Hi Dave,

the drive). After an extra long one from NC to FL 9 years ago, Steve
had his 2nd stroke about a week after we got back. That settled the matter; we usually stop for the day about supper time now.

Errrrrmmmmm the sroke likely had little to do with the trip and more
to do with a weakened blood vessel.

No, in both strokes Steve had, it was after long travel (sitting,
either on a plane or stuck in traffic). He has a hole in his heart--the one we're all born with but (usually) closes after birth. His didn't, causing a payton faramital ovale (PFO). In both instances, a blood clot broke loose from lower down, travelled up to the heart and into the
hole, from there up to the brain. The hole is usually surgically
repaired in people under 60; a newer surgery is now available on a
limited (still somewhat experimental) basis for those over 60. In
Steve's case, it isn't avalable around here so he's just living with
it. When he had the CT scan after the 2nd stroke, they told him he'd
had a prior one--and he could tell them exactly when. The Schofield Barracks clinic wrote it off as gastritis, the most common misdiagnosis
of that kind (cerebeller) of stroke. He finally got the VA to recognise it/give him back pay for it about 18 months ago.

Thanks for making this a good day. I've learned something new - and
any day I learn somrthing new is a good day in my books. I've had
friends & relaties (my mom) who have suffered stroke. And everyone was
a burst
aneurysm in the brain pan. My mother's proved to be the cause of her death. Some of my friends recovered completely and others were
impaired to some degree or other. And a couple had follow-up strokes
which didn't do them a lot of good.

My maternal grandmother had a series of them over 7 years. After the
first couple, she was able to stay at home (with an aide and an aunt)
but she deteriorated enough over the years that she went into a nursing
home for her last few years. My aunt went into the same nursing home
some 48 years later, passed away from a major stroke about 6 years after
that. Steve and I visited her every time we went thru NJ; I don't think
the nursing home changed at all from the first time I saw it in the late
60s to the last time I saw it (2018). We'd seen my aunt a month or so
before she passed away, saw some loss of cognition but not the alzheimer's/dementia my mom had so the major stroke was quite a
surprise.

Easier for one person to do it than 2.

Oh, I dunno. Other than potty breaks. The second person can saw logs whilst the driver steers the thing.

I usually stay awake to act as a back up pair of eyes. The second
stroke took away part of Steve's vision; he can still drive but it
helps to have the second set of eyes in certain situations. We've had several times when the extra eyes have averted a bad situation.

I guess I'm just used to the Seven League Boots driving from being a
long haul trucker. But that had its pitfalls as well. Bv)=

Long haul truckers are used to spending hours on the road; we prefer to
do the shorter trips. We also stop more often, just to move around a
little and get the circulation going. Hopefully that will prevent any
more long haul sitting possiblities of another stroke.

There is a wrecker service in the expended family. If the tyres will
air up - Uncle Joe has big compressors on his big service/tow truck.

That's a help. Now that we've got a dual axle camper, we've got 4 tires there, 4 on the truck to replace. The wheels on the new camper are underneath the body so the potential for more damage is there if they should blow. Last year when one blew on the R-Pod (single axle,
outboard wheels), it was on the passenger side, took the fender with it but otherwise, minor damage. We'd just passed the entrance to a truck weigh station but the shoulder was wide enough for Steve to pull off
and change to the spare. Fender was a goner, UDOT (Utah DOT) truck
found it and stopped in back of us just after Steve finished the change
to let us know he had it.

I've always had good luck with General and/or Firestone-Bridgestone
tires. And abysmal bad fortune any time I've been saddled with
Michelins. You, of course, will do as you will. Just a bit of
experience talking.

I'm not sure what brand of tires Steve got on the camper but the next
day after the blow out, he got a matched set of brand new tires. We put
maybe 5,000 miles on them before we traded the camper.

Bojangles (a fried chicken chain here in the south) makes blueberry biscuits. We've stopped there a few times but prefer Popeye's.

I've done a drive-by on Bojangles. I'm with you on Popeyes (no
apostrophe) for any of my take-away chicken needs.

