I am ashamed that it has been so long. I just noticed that the two other blogs that I read have updated and decided I was way past due. Hopefully they will read this and perhaps respond so that I know they are reading. ( hear that Jasmine and Paula?)
We had a wonderful ride to Evansville, Ind. with daughter and two grandsons. The St. Louis Zoo was a blast for all of us. The boys traveled so well. They had a blast at the wedding, danced the night away.
June is a busy month for us. I am golfing? twice a week. Had the last slot car race on my track for the season. If there are any 1/32 scale slot racers that happen to read this, please respond and we can talk. I have a great track in my basement. I routed it in wood, four lanes and 57 ft. per lap. We have a group of about twelve men who race regularly about twice a month from Sept. to May. Granddaughter who just got out of 8th grade is playing for the high school softball team at least three days a week and we love going to those games. Grandson E is playing a lot also and we try to go to his Fri. games each week. Haven't gotten to see 6 year old L. play because games are during the week and he is 225 mi. away.
Got a very good report from Dr. at my six month check. No signs of cancer return and no reason to believe it will. Am bothered some by a bulge in my side just above the incision, but he thinks that is because the rib that used to be there is not there now to hold stuff in. He also reminded me that it will take at least a year for me to completely heal from the surgery.
Wife is doing very well. Has lost nearly 40 lbs and that has helped with her mobility. COPD still is an issue, but she is doing better with activity. We have planned a trip to Puero Rico in Sept. to celebrate our 44th anniversery. Am looking forward to that. Also looking forward to perhaps doing some diving with Mo. folks in July.
We went to Denver to visit bro. in April. Lucked into attending a B. Springsteen concert there. That was awesome. Good time with Bro. Considering going back to Denver area in August to another wedding and visit.
That sort of catches things up. Will try to be more faithful in the future.

vacation memories

I didn't mention that when Wife and I went on cruise we also included my widowed sister-in-law. She is mid-70's, but that was ok. If you have cruised then you know that three to an inside room was going to be cozy. Thanks to our agent we got a room with a hideabed rather than a bunk. Worked out great! Absolutely no problems and I was amazed by that. I had bad dreams of claustrophobia before we arrived at the ship, but all went well. It was in-laws first cruise and I think she enjoyed it a lot. As you can tell from my last post, I was rather left to myself on shore and that worked really well for all of us. Both the ladies are restricted in what they can do physically so they didn't mind my taking off. We did all share the cab ride around Cozumel (after they sated the endless thirst for shopping.) We had told adult kids that there would be no souvenirs. Then,of course, I saw this neat carved manatee at the Mayan school and had to get it for daughter. Son-in-law pretended (hope) to be insulted and left out. Had some good laughs with them.
Two youngest grandchildren stayed with us this week end. We had the usual great time. They are a huge source of enjoyment and so easy to care for. More like a week end party when they are here. I was completely bushed on Sunday night. Two days of being on the floor playing is a chore for an old fat guy. But how can you resist "Papa, would you please play cars with me?" Simple answer, you don't even pretend to resist.

Has been a long time since last posted. Have lost a little interest in this, I guess. Had wonderful holidays as I hope all of you did. We just returned last Monday from a cruise in the Caribbean. Visited Mayan ruins in Costa Maya, Mexico. I just hired a cab and had him drive me out to the Chacoben ruins. Drove like a maniac, but that was all right by me. In Guatemala I took a boat trip up a large river. Awesome scenery with dense jungle rising straight up from the river. Went up a small river to a Mayan school. Very interesting. 750 jr. & senior high school students. Had to walk over a mile back into the jungle to get to the school. Ate some of their food being prepared for student lunch. Also went to fishing village with long history and definite laid back atmosphere. Went diving in Belize. Good reef and wall dive. Wall started at 35 feet and went down to 3000. We went about 85 feet down the wall. Saw nothing really unusual. Took a cab tour at Cozumel. Beautiful island. The water looks like nowhere else I have ever been. Our third visit to the island, but our first tour because I have dived here the other two times. Returned to New Orleans. I love the city, wife hates it. We did a car tour but not much else. Came home to the nasty cold Iowa. Don't think we will take another Jan. vacation, too long to spring when we return, at least with March vacation you don't have to wait so long before good weather.

