Happy birthday Jennifer

In this series, you'll note that I had no good picture of Father as he was upset. James was upstairs ill, and Joe wasn't there for he spent his time being a jack--fill in the blank. It was quiet, calm and enjoyable. She's 20 and there's no way to tell where she's going.

Happy birthday Jenny!

sputter cough

That was my car ... at 1:40 a.m. I had thankfully returned to hometown by that time, but my car wasn't going to make it to the auto shop. I waited on the phone with AAA for 20 minutes to find a driver. Twenty minutes after that, he arrived and took the damaged car to auto shop, me in the cab. Apparently I did more damage to the car when it slid out of control, than I thought.

It was just what I really wanted for Christmas -- a repair bill.

I do, again, thank God that I got it to hometown and that I limped it to a gas station where I could stand in a HEATED place waiting for tow truck. It was also nice I could drive it back and forth to work until Tuesday when I could get it fixed.

View of the farm

I pulled an incomplete James Dean by going off the road last night in terrible road conditions. I was going faster than I should and what I didn't know was that the left lane was 60% worse than the right lane. I skidded out of control, thankfully not hitting the car near me, then sliding across the highway divider and onto the northbound lane and up onto the other side of the road and finally bumping into a farmer's fence.

The car is fine -- undamaged and rides just fine, but I'll need to get an alignment just to make sure. I don't think I would have had such a nice landing with the old car of mine. I have another blog for geared for my reverence for God, but I'll thank God here anyway.

Thanks God for your miraculous saving of me!

The roads were just complete crap yesterday and especially last night with rain, then sleet, then rain again. I don't mind snow, I don't mind rain, but frozen roads I hate. I saw many cars off road -- done for the weekend. God apparently was thinking I was still needed.

for Debbie

Laz

Well, Lois is perpetually tired and no test has shown why. Thomas is therefore, perpetually worried about Lois. With the exception of being tired ... everyone seems to be doing well. There isn't much new save for the onset of dreary weather ... sunless days and frosty cold days and nights.

Marcus is sick of many aspects of his job. In some ways he is making strides, yet in other ways ... spinning his wheels.

looser vice

If there was a vice on our backs, necks and heads, it loosed one quarter turn. Joe had legal problems and it appears, through God's will alone, that he has been spared a worse penalty for a lighter one. Today Thomas gets X-Ray while Lois gets coumadin check. Yep... blood is still red and flowing. See you in three weeks.

tired, sore, more active

Lois is just that! I wish that she generally felt better, but she doesn't. Thomas is doing well and a small bit of stress has been lifted from him. In general, the family is well.

Marcus is diligently working on things for work that the GM apparently doesn't get. Arrogant as it sounds, he feels his knowledge will soon surpass the GM's, for the GM is not tech savvy, appears not to quickly get math, and well ... Anyway, Marcus has accomplished some things and he hopes to get more done still.

Turkey Day

It was a small gathering, quiet, but we had a chance to play games. We also watched Transformers. As you can see, Lilly wanted to be in the center, on your shoulder, and elsewhere. She was whining to get food.

Jessica won all the loot when we played Tripoly.

I give thanks for the time with family and that we were all safe, sound, collected, and had a good time. Thanks God for everything!

+ the man with the earring is Zane, Jessica's boyfriend

step, pull, step, pull

No more! Lois had her stitches removed yesterday and feels better for it. There is no more pulling due to those accursed stitches! I should have looked into getting a fold installed for gorge days like this ... "switching to belly number two now".

Happy Thanksgiving!

help

I helped neighbor today clean out the gutters. He wanted to cut down some limbs, but that wasn't safe. I was looking at either severing his power, his cable, or electrocuting myself. I opted for none of the above. I cleaned out the folks' gutter, then finally started getting leaves. I hope that the city gathers the stuff soon -- piles and piles on the eavesment and on the streets. Naughty us ... shouldn't be on the street.

Thanks to Joe, my battery was changed. It took the removal of a wheel guard, filters, filter casings and tools. It also took about an hour. Thankfully, the battery that was changed appeared to be in need of changing. It was old, old, old looking.

Shuffle

Oh, oh, oh---- it's the Lois shuffle.+ Lois has bouts of yawn = tired. Waking + shower = tired. Eating = tired. You'd think there was a glucose (diabetes) issue, but that might not be it. I think, if she can muster up the courage, walking, walking, walking might be the key.

