The State of Hoytlandia Address

Good afternoon. It would seem we have had our one and only snow of January, and so far, winter in general.

Friday the 20th's 5-6 inches was just enough for Ethan to get all of the house bermed with snow pack **aplause**, but alas, temperatures have warmed on several different occasions. The snow melteth, the grass showeth, and even the wind doth hardly bloweth.

More grass than snow in the yard, with the next chance of precipitation being rain, on Tuesday **mild booing**.

Then I'll look for a February thaw in which to run out and prune the apple trees and raspberries.

After that it's a brief spell until garden plannin' and plantin'; that time of year when I have to tell hopeful children, "Seriously....I don't think peanuts would be a good choice for north central Iowa..." or, "Nooooo, you can't plant rice."
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In diet news, I didn't lose any weight this past week **sympathetic coughs**. Oh I could have counted myself down 1/4 of a pound, but it seems fairly ridiculous to keep track of miniscule amounts. At some point that type of behavior smacks of OCD.

But at least I didn't gain. Probably put on some muscle. There are certain tweaks I can make to cut down on nibbled calories.
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Scholastically speaking, we have just passed the half-way point in our school year. Hooray for us! **sounds of wild cheering** Soon I'll have to start prepping Nolan and Trevor for the yearly tests. Oh good...extra subjects to work into the day.
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For the bedtime routine we've once again started reading through LOTR **sounds of "hear, hear!"** I read The Hobbit myself, but caved to pressure to let the kids take turns reading different characters in The Fellowship of the Ring. We have four copies between us, so that works out pretty well. Two of them are quite dog-eared but still readable.

Trevor wants to read a part but he still needs work to read smoothly, not skip words and decode the bigger words (he prefers taking a reasonable guess based on one or two letters rather than phonetically sounding it out. And sometimes he flat out doesn't try).

Nolan is not completely smooth and has a tendency to substitute words, but he enjoys himself; it's probably good for him.

We're substituting seamless storytelling for audience participation, but I guess Ma has to stop hogging the fun stuff all the time. After this series, however, I'm picking a book that's never been read and only has one copy ;-)
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Health-wise we all seem to have recovered from the cold-that-would-not-end. It must have been potent since Loren developed bronchitis, but it is over. If only we can avoid the norovirus that has hit Iowa....**vociferous booing**
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In conclusion **cheers all 'round**, I've finished mending Ethan's coat for the second time (thanks to "king of the snow-hill")**applause**, the kids are cleaning the bathrooms**wild applause**, the second treadmill stint of the day is completed**heavy applause and whistling** and now comes lunch**heavy applause, whistling and foot-stomping**.

My goals for the rest of the day include a nap, 3-4 more treadmill miles, supper, and preparing food for tomorrow's pot-luck **sonorous applause signifying warm admiration**.

Let't all work together to make this a profitable day (and that means being quiet during my nap, kids!) for Ma.

**Standing Ovation**
 

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Supper as a Microcosm of Life

Tonight's meal includes the following:

1/2 pound of ground turkey
1 1/2 cups cooked rice
assorted veggies such as carrots, celery, onions...actually, I think that's all the vegetables
2 chicken bullion cubes
salt & pepper
surprise ingredient
water

Turkey: meat has increased in price so dramatically that I've cut in half the amount used in casseroles. Our dependents have also been halved but not necessarily due to expense.

Rice: pretty mundane by itself....like much of life.

vegetables: the usual culprits. Reminds me of a couple of boys I know.

bullion: compressed. I'm feelin' it!

salt & pepper: you notice if absent, sorta like constant bickering, only the one absence is good.

surprise ingredient: unused honey glaze seasoning that came with Christmas ham. It's basically a win-win situation...if they like it you can take credit, if they don't just tell them you didn't make it. Mostly though, it will be like a new haircut and no one will say anything.

water: all wet. Like certain Republican candidates for president.
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Just the normal stuff going on...school, treadmill, meal, school, treadmill, meal, school, nap, meal, treadmill, and checking email and other computer stuff randomly throughout the day.

It's a living.
 

