One week down ... one to go

I am just past the middle of a two-week misery. It's been a very real "deal-with-the real" deal! I am looking forward to relief this Friday when all my plumbing accessories and personal 5 mm kidney stone ("Ricky's Rock") are scheduled to be removed.

This has been a far more wretched experience thus far than I ever imagined. I would have to say the most miserable week of my life. Oh, true, it's not as uncomfortable as a kidney stone blocking the ureter! I'm grateful for that. But it was only yesterday that I stopped taking the tylenol w/opiods and other drugs to help relieve my suffering. And those drugs have some very nasty side effects — dry mouth, drowsy, wooziness, altered mental state, etc. I still have considerable unpleasant "discomfort", but am managing. After today, I think I may start taking the pain killers again.

I have learned more about human anatomy than I ever wanted to know. Bottom line is this: a man's tallywacker was not designed or intended to have a 1/4" rubber hose threaded through it! And a man's bladder is not intended or built to have a stent, hose and balloon in it ... all at the same time!!!

SUMMER IN LANCASTER COUNTY

Now for some lighter fare, I want to share some of the great experiences of the summer before the stone.

My first cousin Duke (Don Jr.) and Kay Harkcom from Hudson, WI, visited over the July 4 weekend.
We had a great time cooking and eating gourmet meals at home and played board games.

My brother Reed and Susan Schrag drove out to see us the first week of August. We had fun taking in much of Lancaster County. When at the Green Dragon market in Ephrata, Reed and I saw a pig stomach for sale at the New Holland Meat booth already stuffed w/potatoes, onion and sausage. And only $2.99/lb. My brother, Reed, is a master at preparing "sow magen" using our family sausage recipe. He has prepared dozens of them over the years. They require some work. We consider them a gourmet food. They are prepared for holiday meals and special occasions. Anyway, an impulse purchase was made and we took home a Lancaster County "Dutch goose", as it is also called here. The "Dutch goose" name's origin is supposedly when Amish families could not afford a real goose for Thanksgiving they would prepare a stuffed pig stomach instead. I roasted it on my Green Egg cooker/smoker. No, it didn't match up to the ones Reed prepares, but was fun.

 Sow magen ready for the Big Green Egg.

I started to cut the net. It did not burst from roasting. I forgot to take a pic of the sliced "goose".

We also went to the Leola produce auction. It was very interesting observing buyers of large quantities of produce.

 Muskmelon (here more affectionately called cantaloupes) at the Leola Produce Auction.

 Buyers (and tourists) sampled the melons.

 Produce delivered to the auction by horse or steel-wheeled tractor,

depending on your denominational niche.

Presentation is important.

Ready to do some canning?

Susan and brother Reed on the front steps of Mascot Roller Mills, a water-powered grain mill. We also toured the Ressler home. A fascinating historic place in Lancaster County.

In mid-August we enjoyed a visit by Barb's sister Becky and husband, Steve Hagenah, who drove from their home in Bemidji, MN to PA just to see us.

We went to NYC over a weekend. Stayed one night in a 4-star hotel on Time Square. Parked at St. George on Staten Island and took the ferry to Manhattan.

 We visited the National 9/11 Memorial on the site of the World Trade Center. This one of two one-acre waterfall reflecting pools; one at the footprint of each tower.

We purchased a CitySight hop on/hop off bus tour. Other than some overbearing tourguides it is a good  way to visit NYC. Ricky and Barb up close w/Lady Liberty. What happened to her flame??

Steve and Becky just before we took a boat cruise around Manhattan.

One World Trade Center (formerly called Freedom Tower?? - ambiguous?) at left is "topped out" and scheduled to open late 2013. I'm not sure what the other skyscraper at right is called. Maybe Two or Three World Trade Center.

I had to take a picture of the beautiful varieties of wild rice Becky and Steve brought from northern Minnesota. I think the color difference is largely a result of different roasting times.

On Aug. 16 Burton and Eileen Kaufman from Marion, SD, stopped by as part of a larger East Coast tour they took which included visiting their daughter and son-in-law in Harrisonburg, VA. Barb gave them a tour of the MCC office. Unfortunately I was at work and missed seeing them, but appreciate the contact. Depending on my condition, we hope to connect with Norman and Darlene Hofer of Freeman, SD, who are visiting here this week.

And those are just a few of the highlights of the summer. We are enjoying more moderate temperatures here now. Thank you for your interest in my well-being and following the blog. Any and all comments are appreciated and give the blogger added stimulus to post.