In a small highlight, Thomas got to golf on Wednesday!

+ to the tune of Harlem Shuffle, one six more-well known versions

Joe V

Neighbor needed to go to emergency room. He couldn't reach family, so he called me. I got him to emergency room for kidney stones. Good news for him, he was discharged today!

Is it an illusion or ...

is there a tall person and short person in this photo. Thanks to Beth for this photo.

Despite gloom... lovely colors of

Despite gloom... lovely colors of autumn. Thanks, God, for car good on rain & colors-however dimmed.

Well enough to walk

The sound might be inaudible, but there is the clear picture that she's happy to be walking. She had been bed-rested for a long, long time.

As I left tonight, she had not yet been moved to another room. She is in an ICU room, but is not in danger, thankfully.

on few monitors

Lois is still in hospital, but she is doing fine and they are monitoring only her heart rate. She had bleeding and clotting from an outpatient surgery, so they had to remove the large clot, then put in a drain. She had a smaller drain they will implant tomorrow and its removal on Wednesday. So, Lois again gets to stay a week in hospital. She never has a short visit.

She is reasonably well and was reading Better Homes & Gardens when I saw her after work. Sleep is not in the cards for me this week. Next week, maybe, but not likely.

My mom made it through

My mom made it through 2 surgeries. 1 more on wednesday. then I can sleep.

bleeding her

Lois is still in hospital. Her hemorrhaging would not abate, so she is in hospital still. That is for "the better", as she will get better care and Thomas won't rest there, never really sleeping. I am sure that his rest is better, but sleep is not something that he'll have.

When Marcus left her, she was in good spirits, eating a long-wait, quite late breakfast, 2pm. She needed prompt pressure on her surgical area, as her coumadin bled her like a hundred leeches. She's okay, will be fine, but she is not ... here.

Marcus slept poorly last night and resigns to poor sleep tonight. He night was a mix of "huh" with "gotta put up with Jerk numero uno." His appreciation of work is hampered by pay, hours, and the ability to complete projects. When he gets in early, he has to pitch in off-the-clock to help a fellow get back on track.

One guy, the next in line, may not make it much farther, as his life is bursting into confetti. How on Earth do you put it together again? You don't. Either you make something new of the pieces or you start completely over from scratch. Stress, Satan biting down hard on Brutus+, consumes him. This Brutus, is not the before mentioned Emperor in new clothes -- putting on aires, not underwears, "full of pride"++

+ Dante's "Inferno"; entered too, for Brutus betrayed Caesar and Rome -- his final judgement, damnation
++ INXS, "Devil Inside"

blue plate special

Lois went with the girls one weekend and made a plate. Here she is and her work.

away, I'm a stranger

no crib for a bed, though one man needed a might lot of clarity. He was a bit under the influence. Pictures from work and from a friend's party.

click, click and I wasn't there

Well, central Indiana family came to visit. I suspect that it went well.

Boy! Did they take a long time to get devleoped

Lois had some 35mm film done and she opted for photo CD. Well, pardon the grainy translation of the film on a few of these.

Eyes that I can see

Well, Lois will not have surgery soon, as we thought. She is to visit (see) the doctor in three months. Her PT is going ok, though she comes home quite sore.

Thomas' friend is having surgery, and supposedly will finally quit smoking. Well, after many surgeries required because of his smoking, maybe that was the cinch -- the "duh" factor kicking in.

Thomas had a wicked gas bill, but they later claimed it was "read wrong". You think? What typical home owner uses $150 in gas? Oh, well he does have that gold smelting business and the family kiln for pottery, but still.

They chopped off $120 making it a more typical bill.

Some one had a little time with the lawn mower

Family is

Testing one's patience

God will, God speed, we are well. Lois had more tests and has found that she might have to have surgery to fix blockages. Her test today ... ah, results next week. Always, there is wait.

ship of fools

Well, health-wise, we need some pickups.

Lois went into the heart doctor and found that she likely has blockages near the stents put in a few years ago. This means, essentially, that she will have to go back in to doctors for more work. Lovely, just lovely.

Father's PSA level is good and the bone scan looked good.

Lois messed up her hip and is taking PT twice weekly for a while.

Joe had legal problems and I shall finish with only that there seems to be a hope that things will go better or positively regarding that. I shall not go into more detail at this time. Lois and Thomas are "hosting" him for a while.

