Happy Anniversary to me!

It’s been 1 year since my heart “incident” was fixed!

First off…they now call heart “attacks” an “incident” because the “attack” word was too harsh and made it too scary!
Beats me how you can downsize an “attack” to an “incident” and make it feel better…it didn’t help me!

This is my story and I hope that it can help someone else either prevent or recognize what’s happening and your chances!

Hopefully you will be smarter than me!

I was diagnosed with Diabetes Type 2 in 1994.
No…I did not look after myself and follow proper diet and now I have to pay for it!
I have uttered every excuse imaginable why I couldn’t keep up with it and excuses don’t keep death from the doorstep!

I love sweets…especially chocolate! Chocolate made me feel better…the “high” that you get from it supposedly helps the stress.

WRONG!

The sugar helped to close my left aorta!

For those of you who do not have diabetes…don’t think that you’re safe!

Your not if you have cholesterol problems!

I didn’t HAVE CHOLESTROL!

The results…the right side of my heart was working overtime and made the small arteries bulge from the exertion!

PART ONE: RECOGNIZING THE SIGNS:

-Family History of Heart Problems!
This is very important! My mom died of heart failure when she was 36! I made it passed the age of 36 and thought I was safe! WRONG…you are never safe! Stick with the proper diet and live right…you might be okay! I am now 55 and I would like to live longer!

-Being more tired than you should be!
I am a work-aholic and wrote it off as working too much and not getting enough sleep. Keeping long working hours didn’t help either.

-Not able to walk very far or do any hill climbing!
Even the slight incline of this town’s streets were too hard for me to traverse and the short walk to the post office made me breathless!

-Different kind of pain!
My left arm felt numb from the shoulder to my elbow and the elbow joint ached. I always thought the right arm was to go numb and there would be pain in my jaw and neck if I was having a heart attack! I actually ignored this numbness a couple of times when I was out trying to go for a walk! Now I know I could have died then!

-Having that same pain wake you at night!
I was having “night sweats” and the pain in my arm would wake me. I wrote this off as symptoms of Diabetes but the arm pain left me wondering.

PART TWO – WHEN IT HAPPENED:

Saturday morning -July 23, 2005

I needed to walk up to PoD’s place [away on holidays] to feed her animals. She lived up the hill from me and the climb was too much! I was having these pains in my leftt arm again and seeing as the doctor’s clinic was near her I went to his place instead. He wasn’t home…away until Monday. Feeling bad enough I figured I could walk to the hospital [3 long blocks away] and get it checked…just in case.

STUPID thing to do! By the time I got there I was in agony and I felt my arm needed to come off…the pain was so bad!

We had a new doctor in town at that time and that’s who I got to see!

My legs were swollen and he pegged everything down to stress, anxiety and being over weight! Oxygen made the pain go away and he figured that it eased my stress, etc. Giving me a “Water Retention Pill” prescription sent me on my merry way! Forgetting that I had told him that I had WALKED there!

On the walk back to my place [downhill] I had another attack!

I had to put up with the pain until my family doctor came home [Sunday night] and then I only had to tell him my symptoms over the phone for him to put me in the hospital for observation!

Diagnosis: Acute Angina!

This means living with “Angina Spray and Nitro Patches” [both give you massive headaches]!

Where the hell did that other doctor get his degree!

Oh wait…we’ll take anyone with a degree that will stay here!

Maybe I’m being over dramatic…but I could have died!!

Yes…I do know that you can’t die from Angina…but telling yourself that when you’re having an “incident” doesn’t help!

Now comes all of the testing!

Waiting for appointments!

They have to do stress tests, echo heart monitoring, etc!

Professional people didn’t seem to be too worried about my heart…so I tried not to also. Ha! What a joke! Just added more stress!

The stress test said I was definitely a candidate for “stents” to be put in!

What the hell are “Stents”?
They widen your veins with balloons and put in these stainless steel “Culverts” to keep them open!

I even put the “One-Act Festival in DeerJaw” [Nov. 4] ahead of my health [because I was acting in this one and felt that I owed my acting company not to let them down] that’s how much my ignorance was at that time!

Or maybe my denial of the situation!

I spent that weekend having a few more “incidences”!

At 12:30 am Nov. 23 I was awaken by a severe “incident” that landed me into the hospital here. It was bad enough to send me the next day into “Toon Town” and right into the Cardiac Care Unit!

PART THREE – The Nightmare!

Everyone hates being in the hospital and I’m no exception!
It’s not bad when you’re feeling poorly, which I was, but care makes you feel better! Feeling better stops the angina!

In order to get the procedure done you have to stay there so you don’t lose your place in the line-up!
Yes…Line-up!
There is only two rooms in a hospital in “Toon Town and District” to do this procedure!

While you’re waiting for the “Procedure” they have tapes for you to watch so you know what is about to happen to you!

The first thing you find out is… YOU’RE AWAKE when it is being done!

The next thing that you find out is that you might not have it [stents] put in until the NEXT time!

What NEXT TIME!

Going through ONE -AWAKE is bad enough…but TWICE!!

So I waited!

And Waited!

And Waited…

Meanwhile they have been giving me blood thinner…etc, in preparation for this “Procedure”. Telling me this whole time they were keeping in touch with the “Procedure” unit.

I don’t know who they were calling because word came down [2 1/2 weeks later] that they had been trying to find me to tell that it was time…but I wasn’t answering my phone at home or at work?

WHAT???!

They had finally connected with PoD and she had to tell them where I was and had been for weeks!

NOW I HAVE TO TRUST THESE SAME PEOPLE TO MAKE ME FEEL BETTER!!?

BUT…seeing as they couldn’t find me I had to go to the bottom of the list!

NO F—king WAY!

They got to see my bad side!

I wouldn’t leave until I had a permanent appointment with the “Surgeon”!

They had messed around with my blood [thinning etc] and blood clotting also runs in the genes! So no way was I taking that chance…I lived too far away to feel safe!

Stress was making me worse!

PART FOUR – THE PROCEDURE!

Dec 13, 2005

Outpatient Surgery Department [7:30 am]…answer same questions at front desk and on the ward. These people would save time if they would only photocopy that sheet! Or maybe give me a copy and I could carry copies around with me!

Then the nurse gives you this scratchy gown and tells you to wait…I’m supposedly next!

Found out that next meant 4 hours later!

FINALLY…it’s time!

I liked it better when they brought the stretcher to you and you are wheeled into the operation room. They gave you a drug that made you relax and it wasn’t so stressful going into that room and the urge to run is not there! But not now…now you have to walk to the operating room…stone sober…and your stress level goes way up! All I wanted to do was run away and forget everything!

Putting on a brave face I climbed onto the table!
I was swarmed by nurses and doctors…prepped for the procedure!

I was told that it was only to find what was blocked and if I MIGHT need more work.
The doctor thought it funny that I crossed my fingers!
I wasn’t taking any chances…NO WAY was I going to go through this again!

They have TV monitors all around you and this x-ray machine continually takes pictures of your heart while he is working on it! You can if watch if you want.

REMEMBER – YOU’RE AWAKE!!

Queen of Halloween is squeamish!!

Last thing I wanted to see was someone shoving a microscopic camera through my vein into my heart [thankfully it kept beating], let alone watch as they blow it up with this balloon!

I am also happy that they talk real low so it’s hard to hear things like “that part of the heart is too damaged to repair” and “we don’t have anymore stents that size” [they put 3] while you are laying there! Those words came later the next day!

1 hour turned into 2 ½ hours!

What does a person think of during that time?

I have a fantastic imagination! Try and keep that under control while all of this is going on!
All you have to stare at is the ceiling tiles! I think I counted them a million times!
I vote for them to have TVs installed up there and run a movie or documentary [not about the heart]!

I forgot to tell them about the deteriated disc in my back and laying for that long killed me! After awhile pain killers didn’t work! Thankfully they were finally done!

PART FIVE – THE RECOVERY ROOM!

Tourcher Chamber!

The procedure was to insert this microscopic camera in my body through the main vein in my crotch [right side] area. This has to be sealed shut after they are finished or you will bleed to death!

This is where they bring in the “CLAMP”!

The “Clamp” is a machine that looks like a huge “C”! The bottom of the “C” slides under the bed frame and the top of the “C” is positioned over your incision! Then they screw it tightly down on this incision to make it heal better!

As she was screwing it down tighter and tighter…she kept asking me if it was tight enough! My groaning from the pain wasn’t enough to stop her! I thought she’d never stop!

This has to stay there for 20 minutes!

20 minutes felt like HOURS!

Again I was lying on my back and the pain was intensified by the clamp!

Hospitals use Tyelenol for pain killing…I am allergic to Tyelenol! The only drug that works for my back pain…they would not give to me!

I have a strong thresh hold for pain…but this was unbearable!

After 20 minutes of hell they finally removed the clamp and up to the ward I went.

