The "Two Dozen Ears of Corn Frozen for Future Tastiness!!"

iPod shuffled to Vanessa Williams, "Dreamin'". I've always been a fan. Just sayin'.  Babyface and LA Reid had the opportunity to produce her.  The choose Pebbles instead. I'd say that worked out well for Vanessa. ;-)  

Yesterday was a cut and cook-a-palooza.  Brian shucked and sliced the kernels off the corn. Then we tried making a greek pasta salad. Cucumber, tomato, red pepper, red onion, rotini, Kalamata olives, feta cheese. Dressing was red wine vinegar, olive oil, chopped garlic, oregano, salt and pepper.  Chill and serve. Yes and yum. Brian is a great sous chef. His cutting and slicing skills are great. That's what happens when you watch cooking shows. Lol. We are alo considering taking a knife skills class at Holiday Market in Royal Oak. 

I belong to a dialysis group on Facebook. It's quite eye opening. Members include dialysis patients, caregivers, post-transplant members, and assorted medical people, including techs and RNs.  Aretha Franklin, "Runnin' Out of Fool". I read somewhere about Aretha singing about fools early on.  It was true!!  Do you know other of her "fool" songs?  Some of the stories and experiences of the group are heartbreaking. Like the guy in another country who has dialysis on an infrequent basis.  He'd missed treatment for 2 weeks. :-(  He detailed his symptoms. He was dying.  Another member is having crazy complications from peritoneal dialysis.  The number of 20 something's is staggering.  :-(  People whose bodies are degenerating from ESRD.  Lots of scared people.  There is also the parents of a baby, a BABY, who needs dialysis. :-(   

The group is not all doom and gloom. People share information.  People share good experiences. They encourage people to advocate for themselves. We support each other. Compare treatments, ask about meds, ask about anything.  Some give cautionary information about diet or meds,what to expect  on medical tests or even on the transplant procedure. It's been educational to me and scary at times. However, it's also underscored to, how I want to live my life. I am dying (my family hates to hear that).  I am, no doubt , better than I was a year ago.  But I have a fake kidney that is nowhere as efficient as the two I was born with. If I don't keep a balance of certain minerals, organs will fail. Too much potassium affects the heart. Too much phosphorus affects  bones and the heart.  I take pills to keep everything in check. 

Ok, ok. I'm not trying to die in the near future. :-).  I'm moving to Vegas to be with Dad. He's getting pushy about it. Lol. I need to see Shawn get her PhD. There are places I want to go. I want a kidney transplant. Lol. I want to have lunch with Carmen. I want some of Belinda's German chocolate cake.  I want to see Tony play his bass.  I want to hang out with Shirley, Gary and Deanna. I want to go to more Perry family reunions. Lol. I want to go to Yellow Springs. I want hit the 50th anniversary with Brian. <3. 

Have a great holiday weekend. Yes, I have treatment on Monday. It's all good. :). Signing off with Lakeside, "Fantastic Voyage".  "..come and ride on the funk, y'all... ". :-D

The "I Attended The 20th Anniversary March in Washington", edition.

iPod shuffled to Kool and the Gang, "Summer Madness".  U of M freshman year. This is how Kool and the Gang are supposed to sound. I hated the turn they took with JT Taylor.  However, it certainly made them mainstream. So yeah, I was in Washington DC in the summer of 1983. I had just finished and internship with the government at the David W Taylor Naval Research and Development Center in Potomac, Maryland. ( mouthful, wasn't it? ).  I was offered a job when the internship was completed.  The people who participated in the program went back to their homes, except a few of us.

My friend Mike and I decided to attend the 20th anniversary March.  Now bear with me, this 30 years ago. I remember some stuff and forget some stuff. I'll say Mike was a White guy, but I don't think it's important. We were friends. :).  I lived in Alexandria, he. Lived in Gaithersburg.  Since I was the one with the car, I went to get him, and the drove into DC to find a parking space.  I think I parked near the train station. Parking was free back then!  

We walked to the mall. I'd never seen so many people in one place in my life. People were in trees.  People were perched on street lights (!).  I recall we tried to get as close to the speakers as possible. I recall skirting around the Reflecting Pool. I recall the crowd getting denser and denser as we pressed forward.  We got to the point where we could go no further. We still couldn't hear the speakers. About this time I started felling faint. :-(   Mike let those know around me that I was having a problem.  Well guess what happened?  The crowd lifted me up and passed me up over their heads to the first aid area!!!  Mike was right there with me. Rofl. The first aid area was right next to the stage.  I got some water and cold compresses...and we were able to hear the speeches. "Just Gets Better With Time", The Whispers.  On the album, "Greatest Slow Jams".  Yep. :-)   I wish I remembered more. But I was there and I think that in of itself was important. 

