tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48444207098962031802024-03-14T05:48:48.185-07:00elswinger's worldLife in Seattle for a 40-something who is learning to live on his own in a wheelchair after a year and a half in a nursing homeLarry Davenporthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08176896901894522192noreply@blogger.comBlogger150125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4844420709896203180.post-54859600352553336342009-04-19T13:06:00.000-07:002009-04-19T13:27:23.009-07:00The Cause of Larry's DeathThe official cause of death is<br /><ol><li>Septic shock likely from pneumonia</li><li>Respiratory failure from 1</li><li>Cardiovascular collapse from 1</li><li><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Immunosupression</span> from renal transplant</li></ol>The course of events as best I can tell, are as follows.<br /><br />On Tuesday April, 7 at around 6AM he arrived at Virginia Mason complaining of chest pains. He must have called 911 because his wheel chair was still at his apartment and no one seems to have known he went to the hospital. After an hour or two in the ER he began to have problems breathing. He was put on a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">ventilator after some initial hesitation. He would have been sedated at that time.<br /><br /><br />At </span> 6 PM they called me and said he had pneumonia, was sedated, and in the critical care unit. At 1:30 AM Wednesday morning they called and said he had been having a hard time breathing and expelling the c02 from his lungs. His heart had also stopped and because he was in a prone position to facilitate breathing, it took a minute to put the rotating bed in a position where they could apply CPR. After 4 or 5 minutes they were able to get his heart to work on its own. The doctor was doubtful that further interventions would help.<br /><br />At 9:30 AM Wednesday, I arrived at the hospital and they told me he had passed away at 9 AM. His blood pressure over the evening had gotten lower and lower and even though they had put him on four different medications to stabilize the pressure, it continued to get worse. The doctor also noted that after they had revived him his eyes were not reactive. It is possible that after they restarted his heart he had suffered significant brain damage.<br /><br />PaulLarry Davenporthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08176896901894522192noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4844420709896203180.post-52098169615404981942009-04-12T11:37:00.000-07:002009-04-12T11:51:21.729-07:00Thanks for the Interest - Memorial PlansI want to say thanks for the interest and nice comments on this blog and at the <a href="http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2009/04/10/rip-elswinger">Stranger</a>. I know he would have appreciated them all.<br /><br />There were some questions, so I will answer them as best as I remember them.<br /><br />First, though, the memorial is for Saturday April, 18 at the 6 Arms in Seattle. We will be holding it upstairs. Anyone from the blog community who wants to come is welcome. We will have an album of photos so you can see him in better times.<br /><br />Other answers<br /><ol><li>I will give a full answer of what happened after the memorial. I think it best to wait until then. He was very open abouthis health, but it is best to wait a little longer.<br /></li><li>Arrangements have been made for his body, but thanks for the offer to take up a collection.<br /></li><li>Donations to the NW Kidney Centers is perfectly acceptable.</li><li>My last conversation with him was about going to the Slog happy hour, which he was looking forward to attending.<br /></li></ol>Jason Cheung, if you can't come by the memorial, I come see you when I can.<br /><br />PaulLarry Davenporthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08176896901894522192noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4844420709896203180.post-61819745163190245472009-04-10T17:27:00.000-07:002009-04-10T17:31:47.304-07:00Rest In Peace LarryIt is with deep regret that I have to notify you that Larry passed away on Wednesday, 4/8/2009.<br /><br />He appreciated all who read his blog since it gave him a sense of <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">purpose</span> during some otherwise trying times.<br /><br />PaulLarry Davenporthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08176896901894522192noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4844420709896203180.post-78890462985707884782009-04-06T13:43:00.000-07:002009-04-06T17:39:47.044-07:00My day so far<div style="text-align: justify;">It's been a rough day and as of this moment in writing it is only 1:30 p.m.<br /><br />(<span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">WARNING: It gets graphic!</span>)<br /><br />I greeted the day at 8:30 a.m. with a case of explosive diarrhea <span style="font-style: italic;">after</span> I got dressed. I cleaned up the mess as best I could, but it was humiliating. A few hours later it happened again, messing the clothes I had changed into. Now I have no towels, washcloths, sweatpants or sweatshirts and, though I can't smell it, I am sure the place smells like shit. I can only get one of my windows open. I am down to my last pair of pants (shorts actually) and a whole lot of laundry that needs to be done pronto! Theresa, a nurse from the home is going to come by tomorrow and do imy laundry. Both the nurse and an Occupational therapist are coming by around 2:00 pm., so hopefully we can address the fact that I need some FUCKING HELP!!!<br /><br />This has been a hard weekend with just a few bright spots.<br /><br />What is going wrong (so far):<br /><br /><ul><li>Explosive diarrhea.</li><li>Not having a useable toilet or toilet-type device.</li><li>My bed being massively uncomfortable and hard to get in and out of without a transfer device.</li><li>All the chewed up doorways and scratched doors and walls from my wheelchair</li><li>My chair is semi-broken. The joystick fell off and is now being held on with a rubber band.</li><li>My inability to clean the apartment, including the kitchen and the floor.</li><li>My retirement check won't show up until the end of the week, at the earliest, and I am already broke.</li></ul><br />Bright spots?<br /><br /><ul><li>Running into my friend Marianne while going to the U-District Farmer's Market.</li><li>The Farmer's market itself (I want me some organic beef and pork, some salmon, and some shellfish).</li><li>The donut place on 45th & Roosevelt is pretty good and open 24 Hours (if I need them I know they are there).</li><li>The sun is out for a third (or fourth) consecutive day.</li><li>Tazo's Iced Black Tea bags at Starbucks are great. I have gone through a bag a day (each bag makes a half-gallon).</li><li>I was able to make all the phone calls I needed to make since getting out of the home, and I don't owe them anymore money (the check cleared).</li><li>I am getting eight hours sleep.</li><li>No screaming. The building is very quiet. My alarm clock in the living room has gone off twice at midnight and it will ring for an hour or until it gets shut off. I wasn't getting out of bed in the dark, so I let it ring. No one came to complain. (On the other hand, I think if I had to scream for help, no one would hear me).</li><li>The only bad smells are coming from me.</li></ul><br />More after 2:00 p.m<br /><br />So now it is almost 5:30 p.m. and both the nurse and occupational therapist have come and gone. They pretty much just told me what I already knew.<br /><br />A) My nursing home, which I will now identify as Park Ridge, were fucked in the head for not preparing me better to leave, even on a week's notice. They sent me out with nothing. I should have had everything ordered by them and set up in my apartment before I left. Now, it's not their responsibility. So now I have to call DSHS tomorrow to find out if I have a case worker and how to start getting benefits (ie. help).