Now all I have to do is lie on my back for another 6 hours and don’t move a muscle…you can’t even lift your head! This is to keep the blood pressure from bursting the incision!

MORE AGONY!!

FINALLY at 3:00 am it was all over and I could get up!
If I could have jumped out of that bed I would have!
I paced the hallway on my floor to get rid of my back agony…the incision hardly hurt at all!

Did you know that the hospital hallways are real creepy at 3:00am!

The quietness made it quite spooky and I felt like I was being watched! Perfect place to see ghosts! But my mood at that moment would have scared any ghost away!

Morning finally arrived along with breakfast! I was starved! I even ate all of their crappy food!

The doctor arrived right after that and gave me two pictures of my heart…the before and after shots!

I was closer to death than I figured and was told that he was amazed that I hadn’t had a MASSIVE HEART ATTACK!

STUPIDITY AND DENIAL nearly did me in!

And yes…I now have some heart damage and it’s not repairable!

He also gave me a “green card”! I have to hang on to this card just in case anything goes wrong with the “stents”? They’ll need the numbers on them for replacements?

Wrong?

Yup…the heart can reject these things and sometimes the medication [very expensive] they give you to prevent this doesn’t work!

Wonderful….more stress!

With this procedure you are not able to go home until the next day…just in case things don’t stay together…more worry!

Home never looked so good!

PART SIX – THE RECOVERY

How does one contend with oneself when they get back from heart surgery? Nobody cut me open but I felt like they did!

I keep the photos around to remind myself and hopefully others of what can happen! Diabetes is a sneaky disease…it creeps up on you and destroys everything!

I started the year out just fine…I stuck to my diet and even lost some more weight! I tried to relax more…gave more work to PoD and all was okay until I caught a cold!

I have had problems with Bronchitis in the past and it looked like it was going that way again!

The coughing was scaring me and the doctors…so back into the city hospital again!

More testing and another 10 days until they let me go.

Diagnosis: Pneumonia!

Thankfully all “stents” have stayed in place!

Man…I’m sick of being sick!

I’ve tried avoiding people so I wouldn’t catch their germs but I couldn’t do that to my grandkids.

It didn’t matter! I have another cold [not pneumonia] and caught the flu!

Did you know that you can have the flu for a month or more?

Wonderful!

Most recently I have had to go back to the specialist about my Diabetes.

I have two sores on my body that no one seems to know anything about!

With Diabetes care has to be taken with your feet and legs. Mine are just fine!

These sores are on my stomach! The first one took a month to heal! This new one is worse than the other [bleeds sometimes] and all the doctors can say is “wait and see how this one goes”!

They are too busy at the moment and maybe I should wait for any others to show up and then they might do a biopsy!

Meanwhile testing has shown that I no longer can take pills to control my sugars.

I am now Type 1!

This means being insulin dependant!

To do this I have to go back into the hospital to learn to regulate it!

I CAN’T B---H TOO MUCH…I’M STILL ALIVE!!!

OR AM I?

Guess What!

Today I land back into the hospital [1 year to the day]…they are going to regulate my sugars with insulin shots. I will be in there over the weekend so I get to miss our wind-up party AGAIN!

I have 5% of my xmas shopping done…my tree is not up yet, shop has been decorated for a month…no xmas tree there either! I don’t think I want to put up one only to take it down one week later. Granted some people don’t put theirs up until xmas eve.

I am behind at work and planned to spend that time to catch-up…customers are getting sick of our saying we’re still behind.

Oh well!

I am taking a page from Wilma’s book and try not to let it bug me! Easier said than done!

Cross your fingers for me!

WTF Continued....

The first blog for the day I had written in the early morning hours yesterday. I didn't post it yesterday because I figured I'd be fair and give them a chance to clear of the snow.

No one came!

Then I found out that the downtown main street was cleared properly and NO ONE WAS CLIMBING OVER SNOW MOUNDS!

The snow in front of my place wasn't even mounded...I had 6 to 7 feet stretch to my door of a foot of snow! 4 wheel drive is the only vehicle that didn't get stuck!

My nice neighbor had cleared my sidewalk that morning with his Bobcat...thanks guy!

But the snow continued....

Ticked....I phoned the town office!

I gotta admit I was proud of myself for not flying off the handle!
Town person [new] told me she did not know the protocols for snow removal and would get back to me. Within 5 minutes she had called back and informed me that the plowing crew were just starting to remove snow again and would get to me then or today sometime. As she was talking I saw the tractor/bucket go by and NO they did not do it then!

I then watched as they plowed the back alley [across the street from me] and then watched as it cleared a PRIVATE residence's parking area [next to that back alley] and even behind their garage! NO it wasn't the Mayor's house but I would chance a guess that Tractor Guy might know them!!

Well....it snowed/sleeted last night and I awoke [slept in...7:45] to more snow out front!

Then low and behold....the Tractor Guy plowed my street [8:15]!

Yep....plowed the snow and now my customers have to climb the mountain!

Guess it was rocket science after all!!

The poor boulevard trees are going to go thirsty this coming spring!!

I guess I can't complain....they did put gravel/salt down on that icy roadway! But now I can't have my usual laugh at the poor souls that drive my street. I got a great kick out of how some people can't back up and have to turn around and drive out going the wrong way.

So bring your climbing gear if you plan on stopping at my place...cause who knows how big that mountain is going to get!!

Maybe I'll take a page out of Wilma's book and write a nice note to the newspaper's mail bag on how this town is becoming crappy because of lack of experience...or are they just okay with hiring ANYONE who THINK they can operate a machine!

Paint my aura RED!!

WTF!!!

Yesterday morning I awoke [5:00am] hearing the town grader and it sounded like they were doing my street!

It snowed a lot the night before and amazingly they were up early to remove it…definitely not something done before!

But I guess the Grader Guy can read lips after all!

Because I must be on his s__t list!!!

Or…

He just doesn’t know how to remove snow properly with that machine!

I moved into town 4 years ago and the snow in front of my place has ALWAYS been plowed from the curb over to the boulevard! But since this town has gone through a massive turn over of personnel [town foreman, etc] they have had problems!

I am a very understanding person…normally!

I know they have their problems but don’t you think you would try to hire someone with EXPERIENCE in what they do!

It’s not rocket science!!!

You tell me if you like parking at a store that you would have to climb over a mountain of snow just to get to the door or maybe chance getting your vehicle stuck in it!

When that same snow could have been resting across the street from it on the boulevard…where it would water the trees when it melted!

But that would make too much sense!!!

My shop is in the downtown area…the other stores have easy access! Their snow is plowed to the middle of the street where it is REMOVED!

Why is my place different!

Not to be too paranoid…the building beside me happens to be a town heritage site and the snow was “bucket” removed from the front of it!!!

I guess you get more service with “sugar on it” instead of sour when you curse them!

But I feel miserable [still sick] enough to start something!

They haven’t felt the “Wrath of QoH” yet but something tells me they are going to!!!

Stay tuned!

Sorry I haven't been blogging but I'm fighting a head cold [as usual] and I think the flu has been trying to get a foot hold...and I think it's winning!

Being Diabetic [type 2] sucks!!!
Pick up any cold/flu medication and read the warning label...all say "do not take if your Diabetic, etc." So no help is available there!

But that's not why I'm blogging!

I saw my younger sister's ghost again!

Again it was only for a split second but I know it was her!
I saw her once before, about six months ago, when I was sick with pnuemonia!
Both times were when I wasn't even thinking of her and she appeared!

The first time I was busy working and looked up and saw her standing by one of my computers! It was long enough to recognize what she was wearing and it was an outfit that I had seen her in before [no it wasn't her funereal outfit because I never viewed her at that time...I couldn't] and it wasn't an outfit that she wore a lot!

This morning I saw her at the foot of the stairs leading up to my private residence.

I was fully awake and had completed some early morning chores before descending to my work place. I did notice that both cats would not go downstairs with me as they usually do and thought that strange?

I had just gone down three steps when I realized that the foot of the steps was faintly lit...I looked at the area and saw her standing there! I always go down the stairs in the dark...it's that familiar to me.

Again it was just for a split second but long enough to recognize that it was her!

When she was alive she was always there for me...especially when I was sick. She always seemed to know when I was down and might need her help! Last time I ended up in the hospital...hope that's not the case this time! I don't feel as bad as that last time so I don't think that will happen!

But I do have a doctors appointment on thursday in "S'toon" hospital!

I know that a lot might think I'm nuts...but who cares!

I know what I saw!

Maybe being ill makes my guard drop and let's me see these things...who knows? I can't blame it on wishing it because when I wish her to be here she doesn't appear! I know she's on my mind a lot but not this morning!

What a way to start the day!

TRYING MY PATIENCE!

Dodge is killing me with its By-Laws!

In the summer I got hit with one of these great laws!

Beware of the weeds and grasses that are over 3” high…the by-law says “cut or we will cut at YOUR expense”! This was the warning that I got!

