Wednesday

Another routine day of tax prep. Getting close to finishing a couple very large ones and that will be cause to celebrate! Stayed home till time to go to Church.

VBS going on at Center this week. Have fond memories of VBS during the past several yrs. Record arrival time for mikey. 7:15PM. Due mostly to needing to be up front. Gary Miller had the topic on: Civil Duties of A Christian and gave us much to think about. I read Romans 13:1-8 for my devotional and told about my health situation and again thank everyone for all the cards, phone calls and most of all for the prayers. Told about Debbie’s death and that Gary & Susan Waugh are requesting prayer for her cancer treatment and to overcome discouragement that might come their way. They were married last Dec and now this………. Gary is a long time friend of mine and has a great testimony for Christ.

Went to IHOP tonight with Willard to celebrate his 47th BD 2 weeks and 1 day late. They asked me where my son is tonight?? Don’t recall having a son, so they must mean Josh. Got that all straightened out. A good time with Willard and later spent some time with Josh. Their family going to AR for a wedding this weekend.

Ran over a board on 61 about Medora, then thot I heard the hiss….flubba flubba flubba like the old billboard used to say. VERY pleased to see that all tires were well inflated. Yest the tires were rotated so seems like something is off balance. Don’t know why this didn’t start till now, but took it easy going home. Def needs attention tomorrow

mikey

Tuesday

More phone calls from a certain person and getting more concerned all the time. So many decisions to make which can have lifelong consequences!

Otherwise, just plodding away with more tax papers and making document copies which seems to take forever, but eventually that does end also. Surprised how well my 10 year old copier copes with so much use. Finished a MO tax return and got that mailed Priority at Salina PO and waited in line for about 20 minutes. Line reached clear out to the front door at times. Watch 2 ladies hurl insults at each other when one butted in line, but she had permission to do so by the clerk as she had already went thru the line earlier. Got our attention. Don’t know why it was so busy at 3PM. Several getting passports & that held things up a bit longer than usual.

Then off to Conklin for an oil change and all kinds of other fluid changes, tire rotation, etc. Steve McQueen & Dustin Hoffman on the lobby TV much to the delight of the older women there. I just slept thru most of it and 2 hours later on my way to Western Sizzlin to eat & then on home.

Creation vs evolution textbooks is creating quite at stir at SES, my old high school. Wonder how it will all turn out.

Businesses and homes outside the Salina levee cleaning up after the 2nd flood this month. What a stinking mess!!! The water is finally down now, but the Smoky still higher than usual.

Thanks for the card Jenna!!!!!!!

mikey

Monday

Parents put flowers on several graves today. I spent the day here at home with tax work to keep me company. Spent most of the day trying to reconcile a brokerage account with its corresponding 1099 Form all to no avail. At least not yet. About 50 pages of statements to go thru and about 300 transactions. O why o why do people do this to me??? I’m thinking there is a corrected 1099 out there somehwhere such as usually is the case, but they tell me there hasn’t been one show up yet. I still think we need to go through their drawers, but haven’t worked up the energy or gumption to suggest that yet.

Also several phone calls from various ones. One young person in particular is having a major rough time and not sure what to say or suggest and am concerned about some current choices. Sort of worn out and feeling drugged from the pain pills. Taking several naps along the way, so not getting a lot done. Need more pain pills to keep the shoulder pain away.

mikey

Sunday

Went to Center for Church & SS on II Cor 11 and Gary had the sermon on the Gospel of the Kingdom of God. Lots of visitors in Church today.

Went straight to the Peterson Reunion at Assaria and was pleased to devour many meatballs and ostkaka with lingonberries for dessert. Does it get any better than that?? Even Grandma consumed a large helping of ostkaka even with her diabetic condition, and I don’t blame her a bit. Grandma Laurina was the oldest there (age 96) and the last remaining 2nd generation descendent of Lars Pehrson. Grandma’s father, Ola Lars, came with his parents, Lars and Hanna, after his brother Mons found a place in Saline County in 1869. Only 5 children of 14 were living by the time they reached Saline County starting from Bleckinge Sweden. Many fascinating stories were recounted. Ola walked to Assaria in 5 ft native prairie grass from Salina and constructed a dugout for himself along the Smoky Hill River, the location of which is lost forever.

Then we did the old people thing and admired flowers in the cemetery and found a number of ancestral graves. Also good to see high school classmates Tim & Lori as well as countless other relatives.

Glad to see Mark made it home by 5AM from ONeil Nebraska where he helped Balyeat’s on their bus where it broke down again. Went on home and spent a considerable amt of time on the phone returning many calls inquiring about my well-being. Appreciate all the caring people. Also read PlainTalk and the interesting memoirs of Ervin Miller’s family found in my Church mailbox.

