Caleb's Excellent Adventure - Day 2 - Oops RAIN!

We had such plans for today!! But Mr. Weather had other plans for us. It began raining last night. It is now 5 p.m. and it is still raining cats and dogs. But there is almost always something to do rain or shine.


Caleb has continued his love affair with my Iphone. I got on Itunes and have downloaded just about every free game they have. So here he is - keeping busy playing, playing, playing.


Although everyone is dashing about trying to avoid the raindrops we are lucky that our movie theatre is only two doors down the block. Grandpop and Caleb popped over and caught a movie this afternoon. On the way back Caleb got to pick out our daily purchase from the fruitman who keeps his cart on our corner. Tomorrow should be more fun. It will be a visit to Toys R Us and attendance at the Lion King on Broadway. Hope he likes it!


Each excellent day ends with an excellent meal. Tonight it was Mexican. We walked in the rain 1/2 a block to our closest Mexican restaurant. As you can probably tell, Caleb cleaned his plate.



Didn't want to have ice cream three days in a row. Tonight's dessert was a chocolate chip cookie. It looks as though Caleb liked it!

Caleb's Excellent Adventure

Every adventure begins with a single step. Caleb's adventure began with saying goodbye to his Dad at the Atlanta airport.


When the stewardess learned that this was Caleb's maiden flight, she invited him up front to meet the pilot and co-pilot. Here he is sitting in the co-pilot's seat.


The co-pilot turned on all of the instrument lights and prompted the computer to talk. I think Caleb was impressed with how much training and knowledge is required to fly a big jumbo jet.


This was his first airplane ride and he took it like a champ.


Caleb's first night with us. It is great to be a grandparent and be able to spoil your grandkids -- and feel absolutely no guilt. Caleb was pretty happy when he learned that the Baskin-Robbins across the street is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week! Of course, the ice cream came only after we ate at the pizza shop on the other corner from our building.


Asleep on his first night in Manhattan with his Nana and Grandpop. He slept soundly.


Breakfast on his first morning in NYC. Some milk, a ham and cheese hot pocket followed by a fresh orange. What more can a guy ask for?


Although people from all over the world come to New York City to see many of its wonders -- Caleb is fascinated with the games on my iPhone. Here he is on the bus on the way downtown. We rode through Chinatown and went under two well-known bridges, but Caleb's eyes were riveted on that iPhone.


The large American eagle statue was erected in memory of all Navy personnel who gave their lives in defense of our country. In front of the statue are tall concrete tablets engraved with the names in alphabetical order.


We found two Hart names on the memorial walls of all Navy personnel who died in serving their country. One was from California and the second came from Connecticut.


Although not encouraged in many parts of the city, Caleb did find a spot where you can feed the pigeons. He had asked for a large New York pretzel and soon found it was too much for one boy to eat. So he willingly shared it.


Caleb was pretty excited to see Lady Liberty and began snapping multiple photos on his cell phone. Here we are reviewing his handiwork.


Caleb sitting in front of our lovely Lady Liberty.


One price that has not as yet gone up since I was a kid -- 25 cents and you get to look through a viewing telescope for about 3 minutes. Caleb spotted a sailing ship (one of those old "tall ships") and said he could even see the people on the deck.


If you are going to be in lower Manhattan, you must have your photo taken with the famous Wall Street bull.


So here we are at the other end of this famous bull. And I asked Caleb if he knew what was located under the tail. He looked and said "utters." I told him "no," that's his boy parts. Caleb was just a little embarrassed.


The building with the huge American flag on it located behind Caleb is the New York Stock Exchange. I don't think he really cared, but it made a nice photo.


At the South Street Seaport we found some really good ice cream. I think Caleb had something called chocolate fudge brownie. It looked good but we passed on having some ourselves.


At the Seaport Caleb got a good view of the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges.


And while at the seaport Caleb did a bit of jumping on an indoor attraction. At the top of his jumps he said he could see the ships on the river. Sorry it is sidewise but don't know how to change it. :-(


After a long first full day (and walking 3+ miles), Caleb and John head toward home.