Due to my heart problems and kids that were over taxed with my other work they had to do for me…it kept getting put off. The day the warning hit, PoD and I closed shop and spent the day making my place live able [town standards]. That cost me a day! Then to rub more salt in the wound I got to watch the weeds grow across the street from me! Where was their warning!

I didn’t even see anyone hired from the town doing it for them! They never did clean it up!

GRRRRR

Next problem…

I WAS an avid recycle-your-garbage-kind-of-person but not anymore! I still recycle the massive amount of paper that I go through but anything else…I do it if I feel like it!

Why you ask?

I have to thank the imaginative town person who thought it would be fun to climb metal steps [slippery when wet] while holding a large bag of stuff [filled to over flowing…can’t waste a bag] and then try to maneuver the stuff into a “Mail Slot” [5”x 24”] without dropping the crap down the gaping hole right below the slippery steps [that your balancing on]! Then add some more fun with your grand kids helping and then you have to keep an eye on them too!

GRRRRR

Now its winter!

Town By-Law states that I have to keep my sidewalks clear because it’s the downtown by-law! Also we are asked NOT to shovel the snow out onto the road way…guess it makes it too hard for the Grader! I have a driveway on one side and on the other side I have an alleyway. I can’t shove snow into either areas…but I still have to make it disappear!

I have heart problems!

I should not be shoveling snow but I like to for the work out…so I take care!

I started early this morning [6:30 am] while the snow was still light, fluffy and no foot prints [makes it harder].

I even made it disappear without shoveling it out into the streets! I was quite proud of the effort and my heart felt good!

Then the Town Tractor came out [7:30 am] and proceeded to remove the snow from downtown and place it in a working lot.

That wasn’t my problem…mine was the removal of snow in front of my place!

Where is the By-Law that states that they can’t push the snow from the streets onto the sidewalk!

My NICE AND CLEAN sidewalk!

My customer’s [few that I have] had to climb over a snow mound to get to my step and then brought all that snow into my place! I waited to see it they would clear some of it but NO…I had to go out and shovel it off myself!

This made my heart pound!

This snow was packed by the tractor tires!

So much for the hour that I spent shoveling this morning!

I hope the Grader Guy can read lips!

Thankfully I have a real nice neighbor that owns a Bobcat…because he finished for me!

GRRRRR

Hit me with another by-law and they will feel the "Wrath of QoH"!

THE WIERDNESS IN MY LIFE –no I’m not crazy…I think?

One of the many stories that will make you say….what?

My Premonitions:

The first one that I remember is the death of my Mother when I was 10!

She was to have a heart operation and was to be admitted the morning that she died.

She had arranged for us kids to be looked after while she was to be in there. I was not aware at the time of why she was going into the hospital…just that she had to be in there and that she was real tired. My biggest anger at the time was that my brothers got to sleep out in a tent at the neighbor’s house while my sister and I had to stay at our grand parent's place.

I’ve always hated it there and I was not happy about it and would have rather stayed with my brothers. Top it all off we had to sleep in their creepy basement!

Yes, I had a nightmare, but it wasn’t about the creepy basement, it was about my mom dying!

I’m not too clear on details but the whole time of the dream she was dying and I could hear someone crying! I awoke in the morning with a feeling of dread and even mentioned the dream to my grandmother. She brushed it aside saying that I was worrying about the operation and that all was well. I didn’t know about any operation…I thought my mom was going there for a rest because she was tired!

Shortly after that the phone rang…it was my dad! I remember seeing my grandmother’s face go all white and she looked at me with this weird look.

We rushed over to our house and I was the first one out of the car and into the house before anyone could move.

I’ll never forget what I saw…my dad crying and kneeling beside my mom who was lying on their bed. She looked like she was asleep but I knew without being told that she was dead!

My nightmare had come true!

My grandmother never looked at me the same after that and I felt that I made her uncomfortable!

Things were never the same for me after that!

Stay tuned for my next segment of the “Weirdness of QoH”

THE WIERDNESS IN MY LIFE –no I’m not crazy…I think?

One of the many stories that will make you say….what?

My Cat:

The first cat I remember was the one my step-mom allowed to live in our house. I was a teenager at the time [living in “Edmonchuck”] and this cat slept with me and even had her kittens on my bed [my delight…step-mom’s horror]. She was all black and her main trait being that she was part Siamese. She was obviously not a pure breed but she had all of their markings. From the top of her head to the crook in her tail…she was a Siamese cat that was all black! Normally Siamese cats have bad tempers and rule their world with their evil attitudes [I think Wilma’s cat is part Siamese inside!] but this cat didn’t. She was nice to all but real nosy and would get herself into problems…that eventually did her in. She was good at being a comfort to those whom she loved and one of them was my younger sister “Buttons”. If she wasn’t with me she was with my sister! She did a lot of comforting! We also had a dog that would sleep with the cat and would try to help nurse her kittens. Between the both of them we had lots of kittens and puppies and both helped each other nurse the others. It was real cute!

Time went by and I moved to Ogopogo Lake where my “partner-in-crime” came home one night with a cute little BLACK kitten. She was part Siamese! I wasn’t there to pick her out but my partner said that she was very attached to the dog who was mothering her at the time and even the dog didn’t want to let her go! Strange as it may sound to you this cat reminded me so much of my first cat that it was spooky…which her name became! I called her that even before I felt that way about her! She had all of my first cat’s traits! She even looked like her! This cat stayed with us as we moved from place to place and through it all she was always a comfort to me and the kids when we were sick or upset. She lived with us for 18 years and it was one of the hardest things to do was to watch her die. Stupid me was against putting her down and wanted her to go naturally. Never again…nature is too cruel! It took her along time to die…I promised her then to do better by her if she same back to us…and far as I’m concerned…she did!

The day my granddaughter was born so was my cat [that I still have]! I had phoned “Buttons” to tell her of my granddaughter’s birth and she informed me that her Siamese cat had just given birth also! I found this to be a strange comment until later when I saw the kittens.

My son and I were returning from a family reunion and planned on stopping at my sister’s farm, on the way back, for the excess produce that she had for us. She was down in her garden getting the stuff when we saw two little Siamese kittens heading for her. One stopped, looked at us and started towards us, the other one, we must have scared because it ran away and hid! My son picked up the kitten and she settled herself into him like she knew him! This amazed my sister as she was the only one that could hold either of them. She asked me what produce I wanted and I told her that I wanted the two kittens! She was over run with cats so that wasn’t a problem with her. So we came home with two Siamese kittens. I figured there would be problems traveling two hrs with farm cats but both slept on my son’s lap all of the way home. Buttons had called them “Eanie” and “Meanie”! We kept “Eanie” as “Meanie” was aptly named! My neighbor took “Meanie” and they called her “Cruella DeVille”!

From the moment “Eanie” entered the house she acted like she was home! When she was put down she headed straight for the basement where the other litter box had been kept and meowed like she had to go! She was an outside cat so she should have not known about litter boxes! It had been 2 yrs since we had a cat in the house [I never wanted one after “Spooky” died] so there couldn’t have been a lingering smell and if there was how could she have smelled it from another floor. The other kitten just searched around in the immediate area for somewhere to go and did!

This kitten did everything that “Spooky” did and reminded me so much of her that I called her “Suki”! close enough sounding to spooky which she was!

She is 9 right now and I hope she lives as long as she did before…I firmly believe that she’s a re-incarnated creature!

She always knows when I’m ill! When I was having heart problems she would sit on my chest right where my heart is and purr real loud. This would calm me and the pain would ease up! She hates when I cough but sticks it out until I’m better.

She’s also a very social cat and needs to know everything that goes on. I won’t be able to trust her outside as she’s too nosy and would get into everything!

I have two cats.

They are both different in personality!

The other one should have been called “Thunder” instead of “Thumber”! “Thumber” is also a “fraidy cat”. I believe it’s her nature! She’s a “Polydactyl Main Coon Cat”…she has 6 toes on all 4 paws. She is a big cat! She’s also “Suki’s” great great grand daughter! Both cats are “Heinz 57’s” but look like they are pure breeds.

“Main Coon Cats” have distinct characteristics: tails as long as their back [usually fuzzy like a raccoon], their hind legs are longer than the front legs, they have tuffs of hair between their toes and in their ears and are usually a one man’s cat. You have to bond with them when they are kittens! These cats were built for use on ships…their many toes made their paws like hands and they can climb skinny poles [masts].

But she could care less if I was sick…she’s just not interested! She has her cuddle moments but that’s all! As for being ”Thunder”…that’s how she runs…very heavy for a cat!

And NO I don’t think she is re-incarnated!

And talking about amazing cats…there is “Maxie”!

I firmly believe “Maxie” saved PoD’s and JD’s life! So I will be “Maxie’s” defender [no matter what he does] for ever!!

This is a story for PoD to relate…if she ever Blogs again!

Orbing out QoH

Sorry I haven't been on the site...I've been sick with a head cold.