Had a nice 2 mile walk later & made it in spite of the humidity. Also heard the happy news that my youngest cousin, Elina, is engaged to Tyler Charvat. She was named after Ola’s wife’s middle name. This happened as of midnight last night, so hot off the press news.

A good, full day!

mikey

Saturday

Spent most of the day here at home, paying bills and catching up with my things, mail and etc. A dark cloudy sky most of the PM, and rec a few showers, but nothing major. Ran a few errands in town and nothing more to report. Still incredibly sleepy and little energy, but just keep plodding away. A quiet day and just what I have been longing for.

mikey

Friday

Managed to get myself up bright and early at 7:15AM & soon found myself on the road to Tipton for Debbie Leikers funeral. Salina is surrounded by a huge lake to the west and north. All I-70 exits and entrances to Salina are closed as well as State Street on I-135. Crawford just opened so I got a quick bite to eat at McDonald’s. Yes, I will eat their breakfast food, but not much else. Esp needed high acid coffee to wake me up and it did.

Arrived about 15 minutes before the 10AM starting time. We did learn that St Boniface, who the Church is named for, was the Catholic patron saint of Germany. Glad I could be there, but it was one of the saddest funerals I’ve ever been to. Debbie was 51, lost her job and was diagnosed with cancer last Feb. Her surgery went well & she called me later to say she was doing great. Later, more cancer was found in her brain & things happened quickly. She did live long enough to attend her son Justin’s wedding at the end of April. A large representation from Hillsboro was there and I’m guessing non-Catholics numbered close to 40%. Frist time I’ve seen altar girls instead of alter boys. I did not put my hand in holy water, bow before the alter or go thru the line to be blessed, nor did any other non-Cath people that I’m aware of.

A nice meal afterwards and good to meet Debbie’s family. I menitoned I was her tax man and her sister Faye Ellenz jumped right up and went to her purse and handed me the amount of Debbie’s NSF check. I had waited to long to cash the check and considered that totally my fault. Didn’t know things were happening so quickly and her account was closed before I got the check deposited. That was certainly going beyond the call of duty and thank you Faye!

Greatly enjoyed the lush green hills and solitude of the ride there and back. Smoky hills living up to their name this AM with so much moisture in the air. State Street was finally open when I got back to Salina & went to the courthouse for more real estate statements & receipts for a client & hurried on home to finish some sales tax forms & hurried back and made it by the 8PM mail cut off. Then looked at all the flood water to the N and E of Salina. New Cambria will prob be hit worse than last time. The great Smoky Hill River is out of its banks downstream from Salina and also Mulberry Creek has set new record flood stats due to all the rain from the west.

Ate at Coyote Canyon and rec a call from Jacob and he says he is really getting into his summer employment. Has another early day planned for tomorrow. Also quite a few other calls from certain young ones and that is all fine & good.

Completely worn out and depleted and ready for bed.

mikey

Thursday

Made a successful 2nd attempt to pick up Stephen’s sales tax info. Met Becky in the parking lot at Nations Pizza in MP….AFTER making several detours due to high water. A big lake over the road by Mark’s place (Gyp Creek out of its banks again) as I expected so that meant several miles of muddy gravel roads to maneuver. Even MP was having flooding on A after I stopped at Nations Pizza. With all this extra driving I still managed to get to work right on time.

Major flooding west of Salina along Spring & Mulberry Creek in the same areas that were hit by the big flood about 3 weeks ago. Even heard some law enforcement officers had to be rescued from high water. The entire towns of Bavaria & Hedville were evacuated. Neither has a very high population, but still quite significant. Spose the truck stops are being hit hard again. Salina had about 6 inches & prob more to the west which is causing the flooding.

A fairly busy day with 3 pts and a late shift ER that turned into an admission, but I still managed to get out of there by midnight. 3 RN’s I work with all took a look at my CT & MRI reports. Definitely going beyond the call of duty and they all basically concur with my doctors that cancer is definitely ruled out. The contrast in the CT would easily pick up cancer cells if they were present and that was all negative. My bulging disks could someday rupture causing intense pain, but I am prepared for that. Appreciate their interest in my well-being.

Major flooding here at home due to water coming from the south all the way from Canton & Galva. Might be down by Noon tomorrow. Having lots of trouble with electricity being off on Wester lines. The REA lines are all lit up. Just came back on here a bit ago. Need to get to bed and have an early start planned for tomorrow.

mikey

Wednesday

Payroll was the main item of the day. Had to redo a health insurance deduction for a premium change & even had to make a negative deduction for someone coming off. Finally got that all figured out. More financial statements and tax returns are being demanded by banks and of course these certain tax returns are not complete….not even close. Always something to do.