Marcus has had an unremarkable few weeks of disappointing work. His replacement car works just fine and for all intensive purposes has no legitimate reason to complain. He still does, though God has save his butt (and the rest of him) on many occasions.

gritted teeth

Putting patches on our wounds, assessing the damage and moving on in an ungainly way, we are seen to meander in a deliberate and awkward way. After visiting the dentist, Thomas returned with a protruding lip, mostly due to the tube gauze in his mouth from surgery. His surgery, having gone okay, let some typical bleeding, but I understand that it healed within the hour.

Lois found bringing the right X-Rays to an appointment help, but as luck would have it, she didn't. God's broader thinking allowed her to come the next week with the right ones, which led to a meeting with the other responsible doctors. Her hip -- so many years ago the problem, might now be addressed.

For history's sake, Lois complained about her hip, but then doctors found other parts to be a problem, like her heart ... her diabetes, her neck, her back, her knees. Now, finally, then might address the age-old (pun) problem of her hip hurting.

She started physical therapy Monday and will have PT twice weekly.

In other family news ... we are all jiggling the handle, hoping to make the crap not only go down -- as it has, but to go away. It's not the manure farmer -- same *&(^ different day, but rather each day ten new animals being brought onto the farm -- new *&(^, different and hardly ordered, the work becoming tenfold quickly.

God rest, Nic

Click here to View and Sign Guest Book View/Sign Guestbook
Nicholas J. Frato
NICHOLAS J. FRATO, 65, of Fort Wayne, died Thursday, Sept. 27, 2007, at home. Born Oct. 16, 1941, in Detroit, Mich. He retired from International Harvester after 20 years and Raytheon after 24 years. He was a 1959 graduate of New Haven High School and received a degree of Bachelor of Science from Purdue at I.P.F.W., in 1970. He was a member of Our Lady of Good Hope Catholic Church and Purdue Alumni Club where he was a past president. He was an avid Purdue and Miami Dolphins fan. "A gentleman till the end." Survivors include his wife, Sue Frato of Fort Wayne; son, Nicholas Frato Jr. of Fort Wayne; daughters, Natalie (Chris) Cagnet and Nanette (William) Miller, both of Fort Wayne; brother, Joseph Frato of Covina, Calif.; stepdaughter, Tracy (John) Schostek of Carmel; stepsons, Todd and Troy (Becky) Richmond, both of Avilla; five grandchildren; and six stepgrandchildren. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Betty Frato; father, Nicholas V. Frato; mother, Aurelia Frato; one sister; and one brother. Service is 11 a.m. Monday at D.O. McComb & Sons Pine Valley Park Funeral Home, 1320 E. Dupont Road, with calling one hour prior. Fr. Mark Gurtner officiating. Calling also from 4 to 7 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home. Entombment in Catholic Cemetery. Memorials to Visiting Nurse & Hospice Home, 5910 Homestead Road, Fort Wayne, IN 46814 or Our Lady of Good Hope Catholic Church, 7215 St. Joe Road, Fort Wayne, IN 46835.
Published in the Fort Wayne Newspapers on 9/29/2007.
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Medical news

Well, Thomas went to the doctors about his cancer and it appears that he is doing well. That's good news! Lois had a heart rate monitor halter and the numbers came back, good. Lois, apparently never satisfied with clean bill of health got this beauty falling out of bed. She is going to wear a brace around her knee to protect her ligaments for a few weeks.

In sad medical news, a family friend ... Nic, developed aggressive pancreatic cancer. Thomas visited him and he looked, "bad". My prayers for his family, for he was given 2 weeks or less to live. God has reasons and purposes.

Heaven's to Betsy

Apparently Jack is well, only needing to fart, walk, and tell the medical staff he's gonna punch 'em if he can't go home. I'm indeed thankful that God is merciful and loving and kept this great man with us. I look forward to hearing from him or reading a simple email of, "I'm out!" or "I'm back" or some variant of that theme.

side car

Marcus' little vehicle perished ... gasping its final breathe and belching burnt oil one last time. After a long wait for a tow from his work town to home town, it was then towed away, some cash left in its place. Above is the miraculous replacement car. It's 8 years old and in good condition, though high on miles.

grass is greener, carpet is cleaner

The carpet, once green -- now green with envy, is now brown (ish). The old carpet had padding that had disintegrated. The new, thicker padding is quite comfy. The donation of the piano to the Orozcos also gave the room a "roomier" feel as well. Here, Thomas is at ease reading the paper.

follow up

Dave called this morning. Jack is in recovery, having done well with the surgery. Thank you, yet again, God!