On a side note, but a tie in with The Mall.  Shawn was attending Howard when President Obama was elected and inaugurated. She applied to volunteer for some inauguration activities. She was accepted and given super secret squirrel security clearance (!!!!). She ended up at the kids concert, in close proximity to the First Lady and the daughters (!!). She and her friends also walked from campus to the inauguration. The students from the north were dressed for the weather.  The ones from the south didn't understand cold. Lol. Look, the walk from Howard to the Capital is no joke, and the crowd was massive. The kids had to navigate  lines for the inauguration or the parade. The crowds and weather won. They went back to campus and watched the rest on TV. They get massive points for trying <3. 

Lol, this entry is not quite what I planned, but here we are. I'll give a dialysis tie in. Actually I got nothing that relates to the stories, but I'll give you this. I got a pedicure yesterday, and fell asleep in the chair waiting for my toes to dry.  Yet I can't fall asleep in my heated recliner at dialysis?  What's that about?  Lol.  Also, I don't know if it'll be shown again, but PBS had a great documentary, "The March". It was about the planning and behind the scenes activities of the original march with Martin Luther King.  We were kids in 1963. I learned a lot.  Have a great Wednesday.  Signing off with "Cool Jerk", The Capitols. Admit it, you know the lyrics. "...aw, deep down inside they know I'm cool.."  

The "Sirius XM Is Playing Songs We Forgot About", edition.

iPod shuffled to "Te Lo Agradezco, Pero No", Alejandro Sanz and Shakira. Lol. Spell checker doesn't like Spanish. I try hard to limit my fluid intake, but water is just so damn good. ;-)  Before this kidney nonsense, I drank at least 8 glasses a day. Now I not only have to watch the water, coffee, juice and lemonade, I have to factor in grapes, cantaloupe and watermelon, glorious watermelon. And of course I was that person who liked salt on my watermelon.  40 ounces of fluid a day. Fun fact!!! Most people on dialysis don't pee. I thought because I was ( and still am ) peeing, my kidneys would recover. Well that's not true. My urine runs clear..it is not getting rid of toxins, just some excess fluid. Bah. Lol. Now you know why we can sit in a chair for 3-4 hours without bathroom breaks.

Rachelle Farrell, " With Open Arms". Shawn thought she was "just ok". Sacrilege, I tell you!! Rachelle is more than just "ok". We were talking about artists who do vocal gymnastics.  Rachelle wasn't gymnastic-y enough for my kid.  I say she is the only who can get away with it. ;-)

So generational differences.  Shawn got Internet access only.  She saw no need for cable. She uses Netflix and will catch TV show on the Internet. Of our course that generation does not use landlines.  When we moved into our dorms and apartments, we had killer stereo systems. (We still have the one we to when we got married...3 foot speakers, turntable, CD player,..sitting in the basement collecting dust). She uses her computer with teeny tiny, but powerful, speakers, or uses her phone with earbuds.   The TV is for Xbox or Playstation. Lol. I had a 13 inch black and white for the longest.  Now a 19 inch flat screen seems tiny. Rofl.  She  plugs the phone, iPod, MP3 player into the car.  She may listen to Sirius XM.    

While setting up stuff in the apartment....oh tangent. The rental company left 2 bottles of water in the refrigerator and a roll of toilet paper in the bathroom. :)  Even though there light bulbs in the fixtures, the living room did not have a light fixture, so lamps were a priority purchase. "Looking Though the Windows",  Jackson 5. I had to school Brian on the Jackson 5 vs The Jackson's. Sigh, talk about disappointment. Better late than never, I suppose. Of course there is a difference.  Sheesh!!! Lol.  Anyway,  my iPad was the entertainment center during furniture assembly. My play list was exposed!!!  The horror!!!  On the flip side, they were held hostage by the music I like. {evil grin}. Bwahaha ;-D

There some others moving into the complex. Complex may be misleading. Two 3 story buildings. At one point someone was hammering in tandem with Shawn...the mating call of furniture assembly. The giant refuse containers outside were filled with boxes of the same Target futon. Lol.  She has free parking, with an assigned space...more on the differences between UIUC and UMich later. Any furniture assembly was basically done by late Friday. It was coming together.   

