The weather, part II: return of the frozen pipes

So, the bathroom pipes froze on Friday.  They were thawed, nothing burst and the faucets were left flowing.  Sunday morning we awoke to a frozen (again!) hot water pipe to the master bath.  Turns out that BOTH hot and cold water need to be left on in order to keep pipes from freezing.  Easy enough in our guest bath because there's one knob to control the faucet.  The master bath, however, has separate controls for hot and cold.  Getting a low flow mixture to produce tepid water, is not very easy at it turns out. 

In addition, both pipes to the washing machine in our laundry room froze (no where near the bathroom pipes, but another interior wall).  This room was added to the main house sometime in the last 50 years (a guesstimate).  But was poorly constructed with no insulation; and the radiator that was installed doesn't work.  With sub-zero temps that room is just straight up cold.  After double checking the pipes in our cellar/basement/crawl space area, we determined the freeze wasn't down there, but near the tap.  Utilizing our multi-purpose thawing tool, my hair dryer, we got the washing machine up and running.  Only to discover during the rinse cycle, that there was an obstruction in the drain pipe (seriously?!), as soapy, dirty laundry water was spewing into the air.  There was some cursing, pausing of the washer in mid-cycle and scrambling to find large, utility towels to mop of the mess.  It's a good thing we had a hot water load of wash in there, because without any intervention on our part (save time and stopping the machine), whatever was clogging the drain (I think it was an ice-chunk) resolved itself.  We have now invested in a space heater for that room.

The weather: It's cold!

Much like a large portion of the country, we are experiencing extremely low temperatures here in central PA.  As I mentioned in my previous blog we've had to deal with frozen pipes.  We got them successfully thawed and nothing burst, but now we have to have a continuous flow of water streaming from both bathroom sinks (ugh, what a waste!).  Both faucets are on interior walls, so logic would dictate that they wouldn't freeze.  Alas, the main part of the house was built somewhere around 1850, with horizontal stones as the foundation for the exterior walls.  A garage/2nd floor master suite addition was constructed just a few years ago on the North side of the house.  Well, the main hot and cold lines for both bathrooms run through the wall that is the interface between the two generations of construction.  Logic would dictate that this area would have some modern updates for efficiency.  Alas, it is an area where you can clearly see the old stones, can readily feel any draft or breeze, and there is absolutely zero insulation (which explains why the master bath has anti-radiantly heated floors, i.e. they're frigid).  The only difference is that the new pipes are PVC while the old pipes are copper.  So, yeah... I'm glad that A) we do not pay the water bill and B) don't have to pay the money it will take to properly insulate the pipes and addition.  The plus side of dealing with this is that Warren and I know what plumbing access panels look like and we've become handy with a hair dryer... for non-styling purposes.

p.s. 'freezing' has no business preceding 'rain'.  I do not like this weather phenomenon.  It's not common to CO, and it just feels like a step's been skipped, i.e. snow (which I realize is also solid water, but in a more fluffy, less disruptive form.)

Snow in Central PA

I have been assured by many people, that it rarely snows here in the winter time.  If it does, there's very little that falls and it melts quickly.  This news comes from both natives and people who moved here from colder climes (namely Minnesota and Maine).  I believed them, for a while anyway...

The first "snow" we had was maybe an inch: roads were moist and grass blades could still be seen through the dusting.  People here FREAKED out!  They really couldn't handle it.  Drivers crept along the roads, and Danville schools were put on a two-hour snow delay.  Many of my native co-workers were aghast that school wasn't cancelled altogether.  A school bus (from a non-Danville district) did take a turn too fast that morning and slid off the road.  All passengers were taken to the hospital: some had minor injuries, most had no injuries, two were hospitalized overnight.  So, with fears confirmed, people around here officially became chionophobic.

