Carla has surgery and 2 week stay in Lincoln NE.

Well, after the last entry into this Blog, we did help Stacy move into her new home.
On Monday 11-05, Carla went in for the scheduled check-up. A 75% blockage was found in an artery in front of the heart. Normally procedure is to insert a stent. While trying to get the stent in they ran into a turn and cut the artery wall. At that time ONLY an emergency open heart bypass will save her life. Carla was transferred to another operating room and had the operation there. The time frame is all fuzzy now but I think it all started about 3PM and I know she went into the open heart part at 7PM. 7PM just happened to be the nurses shift change and I think that set back the op for a short time. When Carla got back to her hospital room it was almost 10PM. (The room was also intensive care)
Stacy had called her sister Ronda and told her about the emergency op. Ronda who lives in Mexico City was in New York City. (Mike and Ronda Rock and their 16 year old son had gone to NYC for a Nicks game on Sat., Jet/Redskin game on Sunday and a soccer game on Monday eve.) Actually Stacy had to text message Mike who was at the soccer game who had to call Stacy and tell her he would tell Ronda as soon as he and Jimmie got back to the Hotel. (Mike's Blackberry has international calling but Ronda's cell does not. Mike is the only one who can call internationally. His phone also does email. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT THROGHOUT THE NEXT TWO WEEKS)
By Tuesday morning Carla is awake, doctor says doing very well but she is on pain pills and droggy. Stacy has taken off work, got her kids (Paige 15 years 11 months, and Michael 12-1/2) to school and on the way to the hospital. I am going to Omaha to pickup Ronda at the airport. Mike had switched Ronda's airline ticket back to Mexico
to a ticket to Omaha on Monday and a ticket to Mexico on Thurs or Friday (I can't remember which day now and you'll know why by the time this is over)
Wed. morning the kids are in school, Ronda and Stacy are at the hospital visting Mom and I am getting ready to head for the hospital. Stacy and kids have a Golden Retriever, Benjamin that stays in the house at night and runs outside during the daytime. As I start to let Benjee outside I can see him chewing on something that turns out to be Ronda's passport.
----- I will have to finish this later but Carla is home doing fine and Ronda is back in Mexico by now, I think -----

Carla's New Top

Dennis Mason and I are going to Goodson Auto Trim, in Manhattan to pickup Carla's convertible that has had a new top installed. We had taken it down there a week ago last Monday. Carla will drive it to Lincoln for the weekend but probably won't get to put the top down. I'll ride the bike and it should be nice enough weather for that in the afternoons at least.
(It is 7:35 AM now. The BLOG time differs. It may be PDT?)

Getting ready for the weekend to help Stacy's move and Carla's doctor appointment Monday.

Carla has an appointment for Monday at the Heart Institute at Lincoln. They will do that dye test for plugged arteries. She will not stay overnight unless they have to install a stint.
Stacy will be moving Friday eve and Saturday. We'll go up tomorrow (Friday) and help her. Because of Carla's doctor's appointment we'll spend the weekend.

Tuesday evening Mike Greory and I met Bob Roeder and rode to Centrailia where we met with Legion Riders from that area to rise the flag at the Centrailia High School Football Game. I think there were 9 of us and 8 bikes. I think Wayne Byers is missing from the photo.

Studebaker friends and Saturday night out....

Yesterday afternoon we met some Studebaker friends at the Sac and Fox Casino and ate. We had done that in Sept. of last year and hope it has turned into an annual event. The couples we met were Larry and Rachella Briggs, Topeka, Lester and Lila Bartels, Topeka, and John and Diane Crooks from St. Joe Missouri. Missing were Harry and JoAnn from Beatrice Nebraska as JoAnn is recovering from pneumonia. (Hope she's doing well...)
I think everyone had a good time and as some were gambling when Carla and I left, I hope they became RICH also.

Since it has been 10 days since the last entry, I have forgotten all that has happened. We have been spending time in Lincoln with Stacy, Paige and Michael. The bike got it's 30,000 mile service and was entered in the Frontier H.O.G. mileage program with 30,400 miles for the year ending Oct. 28. The bike will be a year old next Sunday!!!! Haven't decided where to take it for it's birthday but maybe Disneyland?

Sure had a good time seeing old Studebaker friends again!!!!!

Slideshow for "Been There" Album

See if I remember how to do slideshow....

Pictures of RJ's and my trip to Arkansas....

