Potpourri from an Afternooon Ride In Gelderland

It may be difficult to see but the oldtimer on the bike was wearing his wooden shoes! Yes they do wear wooden shoes but usually with leather liners to make them snug and comfortable!
A typical quaint Dutch farmstead just off the dike near the Waal River. The Waal is the Southern branch of the Rhine in the Nederland. Just in case you don't know the Rhine splits into two upstream and then sort of becomes one again near Rotterdam.
The area is potato country. Fields are plowed and ready for the spring.
The "Big Road" bridge spans the Vaal while barge traffic moves up and down the river! The water in the foreground is apparently flooded area for water control downstream.
Cows in their shed loafing and eating! I would guess this herd numbered 40 or so Holsteins.

The Sun Shone Today in the Nederland's Gelderland!

As the sunshine warmed the Dutch countryside the weeks accumulation of frost on the trees and ground melted off but the freezing temperatures of the past few days left the flooded areas along the dikes frozen stiff! Hundreds of folks were out enjoying the almost endless skating rinks there as is the tradition here. We then went through the outdoor market in Wagenining where each Wednesday and Saturday shoppers can find a big assortment of fish, meats, cheeses, fruits, vegatables, bakery, fresh and live herbs, of course, fresh cut flowers and live plants, and more and if course visit with plenty of people doing their Saturday shopping! Beth bought a bunch of budding tulips and Buga got a loaf of bread which she gnawed on for the next hour or so and ate the "whole thing" by herself!

The Last Roses of the Year!

Outside the door here in Zetten are the final attempts of the big yellow rose bush to color itself. These have survived a week of below freezing temperatures as indicated by the mid-afternoon frost on the grass and trees! Its winter here in the Nederlands!

I was looking at this egg carton the other day and thought there is something wrong with it! Could it be the Queeen's way of keeping down cholesterol levels? Or does it have something to do with the weights and measures and counts system?

Where is Sun?

Here in Holland when approching the shortest days of the year the sun has barely reached into the sky at 1 o'clock. In the picture you can see it peeking thought the shrubs! I'm guessing its shining from about 30 degrees and therefore doing very little to warm anything! This area is at about the same lattitude as Edmonton, Canada. These are the days of total darkness for those way up north! That must be a hard life!

We left the snowcovered landscape in Green Bay

Rebecca was the first of the family to see me from her vantage point on her Dads shoulders!

The Journey told as told through Saturday!

After shopping around and packing around and loading the car around and driving around to Green Bay I left the Grand Caravan in the hands of the GRB parking attendants and left the driving to NWA. We had a good uneventful trip to Detroit and then on to Dusseldorf where Rebecca and parents were waiting for me to get me and my goodie filled bags! Yesterday was busy helping the soon to be non-expats pack, taking care of the baby, cooking, and being a nuisance in general. Today was jet lag day or it seemed that way at least. I overslept to start. I think that the 9:45 am awakening was the latest in more than a year. Then this afternoon I conveniently missed being a participant in a bike ride to a nearby village while I napped! Lucky me! Then of course the rest of the day flew by and now I have been recruited to babysit while the folks go off to a movie! How much do American baby sitters make per hour?

HIPPA News

Tuesday the local needle inserters were switching over to a brand new computerized information system. The DCH lobby waiting area was packed with people as I walked in and I wondered if some epidemic had struck the area and I hadn't heard about it. Any way I got to the ACU and got into my chair and the PN comes up to me with this little tiny laptop perched atop a rolling platform and explains that she need to get my full medical history, medications, and height and weight and whatever the hell else from me and that we had to hurry cause she had to get the same info from everyone else coming in! So here I am.....however many years old with a medical history equally as long......attempting to remember all my stuff. Surgery, broken arms, suicides, immunizations, and on and on. At the end I told her that I am here now to be infused with Aralast to boost my antitrypsin deficiency. She punches some buttons, then asks me to spell that.....which I did.....she pushes some more buttons.....looks up at me and says...."It doesn't look like thats in here so we'll skip it for now"! Oh my! Any way as I was saying about HIPPA news, as I sat there for the 3 hours I was treated to hearing the full medical histories of at least 5 other folks who came in and sat on either side of me! I heard of their cancers and blood deseases, HIV infections and hepatitus problems, of their lung deficiences and stomach ailments, of broken bones and colonoscopies, and on and on. Where are the HIPPA rules here I wondered? Maybe they were suspended for the day!

