Anthony wrote:
Back in Ballina, we played the course here today, a “park” course as
opposed to the other two that were links. These pictures are from a
trip we took up to Donegal on Tues, then yesterday we played Carne
near Belmullet. The cliffs were along the route back from Belmullet.
Fitting because Bob’s hairdo is a mullet.
Gotta run up to the pub. See you when we get back this weekend..
Anthony wrote:
The house with the green trim is where we are staying, the Beach Bar
is 50 yards away. I’m emailing from the Chat’rNet internet cafe in
Ballina. We are going to play golf this afternoon at Inniscrone (sp?)
if the weather cooperates. It’s pretty cold and windy and the rain
comes and goes. Having a good time, sorry we can’t call more often
but we didn’t setup the cell phones in advance and it would cost too
much to make calls anyway. Also don’t have a phone at the house.
Everybody’s having a great time, will email more pics later.
I am truly blessed, fortunate and grateful for a wonderful trip to New York City with my good friend, Mary Sydney. We left Tuesday morning at 6:30 a.m. Dad got up and drove us to the airport in the middle of the night. It was raining when we arrived, but stopped by noon and never rained again. Beautiful weather for walking. We shopped at a great discount store (Daffys), had lunch at an Italian restaurant, went to Grand Central Station to look around (just 2 blocks from our hotel), and just enjoyed walking and looking.
Checked in our hotel about 3:00 – Iroquois Boutique Hotel on 44th Street. It is a beautiful small hotel – first class – on a National Register List of Best Small Hotels in the world. We went to see “Hairspray” that night with Diane DeGarno (American Idol runner-up 2004). It was really fabulous – so funny – and Diane should get an Emmy. She was great! Quite an actress.
Wednesday the highlights were riding the subway down to Canal Street and Chinatown where the shopping is amazing. They have all of these mock-up designer things at a fraction of the cost. We ate at an authentic Chinese restaurant and took the subway back up to Lincoln Center (had to change trains at Time Square, but everybody took care of us wherever we went and helped us and we didn’t even have to ask). We planned to walk through Central Park, but a rickshaw driver, Peter from Poland, approached us and convinced us we would see much more on a rickshaw, so we hopped aboard. He was a great guide. He would stop and let us take pictures and pointed out so many interesting things we would have totally missed if we had walked. Anyhow, it’s too many acres for us to have covered that much territory in one hour by foot.
We went to see Mama Mia that night and walked to the theatre. We stopped to have a bite to eat on the way, but neither of us were very hungry. The waitress seated us by the windows that went all the way down to the floor and were open. Outside on the sidewalk was a vendor selling kabobs, pretzels and other stuff, so I stepped out of the window and bought a huge hot pretzel which we had with our beer while we waited for the soup to come. Mama Mia was also fabulous. I think we saw the 2 best plays in New York.
We didn’t have time to do much on Thursday as our ride to the airport picked us up at 10:30. So, we just walked down the street and had a fabulous breakfast, packed and headed home. This was a dream trip. I wasn’t sure I would get to go when she invited me because of Dad’s situation, but she was willing to take a chance. God has answered all of our prayers in the last few weeks. So many blessings! Thank each of you who are reading this for praying for Dan. I can’t believe he’s now in Ireland!
Yesterday, Mary Sydney and I flew home from New York. Our flight arrived ATL airport at 3:30. We went to baggage claim, then called Bob to see where the soon-to-be Irish travelers were. They were one exit from the airport. We walked down to International Check-In and they pulled up, unloaded, kissed hello and good-by, we loaded our bags and drove the van home. Now, isn’t that just perfect timing? Bob said “I love a plan that works”.
I’m so glad Anthony is with them to take care of the others. He is designated driver (thank goodness).
On 5/19/06, Tyler wrote:
I want to know about the efficacy of the anti-clotting stockings that you blokes are purported to have been wearing on the flight, what?
Anthony wrote:
mmmm Mountain Dew. I’m now at an Internet Cafe in Sligo town. Don’t have my laptop but will return with it maybe Tues. No blood clots on any of the codgers so the stockings must have worked. On my way to try to call Ashley from a pay phone. No phone at the cottage which is about a 25 minute drive from here right on a beach with a pub next door. Will send pictures on Tues or later today or something. Weather not too sporting today. 8 degrees celsius whatever that is in real degrees.
Anthony wrote from Galway, Ireland:
> Couldn’t sleep on the plane, so we’ve been up for basically 28 hours.
> I’ve been driving on these tiny roads and we stopped at a pub and saw
> some sights. We drove from Shannon to the west coast then up the coast
> to Gallway. We’re staying at some crappy motel that doesn’t have
> internet in the rooms so there’s the coin-operated computer in the
> lobby I put some Euro coins in and now I have 28 minutes. Cell phones
> don’t work here so no telling when we’ll be in touch. I will send pics
> when I can.