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In Which Ma Travels to Iowa City, Again

For the third time in the last four weeks, Ma traveled down to the University of Iowa hospitals, today. This morning was different, however, in that I was able to sleep in until 6:06am! Sure beats the 4:15 wake-up call for Derek's hospitalization, before Christmas.

Carolyn's turn, today. She was due for her six month check-up with the electrophysiologist. Everything turned out pretty well for her appointment, though we had a few rough spots with the travel.

First off, it took until 7:05 for the sun to come up enough to ascertain that the driveway had drifted shut overnight. Not a terrible problem, except I had planned to leave home at 7:15.

My wonderful snow-clearing-son Ethan ran out with a shovel but soon came back saying, "We need the skid-loader!"

And we did. A drift ran clear across the drive the entire length of the 15 passenger van (that would be the blue 15 passenger van and not the white 15 passenger van, and certainly not the mini-van).

I hacked away with a snow shovel until time became so short that I realized if I didn't stop and let Ethan finish it with the skid, there would be no time....and I do mean no time to put on my make up.

I trust you can sense the critical nature of our dilemma.

Soon enough the driveway was cleared for the Green-Dragon-Lady-Lincoln-of-Power to ram her way out through the remaining small drifts. Carolyn and I were on our way, only 10 minutes later than expected.

Once on the black top it was quickly apparent that conditions were icy, dicey and not very nicey (hey...it rhymed).

It was bad stuff. The good snow tires were the only reason I could go anywhere.

There was one incident of fish-tailing as the last of 4 semis passed me going the opposite direction. But I'm happy to say we escaped with only a short burst of adrenaline-induced heart racing on my part.

Carolyn didn't even notice (I mean seriously, what good is performing amazing feats of regaining control on ice, if your kids aren't even going to appreciate that you just saved their life?).

It was tough going on highway 20, though we did manage to get up to 50 mph and pass a few cars that were obviously wanting in the area of snow tires. Several cars in the ditch, including one utility truck lying on its side.

Actually, there were 7-8 cars spun out along the way, even though the roads became less snow covered after Waterloo.

Everything turned out pretty well, however. Arrived safely and almost on time.

Carolyn checkup was fine and she doesn't have to come back for a year, barring something unusual.

We had a great time with the docs. The first one to appear informed us that Drs. L. and VB. were fighting over who got to come and see Carolyn. Now really, these people are the best!

They both came....Dr. L. to chat for a bit and Dr. VB to do the exam. Carolyn ran him through his paces, keeping up with the Hoyt tradition of...well, you'd have to be there.

We had a jolly time. Caroln even said the doctor doing her echo kept laughing at everything she said.

(I'm sensing a marketing opportunity, but for the fact that I'm too old and tired to pursue it).

The weather and lack of sleep prevented Carolyn from doing any driving, but we managed nonetheless to limp back to Waterloo, weak from hunger, with just enough strength to crawl up to the door of Panera Bread and beg, "Please sir, I want soup and salad from 'You Pick 2', and could you donnz-moi une baguette, aussie?

11 1/2 hours after we awoke, we pulled back into the driveway, powering through one drift on our way into the heated garage and sanctuary.

And now it is 11:17pm and once again dark. The kids are in bed, the groceries put away, the school plans set out for tomorrow, and three miles completed on the treadmill.

All that awaits is the laundry to fold and the eating of my special, Honeycrisp apple.

Then this little Ma is heading for bed.
 

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The Diet Report - 2012 Season!

Yes it's back by popular demand, which means me, naturally.

Two weeks ago came that fateful day; a day which lives in the hearts and minds of all ice cream lovers and buttered bagel aficionados.

Cast aside and given up, they were. Along with large helpings, most carbs, and Dark Dove's popping so constant as to mimic a chocolate IV.

But no more! Except for an out-to-the-movies treat, I've curtailed my cocao bean habit to the likes of occasional chocolate chips and one Red Chili-laced Lindt bar, spaced out over a week.

The 2012 Diet Season will feature episodes similar to last year, but with less drasticity.

Instead of the 1000-1100 beginning caloric regimin of old, we're starting out with 1300-1600. However, when coupled with the exercise program, we should see quite reasonable results.