For Jack

God, in all God's mercy watches now over my uncle during his surgery. Thank you God for all of your mercy, love and care. My hopes and prayers are with you Jack.

togetherness

We are a silly lot

Thanks for the nearly great shot ...

Returning to the past

Thomas and Lois embarked on a journey into the past, per se. They visited the Pennsylvania state for Lois' nurse's group reunion. Thomas called and they arrived just fine and met up with 16 of the 18 persons. Sadly, two passed, but the remainder are kicking.

They plan to visit the Blashfords for a while and see the family, as they've not seen each other in a darn long while. They are in good spirits and I hope ... hope, that they bring back pictures of family I miss. They have plans to return on a day but are open to returning later.

Our thoughts are on Jack

If you have any time for prayers ... make them for Jack, as he has to have surgery.

Saturday, event day

shopping

"I bought a couple of big boxes of Oxycontin", Lois said in a victorious voice. Then, click, it dawned on her that she didn't mean Oxycontin, but rather, "Oxi Clean". Nonetheless, the statement is now documented for humor's sake. Thanks Lois!

one good thing

I pushed someone to finish what she had to do to start her college courses. She came in last night to tell me that she registers next week. Despite my evils, bitterness toward work, general vileness, I did something good. I got someone to complete a task that she needed to do, for her own benefit. I didn't try to push her into going to college, but rather to take the steps to get there since she already had plans to attend.

I am still evil, mind you.

no more the entertainer

The piano, after many delays, was moved today. May Debbie and family find good use with it.

two home skits

stor RAGE

Thomas and Lois rented a storage facility. Here's a peek.

Let us not forget

Thomas & Lois together ...

incidental witness

This cute little critter (young skunk) was eating roadkill. It was one something at night so the lighting isn't good ... sue me!

A raccoon scurried under the bridge after my turn, so I didn't capture it on video, sadly.

pale resistance

Lois is fighting moving or rather the thought of moving. She hates, "the whole Christmas season"+ She doesn't like leaving the homestead, the 30 some year home to which she has grown accustomed. The worst is yet to come with holidays. Imagine, a new Christmas in a new home. Not really a bummer, but radically different. Heck, it could be better and still you yearn for what was. Thomas and Lois are piecemeal getting their stuff to storage in the thought of moving.

The plink plink piano is next up ... Thursday contractually moved to Debbie's. Now, if she remembers, the 70s classic "If" that she liked to play. It is dreadfully out of tune.

+ "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas

gift idea for Lois

Can you push these buttons? Can you clearly see these? Note the item on the left is a slipper ... so the remote is about as long as a slipper. Arthritis is not a fun fact.

and Sunsearcher fell asleep

Razzlefrazzle humperdink doodiddle flippyflop boink . ..

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz


I guess she commented, but it wasn't in any language I understand.

My day

As well as the other things ... my in-laws came in to where I work today and another worker an "m" hassled him. What a putz. The poor old guy is 90+ and this putz who works there is giving him the above. ++

I got a reprimand for venting at work to no one. I vented to and at no one, yet -- reprimand. I will enter work tomorrow with a heightened sense of being, in that I will leave soon and they'll all be the same. "They'll all go back to being their retchid little selves, but perhaps a little wiser."+

+ Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
++ "Well, I'm sorry for being a shit to you all these years", Bill Paxton in Weird Science

fine

So that any reader knows, Lois is just fine. She did typical things today like coumadin testing and hair cutting and styling, and coloring. I'm thinking she's not a natural red.

plummeting

Well, Marcus' computer fell and is half-way functional now. The laptop is now a desktop, for it doesn't work well on battery. Crap!

Lois had a nasty tumble yesterday, but she's okay. Her tears weren't from pain, but rather from worry that she broke her knees. Far from the truth! Those babies could likely be run over by a car and be fine. She's just fine, but is still in her mixed up sleep cycles. Maybe this weekend will be better for her.

Charlie's home -- with Zesto!

Charlie playing "Chicken Little"

Charlie playing "Chicken Little"

Lori gets home, dogs go wild

Echo greeting me!