Must of picked up the bug at festival...seeing as I was feeling so run down from the haunt. I guess it was just a matter of time!

Been pretty busy trying to catch up with back orders. PoD and I managed to get quite a few completed. One thing with being late...customers pick up their stuff right away...maybe I'll get paid sooner!

Designing right now is difficult with my head feeling like I'm still wearing a hat from festival! Thoughts are running around in thick fog, my nose is sore from blowing it and I'm tired of sounding like a fog horn. Customers think I'm a guy when I answer the phone!

Yesterday I quit trying to work [10:30 am...up at 5:00] and had to lay down...I was so dizzy! A lot of the orders had to have borders put on them and the rapid eye movement made me feel ill. PoD wasn't feeling up to snuff either and she made it til 2:00. So we closed shop for the rest of the day!

That didn't keep the phone from ringing! It wouldn't have been so bad if it was work related but all of them were soliciting!

Signs stop them at the door [sometimes] but not by phone. Yes I have an answering machine...but it doesn't stop the phone from ringing! Getting any solid sleep was out of the question! It was a day from hell!

Yesterday PoD had to contend with a "religious" person pushing their religion!
I sure wished that it had been me that she had to deal with instead of PoD. Pod was brought up to respect her elders and the one that was sent to "save" us was OLD!

She couldn't believe it! Now they're making the old ones go door to door! We've seen them use their children as ploys but now their elders aren't safe either...or maybe she's got some repenting to do...who knows!

Me and religion have issues! If you ever want to have a good discussion on religion...I'm ready!

If I have to nail any belief down I would classify myself as neo-pagan!

No written book!

Maybe it's part of my native heritage [stony Cree & Eskimo] that guides me...who knows?

My life has changed for the "weirder" [if that's such a word] since I've moved to Dodge [2002] and I will be relating how later.

Rapid eye movement is killing me again!

Got to Orb out...QoH

Oops....Sorry "Trail Boss"...I forgot that I'm still doing volunteer stuff...Dodge's Nature Trail! My calendar told me that I've a meeting to go to on Wed. Meetings once a month is no great sweat and I can't let that other super person down by not attending. It's not like we have to go out and pull weeds right now...it's blizzarding out as I type! See you there...Trail Boss!

Yeah!!!!

It's finally over!

No I'm not talking about Halloween...or the haunt...it's my other volunteer work that I do that finishes out the year.

One-Act Festival!

During the haunt time PoD and I were also involved with community theater. She was acting/back stage helper and I was set designer/builder/stage manager/prompter. This play was written by 3 of our troup and so it was more important to all of us to see that it succeeded!

This year it was being held in Slow Stream, Nov. 10-12.

I was really looking forward to the time there as the hotel/motel has a pool and hot tub!

I took full advantage of any time that I had to spend time in that tub!

PoD and I motored down to Slow Stream with Wilma in her "Rocket" vehicle.

Wilma really knows how to "Rocket" around in that thing and the haunt frights don't compare to the ride through "Slow Stream" to get to the plays in time!

Generally, the first ride to the place where the performances are being held, I keep my eyes open to make sure that I know how to get back...as I am usually the designated driver!

Not this time! If we were going to crash I didn't want to see it coming!

Being late wasn't a fault of ours as we were promised a shuttle bus from the hotel to the performances! As usual it was the excuse of they thought someone was handling it and it wasn't. That happened a lot that weekend!

We got there in plenty of time and we saw some good and bad plays! I judge plays by whether I stay awake or not! I did some dozing this weekend!

All of these festivals had themes and this years was "Hats of to the Theater". After the performances they have a green room, that is also open to the public to attend, where all the performers/crews relax and have fun. This is the part I like the most...because we usually dance and I LOVE dancing! In this green room every night it has a theme. Thursday...cowpoke hat, Friday...fancy hat and Saturday...crazy hat.

I'm not too crazy about western wear and my cowboy hat had a hatband consisting of purple and black feather boas with the tails extending down my back...just had to make it not look too much like a cowboy hat! Saturday I gussied up a black top hat with a red bead shawl and same feather boas. Sunday was a crazy cap hat with a stuffed spider on top...this of course was sitting on the purple boa with tails. It was really wild to see all of the creations! Of the crazy hats I liked all of the blinking ones!

Pod and I were fortunate to get some shopping/swimming time in where as poor Wilma still had to spend some boring time with meetings [subbed for our groups rep] and had to miss out again on relax or fun time!

Not fair to Wilma...she is definitely tired of organizing our troup!

I am an Indian and not a "Chief"...so I will not be putting my hand up for that position. So seeing as no one else is...this group might end! Sorry to see that happen but OTHERS have to step up to the plate and be counted!

I worried a lot about the tree that I had made for this play and hoped that it would still be okay after the exposure to the elements while it waited for play time. It was fine! A little on the soft side but not too bad...it still stood! A few broken branches but other wise it was okay!

Our rehearsal went well and we we set!

PoD said that she wasn't nervous and that was great as I would be up chucking by now! As it was I was the nervous one!

The haunt took a lot of my mental time and the brain was tired! I spent a vast amount of time worrying that I wasn't quite prepared! Thanks to "Funny Guy" [Betty's hubby], who should have had the title Stage Manager instead of me, all of props were where they belonged! Thanks GUY! Your the greatest!

Final Results:

Honorable Mention for Stage Production [stage manager, set design/layout, lights, sound, costume/make-up]
Honorable Mention for Director
Honorable Mention for Best Actor [Funny Guy]
Runner Up [2nd] for Best Play

I say we did GOOD!

The weather was okay although the wind was quite nippy at times while we were there. The highway that runs past the hotel had an accident on it Friday morning. PoD and I had just missed seeing happen. It made me worry about the others from our group that had yet to come. All was well!

Trip home was un eventful!

GOOD TO BE HOME!

Orbing out QoH

Part Eight: Nov. 1…Take Down Night

Wilma emailed “All” that this was the night to come out and help remove the haunt! All that had to be done was the upstairs courtroom and the dressing/rest room!

Thankfully PoD and I had done the basement Monday because all that showed up was Wilma [as usual] and “Badge” [who had to drive 17 miles to get town]! THANKS GUYS!!?

So with only PoD, the Minions “AJ” & “JD”, Wilma, Badge and me…we removed the “haunt” from the rooms and packed all vehicles with the stuff that had to go to my place. Badge and PoD handled the huge trees down the long flight of stairs and into the cold night. Two trucks and one van were loaded to the maximum and we were even lucky to have room for ourselves!

Wilma vacuumed the whole courtroom [back breaking job] and we replaced the tables, chairs and coffee trolley when she was done.

The Minions had the task of taking the Indian Crosses and other crosses to the basement for storage in the Custodial Quarters. PoD, Badge and me, took the potted bushes to the storage area. This meant climbing back up to the upper floor [30 steps] multiply this by 4 add heat and it’s a great workout! I decided to brave the Quarters alone, staying to put the bushes in an area where they won’t be in the way too much.

During the haunt it wasn’t creepy down there but being down there alone after it was over…it became creepy again!

I was sure happy to be finished with the basement!

At the ending on Saturday night, I was walking down the upper hallway when the ladies toilet flushed [it is NOT an automatic flushing toilet] as I approached the room. Expecting someone to be in there [the door was open] I called out warning of my approach. Looking in I found the room empty! I’ve heard the toilets flushing before in the building but not right in front of me!

We finally left the building, locking it and made a convoy of three vehicles to my place…PoD and I bringing up the rear to pick up anything that might’ve fell off!

Making a line we quickly unloaded my crap and I waved farewell to my crew as they drove out of sight…wishing all a pleasant goodnight!

I carried all my crap to the back building and there it will sit until I need something out of it!

Final thoughts on the Haunt:

DEFINITELY NOT DOING IT EVER AGAIN IN THE COURT HOUSE BY OURSELVES!!!

Not sure if better advertising would have helped.

Would suggest doing in the summer when the heat is not on and it doesn’t have to be Halloween related.

That’s all for now on the haunt! Sorry it took so long but I do have another life!

Thanks all of you [5] for hanging in there!

Orbing out QoH

Part Seven:

We were able to finish up early and we had to remove the stuff that was exposed to the public so that the town could open for business the next morning.

While we were doing this Wilma presented Pod and me with a present from the workers for all the hard work that we had done…orange ”Crying Towels”!

I had mentioned earlier, in a blog, that I needed a “Crying Towel” for all the whining that I was doing. Mine was embroidered with the words “Queen of Halloween” on it and PoD’s was “Princess of Darkness”.

Thanks Guys!! These towels are HUGE!! I can do lots of crying! I LOVE IT!!

The part PoD and I like the best is…”Take Down”!

“Take Down” means…all can go into boxes and not to worry about putting it away [at home] until later!