Last year I didn't get up to 7 treadmill miles per day until the end of February. Looks like I'm ahead of the game :-D

But who cares about methods when one can have cold, hard fat-facts....so get ready....after 2 weeks, Ma has lost 4 pounds! Not too much and not too little, so I is happy.

Going for a total of 25, this time around. That will take care of what I regained during the stressful end of 2011, as well as get me just a few pounds below last year's goal.
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In other news, our county is under a Winter Storm Warning for tomorrow. Could be the first real snow of the season. Pretty late, considering it's the latter half of January. Maybe Ethan will get to use the skid loader, after all :-)

We have enough food (I just went shopping on Tuesday) but I'm feeling a rising urge to go buy milk. But then, if I did that, it probably wouldn't snow as much.

What to do...
 

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Light!

At the end of the tunnel :-)

I think we are on the mend. Loren's had 3 days with no fever to speak of, and I'm not feeling nearly as peaked as a day or two ago.

Woo-hoo fer health!

Also returning to my groove on the treadmill. Back up to speed and able to put in 7 miles, most days. Lost a couple of pounds too, but we'll have the first official diet report later this week.

Got through school OK, for a Monday and that's no small matter.

He-who-shall-not-be-named has been a sporadic problem throughout the day, but on the bright side, he did quite a few dishes today and he'll be doing all the dishes tomorrow as well as sweeping and washing the kitchen floor.

We'll see if that takes some of the vinegar out of him.

Hopefully he be able to see that he's just making his life harder.

Funny how people get into habitual behaviors and don't realize they are basically throwing banana peels before them upon the path they walk.

Guess you have to expect that from the immature.

It's just hard watching them stumble.

Hard watching yourself stumble, too.

But some good things definitely happened, today.
 

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The Most Wondeful TIme of the Day

I've just gotten all my charges to bed and by that, I mean everyone.

Loren has his head and back propped up so he won't be bothered with coughing. Not that he has coughed much since he took the codeine laced syrup. In fact, he's pretty much out of it.

They said to take 1-2 teaspoons every 4 to 6 hours but judging by his response to one, that is all he should take. It's like trying to talk to someone when you're in real time and they're in slow motion. He should definitely sleep better tonight!

Last night wasn't so great and by the time lunch was rolling around he had a temperature of 101.8. When you take into consideration his normal temp is 97...something, it was higher than it looks.

Mayo likes to have reports if their transplantees get a temp over 101.5 and when Loren called them he was told to get in to a local doc, get a chest x-ray and test for A and B influenza.

Thankfully, we were able to do just that. And boy am I glad we didn't get more than a 1/2 inch of snow (if that) because that wind was wicked. Driving would have been terrible with 1.5 inches or more.

Anyway, it took three hours to get home again but we discovered he has a little bit of bronchitis in the right lung, no flu, and a slightly elevated white count (the local doc decided to do a CBC).

Very glad we went in, because had we not things could have gone downhill. As it is, Loren's on a short course of antibiotic and juiced up cough syrup.

I am hoping he will be more himself tomorrow, but of course that codeine cough syrup does a number on a person. Hmmm, if I play my cards right this could be very interesting...

Today reminded me of when he was so bad with his heart and stayed up in the bedroom most of the time and I had to keep things seemingly normal for the kids and run up and check on him every so often.

Makes you feel like you have no one to turn to. Glad those days are done.

Speaking of done, this little Ma is going to soak in a hot, hot bath and see if some of these clogged sinuses will clear up. And judging from the amount of tissue usage, the ol' snozzolla will be pretty red if I don't take measures of a lotional nature.

Looking forward to crashing soon and having a better tomorrow.

'Night all...
 

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Today's Accomplishments

• School--and "somebody" actually did his work pretty well (after a slightly slow start)...it made all the difference!...a welcome change from horrific Monday and Tuesday
  
• Two libraries
  
• Gassed up the Green Dragon Lady Lincoln of Power
  
• Wal*Mart
  
• Grocery store
  
• Drove home with snow starting and blowing sideways, wind chill -1...finally feels like winter
  
• 6.5 miles on the treadmill...can't quite make it to a 7 mile average over six days, but will keep trying
  
• finally coming down with cold that's been going around. Not an accomplishment so much as an inevitability
  

The wind is cruising along at a healthy 27mph and after 60 degrees last week--50 this week--it feels fairly cruel outside.