Signing off with "I Don't Need It", Jamie Foxx. Lol, I can barely type from chair dancing. Lol. Enjoy your day. :-)

The "The Neighbors Are Pretty Cool, edition"

iPod shuffled "No Diggity", Blackstreet.  Teddy Riley and Dr. Dre. Again, Teddy can put together a group.  Yeah, so someone attempted to steal the tires off the Explorer.  The next door neighbor called the police, who responded within 60 seconds. As best as I figure it happened between 5:30 AM and 6:00 AM. Also the neighbor next to the neighbor was outside and aware of something, as well as the neighbor the other side of us. Early risers!!   Had it been a dialysis day, we'd been up at 5:00 AM. Ironically, up until quite recently, I had problems sleeping through the night. *sigh*.  Anyway, Brian, Jade and I slept through doorbells and the banging of the doors. :-(

Two tires on the passenger side were leaning against the neighbor's house, along with the lug nuts. The car was still on the jack. The neighbors and the police spooked the thieves . They left their van (full of tires) as they ran off. The police confiscated the van. A few years ago Brian heard a noise in the driveway.  Someone was trying to get the tires off the Edge. And several years before , the tires were stolen off my Taurus.  ;-(  They always mess with the 1st car in the driveway, so you can't get the other cars out. Anyway we're ok.  I'm less spooked now, but really just pissed off. The Detroit Police Department was stellar (yes I'm biased to DPD for any number of reasons). The neighbors, even some from the next street over were concerned and all are watchful.  The problem is some of the citizenry.  /rant off.  It's time to move. 

So as I mock Champaign/Urbana, I'm glad Shawn is there. I worry about her (after all I'm Mom). She has big city smarts, but C/U has a lower percentage of crime. They publish the city's crime blotter. Lol.  

Back to moving Shawn in.  "Check It Out", The Tavares. Lol. I needed this song to calm me down. :-).  We'd got the furniture, now we had to get stuff.  Stuff for the kitchen, bedroom and bathroom.  Also it was day 2 of furniture assembly, table and chairs. They started the dresser, but a crapload of parts came out of the box. That'll wait until Friday. Lol. 

I had dialysis Friday. Oh yeah. At dialysis on Detroit on Monday, my right eye was red and my blood pressure was elevated and stayed elevated. This is out of the norm for me. The tech and different layers of nurses were concerned.  They all were strongly hinting I needed to go see the doctor NOW.  I pushed back.  The red eye thing happens...rarely, but that didn't concern me. The high blood pressure, yeah that bothered me.  Still, I had things to do.  The charge nurse called my nephrologist. He knew I was going out of town. He had the nurse call the center in Illinois and told them to not administer the Heparin.  Yes, I know what's going in me and why. I was there when the call was made.   When I arrived, I reiterated the instructions.  Lol. The nurse my nurse talked to (read threatened) was the one who managed my care. My blood pressure still spiked on Wednesday, but normalized by Friday and eye was considerably better.

Long story, huh?  Signing of with Michael Jackson, "I Can't Help It", written by Stevie Wonder. You should check it out. It sounds like a Stevie song.  Anyway, it on the "Off The Wall" album. Have a good weekend.  I'm going to go find some vegetables.  I've frozen my 1st batch of corn and am cooking green beans as I find them. :)

The "I Like My Dialysis Center Better Than Yours", edition.

iPod shuffled to The Detroit Emeralds, "Feel the Need".  Detroit Emeralds....from Arkansas. Lol. Anyway, I was a big fan in Jr High.  Does anyone remember the group, The Posse, around 1969?  And it's not really my iPod..I let the batteries run out.  However, thanks to the cloud, the iPad stands in just fine.

So we're in Champaign, Illinois. Yes, the university is (long breath), The University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, Also known as UIUC. It is a Big Ten University, and a Land Grant University, like Michigan State University. The two cities are adjacent, with Champaign being the largest, population about 82,000.  Urbana, population about 42k. UIUC student population, 32k. It even has a suburb, Savoy.  Lol.  Still, there's a lot of corn. And thanks to some friends, I now know we were seeing field corn. We were on the right track, being pretty sure we were looking at corporate farms which supplied corn for processed foods, but still...no sweet corn?  Illinois feeds America...I guess. 

