Saturday, April 24, 2010

THE EVENING NEWS

After Debra and I completed our Segway Tour yesterday, or at least we thought we had completed our tour, a local news team caught up with us and we ended up in a story on the evening news.

Click the play tab below.

Friday, April 23, 2010

SEGWAY AT TURTLE BAY

Last night, Debra and I drove to Redding for an overnight getaway. I hadn't taken a day off work since Christmas and I was ready for a break.

A co-worker of mine had told me about the Sundial Bridge at Turtle Bay in Redding, so we got online and checked it out. In the process, we discovered Glide 'n Ride, a guided tour on Segway Scooters. We signed up and were given a brief lesson on how to ride a Segway Scooter. Then we took off on a one-hour tour.

When we returned from our tour, the owner of Glide 'n Glide was there to meet us and asked if we wouldn't mind staying for awhile since a news team from a local television station was going to stop by and do a story about their business. We stayed, got interviewed by local news reporter, Elizabeth Gadley, then rode back to the Sundial Bridge for additional news footage.



The sundial bridge spans the Sacramento River. I did not take this photo.



Debra and I stand by the bridge with the sundial shown on the opposite side of the river behind us. I took this photo with a ten second time delay and really fast legs.



Chad, our Segway Scooter guide, instructs us in the operation of the machine.




Debra quickly gets the hang of it.





Chad takes a photo of Debra and me on our Segway Scooters at the Sundial Bridge.







Debra is interviewed by a local television reporter.





Then it was my turn to be interviewed.





After our Segway adventure, we stopped by the cafe' at the bridge for a blended coffee beverage.





Debra takes a final sip of her blended beverage in 80+ degree weather before we headed home.



Saturday, April 17, 2010

LONG RED SKINNY PLASTIC BELLS

That's what they look like.

For several years we have had a plant hanging from the ceiling of our family room. Only over the past two years, however, has it produced flowers. The flowers resemble long, red, skinny plastic bells. I have no idea what this particular plant is called, but I enjoy it's aesthetics.










Saturday, April 10, 2010

TEN YEARS AT ONE JOB

Today is the ten year anniversary of my date-of-hire at work. This is the longest I have ever worked at one job. I will probably continue working here for another five years. After that, I will probably be too old to work anywhere.



This photo was taken two weeks ago, back when I was still in my fifties. Five of us on our team are employed as Radiation Therapists, three full-time and two on-call. Back row from left to right are Cindy and Bev. Front row includes Katie, me and Cindy Lee.
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Prior to my current job, I worked for nearly two years for a radiation oncology group that serviced four clinics. I covered their Santa Rosa and their Petaluma locations. Here, I pose for a farewell photo with Patty and Carol in Petaluma (March 20, 2000).
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My brother, Dean, helps me load a U-Haul as I prepare to move 350 miles fom Santa Rosa to my current home (March 31, 2000).


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Christmas at my current workplace (December 2001).



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Halloween with the three of us who worked as full time Radiation Therapists in 2007: Katie, Cindy and me. The Halloween teeth were made in China and colored with highly toxic lead-based paint, which we discovered after we took them out of our mouths (October 31, 2007).



Cindy, Katie and I stand beside one of our two cancer treatment machines, a linear accelerator (July 2008).



I have done most of the initial setups on new patients over the past ten years, using a CT scanner. Plastic masks are custom-made for patients requiring treatment to their head and neck areas (July 2008).


Beanbags with air valves are used to immobilize the legs of patients who receive treatment to the pelvis area (July 2008).



Halloween a year after the plastic teeth. Cindy, Kim, Katie and I get into the spirit (October 31, 2008).




Katie eventually had a baby and switched from full-time to on-call. Our current group of full time Radiation Therapists includes Cindy, Cindy Lee and me (January 2010).



Part of my job includes making masks for patients receiving radiation treatment to their necks.



New masks come flat and are softened in a tub of hot water.




Once the mask is softened, it is placed over the patient's head and shoulders, conforming to their unique shape and providing immobilization for accurate radiation treatment (January 2010).


Sunday, April 4, 2010

EASTER EYE-DENTIFICATION

Ten Easter Feasters sat in our dining room on Easter Sunday. Clockwise, starting from the left, they are Tom, Ruth, Baylee, me, Debra, Makiah, Josie, Ashley, Rylie and Gordon.





Can you identify them in the photos below?




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EASTER DINNER

Preparation for Easter dinner began Saturday afternoon: Vacuuming, dusting, washing windows, arranging tables and chairs, and getting food ready. Sunday morning we arose to chilly and windy sunshine and went to church to celebrate the resurrection.

After church, we returned home and enjoyed a great meal with Gordon and Josie, their three daughters, and Gordon's parents, Tom and Ruth.





On Saturday, Debra puts the finishing touches on her incredibly delicious Easter Coconut Cake.



On Sunday, she pulls the ham from the oven.



On Saturday, I arrange the tables and chairs for a group of ten. Notice how clean that window looks? I did that, too.



On Sunday, we fill the chairs with hungry people. Clockwise, from the left, are: Tom, Ruth, Baylee, me, Debra, Makiah, Josie, Ashley, Rylie and Gordon.




Makiah, Rylie and Baylee demonstrate that, even though Easter is all about the resurrection of Jesus Christ, it is also a little bit about Easter baskets filled with candy and other goodies.