Breakfast at Denny’s

Yesterday morning, David drove me to Straub Clinic in Pearlridge for a blood test.  The wait period was just 30 minutes, and afterward, we decided to have breakfast at Denny’s.

 

When we entered the restaurant, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee greeted us.  Mmmm, heavenly!  Coffee with cream, refillable for $2.05 per person. 

 

David ordered the Grand Slam Burrito.  $8.59.  This was comprised of 2 scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes with syrup, topped with cheese, and wrapped in a flour tortilla.  It was accompanied by hash browns.  David said that he wished the pancakes had more syrup.

 

I ordered the Senior Omelet (for seniors 55 years or older).  $7.49.  The 2-egg omelet came with fruit (alternative:  grits or hash browns) and an English muffin with jelly (alternative:  bagel or toast).  I was very satisfied with this meal. 

So which is better:  Denny’s or IHOP?  If you are ravenous, choose IHOP, where the portions are humongous.  But, I felt Denny’s omelet and fixings were excellent, and I didn’t leave hungry.  Besides, it was just a few doors down from Straub Clinic.

Alaskan Salmon Burgers

We buy a bag of frozen Alaskan Salmon Burgers for $7 or $8 from Costco regularly.  There are 12 of these salmon burgers, and they are delicious and nutritious.  As the bag states, they contain zero trans fat and are loaded with Omega-3.  The burgers are made from whole fillets and then seasoned.  The best thing about them is that they consist of wild, not polluted farmed salmon.

 

Here it is in its frozen state.  Although you can grill or bake it, I prefer to microwave it on high for 2 minutes.  Since the microwave heats the burger all the way through, there is no need to turn it over.

 

This is what the salmon burger looks like after being microwaved.  David likes to cut it up and scatter it over a bowl of greens.  Or he eats it with toasted whole-grain bread.  I eat it plain as a snack.  Whatever, the salmon burger does not require additional seasoning.  So simple, so good!

Bad case of the blahs

After the excitement at the ER on Saturday and Monday, I now have a bad case of the blahs.  To alleviate boredom, I picked up the novel by Nicholas Sparks that Lisa bought me a few weeks ago, but was unable to read beyond the prologue.  Why?  Because it follows the same old formula he has used for his previous books.  Don’t get me wrong.  I have seen all of his movies and have read six of his books and truly enjoyed them.  However, his writing has gotten stale, and his “At First Sight” has not lit my fire.

The last book I read from cover to cover was Professor Randy Pausch’s memoir, “The Last Lecture.”  Like millions of people worldwide, I saw the video of his last lecture on television.  What an impressive guy!  If you don’t already know, he produced this lecture for his three children to watch/read when they are old enough to appreciate the story of his remarkable life and the legacy he left behind.  It was a stunning memoir by a man, who had terminal pancreatic cancer and only six months left to live.  He certainly packed a lot of living in such a short time.

I am happiest when I am intellectually engaged.  Writing books, newspaper columns, and a blog satisfy me while I am actually doing it.  I also like to read. 

Have you read any ENTERTAINING books recently?  Let me know what they are, and I’ll look for them at Borders or Amazon.  Mahalo!

Appointment with Dr. P

I saw Dr. P, an infectious disease specialist, yesterday regarding my swollen right hand.  First off, he told me that cat bites are worse than dog bites, because dogs have flat teeth whereas cats have sharp incisors that dig deep into the flesh and inject bacteria.  “Cats are like tigers,” he said. 

In defense of cats, I’ll say that dogs (e.g., pit bulls) can bite your hand off, whereas cats can’t. 

Then he examined my hand, which was still swollen and painful, but not as red as before.  Dr. P told me to increase the dosage for Augmentin to three times a day.  When that medicine is finished, I am to start taking Cipro (a third antibiotic) twice a day and continue to take Doxycycline twice a day.  He said Cipro is more powerful than Augmentin and will lead to a quicker cure.  However, he prescribed 60 tablets of the Cipro and 60 tablets of the Doxycycline.  Does he expect my infection to last 30 more days?