Our job was to move Shawn in and furnish an apartment.  It would have cost about $4,000.00 to use a transport company to move her furniture. *sigh*. And none of us wanted to drive a U-Haul 385 miles.  :-(   Michel'le, "Something in My Heart".  After disappearing, she's now on R&B Divas LA. I've meant to watch the show, but I just can't make myself. Lol   The original plan was to do Ikea, but delivery was from the Chicago area, every other Wednesday (This underscores UIUC being in the middle cornfields), at an additional cost AND we'd have to assemble everything. Time for plan B. Target and Walmart for the win!!!  The bed and mattress came from a local store. We ordered the bed and mattress on Wednesday...delivery wasn't until Sunday!!  Heh, Back to School took on an entirely different meaning in Champaign Urbana.  Lol. The stores were welcoming the UIUC students.  Lots of students getting furniture and necessities were seen every time we hit up the stores (and a gaggle of farmers..but that's a story for another day {wink}). 

I dialyzed Wednesday and Friday at the Illini Dialysis Center. Ok. My center has 42 chairs, this one had 11.  As always, they were waiting for me.  Everything went fine. They even called me to come in early on Friday. See, I dialyzed Monday at home.  We left on Tuesday because dialysis days are hit and miss on how I feel, plus the keys to the apartment were available on Tuesday.  Dialyzing in Urbana was a nonevent. Wednesday, Shawn and Brian unloaded the cars and scoped out Target while I was in center.  After treatment we went and started the shopping.  We purchased a desk, bookcase, drawer microwave cart and a futon.  I suggested they start with the futon. Mommy needed a place to sit and manage. ;-)  And yeah, Daddy got Shawn a tool kit before we left town. Ask me how well Shawn uses tools (of course I even have a story for that-lol).  Let the assembly begin!!!

Signing off with "Grapevyne", Brownstone.  Yes I have hundreds of songs, I have no idea why some repeat more than others, but I'm not complaining when it's songs that I like. :)

The "My Big City Child Now Lives in a Little City - lol", edition

iPod shuffled to The Stylistics, "People Make The World Go Round".  Lol. Where are the Stylistics. All I hear is Russell Thompkins, not that I'm complaining. His voice is so smooth.  Well, my child is officially grown....or something.  We spent the last week moving her to her new home. {smile....cry}.

We left Tuesday morning around 9:30 AM. I thought it was a 6 hour drive, but I didn't account for the change to central time zone (d'oh!). It is 7 hours, if we don't stop to eat. But we stop to eat. 2 cars, 3 drivers. 1st leg, I drove the Explorer, Shawn drove her Focus, with Dad as passenger. The longest Shawn had driven was to Lansing and back. (Pat = over protective mom). We switched out a little past Battle Creek.  2nd leg, I'm still driving, but gain Shawn as my passenger, Brian gets the Focus (hehe). Driving through Indiana/Chicago was a non-event, just a LOT of trucks. Stevie Wonder, "Superwoman".  Relaxing song. :)  The 3rd leg is just south of Chicago, Brian driving Pat in the Explorer (did you see what I did there?), and Shawn solo in her Focus. Champaign-Urbana is about 2 hours south of Chicago. 

Once we were going south on I-57, we were treated to corporate corn and soybean farms....for as far as you could see.  No trees, maybe a house in the distance.  Definitely big silos and trains with dozens of grain cars, but corn...corn..corn fields all the way to the horizon. Corn.  Lol.  Shawn's professor from Wayne State did a Google Earth satelite view of Champaign/Urbana. Notice all the green surrounding the cities (population of the to combined is appoximately 100,000). That green is corn fields...with some soybean fields tossed in.  I've included some photos for ya'. 

We arrive around 4:30...or was it 5:30?  Depends on the time zone. Lol. We check into the hotel, drop of the luggage and race off to the Walmart in Urbana.  So yeah, the store was in the middle of a corn field. Lol. What tickled me more was the bus stop with the corn field just across the street. Shawn says that Walmart is bigger.  We scope out what to get and price check. You know, my kid was the anti-Walmart person, until now, that we needed to stay within a budget. Lol. Anyway, we had a list, made a plan for the next day.  We went to dinner, checked to see where I'd have my dialysis treatment was located (just north of campus).  For disclosure purposes, we can go from one end of town to the other in about 20 minutes. Lol lol.  That being said, there were 2 Walmarts, a mall with Macy's, Penney's, and Sears. They also have a fabulous public transportation system. 

Signing off with "Always and Forever", Heatwave.  The classic sing along song, no matter if you can carry a tune or not. Lol. Enjoy your Monday. :-)

The "My Smart Phone is Smarter Than Me", edition.

  iPod shuffled to Ventura Highway, "America". 1972. WDRQ anyone?  I was feeling pretty funky on Monday. Felt better when I woke up on Tuesday.  Actually I felt great. Doing pretty good today. :-)

My smart phone is really smart. It's an Android Galaxy. This is my 2nd one. The 1st one had a keyboard. This one doesn't. I liked the key board feature. When it was time to get a new phone, I was given the option of getting the newest Galaxy or an iPhone 4.  I already knew how to use the Android and wasn't interested in learning the iPhone. Heh, the new Android had some pretty major differences from the one I had. Still, I like my Android, but sometimes I think it's laughing at me. 

