Happy Birthday, Harry

Today is Harry's (Mr. Right's) 65th birthday. This afternoon while he sat at his computer and I sat at mine, I interviewed him. It was hard to pretend I didn't know him and hard for him to pretend I didn't know everything about him already but he did a great job. As always, the pictures accompanying each question might not have anything at all to do with the question - but I do try to link them a little. This post will be picture-heavy - first of all because I've gotten more and more carried away with pictures on birthday posts as the year progressed and secondly because it is, after all, Mr. Right.

You're 65 years old today! How does that feel? Ummmm. I guess actually it feels pretty good.

Why do you say that? Well, when I think of all the people I knew who didn't make it this far, I feel pretty blessed.

Do you have any special plans for your birthday? I think you and I will go out, have something to eat, and then go to Blue Chip for awhile.

Any special gifts you're hoping to get? No, not really.

And what are you looking forward to in the upcoming year? Retirement, traveling, definitely a trip to Las Vegas, playing more golf, us playing golf and most of all - not going to work.

How long have you worked at the Midwest Division of U. S. Steel? Since September 16, 1967.

That was before you joined the Air Force to avoid being drafted by the Army and being sent to Vietnam? Yes. My time in the mill accrued while I was in the Air Force for 4 years. When I came back I had a very good job in the Roll Shop because it doubled in size while I was gone.

What do you do out there now? I'm an electronic Instrument repairman.

Do you like your work? Yeah, it's a good job and, for the most part, it's straight days.

What will you miss about working there? Some of the people.

What sports do you like to follow? Baseball's my favorite by far but I also enjoy watching golf and pro football.

Any special teams that you're a fan of? The Cubs, the Bears, and the Bulls.

What sports do you like to participate in? I used to play a lot of 16" softball and I used to do a lot of bowling but I've kind of gotten away from those and now I really enjoy playing golf.

What do you typically shoot? I'm pretty pleased if I'm lower than 100.

A long, long time ago you were a young man without a wife or children. Could you have foreseen the changes that were coming. No. No I didn't see myself having six kids - I figured it'd be a couple or three and maybe as many as four.

How has it been having six children? I wouldn't change a thing.

Which is your favorite? (lol - I loved throwing that in there because it's such a bizarre question and his reactions are always fun.) They're all my favorite.

You have 20 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren now. How do you feel about that? It's just totally awesome. I wouldn't change a thing about that either.

Would you recommend a large family to your kids and grandkids? I kind of think they all like being part of one and, yeah, sure I would.

Is there anything you regret not having done so far in your life. No, not really.

What do you look forward to the most in the future? Just having the freedom to pretty much do whatever we want to do like visit the kids whenever we want, sleep in, take mini vacations. There are a few places I'd like to see like the Grand Canyon, the Baseball Hall of Fame, the Badlands, and, of course Vegas. I just can't wait for you to see it, too. It's not like I'm an old pro but I spent 20 hours there once when I was in the Air Force on TDY and it's a pretty cool place - at least it was back then.

Do you think you'll ever really move out of this area - maybe somewhere south or southwest? Yeah, I think I'd like to just to get away from these nasty winters.

What can you tell us about yourself that we haven't covered in this interview? That's a hard question. I don't think there's anything.

Oh but there's so much more I could tell you about this man. He loves to play with and be silly with his grandchildren and great grandchildren. I could post pictures of him interacting with every single one of them but there's probably not room on this blog post so I'll just show the first few I come to.

He's laid back and easy going and a really good sport.

He's helpful and hard working even on projects that aren't all that dear to him.

He's also unfailingly kind, loves people and gets along with everybody.

But most of all, he's smart and quick and has a sense of humor that just won't quit. When I think of all the projects and ideas and plans that I make that he not only goes along with but embraces, I realize what a lucky girl I am to have been married to him for 43 years.

I don't know what I'd do without this wonderful man to lean on, depend on, and share every aspect of my life with (whether he likes it or not - lol).

I hope you have the happiest birthday ever, Harry. You truly deserve it.

Does It All Start With A Common Cold?

Last year, right after Thanksgiving, I got a really bad cold. I didn't suffer long before I visited my doctor who prescribed an antibiotic. Then I got worse. And a new antibiotic. Then Christmas arrived and I wasn't any better. In fact I was even worse. During Christmas week when I'd normally be in seventh heaven because our family was together, I was sick. And went to the doctor again. I think my kidneys were failing or something because the doctor said that the antibiotic that I was on could affect the kidneys.

I don't remember getting completely well after Christmas but in the very early Spring I went ahead with the shoulder surgery that seemed necessary at the time. And oh my, what did I do? It was so much worse than I thought it would be and I thought I'd never regain the mobility that I'd enjoyed or the small pain that I thought needed correcting. After months of physical therapy and then home physical therapy, I've seen steady but slow improvement.

Then I was diagnosed with skin cancer on my nose - not the deadly kind but any kind on the tip of your nose is a challenge. We started with a chemo cream the effects of which are terrible, then a biopsy, more chemo cream, excision of the tumor, a lingering unattractive bump, more chemo cream this coming January and then possibly another surgery to address the bump.

Healthwise it's been a difficult and challenging year. I've exacerbated the problem by gaining 30 pounds and feeling completely unmotivated to do anything about it.

And it all started with a cold after Thanksgiving last year.

Now things are looking up for me. I'm walking about a mile and a third a few times a week - it's not much but I really believe that staying active is the key and I'm increasing the time and effort I expend by just a little every week.

I'm hopeful that I've completed a year-long bad health cycle of some kind and that the coming year and hopefully all those to follow will be better.

But after Thanksgiving this year....... Mr. Right got a cold and a cough that seems to go on and on. He thinks it's a little better and he's somewhat reassured because he got a pneumonia shot last Fall so that's good.

But now he's got a really bad toothache.

Oh no. Does it all start with a common cold?

You Capture - People

Beth's You Capture subject this week is People. That seemed really perfect to me because this is one of the weeks of the year where you're bound to see a lot of people which reminds me that I should have gotten a shot of the crowds that were out on Black Friday. But, I didn't. I took lots of pictures of the kids and the grandkids and great grandkids but those cameos weren't exactly what I was hoping to capture. Then I saw it. Two people getting acquainted. Oh, they'd met before but they'd never really sat down and talked so when they did, I was there with my camera.

Clara had had a very busy day. There was so much commotion, so many people, and so many odd sounds and smells; but she did her best to take it all in stride. Then, just when she thought she was going to go home, this Grandpa character comes and sits down next to her and starts talking - in a high, pleasant voice.

She really didn't know what to think at first.

But soon she started to warm up to him.

After all, she had a few things to say too including a few laughs and smiles.

And soon her skepticism passed and she enjoyed his company.

Until suddenly - she'd had enough and she felt shy - but she still held his hand.

So my You Capture submission today isn't so much about picture quality as it is about content. And what's better than Grandpa and Clara getting to know each other.

For some other interesting people and takes on 'people' visit Beth at I Should Be Folding Laundry.