<br /><br />I have to order a sliding board. I can get a plain wood board for free, or get what I am used to, a "BZ Board" which is $300-500 dollars.<br /><br />The bed I am using, that I got for free, would cost me $2,000 (and it is a piece of shit). All I can do is try adding padding to make it more comfortable.<br /><br />The diarrhea is probably caused by my stopped taking Oxycondin and Dilaudid. Pot might kill pain, but it does not make for firm stools. I'll go back on the hard drugs and take some Imodium for the time being.<br /><br />I wound up buying a flashlight and a new bed pan and grabber was just delivered (I owe my therapist $30).<br /><br />The next <a href="http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2009/04/06/slog-happy-is-this-week">Slog Happy</a>, where readers of the Stranger's Blog meet at a different bar once a month, is being held at The Blue Moon Tavern, which is at the end of the alley behind my building. I am going to do my best to show up.<br /><br />I got some food at Wingzone and since I am done with people for the day, I am going to just hang out and listen to tunes until I fall asleep. Laundry first thing in the morning!<br /></div>Larry Davenporthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08176896901894522192noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4844420709896203180.post-53068599964042195932009-04-05T19:45:00.000-07:002009-04-05T20:04:23.353-07:00A quick one<div style="text-align: justify;">I got to dash this off before the sun goes down. Until I get a lamp by my bed or a very long stick to flick off the wall switch, I have to get to bed while I can still see.<br /><br />The day started off cool. I went to Wallingford and had a waffle at The Rusty Pelican. The place was packed. Since it's the only place for breakfast now in that area the place is jumping. (The waffle is always good and they use heavy cream with their coffee).<br /><br />I got home around two and had to get into bed so I could B.M. (which was explosive, but I managed). However I then noticed I had inadvertently pulled out the plug to the bed, so I couldn't raise the bed again to get in my chair, which was about four inches higher than me when I am sitting on a sagging and very uncomfortable mattress. I lay there and pondered what to do for a couple hours. I was starting to regret leaving the home and now understand where all the money I was giving them was going. It was paying the salaries of the people who picked me up and cleaned the shit off me.<br /><br />It took a couple hours of stacking blankets and clothes and rolling on top of them then it took all the strength to pull myself into the chair, so I could pack up my shit and then get something to eat and write this before turning in again. (I cranked the manual raiser with hopes eight cranks would raise the bed high enough...I wound up leaving my front door unlocked tonight in case I can't get out of bed to let the nurse in...hopefully, if necessary, she can talk her way into the building).<br /><br />Things should improve this week. I should be seeing a nurse almost every day and I should be seeing a social worker, an occupational therapist and a physical therapist, and will probably have to pay someone to come check on me every day and do my laundry and clean and stuff. It's embarrassing what I can't do. I also hope to get a reacher (a stick with a claw on it), a commode chair (self explanatory) and a table I can use in bed and use the computer). Right now it is usually tethered to my hard drive, where all my music is. (Luckily the Mac Pro came with a remote control that can control iTunes and Front Row).<br /><br />I hope I get my retirement soon (tomorrow please). Before I buy the TV and stereo and something for other people to sit on, I am buying a comfortable bed. I spend 50% of my day in it, I shouldn't be in pain.<br /><br />It's almost too dark to see and I got to pee. Tomorrow. <br /></div>Larry Davenporthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08176896901894522192noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4844420709896203180.post-77857155528956231052009-04-04T19:40:00.000-07:002009-04-04T20:05:57.804-07:00Out and AboutToday was very sunny and mild. It was a nice change after a couple days of driving icy rain, and some snow. I spent a lot of time outside today. I wound up getting out of bed at 8:30 a.m. because I didn't know what time it was. The nurse was to come by at 11:00 and I need to be out of bed to let her in. So I wound up exploring the Ave. I checked out the Farmer's Market and ran into my friend, Marianne, who I worked with at the UW Chemistry Department. I don't know how much the people I worked with meant to me. They showed me great support and kindness when I got six. They donated almost six months worth of sick leave for me to keep me on insurance.<br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />I took my camera with me because I wanted to take pictures of what the curbs and roads look like near my apartment building I took pictures of 20 different curbs, but the photos below are representative. If only the Mayor spent 10% on neighborhood road repaving as much as he spent on developing North Gate, my travels wouldn't be so difficult.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdMjm-oxz1OPwmT69blxPUCfj-CV6tZVC1neOnzYevfXykwv9V4TmFH3jSMYdQXNNq1WaTTpgrec4IrT-dv6GcwVN-WIEQQZ1d7vm1SSl2hknBnhE_CL-10j1o4Zb9FBRWHwUQn7M-hSdE/s1600-h/IMG_0001.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdMjm-oxz1OPwmT69blxPUCfj-CV6tZVC1neOnzYevfXykwv9V4TmFH3jSMYdQXNNq1WaTTpgrec4IrT-dv6GcwVN-WIEQQZ1d7vm1SSl2hknBnhE_CL-10j1o4Zb9FBRWHwUQn7M-hSdE/s320/IMG_0001.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321035215758266082" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5O_lDOWAuK6cbAza0y849W41Rnt7RxZM9O_Y5ROQIp-HZtZHMIjVQTGrHvSsWzGpW_BWwuruNeVBsewZfsrzs-vacpgoOPoR48LQYJugh5Pq-3M6ul5IWhTFxANLvER1Jxcd1fjblGP6f/s1600-h/IMG_0009.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5O_lDOWAuK6cbAza0y849W41Rnt7RxZM9O_Y5ROQIp-HZtZHMIjVQTGrHvSsWzGpW_BWwuruNeVBsewZfsrzs-vacpgoOPoR48LQYJugh5Pq-3M6ul5IWhTFxANLvER1Jxcd1fjblGP6f/s320/IMG_0009.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321035523229890530" border="0" /></a><br />So I wind up driving in the street often:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCuxZs8q2sdwayiNxgkar4gtw38iZB2QpXx1C40AdZQouKJuamXMUrJCfnti_4JFdfEXSmlcBaPtqgFf_w8FgXgB2z0phGv9LhRnNys-4GVSIHaeG7ur3UVkdkN4K2cJFh6qh_iS_W18HQ/s1600-h/IMG_0006.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCuxZs8q2sdwayiNxgkar4gtw38iZB2QpXx1C40AdZQouKJuamXMUrJCfnti_4JFdfEXSmlcBaPtqgFf_w8FgXgB2z0phGv9LhRnNys-4GVSIHaeG7ur3UVkdkN4K2cJFh6qh_iS_W18HQ/s320/IMG_0006.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321036672701399906" border="0" /></a><br />And this is what it looks like <span style="font-style: italic;">on</span> the sidewalk:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO8cdpLdnni_Vt1eBTLp4PP__0P2Ra1Y3M1ACk-jnoKG0gE7qPpjYpdt8suvrtyFFkd9cQavYkmN7aanv-lVJUEk9GZPuWZbKLy9Ln_sHDlvkbOF4FJI_TTG9-06Av8aOLpIt2C-haD_BR/s1600-h/IMG_0017.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO8cdpLdnni_Vt1eBTLp4PP__0P2Ra1Y3M1ACk-jnoKG0gE7qPpjYpdt8suvrtyFFkd9cQavYkmN7aanv-lVJUEk9GZPuWZbKLy9Ln_sHDlvkbOF4FJI_TTG9-06Av8aOLpIt2C-haD_BR/s320/IMG_0017.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321036667529465938" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh18v6VC-llmFpefCvl5OkuGzDzHWPR2x_SoXEb6qxHN3Zr7CxMSPqJvPOZRiiTpFwpyI8Q29_eZpqWskBrTOHW25-x8B4G1HuzlhxPjnXF4t4KChYLDOAuHztXt5QfYLld_19l9KwlJy2h/s1600-h/IMG_0016.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh18v6VC-llmFpefCvl5OkuGzDzHWPR2x_SoXEb6qxHN3Zr7CxMSPqJvPOZRiiTpFwpyI8Q29_eZpqWskBrTOHW25-x8B4G1HuzlhxPjnXF4t4KChYLDOAuHztXt5QfYLld_19l9KwlJy2h/s320/IMG_0016.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321036664590978114" border="0" /></a>I didn't take pictures at the Farmer's Market or buy anything, but when I have my cooking stuff and the kitchen working I want to go back and get some steak and shrimp and clams and cheese (maybe some vegetables).