Stop Sign.
Stop Sign.
By Norm Seeley | January 14, 2010
This morning, it wasn’t one of the first things that I got to, but I did, finally, just before noon take my walk to the end of the block and hit the Stop Sign. Don’t tell any one in the Scottsdale Streets Department. I’m sure there is an ordinance that prohibits Scottsdale Citizens from hitting City Property. If you are from a foreign country like Mexico, it’s OK.
Today was a struggle. Every other step sent a pain shooting up the center of my back. It felt like my right leg was shorter than the left. And both legs felt like they were working as hard as they could and there was nothing left.
But I made it, down to the sign and back. I Made it. I’m not trying to lose weight, just bring my energy level up.
I had gotten to a point several months ago, that the daily walk was a piece of cake. Today it was one tough cut of steak.
Forgot to Tell.
When we returned from California a couple weeks ago, before the end of 2009, on our way out of San Diego, thought that it would be a good idea to top off the gas tank of our van.
Pulled into a gas station, and as I normally do asked Karen if she wanted me to roll down her window. She said no, as it was a little on the chilly side. With that I opened my door and got out, closing the door behind me.
Went to the pump, put the hose into the fuel tank, and squeezed the control. No sooner I did that it stopped pumping. Squeezed again. Shut itself off again. With all of $3.97 worth of gas dispensed, I headed back into the van.
The drivers door was locked. I reached in my paints pocket for the keys. They weren’t there. I looked in the window and saw them in the ignition. Karen had no way to open the van from where she was sitting in her wheelchair.
I went to the office and asked for help. The sole employee told me she could not leave the office. I walked back to the van.
There I pulled out my cell phone and called 911. I had the cross streets of where the station was and looked at the building itself and saw the address. I told the 911 operator that I had locked my wife, who was in a wheelchair, inside our van and where we were. I told her that she was all right but that I needed help to open the van and get in, where the keys were.
In about 20 minutes up pulled a fire truck and three firemen got out. For the next 25 minutes or so they used Slim Jim gear and attempted to open the door. They finally got it open by prying the rubber around the driver’s window and forcing in a metal rod and pulling up the door lock in the door.
Karen was OK. I, just a little embarrassed, was fine. Thanked the firemen, and off we went on our way home to Scottsdale.
January 8, 2010
Started off the day by learning that this is the 75 Birthday of Elvis Presley. I wasn’t a big fan of Elvis at first but I did over the years realize that he did have talent. If you would like to hear some of his songs go to: http:/www.normradio.com/2010/01/08/fridays-music-69/
There you will find some of his number one songs over the years.
I have gotten back into the habit of taking a walk to the end of the block, hitting the Stop Sign and returning home. Today it was a little harder than normal. Today is trash day in Scottsdale and the trash containers are left on the street for pick up. Seems like every house along my route but the container on the sidewalk. The city tells you to make sure the containers on in the street not the sidewalk but apparently that doesn’t happen in this block. OH Well, I was able to navigate around each of the containers.
And yes I also was able to hit the Stop Sign. Good Job Norm.
Today !
Been up since 7 AM this morning. Did the everyday things I do as the caregiver for my wife along with getting back into the habit of walking to the end of the block, hitting the stop sign, and returning home.
How do I feel? To be honest not that good. It seems that since returning from California, pain has found a new home. HERE, in ME.
But even though I have had the same injections as Rush, I have no thoughts of going to the hospital.
Grin and bare them. That’s how I think about my situation.
It’s a little disappointing, following “Medical Instructions” and still have to put up with pain which seems to be growing. That, I guess, is life.
Been Awhile.
I have not blogged here on Norm’s Notes for quite awhile. Why?
Oh I have thought about it, but I would attempt to log on, and low and behold I had forgotten the password.
I also have to tell you that , I have not always thought of something that I wanted to write about. I am to that age where I am beginning to see that for a lot of my life I was falling for what every I was told.
Growing up in Denver, I had no reason what so ever to not trust the teachers who were telling us that our government was going to take the surplus from the American Farmers and send it to countries where people were starving. But just this year there have been news reports of people starving in the world. Where is the surplus?
And over the years, I have believed in those in Washington saying that we Americans can depend on them. In the early 60s I was told that I would not have to serve in the military, or actually told, “Limited Service, No Combat Zone”. I think it was because of my health. While for me not bad. But I’m sure those in the military and yes Federal Government realized that there would come a day that my body would break down and they would be on the hook if I spent my life there. A Blessing in a way, but I think there are parts of the military that I could have grown to like and appreciate. I’m sure too, that there might have been at the same time, areas that would have got me very upset.
And today, just having the President and his family visit Arizona and spend several days here in Phoenix, started having thoughts of disappointment for a government that is surely not interested in the people who have supported it for all these years and continues to do so.
My Mother used to say, long before she passed away, “There ought to be a Law”. I would remind her that this is a Free Country. I don’t say, there should be a law. But I would sure like to see those in Washington replaced with people who understood the Constitution and weren’t just there for themselves.
I guess it shows that I am a dreamer.
Unofficial Temperature in Scottsdale, Arizona
To be very honest, wheither it’s Official or Unofficial when it gets Hot in Scottsdale it’s HOT.
Below you will see a very cheap thermometer that we have in our back yard. I wonder about how accurate it is, but over 80, it no longer matters. HOT is HOT is HOT !
Hit the Stop Sign.
I need to take a walk each day to keep my body” in shape”. And I will have to do that for the rest of my life. Natural or unnatural.
So I devised a game for me to play each morning. I must walk to the end of the block and Hit the Stop Sign and only then can I return home.
Being 6′4″ makes it easy to do, but I still have to reach…just a little.
Scottsdale Palms in the Morning.
Each morning, I attempt to take a walk to the end of our block, we live about a third of the way down from the Stop Sign that is at the end of the street where we live in Scottsdale.
I goal each morning it to hit the Stop Sign and return home.
Yes, that’s not much of a goal, but for me, it’s a start and I have plans to increase the length of my walk when I feel I have this aced. That might be a few weeks or maybe a month or maybe even longer. I’m in no hurry.
One of the nice things about this walk is I get to enjoy a little of the Arizona beauty that surrounds us.
Chaparral Park
Pictures of Scottsdale Arizona
Just before Christmas last year, we decided that we wanted pictures of ourselves to send out for Christmas. I myself don’t remember it they were just to be sent out or included in our Christmas Cards.
Rather than go to a studio and have professional pictures of us taken, we thought we could go down the street a little ways, take our tripod and camera that puts out some pretty good digital pictures if I do say so myself and use them to send out.
While at the park, we took at least 30 pictures of the two of us with different backgrounds.
With Smiles.
Without Smiles.
Her Smiling, Me Not.
Me Smiling, her Not.
And there were even a couple where we both looked presentable. Worth sending out to at least our family and a couple of friends.
When that was done, I took some pictures of the park itself. In one of the pictures you can see Camelback Mountain in the background.
Arizona, more particular Scottsdale, Arizona, is a great place to take pictures and have you picture taken.
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