A Sad Goodbye to Rivington House

As mentioned in previous entries, John and I have been volunteering at Rivington House for just about a year now. We are leaving NYC and we had to say our goodbyes yesterday. We found Rivington House shortly after arriving in Manhattan from our Peace Corps experience in Thailand. While in Thailand the PC took our group on a trip to see a facility located at Wat Phrabatnampo ("Wat" is a Thai Buddhist temple) in Lop Buri Province that cared for persons with HIV/AIDS and related illnesses. The monks and staff treated all residents with patience, compassion, and understanding. In Thailand the people known to have HIV/AIDS are shunned. Residents are often delivered to the gates of the wat in the middle of the night by their family and abandoned. The wat proves to be a refuge as well as a safe place where they can receive necessary medication and care. The wat had a big influence on us.

Rivington House is similar to the wat we saw. In the U.S. persons with HIV/AIDS have gained more understanding and acceptance than in the past. But there are still some who for one reason or another are very ill and receive no visitors or support from outside of the facility. To me, a volunteer classified as "a friendly visitor," this is when the caring and compassion of the Rivington House staff shines. I spent most of my time on one floor. I had the opportunity to see amazing vignettes of caring from all levels of staff. A nursing aid taking the time to sit with a mentally challenged resident and sing nursery rhymes. Custodians who greet residents by name, with a smile, and ask how they are doing. Another nursing aid braiding the hair of a resident incapable of doing so.

In addition to the attention and care provided by staff, there are the volunteers. Rivington House would not be Rivington House without its volunteers!


Above is a portrait of Dr. Nicholas Rango. His portrait hangs in the library where John worked. Dr. Rango was the driving force in the founding of Rivington House. The building was formerly a public school.


When you enter the building, the first thing you see is the security desk. These guys do a magnificent job. The desk is manned 24 hours a day. In addition there are cameras throughout the building that are monitored at this desk at all times. Residents are required to have a pass in order to go out. The security personnel are responsible to make certain that no drugs or paraphernalia come into the building. Security also walks the halls to ensure everyone's safety.


Can't mention volunteers without showing you one of the best! Here is the house barber. He comes once each week to give haircuts, blow dries, shaves at ridiculous prices. The prices are well within the allowance each resident receives for incidental expenses. He is cheerful, professional, and an expert at giving haircuts while someone is sitting in a wheelchair.


This is Tamara. Tamara was the recreational therapist on the floor where I volunteered. She requested a volunteer "friendly visitor" from the Director of Volunteers (Gerry) and so she got me. To my great dismay - due to budget cuts by our Governor - Tamara and Gerry were both laid off several weeks ago.

Manhattan - A Love Story

Having been born and brought up in the sphere of influence known as New York City, I continue to have a love affair with this town. It should surprise no one who knows me. Many years ago I was lucky enough to meet John, the man of my dreams. We married and have had a good time traveling and living in many places. But New York City was always a "no" on his list of places to live. Finally, upon our unceremonious return from Thailand, we wound up in Manhattan. "For three months," said John. After about two months, I asked John about making plane reservations to our next destination. He surprised the "you know what" out of me by saying, "I would like to stay another year; I like it here." And so we did.

Why? This city so easily can make its way into your heart, grab it and hold on tight. The video below only shows one of my favorite places in the city. It is our South Street Seaport. The seaport is a place to visit that does not cost a penny. It is a shopping center located on a pier on the East River. The shopping center is three stories tall with a wrap-around deck on all three floors. While the first two floors have places to sit, the third floor also has deck chairs for the public to more comfortably enjoy a beautiful day. But a visit on a chilly day is just as delightful. Tables, chairs and a food court are located on the third floor behind walls of floor-to-ceiling windows. Look to the left and see the Brooklyn, Manhattan and Williamsburg bridges one after the other. Look to the right and there is a view out toward the sea, the Verazzano-Narrows Bridge, and off to the very right you can see the very top of Lady Liberty's arm holding her torch up high. The big orange Staten Island Ferry makes its frequent trips in and out of The Battery. Along with water taxis and sightseeing cruisers doing their thing, tug boats are always busy at work guiding barges, freighters, luxury liners both in and out of the port area. It is easy to while away an afternoon or evening here.