The shop is closed to the public on Mondays but we still work that day. I can’t relax until things are done and that part completed…so we spent 3 hrs taking down all that was in “Mine Shaft #1 & #2 and moved what was staying into the “Custodial Quarters”. We left the walls up in this area for whatever the future brings and packed the “Mine Shaft Beams”, wood, tarps and the potted bushes along the walkways inside, leaving room for the town workers to access the electrical panel.

We had to move the “Thin Tree”, stump, fire ring and fake fire to the town’s community hall for the “One-Act Play” that they were starring in. The “Thin Tree” still had to have its branches/leaves attached to their main branches. This involves vines wrapped around coat hanger wire that were embedded into the main branch. Lots off hot glue to hold them there [burnt fingers] and paint to hide the glue. Ta…da….instant tree! Add a couple of altered xmas trees and ta…da…Saskatchewan prairie forest! The play is about camping.

If I haven’t mentioned it before…I am the Set Designer/Builder and Stage Manager [been pretty absent lately and it really should be “Clark’s” second title and me as assistant] for our entry in the One Act Festival being held in Slow Currant this weekend. I am really looking forward to that time [after our part is done that is] and it will be my only holiday for the year.

Part Six:

This was the time for me to build up the hype and make the next crowd afraid to enter…or at least apprehensive!

I like this time!

I have converted many a non-believer into believing or at least wondering about what’s in the courthouse!

All it takes is mentioning the “Paranormal Group” that has filmed the place and that they are trying to get “Dodge” on TV. The show is called “Beyond” and they think that it just might happen!

During all of this time the ghosts have left PoD and me alone! Aside from seeing the ghostly cat chasing its tail and the feeling that you’re being watched…all has been pretty quiet!

During the “haunt” I was able to take some pictures and got some “Orbs” on them. I wasn’t able to take too many photos as the camera has a tendency to quit working while I am operating it. That’s when I usually hand the camera over to PoD and she is able to take the rest. This time she was stuck working the entrance and so I wasn’t able to get any photos at that time! What I did get showed that the “Orbs” weren’t too plentiful and that there were not as many as there were in past years!

Not sure why?

When the paranormal group is here they find that they have camera problems also and that it’s not just me! We’ve had a camera shut it’s self off during a séance and then find out that nothing is wrong with it and that it works just fine. This happened right after PoD felt something blowing on her hand!

I was able to get a few shots of “moving” Orbs and PoD captured some strange orange “things/shapes” in the courtroom! I will be posting photos when I’m able to figure out how to do it! Stay tuned for edits to this part of the blog!

Part Five:

Sunday: snowing lightly and still not too cold.

106 go through haunt…worst ever turn out! Re-confirming my choice in not doing this again!

I spent most of my day trying to catch up on my designing work that has to be done in order that I may continue with my crazy life. While I worked I was running last night’s events and some of the victim’s comments as they went through the dark, through my mind. A lot had come a second time and were going to be coming back again tonight. That’s when I had the brilliant idea to change up the pathway of the haunt in the courtroom!

I was a good idea and it worked out real well…but we should have started it earlier and we ran out of time.

I’ve been doing art work on PoD’s arms [her idea] every night with permanent felt pens and it looked like they were tattooed on. She’s been getting quite a few comments on how good and how realistic that it looked! Every night she’s had to scrub if off [so it wouldn’t get all over her sheets] so her skin was getting pretty sore. Thankfully the design was still legible and I was able to zap in on in record time!

Don’t know why I rushed! Our beginning rush lasted all of 15 minutes…then just became stragglers! I guess we were so desperate for “Victims” that they started letting in underage kids.

One Mother came with her pre-school daughter and used her as a poking stick and would jab her kid into the scary stuff first, thus protecting herself! She pushed this scared kid right into me, actually hitting me in the stomach with her, then pushed this kid in front of her while they continued through the haunt! Can we say what…? I definitely gave her a piece of my mind…but it didn't change anything as she continued with the kid held tight in front of her?

Another great parent, this time a Dad, showed up with 3 girls [10, 11 & 12] to go through. All was fine for about 1 minute into the haunt when the girls became scared! So scared that they were all crying and the girls DID NOT want to continue! They had just finished one area, the courtroom and had 3 more areas to go through... scarier than what they just went through! This was at the basement door and all they wanted to do was just to exit there and NOT continue! Dad had other ideas and was trying to force them to continue…you know…suck it up!

My decision was final…the girls got to go back into the lit area [front foyer] and DAD had to continue through the haunt by HIMSELF! I had to take the girls back to the foyer so I was unable to see how he did…I just hope he was scared himself! I know I would not want to do the walk alone!

I wasn’t able to visit much with the workers during break time as the admission table was still letting in stragglers and they had to be babysat while waiting for the haunt to start. PoD needed this time to have her smoke and have her break from the crowd [what crowd ?] and all of their questions.

Part Four:

Saturday: another nice night, a little colder, with no snow.

176 go through haunt! More dismal turnout!

My brother “Tank” [a childhood nickname], my sister-in-law “Sew Lady”, great nephew “Evil Boy” [16] and great niece “Bad Fairy” [14] arrived from Devon, AB to help us in the haunt. They were amazed to see that we had no snow [from the border to here] as they came from a lot. And yes…they brought it with them, although it wasn’t until late evening when it finally arrived!

They were anxious to see the building that I had been talking about and we went to view it first. They wanted to make the walk-through in the day light as my sister-in-law doesn’t like scary stuff.

That evening their jobs were:

“Tank & Evil Boy” to man the Mine Shaft #1…the “White Spider Lair”:

In this place my brother manned the “White Spider”.

This was a huge 3’ x 3’spider that I had made to sit on a skateboard. The operator sat on a chair and ran the spider back and forth with his foot pushing the skateboard. The area was dimly lit by red LED lights and the “Victims” could only see the spider. If they saw the operator, all they would see was a person dressed to look like a dummy with a scary mask. “Tank” also had a few other areas that he could scare from and he even sounded like a snake at times…which I heard later from some victim that she thought it was special sound effect that made her worry that a snake would drop down and scare her…thanks “Tank” for the extra scares!

“Evil Boy” was another one of those “Evil Midgets” that scared quite a few “Victims”! He helped his grandfather in the Spider Mine and helped scare at the entrance and down the “Mine Shaft #2. The “Evil Minions, AJ & JD, were unable to be there that night so he took over their jobs. He wore all black with a glow-in-the-dark mask and held a big plastic machete. He popped out from all places and he added his own screams along with theirs. Thanks “Evil Boy” for a job well done!

“Sew Lady” was stairwell guard #1 and who also provided the haunt workers with 3 different types of yummy chicken wings and a really sweet dessert. All enjoyed the food…thanks “Sew Lady”!

When she came she had planned on not working the haunt and wanted just to be cook/bottle washer. We have no kitchen and our resting/dressing room was in the Judge’s Chambers and they were right next to the start of the haunt so….I talked her into being the stairwell security and it was a better lit area. We had to have the lights off in the Judge’s Chamber because it would shine under the door and would be seen by the victims going through the courtroom.

She scared quite a few people and even gave PoD a good startle when she wasn’t expecting her to be there! Thanks “Sew Lady” for the goodies and good job scarring all…hope you enjoyed it!

“Bad Fairy” was the main floor security and she sat in a basket type chair. She was so tiny and the wings that she wore made her look like a big phony bat until you got closer. Then you saw that it had long black hair that covered its face…real creepy…kind of like “Samara” off of the movie “The Ring”! Sometimes she moved and sometimes not…she sure made a lot scream! Thanks “Bad Fairy” for being so creepy!

A BIG THANK YOU to my family for coming all that way to help in our last production! Thanks guys!

A REAL BIG THANK YOU TO WILMA!

Not only did she help with the décor…she was the one who was instrumental in getting us “Workers” to work the haunt and I heard that she could be very persuasive! We would have all died of thirst if it wasn’t for her remembering to bring water, ice and we even had food/goodies! Thanks girl…you’re the greatest!

So all ran smoothly and we were out of there by 11:00 pm.

I did notice that the courthouse was starting to cool off and wasn’t so hot anymore.

Part Three: Mine Shaft #3

When the plastic wall was thrown back at the doorway of “Mine Shaft #3 you were greeted by another security guard who bid you welcome and to enter into this new area.

“Mine Shaft #3” was made to cover all of your fears! Dark with little lighting…hallways that are tight and confining…a “Maze” that had dead ends…filled with scary people!

This is what they had to go through…

From the entrance you had to make a right and go down a long tight hallway [normal size hallway divided in half] to a dim gold flashing light. This got you to the back bedroom [where someone was supposed to have hung himself] and you found yourself in a room that was a “Jail Cell”. The bars of the cell were covered in webs/spiders and a bed helped make the corner of the cell. The victims had to go left into the open cell area and cross the room to get out. This meant walking in front of the chair in the corner. A “Prisoner” dummy had 3 places to be in to distract the “Victim” while his “live” roommate would scare them! These guys spent all day Saturday thinking of ways to make the “Dummy” move and they were FANTASTIC…thanks guys!