In spite of what I just said, I cannot function without my phone. That statement amazes me and unnerves me. The phone is my alarm clock, my calendar, my shopping list, my record of my medications, my phone book, a camera, my weather forecaster, my source of news, my clock (I stopped wearing a watch), airline flight tracker, receives my email, a calculator, tracks food for my renal diet (there's an app for that), a flashlight, a magnifying glass, a mirror, a cookbook, a GPS, a dictionary, a thesaurus and a phone.  Its also my lifeline to the transplant coordinator. And yes, I left out some apps I have loaded. And yes, I DON'T have Facebook on my phone. All that being said, I don't come close to how my kid uses a smart phone. Lol. Heh. I was in Starbucks the other day. Everyone in front of me presented their phone to pay!!!  I have no idea how that even works.  Lol 

My dad wanted a smart phone. He went to a Sprint store and got overwhelmed. He called me back and said he'd wait until I come out to help. :).  "Ready or Not", After 7".  I love Kevon Edmonds voice. It is so smooth.  I had to tell Dad to keep his cell phone on. He'd call me and the turn it off. I couldn't return his calls. :-/    Lol.   Mom some how found redial.  I'd have 10-15 call logs of her calling me. I guess she thought I'd pick up eventually.  But hey, they tried. :-)

Since I've had ESRD, my phone is with me all the time. My doctors (yes, doctors), the transplant, my dialysis center, my dad, husband, child friends and relatives contact me via this portable phone. 20 years ago I would have never even considered this possibility.   What's next?  

Signing off with "Give Up The Funk (Tear the Roof of the Sucker", Parliament. Hey, did you hear the Smithsonian Museum of African American History acquired The Mothership!  Time  to visit. :). Have a wonderful day.

The "Its Just One Of Those Days", edition.

iPod shuffled to Kashif, "Help Yourself to My Love". Summer of 1983. As I'm listening I'm hear a nice baseline.  I don't recall hearing it with so much clarity with the Walkman ( time warp - lol ).  Brian has offered to see if he can be a live donor for me. Once we  get Shawn settled, we'll start the process. If he's not compatible, well investigate the paired exchange process.

Paired exchange, you ask, what is that?  It's where I have a willing but ineligible donor, someone else has a willing, but ineligible donor...but my donor matches that someone else, and that someone else's donor matches me. I read of a swap that included several people across several states. Who knew?

Saturday I received a packet fro the University of Toledo Medical Center Tranplant Program. I have no idea who sent my name/info to them. The good news is I've had the tests they required (and I "passed" the tests. I'll talk to my transplant coordinator and have her send the results.  

"What's Happening Brother", Marvin Gaye. This album is still one of my favorites.  Eh, this is it for today. Sometimes I get depressed about the whole failed kidneys thing.  This one of those times.  Sometimes you just don't want to smile and put on a brave face. I am grateful for the referral, and am grateful that I am so much better than when I was when I was diagnosed. But man, I have to jump through so many hoops. I can't just skip dialysis because I don't feel like going. Planning a trip requires all of my project manager skills  :-/

Ok enough.  I'll stop whining. Wednesday should be better. Signing off with "You Are Everything", The Stylistics.  Graphic of a paired exchange.

The "We Saw a Rainbow As We Passed The Rainbow Liquor Lotto Store onWednesday", edition

iPod shuffled to "Stay", The Temptations. Yes, we did see a rainbow as we passed the Rainbow Party Store.  We agreed it was a sign, but we passed it by and bought the lotto tickets at Joe's. We didn't heed the sign. We didn't win the Powerball.  That'll teach us to ignore obvious signs. ;-)

Potassium.  Before my kidneys failed, I had (and still have) acute intermittent porphyria, AKA porphyria. This required me to keep my potassium levels up.  I got to the point where I had my fill of bananas. However I could get my potassium in orange juice, potatoes, broccoli and avocados.  If I started cramping, I'd drink some orange juice.  Well now, I can't even think about these foods. I admit I had a glass of fresh squeezed Florida orange juice when I was at Disney World.  ***Side story.  When I was pregnant, Brian and I went to Disney World (reservations were made before I knew I was pregnant).  Breakfast at the hotel restaurant had unlimited fresh squeezed orange juice. Apparently I'd never had real orange juice prior to that. I couldn't get enough of it. ***End of story.  I was going have a glass this time. I did and it was delicious. Yum. 

