KSchlenker

With six horses and a donkey, this place isn't large enough...

kschlenker — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 04:16:00 -0600

We finally feel financially secure enough to consider buying a house on some land--the house is a another one third larger with a hugh fireplace. The land has cattle barns in very good condition and is fenced and cross fenced. It is small (only 35 acres) but it is a gorgeous piece of land. I am hoping our mortgage comes through; the Farm Service Agent seemed to think it wouldn't be a problem.

My biggest problem will be moving again. It is hard to live almost 50 miles from where a person works. But I think having the land will compensate him for all of problems he had while he was here (having to buy roll bales every four days).

Ana Bryant, a friend, wants to help people save money on electricity

kschlenker — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 01:33:00 -0600

Ana Bryant, a friend of mine since Jessica first joined 4-H (seventeen or eighteen years ago) is representing a company called Ignite, an alternative electric company (deregulation oriented) with cheaper rates that the big three. I would take advantage of the noticeable difference except we are out of their zone. So if you are down Brazoria County way, consider contacting Ana and seeing if she can get you a better electric rate. PS...I am adding her site to the Family sites on the right side. I have known her for so long, she is like a sister to me.

Out of the Hospital

kschlenker — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 18:25:00 -0600

I am out of the hospital and out of physical rehab. My staples come out on Friday. I can walk farther than I have in months; the surgery was definitely a success. There is some pain at the surgical site, but that is to be expected.

After the surgery, I walked all over the rehab center. Every where I could because it was so wonderful to be walking again, even with that back brace. I walked mostly in the middle of the night to avoid stumbling over a bunch of people, but sometimes I walked very early in the morning, before too many people got there.

My first roommate was 96 years old and didn't talk much. My second roommate immediately reminded me of my mother, was even near my mom's age. We got along great, swapping stories about our families, swapping lunch stuff, and helping each other get through the day. Made the days go by faster.

Update Regarding Mom

Jessica — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 19:43:00 -0600

After I got a call from one of Mom's friends this afternoon, asking for an update regarding Mom's condition, I figured I should update everyone, eh?

At this stage post-operation, Mom is doing quite well. She is in pain, but that is expected. The room is pretty nice and large; there is even a DVD player (thankfully for Little Bear, who is the one mostly at the hospital -- I don't get paid time off for family health things).

There really isn't much else to say, I think. I will update as there is information -- hopefully she will be back home before too long, and will be able to update you all herself!

Turkeys racing and gobbling at the same time....

kschlenker — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 16:08:00 -0500

A New Photo has been added to OurLivestockandPoultry.

Turkeys picking at me and a rooster

kschlenker — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 16:01:00 -0500

A New Photo has been added to OurLivestockandPoultry.

Emus trying to decide if the camera is edible....

kschlenker — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 15:51:00 -0500

A New Photo has been added to OurLivestockandPoultry.

Emus up for sale

kschlenker — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 01:45:00 -0500

Ronald and I recently decided to sell our emus. They are lovely creatures, but we just don't have the space for them to breed and every time they have gotten loose with the horses, Ebony tries to run them down, or the big dogs jump the fence and chase them.

They are too pretty to put in the freezer, so we decided to just about give them away--only $50 each, but the buyer has to buy all six birds. The buyer also has to find a way to transport the birds, but we could do that as well, for a small fee (not even enough to cover gas, we just want a partial reimbursement for transport). Mostly, we want the birds to have a good home. We figure that anyone who actually is willing to spend money on the birds will try to take good care of them, sort of the same idea that goes into charging for puppies and kittens at shelters.

We are even giving who ever buys them a book we bought, The Emu Farmer's Handbook. The cover price on the book is $21, but we want the new owners to treat the birds well, so we are giving it to them for free.

Once they are gone, I will miss them. Not that they were pets--far from it. These birds were raised like livestock, mostly because I didn't want them to fall prey to dogs. Pet birds tend to lose a lot of their fear of everything, including dogs. So we raised the birds with a hands-off approach, so they would respond to us calling them in for food--but stay away from the yard and the dogs.