It is easy to come under the spell of our city, if you have the chance to spend more than a tourists' amount of time here. Every few blocks takes you to a new "small town." The city is just like any other cluster of small towns. The difference it that we can easily walk from one small town to the next with ease. And we do not have to own a car! How great is that? Because virtually every place of business delivers, you do not need a car to live here - even McDonald's delivers. Being retired and on a fixed income, we have found so many things to do at no cost or very little cost. I guess I could go on and on, but I won't.

Soon we will go on to the next chapter in our lives. Moving to Oahu on July 1. But Manhattan still owns my heart!

Who Is The Monitor Group?

The Monitor Group is a firm based in Augusta, Ga. that offers fee-based financial advice/guidance. In the past we made the mistake of putting our faith in a company who's major objective was to convince us to purchase only their products. Boy were we babes in the woods! It took us close to 30 years before we experienced a dawning. Then we discovered The Monitor Group.


John and I sleep much better now that we know Jennifer. We took this photo during our last visit with her. Jennifer can talk Montecarlo model, benchmark predictions and lots of other financial stuff. She has helped us prepare for retirement, estate planning, etc. and she has never tried to sell us anything! We meet at least twice a year. Each time we both look forward to seeing her.


This is Paul. He works with Jennifer. Paul loves to send us paper copies of EVERYTHING. He works closely with Jennifer and helps us in many ways.

DeaSha's Pinning Ceremony

May 7th was a really big day in our family. DeaSha participated in her nursing pinning ceremony at Georgia State University AND it was John's birthday.


About 70 RN's received their nursing pins. DeaSha greeted us in the lobby of the student center. Her smile reflects how happy she is to have completed her studies.


Although each student was to be limited to four tickets each, DeaSha managed to obtain some extras. I had to sit in a separate section along with other people who would be "pinning" their student. Here you can see a photo John took of Consi and Keary waiting for the ceremonies to begin.


Several professors became much beloved for the support, encouragement and compassion they provided during her studies. Here is one of these special people.


This is another one of the special people who teach in the Georgia State Nursing program. Her office door was always open when DeaSha wanted to have someone to confide in.


Keary isn't much for having his photo taken but he is often the first in line for hugs!


DeaSha with her proud parents.


This is a close up of the Georgia State University School of Nursing pin.


A last snapshot before we left for the airport and headed back to NYC.

The pinning.

The Macy's Flower Show

We have attended flower shows in other parts of the country in the past. Generally those flower shows were held in a sprawling, wide open space shopping mall. We were a little perplexed when we saw signs in our local Macy's window advertising a flower show. This particular Macy's is located in the middle of mid-town Manhattan -- not a lot of open space for displaying flowers. Once we entered the store, we were quite surprised to see just how it is done here!

John is standing next to one of several giant flamingoes made of flowers. The flamingo display is in the center aisle where we would usually see tables of sale items or maybe newly introduced items. The colors here are vibrant.


The big light fixture is a normal part of the store. However, the vertical strips of tape surrounding the light are part of the show. I think the flowers are small orchids that are on some sort of sticky tape that holds them in place.



About 85 to 90% of the flowers were atop the display cases located behind sales counters. Some were labeled. One example was "tropical garden;" another was "Asian garden." One wall held primarily green plants alone.


If you would like to see any of these photos in a larger size just double click on the image.

A Spring Day at Columbus Circle - NYC

A warm day at last. We headed for Central Park. When we got off of the bus we found a wonderful combo playing smooth jazz. The group consisted of a drummer, double base, guitar, saxophone, trumpet and flugelhorn. They played for two hours non-stop for contributions from passers by.