<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5O_lDOWAuK6cbAza0y849W41Rnt7RxZM9O_Y5ROQIp-HZtZHMIjVQTGrHvSsWzGpW_BWwuruNeVBsewZfsrzs-vacpgoOPoR48LQYJugh5Pq-3M6ul5IWhTFxANLvER1Jxcd1fjblGP6f/s1600-h/IMG_0009.JPG"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></a></div>Larry Davenporthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08176896901894522192noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4844420709896203180.post-19858710674642580272009-04-03T20:33:00.000-07:002009-04-03T21:08:33.372-07:00A Productive Day<div style="text-align: justify;"><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1unp79Gh0CrH9AGqVKoEkb8be237p3_Js3sf3hV5_vgxJKB9E7npCfd9KewkTaKrqnueSEjXlMHvkOaf9n5acOthX5nVJZIbk9PxbrWpCuiePJqWokmrGAY2_eehxTuOJHfNG3F-ci0er/s1600-h/IMG_0007.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1unp79Gh0CrH9AGqVKoEkb8be237p3_Js3sf3hV5_vgxJKB9E7npCfd9KewkTaKrqnueSEjXlMHvkOaf9n5acOthX5nVJZIbk9PxbrWpCuiePJqWokmrGAY2_eehxTuOJHfNG3F-ci0er/s320/IMG_0007.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320675272700429410" border="0" /></a> My View to the North<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtXxveBn-0Nj6rC7n4qX71M6GagVmzfcM4nlJsHxkaiGEkhu21fRPDIGB_ODGbnUZiq7N9wKIO7D_IDm4enpSliSUNiAoQ6VY06nSUuBMWglOlB21zDLilfCNLt00OBto74FCjmfpdAsLx/s1600-h/IMG_0014.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtXxveBn-0Nj6rC7n4qX71M6GagVmzfcM4nlJsHxkaiGEkhu21fRPDIGB_ODGbnUZiq7N9wKIO7D_IDm4enpSliSUNiAoQ6VY06nSUuBMWglOlB21zDLilfCNLt00OBto74FCjmfpdAsLx/s320/IMG_0014.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320683067152828082" border="0" /></a> My View To The West<br /><br />It's been a long but productive day. Most of my time was waiting for the cable company to install my internet and hdtv (I still don't have a set) and for someone, a nurse, from "Home Health Care" who came to assess me and change my dressing. I felt very comfortable with her and she will be buy every day to change my bandages. She was very encouraging about my benefits are, still with state cuts, I should be OK.<br /><br />Up until today, to log on my options were to go to the library (and I got SOAKED on the way back) or somewhere on the Ave that has free wi-fi. Now it's not an issue since I am internet enabled.<br /><br />I spent last night at the library downloading a lot of music off sites that were blocked by the nursing home's security (even with their security I downloaded about 200 albums, mostly concerts or b-sides of bands I like. So last night I used the mac as a jukebox (I could watch a DVD, but I am not interested in anything until Monday's episode of Heroes, which I will have to download from I-Tunes).<br /><br />So last night I got nice and made myself a Fried Egg & Bacon Hoagie with Miracle Whip.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk8yP2eAiu88pUDuE5bPGI0BgWbnqZaZF2esnzXj6Hk2RyLgk_F-2jujmE5ZaOZKKKe6kGuRG5-tQp7fTfNi3DqIeeX2xx8LoRwVHaAc-u-Uwj6TZFQHDlTcz3IgdgJKZAti-7GaqnifJa/s1600-h/IMG_0001.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk8yP2eAiu88pUDuE5bPGI0BgWbnqZaZF2esnzXj6Hk2RyLgk_F-2jujmE5ZaOZKKKe6kGuRG5-tQp7fTfNi3DqIeeX2xx8LoRwVHaAc-u-Uwj6TZFQHDlTcz3IgdgJKZAti-7GaqnifJa/s320/IMG_0001.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320675266462839858" border="0" /></a><br />This is actually "Sandwich No. 2" since I ate No. 1 almost immediately after making it, forgetting to take a picture. Sandwich No.1 was better, the second try the egg was a little runny.<br /><br />I stared out the window some while listening to The Pale Saints around 5, and now it is 9:p.m and my butt is bugging me.I decided to call it a day. Without a TV sitting in my chair all day is a pain in the ass. But until I get the sliding board I asked for it's always a little scary transferring from my bed to the chair. The bed I was given is crap compared to what I had at the nursing home, which was a better grade of crap. I think I already said the bed doesn't go up and down. At least I have sheets and blankets, but a second pillow is in order.<br /><br />I will be glad when it gets warmer, but at least it didn't rain today and I managed to get out twice today, the second time I bought a Pesto Pasta Salad to go (Thanks Jason).<br /><br />So I am going to call it an evening. I've scraped the doors enough. The nurse made my bed so now I have cool black sheets (they were out of purple). She'll be back in the a.m. and I have to be in my chair to let her in the building and unlock my door. Luckily I have some energy, not much, but when it gets warmer and sunny my mood and outlook get a lot better. I am giving the Mac the night off an i-podding it. Will listen to <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Impersonal-Paul-F-Tompkins/dp/B000TAMRUC">Paul F. Thompkins album</a>, a couple <a href="http://shoegazeralive2.blogspot.com/search?q=pale+saints">Pale Saints live</a> concerts I downloaded while maling with my own artwork:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTA68YUOY0hfSyKDDWrBc_xCOza_xrS1CLSaVl56JSEjBKnfwLNqrXGxzo8ns6ucbkejMnk26zuijo6pn9Nzln25vNCSxgZFYP755AbtAjcKyHK5t1hJMvpJCWreROJcscsS4CveGrG7yL/s1600-h/pale_saints+i-beam.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTA68YUOY0hfSyKDDWrBc_xCOza_xrS1CLSaVl56JSEjBKnfwLNqrXGxzo8ns6ucbkejMnk26zuijo6pn9Nzln25vNCSxgZFYP755AbtAjcKyHK5t1hJMvpJCWreROJcscsS4CveGrG7yL/s320/pale_saints+i-beam.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320677477000214194" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_W0l9e9TupJRca3DZ8UT43AqXSd_43bH3tDioMUSa3gb6GoQsCRqvJzUsYwTNp-hf0UA2JsvznpJ72VNI0qrReNqBTZHlFrG4ICLAn7iu4wANSDtnhA7ImHfYlXRstcYrgJgjx8Q6Pex-/s1600-h/pale+saints+brixton.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_W0l9e9TupJRca3DZ8UT43AqXSd_43bH3tDioMUSa3gb6GoQsCRqvJzUsYwTNp-hf0UA2JsvznpJ72VNI0qrReNqBTZHlFrG4ICLAn7iu4wANSDtnhA7ImHfYlXRstcYrgJgjx8Q6Pex-/s320/pale+saints+brixton.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320677470854371650" border="0" /></a><br />I have debated about posting web addresses of the blogs I read where I download stuff (mostly concerts and out of print records), but I will post these album covers and you can usually find these by searchin in Google Blogs or <a href="http://totallyfuzzy.blogspot.com/">Totally Fuzzy</a>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmAb1xg-KO_30qkhRhNYBhNn6CA0QURpShXQ9gt7zvPubGGbyz98yDmsBbG-402o_UTOlKQU_-EFAILb_1ovBierHsXONwTwVL7HoQdLKw5qovF3WHeFi2BGVOv51iFUGakCrI7FaTY-cu/s1600-h/tya-seattle.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmAb1xg-KO_30qkhRhNYBhNn6CA0QURpShXQ9gt7zvPubGGbyz98yDmsBbG-402o_UTOlKQU_-EFAILb_1ovBierHsXONwTwVL7HoQdLKw5qovF3WHeFi2BGVOv51iFUGakCrI7FaTY-cu/s320/tya-seattle.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320678795548740594" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCU4vIrt-e25JaWf6YrRRQSf2-ynfT2SorjSWNL8HNY6WQlghNHcjWBQb4c8VXgXSoLHLsoeXOS2udLk81ZlykEu9ShNE0IMOvQaeZr31qDFx0qJv1YiBkxogbYQXiH4yT1vavOTOaLq8h/s1600-h/lush-houston.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCU4vIrt-e25JaWf6YrRRQSf2-ynfT2SorjSWNL8HNY6WQlghNHcjWBQb4c8VXgXSoLHLsoeXOS2udLk81ZlykEu9ShNE0IMOvQaeZr31qDFx0qJv1YiBkxogbYQXiH4yT1vavOTOaLq8h/s320/lush-houston.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320678786320672738" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXl1hNFtqdcJ_8kARJqV5LcMe43LKHvf4f9KaPjm-LBD-iEB1CEdlbfhBAC_BO1xkFkwngUXnzJchlaXbch7nnpIOtUztOlXFiiEd30sM9Twf0SXu0vuGYsQOwLNXR6qauY__26yq0l4XG/s1600-h/SG-Max-B-Sides.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXl1hNFtqdcJ_8kARJqV5LcMe43LKHvf4f9KaPjm-LBD-iEB1CEdlbfhBAC_BO1xkFkwngUXnzJchlaXbch7nnpIOtUztOlXFiiEd30sM9Twf0SXu0vuGYsQOwLNXR6qauY__26yq0l4XG/s320/SG-Max-B-Sides.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320680407950737074" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSCwOZMtLbRd36WrAVI10QGi28jHLlnqxTIl_CQ9sZXWCP4TXCVrmUIrWUS8BoUgsoXh09pKlVa6nE-tVpDgiq-7ang2p89yDlTcrOQu_JCCbdpd7N3W_1vzRv3L7HqL2h3jT-HCmHTuUH/s1600-h/inglewood.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSCwOZMtLbRd36WrAVI10QGi28jHLlnqxTIl_CQ9sZXWCP4TXCVrmUIrWUS8BoUgsoXh09pKlVa6nE-tVpDgiq-7ang2p89yDlTcrOQu_JCCbdpd7N3W_1vzRv3L7HqL2h3jT-HCmHTuUH/s320/inglewood.