Once they are gone, the white Chinese geese will have their old pen, and goslings should be around pretty quick after that. Still, I will miss the silly jumping and running of the emus, miss their gorgeous eyes and eye lashes, and their beautiful plumage.

Update for Little Bear 10/24

kschlenker — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 01:28:00 -0500

Little Bear, we will be at the appointment early, by 1 PM our time. As soon as I get the date, I will call the RC, right from Torres' office. Since it is about 1:30 AM our time right now and no one called to cancel during business hours yesterday, I am sure to get the date today. I am sorry this has been one big SNAFU from the beginning, but maybe things will finally be straight by later today.

Update for Little Bear 10/18

kschlenker — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 12:48:00 -0500

After I talked to you, I called the RC. Their representative said I had to wait until I had at the very least a prospective date. She said to call Angela on Monday and try to get an idea of the date or call Angela and have Angela call in to the RC with a prospective date with my current case number.

Update for Little Bear 10/16

kschlenker — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 06:25:00 -0500

Even though all the tests have been done and I have been cleared, I have to see Torres again in the office tomorrow to discuss the different options. After that, the work could be done as soon as Monday. I will call the RC as soon as I can, but you might want to make different arrangements on your end due to the time constraints.

Sunset on Lake Livingston

kschlenker — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 18:36:00 -0500

This picture was actually taken July 9th, but I was going through my pictures and really liked it. I didn't take the picture, so I didn't know it was there--Ronald took the picture from the Luger.

As usual, we spent the night on the water. There just isn't anything like being on a sailboat seeing such a beautiful sunset, then watching all the stars in the sky come to life. (Click on pic for larger view.)

I haven't been posting for a very long time...

kschlenker — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 17:36:00 -0500

...not because I am having overwhelming problems or something, just because I have been superstitious that if I posted something good, it will be like I dropped a mirror and will have seven years bad luck.

Not to say that everything is perfect--my back is out, we had a hurricane (Ike), and one of my dogs killed a kitten.

But my back is about to be fixed. Ike blew down a bunch of branches and knocked out electricity--but we had a small generator, just large enough to run an AC and a portable DVD player to keep me entertained. The dog that killed the kitten was turned over to the Huntsville animal shelter, and was adopted out two days later (hopefully to a family that doesn't have cats).

The positive aspects of our lives far outweigh the negatives. Ronald is working for a seafood restaurant and making more money than he ever has. We bought a small plot of land near Lake Livingston so we could take advantage of their boat ramp to go sailing again. Both of us are developing hobbies together that we never thought of before. We are making positive plans for our future.

So, for the first time in at least a decade, I feel at peace with myself. I don't want this to end. Which is why it may have looked like I have abandoned my site--but I was just waiting. Waiting to be sure that my peace was real. Now I feel the wait is over.

Update for Little Bear

kschlenker — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 17:12:00 -0500

Little Bear,

Tomorrow I will find out the schedule. The paperwork is all in order, it is just a matter of fitting me in to the date book. It looks like it will be longer than the original expected 8 to 9 hours since there is more work to be done per the lady in the office. I have sent a release to their office for the RC, so there won't be a delay in contacting you. Let me know if you have any problems.

Another 419 Scam, this time from Sierra Leone

kschlenker — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 13:50:00 -0500

419 Scams are very strange, prolific, and, to me, dumb. I have a hard time believing that people still fall for them, but apparantly some people do. I used to post many of these, but it got to be too much work and I quit.

Today I am stuck in the house due to the heat, so I am posting one I found in my spam folder. At least spam filters are beginning to cut most of this crap out quicker. To see this one, click on the thumbnails below:

Top of 419 Scam Spam Email

Bottom of 419 Scam Spam Email

Alyssa is homesick for her pretty things....

kschlenker — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 18:21:00 -0500

Mainly, her pretty car. So in this last box of goodies, I sent her an 8 X 10 of her 1992 25th Anniversary Special Edition Chevy Camaro. It is a cutie, I will admit. Not perfect, but a cutie. I just wish I was a better photographer...

