April 15th -16th

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton 0 degrees, Calgary -3 degrees, Mesa 31 degrees”

Does this look like spring to ANYONE ?

That is at least 7 inches and still falling. While great for forest fires and moisture for farmers it sucks. Having said that it looks like 20 degrees next week so only a short hiccup.

Had an interesting correspondence with Buddy Venne today, He contacted me thru LinkedIn and WordPress. Buddy was one of the guys I went to Hawaii with in 1977 . He was at every party we were at. Buddy had a 1970-72 Monte Carlo at the time. We had a lot of fun not only at the parties but in Hawaii as the group was a lot of friends just enjoying life. It was funny as he remembered when I had my shirt ripped up on a scooter. My favorite shirt of all time. They are organizing a get together of a bunch of west end people that either went to or hung out with the JP High School crowd. Pretty cool remembering old friends. The timing is such that I can’t attend as it is right after my surgery.

Love my air fryer as tonight I used it to reheat chicken breasts and potatoes. It just reheats and make the texture a way better than a microwave.

Sent an email to the BMO bank and I left a voice message with Mom’s lawyer. Two more incidents of poor customer service as from 8am to bed night no return call. It is starting to be a pattern. So tomorrow it means another call. I will try direct again and then to the receptionist to cover all angles.

A day without doing a lot which is ok. While Jackie was taking her Mom to the hospital I whipped down for about a 1/2hr to the gym. I wasn’t too into it. LOL

All Daisy would go to the door, I would open it and she refused to go out. LOL I don’t blame her.

I have a time now booked at the High River operating room and have to be there at 7:45. That is EARLY. But nice to be first of the day and hopefully out later that afternoon. Jackie better not hit any bumps on the road home. They put you to sleep to avoid pain and then give you Tylenol only after doesn’t make good sense to me. Give me some of the good stuff for a day. LOL

Thought of the Day

I asked my doc if the surgery would hurt. He said, “Ever being kicked in the nuts with a sledge hammer? ”

April 17th–18th

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton 8 degrees, Calgary 5 degrees, Mesa 32 degrees”

What a beautiful day. Free car washes on the road. But it is dirty water ! Full sun and warming up and melting like mad.

A few emails and phone calls and appointments to be made today.

The owner of Regal Building Materials invited me out for lunch today. This is a person who I connected with in 1991 and we became friends as customer and supplier. Very clever person that took a company from start up to the largest finish supply house in Calgary. We worked together very well as Regal grew and I grew Henderson’s sales. It was a very nice breakfast/ lunch gathering. Benny’s on 11st is a great place.

In our discussion we talked about the people that have lost in our industry. The owner of Home Hardware Red Deer, the owner of Home Hardware Trochu, the owner of Totem Building, the owner of AAA Doors, the owner of Bigfoot Building Supplies, three of my sales reps, the owner of Central Estimating, the ex owner of Continental Door and our list went on and on. Such huge changes and such influential people. I knew them all very well and enjoyed doing business with them.

Even the changes within Regal and JELDWEN are amazing and so different.

Another topic came up being customer service which both of us preached to our staff. Where has it gone? In just about every industry.

“MY RANT”

I’ve seen countless examples of poor customer service over the last bit, and honestly, it still amazes me. Somewhere along the way, as a society, we slipped. We lost self‑respect, and with it, the respect we once showed to others. The “me” generation has taken center stage, and too many people simply… don’t care.

Let me ramble for a moment.

There was a time when certain professions carried a quiet dignity. Police officers were sharply dressed, clean‑cut, and well‑groomed — no tattoos, no scruffy beards, no casual appearance. Their uniforms were pressed, their shoes shined, and their presence commanded respect.

Nurses wore crisp white hats and starched gowns. Patients could see, at a glance, the pride they took in their appearance — and that pride carried over into the care they provided. Teachers wore suits and dresses, projecting authority and professionalism that students instinctively responded to.

People dressed up for church, for meetings, for travel, even for a simple outing. I wore a suit and tie for more than thirty years, even when I had to walk into grimy warehouses to count inventory. Bankers wore suits and dresses too, and customers trusted them with their money because they looked like people who took their responsibilities seriously.

An airport in Florida once considered banning pajamas in the terminal. Travel used to be an occasion — something you prepared for, not something you rolled out of bed for.

And today? I sat across from a Senior Financial Advisor at the bank… wearing blue jeans and a plaid shirt. THAT IS JUST WRONG !

