The DisFort's Chit Chat Cafe

[Part-Time Paradise]

I'm not the green thumb in the family, but I'm the equipment operator. DW wanted to expand our big garden bed this year.

Working on pulling up the telephone poles that lined it. Originally it was about 6'x40'

Hauling the junk to the burn pile

Using the ripper teeth on the blade to work up everything

Then I worked it up with the tiller. It's about 12'x40' now. Next project is to line it with fencing to keep out our neighborhood bunny, Jimmy (named by the kids). This one will get tomatoes, green beans, peppers, and DS really wants to do radishes

I also worked up the other two garden boxes

This is our raspberry box. It's a little sad right now, but it's taking off from where it was 2 years ago.

This box gets pumpkins and onions usually.

Lots of long evenings for the gardeners coming up. I'm just the cook and consumer for the most part.

 

[jbrostek]

Our bunnies names are Annabel...all of them. LOL Nice work on the garden, thankfully my wife is a realist and stated "id like one, but I know I wont make time for the effort." So it seems we will continue to use the farmers market when its open and supplement with the local grocery store.

Spring feels pretty normal this year maybe with a slow start to warm up. However, we are getting some useful rain which is great for the lawn, flowers, well, etc. Yet not so great when I need to be out there cleaning up this past winters deadfall branches and such. I would normally burn it all, but after last year and later this spring I will have had 3 60+ foot tall standing dead trees down with lots and lots of useful firepit wood to split. So I will be getting it on the trailer and take it to the county yard waste facility where they turn it into cheap mulch for residents to purchase. Plus I am trimming up and back several trees around the driveway/RV as clearance is getting a bit tight.

I did get new tires for the zero turn and my hope is these new ones will be gentle on the grass yet slip less then the normal turf tires.



The turf tires (right) stink even when its a little wet outside so I hope these new ones (left) will be good to use even if the morning dew is not completely burnt off nor the rain completely dried out. I am running the widest tread 20x10-10 I can fit unless I find some way to space the wheels out to go with a bigger rim to handle a wider taller tire. I think these will work well enough and my neighbor has the same ones and said it was night and day difference. We will see, I already leave enough ruts with the turf tires....

 

[Part-Time Paradise]

That tread is interesting. Hope it works out

 

[jbrostek]

I think it will be ok, the tread pattern is the same used by the Kubota RTV and they don't usually tear up turf. I figure contact patch and grip is no worse then the turn masters and its not like I am trying to keep a putting green, but I would wouldn't mind leaving less ruts when the turf tires wont grip.

 

[Sjm9911]

Some sort of progress on the train layout. Took me forever to get some ideas that actually worked. Lol. As they say 3 steps BACKWARDS and one step forward. At least for me its that way! Rough idea on the one side. I like it, so it will be getting glued down soon.

 

[garneska]

Dad is back in the hospital. He was having trouble breathing and some chest pain. His CO2 was super high. Chest X-ray shows fluid in the lungs. jacked him back up on lasix. am sure it is the CHF. I expect him to be in the hospital for a few days.

 

[Teamubr]

Sorry to hear, Kris.

Hopefully a few days of diuretics and he'll be breathing fine again.

j

 

[Teamubr]

We finally got to use 1/10th of our Christmas presents to each other.

Opening day!



Cold and windy... And crowded. It's still great to be back at the ballpark. To top it off, we won 9-0.

Another 1/10th won't be until May 10th.

j

 

[tigger92662]

@garneska hopefully all goes well with Dad

 

[Stratman50th]

I'm sorry Chris. I feel for you and hope your dad starts feeling better. I get it. Just had my own brush with CHF. Plus I got three more stents to keep the first two conpany. Busy week. Give dad a pat on the back for me!

 

[jbrostek]

@garneska lots of healing vibes for your father. How are you doing with it being farther away?

 

[JETS70]

Dad is back in the hospital. He was having trouble breathing and some chest pain. His CO2 was super high. Chest X-ray shows fluid in the lungs. jacked him back up on lasix. am sure it is the CHF. I expect him to be in the hospital for a few days.

Prayers for your dad and a speedy recovery.