After making through that scare you exited the same doorway and went back down that same hallway…but on the other side. This led you to the next 2 doorways which had someone standing [or not] waiting to scare you and then follow you down the hallway. This really bothered some people…having a creature following them! This created the distraction of the next area which was dimly lit by blue lights.

Coming out of this narrow hallway, on their right, the victim was met by another “Prisoner” dummy sitting in the “Electric Chair”. I sat in this position very often and would act “Electrocuted” when they walked by. This would distract them and they would be off guard for the “Mad Creature” crawling out from the hiding spaces we created. The screaming and dancing was hilarious! The “Mad Creature” had to be real careful about the “kicking out reaction” the victims did as he flung aside the tarp that housed him. He would also follow them and force them to enter the next tight area…the “Maze”.

This was a dark walk that had a dim blue light that the victim could walk forward to. They had to traverse a couple of dark turns until they came into a semi-lit area that had a “Monster” standing in the corner [dead end] as you came around. This scared many as their view was obstructed by hanging strips of plastic.

Entering this spot they had to go to the left to exit…only to find that they entered into a dead end. A “Live” person was usually standing there! I was scared myself when I tried using this spot sometimes and found someone already standing there!

This happened to me more than I’d like it to happen....as I don’t like being scared either!

The real exit was hidden by the other opening and this always caused some confusion! All found it eventually…mostly in a panic!

The “Victims” exited down a long tight dark hallway where they were scared again by the “Mad Creature” who made them hurry out of there! At the doorway they were met again by the security guard and told to exit down the long hallway to get out. This was semi lit at the end and partially covered by plastic that kept others from entering that way.

As they left the hallway they were scared again by someone standing there to tell them that their nightmare was over and to leave the building.

Ascending the stairs they were met by security to make sure they left and to confiscate any stolen souvenirs…which did happen!

That’s how the “Haunt” worked each night! The only difference being new workers meant new scares!

Dodge is a hockey town!

Tonight was their first exhibition game and could have been part of the reason of the poor turn out!

What it did give us was...Drunks!
During the games half time, the drunks decided to go to the Haunt instead of seeing the rest of the boring game!

NOTE: BAN DRUNKS FROM THE HAUNT!

You can’t scare drunks!

Everything to them at that moment is funny…or they can get REAL NASTY!

They fall down and can pull down the walls in their drunkenness! The group that went through tonight…one of the guys fell and a retractable blade knife fell out of his pocket onto the floor. His main concern was finding that knife so he would have his “protection” with him?

I never thought that I’d have to worry about removing weapons at the door!!

REAL SCARY!!

There wasn’t too much gathering time after it was over, as all were anxious to get out of the heat and get home to bed and dream of the next day’s haunt!

Part Two: The Lost Coal Mine

The whole basement area was made to be like a coal mine and it was the darkest and scariest of the whole haunt! Many did not want to continue!

The “Victims” were met by another security guard who directed them into “Mineshaft #1 [old Dentist’s office].This one was infested with spiders and LOTS of webbing!

They would enter the mine shaft area and the door would close behind them with a bang! Blue light lit the first area and you have to walk bent to avoid the icky webs. Turning right you came to an open area where the BIG WHITE SPIDER lived and it would rush forward looking like it was going to attack your legs!

This caused a LOT of “dancing and screaming” from the victims!

After “dancing” some, you made a left through another doorway into the next room and another right down a short cob webbed shaft, then left and left again into another partition where you saw “Spiderman” stuck on a big cobweb. This was a dead end here and you have to backup and go right down another webbed shaft. At the end of this shaft hung a life size cocoon which semi-blocked the pathway. It was very hard for some people to go forward and go around this object but all did not want to go back the way they came.

The night that my brother worked the haunt he said that he had to finally reach out, exposing his just his arm, to move it aside so that they would continue. This made them scream even louder. He also said that by the end of the evening he was getting deafer and deafer from all of the screaming!

This part ended that section and the “Victims” next part was the long hallway leading to the Custodial Quarters [“Mine Shaft #3]. This hallway I called “Mine Shaft #2”.

PoD and I divided the hallway into 2 sections. The left side was wider and was littered with black mounds that were supposed to represent big rocks. Victims wound their way down the dark hallway with only a faint red glow, at the far end, to barely show the way. They had to go around these “rocks” and a sometimes there would be a surprise waiting for them! At the end of this hallway we made it look like it dead ended and they became confused and figured that they had to go back. That’s when the security guard to “Mineshaft #3” would throw open the plastic wall, scarring them, and bid them to enter!

This is where the Minions, AJ & JD, did their scares.

They were FANTASTIC!

I thought I knew all there was to scare!

That’s when I found out that some people are afraid of Midgets! [?]

I overheard some saying that they were afraid of all of the small creatures and hoped that they were children and not Midgets [?]. Can you say what…?

We had 4 kids working the haunt. My grandchildren, great niece and nephew! All are “Haunters-in-Training”! In my family, my brother and I are the only Halloween nuts and go all out in décor and doing yard haunts. So our children have to live through this and in the end become “Haunter’s” themselves [hopefully]…thus “Haunters-in-Training”.

These kids did great! I sure wished I’d had their energy!

I showed the kids what to do and told them to do whatever they could to get a scare without touching anyone and to watch out for the “hit” area. This is the area that scared people strike out automatically! They flail their arms and even kick out…it can be very challenging to avoid them when they do. I was hit 6 times during the haunt ]never very good at dodging]! Neither of the kids got hit at all! Their speed and agility was definitely better than mine. Both kids, the nights that they “haunted”, were well looked after by “Funny Lady”, who wore cool make-up and costume, and she made sure no one got hurt….thanks “Funny Lady”! Her partner “Conman” kept telling everyone to watch out for the “Evil Midgets” in the Mine Shaft. Great Job “Conman”…got everyone worried about midgets…LOL!

Happy Halloween! 357 days left til Halloween! 12 days after the Haunt!

That’s how long it’s taken me to recover and want to blog about it!

For all my wonderful faithful fans [all 5 of you] thank you for your patience!

FINALLY IT’S OVER!! The Haunt… and the take down!

Very dismal turn out for the haunt!

Total scared is 467!

For those of you out there wanting to make a haunt, here’s a layout of how it went, then decide for yourself if it would be worth it or not!

Part One:

Friday: A nice night and no snow!

There were 185 victims that went through the haunt and screams were heard everywhere throughout the building!

I worried a lot about the line-up problems that never happened!

The “Victims” that did come can’t complain about the long wait in line!

Although, seeing people excited and rushing just to see my ideas and having them, wanting us to scare them, was very gratifying for me anyways!

I love all that came to experience my creation… no matter what the count!

I KNOW they had fun…I sure did!

Wilma and I womanned [manned] the front door admission table and we started the hype build as they were about to enter!

With program in hand, they mounted the dimly lit staircase, leading up to the started of the haunt.

There they were met by PoD and the Minions, AJ & JD.

PoD controlled the pace of the haunt by using the Prairieland Player’s walkie-talkies. She was able to keep in contact with the other security areas and with all the screaming going on found it hard to hear a lot. She had this position every night and all ran smoothly

Great job PoD!!

All “Victims” were asked to sign the guest book and were told how the haunt worked and reminded of the rules/warnings before they entered.

There were pictures hung on the display screen for them to view, with the help of a lantern, that showed our evidence of “something” in the courthouse and in the rooms they were about to enter.

More hype building!

The upstairs woman’s washroom’s light switch was taped in the “off” position and anyone needing to use the facility had to use a kid’s cheap lantern to light their way. The longer the lantern stayed on, the dimmer the light got…very effective! We also only had a unisex bathroom as the men’s room was out of order.

We had the heat shut off and some windows open but it was still hot in there and as the evening lengthened it got hotter…must have been all the bodies together?

The Victims entered the haunt and had to traverse a dark 15’long tunnel I called the “Time Warp Tunnel”. This was filled with hanging bats and plastic strips. Then they emerged into a dark spooky forest atmosphere, filled with creepy Indian forms, Crosses, an Indian scaffold, “Creepy Hollow:”, “Creepy Stump”, Mounds and a “Tent Town” Tent.

All had lots and lots of cob webbing!

This room was very dimly lit and they had to follow a path that was outlined with glow-in-the-dark pebbles. When we took our break we would have to put the main lights on and re-charge the pebbles. The “victims” were so busy looking down that they were able to be caught off guard and were easy to scare.

Finishing the walk through with a climb up, then down [the Judge’s bench], then out the courtroom door, the “Victims” were then met by the stairwell guard #1. Who would pop out from the Judge’s Chamber hallway, scaring them and would point the way down to the next level.

There they were scared again by the main floor stairwell guard who directed them to go down to the basement haunt. Which we called the “Lost Coal Mine”

Happy Halloween! 3 days left til Halloween! Day 2 of the Haunt!

YaHoo!!!

It WORKED!

My vision came true...the haunt was a HIT!!