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320680404044291010" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKlcyuvB_pqm8rXTko8M7rX-JL_CqM-Hx2fTZcI-ya28KOzd-F6FCH-lhVTtL5Pr6etFVDSfGB6Wn7f0TpFb0Ak6b7A7_EsaO9kMzG6lp1ZvdTieRm_UhJJO00HSF20J-Df0Yt_oFzIaNL/s1600-h/lamb7legsAP_450x328.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKlcyuvB_pqm8rXTko8M7rX-JL_CqM-Hx2fTZcI-ya28KOzd-F6FCH-lhVTtL5Pr6etFVDSfGB6Wn7f0TpFb0Ak6b7A7_EsaO9kMzG6lp1ZvdTieRm_UhJJO00HSF20J-Df0Yt_oFzIaNL/s320/lamb7legsAP_450x328.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320680398993759970" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKZkky73vx-7TwapMySdFwN2Wh7G0SLANNasoBh1DtptUKygNO1N6corUK_lDh8-y6vJjdcJIXKbeR6LFxLH-FQtByqmU2Bib4Tg9VBbWMZ33yg5a1YANUNdLrBSx17b9JOulaLD3yJ-_7/s1600-h/pf-early.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKZkky73vx-7TwapMySdFwN2Wh7G0SLANNasoBh1DtptUKygNO1N6corUK_lDh8-y6vJjdcJIXKbeR6LFxLH-FQtByqmU2Bib4Tg9VBbWMZ33yg5a1YANUNdLrBSx17b9JOulaLD3yJ-_7/s320/pf-early.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320681023790117954" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoybkvdid-qYFfxD_WIPJq12nvOLpsyoXiRYEhHY7pvEJJ5rKLfKZZbHTCu2bpNSgQkTZuvluQ7haNwQ1RGhyphenhyphenNMpiJl2Z_fzn1XZPF8gEio2k6sEMWwvUYmEwil1vfDzNcl7AiZr8Qqflx/s1600-h/Pavement-Shepherds.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoybkvdid-qYFfxD_WIPJq12nvOLpsyoXiRYEhHY7pvEJJ5rKLfKZZbHTCu2bpNSgQkTZuvluQ7haNwQ1RGhyphenhyphenNMpiJl2Z_fzn1XZPF8gEio2k6sEMWwvUYmEwil1vfDzNcl7AiZr8Qqflx/s320/Pavement-Shepherds.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320681024386846642" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5h_sAm8XR1rdrj4D4-9R3km94L1b-BKUEwaDH9_wnSVejprArNa5Xk8BWIV9UCIKoTWkw4I8PXWip3ZBeLStvO4xWay9Lc0ZRblnd-uA4vP7W3bAXwgmyiv3JLtVDOMBdbKWLC1Z0p6ia/s1600-h/FM-Record+Plant.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5h_sAm8XR1rdrj4D4-9R3km94L1b-BKUEwaDH9_wnSVejprArNa5Xk8BWIV9UCIKoTWkw4I8PXWip3ZBeLStvO4xWay9Lc0ZRblnd-uA4vP7W3bAXwgmyiv3JLtVDOMBdbKWLC1Z0p6ia/s320/FM-Record+Plant.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320681021064834658" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWrbvSURCmn8Ip-eR7sJNZ7NoduYmxpIM6G1WppUvj_UkKGdr4-fKG0f8TeTkAE5IonSzK2nr2jf8BhDHrgFYoqb_B5kL2LGYQ8IoNMx1P8FmIOPhX8jqFE9UIZEknS_P7Qx4LXLZonbZc/s1600-h/EnB-On_Strike.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWrbvSURCmn8Ip-eR7sJNZ7NoduYmxpIM6G1WppUvj_UkKGdr4-fKG0f8TeTkAE5IonSzK2nr2jf8BhDHrgFYoqb_B5kL2LGYQ8IoNMx1P8FmIOPhX8jqFE9UIZEknS_P7Qx4LXLZonbZc/s320/EnB-On_Strike.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320681016541676418" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0aq7oofHyEsLar3blD0E4tUk_QzbhYeDdXmWw4jNh3PWjfal2gsezYBzUi6ZQfu6vIyFCIn_LZnMwaADIOUtQoxOEh2Hghalt8xQ77seYebJoIeBHXO29Go5hp0RVYJw7ZuzGXPm6cSsJ/s1600-h/JA-Great+Hwy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0aq7oofHyEsLar3blD0E4tUk_QzbhYeDdXmWw4jNh3PWjfal2gsezYBzUi6ZQfu6vIyFCIn_LZnMwaADIOUtQoxOEh2Hghalt8xQ77seYebJoIeBHXO29Go5hp0RVYJw7ZuzGXPm6cSsJ/s320/JA-Great+Hwy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320681009238192770" border="0" /></a>More soon.<br /></div>Larry Davenporthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08176896901894522192noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4844420709896203180.post-32589878582558143002009-04-02T16:19:00.001-07:002009-04-02T16:24:26.540-07:00Tomorrow I will have the internetTomorrow I will have the internet and HDTV. Now I just need a TV.<br /><br />The weather has been really crappy, cold rain and snow, so yesterday I didn't go out so ran a lot of errands today. I am at the Seattle Library in the U-District, which is two or three locks from my apartment right now.<br /><br />The apartment is small and my chair has already scraped a lot of doors. It will be good to have everything put away. I still have all the stuff in storage and the way I bump into stuff I am afraid there won't be room to move. With some creativity I might manage.<br /><br />I am going to have t have someone come in once a week to do stuff that I can't like laundry and changing the sheets. I bought sheets to day but can't get them on myself. Tomorrow a nirse will come by to change bandages and do some physical therapy. Maybe she'll do it.<br /><br />Tomorrow I will post from home (with pictures).Larry Davenporthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08176896901894522192noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4844420709896203180.post-74689608537284618892009-03-31T15:00:00.000-07:002009-03-31T15:01:13.773-07:00Settling In<div style="text-align: justify;">The apartment is smaller than I thought and the kitchen is going to be difficult. The refrigerator opens into the kitchen and I can't open it when I am inside. Nor can I open any of the cupboards as long as I am wheelchair bound. I have to go back to the home tomorrow to pick up some mail and when I do I'll let the therapists and social worker about my concerns. I'll manage though. I'll buy appliances I can use on a table and I do have my old beer fridge. It won't be ideal, but I am out of the nursing home.<br /><br />By the end of the night I will have had my cell phone turned back on, ordered cable online (I am doing this at the local library), will have my bed delivered, and pick up some immediate necessities at Walgreen's. Tomorrow it's off to the mall to get some bedding. I just have to wait for Home Health Care to show up. Hopefully it will be before noon. I have a lot to do.</div>Larry Davenporthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08176896901894522192noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4844420709896203180.post-49168574691011697772009-03-30T17:17:00.000-07:002009-03-30T22:24:41.850-07:00Fear sets in<div style="text-align: justify;">One more night here in the home and some things are resolved. I will have a bed delivered tomorrow afternoon. Afterwards I'll go buy some bedding and get something to eat and spend my first quiet night alone in the apartment (I don't have a TV yet but I'll have my laptop and some DVDs). The library is just three blocks away so I'll go over some time during the day to check my email and post here.<br /><br />Tomorrow, before I leave, they will give me a month's worth of medicine and information about nursing and social work and such.<br /><br />What is scary is what is in today's <a href="http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2009/03/30/senate-budget-slashes-everything&cb=743e65c25aa267a01b798f7828e5b545&view=comments#BlogComments-comment-1203481">news</a>. The state of Washington is slashing money from the budget in low income housing, disability insurance, and home health care. <br /><br />An now I think I have the flu and diarrhea. It's a scary time to go out on my own.<br /></div>Larry Davenporthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08176896901894522192noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4844420709896203180.post-54177227445397481632009-03-29T18:46:00.000-07:002009-03-29T18:48:01.515-07:00Two more nights<div style="text-align: justify;">I am starting to get a little scared of moving out. The nursing home still hasn't put me in touch with DSHS so I don't know if a helper is going to come by every day or every week and they haven't arranged for a nurse to come by every day to change my bandages. The nurse who changed my dressing this morning is concerned that the wound on my chest isn't healing quick enough. I also still don't know if I have a bed or when it will be delivered.<br /><br />Assuming someone, a nurse or helper, comes by every day, I need to know when so I can be out of bed to let them in. More stuff to worry about.<br /><br />My friends took what boxes I had here at the home to my apartment and Paul is concerned that the place is too small for all the stuff I have in storage. I'll have to make do or get rid of some of my stuff.<br /><br />I am also worried that I am getting a bug because my stomach has been dicey, but it could just be stress.