 

[garneska]

Thanks for the good vibes everyone. Thankfully we are not too far away from my parents. Bert’s dad is far away. On friday they did thoracentesis, pulled 2 liters of fluid off his lungs (Pleureal for my medical friends). he is feeling better today. The issue is his heart not functioning so welll to keep the fluids clear. Not sure how long he will be in hospital. His last blood gas reading was prior to the draining of the fluid, those numbers were terrible. He was fighting the dr a bit but hoping that is from the CO2 build up.

i am hoping to see him tomorrow. Right now only one visitor allowed due to COVID. I have let mom go, but I will probably be the visitor tomorrow.

 

[Teamubr]

2 L is a huge amount. He should definitely be breathing better. I hope they can find the right balance to manage his CHF.

j

 

[garneska]

2 L is a huge amount. He should definitely be breathing better. I hope they can find the right balance to manage his CHF.

j

The pulmonary dr requested a chest tube but they would not do it because his INR was too high. They settled on the needle to get the relief needed.

 

[Teamubr]

Chest tube would have kept him in the hospital longer. If the tap pulled off enough fluid, he should start feeling better pretty quick. It sounds like the pulmonary doc wants to see how fast he is building up fluid. A chest tube lets them measure output over time.

Either way, I hope he is better and home soon.

j

 

[jbrostek]

@garneska Hope the procedure offers him enough relief to recover!!! Even being nearby, not always easy to be in two places at once.

We been rolling into spring break. I can't believe Lauren will be 16 this week. She is going to NYC with her best friend and family to do some sight seeing and go to Hamilton. This is the same friend we are talking to Disney in June for her sweet 16 trip. Otherwise my weekend has been cutting up all the dead fall branches and storm damage. My little trailer is stacked about 9' high of branches big and small to head to the composting center at our county landfill. And while it did not feel like spring in the 40s and 50s here in April, I did have to do the first cutting of the lawn. It was getting a bit tall both in the fenced area for the pups and in general.

Next phase of mobile internet testing has begun. I decided to make my donation to Calyx Institute because I support some of the internet privacy work they been doing. The reward of the unlimited T-Mobile 4g hotspot we shall put to the test. If it works as I think it will between the higher performance LTE router and option external directional antenna if needed. I think it will cover our on the road needs.

 

[garneska]

This is mostly so I can vent. It’s 11:10 pm and I have been home less than 30 minutes. Dad came home from the hospital today but needs to be on continuous O2. He has an O2 generator for sleeping hooked up to the CPAP. Hospital did not send all necessary equipment to use it for daytime as well. Bert had to go back to hospital to get it (that was a challenge) while I had to deal with dad that he has to be on O2 all the time, I don’t think mom can handle it. He needs to go somewhere and they don’t have a lot of money. I am hoping we can get something set up with the VA. Either some in home health care help or some nursing home. My fear for tonight/tomorrow is him falling trying to get out of bed.

to add insult to injury, I have to appear for Jury Duty tomorrow

 

[2goofycampers]

This is mostly so I can vent. It’s 11:10 pm and I have been home less than 30 minutes. Dad came home from the hospital today but needs to be on continuous O2. He has an O2 generator for sleeping hooked up to the CPAP. Hospital did not send all necessary equipment to use it for daytime as well. Bert had to go back to hospital to get it (that was a challenge) while I had to deal with dad that he has to be on O2 all the time, I don’t think mom can handle it. He needs to go somewhere and they don’t have a lot of money. I am hoping we can get something set up with the VA. Either some in home health care help or some nursing home. My fear for tonight/tomorrow is him falling trying to get out of bed.

to add insult to injury, I have to appear for Jury Duty tomorrow

Vent away. We will keep all of you in our thoughts and prayers. (hugs)

 

[Teamubr]

Sorry Kris.

There should have been a Social worker eval to determine the most appropriate placement, especially with someone with new therapies and the other challenges he has. I'm guessing he has Medicare. They should cover so many days of rehab/SNF/ECF if that is deemed appropriate.

Ridiculous that he was sent home without everything he needed his first night/day.

In between jury duty and everything else, I'd reach out to the social worker at the hospital and ask WTH?

j