I am so beat I may do something extraordinary and go to bed before 11:00.

And that would certainly be an accomplishment.
 

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Well!

I hope we got at least 50% of this year's misadventures out of the way, yesterday.

Approximately 1 hour after leaving, Derek's truck threw a spark plug, nixing plans to get to Texas by 7 or 8pm.

In the ensuing flurry of phone calls and contingency plans it was discovered Jason's car would not restart.

So it was still dark and the two vehicles were stuck on the side of Highway 20, with the sound of cars clearly whizzing past over our home phone.

Oh yes...it was Sunday morning and Loren was sick in bed.

Long story short, after Loren left avec tools on his mission of mercy, Jason's car started again, giving us hope that it could proceed to LeTrouneau.

Several scenarios were floated, including the kids taking down the 15 passenger van, which would easily hold 3 college kids' stuff, including two bikes.

But Jason's problem was more a matter of corroded battery cables and that was one bit of good news :-)

In the end, Loren took the snow tires off the good Lincoln and sent that down with Derek and Melinda. They stopped by Derek's truck and unpacked that stuff, fitting it into the two cars. Then it was off to Texas, five hours later than planned.

Once we knew only one vehicle needed towing, we ditched the temporary plan of borrowing someone's trailer (which happened to be in Waterloo) and went with a neighbor's car dolly.

All that worked out and Loren (and Ethan) returned with Derek's truck on Sunday afternoon.

Needless to say, no one went to church. Loren wasn't going anyway, since he didn't feel good (and speaking of which, he's been running a low fever but it's gone down a bit and I'm keeping my fingers crossed...).

I'd like to say the kids' trip proceeded uneventfully, but it did not.

Around 10:00pm came a call that they'd gotten split up and one car hadn't appeared at the prearranged rest stop. And they were in a section of the country where there was no cell phone coverage.

Much frustration and running back and forth to find each other, while I suggested to Loren that we could call the Oklahoma state police and see if there had been an accident... Loren pointed out that was a little premature (steady, Ma...steady).

FINALLY they were able to contact each other and get going again. Pulled into campus around 1:30 and 2:00am, I believe.

Brother!
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In home news, we took down all the Christmas decorations this afternoon. This is turning out to be 'bout as bad as putting them up in the first place. Supper was late because the last thing I did was wipe off all the Christmas place mats and take off the purty green table cloth. Now there are boxes all over the place but most everything's done except carting stuff up to the attic.

I'd do that but it's dark.

And I do not go up to the attic after dark.
 

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More Nest Dispersal

Looks like it's back to "only" four kids, again.

Tomorrow will be somewhat significant in that three of the older ones will be heading back to college. In actuality, two of them used to be the "middle" kids, but due to the existence of three college graduates the whole tribe must be re-labeled.

Christmas vacation has been great but there's a limit to how long one can blissfully ignore real life. For those of us at home it will mean grinding out the next 4 1/2 months of school, cutting back on the computer game time, and oh yeah...less movies.

The LeTourneau crew will be taking off just before dawn, "no later than 5:00" by Jason's edict. And in an amazing show of generosity, Jason will let Melinda drive his car for part of the way :-D

Who said miracles don't happen anymore, heh, heh.

There has been much running up and down the stairs, searching through stuffs, and purloining of boxes. Interestingly enough, the lone female has the fewest articles. But then, Jason is coming off his latest work-release program (I think that's what they call it :-) and going back for the final semester. Then it's off to a full-time position with the satisfying knowledge he's done with school!

Derek has an interesting semester in front of him, already tentatively planning to come back to Iowa during spring break for yet another cardioversion. Yes, you heard me...he went back into a-fib the day after he was cardioverted out of it.

Frustrating. But with changes to his medication we hope that the March procedure will get him back in sinus rhythm for a good long, stay.