The decline in respect is directly tied to the decline in service. If you don’t value yourself, how can you possibly value someone else? How can you take pride in the work you do, or the people you serve?

Our standards have slipped so far that we’ve become a lazy, self‑absorbed society — one that doesn’t respect others because, frankly, we’ve stopped earning respect ourselves.

On the customer service side. I have left two voice mails and one email and still have not received a response with a lawyer we are trying to deal with. I have talked once, sent a email and a voice mail to a BMO bank advisor without response. McDonalds has a better customer service training program than these large corporations nowadays. Plus they at least have employees looking decent and professional albeit a uniform.

I will admit I am the FIRST guy to change into sweats when I get home. If I am going somewhere and depending on the place i will make sure to wear the appropriate clothes. I do love my sweats.

I hate to have to rant as I look at it and think is that because I am older and fixed in my ways and thoughts. Then I assess it and say no. It is the reality of the world today and it is not good or right.

Oh well the advisor did his job. I completed another task. He could not help with one other thing which is too bad. I will start up my inquires again on Tuesday with my people I need to get a hold of. Even if I lived in Edmonton it wouldn’t be any different as if someone does not respond you can’t book an appointment to see them.

I used our air fryer last night again, I am getting quite used to this appliance and love it. Fast, and delicious. Tonight though I did break my norm and made rice with our meal. Every once in awhile a bland staple makes a meal taste different. I added Soy and not bad

What a gorgeous day today. This morning it was bright and sunny and warm out. Starting to feel like spring.

Sent a few more emails to fix up a few last minute details. Now if only people would do their job.

It is going to be a slower day, watching some golf, some washing clothes, petting Daisy and relaxing. I am looking forward to the week after, hopefully being able to run on the treadmill or go to the lot not in pain anymore.

Jackie went out shopping today and lucky me she brought home a new pair of sweats and compression underwear. LOL

New haircuts today for both Jackie and I. Expensive !!

Her new haircut is looking fantastic but only after her doing her own thing on the ends etc. Very close to my favorite style with the feathering and length etc.

Thought of the Day

The local wig shop got broken into last night, They had to replace all of the locks,

April 20th -24th

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton 18 degrees, Calgary 21 degree’s, Mesa 34 degrees”

Surgery day.
A day I approached with the calm, steady nerves of a man who once Googled “side effects of side effects.” I’ll admit it — I worry. And the unknown of surgery sits right at the top of my “Things That Keep Larry Awake” list, just above Why does the dog stare at me while I eat? and What if the golf course runs out of carts?

After hearing about three friends who had complications and when I say complications I mean death after surgery, sleep was not an option. So at 6:30 AM — a time normally reserved for farmers, bakers, and people fleeing natural disasters — I was up.

Jackie took Daisy for a walk while I hopped in the shower, trying to pretend I wasn’t about to be medically disassembled. Audrey kindly took Daisy for the day, because we had no idea how long this adventure would take.

And of course, the fasting rules.
No food.
No water.
No gum.
No fun.
They basically threatened to cancel the surgery if I even thought about a sip of water. I rinsed my mouth like a man preparing for a desert expedition and spit like a camel.

The drive to High River was beautiful — only 30 minutes, which is closer than two of the three Calgary hospitals. The High River Hospital is older, but charming. And best of all: free parking. That alone should qualify it for a national award. The cleanest hospital ever !

Inside, the staff were exceptional. Friendly, kind, professional — like they were auditioning for “Canada’s Nicest Human.” I met everyone: the admitting clerk, prep nurse, stretcher drivers, operating nurses, three doctors, and the dispensing nurse. Every single one of them was unbelievably nice. I started wondering if they were pumping kindness through the ventilation system as that is a rarity these days.

First stop: the prep room.
Everything off, gown on.
Thankfully, modern gowns wrap around, so my backside wasn’t greeting the world.

Here is where I had my only issue. I am positive this is all Daniel Smith’s fault with her cut backs. Shrinkation at it’s best. Order short beds to save money, increasing staff moral as they can get around them even if over weight and easier to drive down the hall ways.lol

The nurse hooked up my IV. He slapped the back of my hand a few times like he was disciplining it for misbehaving, then slid the needle in. Shockingly, no bruise. Normally I bruise like a peach dropped down a flight of stairs.