<br /></div>Larry Davenporthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08176896901894522192noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4844420709896203180.post-40681907148163536312009-03-28T17:02:00.000-07:002009-03-28T17:06:31.358-07:00Three more nights<div style="text-align: justify;">My friends came by and picked up my stuff a couple hours ago. As usual, they come through when I need them. The room seems pretty empty. All I have left here is my computer and the clothes I was wearing (I am regretting not keeping one change of clothes). By now, everyone here that matters knows I am leaving. I said my goodbyes to some of the people I expect tht I'll never see again. I was pleasantly surprised to see one of the old therapists, Joyce, who left last December come by to wish me well. That was great.<br /></div>Larry Davenporthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08176896901894522192noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4844420709896203180.post-42922090151344044552009-03-27T18:42:00.000-07:002009-03-27T18:48:41.003-07:00Keys in hand<div style="text-align: justify;">I picked up the keys to my new apartment today. It took an hour to sign all the paperwork. Low income housing is a lot more complicated than just signing a lease. My hand is still feeling cramped from all the signing.<br /><br />I hope I can get some sleep tonight. I didn't get any last night.<br /><br />This morning I had a scare. The phone rang and it is under my bed. I reached for it and almost fell out of bed onto the cold hard floor. My head would have hit the iron footrest on my wheelchair. Fortunately I had pressed the call light before the phone rang so I only hung precariously off the edge of the bed for a minute or so, but my wrist is still sore from trying to hold myself up. I need to be more careful.<br /><br />Still no word on whether I will have a bed ready by Tuesday. There is no way I will be able to fall asleep in my chair. I envy the old timers around here who are able to sleep sitting up. But I don't envy their drool.<br /></div>Larry Davenporthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08176896901894522192noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4844420709896203180.post-13980110453969960722009-03-26T20:14:00.000-07:002009-03-26T20:15:13.702-07:00Five Days and Counting<div style="text-align: justify;">The process for getting our of here has begun. Tomorrow afternoon I pick up the keys to my new apartment and sign the lease papers. The rent is only going to be $533 a month. Saturday my friends will come by and pick up all my boxes from the nursing home, but I will stay here until Tuesday. Hopefully I will have a bed by then.<br /><br />The fear of the unknown is setting in. It has been almost two years since I have last taken care of myself and I don't know how I am going to do it in a wheelchair. Either because of my disease or my medication, or maybe it is just this place, I suffer from night sweats when I sleep and often wake up drenched in sweat, my sheets cold and clammy. I usually have to have a nurse change them in the middle of the night. How am I going to do that on my own? But as I lay here listening to my roommate snore, worries like that see, trivial and not unsermountable. Tuesday can't come soon enough.</div>Larry Davenporthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08176896901894522192noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4844420709896203180.post-10971244148512688102009-03-25T19:00:00.000-07:002009-03-25T19:10:51.593-07:00Coming soon...a new address<div style="text-align: justify;">I got the apartment! It's in a good location in the University District overlooking the freeway. At night I will pretend I-5 is a river. It will be music compared to my roommate's snoring.<br /><br />I don't know what the rent will be yet, but it will probably be around $700 a month for a one bedroom, one bath (though I won't be able to use the shower, the toilet seems accessible). I will have to learn how to wash in the sink until I can walk again. <br /><br />The place is not very big not very big, but I can get in and out alright, including the kitchen (I will need to buy a microwave). Since I don't have any furniture I can work with the space. At this point I just need a bed and something that other people can sit on when they visit. Oh, and I'll need a big TV, and maybe a rug (the floor is tile). A rug would tie the room together.<br /><br />They said I can move in Monday but I am going to call tomorrow to see if I can get the keys this weekend. I need all of my stuff out before Tuesday or the nursing home will charge me for a full months rent, even though my bed won't be empty for more than a day. The business manager acts as if I owe her personally. I will happily write my last check to this place on the 31st for the $240 back rent I owe. Once I get my stuff out of storage and sort things out, life begins again.<br /></div>Larry Davenporthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08176896901894522192noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4844420709896203180.post-91648913683632126312009-03-24T01:00:00.000-07:002009-03-24T00:13:47.157-07:00Pondering my first home-cooked meal<div style="text-align: justify;">I don't want to get ahead of myself and already start planning on what I will cook first when I get my own place. Since my "incarceration" here in the nursing home, November 1, 2007, I have had two near-death experiences that set my treatment back to square one and have had housing opportunities slip through my fingers due to bad credit twice.<br /><br />Still, as I lie here in my bed, listening to my roommate snore and <a href="http://elswingers-world.blogspot.com/2008/11/sleepfinally.html">Crazy Alice</a> next door listen to her TV much too loud, I am fantasyzing what I will cook for myself first when I have a kitchen at my disposal. I am so sick of things that I have to microwave, so it will be something from scratch, or near enough. As much as I'd love a steak dinner with all the trimmings, I want to start off with something easier (and cheaper). I could make the <a href="http://elswingers-world.blogspot.com/2009/03/recipes-sloppy-guisseppe-sandwiches-and.html">Sloppy Guieseppes</a> that I wrote about earlier, or just make spaghetti and garlic bread. Either would be simple (though I am a little leery of a big pot of boiling water as one of the first things I would make while in a wheelchair).<br /><br />I think I'll start off with tacos. My tacos aren't all that different than the tacos any of you would make at home and, lord knows, there isn't a lack of good, cheap tacos in Seattle, but the difference is that these tacos will be made by me. They are the same tacos my Mom made for me when I was a kid (mine might be a little better than hers). They are just simple spicy ground beef American-Style tacos in lightly fried white corn tortillas with iceberg lettuce, sharp cheddar cheese, a little ketchup and a little <a href="http://www.mexgrocer.com/1382.html">Pico Pica Sauce</a> (my Mom's favorite Hot Sauce). Except for cooking the meat, which is no different than cooking ground beef for spaghetti, except for the spices (for tacos I just use soy sauce, Pico Pica Sauce, and <a href="http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/p-penzeysboldtaco.html?id=yA5ezq83http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/p-penzeysboldtaco.html?id=yA5ezq83">Penzey's Bold Taco seasoning</a>). The tortillas I can just spray with Pam and pop in the microwave for thirty seconds. Of late I have been buying pre-shredded cheese so other than one frying pan, a spatula, a slotted spoon, and a plate (and a whole lot of paper towels) there won't be much fuss. (Since I will live alone I can drink my milk straight from the carton. My friends don't drink milk anyway).<br /><br />Tacos sound good right now.