Hi,
I hope everyone had a nice Memorial day weekend.
The bar B Q on Saturday was nice , there were several members of the surgical service.I tasted the South Dakota beef steak.I had chicken mostly. Lisa the PA on the service hosted the BBQ. Her husband is a stay home dad and they have 3 lovely children, the youngest one is Marcus 1 yr old.He was my buddy, he latched on to me,I carried him for a while. Ray, Lisa's husband used to be a substitute teacher.
I visited the Fort Meade national cemetary on Sunday. I went on a hike that day from the hospital and hiked up a hill/mountain next to the hospital. It took me over some horse trial and ended up on the BLM(Bureau of land Management) road. I travellled on that road and got to the cemetary, it was an old, late 1800s with a lot of Military-cavalary members buried there.There were some civilians also.The cemetary was not large , it was surrounde by a white fence.
Next to the cemetary was the Centennial trail adn it took me back to the hospital grounds.The trail goes north from there to the Bear butte park and lake, which happens to be the starting point of the trail.
Monday I hiked the Bear Butte 1000ft peak about 2 miles hike.Justin the PA and Somon the surgon accompanied me on the hike. The Butte is an Indian sacred ground, there were several Indians camped in the vicinity.There waere flags on the trees left by them in honor of their ancestors. It was a fairly busy trek, lots of hikers. One small 3-4 yr old had hiked the trail. The Butte is about 2 miles from the hospital towards the north. Beautiful views alaaround. the weather was cloudy and sprinkling at times.It was cool.
I am glad I did the hike, proved myself that I could still climb the hills. This will get me courage to try the Harney Peak ,the tallest peak east of the Rockies, almost 8000ft.
More about that in my next blog.
Love ya all.
Tata.

Hi,
Last evening I went to Spearfish,it seems there is nothing to do in Sturgis other than Bike rally once an year, with Simon. He droev me there, we ate dinner at Bay Leaf a small restaturant ,continental cusine.
After the meal we saw a show at Mathews opera. it was titled Aces and eight, a comedy musical about Wild Bill Hicock and Calamity Jnae.This was performed by Carothers, husband and wife team from Nashville Tennesee.This was about the killing of Wild Bill. It lasted about 30 mins and then it was followed by a bunch of cowboy songs, one a sequel to "You picked a fine time Lucy" was funny and written by the husband. It was an enjoyable evening.
DUring our travel I learnt a lot about Simon. He is a HOG( Harley owners group), and owns two Harleys ,No I did not go on the motor Bike!!!. He dirves a balck 2000 Beetle.
We ahd a moderately sever short sotrm,with hail last evening.
Hi Guys please enter some comments and let me know waht is going on there.
Love You all.
XXXOOO
Tata.

Hi,
Are you wondering what happened to me, why I have not entered any new blog?
I tried to do one yesterday and the computer ate it, I was called away to do a procedure ,I left the computer on but it timed out eating my aprtial blog.Lesson learnt: save the incomplete blog as a draft!!!!!.
I am having a nice time here, the epople are nice. They asked to extend my stay adn I agreed. I will come home as palnned on 7/1/06 and go back for more on 7/9/06.
Will be staying ill8/25/06.

I ahve to make soem corrections to my previous blog, Dr Blum's first name is Mark and not Mike. AG Suyama is Egi Suyama he is the elderly surgeon.
Simon Kovalik has an interesting anecdote, He apparently cam for the inteerview from Toledo Ohio on a motor cycle, with severe sunburn of the face and in full leather outfit. He is Motor cycle. He had sun burn of the face when I came here on Monday.
They all tease him about his sunburn.

Wednesday evening I went on a littel hike in Spearfish canyon. It is abeautiful area with atreams,creeks, small alkes and water falls.I hiked along one of the streams for about 2 miles. I found another trail that was supposed to take me to the top of the mountain, but it was blocked by packed snow few hundred yards from the trailhead.
I saw the sign" Dances with Wolves movie site" in the same area.
Kevin Costner has built a monumet of sorts to Buffalo,near Deadwood Sd about a few miles from Fort Meade.
Fort Meade is a sort of extension os Sturgis.
It has its own Post office and zip code. It houses the Fort MEade VA and the employees(some of them)and has its own fire department(just like Martinsburg ) .
I am on call to day and to morrow. I am going to a Bar B Q at one of the PAs.
tomorow.
I should be getting my High speed connection on Wednesday(31st).I can then upload the pictures.I ahve pictures of the hospital, apartment and the hike.
I should have the pictures from the hike on Monday to the Bear Butte. Bear Butte is just north of the hospital. The story accoerding to Indian Lore is that the bear that was scratching the Devils tower where the Indians were hiding, got tiered and went to Sturgis and slept there. It is now the Bear butte.
I am thinking about learning to Fly fish. There are a lot fo enthusiasts here. One of them is an Nurse Anesthetist in the fifties. He says he used to teach at the Orvis camps.He ahs made fly rods, ties flies etc. I am looking forward to this.
There is alot of hiking to do.
There is a 111 mile long Centennial trail that ends at Wind cave in the south. It starts here near Fort Meade, just south of the hospital and goes south, full length of the Black Hills.As a part of this is Harney's peak supposedly the highest peak east of the Rockies. You can read about these in Website of Blackhills national forest.

I will try to keep you updated, more easily once I get my Own High Speed Connection.

Love to all. I miss you all.
xxxooo.
Tata.

Hi,
I got here in Fort Meade VAMC on 5/22/06 at 7:15am.
The secretary Sharon was happy to see me. Later on at 7:30 am the morning rounds started with all the surgeons and two PAs.There were only two patients. I met the ex chief Mike Blum, he is in the 70s and he resigned as chief recently and he now works two days a week. The elderly surgeon Dr Suyama,A.G is 85. He has been trained in Mass Gen Hospital with the stalvarts of surgery. He is very active and alert. He is an avid fisherman.
He grew up in Seattle and he was in the Army Nisay division during the WWII. He was lucky he was not interned as the other Japanese citizens.
the acting Chief is Paul Morehouse, he graduated form Kansas univ med school and trained at KU med center in the late 70s.He practiced in Warrensburg MO for any years before moving to Fort Meade yrs ago. I met his wife and daughter who is a freshman, studying at Tyler Texas.
The other surgeon is Simon Kovalik, he graduated from Univ of Pennsylvania and he has been here for 2 yrs. He is divorced has grown children.He lives on the campus. He hikes ,rides motorcycle etc.
There are two PAs on the service Justin Thurman and Lisa Wurnig.

There is a nice Exercise room with machines which is kept locked and my key opens it. I can exercise any time. Sadly there is no swimming pool.

I had a lot of orientation yesterday. I did not do any work.
But I exercised in the physical therapy department , which Simon recommended.

I went to Spearfish about 20 miles west of Sturgis( this where Fort Meade is).
I ate dinner at Appleby and shopped at Walmart and bought a DVD player for 30 bucks.
Also bought some groceries.
My address is
Ft Meade Medical center
113 Comanche Rd
FortMeade.SD 57741.
Attention: surgery.

Sorry I do not have any pictures to load as of now.
I will send pics next time.
Love you all.
Pad.