Potatoes I can have with conditions.  If the starch is leached off, I can have them.  Leaching is basically peeling the potatoes and soaking them for an hour, changing the water and soaking them again...rinse and repeat a few more times.   Although I've read recently that soaking for ridiculously long hours isn't necessary, just peel and soak for about 1/2 hour.  The biggie is no skin.  Do not eat the skin.   I can live with that.  The cool thing is, the longer you do without, the less you want something.  Although a good French fry is good every once in a while. :)  "I Only Meant To Wet My Feet", The Whispers.  Lol. Is there any wonder why I was at every.single.concert they had in Detroit?  "Giving you, baby, my all and all".  I still grab Brian for a dance when the Whispers start playing. :-)

Avocados. Sigh. I love guacamole. I'm not willing to have my numbers rise. Bye bye my tasty old friend. Spinach, I was just learning to love you, but now we must part.  Kale, I was willing to try you, but when I looked you up, I realized that  i'll never experience your delights. See, these three foods are called super foods. They are also very high in potassium.  "Sing a Simple Song", Sly and the Family Stone.  I wore out the grooves in that album. Larry Graham. Nothing more to say.  

So we know not enough potassium makes me cramp up. Did I tell you that I'm typing with one hand?  My right arm is immobile, with 2 needles in it.  My left hand is typing, basically my left index finger -- my arm gets tired. And then here comes time to take the blood pressure, choking off my left arm.  I have to stop when that happens :-/   What happens when you have too much potassium?   You get tired, nauseous, muscle fatigue....guess what's a muscle?  The heart. Too much potassium can lead to a heart attack.  Sigh.  Sometimes I feel like I'm going through some kind of health gauntlet. At least my levels are monitored.  Blood tests every two weeks. I wonder how much it costs to have End Stage Renal Disease?  I suppose that's another topic for another day. 

It's Friday.  My living room is full of Shawn's stuff. I hope we can get it into 2 cars.  Signing off with "What They Do", The Roots. "Never do, what they do, what they do, what they do...."    

Attempting to give you a link to my nutrition go to site, a few photos of high potassium foods. http://nutritiondata.self.com/

The "The Nurses Check Us For Swelling Each Treatment Session" edition.

iPod shuffled to Bobby Caldwell, "What You Won't Do For Love". Nice and mellow. Some voices match the song. This is of them.  The nurses listen to our lungs, squeeze ankles, and poke stomachs looking for excess fluid. I always accuse them of feeling me up. Lol.  Sometimes I can tell some aren't to sure what to make of me.  Others ave figured out I'm a clown.  There are also nurses and techs who've seen me progress from someone who was scared, depressed and could barely stand up to the clown. :-)

So what do we eat on a renal diet?  My most recent meals have been; shrimp and low sodium smoked sausage jambalaya,  home made pizza,  beef tacos, chicken enchiladas, a vegetable meal consisting of fresh corn off the cob, fresh green beans, fresh tomato slices, fresh onion slices and cornbread, Texas chili - no beans, turkey burgers, spaghetti, and chicken and rice.  Cube Steak and Rice is on the menu for this week. 

Breakfast is usually eggs, turkey sausage and toast. I love grits, but the no salt rule kills grits for me. Grits really need salt.  Cheese can save grits, but cheese has phosphorus and sodium.  I'd rather use my meager portion of cheese on something else. I can also have pancakes or waffles, but I really prefer the eggs so I can get in my protein.  "Baby, I'm For Real", The Originals.  I was in junior high (using jr high dates me ), now called middle school, when this came out. I thought it was so pretty and dreamed about someone feeling that way about me. Getting in my protein. I'm supposed to get 7 serving of proteins a day. Lol. When the dietician told me that, I was like, wtf?  I'm barely eating a single meal (we don't have to worry about that now - lol ).  A single portion of protein is the size of a deck  of cards or a fist, not the super sized portions we are served in restaurants. Snacks tend to be fruit, cookies, marshmallow treats (apparently the official food of dialysis patients everywhere), low salt crackers.  We've really moved away from processed food. 