<br /><br />Another thing that sounds good is a meal that made me fat, but since I have lost 110 lbs. since I got sick, I can indulge myself one more time. That meal was boneless pork ribs, french fries, and heavily buttered creamed corn. Boneless pork ribs are simple. Just buy a <a href="http://animalscience.unl.edu/meats/id/Porkcuts/Bostonrt.htm">boneless pork "butt" (shoulder) roast</a> and cut into steaks, then cut each steak into at least three "ribs." Cook three ribs, freeze the rest in packages of three. Now that I know I can get <a href="http://www.texasbestbarbequesauce.com/">Texas Best BBQ sauc</a>e again, I will make this as soon as I get a bottle. I usually do the fries in the oven, I haven't had a deep fryer in years and told myself I won't think of buying one unless I can stand up ay a counter for at least 30 minutes.<br /><br />There are so many other things I want to make, and since it is unlikely that my disease will ever let me work full time again, I will have time to actually cook something more complicated than 30-Minute Meals. I have collected about 200 recipes off the internet that I want to try, including Seattle's <a href="http://www.savvydiner.com/details.php?r=492">The Brooklyn Seafood, Steak, & Oyster House</a>'s recipe for <a href="http://www.recipezaar.com/recipe/print?id=210084">Clam Chowder</a> (my favorite) and <a href="http://www.saveur.com/article/Food/Angelos-Marinara-Sauce">Angelo's Marinara Sauce</a> (which I will use for many dishes including Shrimp and Clam Marinara with mushrooms and green olives over linguine).<br /><br />I can easily come up with a years worth of meals, providing I first get a kitchen. Wednesday I look at the place and am 99% I'll apply for it. I am only 39% sure I'll get it. It is better to be pleasantly surprised than bitterly disappointed.</div>Larry Davenporthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08176896901894522192noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4844420709896203180.post-71003412129290128442009-03-23T17:10:00.000-07:002009-03-23T17:21:57.380-07:00In Search of Housing (Part Two)<div style="text-align: justify;">I received an unexpected phone call this morning. It turns out the rules have changed and I am now eligible for low-income housing. There is an opening in an apartment building near 45th & 7th in the U-District (next to I-5). I have an appointment to look at it on Wednesday around lunchtime. Unless the place smells like urine or I can't fit my chair through the door I already know I'll take it. I want to get out of this place so bad. My roommate left his dirty diaper on the floor this morning, Last night the toilet kept running for hours and I didn't fall asleep until after four. I had bought a pair of ear plugs at the mall yesterday and tried them out. They are rated at 25 decibles and I could still hear the water running. I was also reminded how bad my tinitis is. I preferred listrning to the water run than the constant ringing in my ears.<br /><br />In physical therapy I stood several times and it felt pretty good.<br /></div>Larry Davenporthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08176896901894522192noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4844420709896203180.post-13556193619272138312009-03-22T08:00:00.000-07:002009-03-22T21:11:01.329-07:00Groceries I can't find in Seattle anymore<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Besides the aformentioned <a href="http://elswingers-world.blogspot.com/2009/02/in-search-of-bagel-dogs.html">Bagel Dogs</a>, I was thinking of stuff I haven't seen at the grocery stores here in Seattle in years.</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />Albertson's Bakery French Bread Pizza</span> - Even if there was an Albertson's still in business around here, I don't know if their bakeries still make French Bread Pizza. They are easy enough to make from scratch. Cut a large loaf of French bread in half lengthwise. Add just a little bit of pizza sauce with a little bit of finely chopped onion and add some shredded mozzarella and mild cheddar cheese. Sprinkle with oregeno. Put on the middle rack in the oven and broil until the cheese just starts to melt.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Larry's Frozen Poor Boy Sandwiches</span> - Really just a skinny baguette with half-dollar sized slices of cotto salami, bologna and American Cheese with mustard. These are pretty easy to make from scratch as well. I usually use Sesame Rolls or Sesame hamburger buns. I nuke the cold cuts for 30 seconds first to melt off some of the fat, then build the sandwich and put in the toaster oven until the cheese melts. Serve with mustard and BBQ potato chips.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Larry's Frozen BBQ Roast Beef Sandwiches on Poppy Seed Kaiser Rolls</span> - I have not been able to accurtly duplicate this and neither does Arby's. The only restaraunt that came close, and actually bettered them, was the formerly defunct <a href="http://www.farrellsusa.com/FarrellsStory.aspx">Farrell's</a>. The first problem I have is that it is really hard to find poppyseed Kaiser Rolls. Not every grocery store carry them. Next, I haven't been able to duplicate the sauce. It was spicy but just a little sweet. I probably should be looking at a cheaper brand of sauce rather than one of the gourmet brands. Then, what I really need, is my own deli slicer because the meat needs to be cut thin, but I find Deli Roast Beef often has a gamey taste. I can make a pretty damned fine roast myself. I am the King of the Prime Rib Dip Sandwich (another reason I need an oven).<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Texas' Best BBQ Sauce</span> - I first bought this at the Hickory Farms in Lacey, WA in the early 80s and later found it at QFC when I moved to Seattle, but I haven't seen it on the shelf in 15 years. It wasn't too sweet and had a little bit of spice. It had more mustard, I believe, than tomato and no molasses as far as I can tell. <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">UPDATE</span>: It is available again. You can get it <a href="http://www.texasbestbarbequesauce.com/">here</a>.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Spaghetti Pot Pies</span> - I haven't even seen one in almost 40 years and then only at the Exchange at Fort Lewis. I believe Swanson made them and they came in the old foil pans like their pot pies. It was spaghetti with meat sauce (no crust) but my Mom would bake it until crunchy. I suppose these would be easy enough to duplicate with left over spaghetti and a pie tin.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Cherry Popsicles/Banana Popsicles (packages of six)</span> - Though they still exist, I never see them in boxes of six by themselves. They usually come with other flavors I don't like, ie. Orange or Lime.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Mexican Frozen Dinners</span> - Sure, most frozen food lines have a few obligatory Mexican dishses, but I can't find a brand that specializes in Mexican (like several do with Italian). I just wanted a beef enchilada but couldn'y find any, not counting Banquet.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Budget Gourmet Linguine with Bay Shrimp and </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Clams Marinara</span> - Another thing I can make from scratch, but at ten times the cost. I don't know why they stopped carrying this flavor. I bought it all the time. I emailed Michelina's (who owns the Budget Gourmet brand) and asked them to bring it back.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ore-Ida Cottage Fries</span> - They still make them but they must not be popular around here because I haven't seen an Olympia or Seattle supermarket carry them since the 1970s. Until I have access to an oven (or a deep fryer) it's moot anyway.<br /><a href="http://www.zeer.com/Food-Products/Orr-Brothers-Burger-Sauce/000065589"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Orr Brothers Burger Sauce</span></a> - Sort of a spicier version of 1000 Island Dressing, but damned good on a burger. I saw it exactly once at QFC about five years ago and bought a couple bottles, which were thrown out by my friends when I went into the hospital. They also sold a "<a href="http://www.zeer.com/Food-Products/Orr-Brothers-Fry-Sauce/000065588">Fry Sauce</a>" that looked identical except for the bits of pickle. Fry sauce seems to be a Utah thing so I suspect the company is from there. I can find nutritional facts on line but no place to buy it.