01-30APR21 - Sultan, WA (do you know what FAST means? we do now)

 

Saturday, 03APR, not much done Corrie returns & starts prep’ing for tomorrow’s Easter dinner when Rebecca & grand boys show-up.  Sunday Easter dinner with Rebecca & grand boys; then Rebecca leaves & we have Jaxson & Mason for their spring break from school.  Monday, 05APR, Dan takes grand boys to Yesler Terrace Park in Seattle which was brand new in 2018.  Parking is impossible to find because of construction worker vehicles.  Boys play two hours straight (enjoy sliding on the artificial turf).  Go to Seattle Center for food & toilets – everything closed because of covid!  No food, one bathroom open, head home; outdoor fire & smores after dinner.

Yesler Terrace Park - Parks | seattle.gov

Tuesday AM Dan & boys head to Stevens Pass sno-park for sledding; find out it was closed all season because of covid & sledding hill covered in snowplow debris.  Find one spot somewhat open & make the most of it; back to house for dinner alfresco.

Friday, 09APR, AM we all head-in to Seattle Center to the Museum of Pop Culture (MOPOP) for the Minecraft “The Exhibition”.  In addition to entry tickets we purchased Minecraft the card game, & played after dinner (actually pretty good game).

Minecraft is a sandbox video game developed by Mojang. The game was created by Markus "Notch" Persson in the Java programming language. Following several early test versions, it was released as a paid public alpha for personal computers in 2009 before releasing in November 2011, with Jens Bergensten taking over development. Minecraft has since been ported to several other platforms and is the best-selling video game of all time, with 200 million copies sold and 126 million monthly active users as of 2020.

MoPOP | Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle Washington

Saturday wake up to snow!!  Rebecca shows up noonish & we have early BBQ dinner before she takes kids back to east Bremerton.  Weather fluctuates between sun, hail, rain, sun.

Thursday (normal tax day), more good weather Dan heads to Stevens Pass for his last day of skiing; gets home; & washes truck; Corrie gardens.  Friday Corrie has girls’ day out with Jan Formisano.  Dan installs more shelves in greenhouse; 80 degree dayL

Friday, 23APR, cloudy again; Corrie returns from grand boy sitting in east Bremerton, bringing Jaxson & Mason w/her.  Then we all head over to our neighbors Hans & Martha Dankers so the grandkids can the witness the shearing of their five sheep.  Then they fed the Alpacas, Llamas & Nigerian Pygmy Goats.  After dinner it was smores around the fire pit.

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Wednesday, 28APR, most of day spent getting ready for tomorrow’s RV camping trip.  Following pic is a Sharp Shinned Hawk seen on the property 20APR:)

Edmonds ferry on our way to Crescent Beach RV west of Port Angeles.  Plan is for daughter Rebecca & grandsons to meet us Friday for family camping over weekend.  Dan’s driving becomes erratic while leaving ferry; causing Corrie great concern & for her to finish the drive to RV park. From there it was off Port Angeles hospital ER to have Dan checked out.  Appears he may have had some sort of stroke & they will keep him for observation for two more days. 

Tests consist of two CT scans of brain one with dye/contrast; one chest xray & numerous basic, cognitive tests.  Definitely a stroke event on right side of brain (apparently caused by Afib?).  It appears the stroke occurred on the ferry from Edmonds to Kingston; and there were absolutely no classic symptoms (ie FAST); & Dan believed his driving was normal.

Friday last day of April; another day in hospital for much more observation including ultra sound of heart & MRI to determine exact extent of brain injury.  Diagnosis is mild to significant stroke to right side of brain probably caused by irregular heart beat due to atrial fibrillation; another night of observationL  Meanwhile Rebecca & grandkids (Jaxson & Mason) join Corrie at Crescent Beach RV Park.  (Spoiler alert – Dan had no apparent long lasting affects.)  Looking back & now knowing the statistics of significant stroke impacts & outcomes, it is obvious that Dan/we were extremely luckyJ

More medical updates to follow!

01-31MAR21 - Sultan, WA (finally vaccinated!!!)

March was a month of significant improvement!  Biggest being getting our second covid vaccine shot 04MAR, observing the two week quarantine period!  Then immediately heading to east Bremerton for St Patties day with Rebecca & two grandsons (Jaxson & Mason).

Most of month was spent on building new greenhouse out of wood framing, sheathed with metal & plexiglass siding.  As usual for a Dan project, way overbuilt.

During month Dan made several ski runs to Stevens Pass.  Finally management has things under control, with good conditions.  Now Dan gets good four or more hours in with almost no lift lines.

March weather is very iffy, some sun, more rain, hail, clouds, wind, heavy sleet/snow, etc.  Combine weather with the state’s “Stay Home, Stay Safe” policy; we spend too much time indoors watching TV.  But we have discovered one new show we both like & so we continue bingeing on it - “Ozzie & Jack’s World Detour”.  That’s right Ozzie Osborne the Prince of Darkness & Son Jack, as they travel the USA (sometimes in an RV).  Corrie thinks Ozzie is hilarious, even though often incomprehensible), Dan is a fan of the renditions of Black Sabbath or Ozzie songs by non-rockers (like church choir, college marching band, Mariachi band, etc).

Saturday, 06MAR, Dan has angioedema reaction – off to ER.  Allergy specialist still has no idea what is the cause, or how to prevent.

Since we have finished vaccine quarantine we head to daughter Rebecca’s to help with grandkids 17-20MAR at east Bremerton.  Corrie helps Rebecca with veggie garden. & Dan takes boys indoor rock climbing.

Saturday, 27MAR weather improves; Dan takes down large alder tree w/help of neighbors Bob & son-in-law Chris, something that would have taken Dan days & days was done in two hours.  As always Corrie gardens.  Monday, 29MAR, wake up to heavy wet snow, followed by rain/sleet & eventually sunshine.

Around the end of the month Rebecca, Jaxson & Mason hike the Dirty Harry’s Peak Trail.  Strenuous four miles in & four miles back, with 3000 foot climb.

AND our son Joe official became engaged to Bethany Chiasson💑!!!