I am trying something new, a slideshow, hope it works

Monday, Oct 15, 2007

Sort of a blah day. It was grey, gloomy and damp most of the day. I worked at the school until 9:45. I worked setting up the gas stove in the basement so I can use it to dry out the basement. Rain water has been coming in the outdoor stairway for at least 16 years and it may be time to do something about it. The stove lit right up but the vent was taken down years ago. I will redo the vent and hang some lights in the basement too. I did come home to watch Drew on his first day on "The Price is Right". I don't know for sure why I did that. Took a short nap after the show and just never got back into the mood for the rest of the day :-) There is always tomorrow?
Did get a refurbished phone in the mail and the old one is ready to return. New one has everyone who is anyone's number. (just in case, send me your phone numbers so you'll be in my phone) I have the Blackhawks, Harley dealers, some Ham Radio Operators and a few Studebaker owners numbers.
Hope tomorrow the weather is better and I get something done.

This is our 1957 Studebaker Silverhawk that we have had since April Fools Day 1995. It has a Studebaker 289 V8, 3 speed transmission with overdrive, bucket seats and front disc brakes. The mag wheels are after market and originally design for Avanti's

Sunday Oct, 14

We are back from the Studebaker Drivers Club Zone meet in McPherson. We had great time and met old Studebaker friends Carla has not seen since last year. I saw most of them at the SDC meet in Branson the first part of Sept.
Now is a good time to describe the Studebaker Driver Club. It's an International Origination of 12,000 to 13,000 members with many from Canada, Europe and Africa as well as many from Australia. I don't know how many local chapters there are but we belong to 4 of them. Husker Chapter from Omaha Nebraska, Heart of America from ST Joe and Kansas City Missouri, Mid-MO from around the Lake of the Ozarks, Jefferson City, and Columbia. We also belong to the Kaw Valley Chapter from Lawrence, Topeka and that area.
It rained hard Friday morning before we left Marysville and the forecast was for rain all weekend. I left the Harley at home and we just took the Silverhawk Studebaker. The forecast was pretty close but it was nice Saturday for the Car Show.
Brother Jim and Betty bought supper Saturday eve and put us up for the night. We did watch Kansas State beat Colorado. Sunday morning at breakfast at Russell's, Rich (Itchy) Weber and his fiance, Nancy came in and we got to vist with them.
VERY good weekend.....

Back to Thursday

Yesterday I didn't get the motors and trannies moved. After I got the VW motor moved I started on a Stude V8 259 and transmission still bolted together. The engine hoist I had cobbled up for the front loader was not engineered right. It buckled in the middle and didn't pick up anything. Like they say, back to the drawing board. After finding out the local Alltel shop couldn't help me with the cell phone I rode up to Lincoln. They are sending out a replacement at no charge. This one is a refurbished replacement too, about two months ago. We'll see.
Every Thursday evening is also reserved for supper out with Mom and Bucks. My mother and cousins Bill and Barb and their son Steve Buck. We have been doing this since my father died 3 years ago.

Friday Oct. 12

Today Carla and I are going to a Studebaker Zone Meet in McPherson Kansas. Carla will drive the Stude and I'll ride the Harley. We'll stop in Salina and meet Brother Jim for a bite to eat around noon then go on down to the meet. We'll stay at the host motel, the Holiday Manor, tonight and after the car show tomorrow we'll go back to Salina and spend the night at Jim and Betty's. Jim and Betty have a 1963 Studebaker, Avanti that they will probably bring down Saturday. McPherson is about 40 miles South of Salina or 150 miles from Marysville. The Zone meets are ALWAYS fun and time to meet many old friends.
The temp here now is 50 degrees so probably will wait until about 10 to leave. Oh, I'll stop by, City Cycle Sales, in Junction City, (the Harley dealer) and get my mileage authorized. They will send in the 29,489 miles and I'll get a 10,000 mile and 25,000 mile patch from, Harley Owners Group, (H.O.G.) or (HOG Group) I want to get 100,000 miles before I get to old :-)

Thurs. Oct 11

Yesterday when I got up it was cold (felt cold, it was 5o) so I stayed in the house for awhile. I checked my email, messed with the blog and got six days worth of clothes ready for the wash. I put the radiator hose on the Studebaker. About 10 I rode over to the shop in Home City and found that there was more to do there now than before I left a week ago. The grass had grown and some weeds had really grown. Instead of mowing I decided to clean out the shop in the school. First thing I want to do is move 5 motors and 2 transmissions to Duke's old Van for storage. I started to make an attachment to the front loader of the tractor to move the motors. John Robinson called and said he was coming over to chat. John brought some pics of the School and grounds that he had taken a few years back. John stayed for a hour or so then I got the engine hoist completed. Today I should get the motors moved. (Still need to do the pointing and tucking before winter)