I guess a closet is just a big box....

kschlenker — Tue, 06 May 2008 16:58:00 -0500

A New Photo has been added to OurCrazyCats.

Alyssa deployed to Iraq late last night....

kschlenker — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 23:29:00 -0500

We don't know her route, or when she will actually arrive in Iraq, but at least we finally got her official pictures. She has grown up so much, it makes me feel old. Her picture, which was taken in the last few months, is below:

Her beret is red because she is attached to the 82nd Airborne Division, though her job in Iraq will be as an MP.

This is very different from her other "military" outfits---dresses she wore to the Marine Corp Birthday Ball.

One of Alyssa's "uniforms" for the Marine Birthday Ball

Ronald and I have been married for 28 years as of March 1st....

kschlenker — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 10:55:00 -0600

It is strange to think of it, but we have been married almost two thirds of our lives. Maybe that is why I can forgive him, and he can put up with my medical problems. People usually forgive their best friend; people are usually willing to stand by a friend who needs their help and support.

We are both desperate to get the sailboat back on the water. We had planned on going sailing on our anniversary, but had a problem with the boat trailer. We went fishing instead, and Ronald skunked me, though just barely; he caught a striper that might have been 7" long and threw it back in the water. Though there were several fishermen beside us, he was the only one to land anything. I caught nothing, though I got a few weak bites.

Still, it was nice to be out with Ronald, just the two of us, trying to enjoy the day. He left his cellphone in the truck while we were fishing, a gesture I appreciated. Since he was named General Manager at the restaurant where he works, his work load has gone up a great deal. (He no longer works for Jack in the Box. He now works in a 'real' restaurant, that serves seafood, steaks, and mixed drinks. Not only is his job much better, so is his income....)

We visited Lake Bryan, and there was a bunch of little sailboats, apparently for rent during the season. That definitely interested us, because then it meant that the winds, the boat launch, and probably the water depth, would be okay for the Luger.

We were there in our new truck; the first new vehicle we have ever owned. We bought this vehicle to pull the horse trailer, pull the boats, and haul hay for the horses. It is a 2008 Chevy Silverado C1500 longbed, with a regular cab (not extended in anyway). This truck has about 5,000 miles on it, is about two months old, and it had to be returned to the dealership for work four times for a transmission problem. The dealership people were great--it was GM who kept saying do this, do that, and none of it seemed to work. However, this time, the engine light has stayed off, so I am hopeful the manufacturing defect is finally repaired.

It is weird driving a new vehicle, but fantastic. I love to drive vehicles that are high up. I am short, so I feel like I can see much more. The real test for me will be if I can successfully back the truck up to a boat and latch on.

Wow, did I ever get off topic! Oh well, that's life.

Ever have one of those days....

kschlenker — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 09:01:00 -0600

I was doing the usual multitasking today, writing a blog entry and three emails, when Orange decides I am not paying him enough attention. So he waltzed up and plopped down right in front of the monitor. Since my keyboard is on a slide-out, this wasn't a big deal, and I kept working.

However, after a couple of minutes with me continuing to type on the computer (I still had the three emails open and the blog article), Orange became very unhappy. So he jumped down on to the keyboard. He scampered off just as soon as he did it--like he knew it made me very unhappy. I lost everything I had written. Now I will have to do it again.

Orange a few months ago, resting (what he does best!)

Orange is really an affectionate cat. Just sometimes too affectionate.

Oh well, cats, dogs, horses, chickens, turkeys, peafowl, guineas, and emus are meant to make a person's life interesting.

Sorry that I haven't been responding to comments...

kschlenker — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 23:06:00 -0600

I promise that I will soon. I just don't seem to feel like doing much of anything right now.