Blood pressure was high — shocking, considering I was sleep‑deprived, anxious, and about to be medically tinkered with. They love pushing the 120/80 ideal, even though it makes no sense that an 80‑year‑old vein should behave like a 20‑year‑old one. The American Medical Association’s formula — 100 plus half your age — makes far more sense. But logic rarely wins in medicine or in golf.

Then my travel nurse wheeled me down the hall and into the elevator with the precision of a NASCAR pit crew. I met the three doctors and five nurses who’d be in the operating room. They strapped me down in a starfish position — arms and legs out — like I was about to be launched into space.

I expected the oxygen mask to smell like something. Nope. The IV was the knockout punch. One second awake, next second gone.

Honestly, I was relieved. Because right before I went under, I had a horrifying thought:
What are all these people thinking when they lift my gown?
Is it:
“Wow, impressive”?
“Hmm, average”?
Or “Oh dear, that’s small”?

Given the cyst situation and sizing, I imagined someone saying, “Which one are we removing again?”
Not the kind of multiple‑choice question you want in an operating room.

Cosmetic surgery is trendy these days, so I wondered: when they stitched me up, was the room warm or cold? Because depending on the temperature, I might wake up with the anatomy of a 20‑year‑old or a 69‑year‑old. Time will tell. My only fear, with less “pendulum swing,” I might lose some driving distance on the golf course.

An hour and a half later, I woke up instantly — no fog, no grogginess, just boom, awake. My nurse, Kim, was right beside me. Lovely woman. She’s getting a prenup because her boyfriend is moving into her house. Naturally, I had to tell her my Kim story. That made three Kims in one week — statistically, I should start buying lottery tickets.

Then came my stretcher driver: a small Filipino woman who drove that stretcher like she was qualifying for Daytona. Best driver I’ve ever had. I told her about my grandson Atti asking Jessica if they were “neutering Papa.” We laughed so hard my stitches filed a complaint.

Back in recovery, I inhaled two glasses of water, an apple juice, and a lemon muffin. I couldn’t leave until I peed, so after a slight dizzy spell, I managed a small victory pee. I was surprised by the amount of blood on the sheets, but thankfully the surgical pain meds were still working.

Home we went. Jackie set me up like royalty. They gave me five days’ worth of opioid pain pills. The first one made me feel like I should grab a shopping cart and head to the Mustard Seed to meet my new community. But the pain was manageable — until I sat on the couch for supper. Then it was back to bed.

I expected to sleep like a log, but no. My body had other plans. No sleep and hiccups for four hours. I think the opioid had a stimulant effect. Or maybe my body just enjoys chaos.

And this morning, when I went to the bathroom, I looked in the mirror and discovered that bruising had turned everything below the belt a deep shade of purple‑black. For a moment, I thought I had inherited anatomy from a completely different ethnic background.

This is my new station for a day at least.

Jackie really should have been a nurse she is good at looking after people.

The NHL playoff on are great. Montreal is doing fantastic, Ottawa which has Brady is sucking but I still want them to do well, and the Oilers pulled off a close one. I will say it one more time. The best player in the league and he gets NO POINTS. Every year it is the same. Leon played awesome. Mc David has to start playing better in the playoffs. Yes it is a little more constraining with the checking and hitting but man up and get it done before you lose another chance for a cup.

I put these week all together as there is not a lot going on to talk about. I could go on and on about the weather but that is boring typical old person subject. I could really go on and on about my surgery recovery struggles but once again people constantly talking about their health drive me crazy. Saying all of that I will say two sentences about recovery. Two days now of induced hiccups. Beginning to bug me. Blood wrecking pairs of underwear and Jackie turned me into a women by apply a panty liner in my underwear. And not being to sit with the cut location. Other than that I think today no more pain pills as it is manageable, I will sit straight up to keep from squeezing out blood and I will relax and enjoy Jackie’s comfort care.

D Day today on the BMO girl. No response by 1 pm I am contacting her branch manager who ultimately is responsible for his branch operations. I asked her to escalate it if she couldn’t complete the task but her response seems to be flight mode instead. I do not go away. LOL

I was sitting here thinking and felt bad for some of my past action. I helped castrate at least 200 piglets with my Uncle George over the years. I would trap them, hold them down, he would grab the nuts, slice them open and the testicles would fall out and he would slice them off. Then rub the cut with iodine and let them go. I can’t even FATHOM the PAIN these poor animals felt. Especially now after my episode which is related but not near as drastic. Not near !

