Connect the Dots

As of last night, thanks to the help of Pat and David (thanks, guys!), the frame for the first two sections and the holes for the rest of the posts are all set and ready. At this point it's just a matter of settings more posts, building more frames as have been built up to this point, tacking down plywood and then throwing up and trimming the railing. It sounds like a lot (and might take a while), but there is actually an end in sight, and I could see the whole project being completed with about two days of concentrated effort.

Who's game? There's a ghost monkey skull in it for you...


In other news, I'm trying to nail down Mr. Halvorson at Maryville to find out when Mom is going to be relased, whether temporarily (on furlough) or permanently. Rumors have her out for a half day on Monday and for good on Friday of next week, but I have yet to have those things confirmed, and Maryville rumors have had a way of being exactly that. Still, Mom is in good spirits and aside from wanting to come home, she's chippr and cooperative, participating fully in her therapy and having a good time doing it.

It's Getting Better All the Time

As the saying goes: another day, another section of ramp done. A later day at work and a long commute conspired against me such that the light disappeared before I could get too terribly far, but progress is progress. And with a slightly earlier start tomorrow, we should have the next section primed and ready for completion over the weekend.

Mom looks great but is extremely eager to get home. Hoping to hear more about a release date tomorrow.

How are YOU?

I Need Some Help

Dad and I managed to get a board patched on the main deck and some other sundry cutting, lining and marking done, but between the weather and small crew size, not as much got done as needs to. Mom may be cut loose for a furlough as early as next Monday, so it's important the ramp get done this week (or on the weekend, but I'm going to be out of town at that time), so Tony, David, anyone who's available evenings this week (starting tomorrow night - Tuesday), please give me a call if you can lend a hand, even if only for an hour or two.

Going to see Mom shortly and will say hi for you all!

Back From the Wilderness

Here's a snapshot (post-packup) of where our tent was located for nearly a week in the wilderness east of Sweet Home. I didn't get a lot of pictures, but they would be useless in conveying the beauty of the surroundings anyway, so suffice to say that the time spent away was a much-needed restful respite.

Upon our return, my first day back was spent in an all-day offsite meeting, so the first chance I had to check in with Mom and Dad was yesterday evening. Happily, I found both in fine spirits; Mom was watching TV with Gary when I showed up, coffee in hand, and she was happy and talkative about her renewed physical therapy sessions. Apparently they were having her do an exercise with picking up clothespins and putting them in a jar (with her weaker hand), which was frustrating but successful nonetheless.

We visited for a while and I told them about camping, then I checked in with Dad, who was recovering from his amped-up level of physical activity throughout the week. As he describes it, his stay at Maryville used to be composed of about 45-90 minutes of physical activity, and now that's about how much rest he's getting throughout the day, as he's busying himself with arranging things throughout the house and trimming ramp material to smooth the thresholds between rooms so that wheelchairs can more easily move throughout the house.

His legs had been aching for a few days and were just getting better yesterday, but his new walker had arrived the day before and it was really helping him get around. He has been out and about to visit Mom pretty much every day (thanks to Bill and Grace), and he has partaken of coffee directly from New Seasons, so before we know it he'll be running errands and back to his routine. He's also been receiving delicious homecooked food (thanks Kathy and Chris!) so he has not been for want of nourishment.

This weekend (Sunday) I'm planning to continue work on the ramp, and I could sure use a hand. If you're free, give me a call or drop me an email and let me know.

A Homecoming Story Told in Pictures

Dad's home and happy, but a little disoriented with all the changes. If you get a chance to say hi, try to call and check first as I'm sure he needs some time to get his bearings. We're leaving town through Wednesday, so until then, thanks for all your love and support...and keep next weekend free if you're up for some back-breaking labor on the ramp.

In the Clear

The story remains the same, and Dad will be home as of around 10 AM tomorrow. Mom's release is still to be confirmed, but the nurses sound like they might want to keep her for up to four weeks. This is probably not going to work, as her morale will certainly decline even if Dad visits her at Maryville daily, so we're going to ask for two weeks and then two weeks or more of supplementary in-home care. Hopefully this will be agreeable to the staff as well as Mom.

I also connected with Bronson today, who will indeed be taking possession of the Dodge truck tomorrow at around the same time Dad is brought home.

Feel free to stop by and visit Dad on Sunday...but keep in mind that he might have found his way back to Maryville to visit Mom, as is his plan at this time.

Not Quite Rolling

Bronson stopped by last night and inflated the Dodge tires. They held the air just fine and for giggles he tried popping it in neutral and rolling it downhill, but it wouldn't budge. Seems the axles might be frozen, which isn't surprising, but it definitely makes towing it a challenge.

We also talked to Guy and he volunteered to drag it up to his place so that Bronson could get to it easier with his trailer. What a Guy.

Still aiming for a Saturday pickup, but that might be kinda dicey depending on when Dad is getting home, etc. Going to take some very careful planning to make sure the timing is right.

Got a text from Dad a short while ago, and it seems he's out of his migraine haze. I'll stop by tonight and brief them on what's happening before heading up to the house and doing some more construction on the ramp.