> Anyway I’m hallucinating from lack of sleep, just wanted to let you
> know that all the old men and I are present and accounted for and
> sleepy, but excited
This week started the last day of April 2006. Mary Lou called and asked if I would swap Adoration hour with her. Perfect, I would take her 4:00 PM time slot and she would take my 10:00 AM at the precise hour I was scheduled to have an Heart Catherization. I went to sleep contented that things were falling in to place and I might make my Ireland trip on May 18 after all.
Monday morning the Cardiologist’s nurse called and said the procedure was canceled because the lab tests indicated I was anemic. What is that! She said call your Primary Doctor. That is easier said than done. I jumped thru the hoops: call Advice Nurse, leave word, Nurse calls back, she will give Doctor message, surprise, Doctor calls back and tells me that we have to find out what is causing the anemia. He’ll see if he can fit me in for an emergency Colonoscopy. Bad news! They think some kind of cancer might be the cause. A GI person calls and reports they have me scheduled at Northside Hospital for a 12:30PM procedure and be there at 11:30 and oh yeah you know you can’t eat anything after midnight tonight and only liquids Tuesday and Wednesday. Also you have to drink a gallon of Colyte, a laxative between 6:00 PM and 10:00 PM Tuesday. Also again “Don’t forget to bring someone with you to drive you home”. Bad day. Should I call brother Bob and tell him the Ireland trip looks doubtful for me. No, I don’t know what is going on, I’ll wait.
Tuesday, nothing to eat, but it gets worse at 6:00 PM. When I was college age there was a craze that said a person couldn’t drink an ounce of beer per minute for sixty minutes. This was a little like that but Colyte is not beer and beer is not a laxative. This was bad, bad. Eight ounces every 15 minutes and after 30 minutes the “john” got involved. At 10:00 PM I said I had had enough and was quitting after I had finished 80%. Mom said she didn’t blame me but she didn’t think I had finished 75%. I went to bed feeling the worst of the colonoscopy was over.
Wednesday, Mom got me to Northside Hospital on time. I checked in while Mom parked and noticed we got a free parking ticket. Very good, Mom hates to pay for parking (water and ice too). They started wiring me up and I remembered I hadn’t told Mom about the free parking ticket and she would be some kind of upset if she paid for parking when I had a free ticket. I told myself over and over “Remember the free ticket”. They wheeled me in the procedure room and the Doctor said he was going to do an Endoscopy also. I told him I would gag like crazy when they put that thing down my throat.” I gag when I go to the dentist.” He said he did too and not to worry. The last thing I remember was worrying about him doing the mouth thing first and not vice versa. (Jeb later told me they had two instruments, but I didn’t see but one and Jeb wasn’t there). I woke up talked a little bit and Mom drove me home where she fixed me what my heart and stomach desired, Eggs, bacon, grits, bagel and coffee. She told me the nurse got upset with me after the procedure because I kept saying “Make sure you get the free parking ticket”. The good news was he didn’t find any cancer, but the bad news was I still had anemia and the Ireland date was approaching.
Thursday was a frustrating day I called three Doctor offices to find out what was next on the agenda. No luck. The nurses said the report was not available.
Friday morning the Cardiologist’s called and said I should get my blood checked. This puzzled me somewhat because I knew the colonoscopy didn’t cure my anemia. As soon as I left the house unbeknownst to me Mom got into the act. She called the doctors’ nurses and told them I had been planning a trip to Ireland for over a year and three other people were depending on me to go. I received a call in the waiting room and Mom said I had an appointment at 11:40 with Dr. Simpson, my primary doctor. He had already had a conversation with the Cardiologist and they had a plan. If I still had anemia I would get a blood transfusion. As it turned out the lab tests revealed my anemia was still present. Dr. Simpson arranged for the transfusion to take place Saturday AM.
Saturday at 7:55 AM I drove into the parking garage and got my ticket. The location was on the 11th floor in a new building adjacent to the hospital. The facilities were first rate and a nice nurse named Nicole took very good care of me as I had two pints of O- dripped into my system. It was all over by 11:45 and I left at 12:15. Surprise, surprise, the parking booth was closed and I didn’t have to pay. I wished Mom had been with me , she would have appreciated that.
The week is up I’ll see if I can cut the grass then see how I feel. I thank all those who prayed for me. I know there were a lot, from Fiona to Mrs. Deckbar and many in between. I thank God that he answered the prayers and now allows me to seek His will for me for the rest of my days. Amen