Oct 10, Just back from trip to Ozarks

Friday Oct, 5, RJ Vogelsburg and I met at CJ Express and started on a 5 day trip to the Arkansas Ozarks. We left at 8AM as scheduled. Our intentions were to get to Branson early the first day and ride for a few hours around the area. Our trip to Springfield was uneventful but the traffic in town was really bad. We looked for and found a biker bar on the south side of town. It was 3:15 when we got there and they opened at 4 so we went on. The bar, (Riverside or something like that) was definitely set up for bikes. The parking, up-close was for bikes only. There was even a special area setup for burnouts. We headed down 160 to Branson. 160 is a back way to Branson. A couple miles south of Nixa we were behind a string of cars and an old car pulling a trailer with lawnmowers. Suddenly the guy pulling the trailer stops to pull into his driveway. The three cars ahead of us and I got stopped but RJ was enjoying the view of the farms. By the time he saw everyone stopped it was to late. He dropped his bike and slid on the asphalt. He got up with some strawberries and handlebars bent. After the cops came and wrote up the accident a Nixa city employee helped us get the bike rideable and gave us the phone number of a friend in Branson that could replace the handlebars.
Some where during this time RJ's phone had rang and he'd found out one of his barns had burned down.
When we arrived in Branson and after checking in to the Riverboat Motel, RJ decided he could ride the bike without replacing the bars. We went to the drugstore, got some bandages and pain pills then got something to eat.

Saturday we rode east to 125 and headed to Arkansas. Just into Arkansas we took the ferry across Bull Shoals. At Harrison we rode Highway 7 to Hot Springs. (Highway 7 is listed as one of the 10 Most Scenic Highways in the US) Hot Springs was celebrating Octoberfest.

Sunday we rode to Fayetteville. The scenery between Danville and Paris was outstanding. I recommend this section of Arkansas to anyone.

Monday, RJ had decided to head home to find out more about the barn and get his bike damage estimated before going back to work Tues eve. (OK I'll ride aways with you) He wanted to go up 99 in Kansas to look at the farms south of Emporia. I suggested going over to Oklahoma and up. From Fayetteville we went over to Siloam Springs which is on the OK border. By the time we got gas and RJ said he had better put his rain gear on, the sky opened up and the rain was POURING down. Since it was nice and sunny in Fayetteville when the rain let up some I said goodbye to RJ and took off going east again. Instead of sun I ran into the pouring rain and was soaked by the time I got 20 miles. I wasn't to far from Fayetteville and the Chief Motel we had stayed at the night before so I went back and checked in. The rain let up about 2PM so I had time to go by Altell and find out that my phone worked fine while I was around their office but after they closed the phone quit too. I got to ride some but did watch a lot of the Beaver, I Love Lucy and Andy Griffith.

Tues. It was up and on the road at 7. It was cold and so foggy you really had to watch yourself. There must have been close to 100 schools getting out of Fayetteville to Highway 45. After a couple hours on 45 it had warmed up and the fog had lifted. The ride and the scenery to Eureka Springs was very good. While I ate breakfast in Eureka at the Pancake Place (most of it's decor was Studebaker stuff, left by previous owner) I looked at the telephone book for an old Navy buddy but he must have left town (since 1963). I had no specific plans after Eureka Springs but since Aurora Missouri was on the way home I decided to look up a Studebaker friend that sold Studebaker parts and get a upper radiator hose for our Studebaker Hawk. Myron didn't have one so we called Lester in Lebanon. Lester had a hose. Lebanon is only SOME out of the way home and since I didn't have to be home today I'll go see Lester. Lester is the guy that has to show you everything he has and talk your leg off before getting around to getting your part. (that's not all bad) We had talked about Studebakers he had in 1963 and I had looked at his new shed that he had built since I had been at his place last. When he said come on in the house Wendy made some cookies and wants to show you her new potter's wheel, I said I needed to get the hose and start home. Then we started talking about our friend Vic Collingham, there goes another 15, 20 minutes. I knew it was 2:15 and it takes 6 hours to get home. A no brainer and I head home. Going through KC from 5 to 6 is not the best time but at least I was going the right direction. (I would NEVER live or work anywhere if I had to put up with traffic like that) Got home around 8:15 and I was pretty cold and tired by then.
Overall the trip was outstanding and the roads and scenery great. Hope RJ heals up soon and will be ready and willing to ride again.

