Slight Detour: Wet Wednesday, Etc.

We can now have a fire in the wood stove.

A while back we learned that, for safety reasons, the chimney-sweeping folks would not sign off on our lighting a fire in the stove until we had to have a new chimney.

So, yesterday turned out to be a perfect day weatherwise for the installers to remove the old chimney parts and replace them with new.

While Kalen and his assistant Corey methodically went through their procedures both inside and out, Bill and I spent most of our day outside.

Bill sawed stuff, while I buried bulbs in the ground and did some more leaf raking and pickup.

What a lovely November day it was with the sun shining and relatively warm temps!

Definitely a good opportunity to finish more outdoor projects.

And, it was topped off by an amazing Northern Lights show and another impressive ZAGS victory, this time over Creighton University.

I saw the following this morning and thought it was worth sharing.

It's a summary of Warren Buffett's final thoughts to his shareholders as he retires as CEO of Berkshire Hathaway.

I did not push the down button in the elevator until after I'd taken this photo, which seemed like a nice way to celebrate a glowing health report from Paige, my medical provider.

After what I consider a medical year from Hell, the news was almost all good, except for a couple of admonishments: check that blood pressure periodically at home, away from white coats and drink more fluids.

I'm dehydrated but healthy. All the blood tests say that, as do all the poking and proddings.

PLUS, I knew the answer to the cognitive test, which this time did not involve an address in Portland.

This time I had to memorize three words in the order given and, after drawing numbers on a clock and then sketching in a specific time, I had to repeat the three words again.

The digital age of telling time threw me for a momentary loop, but I drew the hands in their proper position.

I also reported to Paige while she was reporting to me that, except for my unruly gut, I feel better than ever.

The weight loss has, no doubt, contributed to that, and Paige isn't too concerned about the weight loss cuz she figures I'm eating better and that when the diet doesn't involve sugars and fats, I'm not going to gain weight.

So, Monday was a happy day and seeing that pretty fall scene through the elevator glass simply enhanced the positive feeling.

I'm still dealing with colitis but it seems so much more manageable than it was a few months ago.

Life is good, and I am grateful.