This is a photo of Rasheed, the trumpet/flugelhorn player. He is very talented. Although Rasheed captured much of our attention - as you can tell from this photo when he played two horns at once, the other members of the group are also wonderfully talented.




This was a great way to spend a beautiful day.


Columbus Circle is located at an entrance to Central Park. John turned and took a photo over his shoulder of these spring flowers. Daffodils, tulips, crocus, hyacinths, snow drops seem to be blooming everywhere.

Our Other Home -- Rivington House

"If a man does not make new acquaintances as he advances through life, he will soon find himself alone. A man should keep his friendships in constant repair." Samuel Johnson (1709 - 1784), English author, critic, & lexicographer

John and I have made many new acquaintances and friends while working at Rivington House. John works in the library. He helps residents find books that may interest them. Many people come and go while he is in the library. Lots of them smile when they walk in and see that John is there. Sometimes when I am walking in the halls a person will ask, "aren't you John's wife?" At Rivington House you actually know and feel that you are making a difference!



The Rivington House Library also has computers that are connected to the web. John provides help with web searches, with establishing or checking email accounts, writing letters, printing, and lots of other computer-related stuff.



A recreational therapist requested someone from the volunteer coordinator to be a "friendly visitor." That sounded like it could be a good fit for me. So I was given the name of several residents who may enjoy a visit now and then. We play dominoes (I generally lose), play cards, play catch with a beach ball, put together puzzles, or sometimes just walk around for a change of scenery. Rivington House also has an enclosed, pretty garden. On nice days we might go outside and enjoy the garden. At this time of the year the garden is starting to show its buds and spring flowers. It is amazing to see how far a smile can go.



We both will miss our friends and the time we spend at Rivington House once we leave NYC. Rivington House is unique, unlike facilities anywhere in the other 49 states trying to provide this type of service!

The Kidney Journey ENDS

Today we learned the results of the GFR test. The donor coordinator called. I have been medically disqualified.

To medically qualify as a kidney donor the acceptable GFR result range is 90 to 120. My result was 86.8. Close but no cigar- so to speak. It was explained that although there is nothing medically wrong with my kidneys they are not efficient enough for donation. Having only one of my kidneys would not be sufficient to maintain my health. In addition, one of my kidneys would not function well enough to sustain Heather's needs. I asked if there was anything I could do to improve and was gently told that as we age (meaning I am OLD) our kidneys also age.

This leaves us with only prayer and positive thoughts that a kidney will somehow appear.

Donating a Kidney - A Journey - Chapter 4A

GFR Test Completed This Morning --

First a comment . The process of being medically evaluated for kidney donation seems to be a long and rigorous one. But thus far it has allowed me to meet some of the nicest people! Being greeted with a smile and by first name in the Department of Nuclear Medicine at NYU Hospital was a great beginning for my day. Then there were two really sweet people who explained the test and inserted two leads - one in a vein in each arm. In addition, almost every person I have met along the way (NYU Blood lab, the local Quest Lab, etc.) has said they will pray for the success of my approval and Heather's successful receiving of my kidney. Now on to the test.

The first step was to completely empty the bladder. Next came insertion of a lead in each arm. One arm (R) was set up for injection of the Technetium 99 radioactive isotope. The other arm (L) had a small IV bag at the end with a switch port near my wrist to allow drawing blood. Then drank a cup of water and was placed laying on my back and put into a scanning machine. Once placement was confirmed, and anything metal in the region of interest (i.e. belt buckle, zipper) moved, the Tc99 was injected. The progress of the isotope was tracked by the scanner for 60 minutes (lay still, keep arms at your sides). Once the 60 minute period was complete there was then a 2 minute scan of my bladder.

After scanning was completed 5 or 6 vials of blood were drawn from the non Tc99 arm. The lead where the Tc was delivered was removed. The IV bag and switch port were removed but the lead left in place. A little heparin was put in to help avoid any clotting in the line and I was free to go for 90 minutes.