Newspaper article about the search for my mom....

kschlenker — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 09:11:00 -0600

The newspaper apparently doesn't have a webpage, but if you click on the button below you can read the article (it is 250k+, so it may take a minute to come up):

We already had the memorial service for my mother, though we will be waiting until March to spread her ashes. I received several e-cards, and my sisters and I really appreciate the kind thoughts, prayers, and words.

My mother, Hazel Beatrice Jauer Heggins, has passed away...

kschlenker — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 05:57:00 -0600

Hazel Beatrice Jauer Heggins

Last Thursday, January 23, 2008, my mother took her dogs for a walk on a very cold rainy day. During that walk, something happened and she got lost. One of the dogs abandoned her and returned to the house. The other dog, Ruby, stayed with my mom, and was still guarding her when she was found huddled in an old deer blind about 5 miles from the ranch.

Despite the heroic efforts of dozens of law enforcement and rescue personnel, my cousins Ricky and Billy Rogers, and my sister Deanna Holler and her husband Joe Holler, she wasn't found until Friday, and by then it was too late.

My mother was born September 5, 1934, and graduated from Sinton High School in Sinton, Texas in 1953. After her graduation, she worked as a telephone operator. One of her friends introduced her to a young man that my mom said was the silliest guy she had ever met, a total showoff and a big joker.

That man was Bennie William Heggins, my dad. She married my dad on Halloween of 1953, after knowing each other for a very short time--he always claimed it was 2 weeks, but she told me it was more like a month. They were married 52 years, until his death in 2006.

During their lives together, they raised five daughters, all of whom survive them. From the oldest to the youngest: Belinda Hazel Heggins Aguilar, Brenda Kay Heggins Bryant, Deanna Louise Heggins Holler, Teresa Leah Heggins Walker, and myself, Kelly Denis Heggins Schlenker, and our respective spouses, children, and grandchildren. My mother is also survived by her brother, Leland Jauer, Jr. and his wife Rita Gay Jauer of Houston, Texas, and their daughter. My mother is also survived by several of her in-laws, including Marion and Joyce Heggins of Houston. There are others, but please excuse me if I forget them at this time.

Front: Kelly (me), and Teresa

Back Row: Brenda, Deanna, Belinda

December 1964, Nogales, Arizona

A memorial service will be held at Rancho La Leona East in Guerra, Texas at 11 AM on February 2, 2008; if her ashes are ready, her cremains will also be scattered at that time.

I miss my father a great deal; but I was very close to my mom. She was a lot of fun to go shopping with and go window shopping together even when we were broke. We went to go see dumb (and not so dumb) movies together and we shared books back and forth. When she moved out there, I tried to take her as many videos and books as I could--their tv reception sucked and they were too broke for even a basic satellite package and my dad hated going to the movies, so she never went unless I took her. Mom was always there when I needed a shoulder to cry on over the phone, or to tell her what her namesake and other granddaughters had won or done that week. We loved talking about our animals and their escapades. She was always there to tell me how many calves were born, and if they had rain. She had always been a real calming influence on me (and I am a very hyper high strung person).

I have had "well meaning" people try to tell me that because of Mom's mild Alzheimer's, maybe this was a blessing in diguise. F*ck that. They aren't me. They don't know how I feel. They don't realize my mom was getting better now that she was taking her medicine correctly (thanks to Deanna--I am very grateful to my sister helping my mom all these months; actually, I am extremely grateful to her and her husband Joe; they have both been very wonderful). My mom was looking forward to the future, to seeing her greatgrandchild, Deanna's grandbaby, being born. She was looking forward to the chance to come to Houston and stay with Jessica and Christine and to see my peafowl, turkeys, chickens, and emus. She was really looking forward to Alyssa getting leave before shipping out to Iraq; we were determined that all of us were going down there so all the girls could see her.