Was it all worth it? Yes and No. More Yes than No.

The expected crowd [by me only] never happened. Thank You to the hockey game that just had to happen that night! This town is a real hockey town! Oh, by the way...it's hockey draft night tonight...being held by a local club as a fund raiser! Oh well...

Hopefully there will be a better haunt attendance tonight!

But the approx 185 people that did go through last night...none were disappointed!

I made sure to periodically ask the ones stand outside, talking about what just happened to them, whether they enjoyed it or not and what was their favorite moments. The usual reaction was everyone talking at once and hard to understand with all their excitement! Very gratify for my ego!

All loved it! Everywhere!

The day started out pretty hectic. I managed to get 5 creatures made before PoD arrived and the busy moving started. We managed to get everything together and make my 11:00 appointment.

The final step to making my hair WHITE!

Yup...that was my stupid moment! Most people don't take the words "lighten up" literally! So why did I?

I felt it was time to do something drastic and maybe fun! Well I did the drastic...and we'll see about the fun!

Sure got a lot of good stares! I bet they thought it was a wig...sure feels like one. I have to get used to the stiff feeling dying your hair makes it feel like. You know...one step down from straw!

What's done is done!

Getting back to the haunt:
Our group Pod, the minions and me, finally got our act together [dressed] and got to the haunt to set-up the lights and sound. Wilma was busy moving in the water, coolers and food [yummy stuff that she prepared...especially the cookies] and looking as frazzled as we felt.

A BIG THANK YOU TO WILMA for all the work that she did on making this haunt run. Without her there would have been NO WORKERS! No workers mean No Scares! A DULL HAUNT! So... THANK YOU...WILMA! YOUR THE GREATEST!

FINALLY STARTING TIME! We started at 7:04 and the final group that went through was at 10:00.

Not bad...3 hours!

Not bad...if it hadn't of been so HOT in there! Opening windows helped some and they did shut off the heat. But when you get that many bodies together it gets hotter and hotter! Need more fans!

It didn't help that I was doing a lot of running around during that time...getting my scares in where I could. My job was to trouble shoot areas that needed extra scares and make sure things stayed together. Only one wall fell exposing an unimportant area so it didn't need repairing. Did a lot of stair climbing and my heart felt great!

PoD manned [womanned] the start of the haunt, which also controls the speed and timing. She did a great job! I spelled her off for a bit and I found it very hard to do! She's got to communicate to the other levels on what's going on...did I mention that I hate headphones! With so many excited people, waiting to go through, makes hearing on phones near impossible! Good job PoD!

The minions stayed with PoD until I found a place where they could be safe in the haunt and that's where they learned how to scare...properly!

They had a blast!

They were in an area where Conman and Funny Lady [who came in costume/make-up...which looked great!] could see to their safety. Conman actual started calling them the "Evil Midgets"!

One lady was so upset by the fact that we might have midgets in there? She wanted him to confirm that they were just children? Can we say what...!

One of the "Evil Midgets...JD, has a gas problem and we always have tell him to not let-go in enclosed areas [public]...just because he's so deadly!

I was able to enjoy a comment made by a "Victim" and had a hard time to keep from laughing out loud! What happened was...

A young group had just passed JD and he stayed very still. So they thought he was just another "dummy"! They had to stop and wait for another group, that were emerging from where they had to go to next, when one of them pointed to JD and said "there's a rotten smell coming from that "dummy" over there! Ewwww....!

I had to leave! Way to go JD!!

AJ had fun screaming along with the "Victims"!

I taught them to scream just like they have just been scared themselves and that it would make others scream with them and it worked. Both kids found their own places and made up their own scares...moving around lots! I only wished I'd put them in sooner! I asked both of them later in the car ride home if they had fun or not. Both had a blast and both were very ready for bed! AJ did say that her throat was a little sore from screaming but didn't mind. Way to GO KIDS...LOVE YA!!

I don't think we have to worry about counseling...they're TRUE HAUNTERS! Good genes!

Thank You Conman and Funny Lady for watching out for our "Evil Midgets"! Adult sometimes strike out when their scared and they hit hard! Accidents happen so...thank you for watching over them! "Evil Midgets" can get pretty excited!

Every area that I visited was well manned and screams were heard all over the building...even outside [windows open]!

A BIG THANK YOU TO THE WORKERS!! A DULL HAUNT WITHOUT YOU!

One of my brothers [Tank] is attending to night and will be helping to man the haunt! Him, his wife "SewLady" and some of grandkids are coming with him and they are driving all the way from Devon [AB] to do this!
He's being trying to get to come and see this crazy thing that I do but halloween always fell on a week day.

I've asked Mother Nature to help out and make their journey safe! So far so good!

They will be arriving around noon sometime and will take in the haunt in the daylight and do yard decor touring [little that they are] while here. Him and his family always put on a fantastic yard display [we're the only halloween weirdos in the family] and are the hit of Devon. This year he said will be they're last and they plan on moving their haunt stuff to the museum and run it there...great idea!

So today will be mainly checking haunt, replacing batteries and making repairs....so see you at the haunt!

Orbing out...QoH

Happy Halloween! 4 days left til spooky day. IT'S HERE!! FINALLY!!!!

HAUNT DAY!

NO! I'M NOT READY....never really expected to be! I'm known for decorating right up until curtain time!

I managed to sleep in until 4:49 am this morning. I awoke actually feel like I have some energy...don't know where that came from?

Did something drastic to myself yesterday and went to bed feeling pretty stupid about it!
I won't say what it is until the final results are in...the finishing steps are today at 11:00! Too late to turn back now! I don't like it right now and hopefully not regret my decision later...PoD keeps telling me to lighten up and live a little!

This morning I am creating creatures to man the haunt.
The wire frames have been standing waiting to be dressed in their outfits. I built these frames earlier in the year and was waiting to make them into "Mud Creatures" when I got the time, which never happened. So now they will just be dressed and not made permanent like "Creepy Hollow" is. I'll do that in my spare time [?] later.
I've already made 6 and they are waiting in position to do their jobs and I have to put together 5 more together this morning. Hopefully I will have time to make more...LOL?

The only things left to do today is: make & put creatures in their places, print-out & pin past photos to display screen at entrance, set up signing table with guest book/pens, set-up admission table, figure out how to make a waiting line for the customers, see that the pop/water machine is full and if there is more stock, open windows, bring and position fans, check all lights/cords, check out taped walls to make sure they are still up...put up if down, test out sound [has a tendency not to work in the courtroom...must be the ghosts], bring coolers for ice/water for the workers, paint glow-in-dark directional arrows on walls in mine shaft #3 [custodial quarters]

...I'm sure I forgot something?

....Why am I wasting time talking to you guys...

Times awasting....!
Orbing out...QoH

Happy Halloween! 5 days til Halloween! Haunt starts tomorrow night!!
Final found the "who cares any more" attitude!
Maybe because I'm not feeling too perky right now. Hopefully it's just because I am pretty tired and this old [as PoD keeps reminding me] body doesn't need any more exercise! Can't imagine having to look after children like PoD has to right now! Thankfully she's young [as I keep reminding her] and should have more stamina than me. We only have some touch-ups left and checking of taped walls [which 2 had to be repaired last night] as the heat softens the glue on tape.
Definitely dragging butt right now!
If I haven't said it enough...THANK YOU...POD!!
To all you out there...if it wasn't for her help this haunt wouldn't of happened!!
She might be a pain at times but then who isn't! LOVE YAH GIRL!!
Where's that crying towel!

My attitude has now changed to "wanting to REALLY SCARE SOMEONE...or MANY" right now!

I think we did a FANTASTIC job of setting up the haunt... if I do say so myself!