I wanted a meal my mom used to make this time of the year. We'd spend time at the cottage and fresh vegetables were always available. Farmers on back roads always had fresh produce and eggs ( once she wanted several dozen eggs, we had to wait for the hens to lay the rest of the eggs to complete the order....color me surprised that the eggs came out hot - lol.  I was used to eggs coming from the refrigerator ).   The meal was fresh corn, fresh green beans and tomatoes. Usually the vegetables had been picked the same day as mom cooked them. I got mine from Kroger.  Anyway, I've mastered the corn off the cob.  And thanks to Rachel Ray, we can slice the corn off the cob without kernels flying around the kitchen. 

The green beans were going to more of a challenge. I'd never cooked fresh green beans. Lol. My cousins and I prided ourselves on our lack of some cooking skills (cough-turkey-cough). Fresh green beans was in that category for me.  Now when our folks cooked them, they had hammocks and potatoes.  Both were no-nos for me. I already had a recipe for vegetarian greens, I decided to try it for my green beans. 

My recipe?  Heat up some olive oil, sauté fresh onions and garlic.  Add some red pepper flakes.  Let the oil get infused with those ingredients. Add the green beans ( 1 pound is not enough -lol ). Let the beans sauté for about five minutes.  Add chicken broth and some jalapeño pepper slices and jalapeño pepper juice from a jar. Cover for about 20 minutes.  Take lid off and reduce the liquid.  O.M.G.  That was delicious!!!  

I've included some portion size guides. :-)  Signing off with Beyonce, "Me, Myself and I". "...I'm gonna be my own best friend". Gotta love yourself first. :)

The "I Want Some Fresh Tomatoes From a Roadside Farmer", edition

iPod shuffled to "I'll Be Around", The Spinners. Summer of '72?  It's a good memory song. :-).  Wow, I didn't realize the Spinners worked with Thom Bell. He was also with The Stylistics, among others.  I'll look him up later. Today I'm going to talk about dogs. My dogs!  I've had 4 dogs since I was 10 years old. They are Victor, Maury, Clark and Jade. Cool names,eh?  I am an only child (asterisk - I have a brother 9.5 years older than me <3). A teacher suggested to mom I should have a dog.

The summer when I was 10, I went to camp for the first time. The bribe was a dog. Lol. I enjoyed camp so it was a win-win for me ;-). When mom and dad picked me up, a little black poodle was waiting for me !!!  I must add that in every letter I wrote back home, I asked if they got the dog.  My black mini-toy poodle in his bed basket and I sat in the backseat.  I was asked what I wanted to name him. I enthusiastically offered up Blackie - lol.  It was rejected with an explanation that the dog was AKC registered and would need a more "fitting" name.   French names (more or less) were offered. Pierre, Andre, Alexander, Charles.  Ohh, I liked Charles. It was rejected (bah why bring it up to reject it).  Why was it rejected?  The next door neighbor's name was Charles. Mom and dad didn't think that would go over well. "Charles, here Charles, come here, boy ". Lol. Yeah.  Somehow we ended up with Victor Dumas. 

:-)

"Mind Blowing Decisions", Heatwave.  Come on, who didn't like Heatwave?  Victor grew up with me. Oh yeah, mini-toy doesn't mean he's smaller than a toy poodle.  It means one of his parent as was a miniature poodle and one was a toy poodle. He was larger than a toy, but smaller than a miniature. Lol I could write an entire blog on each dog. Victor had heart problems. He was on Inderol and a diuretic. He died of a heart attack when I was 21. :(. But I have great memories of my first dog. 

The next dog was Maury. He was really my mom's dog. He was also a black mini-toy poodle and as different from Victor as possible. Victor was a sweetheart and a perfect dog for a kid. We called Maury demon dog. Lol. In every single photo of him, his eyes are red!!  He really wasn't pleasant if he didn't like you. Lol. He's the one that gave little poodles the bad rep. 

Brian and I got Clark about 3 months after we got married. Clark was a big white standard poodle. Clark as a young puppy was larger than Maury. We got treated the phenomenon of the younger dog submitting to the older dog. Maury cowed Clark. Lol. When mom and dad moved to Las Vegas, we got Maury. So I had a 2 year old standard poodle, a 10 year old demon dog little poodle and a 1 month old baby!! Good times, good times.  Lol. Oh did I mention we lived in a 2 bedroom bungalow?  Good times. :-D

Clark had to be put down. If dogs get Alzheimer's, he had it. Clark lost his mind. Lol. He jumped on the counter and got a cake. I also found him on top of the dining room able looking for food.  He did also have some medical issues.  We were living with crazy dog, but couldn't over come the medical issues. We replaced Clark within about 6 weeks.  We let Shawn pick the breed because we wanted the new dog to be hers.  Clark saw Shawn as a sibling, the beta sibling, at that!  