I am to see him again next Wednesday.

But, guess what, Kitty’s paw seems to have healed itself, because he is no longer limping!  All of that effort to put him in the cage, so we could take him to the vet, turned out to be completely unnecessary.  Kitty is well; I am not.  Who said life is fair?

“Real Simple” essay contest

Photo by Ted Trimmer:  Box jellyfish and loulo in Ala Wai Harbor.

A prize of $3,000 and publication in “Real Simple” will be given annually for a personal essay on a theme.  The winner will also receive an all-expenses-paid trip for two to New York City to meet with the editors and see a Broadway show.  This year’s theme is, “When did you realize that you had become a grown-up?”  Submit an essay of up to 1,500 words by September 7.  There is no entry fee.  Visit the web site for complete guidelines:

www.realsimple.com/lifelessonscontest

Real Simple
Life Lessons Essay Contest
1271 Avenue of the Americas, 9th floor
New York, NY 10020

Email:  lifelessons@realsimple.com

What have you got to lose?  Send something in.  No entry fee!

Back to the ER

Photos of July 4 fireworks by Ted Trimmer.

Although the ER doctor had told me to follow up with my internist on Monday, I was too lazy to do so.  Meanwhile, the swelling and redness spread from my right hand to my fingers and past my wrist.  I decided to return to the ER last night.

Dr. S examined my hand.  He had a nurse draw blood from both arms for testing.  The nurse then administered an IV antibiotic, called Unison.  I also had to take Doxycycline orally.  Although he said my blood tests for white blood cell count and bacteria were all within the normal range, Dr. S wants me to take two antibiotics orally, starting today – Doxycycline and Augmentin.  He also wants me to follow up with Dr. P, an infectious disease specialist, in two days.  “If my blood tests are all normal, why do I have to see Dr. P?” I asked.  “Because the swelling and redness have spread, and we don’t want you to lose your arm,” Dr. S replied.  I’ll make the appointment today.

While I lay on a bed in the hallway (all of the rooms were taken by 13 other patients), I witnessed a real emergency.  A paramedic was administering CPR to a man while other personnel were pushing his bed to the trauma room.  A cop came in also.  This is the story I heard him relate to a nurse:

The patient was a suspect in a robbery at a convenience store.  When confronted, the suspect swung a beer bottle at the store manager’s face.  A 20 year old tourist approached the suspect from behind and apparently choked him.  The suspect collapsed, went into cardiac arrest, and the police and ambulance were called to the scene.  I saw the nurse perform CPR on the suspect in the ER for a very, very long time.  Then all was quiet.  Was the suspect pronounced dead?  Probably.  Then I heard people say that the “Good Samaritan” might be arrested for manslaughter.  He was very distraught that he had caused the suspect’s death.  And he and his family were here on vacation!  The police are recommending that he seek psychological help.

Whew!  What a life!

I thank God that I have a loving husband, who drove me to and from the ER on both Saturday and Monday, and that I have an equally loving daughter, who did the dishes all weekend.  I am not alone!

Golfing on the Wii

David bought this Wii game, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10, at Costco and started the tutorial as well as actual playing time yesterday. Unbelievably, it took a lot out of him.  At the end of the front 9, he was sweating profusely.

 

He set up his options.  Note that he is playing right handed, even though he is normally left handed.  That’s because David is ambidextrous.

 

Here’s David’s golf swing.

He should have leaned on his right foot, not his left.

He should have twisted his head and whole body to the left and leaned on his left foot.

 

Tiger Woods mimics David’s swing.

The ball goes out of bounds, and Tiger/David must do a drop.

 

Here’s the ball approaching the hole.

 

After a string of bogeys, David/Tiger finally scored an eagle on 5.  He went on to score a birdie and par (also more bogeys) before quitting after the front 9 with a score of 48.  He plans to finish the game today after work.  Since my right hand is still swollen and tender, I am unable to golf.  But, I told David to buy another remote for me, because I am determined to challenge him and win!  Oh, by the way, this tournament was held on the beautiful golf course in Banff.

