Messages from Tom Cat - 2

[agate]

Tom Cat broke his arm! I'll post the photos later today. From Tom Cat today:

All kinds of things happening with me; most not all that great. On Friday the 8th I broke my left upper arm ulnar bone, and bruised up my right side ribs. Fortunately I didn't break through the skin. I'll be in a sling for over a couple months. For the most part I'm having little pain and used opioid meds for only 3 days. But needless to say most of what I wanted to do this summer will not happen. Most yard equipment needs 2 arms to work. I'm managing to dress and wash myself up on my own, but it is a struggle. Making meals and washing dishes is very time consuming.

And now what happened. I was testing out my main golf cart, which had its engine overhauled. The cart kept surging and running rough. It would not run smoothly, and speed control was not there. Anyway I was in back of the house, checking it out, with one foot inside it and the other outside. Something happened, it took off, I fell under it and got dragged for 20 ft. It smashed into some bushes at the back of the house and stopped. I was underneath it. I managed to get my legs out and push it up enough with the good (bruised) arm that I got out from under it.

And that's how things are go here. Sending you some photos of the prairie flowers that are out. Also pictures of a young raccoon that started tearing up a bird feeder, full of sunflower seeds, outside the bedroom window. Also an X-Ray of my left upper arm. By the way, edit this as much as you want. Most of your BT followers may not be interested in the adventures of a crazy old man in the woods and prairie of the "north country," eh? And my best wishes go out to you all.

My reply:

Oh good grief! I'm so sorry this happened. Falls seem harder to recover from as we get older--hope it wasn't your dominant arm but even if it wasn't, I know how limiting an arm or hand injury is. I believe you went to a doc since there's an Xray? And the doc must not have seen a need for a cast, and that is good, seems to me.

Thank you so much for the stunning photos--raccoon being a typical raccoon there, and what lovely wildflowers! I will post them on BT even though lately it's been very quiet--people may be staying away because they have too much going on in their lives just now. I'm amazed that you were up to taking and sending those photos! Take care and recover!

ETA: Now the photos:

Raccoon attacking bird feeder

One determined raccoon

Tom Cat's X rayed arm

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[Virginia]

Ralph, I am so sorry this happened to you. I am just thankful that you were able to get out from under the golf cart and make it to the Doctor to get some help. You will just have to let all the work you had planned go until things get better for you. Maybe by early September you might be able to do a few things you had wanted to do. Please follow the Doctor's orders and don't do anything that will hurt your arm worse.

I know doing anything with just one arm would be very hard. Is it your dominate arm? I would recommend that you try some frozen dishes that you can just put in the microwave for awhile. I have been eating the Healthy Choice bowls. The only thing I eat is chicken, but I have had the pineapple chicken, General Teso's Spicy Chicken, Chicken and Mushrooms and things like that. You just take them out of the box and put them in the microwave. Most of them are for only 4 1/2 minutes, a few are for 5 minutes. When they are cooked just pour the cooked food into the bowl on the bottom with the sauce in it and eat away.

It has been so hot here is the reason I am eating the way I am. I ordered my groceries today just so I would not have to go out in the heat. Heat and humidity is my enemy. This year it has been extremely hot with most days being close to 100 degrees and the heat index even higher.

I hope you will heal well with your arm. Keep us informed. We don't have much activity on here lately, but we do care about you and want to hear from you.

Take care,
Virginia

[Ikoiko]

Sorry to hear about your injury, Tom Cat. I am glad it wasn't worse! I second microwave meals, cheese and crackers, yogurt, flavored tuna in a pack, things like that.

[agate]

And this:

Virginia and others, it's been hot and humid here too. In the 80's most days now. About 5 to 8 degrees above normal. I have the AC on about 1/2 the time. I tolerate heat into the 90's and fairly high humidity. I know that Ann and most of you with MS have little tolerance for high heat & humidity. It can be life-threatening to all of you

I spent about 1/2 of my service in the Republic of the Philippines, and it had months on end of 90°F + temperatures and matching humidity. I took my time out with Filipinos and their families. None of the houses or dwellings I stayed at had AC. Most had electric fans, but not all. That's what you got the hand fans for, yes? I was a young guy, and interested in how folks in other non-Western/American cultures lived.

[I was sent back] there later, for a Habitat Humanity village building. By then, 40 years after my service time there, things in the rural north had changed, and unfortunately not for the better.

Enough! Yes, with the right company, I seem to tolerate people and living styles that most Westerners would not. I guess my most joyful thing right now would be to have lunch once a week over a cup of coffee, or tea, or a glass of wine and discuss the news of the day. Good or bad. As I've maybe said before, it's the loneliness that is pulling us apart. I'm not sure any more how to get together with strangers when you can't sit at a table enjoying a meal without being suspect.

And I thank you all, for enjoying a meal at this messaging table. It does make my day, even if my messaging is often not upbeat. From me with virtual hugs.

[agate]

From Tom Cat last night:

Hi Ikoiko and others. I do zap about 1/3 of my meals. I'm for some of the top salmon, that is sockeye or red. I get it by the can, when I can, or online. Because it costs about half more than pink (chum?), most stores don't carry it. I like the strong flavor it has. I have it many mornings with cream cheese on a muffin. I call it English lox and bagels.

My main dish is mashed potatoes from the box as the main part of the meal, with cut cauliflower, broccoli, and carrots on the side. The center is a piece of beef, pork, and rarely chicken. I zap the veggies just enough so they crunch a little, like stir-fry. I've got some tofu I need to fry up with a crispy outside, and sesame seeds. It takes on the flavor of whatever it's cooked with. You can eat it as little snacks too. It's higher in protein than most meats and cheap. Cooking can be fun, but doing it for just yourself can seem a waste of time.