These are the same kind of people who seem to think if a person is disabled, that person would be better off dead. Well folks, I am disabled. And I WANT TO LIVE. My mom wanted to live; I know, because Ronald and I finally got to go visit her--we went down there on the Tuesday and Wednesday before she disappeared. She was very excited about the guineas we brought down for Deanna (Mom loved guineas). She told me how excited she was about the greatgrandbaby to be.

I feel that if they don't have something sympathetic to say, they should just shut the f*ck up. They don't seem to realize their words hurt like a stab in the back, like my mom was a worn out old horse that should've have been taken out back and shot. If she were sicker, maybe I could understand their thoughtlessness. But she just wasn't that bad. And NO ONE deserves to die soaked to the skin, in 34 degree weather, with just a light shirt and jeans on in a nasty old deer blind. At least Ruby was there with her, so she didn't die completely alone.

Sorry to go off on a rant. I just had one too many people jaw off at me today. I have had a rough week; four of the seven puppies I took to NABS died because they dug up and bit into amaryllis bulbs in the foster home's yard--I found that out less than 12 hours before finding out that my mom had gone missing.

I put one red rose at the top of this post. My mom loved roses. She never got to raise any once she got to South Texas, there just wasn't enough water for her to "waste" it on a rose bush. I don't think it would have been a waste; it would have made her happy.

Old Arrow Glass speed boat, bought for it's trailer

kschlenker — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 07:35:00 -0600

Ronald and I bought another boat, again purchased for it's trailer. But this one, I am not going to let Ron tear it apart. I am going to rebuild it's engine, I am going to refurbish the inside, I am going to clean it up and restore it. This is the kind of boat I was raised on--a nice sleek power boat. It has a 266 HP OMC Sterndrive, to push a boat that is only 17 feet long.

It looked pretty bad, when we saw it. But I rubbed a small spot on it, and the glass looked good under the grime, and the trailer had a very little rust on it. And it only cost $150. I figure for that price, trailer and all, it would at least give me something to learn on. So it is mine.

When I got it home, I opened up the engine compartment, and the engine appears to be in very good condition, considering. Before I even attempt to start it up, I am going to make sure there is no water anywhere in the system.

Any tips would be GREATLY APPRECIATED. Truly! As I said, though my dad piloted one of these around when I was a kid (it would have been one of his smaller boats), I NEVER did it, and I certainly never worked on the engine.

Christmas time is no time to be giving away puppies

kschlenker — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 23:04:00 -0600

Alyssa, my daughter who is in the Army, is home on leave. She absolutely did not want me to rehome the pups before Christmas because she was worried they would become "Christmas puppies", i.e. dumped a week later. So I will start my little rehoming project this week, for a few of the puppies (I am keeping several).

Puppies never make good surprise presents. The only time a person should get a puppy as a present is when they have asked for one, are aware of what they would have to do to take care of one, are willing to commit to taking care of the young pup, and love the little monster.

Because for the first few months, that pup will be a monster. A real monster. The puppy will chew up everything, shit on your floors, piss on your Persian carpets, eat your favorite book, tear up that dissertation you worked on for a year, ruin the power cord to your laptop, and make a playtoy out of your iPod. The puppy may make you pretty miserable. This is a temporary state, and will end when the puppy becomes a dog.

What they bring to you is joy and love and happiness that will last for years. But since most people don't seem to know how to handle those things, they focus on the negative temporary effects that even human toddlers go through. If they could only see that back some decades ago they were the ones chewing on the furniture, maybe they wouldn't be dumping that puppy at the pound a week after Christmas....

Hand started healing--after stitches were removed.

kschlenker — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 18:10:00 -0600

As is sometimes the case, my hand didn't heal at all while the stitches were in place. Dr. Tremor realized that they were causing more damage than helping, and removed them. He said with my diabetes and decreased ability to heal, that the wound would have to heal from the inside out and the stitches just got in the way. So he took them out, in favor of strips. The strips fell off after a couple days, and the wound looked better than it had since it had happened. He also told me to use the antibiotic once daily, and let the wound dry (which one of the nurses in the ER also said, but the ER doctor instructed otherwise).

