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Nearly 3 months have literally flown by since the last post direct from this website. Much has (& hasn’t) happened in that time. My instinct is to give a litany of cool stories, such as my interesting “small world” experience at the post office yesterday, but that might make for a very long post. So, a few compelling highlights for your enjoyment.

CHD Awareness Week

The main reason for this post is to acknowledge & alert you about Congenital Heart Defect (CHD) Awareness Week, February 7-14, 2021.

I’ve survived 4 open heart surgeries (OHSs), 3 of which were to install pig valves to replace the pulmonary artery I was born without. My 4th OHS was 11/11/2011 to install a cow valve in place of my enlarged aortic artery.

I also have a pacemaker, which will be replaced sometime this year; the battery currently has ~3-5 months of life left, tho that has fluctuated considerably since I learned (during my September 2020 checkups) it would need to be replaced soon.

9 Years Ago

Speaking of that 4th OHS, 3 months post-op I had a post-surgery celebration at Beef Villa, 02/11/2012, 9 years ago tonight. Hard to believe it has been that long, partly because of all the changes I’ve experienced since. Then again, in some ways, it feels like just yesterday, too. But, that’s life, right!?

Keeping Busy

I may not have a “9 to 5” job, but diligence keeps me going. I’m still committed to jump starting the OC,SH regular schedule. My current goal for re-launch is Monday, 03/01/2021. I already have a few weeks of images cued, just need to craft posts to accompany them.

Meantime, I’m also working on…
…options for bringing my radio show, CD Showcase, back to the airwaves.
…website (recently launched the new look!) & social media for Elgin Green Groups 350, a CD Consulting Service client.
…participating in-with the Elgin Area Chamber Of Commerce.
…&, of course, other odds & ends.

Snowball Car

The image accompanying this post is my daily driver 2003 Mercury Grand Marquis LS covered in snow after a winter storm in late January 2021. I love snow (even driving in it), but despise the cold temps, ice & salt that tend to follow it everywhere. Watching a falling snow is calming, & I enjoy noticing the formations the snow makes on everything.

Small World

Circling back to the experience I mentioned at the top of this post, my favorite vignette about how intertwined life is happened ~2007 when I found out someone I’d known for years through an automotive message board community had actually been taught in High School by my grandfather (Mom’s Dad) in rural Oklahoma.

Yesterday (02/10/2021), I had another goose-bump-inducing moment.

I went to the post office to mail something to friends in southern IL where my 1981 Monte Carlo SC is stored. When I got to the post office, I realized I’d forgotten to add a stamp to the envelope. So, I had a choice: drive all the way back to get a stamp or buy one.

When I stepped to the counter to make my purchase, the postal worker took a look at the address on the envelope & quipped: “Hey, my wife’s family is from there!” Like the town in rural OK, Dieterich IL is a small town & not very familiar to “outsiders”. We chatted for a bit, but aren’t sure if my friends or his wife’s family know each other. We theorized, given the size of the town, they probably have at least seen each other at some point.

I left the post office in awe. Had I included postage on the envelope originally or had opted to drive back to get a stamp, I would never have had that discussion opportunity.

Life is funny, ain’t it!?