I did notice that the "Tuesday Special" has jumped a dollar from the
old U$1.19. Still a deal, though. They are also offering a blueberry
and cream cheese individual pie - similar to Mickey D's.

I think everything has gone up, even at dollar stores.

Our Dollar Tree is still called that. But there's a big sign in their window with that says "$1.25 for most items."

I've not been to any of our local dollar stores (have several in WF)
recently. Saw on the news that some are carrying a bit more fresh meat, produce, etc in areas that would otherwise be food deserts; the dollar
store in the town where I grew up did that after a hurrricane took out
the only grocery store and NYC gave them a major hassle about
rebuilding. They finally rebuilt, in the same area (a flood plain) but
probably won't be able to rebuild the next time a storm takes them out.

I told a customer at the parts store the other day when he remarked
about the price of his parts "Nothing goes down any more but the left-front DD> tire on your car." He nodded his head and smiled as

he removed his DD> card from the credit card machine.

We did well in that the tire that blew out on the camper was the
passenger side and the shoulder was wide enough that we could pull
completly off the road.

Title: Pioneer Woman Million Dollar Dip
Categories: Cheese, Nuts, Chilies, Vegetables, Pork
Yield: 10 servings

I've seen a few of her tv shows, not really impressed. Also seen her
line of kitchen/cook ware in the stores--have yet to buy any. (G)

---
Catch you later,
Ruth
rchaffly{at}earthlink{dot}net FIDO 1:396/45.28


... Junk: stuff we throw away. Stuff: junk we keep.

--- PPoint 3.01
* Origin: Sew! That's My Point (1:396/45.28)

Hi Dave,

Good to see you're back home after giving all of us another scare.

I guess I'm just used to the Seven League Boots driving from being a
long haul trucker. But that had its pitfalls as well. Bv)=

Long haul truckers are used to spending hours on the road; we prefer to
do the shorter trips. We also stop more often, just to move around a little and get the circulation going. Hopefully that will prevent any
more long haul sitting possiblities of another stroke.

Got to do what you can to shift the odds to your favour.

Yes, and that includes regular check ups with a cardiologist. He had one yesterday and all went well. Scheduled one for next year so it's on the calendar now.

found it and stopped in back of us just after Steve finished the change
to let us know he had it.

I asked Phil what he was going to do with the old Winnie as he was providing transport for me to come home from hospital. His comment was "It's too good to junk and not worth spending a lot on." He's going to enquire among the extended family.

Somebody may want to take it and make a get away room. Steve is again
looking at sheds; the one that came with this house is so full of tools
that he has to work outside. A friend suggested getting a big
one--letting me have half as a sewing studio. I'd rather extend the back
wall of the house another 10' or so, so I could do other things
(laundry, work on meals, etc) without running back and forth from a shed
to the house.

We did well in that the tire that blew out on the camper was the
passenger side and the shoulder was wide enough that we could pull completly off the road.

Some days you're the bug, some days you're the windshield.

We pulled in at the next rest area and checked for other damage. A bit
of cosmetic damage but nothing serious. There was quite a prarie dog
colony at the rest stop--fun to see them in action.

Title: Pioneer Woman Million Dollar Dip

I've seen a few of her tv shows, not really impressed. Also seen her
line of kitchen/cook ware in the stores--have yet to buy any. (G)

I wasn't overly impressed with any part of that marketing exercise.
Still, the base recipes are decent. But keep in mind a million bucks
isn't what it used to was. Sometimes it's just all green and wrinkly.

It spends, and often gone before you know it.

Title: Million-Dollar Chicken Casserole
Categories: Poultry, Dairy, Cheese, Breads, Vegetables
Yield: 8 servings

Now this one I might try.


---
Catch you later,
Ruth
rchaffly{at}earthlink{dot}net FIDO 1:396/45.28


... Our necessities are few but our wants are endless...

--- PPoint 3.01
* Origin: Sew! That's My Point (1:396/45.28)