Home Alone Day 1 – Going to Class

JWise Photo of the Day

Entering E Building at Paradise Valley Community College in Phoenix

Here I go again… I’m going to try to fill John’s shoes for a week. This is going to be tough since I’m at work all day and John already took all the sunset and cloud photos anyone could handle within a month. I’m starting my guest appearance with yet another visit to my other home away from home – Paradise Valley Community College. My Fall semester started last week, I’m taking C# this time. Here I am entering E Building, the Learning Resource Complex, where students can find the Library, Tutoring help, and the Computer Commons Open Computer Lab.

1 Day at Home

JWise Photo of the Day

Caroline and John Wise

It’s Monday and this is my one day home, my one day with Caroline. Tomorrow I drive back to Santa Barbara to continue helping my aunt and uncle get through the aftermath of back surgery and the complications that have followed. This was a busy day of canceling a one-week vacation to Yellowstone that had been planned to begin this coming Thursday, scheduling another rental car, catching up with my website, and trying to find some quality (albeit short) time, to spend with Caroline. I’m not even gone yet and I already miss her. Over the next few days, Caroline will be taking over the responsibilities of posting a Photo of the Day and the accompanying witty blurb. *Hug*

A Walk Alone

JWise Photo of the Day, Travels

The Goleta Pier near Santa Barbara, California

Needing a break from the hospital and the frustration the pain my uncle was suffering from, I dropped my aunt at home and headed for the beach. South of the Santa Barbara airport is the Goleta Pier, which in turn is north of the outlet for the Goleta Slough. The Goleta Beach Park offers picnic tables and BBQs next to the sandy stretch of beach; the fishing is reported to be great. The Beachside Bar Cafe has good reviews, and a walk at sunset isn’t ruined by heavy throngs of visitors. Following this decompressing walk, I went into Old Town Goleta for some old-fashioned Mexican food.

Still Time for…

JWise Photo of the Day, Travels

Boys playing in the Pacific ocean at the end of summer in Santa Barbara, California

It may be nearing the end of summer, and school is back in for most of America’s youth, but for these kids, there’s still time for some playing in the surf late in the day. Funny how the older I get, the colder these coastal California waters become. When I was growing up, we would dip into the water at Huntington Beach on any day the water was warmer than 57 degrees. Today, it had better be close to 75 before I’m gonna stick a toe in or sacrifice parts more sensitive.

Pain

JWise Photo of the Day

Morphine pump closeup

My uncle Woody in Santa Barbara opted for surgery to alleviate back pain. Leaving the operating table, this morphine pump was waiting for him in his room. I guess it was anticipated he would be in severe pain; the morphine was soon dripping into my uncle’s vein, no questions asked. As the anesthesia began to wear off, the pain started to wear on my uncle and by the next morning, this rather large bottle of industrial-strength pain killer called Morphine was nearly empty. Vicodin did nothing, Percocet in pairs came to the rescue, putting my uncle in a strangely bemused state. The pain remained so strong that I left Santa Barbara on Sunday with him still in the hospital.