Jackie Update

Well, I figured in my spare time that I have just sitting around the house, I can update you on my progress with my tonsils.

It is Day 3...supposedly the worse day of them all...and it is sure living up to it's name! My throat has felt like it has been on fire all day and I can't really hear a whole lot out of my ears. It has been a rough couple of days. I have to continually keep myself hydrated and fed so I don't make the pain any worse than it already is. My diet basically consists of jello, ice cream, yogurt, apple sauce, water, gatorade, apple juice, and an occasional Sonic slush.

They put me on some antibiotics and a hydrocodine pain reliever. I had to substitute the pain killer for liquid tylenol because it just made me feel even crappier than I already was. It made me nauseated a couple of times but it mostly kept me awake which wasn't fun.

I wake up about 3-4 times in the middle of the night because my throat is completely dry and hurts. I usually spend about an hour up because I take meds which means I have to eat and drink something with it.

I spend most of my time just chilling out on the couch watching tv and smelling the good smells of the food from the kitchen. Hopefully I will heal up fast because that food looks and smells a lot better than my jello and ice cream.

Well, I'll save you from the pictures of my throat. It is a nasty site. For the first two days it was green looking and very "lumpy". Now it is starting to form the scab which is all white. My uvelua, the ball thing that hangs in the back of your throat if you don't know what i'm talking about, is about 5 times the size that it should be.

The pros are great though. I can really breathe now. I can actually feel all the air go down my throat now. I wasn't able to do that. Hopefully when this all heals, I'll figure out if I can breathe through the night without having to be propped up by two pillows.

Well, that's all I got for now. I'm pretty sure there will be more to come....stay tuned!

Jackie's Tonsillectomy

Jackie had her tonsils removed today.

This is the BEFORE photo of her before we left for the hospital at 9am this morning.

This is an AFTER photo of her eating her popsicle at home around 1:30pm

The ENT doctor states her tonsils were very large.
The part we could see was large and I guess the part we couldn't see was just as big.
She said they were about the size of golf balls on each side.
I guess Jackie wasn't kidding after all when she joked about golf balls in her throat!

Jackie is shown sporting her A&M bib given to her by her boyfriend, Jonathan.
Now she can drool in style!

Jackie being spoon fed applesauce by her boyfriend, Jonathan.
She didn't like it when I fed her ice chips in the recovery room.
Hmmm....go figure???

Looks like she is feeling a little better after the pain meds kicked in!

Happy Healing Jackie!

New Appliances

Doug and I decided to not exchange Christmas presents this year and do something practical.

KENMORE ELITE 30" Gas Freestanding Range Features
Model #77543
- True convection cooking with auto convection conversion
- 5.1 cu. ft. self-clean oven with heavy-duty handle-style racks
- Recessed cooktop with 5 sealed burners and full-coverage dishwasher-safe cast iron grates
- One 18,000 BTU Dual Ring POWER Burner,
- One 9,500 BTU Oval burner
- One 12,000 BTU power burner
- One 9,500 BTU all purpose burner
- One 500 to 5,000 BTU precise simmer burner
- Food temperature probe helps take the guesswork out of cooking
- Easy Set™ glass touch controls: food category pads, add-1-minute, warm & hold, slow cook, & recipe recall
- Warm & Ready™ drawer maintains serving temperature of cooked food for cooking flexibility

KENMORE ELITE 25.1 cu. ft. Side by Side Refrigerator
Model# 57703

The Kenmore Elite refrigerator conveniently holds all of your day-to-days necessities plus extra room for special entertaining needs. The advanced dispenser provides more usable space for filling the tallest and widest containers easily and measured fill lets you choose an exact amount of water and walk away. SmartSense ensures proper temperature management of both the fresh & frozen food sections by detecting temperature shifts and quickly adjusting to the ideal temperature.

Features
- EXCLUSIVE: SmartSense Cooling Technology detects temperature shifts and adjusts to keep foods fresher longer
- EXCLUSIVE: PuR® Ultimate II with Two-Stage Ice & Water Filtration with easy to change base grille filter
- EXCLUSIVE: Fresh-n-Ready™ Bin keeps fresh fruits and vegetables accessible and easy to see
- EXCLUSIVE: Surround Cool™ Technology maintains a consistent temperature throughout the refrigerator
- Advanced Dispenser with Metered & Measured Fill enables Hands-Free filling
- Elite Metal Handles
- Smooth Gliding Roller Drawers
- 3 Tilt Out Shelves with New Elite Drawer Style
- EXCLUSIVE: Power Outage Indicator

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas from Texas!

All three of the kids were home Dec 24-Dec 27
We went to church Christmas Eve.

On Christmas Day, Jackie had to work from 9:30 am - 6:30pm
The rest of us spent the day baking cookies, putting puzzles together
and cooking the Christmas dinner.

Karl is shown here trying to figure out what "in the world" is in the large "very heavy" box.
It was a waterproof / fireproof safe.

My dad is shown here giving Josh a massage.
Josh received a massage chair from the family.

Audrey is shown here with her personalized cake pan.
[From the kitchen of Audrey Rae]

Jill, Jackie and Karl - aka... The Kuklenz Kids Band
Jackie received Guitar Hero - World Tour Band kit for Christmas

Jill and Audrey putting together the first puzzle of the weekend.