Tony Roma’s and a trip to the ER

It was Independence Day yesterday, and David asked if I intended to barbecue something for dinner.  “Too much work,” I replied.  “Let’s do ribs at Tony Roma’s, instead.”  So, the branch in Westridge is where we had lunch.

 

We started our lunch with warm bread and herb butter.

 

Then we dug into a plate of onion rings and spicy BBQ sauce.  $6.99.  Excellent!

 

David ordered a full slab of baby back ribs, a baked potato, and cole slaw.  $23.99.  Ravenous, he polished it off before I was half finished with my meal.

 

I ordered a half-slab of baby back ribs, 4 coconut shrimp, a baked potato, and broccoli.  $24.99.  The sweet dip tasted good with the shrimp and broccoli.  The meat was so tender and juicy, it fell off the bones. 

 

Cat bites.

Yesterday morning, I tried to place Kitty in a cage, so we could take him to the vet for a check-up.  He resisted and, as a result, I got 3 scratches and 6 puncture wounds on my hands.  Pictured here are a couple of punctures from his teeth.  Note that the last two knuckles don’t show due to swelling.  I could not extend my fingers, nor could I make a fist.  (I still can’t.)  After lunch, David drove me to the emergency room, where I was examined.  I was given a tetanus shot, a 10-day prescription for an antibiotic, and instructions to see my regular physician in two days.  I am treating the pain with Advil.

Needless to say, Kitty never made it to the vet, but he made sure I went to the doctor, instead.  Nice cat!  I hope he stops limping and favoring his left front paw.  Thorn?  Broken glass?  Fracture?  Maybe, his paw will heal itself.

Too hot vs. too cold

Photos by Ted Trimmer:

At Rockpile.

Sunset at Ala Moana.

I just wrote a $287 check to HECO for electricity consumed in June.  David expects the bill to increase with the rising price of oil.  And, of course, we have five air conditioners in our home.  It’s been beastly hot and humid with the temperature indoors zooming to 87 degrees.  So, why the hell do I end up wearing a heavy sweater?  Well, with a/c the temperature drops to 75 degrees.  Although I don’t like the cold, I do like to turn on the a/c to suck out the humidity.

If I had my druthers, I would raise the thermostat in the bedroom from 73 to 80 degrees.  “Over my dead body!” says my husband.  Being an extremely hairy haole, he rarely feels cold.  There he is, lying on top of his thin blanket, while I shiver under a heavy blanket.  Yes, I had to return the king-size comforter to the store and purchase two twin-size blankets of different thickness.  I wonder how many couples have had to compromise this way.

Sorrow

So many things to tell you today.  Right now, the pervading emotion is sorrow.  Sorrow for Governor Sanford’s wife, who must grin and bear it, while her husband humiliates her and himself by publicly discussing his affair with an Argentine and non-sexual dalliances with other women.  Good grief!  What is he thinking?  He claims the Argentine is his “soul mate,” but he wants to “fall back in love” with his wife.  No mention of his four young sons, who must be wondering why their parents don’t get along.

I suppose all of us know couples who have been in a similar situation.  In fact, two of my relatives divorced their husbands because of infidelity and abandonment.  The aftermath wasn’t easy, especially since it involved child custody issues.  Presently, both relatives seem to be doing well, as both own homes and are financially secure.

If you are considering a divorce, do take my advice and see a good marriage counselor.  Many years ago, David and I received counseling because of constant bickering, and it helped our marriage considerably.  We reaffirmed our love for each other.  Now, there is no friction between us, and we get along better.

David says that ever since I quit my awful job at the library, I have been more relaxed and less likely to jump on his case for every little thing.  He says I am mellow.  Yes, I agree; I am so glad I no longer have to deal with unpleasant people at work!

I think the Sanfords should seek marriage counseling ASAP.