Temperatures remained in the 30's for the next week and we got rain (which did indeed melt the snow). Then another "snow" storm was predicted.  This time school was cancelled the night before the storm hit.  People were braced for the 2 inches that were predicted.  The next morning dawned cold and cloudy.  Every now and then a flake could be seen.  The day went by and nothing happened.  By afternoon the clouds were lifting.  There was no snow.  Karen (my nurse co-worker from Maine) and I were shaking our heads over how fanatical people around here get when it comes to "snow".  I mean really?  What if it actually snowed around here?  Would the world as they know it, end?  I was soon to find out...

December began with mild temps, rain and a day so warm and humid that it felt like a summer's afternoon.  This balmy weather was soon to be squelched by the real deal.  An actual snow storm.  The predictions called for a few inches of snow here, 4 at the most.  We ended up with 6 whole inches of snow!  People did indeed freak out.  School was closed and some shops were too, but as it turns out, the city's infrastructure held up.  Roads were appropriately cleared and the apocalypse did not occur, which, like the rest of the folks around here, was a major concern of mine.  What a relief!

Since then, a few more snow storms have hit.  Warren and I flew in from CO January 2 to a storm in the area that brought frigid temps, wind and another 4-5" of snow.  With all that, I think folks around here are acclimating to the concept of snow in winter time.  Shops are open, streets are clear and drivers are able to navigate at regular speeds.  Although, with this latest storm school was cancelled for two days.  And our bathroom pipes froze.  But other than that, life is fairly status quo around here.

It's the Holiday Season!

Well, true to my journaling track record, I experienced a steep decline in posts starting in August.  And by steep, I mean that I haven’t posted anything since August.  As you may have guessed a lot has happened in that time.  Summer turned into fall, which rapidly turned into winter.  I’ve taken up archery, Warren’s gotten a new job and we’ve both gotten into our routines/grooves.  We’ve gone through Labor Day, the Bloomsburg Fair (it’s a holiday out here), Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and began a new year!  Let’s explore some of these unfamiliar events in more detail, shall we?

Archery

                My friend, Joanne, and I decided we would take up archery together.  We’ve both always thought it would be fun, and given that it’s quite popular around here, we decided there was no time like the present.  We each bought a re-curve bow (think “Katnis Everdeen” from ‘The Hunger Games’) and three arrows, from a shop in Middleburg, PA.  The shop owners, a husband and wife, have some of the best customer service skills of any retail shop I’ve been to.  They not only take the time to help with your current retail wants, but they will have your name and needs memorized from that point forward.  It may not sound like a big deal, but how many stores do you go into on a regular basis, see the same clerk and it takes months before you feel like they know you by name (let alone what you’re in there for)?  Joanne and I made one visit, and promptly ordered bows and arrows.  When I went to pick up the orders, Judy (who had originally helped me and Joanne) was busy with another customer, but with just a glance toward me and the freshly closed front door, she was able to tell her husband, “Kristen is here to pick up both her re-curve and Joanne’s.”  I thought maybe it was a fluke, because two non-camo wearing, females without male companionship in an archery shop is quite a unique sight.  However, every time I've been in since, I’ve observed Keith and Judy greet their other customers in this manner too.

                I'm ok with the bow, I generally manage to hit the target Warren got from Wally-Mart.  But, it is very difficult to aim with a traditional bow.  It's not so much aiming as it is getting a feel for the bow and hoping it hits near where you'd like.  There are no sights, it's just repetition.  To the point that you have to breath the same with every draw and release.  It's not a sport you can excel at if you're not able to get calm and focused.  Good thing a yoga studio opened up in town around the same time I took up the bow and arrow ;-)

The Bloomsburg Fair

                This is an annual, state-fair style event that is coveted by both the locals and carney folk, alike.  People drive from several states away, just to experience this fair.  There are carnival rides and boardwalk games, agricultural competitions (giant produce, anyone?), concerts, rodeo performances, trinket vendors and of course, copious amounts of food; primarily of the fried variety.  Most stands offer your typical deep-fried fare (potatoes, random veggies, oreos, twinkies, etc).  Some have more exotic offerings such as deep-fried, bacon-wrapped, Snicker’s bars.  There’s even a stand that will deep-fry any food-item you bring to them.  So, chances are that if it’s edible and been deep fried before (say at the Texas state fair), someone will offer it at the Bloomsburg Fair too.  And this, the sheer selection of (fried, junk) food, is the main draw to the fair.  Every year there is a heart attack or two on the grounds, and this year was no different.  Although, I think someone has yet to die at the fair from their heart attack.  My cardiology office-mates like to joke that they need to have a Geisinger cardiology stand at the fair, just in case someone needs a coronary cathed or stented emergently.