I Thought I Lost It Forever

Last week and weekend C and I switched my email to Gmail and it took some new passwords and usernames and then for the past three days I havent been able to get into this blog. I finally did enough things to get to it. I finally reset my new google account password to the exact same existing new password. Silly huh? And that even gave me back my old google calendar!

Oh Christmas Tree! All set for The Clas Man to drop a new pickup truck under it!

Coming Soon to This Blog

I have some ornaments on my tree. Pic will be taken and posted soon.

Thanksgiving 2007

At my age its hard to say what and who in what order I should be offering to thank on this Thanksgiving Day. I guess the fact that I still live to talk about it is one thing. Thank you Baxter and Accredo and Drs Smoot and Bruner and DCH and the staff there for your help. Thank you Mr G and company for your support and help and for the fun we had with the horses. And thank you, family and friends, for your support during those scary times!

I've managed nearly a year now in retirement and have no regrets that I couldn't continue working. Thanks to all and everything that made and continues to make the lazy life possible.
I've been thinking about family and am happy and thankful that all of you are safe and sound and doing your things. Thanks to all and everything that makes that possible. Of course we keep Grandma J in our thoughts!
Of course there are many more thanks to give but that would take a book!

I'll conclude by saying thanks again to Mike and Lupa for today's meal and company. Knowing you two is one of life's special treats!

Large Buck Attacks and Kills Hunter

BEWARE HUNTERS is the word for the 2007 season

HIPPA News The Recap of October with Emphasis on the Night of October 31st

My "Buddy" and related wires and tubes after I was "unwired" this morning!

I know I promised you a summary of my HIPPA events for October but I am so tired of HIPPA events that I will not do it. I don't care if its a record or not and I don't care if you want to know or not but I am not doing any HIPPA entries on this blog for at least a while! After trying to sleep at the sleep clinic with 20 electrodes attached with glue and tape to my legs and torso and head and two belts around my body to measure breathing and a O2 sensor clamped and taped to my finger and a thing stuck in my nose to measure CO2 coming out and open microphones listening to me talk and snore and infrared lights shining at me and TV cameras looking at me and having to verbally call the tech when I wanted to go to the toilet and he having to come and disconnect my "buddy" as he called it from its base and hang the big box around my neck with about a 20 yards of wires and tubes trailing me to the toilet so I could go and the fact that they didn't even so much as have coffee in the morning made it even worse so therefore I am too tired to write anything today! There is however a great deal of good information for you to study at the link I provided above!

The $64,000 Question!

I had my chance at the money but blew it!

Oh, Halloween is Soon Gone and Oh, Christmas Will Be Next in Line!

Over the last few months my Christmas tree has grown rather top heavy! I need suggestions on types of decorations. (Cheap ones because I might not even trim it since I won't be around!) We'll let the Norfolk Island Pine grow for an other year and see where its at a year from now. I might have to call an arborist to keep it somewhat shaped. Or as I said before maybe I'll take her to Cost Cutters!

HIPPA News for Saturday

Looks redundant? These 3 came today. One yesterday. Its getting sickening! We wonder why our healthcare system is going to the dogs with excessive waste!

New AAT Drug Therapy Trials Underway

Life will get much easier for me and others with this new devlopment in AAT therapy