Now, though it is still not healed (and there is a great deal of pain in it when I don't take painkillers--which I am avoiding right now), it is almost completely sealed. I can't see all the way down through my skin into my muscle tissue--and sometimes glimpse my bone, as before. It no longer extends around the side of my hand, and the opening is only about half an inch long, though the picture looks like it is longer (that is the peeling of the outer layers of skin along the edges of the original wound).

I really appreciate Dr. Tremor's experience with this kind of problem.

The blender from hell strikes again....

kschlenker — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 05:12:00 -0600

I spent six hours in the ER yesterday because the middle stitch in my left palm came out. While I was there, I was told the spreading infection in my hand caused the stitch to pop. Since I didn't even know I had an infection, it was actually a stroke of luck that the stitch did come out.

The center of the palm of my hand has turned very dark purple, almost black, and the mound on flesh next to my thumb has turned bright red. And the damn thing hurts worse now than when it first happened.

Response to a comment about the blender....

kschlenker — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 18:15:00 -0600

In response to a question about how I could have cut myself on the blender blades, here are some pictures of the blender in question. (I took some painkillers, so forgive me if I wander a bit.)

The blender comes in three parts, the base, the blades, and the container. Unlike a traditional blender, there is no way to put anything in the blender if it is screwed together (there is also no way to use a spatula to get stuff stuck to the sides loose). The parts screw together, and the motor is not supposed to come on unless the blades are locked on the base. Unfortunately, there is no lock on the container to stop the blades and motor if the container is not attached.

When trying to remove both the container and the blades, only the container came off. This made a big mess, and may have been what caused the blender to come on when I tried to remove the blades. That is the only explanation I can come up with because I know I didn't touch the power button. I was lucky in that I was trying to avoid the blades when I was trying to unscrew the blades, or I could have gotten hurt much worse.

This is how the blender looks when it is screwed together:

This is how the blender looks when all the pieces are apart:

This is how the blender should come apart after blending something so nothing falls out:

Unfortunately, this is how it came apart after I tried to blend the tuna and mayo (due to the lap-band, everything has to be very small):

Because it came apart like this, tuna/mayo/gunk got everywhere, possibly even in the motor. And because I wasn't thinking and didn't unplug it before trying to remove the blades, the "up" blade chopped into my hand.

I hope this makes it more clear about what happened.

Blenderizing my hand....

kschlenker — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 12:48:00 -0600

This will be a very short entry. Last night my new blender malfunctioned and sliced open my hand. It started up without the power button being pushed. Then there was blood everywhere (which the dogs lapped up very happily---little carnivores that they are). It didn't really hurt at first, but I panicked from the blood spurts coming from my left hand. Then I called Ronald to come get me, and called Christine to calm me down. She did a good job, and calmed me down enough that I got it wrapped tight enough to stop the bleeding. (I bleed easily due to aspirin therapy and Plavix.)

The wound doesn't look like much. It is only just over an inch long. But it is over half an inch deep, and I could see my bones through the flesh. As the first panic wore off, I was even curious enough to look inside quickly and see fat globules under the layers of skin. I had to do it quickly, because the damn thing bled like crazy if I took the pressure off at all.

Now it is sutured up (though it still bleeds--doc said to keep it wrapped tight). This is what it looks like when kitchen appliances go bad:

The bandage is off for a couple of minutes because I picked a puppy up and she pissed on it....

The doctor had sort of a hard time suturing it because though it was like a razor had done it, it was curved. I also ended up with a tetanus booster and a shot of antibiotics (after all, the blades were covered in tunafish and mayo...)

Orange helping with the laundry....

kschlenker — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 12:34:00 -0600

Orange is helping me with the laundry in his own particular way. I guess he is pressing the sheets for me....