                The Bloomsburg fair has its own permanent grounds, located at the west end of the town of Bloomsburg (normally a cute, quiet college town.)  Throughout the year, various small events can rent out space on the grounds, but otherwise it’s deserted most of the year.  However, for the week of the fair, the whole area turns into a place of grid-lock and pandemonium.  The local schools get the week off, people set up parking lots in their yards (apparently a very lucrative endeavor), and some (who are dis-enchanted by the whole thing) just leave town until the fair has cleared out.  Hundreds of thousands of people attend annually.

View from the sky ride.  

A people mover to easily get from one end of the fair to another.

Luiz and Joanne

I'm on the left.  

We spent Thanksgiving here in Pennsylvania with Luiz, Joanne and another couple Jared and Amy (he's a urology resident).  We had a wonderful holiday with them, and learned a delicious new way to cook turkey.  Warren and I even managed to get through our Kale salads; the dressing was very yummy!

Christmas and New Year were spent in Colorado.  It was Warren's first trip back home since moving out here in April! (I'd made it home in late August for a few days) We both had a wonderful time, and were sad to leave the bluebird skies of CO for the freezing temps and whipping snows of PA.

And if you're still with me on this post, you'll (hopefully) be as delighted as I am, to hear that Warren and I got engaged on New Year's Eve.  We'll technically very early on 1/1/14, but you get what I'm saying.  We have no date, venue or any details really, but we do know it will be in Colorado.  Probably the mountains.  Probably this year.

You know your patient's constipated when...

You know your patient's constipated when...
Their abdominal pain is trumping their surgical pain

You know your patient's constipated when...
The usual Colace, Senokot and Dulcolax haven't even addressed the problem,
neither has the Dulcolax suppository

You know your patient's constipated when...
They've received a Fleet's enema, followed by two soap suds enemas, with no results

You know your patient's constipated when...
They've received the aforementioned within a 24-hour period, plus a half dose of the bowel prep regimen used for people undergoing colonoscopy, with zero results

And finally, you know your patient's constipated when...
The pharmacy voluntarily pages you, in order to inform you that your patient has been pre-approved for an 8mg, subcutaneous dose of an anti-constipation medication so potent, that results typically occur within seconds of administration.  A medication so potent, and coveted, that it is ordinarily reserved for palliative care patients only.  A medication that is so coveted, and secret, that neither I nor my supervising Physicians have even heard of it, let alone ordered it.

Subsequently order it, I did.  And sure as shit, it worked within seconds...

"Working for the Weekend"

I think I can officially say that Warren and I are "working for the weekend."  Each weekend we seem to find something new to do or just enjoy time hanging out with Joanne and Luiz.  Here are the highlights of our weekends in July:

1) Kayaking the West branch of the Susquehanna river.  A nice wide, smooth flowing river, I got the hang of it pretty quickly.  And with 4 hours on the river complete with snacks, water fights and conversations with good friends, who wouldn't enjoy themselves?

Me and Joanne

Warren

Luiz

2) A long weekend with family.  See my previous post about my sister and dad being in town.  Great memories

3) Archery shopping with Joanne.  Joanne and I decided we'd like to learn how to use a bow and arrow.  Not to hunt anything, but for target practice, especially on those days when you need to release a little tension.  We took a few practice shots with different bow types (recurve vs. compound).  We both like the wooden bows more than the modern ones (like they use in the olympics).  In fact, we ended up ordering the same bow.  No date yet as to when it's supposed to arrive, I'll keep you posted...