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">"Chessboard" Ice Cream</span> - I am sure somewhere this is still available. All it was was vanilla and chocolate ice cream in a box and when you opened the side of the box its alternating flavors resembled part of a chess board.<br /></div>Larry Davenporthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08176896901894522192noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4844420709896203180.post-44414672159572596602009-03-21T17:26:00.000-07:002009-03-21T17:41:40.366-07:00Another Therapist Bites The Dust<div style="text-align: justify;">The latest therapist to leave the nursing home was Kathy, who got fired a couple days ago, though I just found out today. She was the only occupational therapist that was hired after the great exodus of last December of all the O.T.s that I had been working with me since I got here. Apparently most of the old folks didn't like Kathy because she actually expected them to participate in their therapy. She, like me, couldn't stand to have her time wasted and was vocal about it. It bugs me that these old vegetables get wheeled into therapy and sit and complain or sit and drool, when I acually want to be there and get better, but only get 45 minutes a day and only about 60% of my therapists attention.<br /><br />The old folks, and the bosses didn't care for her, I guess, but I liked her. She gave me back rubs and improved my posture. She made me work hard, but I didn't mind. Even though I haven't had much energy lately, I still managed to make my way down there to work with her everyday Monday through Friday. Now I am not motivated to go there all. There are still some good physical therapists like Tobey, X, and Arthur that I enjoy working with, but they work on my legs, and Kathy worked on my back and my arms, and we could talk about how crazy this place is, or in her case, was. I just am not all that comfortable with the other therapists. They come off as either condescending, treating me like just another old timer/child, or they are too much of a cheerleader type. Positive reinforcement is all well and good, but don't kiss my ass unless I tell you to.<br /><br /> I wish I would have known Kathy was leaving. I would have liked to say goodbye and good luck.<br /></div>Larry Davenporthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08176896901894522192noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4844420709896203180.post-35755865362094292972009-03-20T17:29:00.000-07:002009-03-20T17:35:29.989-07:00In Search of Housing (Part One)<div style="text-align: justify;">I started looking for a place to live today. I looked at one place that was near perfect, it's a block away from the nursing home, is in a fantastic apartment complex with four swimming pools and tennis courts, had a porch, a view, and was on the ground floor. A large one-bedroom apartment for about $800 a month, except that my credit is too bad. I think I am going to run into a lot of that. <br /><br />Since getting my transplant in 2006, I haven't been able to pay my many credit card bills because my prescriptions were close to $500 a month (not counting the anti-rejection medication I couldn't afford because it was $1,000 a week after insurance). And now 99.9% of my disability checks go to the nursing home. When I had money I paid off a lot of the smaller bills, but am still left with four or five fairly large debts (though smaller than the National average). Bankruptcy is my likely future.<br /><br />My social worker is trying to help me out finding housing, but I am afraid that I may be stuck moving into an adult family home. As long as I am still in King County, West of Lake Washington, and North of the SODO, I'll take what I can get (as long as it's safe and not run by religious zealots).</div>Larry Davenporthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08176896901894522192noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4844420709896203180.post-65600738119190776152009-03-19T20:37:00.000-07:002009-03-19T20:45:18.747-07:00Latest from my Doctor<div style="text-align: justify;">My infectious disease doctor gave me a clean bill of health, not withstanding all my other health issues. His only prescription was to "get the hell out of that nursing home and get some sleep." I asked him for a prescription for marijuana, but he laughed it off "it would probably help, wouldn't it."<br /><br />I get the feeling that any doctor at Virginia Mason who prescribed marijuana would be fired, even though every one of them has told me that if I can get it, I should do it. Now if I could only find some.<br /></div>Larry Davenporthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08176896901894522192noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4844420709896203180.post-86349153633542522642009-03-18T19:28:00.000-07:002009-03-19T20:37:19.952-07:00Everybody Loves Pizza<div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiizDP2a_G-U-SrJRsnONsj1IPx_dKKePQqDwmpkNlQ9vZIlar9Vwx0xcwVCFrntlnePP44y-ky2HHD1FqT3EPma-9k32SI91TQEcADvuG45AfWSYxY9nTXuve1Fpbm-27CKswF18dpkIZU/s1600-h/11212005_book.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 305px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiizDP2a_G-U-SrJRsnONsj1IPx_dKKePQqDwmpkNlQ9vZIlar9Vwx0xcwVCFrntlnePP44y-ky2HHD1FqT3EPma-9k32SI91TQEcADvuG45AfWSYxY9nTXuve1Fpbm-27CKswF18dpkIZU/s320/11212005_book.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314720670672779074" border="0" /></a><br />I just started reading <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Everybody-Loves-Pizza-Americas-Favorite/dp/1578602181/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1237430460&sr=8-1"><span style="font-style: italic;">Everybody Loves Pizza</span></a> by Penny Pollak and Jeff Ruby and skipped to the back to see what Washington State pizzerias were recommended. <a href="http://www.pagliacci.com/index.shtml">Pagliacci's</a>, naturally, made the list, as did <a href="http://www.zeekspizza.com/">Zeek's</a>, <a href="http://www.belltownpizza.net/">Belltown Pizza</a>) which I have still not been) and <a href="http://www.snellsoftware.com/ANewYorkPizzaPlace/">A New York Pizza Place</a>, which, IMO, if their pizza is authentic New York pizza I'll stick with Seattle's (not that it's bad, it's just un-extraordinary). Much to my surprise and delight, my favorite pizza place, <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Location?location=236142">Pazzo's</a>, made the list. I feel vindicated. I have been trying to get <a href="http://blog.seattletimes.nwsource.com/allyoucaneat/">Nancy Leson</a> at the Seattle Times to review them for years to no avail. Leave it to a national critic to give Pazzo's a thumbs up.<br /><br />As far as the book, it is choc-ful of georgeous pictures and tells the story of pizza's trek from Italy to the United States. The book says their are four basic American styles of pizza. New York thin slice, Chicago Deep Dish, Californian (which stretches the boundaries of toppings) and New Haven, CT (known for white sauces and seafood toppings).