Shawn selected West Highland White Terrier (Westie) because it was cute. Of course. Had I known about terriers in advance I wouldn't have got the dog....at that time.  "Sun Goddess", Ramsey Lewis and Earth Wind And Fire. Freshman year at University of Michigan. :)  Shawn and I picked up the dog in Howell. On the way home I asked her (10 year old Shawn) what she wanted to name the dog.  Lol. It was almost the same exercise I had with my parents when I was 10. She finally selected Jade. We just named a white dog "Green". Rofl. 

Jade is a joy.  She is clearly different from a poodle. Another's difference is she is the first female dog we've had. She seems sweeter. And empathetic. I am positive she knew I was sick. She would just rest on my lap and it was calming.  When I came home from the hospital, she stayed with me, guarding the bedroom - from what or who, I don't know lol.  Yes, it's true, at least for me, Jade was instrumental in my recovery. :-)  She's 12 now and has some health challenges. The vet is keeping an eye on her. She's slowed down, but her quality of life is still good. She still barks at the mailman and still plays a good game of tug. <3.  And she is loved by her "pack". She knows it and wold have it no other way. A lap, a pat on the head, or belly rub is always available when she comes looking for it.  We are so trained. Lol!!

:-)

Photos of poodles and Jade. Signing off with "Check it Out", The Tavares.  / swoon.

The "I Think I've Adjusted to My Renal Diet", edition.

iPod shuffled to "I Don't Need It", Jamie Foxx. Even though he's not one of my favorites, he is very talented.  He is classically trained in piano and attended Julliard.  I think we've adjusted to my renal diet.  I get a "report card" every month in center which tracks my potassium, phosporus, calcium, among other things.  Everything has been in the normal range except the phosphours. I hit good numbers in February.  Then I made red beans and rice for Dad and Brian. I had ONE bowl. My number skyrocketed ;-(   Just got it back down mid July.

So what happens when phosphorus is too high, or you have to much in your body....like your body can't get rid of it because your kidneys don't work?  "Spread My Wings", Troop. Anyone remember them or this song?  It affects the bones, fatigue, breathing difficulties, bone pain, mobility issues, itching and problems with blood vessels and the heart....just to name few.  So I've established that my body cannot process phosphorus and I've listed things that happen when the phosphorus is not processed. For the record, that bone pain, itching and mobility issues were major symptoms I experienced before the diagnosis of End Stage Kidney Disease - Level 5 (ESRD-5).  How do I manage the phosphorus?  I take some tablets called phosphorus binders. 

"Mystic Voyage", Roy Ayers.  This song hits  several notes for me (no pun intended - lol ). First, this was the song my Ivy line ( Supreme Serene 13 ) performed to, when I was pledging the sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha.  Second, I got the most pleasant shock when I saw on the album that the drummer was the guy we hung out with over the summer, Ricky Lawson. :-). Lol. I ran him into a ditch on our little Hondas and I have witnesses. :-D.   Back to phosphorus binders. These are some big pills. They are about the size of those massive iron pills we all took when we were pregnant.  Except I have to take 4 of them with EVERY meal and 3 with EVERY snack.  These pills are 800 milligrams. I'm taking 24mgs with each meal. When I get a refill, I  get 1000 pills - roflmao!!!  I carry about 20 with me in my purse. Look, it took me months to reliably take these things.  I'd just plain forget.  And you only have a small window to take them. A half hour after you eat is too late. ;-(   How does the binder work?  It works like a sponge and soaks up the phosphorus from the food and sends it to the digestive tract for elimination. 

What foods are high in phosphorus?  Chocolate (sigh), cheese, milk, ice cream (sigh), beans - black, baked, kidney (ironic,huh?), pinto, edamame, and nuts - pistachio, cashews, etc. (sigh).  Now for full disclosure, I've had a bit of chocolate and cheese in moderation and my numbers are good, but the beans. The beans. I can't do them. I like beans. However, I like being more mobile than I have been in about 3 years. I like not itching. I got enough going on, I don't  need to add extra stress on my heart.  

So there you have it. I was gonna talk about some of our meals, but I guess I needed to preface it with some explanations. Photo of my big ole binder. I got the Photo Sync working again. The issue with the app was caused by replacing the iPad. I sent in a help ticket and the developer responded within 2 hours with the solution. I was duly impressed. :).  Signing off with "Saturday In The Park", Chicago.  Lol. Sounds like a good idea. :-)