Had some excitement as we heard 3 inch hail was headed our way. Vivian & I quick drove our cars to her garage & made it with about 2 minutes to spare. The 3 inch hail turned out to be marble size & not all that much. Tim Anderson by Roxbury reported 3 inch hail and looked like snow on the ground. Later rec word from David Yoder & then form John Y that Church is cancelled becuase of 5 inches of rain. We hardly rec an inch here, most of the storm went around to the west & north of us. My dear mother DID get drenched putting groceries in the car at Noon at WalMart. To add insult to injury we didn’t get a drop of rain from that storm.

Made a quick dash to Buhler to get cuz Steve’s sales tax info, but was stopped just 2 miles N of Buhler and heard water rushing across the road & reminded me of Niagra Falls. A friendly MP Co Sheriff I must say. Due date is Friday so will have to try again tomorrow.

Many Church people have been praying for Debbie Leiker most recently from Great Bend. She had cancer surgery at Wichita & called me the very day of Edna Nisly’s funeral while I was parking cars at the cemetery to say she came thru surgery fine & is recovering quite well. Today I saw in the obituaries that she died Monday, age 51!! I wasn’t expecting that and last saw her driving off from MP Arby’s when she picked up her last tax return. A very good friend and just reeling from this news. Plan to go to the funeral Friday at Tipton about 2 hrs NW of here.

Also rain into high water just W of Roxbury and saw large tree branches going across the road. I made into 5 inch water on the road & finally decided to turn around. What could have turned into a major hassle getting home was only 1 detour adding just 2 extra miles. NEVER seen high water at this location before. Scanner just went off and another dangerous thunderstrom headed this way with 60MPH winds and dangerous lightning (sigh) here we go again.

mikey

Tuesday-MRI results

Slept in till 1PM & up quickly as today I get my MRI results. A good ol Mt Dew helped wake me up & was in good shape in time for my early PM appt, but had to wait a very long time & even more time when I finally got in the exma room. Yesterday getting a bit uneasy and not sure what today would consist of.

Basically, my meds were decreased to help me wake up from my stupor and then finally rec word that there is a disk bulge between C6 & C7 (lower neck) and general disk degeneration in my cirvical & thoracic spine & roto scoliosis ( spine curvature) . The mass turns out to be “just fat”. “Nothing to worry about”. Pericardial fat to be more exact. So that means cancer is basically ruled out & I will be denied a biopsy (sob sob).

Acutally I am very grateful to God for this report & for all my dear family and friends praying for me. Thank you.

Just after I got out I rec a message from Mark Nisly that they are at HUmboldt Creek ( which is Exit 304) and where am I?? We made plans to meet at Flying J at Salina by I-70 and it was VERY good to see Mark, Luke, Virgil & Nathan who are just starting a western trip. We went thru the buffet and had a grand ol time. They are headed to Yellowstone & Hubbard Oregon (I think) to see friends and then swing about thru CA & Arizona & see the Grand Canyon on the way back if I understnd correctly.

Quite a nice surprise & glad to celebrate my good news with them. Later I saw them off to parts west along I70 & I went S to Mac to celebrate with my buddy Jim. Ate at KFC/Long John Silvers and admired a 1962 Chevy Biscayne painted on the wall. Beautiful car!! Later tried to change light bulbs in his apt, but the one bulb holder was stripped & wouldn’t take a new light bulb. Of course I thot I could remedy the situation, but I also saw the porcalain thing was stripped to powder inside & wouldn’t accept a new bulb. Strange…

Glad to be home & celebrate my good news with my parents & it’s just a GREAt day. Praise God!!

mikey

Monday

Mom & Dad made it home from CO last night so got caught up with them. Still foggy from pain meds and just can’t seem to get myself going at times. Worked at the hospital today since another worker wanted off today & she worked for me yesterday & that worked out well so I could go to Lyndon.

Stopped at the store in Hillsboro & went over a bunch of questions with the secretary and think we got quite a bit ironed out. So many details need attention.

Only 1 ER and another inpatient admission and that kept me quite busy. Had a welcome call from Jacob and heard all about thier Lake Texhoma trip, but he’s glad to be back and getting busy with summer work. Finally able to keep myself awake, but struggling. Made it out just after 3AM & home & very glad to be back in bed. Hardly dare to trust myself with tax work the way it’s been lately. So foggy brained all the time and always tired.

mikey