Looking froward to game two tonight for the Oilers. Still hope the Haps make a run. Fun watching.

I have a golf game and get together arranged with a bunch of guys from JP High School that I went to Hawaii with and hung out with in the west end coming up in June. This will be a fun thing to do.

Now the cool down starting for quite a few days. It is spring. Jackie’s walk this morning was in feels like -8 temperatures. Even Daisy is confused with it all. Where are my friends, where is my warmth, why are we here ?

Still trying to get a resolve with BMO. I am a very patient person, I believe in second chances but have a issue with people being incompetent and not communicating well. So after an email and two voice mail ignores I have to escalate my issue up the chain. Unfortunately managers today are to scared to take direct calls and do not want to take difficult calls from customers so I will leave another voice mail with the manager.

Ok Mc David. The Flames are my team. The Oilers are my second choice and I want them or the Habs to win this year. BUT Connor drives me nuts. He is one of the most skilled players to play hockey in recent years. But every year during the playoffs he disappears. He has zero personality and when interviewing him it is like he is ready to commit suicide. He caused the loss with his give aways and passes being intercepted over and over again. I sure hope he figures it out or the Ducks could easily beat the Oilers.

My surgeon’s office has been incredible to deal with. Constant communication and direction through out the whole process. A follow up call today from them to check on me and a future appointment to make sure everything went well. Two minutes before I got the call I got a weird email from a company I did not know. It turns out the office has changed their name and they have sent a secure email for me to load pictures on for the doctor to check out the operation. Talking to the lady I said ” you know where I had my operation right ? ” It was funny. But what an excellent idea for a secure easy way for the doctor to ensure his work was perfect. I have to wait until Jackie is home for lights camera action. lol

A side affect of surgery was the hiccups. For three straight days, day one of and two after it was constant hiccups. Some times hard diaphragm reactions. Luckily today none so I think I am past that which is great. I would not have wanted hiccups with some other surgery. Weird how a body can react to drugs. And doctors love to keep adding them on top of other pills.

I watched the Ottawa game tonight and i have to say it was a way more entertaining game than the Oiler one. Shouldn’t be that way.

Cheated tonight and had A&W but man those Teenburgers are good.

The blizzard hit and wow talk about wind. It blew so hard with the snow we could hardly see across the street.

I had to break down and take another pill. Darn Oh well I am thinking tomorrow I show be fine without any,

Unfortunately it appears if I do not take a pill for 8 hrs or so the pain is a little too much to take. So first thing this morning I had to take another opioid pill. I said to myself I am going to have a full rest day in hopes of a quicker recovery.

I had Jackie be my official photographer today. I loaded them up and gave them the verbiage they needed. I am not going to load them here. They are brutal. Now the skin of a scrotum is not exactly easy skin to work with as it special with the way it contracts and expands based on heat, cold, pain or excitement. I am wrecked. My beautiful scrotum looks like a shriveled up prune with a nasty gash that has basically been knotted together. Worst stitch job ever It is for no other word but ugly. Not butt ugly but ball ugly. There goes my chances of any career for nude modelling, Onlyfans etc. I sure hope it starts to look a lot better than current. Ugly !

Timing is everything so I will just put this in here.

Jessica & Penny have a friend that we know that is beyond talented. There is no reason except for the right time and place scenario not pushing her into stardom. Years ago she played a backyard outdoor concert at Jessica’s with a huge turnout and showed her talent. It is one thing to be a great vocalist but to be creative enough to put thoughts into music and what I would consider to be a hit song is true talent.

Angel took Jessica’s and Victoria’s verbiage from their eulogy at Mom’s funeral and created a wonderful song. Anyone that knew Mom or the girls will not be able to hold back a tear. The lump in my throat stayed for quite a while. I loved it and I hope everyone sees Mom in the song !

I love the nod to red hair, laughs, and chickadee’s. It is a beautiful reminder to us all what we remember and what is really important to us.

No sleep with the pain last night. I am exceptional at being able to handle pain but not this time. i cannot roll over, get out of bed, or walk without wincing to the stage it is debilitating. I have never had this happen before. New strategy. They gave me opioids for 5 days. I have used up maybe one day. I am going to use these drugs to get past this stage as I am getting annoyed with the inconvenience. If I can get to the stage of sitting or walking without a crimsoning I will be happy. I stayed in bed most of the day. I have to lie on my back, spread my legs wide open and not move. The nights go by slow.