Last night we did lights, sound and MORE decorating.
Wilma showed up with hubby, Puffy Kracker, and with his [10 yr] knowledge of running the heating unit in the courthouse, managed to shut off [with town's permission] SOME of the radiators and open some windows. It released some heat but not a lot! It will still be hot in there as some rooms do not have windows that open [basement] and there is no circulation of air in there. Thank You Puffy! Thank you again to Wilma for being there again...AJ is sure happier when she's there as I'm sure she's tired of us and our attitudes lately!
MANY BIG THANK YOU'S to the Minions....their legs did a lot of traveling for us [up and downstairs] and their bravery in traversing the scary courthouse together was amazing. As long as the kids had their little lanterns they were brave! Wilma thinks they may need counseling later....LOL! I asked them if they would rather stay home and they said that they would rather be helping us and they do enjoy scaring people, as JD was trying to do to everyone all night.
The heat really did a number one me last night and hopefully I'll be able to work the haunt.
My job is to see that things run smoothly, trouble shoot, taken photos and get some scares in while I'm doing this. This is the part I LOVE! Believe me...it's a lot of fun seeing how people react when their scared. Everyone's different! I LOVE hearing grown men scream in fright!
Isn't it amazing how much fun someone has at the expense of others and they pay to have it done to them....sick huh! I CAN HARDLY WAIT!!!
Got to get some work done...times awasting!
Orbing out...QoH

Happy Halloween! Counting today there is exactly 3 days left to finish the haunt!!! I'm not even thinking of Halloween!
You know...I whine about not getting help and when I finally do...I forget to tell you who they are and even to thank them.
Believe me...I AM THANKFUL FOR ANY HELP THAT I CAN GET!!
Saturday PoD and I had help from; Wilma [a regular...although a little quiet?], Conman & Funny Lady, Walking-Trail Boss & Tallman. A quiet Wilma was the smart one and opened as many windows as possible [will be doing that for the haunt if they don't shut the HEAT OFF!!] and that made it a LITTLE better.
You know...many hands make work go faster and you get a lot done!
Although, we did have a slow beginning when I wondered if we would ever get past "Arch Building 101"[needed for the "Time Warp Tunnel"]! I have to admit, these flimsy arches are challenging at the best of times, they warp and twist as your building them and you have to get the ends right. They do provide a picture on how they are built...but who looks at directions? Had a few good laughs at the groups abilities! The group finally completed the arch building and we set them up for the tunnel layout.
We managed to set-up the haunt layout, add the forest, cob webbbed the trees and bushes.
Sounds easy but it all takes time and involved a lot of running up and down stairs.
A BIG THANK YOU TO ALL THAT CAME AND HELPED!
Yesterday PoD and I worked on the courtroom and hallway entrance [where PoD & Hairgirl are working the haunt] decor. This is a visual area and the other years never decorated very much. PoD did a smashing GOOD JOB! LOOKS GOOD!
It is REALLY HOT in the hallway...there is no window to open and the heat register on the stair is working overtime!!! It was NEVER this HOT! It only takes 1 minute in that heat and all you want to do is leave and go home and fall asleep! That's how exhausting it's been! We haven't been drinking enough water and have been using coffee to keep us going and it's working it's vicious circle. We've finally smartened up and added cold water!
Doing as much as we could...both feeling ill...went home. I had a refreshing nap!
Got up, ate supper and decided that the tree and stump were ready to be painted black [first coat] and got into it. Phone rang [which always happens when your messy with paint]...forgot about play practice! Called PoD...told her and decided to stay home and finish my paint job on the tree and stump that are supposed to be ready for the play. By the time I was done [10:30 pm] the paint fumes were making me sick so I went off to bed with a sick headache.
So I am up this morning at 4:16 am and touched up the tree and stump with paint. Did some designing on outstanding sign work and did up some more estimates for other work.
No rest for the wicked....would like to remember what it is like to be wicked....LOL!
We will be working on the courthouse AGAIN today [nights are busy] and MAYBE be finished the haunt. Creatures can be added continually!
Times...awasting!
Orbing out...QoH

Happy Halloween! All I can say is....times awasting!
Spent 6 hrs yesterday morning making scary creatures. Only one creature is remade with some changes in how it's displayed. Made a goofy one and some real creepy ones!
PoD picked me up at 6:30 pm and we had to load up the Jeep. We had so much to haul that I had to leave one behind and the DVD player. I had planned to use it to play the new Haunt sounds. It would have been a great time as we were decorating at night with no one in the building. So we had to scrap that idea for that night.
It's still HOT IN THERE!!!
It saps any energy that you might have! We spent last night working on finishing up the custodial quarters and placed one of my NEW creatures. Add some lighting...cob webbing...done. Man that sounds easy....add heat....not so easy anymore!
My son showed up to take the walk through...as he will not be able to make the haunt nights. He was very impressed and found that he felt lost and confused in the basement walk. It was good having a fresh set of eyes to point out some trouble spots and some new ideas on scares. He's not into decorating and didn't stay to help! He did help on moving day! He's more the manual labor type than the artsy/fartsy type [his words].
Wilma showed up! Yeah....another 2 hands! THANKS FOR HELPING WILMA....YOUR THE GREATEST!!!
Her job was to learn how to do "Duct Tape Tearing 101". Kid catches on FAST!
In one of the rooms, we had to move a cabinet, that we had screwed down to the floor in the last haunt.
NEVER USE SQUARE HEAD SCREWS!!!
I can only blame the idiot [me] for having them around! Not to mention that they were 2" screws! Sure made sure that sucker wasn't moving!!
PoD managed to get one side free but was having trouble with the other side. We have no light bulb in that room [where and when it went who knows] so it meant unscrewing it in the dark. The only set of lights around was this blue LED set. I bought them for their low visibility quality and the light they gave was so minimal that you had to hold the bulb close to the screw to see the screw and near impossible to see the hole. The screws weren't rounded in the head [yet] and that wasn't the problem. The problem was the angle of the screws wasn't right and in poor visibility impossible to get out. It moved some but not enough to get through the extra inches that we used to buried it into the floor.
PoD decided brutal force was the only answer and Wilma and I had to get out of her way! Battle between cabinet and PoD began...needless to say PoD got her way! In short time we finished off what we had to do in that room.

Cob Webbing 101:
All bagged webbing are not created equally! Remember to look on bag to see whether is states "Chunky" pieces or one long piece. When you want to used webbing for large areas and need to stretch in over that space...don't use "Chunky"!

Well "Chunky" was all that I had brought down to that area so we made it work! It just takes more time.
All decorating has to be done in the dark...which Wilma does not like! To make the haunt scary in the dark you have to decorate in the dark!
Off the topic a bit...PoD got our first scream of the haunt!
She was working on a project downstairs and heard Wilma talking to "Tall Guy". Wilma was explaining how creepy the wall moved when you walked down the hallway. PoD happened to be hidden on the other side and decided to show them how it worked.
You could hear Wilma's scream all the way up to the second floor where we were working in the courtroom.
Way to Go PoD! Nice set of lungs Wilma. The courthouse has a great hollow sound and small noises can easily be heard. Thanks for the tryout Wilma!!
Back the the topic: last night
We managed to finish the basement [PoD and I had touched up the main mine shaft and front hallway earlier] two rooms and need to work a bit on the other part of the hallway. Other than that, aside from adding creatures, the basement is done!
Today we will be working in there early [9:30 am] during the day [shop closed Mondays] and hope to get a lot done. So see you there...hopeful thinking!
Orbing out...QoH

Happy Halloween! 8 days til Halloween! 4....yes 4 days left til the haunt!!!
Haven't got time to blog...been creating monsters and got to get my crap together for tonight's journey into madness! Haunt decorating [yes no building....well maybe a little] starts between 7:00-7:30 ish. See you there...be prepared to work in the dark!
A BIG THANK YOU TO ALL WHO SHOWED UP YESTERDAY! JOB WELL DONE!!!
Orbing out...QoH

Happy Halloween! 10 days left! 6 til haunt!
What a nice surprise I had when I blogged on this morning [4:12 am] and found that my blog yesterday DID go through! When I posted it, it took a l-o-n-g time and ended up telling me that there were no files! So I spent all day yesterday cursing the hours that I lost when I could have been working....or doing something else! Oh well!
Yesterday was moving day for Creepy Hollow & Creepy Stump and they arrived safely! It had started to snow lightly and we had to get them inside before they got too wet [they haven't got their protective coating on yet]. Thankfully the courthouse and my building have double doors and the stairs to the upper floor where the courtroom is, was wide! PoD and I had help from my son and ex-son-in-law loading these monsters. They're heavy and awkward but they managed to get them upstairs without any disasters!
Wilma also showed up and we used her's and PoD's vehicles to move some more of my stuff to the haunt.
It was a real nice workout in the HEAT! It's hard climbing stairs with junk in your hands but doing it in the HEAT was unbearable!
Anyways...that job was done! Thanks guys and Wilma for all your help!!
My son was going into the city...both PoD and I needing a break, plus I need to get work supplies and the shop is waiting for other supplies to continue [which are all back ordered], so we decided to make it a family/work outing. Minions were being looked after by their father, so off we went. We knew that we had to be back for play practice and figured that it would be no problem.
Did I tell you that I hate the City!! What a RAT RACE! The stores were packed like it was xmas time! Lots of RUDE PEOPLE!!
I managed to get all that I needed [and some that I didn't] and we found that line-ups at check outs long and tedious! Plus 3 people who shop separately tend to lose each other a lot! So long check out lines, lost shoppers and horrible traffic made us late getting out of the city and we still hadn't eaten! We did stop for food! So we were unable to make play practice!
The break was good for both of us! It's been hard burning the candle from both ends! So we got some much needed rest and got in some retail therapy!
So today is the big push day...hopefully with some much needed help we can get the majority of it done! 9:30 am is starting time! If you plan on helping out dress lightly....ie: tank top/shorts! Remember it's murderously hot in there. Hopefully we can turn off some of the downstairs radiators [temporarily] for the haunt or the crowd will be crabby during haunt time!
So times awasting got to get some work done....see some of you at the haunt [HOPEFULLY].
Orbing out...QoH