May 6, 2008
We were at the Heart Institute almost all day. Just got home (4:30). Based on viewing a DVD (I'm not making this up) of the angiogram and the placing of the stents in Kingman, my doctor here decided I didn't need a full angiogram so they did a modified cat scan where they injected my veins with iodine dye and did that. I'll have the results on Thursday.

Got down there deep inside the Beast at seven, got blood work done, then left to meet Deena for breakfast at The Good Egg at Park Central. Yes, I wanted to go to The Matador for huevos rancheros but the two women I was with talked me out of it. Sat outside on the patio. Beautiful day, ordered some "heart healthy" egg whites with Mexican salsa (stewed tomatoes with a pinch of mild Anaheim chiles), and black beans. Ate half of it. Too bland. Of course this is playing right into the heart healthy lifestyle. On the morning of March 22 I weighed 200 pounds. Today I weigh 175.

Afterwards we went over to Landis Cycle, behind our old farm house (built in 1915) at Seventh Avenue and Indian School Road. This longtime bike shop was there when Deena was a baby, and I bought a baby carrier for Kathy's bike 28 years ago so the two of them could tool around the neighborhood in style. Deena picked out a bitchin' bike (Man, they make amazing bikes today) for her birthday tomorrow. She also bought a Bell helmet (the safest, and we told her the name is convenient because she won't need a name tag stitched on it.). Afterwards we drove around the corner and went up to our old house at 707 West Mackenzie and knocked on the door. We wanted to see if the owners would let us in the back yard so Deena could pose by the tree we planted when she was born. No one answered the door, so we took a couple photos in the front yard and left. The Western style ranch mailbox complete with barbed wire and saguaro spines for a base, is still there and in use. I put it up in 1983.

Delivered Deena's bike out to her condo in Scottsdale, then went back to the Heart Institute for the rest of the tests and a meeting with my heart doctor. Had a long wait (one and a half hours) but utilized the time doing six sketches, then kept going and did twelve. Felt productive and good.

Dr. Lee gave me a pep talk about surviving and told me he has two kinds of patients: the first really makes an effort to change and when they come in for their annual checkups they are thin, healthy and happy. The other kind of patient, well, you can guess what they do, not much, and they are ready candidates for another heart attack, because once you've had one. . .

I promised to be the first kind of patient, but it's going to take some work. Gee, I wonder if the Old Vaqueros have anything to say about this?

"It takes work to stop working."
—Old Vaquero Saying