4) A brand new yoga studio has opened in town, studioB (www.studiobyogacenter.com).  It is owned by a young lady, Becky, who moved here from NYC, because her sister is starting residency at Geisinger in Ob/Gyn.  She said that she was planning to open a studio soon in Long Island anyway, and when her sister was accepted here, she decided to relocate too.  If nothing else, but to have an opportunity to thrive in a place where there isn't a yoga studio on every corner (I'm sure the rent's cheaper here too.)  I took my first class there today.  It's a great space, very open and inviting with a positive energy.  I was amazed at how much my body/spirit was craving a good yoga class.  I will definitely be back there.

Family Visit

Two weekends ago, I was very happy to welcome my dad and sister to Danville, PA.  They arrived late Thursday night after flying directly from Denver to the Harrisburg airport.  We'd been experiencing a heat wave that whole week prior, and I was concerned that there wouldn't be enough AC in the house to keep us all from melting (or choking on the humid air).  Luckily, the heat wave broke on Friday and we were able to enjoy outdoor activities without too much discomfort.

On Friday, we went to Rickett's Glenn for a hike touring the famous waterfalls.  Rickett's Glenn, as I may have mentioned before, is a recreational state park complete with lake, cabins, camping grounds and hiking trails.  The park is 13,050 acres at the top of a "peak," measuring 2449 feet above sea level.  The most famous of the hiking trails is the aptly named "Falls" trail.  This trail takes you down the hillside through old growth timber on a tour of waterfalls.  There are 22 waterfalls in all, with varying heights up to 94 feet.  The scenery is gorgeous, hike is moderately difficult, and the best part is that there are areas to wade into the water to cool off from the humidity of the area.  We had eaten a picnic lunch before our hike, and rounded out the afternoon with ice cream cones from snack shop after our hike.

Saturday Warren was able to joins for the day's activities (he'd had to work Friday.)  We all went to the gym (Warren and I belong to Anytime Fitness) and got in a great work out.  We then headed to downtown Danville to see what was going on at the Iron Heritage Festival and find a place to eat a late breakfast/early lunch snack.  We ended up at a place called "Pappas."  Warren and I had never tried it before, probably due to low expectations and very limited hours of operation.  It ended up being an experience to remember.  The short of the long of it is:

• They didn't have half the items listed on the menu (it may have been closer to 2/3, I'm not kidding)
• They stopped serving breakfast promptly at 11am (it was 11:04 and we were made well aware that there were no more eggs, toasts, sausage or bacon)
• but if you really wanted something breakfast-like, you could order the lunch-time egg and bacon sandwich (choice of toasted bread, including English muffin), if it was ok that the eggs had an essence of hamburger flavor (the apparent difference between breakfast eggs and lunch eggs)
• Oh, and cash only to pay thank you very much (phew, good thing that's all we had on us)

It reminded me of the "Olympia Restaurant" sketch from the early days of SNL (click here to navigate to the Hulu page, then scroll down to find said sketch: www.hulu.com/best-of-snl )  We hung out in Danville the rest of the day, had an early dinner, then drank wine and played Scattegories at the house until late.  The night was rounded out by a nice fireworks display that we could view from our porch, courtesy of the Iron Heritage Festival.

Sunday morning we met at the Pine Barn Inn (the hotel where my dad was staying) for breakfast, then headed out to Lewisburg for the morning.  Lewisburg is a cute university town about 20 minutes NW of Danville.  It is home to Bucknell, a private liberal arts university with Bucky the Bison as a mascot. We wandered the main street which has some cute boutique shops (most of which are closed Sundays, as is the norm in these parts).  When then had a nice dinner from the grill at home.  Complete with a grilled brussels sprout dish Katrina made.  Dinner was delicious.  We then played Jenga on the patio well into the night, with fireflies and a fire-pit fire in the background.

Monday morning the clock struck midnight, and Katrina and my dad had to leave for home.  I was sad to see them go, but treasure the weekend we spent together.  It made me that much more excited for my trip home at the end of August.

Fall at Rickett's Glenn

Danville as viewed from across the river in Riverside

Candid shot of Katrina and Dad