In other news, Loren has finally caught a full-blown version of the cold passed from kid to kid (ah, the joys of family life). He's resting most of this day and looks like a no-show for church tomorrow.

Loren took it easy while we cruised into town for one last blast at Pizza Ranch. Had a gift card and added to that for the luncheon buffet. Judging by their reactions, taking the younger kids to a buffet is akin to previewing heaven.

Don't get used to it, guys.

In the real world, people have more regimented lives. They study, work, and yes...

...even eat my cooking.
 

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SOME Day !

Not the first time I've used that title, but it certainly applies to today's doin's.

The Hoyts were having adventures on multiple fronts, and by that, I mean we had not one, but TWO dramas taking place.

First off we have Melinda: she came home from her maiden semester at college, determined to get her driver's licensee. And after a background of homeschooled reticence on the part of her parents--and by that I mean we've never rushed out to have the kids get their permits--not a lot of driving had taken place.

Setting out as to war, Loren took on the task. This included accompanying Melinda on a lot of practice drives, as well as fixing two or three breakdowns on the car. The latter being both exhausting and frustrating in itself. And in the pièce de résistance, he set up the cars and boards on the other side of the house so she could practice parallel parking. Over and over and over.

Next be Derek, who, having his ICD placed just before Christmas, was still in atrial fibrillation and needed to be cardioverted. This could easily be accomplished internally with his shiny, new defibrillator, but there's a catch...he wished it to come about without sedation, so he could experience a conscious shock. And the reason for that was to (hopefully) forestall some of the anxiety and trauma that his dad and uncle had experience when they were shocked. The theory being, if he could find out what it would be like before he needed it in a life-threatening situation, he would not suffer the same psychological impact witnessed by others.

His return appointment had been made for today, unbeknownst to Loren who had already scheduled Melinda's driving test, also for today (our local town only does them on Wednesdays).

WELL, it looked as though we would have to split up the duties: one of us going north & west, one of us going south & east.

And after Derek was asked to report by 9am, meaning a wake-up around 5ish, it was decided I would go with Derek and Loren would accompany Melinda.

I must say, everything went splendidly :-)

Melinda is now the proud owner of a driver's license, and Derek's back in sinus rhythm following unconventional therapy.

It was so unconventional, it had never been done at that hospital before, though the doc had heard of it being performed...somewhere.

A normal cardioversion has the patient anesthetized briefly, while external defibrillators administer a shock (like the dramatic shows on TV..."CLEAR!"). They start with a low therapy, say...50 joules, and work their way up if the first shock does not convert.

The last time Derek had an external cardioversion it took 200 joules.

What's helpful about an ICD is that the doctors can trigger it to shock the patient from inside the body, which requires much less by way of joules. In Derek's case the maximum setting is 35 joules, and that was the jolt he got. And it worked in one attempt! Everyone was quite pleased.

The wonderful Dr. L. was doing the conscious shock at Derek's request, and truthfully, there was some tension in ye olde cathe labe.

I was sitting out in the waiting room, expecting to hear a yell at any moment (which is what happened when Loren was conscious during a shock). However, in a short time the doctor came out, smiling, and saying everything had gone quite well.

Relief all around.

I can't tell you exactly how Derek felt during the shock, but he described it as being much different than he'd expected. Instead of just feeling it around his chest, it was basically a total body experience, and for one brief moment, quite horrific. Not pain, but total helplessness and.....shock. I guess time will tell if there are psychological ramifications, but Derek seems to have taken it rather well, from my observation afterward and to date.

Then we had an interesting time jawing about the caucus and various political matters with Dr. L. while Derek recovered. Good times in the cath lab!

I must say, Dr. L. is way cool to have spent so much time in discussion. Maybe he was doing so as a way to evaluate how Derek was reacting, but frankly, he always seems happy to talk with Derek.

Once we got out of there it was back to Waterloo for lunch at Panera Bread and then the weekly shopping. And I only forgot one food staple (eggs) which is pretty decent, for me.

I guess that enough about our big day. Tomorrow we ease back into school and hopefully, a more mundane existence.
 

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