Wow I have found a an issue that is more painful that gout which we all agree is more painful than childbirth. I literally get up and have to go back to bed as the pain radiating up my groin and inside pelvic area is just too much.

I switched to opioids and to a bag if frozen corn ( Jackie doesn’t like corn so she is ok with us wrecking the bag) A couple of hours later an attempt to get up and Wow am I happy. While the pain was a 8/10 I could walk and sit without it killing me. Happy. I think the combo of a frozen bag that I can mold to my contours and the extra pain killing medicine was working. This is a lesson learned in how IMPORTANT ice packs are to recovery. Like night and day. I should have switched to peas or corn a few days ago to bring down the swelling

Happy even though it has taken 6 days to get here.

Ok the 28th already 7 days later and still not able to walk any distance or stand with out a lot of pain. I am resorting to the opioid pills and cold bags. I switch out them every half hour or so, The injury has left it so a have immense pain away up in my groin like a hernia muscle torn. The sack from the cyst hydrocele masses to come from a fair distance up in the pelvic area. Today is the first day where I can move a little more than the days before. They said 4 to 6 week recovery. I said two weeks but at this rate it is looking like they are more correct than I with my pain management.

What I do know is it is annoying, frustrating, painful and taking a way to long to recover. I am shocked and disappointed in myself.

I watched King Charles today and was impressed with both Trumps speech and Charles speech. Everyone was very cordial and focused on cooperation with no finger pointing. It is amazing how the Monarch gets such attention when they have ZERO power or authority.

The whole event was cool though.

Paid bills, and more bills and sent some emails so that part is good to get caught up.

Daisy and Jackie had a nice dog park walk today.

Ok 10 days since surgery and STILL NOT able to walk around. Ice bags every 1/2 hr or so, opioid pills and Tylenol every day. Still triple in size with the swelling. Pain sitting with ice a 1, pain standing trying to walk a 8 or more. Not manageable.

Pissed off, angry, shocked, disappointed, in disbelief, and annoyed. I can handle pain. I don’t like simple pain things like needles which is a mental thing but with everything else I can in 99% of cases put mind over matter and carry on. Not this time and I do not know why.

Not to get graphic but the incision is about a 2 inch cut vertical down the center of the scrotum. The doctor removed one large cyst from the right side and a smaller one from the right side. I am not sure of the extraction process and complexity of removal. I thought I was having a surgery that would be a like a major vasotomy and a couple days as good as new and just be careful. Anyone that has been hit in the nuts knows the radiant pain and the longevity of it. 10 days later it still feels like that. The scrotum is swollen three times its size. I thought I had the perfect plan and today took a opioid first thing and expected to manage the pain all day but no such luck. I was moaning and groaning in the shower. I am running out of time to get ready for the May Long as it takes a good two days with a lot of movement which I am not able to do right now. I will start to panic come Sunday. I also need a oil change and service and to book maybe difficult on short notice.

As this is the last day of the month I will do my budget sheets and I will try not to mention my surgery again. 10 days though is just dumb !.

Last night Corey & Victoria brought over their new vehicle. I was able to use the elevator to go to the garage.

Wow what a beautiful truck. The picked a carbon grey truck with black accents which is a gorgeous combo. I was so glad they made this choice as they were looking at white or that new gross dull grey color that all of the manufacturers are pushing. White is not a color, and very few vehicles look good white without a lot of aftermarket help. My least favorite color. These new muted greys, blues, tans etc are just plain ugly !! It is like they didn’t use enough paint and forgot to use a gloss coat. Plain ugly. And white which a lot of people refer to as a color is NOT. It has no associated wavelength. It is not taught as color in art school as they use the acronym of ROYGBIV which represents colors of the rainbow. This truck is what I would have bought.

They also made a great decision picking the 5.0 liter versus the many 3.5 Eco offered. While a little less get up and go due to no turbo but the reliability goes up exponentially. Great choice.

It will a great truck for as many years as they want if they take care of it. I love it and it sort of makes me jealous.

BIG hockey game tonight. A do or die and I sure hope it is a do !!

I updated my net worth sheets, my balance sheet , my budget sheets and my asset assessment sheets and adjusted them down based on a higher tax rate and a net balance after tax so they look a little worse that then they have for a long time. But more real.

Thought of the Day

Being in pain for 10 days turns the saying “”get well soon” into a sarcastic not understanding statement

“Think not of ill and disease and thou shall defeat the foe within”