Special day

Today is my wonderful wife's birthday. When you have had as many as we have you don't make as big a deal about them as you used to. We went out for breakfast ( my favorite out meal and the best out meal to deal with Ila's diet). Then to an eye exam for me which, of course, led to ordering new glasses. We then went to the driver's licence office. She is now good to go until she is 70. No other special plans for the day.
I finished 3rd in a poker tournament last night and Ila was so sound asleep when I got home that I set up her bday present in her favorite chair (massage unit with heat--these things become more appropriate when you get old) without her even knowing I was home.
Had a great day last Sat. with the family and pictures. Later went to eat with extended family. Our two sets of grandchildren are so different. Older ones are quiet and reserved younger ones are full of expression and motion. Bri can be really funny and has a great sense of humor, but it doesn't show around us too often. Both her and Evan take some prodding to get out of shell. Not the other two. Benjamin made his "Mimi" very happy by calling for her. Ila is probably the most loving and giving person I know and it is great when that love is returned to her. She would, and does, do anything any for her family and sometimes I think we don't let her know how much we appreciate what she does for us. She truly has been the wind beneath my (our) wings. Happy birthday to her.

Don't know how many of you are in Iowa, but we have been getting some beautiful weather. Went golfing today in shorts and short sleeves. My game wasn't nearly as good as the weather. Spent couple of days at the Mo. kids. Worked on the house. Saw Levi play soccor.He has improved so much since last year. He scored three goals. After each one he looked for me in the crowd with the big smile. He is such a joy. Benjamin is still special in his own way. He is talking so much now and is so much fun. Always enjoy the time with them. They were both here with us Tues. night and day Wed. then we all went to Mo. on Wed. pm. Came home Sat. am and went to a play at the Amanas on Sat. night. Ila caught cold and with her Copd she gets really down with a cold. Hope she gets better soon. She did nothing here today and was miserable. I had a meeting at the College tonight and spent most of the day gone to the golf course and I think she got pretty lonely. Will be home together tomorrow and it is supposed to be nice. I start teaching next week. I certainly could stand another 6 weeks-6years off. Tomorrow is voting day. Will be rather happy to see it end and get away from all the advertisements and computer calls. Have been more interested in this election than most. Everytime I hear someone say that they don't think Sara is qualified to be VP I ask where there were the last two elections and why they didn't ask the same questions about Cheney. I find that at 65 I have more questions and fewer answers and when I was 35 I had more answers and fewer questions.

Things are going very well. Dr. says I shouldn't have to worry about this cancer thing with my kidney ever again. We are relieved, especially Ila. I am back to normal activity. The last form of discomfort was riding. Even that seems to have gone away. We went to DM last week and it didn't bother me at all. I have golfed twice(once each week for the past 2 weeks) with no side effects or soreness at all. We plan to go to Chi. this Sat. on a bus trip to see a play. A one day trip so it will be a full day. Ila is trying to diet seriously. Usually when she set her mind to losing weight she is successfull. Is going a little slower for her than she wants. She has lost 9.5 lbs. in the last 3 weeks. More impressively, we went to work out this morning and she did 3/9 of a mi. and stopped only 2 times. We then lift weights on machines. Today's workout was her idea, and that is good. I have only 2 classes next term beginning Nov. 5. I will teach on Mon. night and Tues. morning. Works good with my schedule as I have started a Texas holdem league that plays each Wed. night. Last Wed. was not good. Had the worst case scenario for a poker player: got great cards that wound up losing. You go through your money fast with that combination and I was third one out of the tournament. Maybe tonight will be better. Weather has been great and we have gotten a lot done outside. Slot car racing was very good last Sun. I won 11 of 20 races I ran. We race (different club) this Sun. at my track. If I ever get some picturs of the track here I will post. It is pretty impressive to all who see it for the first time. It is rainy today so we are doing very little. Probably take a nap soon. The rewards of being retired.

6 week report

Went to the Dr. this morning for the 6 wk check up. Good news. Says I can resume normal activities if I listen to my body and stop if it hurts. Chances of tearing or damaging something are slim. Also said that this is something that I shouldn't have to worry about in the future. He is as sure as is "humanly possible" that he got all the tumor. Says he predicts less that 5% chance of recurrance. Great. The jiggling and jostling of riding still is a minor discomfort, but seems to be improving. Plan on going to the range and hitting some golf balls tomorrow and maybe try to play on Thurs. or Monday. Got my classes back at the college and will begin teaching again on Nov. 5. So things are looking good.
Had planned on taking a road trip to Louisville to see niece or to Denver to see bro., but apparently every weekend is getting filled in Oct. We could go during the week, but the people that we would be visiting all work during the week so that doesn't make a lot of sense. Of course, I don't teach on Fri. or Monday so we could still go to Louisville about any time. Guess we will stay home except for a one day trip into Chi. on Oct. 25 to see the play "Dirty Dancing" which is one of Ila's favorite movies.