Well, I met up with Monkeyjack and family yesterday. We met at Munchies and we had the beer sampler -- 10 beers in 2oz shots. There was a Chardonary-esque beer that was bad, but most were fair. I liked the American Red of Mad Anthony Brewery. I wound up getting an accidental free beer. Monkeyjack was kind enough to splurge and take the whole bill -- I owe him!




We then went to Zesto's ice cream and later to Monkeyjack's place. There, Charlie wanted to show me rented games -- Chicken Little being his favorite of the two.

cards against them

Well, Thomas and Lois hosted cards last Friday and the girls won -- betting the boys badly enough that they couldn't sit down for a week. That makes, I think, 28:1 victories for the ladies over the gentlemen.

Eye'z it

Diane was suffering from eye pain on Friday and was soon in enough pain that she had to leave work. Thankfully Jim got her to hospital where the eye doctor is and he pulled out the handy-dandy laser and fixed the bleeding in her eye. Thankfully, little blood leaked into her eye, so while dealing with "floaties" as it were, she is better now. She is concluding her class by know-nothing professor D. M. Wit, Sr. Schmuck. Thanks God for intervening!

Meanwhile, this weekend Thomas and Lois went to a birthday party, an anniversary party and looked for carpeting.

Marcus worked. He still doesn't much like work.

While Behy isn't in the shot

This is her workplace at "work"






So, why can't we do that at work and get paid?

Train kept a stoppin' all night long ...

I was driving home from work, when minutes from work, there was ... [dun dun ----] a train. I veered right hoping to find the end and avoid it. I turned again ... going to mak --, lights went red and I stopped. That stupid putz backed up, stopped and repeated. After 30 minutes I gave up and drove down several miles out of my way to another part and finally got home 35 minutes later than I should have.

"15 minutes could ..."

Fifteen minutes could save you money on your car insurance or if you are shopping at an expensive grocery store, it could cost you $96.00. That's right! Lois went to Fresh Market and was able to cart stuff equaling $96.00 in fifteen minutes. If you think regular shopping is pricey, try a more organic approach and shop at "The Price Just Ain't Right" store like Fresh Market. I know that Marsh is also expensive.

Marcus and Lois went to pick up Jessica from Driver's Ed and needed a stop between her coumadin clinic time of 2:00 - 2:20 to 3:30. They opted for a shopping center. Marcus checked out prices on office supplies for work and Lois spent cash. Yikes! Imagine what another fifteen minutes would have netted. I think I know where my extra cash could be invested ... overpriced stores like that!

and the world laughs with you

Thanks Diane for this nice little video can watch when I'm down.

flip and burn

Lilly sniffs around, while Jenny and Logan watch Jessica try to lift herself upside-down

this great shot was taken on my camera by someone else, and I don't know by whom

Jessica doesn't smoke, but has a lighter ... she likes fire. Here, the trail of a recently fired rocket towers over her.

hurts

I found a new pain at work. Mind you there are the annoyances of fellow leaders and chiefs who are as much hypocrites as they are mammals. The flow of business and scheduling is hectic and chaotic. At work there are many ways to get minor injuries like burns, cuts, bruises. You deal with fellows (co-workers) and people whom you may otherwise be slow to throw the life safer.

Being a leader, I'm supposed to move left and look right, follow a rough sketch that defies regulations, policy, and follow the chief-in-charge, rather than a set scheme. I field questions, hustle like a paint shaker, then get admonished for working hard.

I found this new pain while looking for someone. I opened up a closet, where people do keep themselves so that they can complete work projects and not be seen/disturbed. I walked in and found a person drinking on the job. I am supposed to send the person home right away, document the event, and essentially sign the termination papers for the person prior to the chief addressing the issue and beheading the person. I didn't send the person home, didn't inform anyone else of the situation. The person seemed legitimately sorry and I suspect and hope that it will be my last hurdle with this person.

I might be completely wrong, and perhaps should have followed the guidelines, "according to the book" that hardly any chief does. It seems like a bill, with so-called leaders having a daily line-item veto or applicability exemption stamp. Since all the leaders have exceptions to the rules, generally as shortcuts, and are hypocrites -- am I feeling bad about what I did? I didn't follow procedure to get a person fired. I feel justified, but unsure whether I did anyone right by my decision.

Mary and Jesus, by James

James' work with pointillism, mother and child. I believe he was thinking of Mary and Jesus when he made this work. He claims that his work isn't good enough. Phft! How wrong he is.