<br /><br />As I said, I haven't really scratched the surface of the book yet (like most "cook books" I mainly buy them for the pictures) but so far it seems pretty interesting,<br /></div>Larry Davenporthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08176896901894522192noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4844420709896203180.post-40778411618425929412009-03-17T22:03:00.000-07:002009-03-20T21:59:54.974-07:00Pacific Nortwest Hamburger Trivia<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJNBmgPHnjZvsS3gj4OfFPaTDUUyckT4WEpV42CoI7e5vi8S9fqccDz6dnP2AqR_vOVVzuPW_Wf06EnW9yk8O0iq-LSapioX5rjbnejjBlPzij-xCq6pr9jlvs2uBMdUIFPp6PMn-TWUlm/s1600-h/2372135001_99b17467a3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJNBmgPHnjZvsS3gj4OfFPaTDUUyckT4WEpV42CoI7e5vi8S9fqccDz6dnP2AqR_vOVVzuPW_Wf06EnW9yk8O0iq-LSapioX5rjbnejjBlPzij-xCq6pr9jlvs2uBMdUIFPp6PMn-TWUlm/s320/2372135001_99b17467a3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314405752397384130" border="0" /></a><div style="text-align: justify;">I am currently reading the book "<a href="http://hamburgeramerica.com/ha_book.html">Hamburger America</a>" by George Motz. (Here's his <a href="http://hamburgeramerica.blogspot.com/">blog</a>). Motz reviews "the best hamburgers in America" and Washington State placed twice. The first one is <a href="http://www.ddir.com/Dicks_Drive_In_Restaurants/About_Us.html">Dick's</a>, an easy choice for history, though their are many Seattle institutions that could (and should) rate higher in quality (<a href="http://www.redmillburgers.com/">Red Mill</a> comes to mind), and the second is <a href="http://www.eastsidebigtom.com/">Eagan's Big Tom</a>, in my home town of Olympia. I talked in depth about Egans, Dicks, and others, in my previous <a href="http://elswingers-world.blogspot.com/2009/03/now-thats-tasty-burger.html">post</a> on hamburgers. What I found interesting by reading the book is that what I called "Dick Sauce," what Egan's has trademarked as "Goop" is an anomoly to the Pacific Northwest. Besides Egan's and Dick's, many other PNW hamburger places (including <a href="http://www.kiddvalley.com/">Kidd Valley</a>) serve a similar sauce.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRI52SGZTaQNVhArEWSWcV3pz_kB5aWmt89Fz2JxGJCxyge-Sv9ga1lj2iF-MT_50LliIlF_Hbhsx_mHzq4WYi5MRtcrC5wpbTuK9oj6XkDp68Sosu6Yu9SNA0iFa4Ma3RKtWkXotNmYV4/s400/hamburger+america+book.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 303px; height: 376px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRI52SGZTaQNVhArEWSWcV3pz_kB5aWmt89Fz2JxGJCxyge-Sv9ga1lj2iF-MT_50LliIlF_Hbhsx_mHzq4WYi5MRtcrC5wpbTuK9oj6XkDp68Sosu6Yu9SNA0iFa4Ma3RKtWkXotNmYV4/s400/hamburger+america+book.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />The book is an interesting read, though I wish there were more pictures of hamburgers, but it came with an accompanying DVD that was very interesting (though way too short). It featured eight diners across America. They were:<br /><br /><a href="http://tasteofthetown.blogs.com/tasteofthetown/2007/10/butter-burgers-.html">Solly's Grill</a>, Milwaukee, WI (home of the Butterburger, a hamburger with what looks like a quarter cup of butter on it)<br /><br /><a href="http://www.steamedcheeseburger.com/">Ted's Restaraunt</a> - Meridan, CT (home of the Steamed cheeseburger)<br /><br /><a href="http://www.dyersonbeale.com/">Dyer's Burgers</a> - Memphis, TN (a deep-fried burger that has used the same grease for 90+ years)<br /><br /><a href="http://neatocoolville.blogspot.com/2007/08/last-guberburger-at-wheel-inn-drive-in.html">Wheel In Drive Inn</a> (CLOSED) - Sedalia, MO (home of the Guberburger, a hamburger with peanut butter)<br /><br /><a href="http://www.bobcatbite.com/">Bobcat Bite</a> - Santa Fe, NM (a Green Chili Burger)<br /><br /><a href="http://www.louislunch.com/">Louis Lunch</a> - New Haven, CT ("inventor" of the hamburger that has used the same broilers for 110 years)<br /><br /><a href="http://www.meersstore.com/">Meer's Store & Restaurant</a>, Meer's, OK (Home of the hubcap-sized hamburger. They use only fresh ground, grass fed, Texas Long Horn cattle)<br /><br /><a href="http://www.billygoattavern.com/">Billy Goat Tavern & Grill</a>, Chicago, IL (home of the Cubs Curse and inspiration for John Belushi's SNL sketch "Chezzboygi")<br /><br />Of the eight Bobcat Bite's sounds the best to me. The idea of a deep-fried burger, a burger with a stick of butter on it, a burger with peanut butter, or one that is steamed doesn't sit well with my stomach (plus they disparage mayonaise, Meer's calls a burger with Mayo a "Sissyburger"). I'd still eat there, but I might sneak in a jar of Miracle Whip.<br /><br />I haven't dived very far into the book (and I am still waiting for two more books on hamburgers and one on the history of pizza from Amazon).<br /><br />Hamburger America has shot a pilot and hopefully a TV series isn't too far behind. Their must be a million places for hamburgers in America and at least 52 must have interesting stories<br /></div>Larry Davenporthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08176896901894522192noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4844420709896203180.post-48655619211022224982009-03-17T16:43:00.000-07:002009-03-17T16:45:46.022-07:00DSHS Sucks<div style="text-align: justify;">Yesterday I was informed by DSHS that I have to immediately cash in my retirement savings and, until it is spent, I will lose my Medicaid benefits. That means all the money I saved the ten years I worked for the University of Washington will go to the nursing home as rent until my benefits are reinstated. This also means that not only will I not have the money I was counting on to start my life over (ie. get a place to live and furnish it) but I will lose my seniority at the University so the likelihood of being re-employed there again is diminished. Suffice it to say I am not a happy camper. I have instructed my social worker to get me the hell out of here now.</div>Larry Davenporthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08176896901894522192noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4844420709896203180.post-75720485759626357262009-03-16T00:00:00.000-07:002009-03-16T00:19:44.579-07:00Recipes: Sloppy Guisseppe Sandwiches and Caesar Pesto Pasta Salad<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic;">It's ironic that after throwing up all day yesterday, I spent all night laying in the dark, thinking of food. If I only had a kitchen.</span><br /><br />I would start off by making a chunky marinara sauce. I would love to say I make mine by <a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&ct=res&cd=6&url=http%3A%2F%2Fredsilvia.typepad.com%2Fknitblog%2Ffiles%2Fmarinara_sauce.pdf&ei=F_29Sc7xF5m0sQP4ya07&usg=AFQjCNGYhjWeMtok0PdWcKgjVetk2Jrb5Q&sig2=Rs5dztm75cRy1PGpt-BQbQ">scratch</a>, but I usually just combine two jars of different pasta sauces (I usually buy <a href="http://www.classico.com/">Classico</a>, <a href="http://www.barillaus.com/home/Pages/Traditional_Red.aspx">Barilla</a>, or <a href="http://www.villabertolli.com/pastasauce.aspx">Bertolli's</a>, whichever is on sale, but avoid Prego, Ragu, Hunts, or anything too cheap or too expensive). Then I'll add some Italian stewed tomatoes and Italian diced tomatoes, and then some tomato paste to thicken it. Next I'll add large chunks of green peppers, onions, roasted garlic, and button mushrooms; and add enough ground beef to make the whole concoction thick enough too stick a spoon straight up in it. Serve it on a toasted garlic rolls with a bit of Parmesan. My version of an Italian Sloppy Joe.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Yesterday I went to Pagliacci's before seeing Watchmen and had a slice of their Primo Pizza, which was fantastic, and got a Pesto Pasta Salad to go. I love their pesto salad and it reminds me of one of my favorite potluck dishes.</span><br /><br />First I usually boil two packages of rainbow spiral pasta. Drain the pasta and let it cool. Barely saute, in pesto, one pound of sliced mushrooms. Add mushrooms to cooled pasta, along with one can of sliced black olives, one cup of chopped sun-dried tomatoes, one small bottle of capers, one cup of toasted pine nuts, and one cup of diced salami. Finally add one 20 oz. bottle of Caesar salad dressing (I prefer <a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41Cq0s9-rTL._SS500_.jpg">Cardini</a>'s). Mix and let sit in the refrigerator until chilled.<br /><br />It's a lot more complicated in flavor than that of the pesto salad at Pagliacci's, but has always been a big hit for me at the potlucks. It is also not all that complicated to make (it takes less than a half hour) and can be a side dish or the meal itself.<br /></div>Larry Davenporthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08176896901894522192noreply@blogger.com1