Friday Oct 5

Up and raring to goto the Ozarks. Plan to be back Tuesday the 9th....

Thur. Oct 4

Roger passed his drivers test and the examiner said he was a good rider. We celebrated at Valentino's with pizza and ice cream.
This morning I went to Frontier Harley in Lincoln for the 27,500 mile service. Checked with H.O.G. (Harley Owners Group) International to make sure I was registered for the HOG mileage program. I was. I will get some pins and patches for mileage accrued.
On the way to Lincoln I went though Washington and paid $96 for my last speeding ticket. (they are getting cheaper at least) On the way home I picked up Clatonia, Pickrell and the city limits sign of Beatrice for the "Been There" alblum.
Went out to the regular Thursday night feed with Bucks and Mom but mom didn't go because she has a cold. Legion Ball Team had Soup Supper tonight. Very Good Too!
I am packed and ready to go to the Ozarks tomorrow. Should get to Branson and check in about 3PM. I know of a 100 mile ride that Mike Gregory and I did last month, and we'll probably do that run. Friday we'll go down Hiway 7 to Hot Springs then things are up for grabs. Plan on coming back next Tuesday.
I am taking to Laptop so may put up some pics on the way.....
CUL

Wed. Oct. 3

It was in the 40's this morning at 8 so I messed around with the "Been There" album. I added captions to the pictures and I think that improves the whole thing. It's 11:30 and 70 degrees now.
Time to go for a ride.
At 3:30 Carla and I will ride to Seneca with Roger and Mary McGrath so Roger can take his drivers test for a motorcycle license.
Friday at 8 0'clock RJ Vogelsburg and I will go down to the Ozarks for 5 days. LOTS of good ride there....

Tuesday Oct. 2

It was suppose to rain this morning so after messing around home until about 9, I rode to the shop (in Home City) and got the pickup. Picked up some tree limbs and bushes, around the house, that I had pruned last week. About 10 it started rain and by noon it had rained a couple inches. I had taken the new Studebaker registeration papers to Home City and while doing the 58 Hawk I saw the State had made the tag for a 60 Stude Convertible. That tag had been on that car in 2005 but had been transfered to the Hawk in 2005. The papers were right last year (2006) but screwed up this. I took the papers to the Court House and they were going to straighten them.
It's 1 o'clock the rain has stopped and the streets are drying up. The bikes in Home City so I go get it and take off for Mariette, Burns and DuBois NE (they're on my list of missing Been There towns). In DuBois I decide to start another Album of American Legion Post with my scoot.
It's to early to head home so I go east to Fairveiw and south on US75 to Kansas State Highway 9. Nine is always fun a I ride it a lot. Stopped in Vermillion and shot the bull with Daisy and the boys there. Daisy reminded me of the picture of Raymond (her dead husband) riding his Harley standing on the with his arms straight out. Taken in Colo in the 50's.
The rest of the ride was uneventful but the wind was out of the west blowing about 30 miles per hour. The gas mileage was great going east....

10-01-2007 I went to Cowboys to have a new front tire installed. Cowboy opens at 10 and shortly after 11 I was on my way to Palmer, Ames, St Joe and Miltonville to get pictures for the Been There files. Palmer, Ames and St. Joe were cool and the riding was great. Temps were starting to get in the upper 70's.Two miles south of St. Joe Kansas on a gravel road I could tell the rear tire, the new one, was getting low. After stopping and looking at the tire I decided it was twice as big as it should be for the amount of air that was in it. I turned around and rode back to St. Joe. I found a guy shingling his house and he had an air compressor for the nail gun. He filled up the tire and I headed for Clyde KS. No one in Clyde could fix the tire so I called Cowboy. Cowboy sent his sister down with a pickup and trailer and we got the bike back to the shop. Looks like the tube is bad from the manufacturer.
By this time it's 4 o'clock and time to go home and see what Carla is doing.

Pictures of Poker Runs and more...

http://picasaweb.google.com/2007xl50/

Start of the blog 09-30-2007

This BLOG will try to keep track of the events and happenings of Ronnie and family as well as the Blackhawk Motorcycle Club Inc. and the Post #163 Legion Riders. Studebakers and The Studebaker Drivers Club will pop up once in a while too.