One tuna fish and diet coke later I was back in the Nuclear Medicine Dept. 5 or 6 more vials of blood were drawn at that time. The lead was removed and I was on my way home!

Results are to be available tomorrow. Unfortunately tomorrow is a Saturday so guess nothing much will happen till next week. Fingers will be crossed till we hear. :-)

Donating a Kidney - A Journey - Chapter 4

Results are back. Donor Coordinator called about an hour ago. Hold onto your hats - the tests apparently were inconclusive! So now have to do a new test. The new test is called a Nuclear GFR. Of course the first thing I did was Google the test to see what is involved. Whew! Here is what it said:

GFR Measurement
What is a GFR Measurement?
A Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR) measurement is carried out to measure how well your kidneys filter your blood.

What is involved?
A small injection with a special radioactive (Chromium-51) tracer will be injected into a vein, usually in your arm. The injection is no more painful than a blood test.
After a delay of two hours we will take a blood sample from another vein, again in your arm, and after a further two hours we will take a second blood sample.
You may leave the department between each part of the procedure.

But you must attend for the blood samples at the times given to you by the technician or radiographer. You can eat and drink normally. After the second blood sample you will be free to go.

How long will it take?
The whole test takes about four and a half hours, but you are free to leave the department between the different parts of the procedure.

Do I need to do anything before and after the test?
Before the test you may eat and drink normally, but do not consume any alcohol in the previous 24 hours as this can affect the result.
After the test you do not need to take any precautions and can eat and drink normally.

What about my result?
As the blood samples will be analysed at a later time we are unable to tell you the result of the test. The results will be sent to the doctor who requested the test.

Here it gets more interesting because I am in glorious New York City and the Donor Coordinator is at the Medical College of Georgia. Now she has to find a hospital here in NYC that is willing to have their Nuclear Medicine Dept administer the test. I would think that presents a little bit of a billing nightmare but thank heaven this problem will not be mine!

Will let you know. Fingers still crossed! ;-)

Donating a Kidney - A Journey - Chapter 3B

Completed the required 24 hour urine collection Monday, March 2 and handed it in. On Saturday the 28th of Feb I collected and delivered to the lab a "first morning" sample. That one is to be tested for creatinine. The Monday they took more blood for an albumin/creatinine test. Have no idea what the 24 hour sample is specifically for . . . Whew! This can get confusing really fast.

Hopefully we will hear results soon and they will be "acceptable." Will let you know.

Donating a Kidney - A Journey - Chapter 3A

Oh dear. After waiting 13 days for results of the latest tests we received a call today from the Donor Coordinator. The 24 hour collection showed an unacceptable level of protein. I asked what that means. She said that the acceptable amount of protein in a 24 hour sample is calculated based upon several factors to include height, weight, what medications are taken daily etc. She also said that 50% of people who have this test done must repeat it due to a high protein count to confirm the accuracy of the results. So. . . . . The test will be repeated. Some of the questions asked: Are you eating a high protein diet? Did you do vigorous exercise during the collection process? Did you take any aspirin or ibuprofen? I did ask what it meant when a protein count is higher than the expected range. The answer to the question is that the excess protein indicates I probably would not do well with only one kidney. (Bummer)

Now have to wait till the paperwork comes AGAIN from Ga. to NYC then go to the lab and pick up another 3L plastic "jug". Fill it, then wait another 2 weeks. I do not mind the additional time but my intended recipient is not having an easy time with her dialysis. I really want to get on with this. Please do keep your fingers crossed for us.

Donating a Kidney - A Journey - Chapter 3

This is a photo is of the 3L container used for collection. The paperwork says:
This next step involves urine collection and blood draw. You will first collect your urine for 24 hours in a special container (seen above) that is picked up at a local contracted lab. Upon submission of the collected urine to the contracted lab an additional small sample of urine is submitted. A fasting blood draw is then done.

Results are expected in two weeks. I think they test for everything including beri beri. Fingers crossed! ;-)