This from Pharmaceutical Online http://www.pharmaceuticalonline.com

Kamada Is Pursuing U.S. Market With Its Aerosolized AAT
-->10/23/2007
Kamada a bio-pharmaceutical company, has submitted its clinical development program to the FDA for its flagship drug, Alpha-1 Antitrypsin (AAT) with its aerosolized (inhaled) form for the treatment of Congenital Emphysema caused by Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency (AATD). The company plans to commence clinical development in the US concurrently with the trials already underway towards registration in Europe.
“The potential number of AATD subjects worldwide is estimated by the US Alpha -1 patients' organization at approximately 200,000. According to an independent survey, only 5,000 of these are currently treated. We therefore see a significant potential in the treatment of AATD with the aerosolized AAT drug. The cost of treatment with the aerosolized version is expected to be lower than with intravenously administered AAT. Furthermore, there is continuously growing clinical evidence from all over the world indicating that the rationale in treating Congenital Emphysema with AAT is also valid for treating other respiratory diseases, such as: Cystic Fibrosis, and possibly others. Therefore, development of the product for additional indications is underway. We are collaborating with the leading worldwide physicians in this field,” said Kamada's CEO, David Tsur.
According to John Walsh, President of US Alpha One Foundation, “the US Alpha-1 community is extremely excited about this submission and the progress made in Kamada’s European trials for aerosolized delivery of augmentation therapy. The Alpha-1 Foundation has prioritized the development of aerosolized AAT and is committed to supporting this application.”
The AAT drug, also known as API (Alpha-1 Proteinase Inhibitor), is currently indicated for treating Congenital Emphysema. This disease, caused by an inborn deficiency in the Alpha-1 Antitrypsin protein and manifested by a gradual destruction of the lung tissue, may lead to severe deterioration of lung function and eventually to death. To date, the only available treatment for the disease is intravenous administration of AAT. This treatment, performed by means of intravenous infusion on a weekly basis, is time consuming. Kamada's development of the aerosolized version is expected to make a significant difference in patient's quality of life by allowing a simple and non-invasive route of administration.
According to Tsur, “the AAT product of Kamada holds numerous advantages over competitive products, among them its being liquid and its ready to use formulation allowing easier drug handling. These features, together with the product's exceptional purity level and exclusive rights for the use of an inhalation device by PARI (a Germany-based world leader in inhalation solutions), formed the route of a strong and sound basis for the development of an aerosolized AAT drug by Kamada.”
Kamada's aerosolized AAT drug was designated by both the US-FDA and the European Agency for the Evaluation of Medicinal Products (EMEA) as an Orphan Drug for two indications - Congenital Emphysema and CF. This important attribute has granted the company research funds benefits, waiver of user fees and free scientific advise by the regulatory authorities. Furthermore, if Kamada is the first company to successfully complete clinical trials and receive marketing approval in the US or the EU, the company shall gain exclusive marketing rights for the duration of seven years in the US, and for 10 or 12 years in Europe.
At present, Kamada manufactures and markets its intravenous AAT drug in several countries around the world. A Phase III clinical trial in the US is currently underway.
Kamada is a public company traded on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange The company was founded in 1990 and specializes in the development, manufacturing and marketing of specialty bio therapeutics indicated for medical emergencies.
SOURCE: Kamada

Deer With Nowhere To Hide Being Slaughtered

This from the Ironwood Daily Globe

City deer hunt already doubles last year's effortPublished Wednesday, October 24, 2007 4:31:08 PM Central Time
IRONWOOD -- The second year of Ironwood's inter-city deer hunt is going a long way to reduce the high population of whitetails.
As of Monday, city officials reported 44 antlerless deer had been shot. City manager Scott Erickson noted that compares to a total harvest of only 16 deer last year.
While last year's hunt was in the "Caves" area near McLeod Avenue, this year the bow hunters are pursuing deer in four sites in the city.
New to the hunt this year is the fact that three hunters will be allowed to shoot bucks.
At Monday evening's city commission meeting, the names of hunters Chad Cricks, Justin Lehto and Dave Marten Jr. were drawn out of a hat. They'll be eligible to each shoot a buck.
Hunters attending the meeting said they've been seeing some bucks.
Hunters were required to pass shooting efficiency tests before the hunt and were required to register with the city for permits.
On Monday, an illegal deer hunting tree stand not connected with the city hunt was confiscated from the Bonnie Street area, according to a public safety department report.
The stand is being held in the public safety department garage.

Back to Normal!

Well, Tuesday was back to routine here in the north woods for this invalid! My scheduled infusion went off as clockwork as the dope pump worked its way though the bag of diluted Aralast for two hours. As soon as I got home and had lunch the phone rang and it was Dr.B's people soliciting a new time for a visit. "Can you come in at 3 today?" she asked! I agreed so we got two HIPPA jobs done on Tuesday. By the way he did find a new "stuff" that I should be taking. Its Omega3 pills. More on that some other time because we can't get off the topic of HIPPA appointments! We are going for a record this month remember! Anyway I woke up Wednesday morning and promptly journeyed over to DCH again to Dr Smoot's office where he listened and prodded and asked questions. He then decided that a chest xray is in order and a sleep study is in order and a pulmonary function battery is in order so we came up with four new HIPPA events for October! The girl from Smoot's offfice then led me to the sleep clinic where I was briefed on what to expect Halloween night when I am invited to "sleep" at the sleep clinic! I then had the x-ray right away so that was done. Now its lunch time and I hurry home to get ready for my appointment at Dentist Santini's where he had me try "in" the prototype new chompers! I get them soon but we can't stray from the subject at hand. Today I counselled a friend who is a fellow invalid about life as a disabled former truck driver. He needs to get SSDI and AFLAC stuff coming in as he is no longer fit to work due to a cancer problem. I am counting that session with him as a HIPPA event. All in all, then, this week totals how many? I count 2 Tuesday, 4 on Wednesday, and 1 today which totals to 7. Additional October events will be the sleep in, the pulmonary tests, and an additional dentist stop in for a final fitting. I also need to pick up some drugs at Walmart this week so that is one more. Dr. B's visit in Tuesday was a wash because we had already talked about an appointment which we now cancelled. I can now tell you that this is going to be a record HIPPA month. Wow, it will be an interesting total when we get it all added up! Only a few more days till we total it up!

