recovery time, and limitations....all things considered, I could not have been more pleased, except for the fact I will wait another 12 days before the operation.  I would have preferred it to be next week, but we will wait until March 20th.  Even with that,  I can expect, if all goes well, to be back in action within a week "or so"....and given that, although nothing in this life is a given, I have already got replacements for a few baseball games, giving them to Garry, and Sam, who will be home most of Spring break, from Ohio State, the week I will need for recovery.  Problem solved, now trying to stay calm and rested, without much working out, until March 20th.

The Next Vietnam Reunion is here______

With the surgery set, and on our way home, I had time to see what scrimmages and games I would initially have to "dump"...and also time to move forward with plans for this weekends "mini" Reunion at Wright-Patterson AFB, and the Air Force Museum near Dayton.  I coordinate this annual{well most years}event.

We just had the VSPA(Vietnam Security Police Association) annual meeting last October in Dayton...so I was not sure, when a few guys made the request, of how many would show for another get together in just 5 months time.  I guess I will find out tonight and tomorrow...but I suspect in total, with wives and family members included, we will have some 3 dozen or more....some will stay the weekend, but just as many{mostly local guys} will just come for tomorrow, and spend the day at the Air Force Museum, which is getting to be a great meeting place, especially for those of us, in and around the Midwest.

One of the guys who won't make it, Bill Harris, who was with us in October, gave me a call last night.   Bill spends most of his time in Vietnam these days, rotating days in Old Saigon{Ho Chi Minh City}, and his Vietnamese daughters beach house on Cam Rahn Bay....he called at 10am Friday Morning{10pm our time last night} asking me to tell everybody "Hello" from the sun kissed shores and 85 degree temperatures of CRB.  Bill, a stanch Conservative, about as far to the right as me, somehow lives and loves the life in Vietnam, I guess patriotism and Communism can coexist if needed....

Back with photos on Monday....later>>>>

Photos-Grand Lake and the marauding Canada Geese have not seen a March or winter like this in the 50 years since my family moved here from Florida in 1962....the Next 10 days look to continue the pattern, making you wonder just what is in store for us come April and May?  The Mini Reunion of Vietnam and Thailand Air Force Sky Cops this weekend in Dayton, looks to be a 'bit"warmer, than the one held in Sub-Zero Chill Factors back on January 31, 2009...thus the move to a more mild month and time.