RCCL Cruise - Sunday, Nov 26, 2006

We booked our eighth trip on the Rhapsody of the Seas on Monday before we sail Sunday. It is slightly different from the one we did last month in that we will visit Jamaica this time in place of Key West. This is the shortest time we have ever had between booking and leaving as it is less than one week. The first two days are at sea so it will be a relaxing trip. The big trick is to avoid eating too much.

Our trip in October had a total of 12 in the group but this trip is just with Donna and me. We will play trivia in the Schooner Bar with any group that will take us and Mexican Train if we can find some folks that want to join us. All of the ports this ship will visit have been toured before on our past cruises but it is always fun to go back to someplace you know. Jamaica, Cayman Islands and Cozumel are all good ports for a day visit.

Thanksgiving 2006 - Dan and Tammy's home

On Thursday, the family will gather at Dan and Tammy's home to enjoy the traditional turkey meal and give thanks for a good year. We have had a few bumps in the road but everything is going OK now. I hope to be driving in the first quarter of 2007.

On Friday, November 24, we are driving to Louisiana to visit my brother David and his wife Linda as well as Mary Dawn (their daughter) and Carl and the family. More fine food and a great family visit.

Donna and I will head back early on Sunday as we sail at 5 pm on the Rhapsody of the Seas. We just love a good cruise.

Thursday, November 16, 2006 - Ray Miller tour of Houston

Ashland Retiree bus trip with Ray Miller, Eyes of Texas, as our guide for a tour of the Houston area. The Harris County Precinct 3 bus left at 8:00 am from the Memorial City parking lot beside the Lord & Taylor Parking Garage facing Barryknoll Lane.

Lunch was at Treebeards in downtown Houston. Ray Miller continued our tour after a fine southern style lunch until about 3 pm. I got to see much of Houston that I had not visited in the past.

University Eye Institute - 9 September 2006

Today, I visited the Center for Sight Enhancement and Vision Rehabilitation at the University Eye Institute (now that is a mouthful). The doctors ran a number of tests and we had a long discussion (3 hours total) on my visual status and options. My eyesight is better than normal but the peripheral vision is still very limited to the right in both eyes. The current diagnosis is macular sparing right homonymous hemianopia.

The doctor said we need to wait until my vision is stable before any prism glasses are made. My eye is able to see all of the visual field but the brain is not able to process the information because of the injury from the stroke. There was improvement in the first month after the stroke and we need to see how much more the brain is able to repair itself before we determine the aids that I may require to be able to drive a car. I return to this doctor in early 2007 for more tests. In the short term, I will depend on others to do my driving.

West Side Story - November 5, 2006

Donna and I are enjoying a Sunday Matinee today that is part of a theater series we purchased for this season. As neither of us are currently driving, me because of eyesight and Donna recovering from surgery, we are going with our friends and neighbors who also have tickets. Bonnie Brunskill and Priscilla Brown are part of our Supper Club group in our subdivision.