Oh, it's bedtime, not the best time for me. I've been better these last few days. Anything over 2 hours in a row is good, and four for the night is great. Thank goodness this shoulder has little pain unless I bump it. They gave me a large sling in the emergency room, but it's hard too keep in place. Large, for a 135-lb guy just doesn't make it. Take care, and my best thoughts go with all of you.

Three pictures of my mashed potato specials. The snow peas are out at the gardeners' at the end of my drive and a short run on our private road. Also, they have great kohlrabi and nice fresh tomatoes now.

My reply:

Glad to know you're keeping up with the eating. Cooking for yourself can be a drag after a while. I kept on cooking for decades after being alone but in the last 14 years or so haven't done much cooking except to heat up things. I like frozen meals with tofu in them as well as other frozen meals, sometimes just a package of red beans and rice though.

Wonder if the ER people meant for you to come back to get a cast on the arm? I once broke a wrist but when I got to the ER there was nobody around at that hour to set the fracture and do the cast, so they sent me home with a sling but told me to come back to see an orthopedist and have the fracture set and casted. I did that, and was MUCH more comfortable with that cast on. Could you get to a doctor's appointment for that or is getting there impossible?

[Ikoiko]

Wow, those meals look delicious!!!

[Lazarus]

That meal looks fantastic. Thanks for the detail on how you make it. Perfect for this potato growing farmer!

[agate]

Reply from Tom Cat to my earlier message today:

I'm quite certain, that the sling is going to do. Right after emergency room, I was given 2 more sessions with orthopedic. I will be seeing an orthopedic doctor a week from now for X-rays, to see how things are going. I think I may trying to hold this sling in too tight to [my] body.Take care.

[Virginia]

Ralph, your meals look pretty and appetizing. The one thing I would like to change is that I would have to have real potatoes. In fact I ordered some in my groceries yesterday. I think I will take some pork loin out of the freezer tonight and have that along with creamed potatoes and peas tomorrow night and since I like to fix for two days I will probably have it Sunday night.

I am looking forward to Monday. One of my brothers is going to pick up a couple of prescriptions for me and said he would drop off some tomatoes and corn on the cob. I hope the tomatoes are from a vegetable stand and not out of the grocery store. They are usually hot house tomatoes and are not really very good.

All this talk of food makes me hungry.

Virginia

[agate]

I had sent a message to Ralph asking how he's been doing, and this is the reply (today):

Just got up to feed the furry ones. Crawling back in for breakfast a little later. Got to see the orthopedic guy Thursday. He thought the ulna bone was doing fine and was surprised the others didn't have me on more advanced Codman exercises.

[agate]

This is from Tom Cat on Sunday, after I'd asked about air conditioning:

Yes, I have AC in the house and the car and small pickup. Ann wouldn't have made it here with out it. One reason why we got out of Georgia.

Another dreary day starting out at 59°. Need to fill the bedroom hummingbird feeder. A squirrel keeps using it as a launching pad to get at a sunflower feeder. He spills all the juice out of it.

From Monday:

Here is little red squirrel this morning.

Getting all cleaned up to go for my blood work and hemoglobin shot. Nice clear weather out.

[Ikoiko]

Hi, Ralph. I just put up a new hummingbird feeder for my mom.

[agate]

This is from Tom Cat early this morning (before Ikoiko's reply):

Good morning! Got up earlier today, to get myself ready for a check-up on the fractured arm. Seems to be doing okay. No pain with it except when I put weight on it. I can hold a plate of food with it now, which I'd have great difficulty doing a couple of weeks back. Would be nice to be able to support a rake with it, while pulling the handle with the other hand.

Days staying around the 80's and nights in the high 50's. Some rain, but sunny for the most part. Farm and garden crops are doing okay. Getting fresh corn from the neighborhood farm at the end of my drive. Also, got a couple of eggplants/aubergine that I'll try frying today. Need to pick up sunflower seed today also. Totally out of it. It's all I feed my birds, squirrels, etc. We have several small farms raising it in the area. It'll be a few weeks before it's harvested and dried. The seeds have to be dried to keep well. Otherwise, because of the moisture they'll rot fast. Drying of grains is probably one of the most expensive operations for storing it.

Unfortunately, I think most folks, especially in town, don't realize how complex getting foods from the field to the store are. It's what has all this inflation going on. The Ukraine is tied up not getting wheat out and the Russians can't sell their petroleum, for good reasons. I don't envy all the folks involved in moving goods from point A to point B in these trying times. I know from working with transferring some petroleum products from ships to shore tanks in Georgia. Those ships, and these were small ones, approximately 55,000 barrels, paid docking fees of $1,000 or more an hour to unload. Getting the ships in and out as fast as possible was always a priority. It gave me an idea of what makes the world of commerce go.

Oh, better get going to the orthopedic clinic. Take care.

[agate]

Tom Cat replying to Ikoiko (yesterday evening):

Hello Ikoiko! Hope the hummingbird feeder is doing well. Do you have ruby-throat hummingbirds where you are, or others too?

I'm getting ready to call it a night, after 2 hectic days. Saw the orthopedic doctor yesterday. The arm is doing well, and I got the sling off, and can do most light-duty stuff now.

Then the golf cart I got here broke down in the evening. Had quite a time getting it up and down a path from the neighbor's. Checked out the battery, which seemed okay, but old. Eventually found it was the spark plug, which was overly tight. Thought I was going to break it off getting it out. Anyway it's running now.

Damp and humid out, but okay weather. Prairie is blooming fine, and some plants are in seed now. Take care.

[Ikoiko]

She lives in the mountains of New Mexico, so not a lot of hummingbirds around. We have seen at least two different types, but can't tell you what they are.

P.S. Very few flowering plants in the area.