Today, Memorial Day, is the time for the annual Bolder Boulder celebration, here in Colorado. The main event is a 10 K (6 mile) race/walk along the streets of Boulder, ending in the University of Colorado Stadium. The race starts with the fastest, competitive runners, then the joggers, then the jogger/walkers, and finally the walkers. Debbie and I participated as walkers. I have been having some foot problems, which just recently were alleviated, so between that, being terribly out of shape (little walking for the last 2 months), and altitude adjustment, I was concerned that I might have trouble. I am happy to report that I finished the race just fine, a little under two hours I think, which is a fast pace for me, but not for most people).
At the end of the race, all the participants are given a pack lunch, containing healthy snack chips, a power bar or two, an orange, a couple of other things and a beer or a soda. Then we went up into the stands and watched teams of runners run the course. Duane will be interested to learn that an Ethiopian man won. Usually runners from Ethiopia and Kenya run very well. We can watch them on a big screen in the stadium. After that, there is a short patriotic speeches, a 21 gun salute and skydiving --- landing in the stadium, and finally the National Anthem. That was the end of the festivities, and a good thing too, as it suddenly began to rain -- very, very, hard.
Yesterday Debbie and I took a short hike out on the prairie at Boulder Ranch County Park. I heard a meadow lark singing, prairie dogs clicking (a sound I have never heard before) and frogs in a pond, peeping (peepers). So --- my new ears are doing quite well.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Friday, May 22, 2009
It Has Been a While, May 22, 2009
Hello Everybody,
It has been a while since I have brought this blog up-to-date.
On my last blog, I was recovering from surgery for a cochlear implant on my right ear. That was successful; so successful, in fact, that I found I could hear far better with the implanted ear than with the a hearing aid in my left, formerly, good ear. This led to a quick decision to get the other (the left) ear implanted, and now I am the successful recipient of bilateral cochlear implants.
How is my hearing? Well not completely normal, but far better than it used to be. I do quite well on one-on-one conversations, even in a somewhat noisy environment. Group conversations, such as at a dinner table with six people is difficult, although it gradually getting better. Last night I went to a lecture in an auditorium. I could only really understand about 10% of the lecture, so I guess assistive listening device will be needed in those types of situation. I can understand my granddaughters perfectly, something with which I formerly had great difficulty, even with hearing aids and assistive listening device.
My present challenge is learning to listen to music,. A special program is need on the processor, and it is a two-step process. I have had step 1 installed for a few weeks. Some music sounds OK, particularly small orchestras such as trios and quartet's. Complex music is difficult. The main problem is trying to pick out the main melody out of all those instruments playing. Vocalist are very difficulty, and I have trouble identifying even vocalist, I should be able to identify instantly, such as Patsy Cline, Frank Sinatra, or Ella Fitzgerald. I think rehabilitation to hear music takes work --- lots of practice listening. I do feel I am making progress.
We have spent most of the last three months in Southern Florida in a county park in Lake Worth, near West Palm Beach. It has been quite pleasant and we have enjoyed visiting our son, his wife, and daughters. One very sad thing happened just before we arrived. Hank, formerly married to Madeline, succumbed to cancer, after a long, extended, and often valiant fight. He was on good terms with us. He was cheerful, and well-liked by a circle of friends. He will be missed, particularly by his son, daughter-in-law, and two grand daughters.
I am presently in Boulder, CO, visiting my daughter and participating in the Boulder Boulder Memorial Day celebration. which includes a community fair, a 10K run and a couple of a 10K runs by groups from countries such as Kenya, Italy, etc-- the later races to be viewed ,start, middle, and finish on the grounds and the rest of the race on a gigantic screen in the CU football stadium. Poor Madeline, in the meantime is still in Florida braving the rains and hot weather --- but of course enjoying her son and his family!
We are now making summer plans. In late June we will be in Virginia visiting my son Tom and his family. Debra and Diana will also be there for a weekend, so we will have a mini-reunion --- always a treat when you can get all your adult children under one roof!
After Virginia, we will day commute to Washington, from Fredricksburg for four days to see some of the sights, and possibly do a little genealogical research. After that we will go to the Ithaca area for a week or two, followed by a visit to the Greenfield, NH for a week or two. After that we are off to the Gaspe peninsular, with a possible interim stop at Arcadia National Park. We leave Canada, by going down to Burlington, VT and check in with a niece whom we have not seen for a number of years.
So as you can see -- soon we will be real busy.
It has been a while since I have brought this blog up-to-date.
On my last blog, I was recovering from surgery for a cochlear implant on my right ear. That was successful; so successful, in fact, that I found I could hear far better with the implanted ear than with the a hearing aid in my left, formerly, good ear. This led to a quick decision to get the other (the left) ear implanted, and now I am the successful recipient of bilateral cochlear implants.
How is my hearing? Well not completely normal, but far better than it used to be. I do quite well on one-on-one conversations, even in a somewhat noisy environment. Group conversations, such as at a dinner table with six people is difficult, although it gradually getting better. Last night I went to a lecture in an auditorium. I could only really understand about 10% of the lecture, so I guess assistive listening device will be needed in those types of situation. I can understand my granddaughters perfectly, something with which I formerly had great difficulty, even with hearing aids and assistive listening device.
My present challenge is learning to listen to music,. A special program is need on the processor, and it is a two-step process. I have had step 1 installed for a few weeks. Some music sounds OK, particularly small orchestras such as trios and quartet's. Complex music is difficult. The main problem is trying to pick out the main melody out of all those instruments playing. Vocalist are very difficulty, and I have trouble identifying even vocalist, I should be able to identify instantly, such as Patsy Cline, Frank Sinatra, or Ella Fitzgerald. I think rehabilitation to hear music takes work --- lots of practice listening. I do feel I am making progress.
We have spent most of the last three months in Southern Florida in a county park in Lake Worth, near West Palm Beach. It has been quite pleasant and we have enjoyed visiting our son, his wife, and daughters. One very sad thing happened just before we arrived. Hank, formerly married to Madeline, succumbed to cancer, after a long, extended, and often valiant fight. He was on good terms with us. He was cheerful, and well-liked by a circle of friends. He will be missed, particularly by his son, daughter-in-law, and two grand daughters.
I am presently in Boulder, CO, visiting my daughter and participating in the Boulder Boulder Memorial Day celebration. which includes a community fair, a 10K run and a couple of a 10K runs by groups from countries such as Kenya, Italy, etc-- the later races to be viewed ,start, middle, and finish on the grounds and the rest of the race on a gigantic screen in the CU football stadium. Poor Madeline, in the meantime is still in Florida braving the rains and hot weather --- but of course enjoying her son and his family!
We are now making summer plans. In late June we will be in Virginia visiting my son Tom and his family. Debra and Diana will also be there for a weekend, so we will have a mini-reunion --- always a treat when you can get all your adult children under one roof!
After Virginia, we will day commute to Washington, from Fredricksburg for four days to see some of the sights, and possibly do a little genealogical research. After that we will go to the Ithaca area for a week or two, followed by a visit to the Greenfield, NH for a week or two. After that we are off to the Gaspe peninsular, with a possible interim stop at Arcadia National Park. We leave Canada, by going down to Burlington, VT and check in with a niece whom we have not seen for a number of years.
So as you can see -- soon we will be real busy.
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