Tuesday, July 28, 2009

EYE SURGERY SCHEDULED FOR FAYE WEDNESDAY

I just could not let Ken have all the attention with his recent surgeries. I’m going to have my own out-patient surgery tomorrow morning, Wednesday, July 29th.

Most of you may know, back in May 2006, I contacted Acanthamoeba Keratitis in my right eye. Ken spent months dispensing eye drops into my eye trying to control the pain and eradicate the microscopic parasites. We finally succeeded, but in the process I had two cornea transplants and a variety of other unusual problems and procedures. Eventually I lost the vision in my right eye.

And, I guess most of you did not know that, as a result of all my eye problems, I (Faye) became a Calendar Girl in 2007. Yes. That’s True! My Ophthalmologist created a 2007 calendar highlighting pictures of his most unique eye cases. I made both January and June!!


Since 2006, I have had been under the constant care of my Ophthalmologist, a cornea specialist, as well as a glaucoma specialist to try to control the pressure in my eye. Recently, I learned that the second cornea transplant is deterating, the pressure in my eye continues to be erratic, and the lens inserted in my eye has moved forward to the point of touching my cornea, probably due to the pressure. Now I need a third cornea transplant along with other intricate procedures. This time, instead of the transplant being “routine”, there will be three specialists involved. This is how the nurse explained it to me.

1) My cornea specialist, will remove my cornea, and remove the lens, and put in a temporary cornea. Since I cannot see out of my right eye anyway, he has decided not replace the lens.

2) Next, a retina specialist will clean out all the clear jelly-like substance in my eye. Everybody has such a mass, but the glaucoma specialist is afraid it might get in the tube he plans to insert and block it. Therefore he lined up the retina specialist to handle the clean out.

3) Then the glaucoma specialist will then insert a tube beside my eye which can be connected in my eye at a later time if the pressure rises too high and needs to drain. He decided not to insert the tube IN my eye for fear the pressure may drop too low.

4) Finally, the cornea specialist will replace the temporary cornea with a cadaver cornea tissue from the Richmond eye bank. The nurse said I was given VIP priority because of the three doctors working together on the case.

The entire out-patient procedure should take about two hours plus recovery time. We certainly do hope this time the cornea transplant works!! Wish me LUCK!!

LITTLE MICHAEL COMES TO TT CHESAPEAKE BAY

Michelle and Christoper brought Little Mike to visit Diane and Mike a couple of weekends ago. Here he is with his Mom and Grandmother on their way to the pool!! He’s soooooo cute!!

FAYE WITH AN “E” and FAY WITHOUT AN “E”

Two good friends together again!! Fay without an “E” lives not too far from TT Chesapeake Bay, in Chesapeake, VA. Last weekend we were surprised to receive a call from her – she was standing across the road from our RV!! We were delighted to see her again and took her for a ride around the campground on our borrowed golf cart.

We first met Fay and her late husband Jim years and years ago in Orlando, FL when we first started RVing. We hung around with the same group of friends at the TT Orlando campground. They are the ones who named us Faye with an “E” and Fay without an “E” so we’d know which one of us they were talking to, or talking about.

Years later, when we started playing Pickleball, I would introduce myself as Faye with an “E”, just for the heck of it. Maybe someone would remember me HA HA!! Out in Arizona, when I introduced myself to another player, he said, “Then you must know Fay without an “E”. Surely enough he was talking about the same Fay. Another time in Arizona when I introduced myself to another player, he said, “You remind me so much of another Fay from Virginia, but she does not have an “E” in her name. It was the same Fay!!! In Washington, I met a really good female Pickleball player in the ladies room. She told me she had taught another Fay from Virginia how to play Pickleball. I thought it cannot possibly be the Fay I know; she was not athletic at all. But, can you believe it, it was the same Fay!!!

Since we have been on the East coast, we see Fay often during the winter down in Florida, where we play Pickleball together, line dance, party, etc.

Pickleball does indeed make a small world and one that really a lot of FUN!!

FOLLOW THE PURPLE SHAMROCK!!











We have been following our Purple Shamrock plant on the Blog since March when it was first beginning to grow. In May, it had really taken off and was beautiful with full bloom.

In July we had an unwanted visitor who loved Purple Shamrock bulbs! I could have shot him!!!

We’ll have to start all over again!!! Ken says it should come back – IT’S A BULB!!!

Saturday, July 18, 2009

OYSTERS AND HOT DOGS AT MIKE AND DIANE’S

On Saturday afternoon, Mike drove to Gwen’s Island and bought a bag of oysters (100) and we had them grilled for dinner. Diane doesn’t eat oysters so hot dogs were on the side for her, but we all pitched in and helped her eat them.

Steve and Mike begin shucking the oysters.
Ken is ready to go to work with his new Burrito apron. The apron was a joke given to him by our friends, Gene and Lois. We won’t reveal the BIG punch line here on the Blog!!
“Men At Work” A plate of oysters that Ken opened for ME. UMMMMM
Mike is enjoying his share.

A MORNING OF PICKLEBALL

Five of us gathered on the Pickleball courts Saturday morning for some fun games of Pickleball. It was fun to play with John again. It’s been a long time.

Amy was the big winner. She never lost a game. I see why -- she let her partners do all the work!! Not True!! Just teasing, Amy!! (John and Amy)

Faye was the big loser. She never won a game!! Don't quite understand that. I had the same partners that Amy had!!
Scott and Ken made a formidable team!!!