Yes, I Was There!

A truck driver with manure a fork! It was a bad combination but necessary since Mrs. G wasn't there!
Ross poses for the camera after his 2nd place showing in the men's cart.
Grand Champion Belgian Gelding! His name is Cash!
This is our horse wagon! Done up in Mr. G's shop from a used furniture type trailer. The front third is the trainers/drivers quarters and is complete with hot and cold water, bathroom facilities, fridge, stove, bed, storage, heat or AC powered by an on-board Honda generator. The center area has stalls for 6 horses and it too is air conditioned. The rear area has room for the big show wagon and other show supplies. Its suspension is completely air so the horses have a very smooth ride! They do complain once in a while with comments like "Are we there yet?"

It was quite an experience for one who has not been to the "big time" as far as horse shows are concerned. Its too big to put into words but you can imagine what 1100 horses could do for 4 days in an arena which easily held 92 two thousand pound horses hooked by 6's to 16 wagons. Absolutely incredible! The Wilderness Ridge Farms horses did their tricks some of which we can brag about and some which will need more work over the next months. Mr G can be proud of his gelding named Cash who was named the Grand Champion Belgian Gelding. We can be proud of Ross and his 2nd placing in the men's cart class! I think we can be proud that we were there and survived the week without any major "hitches". I did, however, give Mr. G a black eye when I smacked him with a chunk of harness I was cleaning! I guess one should not get too close to a dumb truck driver demoted to harness cleaner!

Help! Too Many Horses!

Here a horse,
There a horse,
Everywhere are dozens of horses!
One cannot escape the horses!
Hear a horse banging on the wall
There a horse clomping down the aisle,
Everywhere is a horse click'n n clack'n
One cannot escape the horses!
The sights and sounds
The smells and textures
Everywhere are horses of every breed
One cannot excape the horses!
Not at this horse place!

By Monday morning when we leave this horse mania I will have seen more horses for more days than I ever thought could congregate in one place for so long!

HIPPA News for Sunday October 14

Ordinarily there would be no HIPPA news on a Sunday except for emergencies of some kind but I did find something non-emergensical while digging into a big box of literature that was in yesterdays mail. The box came from my friends at Aralast, the drug I get duly infused with. Whoops I gave you the link to the wrong Aralast! Here's a better one. Above is pictured what they sent! Now I can keep a personal "diary" of my HIPPA events each day! I can put out down my pressure like 96/56 or 180/139, my glucose like 198 , my aches and pains and infections like swollen left knee or not breathing today, my excercise like walked 5 miles to and back from the mall , my food intake like 3 pork chops and potatoes with pork chop fry pan drippings for gravy, color of my pee like yellow , the number of times i had to go like hardly ever at night like the TV ads say I should , consistency of my stool, how purple my feet are today like light or dark , whether the $2850 dentures were really worth it, how I can now eat cobbed corn, and so on and on and on and on like some sort of hypocrondiac!

Today was a Real Nice Fall Day

It was so nice in fact that I took two long walks in the neighborhood. The sun was out and the northwind wasn't howling too much. A few folks were out mowing lawns and there was even a painting crew outside at the local pub. Some late fall flowers were displaying their final colors as our first big frost hit this week. Maybe next spring I will have the ambition to put in a little flower bed downstairs. All in all, how many more such days will be coming! I hope quite a few. I really hate the thought of freezing cold and blowing snow! But, it too will come and I'll watch from my window....if I'm here!

With over 1,000 draft horses from around the U.S. and Canada, the MGLI is unarguably the most significant annual draft horse show in North America.

And we are on our way Tuesday morning to high step around the arena at MSU's Pavilion for Agriculture and Livestock Education! They hitch 8 horses there! Hopefully just for fun! Take a look at this U-tube tape of some of the 2006 events! Will Wilderness Farms six horse hitch take a top placing again? The video is of our hitch in Ohio.

HIPPA News for Friday October 12

Today's mail! Four of them. Need I say any more?