Friday, July 17, 2009

FRIENDS SHOW UP AT TT CHESAPEAKE BAY

We were so surprised to see our friends John and Pat from out west. They are touring the eastern US this summer and stopped for a time at TT Chesapeake Bay. Since we last saw them in Palm Springs, they have sold their 5th wheel, bought a new Class A motorhome, bought a site at Happy Trails in Arizona, and hit the road.

The most amazing thing is when John was playing Pickleball in the Senior Games last year, he actually died on the Pickleball court!! He said he was walking toward the net and blacked out. His heart stopped beating for eight minutes! It happened that his opponent was a nurse in a cardiac unit and administered CPR until help arrived. As soon as they used the defibulator, he came to and wondered what was going on!! After surgery he is doing great!! See you on the courts, John.

COUNTRY BUFFET AT GINNY'S PLACE

July 15 – On Wednesday we moved back to TT Chesapeake Bay for a couple of weeks. The first person we saw as we were setting up was Gilbert. He said he and Jenny and some friends and family were going to try a new place to eat at Hayes Plaza. They had heard good things about it. Did we want to join them?? Sounded good to us, so later that day we piled into Gilbert’s truck and went to All You Can Eat Country Buffet at Ginny’s Place.

It was not only all we could eat – it was great!! And, the price was right, too -- $7.99 and kids were only 99 cents!!

Around the table: Gilbert, Jenny, Pam, Skylar, Dannielle, Ken, Faye, Angelo, Jamie (Jenny’s niece) and Baby Kathryn. I raised Cain with Gilbert for being on the cell phone when he should have been posing with his chocolate ice cream!! (He ate about four bowls full!!)


Around the table from the other end: Dannielle, Skylar, Pam, Jenny, Gilbert, Baby Kathryn, Jamie, Faye and Ken

Kathryn was an angle the entire evening!!


We joined Gilbert and another friend, Amy, on the Pickleball courts Thursday morning for a few good games. We think Gilbert got mad because Ken and Amy beat Gilbert and me two out of three games. Anyway, the next thing we knew, Gilbert and Jenny suddenly packed up and left that afternoon. He said he had to “cut grass”!! HA HA We know the REAL reason, Gilbert!!

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

CRAB FEAST ON THE FOURTH OF JULY

Fellow Pickleball Players, Tim and Julie, invited a group of us to their new site (*) for a crab feast on the Fourth of July. Well, it was not only crabs – there was a lot of everything else!! DELICIOUS!!!

Ken enjoying his crabs!

Here is Tim with his mother. (Keith got in the act, too.) She is known as “Mama” to everybody at the campground. Everyone, that is, except Ken, who says she is too young for her to be HIS Mama!!
(*) New Site: This year for the first time, the TT Chesapeake Bay leases “annual sites” under a three-year contract. Under the new policy, they no longer offer “seasonal” or “lease by the week or month” sites. Tim and Julie lease this beautiful site, located on the bank of the Piankatank River. It is indeed one of the prime sites.

DINING OUT AT CHEF TODD’S

A group of us went to Chef Todd’s for a delicious dinner. Chef Todd’s was previously located across the corner in an old 50’s style drug store, complete with soda fountain, etc. They soon out grew the location and moved to its current location on Main Street in Matthews.

Going around the table: Ken, Steve, Judy, Diane, Mike, Rick, Joann, Jeremy, Linda, Wayne, Faye For some reason, our waitress seemed to be ignoring Wayne (next to me) and couldn’t get his order straight. Finally Judy asked the waitress if Wayne was not supposed to get applesauce with his meal. Wayne said he was not going to ask her for anything else. Apparently, she could not see him because he was wearing a yellow shirt and sitting in front of a yellow wall. He teased that next time he was going to wear a red shirt and he was NOT going to sit in front of that red wall!!

I wish I had my camera going because at the end of the meal the waitress brought Wayne a humongous piece of chocolate torte covered with whipped cream and forks to share with everyone!! It was a most enjoyable evening!!

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

DECORATED GOLF CART COMPETITION AND PARADE

July 3 – TT Chesapeake Bay sponsored a Decorated Golf Cart Competition and Parade on Friday afternoon. There must have been 20 – 25 golf carts and bicycles participating. Ken served as one of the judges!! It was really difficult choosing the winners, there were so many extravagantly decorated carts!!

Here are some of the participants.


Bicycles. We didn’t get a picture of the bike winner, but the bike looked very much like this PLUS four big red, white and blue balloons on the handlebars.

Ken is having too much fun being a judge!!

Gilbert who is always challenging Ken to an unfriendly game of Pickleball and Jenny who compares knee replacement surgery with Ken.

Billy Babb in his utility Golf Cart.

Ru our Assistant Manager. The sign, “WE MISS YOU, ELMO” is in memory of Elmo who was a fireman killed last year in a motorcycle accident on I-64. His golf cart was a winner in last year’s parade. Elmo was a Pickleball player. In fact, he was in the process of having Pickleball courts put in at his local recreation center at the time of his death.

Judge Terry is our Manager here at TT Chesapeake Bay. Judging must be a FUN job!!

A golf cart of a different kind!!

Tabatha is the daughter of our good Pickleball friends, Amy and Tom. She is the cutest thing.

Our friend Judy and her grandkids did a great decorating job. And look at that "little Princess"

Melissa and Eddie bring up the rear of the parade.

These are your JUDGES!! Terry, Ken, and Lisa.

Fellow Pickleball Player, Scott is the big winner!!! Congratulations, Scott!!!