Jill baked and decorated the sugar cookies.

It was a blessed few days!

We hope you all enjoyed your time with family.
Merry Christmas! With Love from Texas!

Frank Caliendo show

Friday, December 26th

We (Doug, Dee, Wilbert, Dorothy, Karl, Audrey, Jill & Josh) drove to WinStar Casino in Thackerville, OK to see Frank Caliendo perform in the Global Event Center. Frank Caliendo is a comedian best known for his impersonations on the television series MADtv. Currently he performs his impersonations on his own show, Frank TV, which airs on TBS. He is particularly well-known for his impressions of United States President George W. Bush and National Football League commentator John Madden, as well as Charles Barkley and Al Pacino.

WinStar Casino is located at Mile Marker #1 in Oklahoma. It took about one hour to get there. We each received $10.00 of FREE play after the show. Dorothy was the only winner! Go figure! She won $70.00. Some lost their $10.00 and some just pocketed the $10.00 cash and went home with more money than they started.

It was a very funny show and will be remembered for a long time!!

Jackie's Fall Semester 2008 Grades

MUS113X:Class Piano, Level 3 - A
HIS 163: US History to 1876 - B
ENS 111: Mixed Chorus - A
MUS 222: Theory of Music III - B
MUS 119: Singer's Diction (German) - A
CS 133: Introduction to Computers - A
VOI 101X: Individual Performances (VOICE Instruction) - A
ENG 165W: Composition II - A

Jackie's Fall 2008 Semester: Total Hours = 18; Semester GPA = 3.72

Jackie's SHSU Total: Undergraduate Hours = 46; Undergraduate GPA = 3.71

New Microwave

The new microwave was ordered online through US Applicance.
We received the microwave via air freight last Monday (Dec 15th)
The best price anywhere, plus FREE shipping and no sales tax!

Doug proceeded to remove our existing over-the-range microwave.
He removed the tile backsplash and drywall to add some "custom" reinforcements.
This photo shows the additional blocking he added.
This should support the additional weight of this microwave.

New drywall was added, taped and mudded using this joint compound
The joint compound goes on pink and dries white.
Well "NOT EXACTLY"!!!
Doug did paint the wall before putting up the microwave.


Doug and my dad installing the microwave brackets.

The new Microwave Hood - Kitchenaid Model KHMS1850SS

This is the first microwave we have had that had a turn-table.
I already love the extra wattage.
Our old one was 850 watts, this one is 1,000 watts.

Cook times are much faster...like microwave cooking is so slow..but....
I can get my popcorn in 2 min and 15 sec instead of 2 min and 45 sec.
What will I do with all my time now???

Stay tuned.....the stove and frig are being delivered on Tuesday!

Here is the description of our microwave:
In addition to true 10-level power control, this microwave hood combination offers efficient ventilation with a 4-speed fan that exh austs 200 CFM. Convenient features such as an extra-large window and 3-level light setting make this microwave hood combination a practical addition to any kitchen. 1,000 watts microwave power with true 10-level power control helps eliminate cold spots and overcooked edges. 4-speed fan exhausts 200 CFM providing smoke, odor, and grease filtration to keep air fresh. Sensor one-touch auto-cook, auto-reheat, and auto-defrost cycles help remove the guesswork from microwave cooking. 2 charcoal filters keep kitchens smelling fresh by removing smoke and odors before air returns to the kitchen. 2 dishwasher-safe grease filters help remove steam and grease to prevent damage to ceilings and countertops. Add-a-minute control adds cook time in one-minute increments while the oven is operating or at the end of a cycle. Keep warm function allows you to keep finished dishes warm while the rest of the meal is being prepared.

Happy Graduation Day!

CONGRATULATIONS JILL!!!!

Cake made by the Huntsville Walmart
in the SHSU school colors (orange / white)Josh & Jill

Karl & Jill

Grandma Dot, Grandpa Wilbert and Jill

Jill with Josh's dad (Terry Elliott and wife Net)

Jill with Josh and his mom (Jeanna Wardell); his sister (Mary) and Jeanna's husband Dennis.

Jill with the 3 Grandmas (Dorothy, Barbara, Betty)

Enjoying some dinner before graduation.
Everyone hanging out at Karl and Audrey's apartment after graduation.

Jill had moved out of her apartment in Huntsville and
moved to her apartment in Conroe earlier in the day.

Cookie Exchange

Saturday afternoon, I attend "The Colony Women's League" 1st Annual Cookie Exchange.

Friday evening, Doug and I made 6 dozen Gumdrop Cookies using Grandma Hersom's recipe. We used only red and green gumdrops....of course.

The cookie exchange was a big hit!!! And there will be plenty of happy COOKIE MONSTERS in many households this holiday.

Still surprised that some women showed up to a cookie exchange without cookies??? What were they thinking...we were making cookies and not "exchanging" them???

So the treat table, here at the house, is full awaiting some hungry visitors.

We did have some carolers (all men) stop by the house late in the day on Saturday.
I was quick to offer them some homemade treats! They were happy to sing then!!

Toys For Tots

Doug and I went to Walmart on Saturday morning to purchase four LARGE buckets of legos.

We later dropped them off at one of The Colony fire stations to benefit the Marine's Toys For Tots campaign this year.

For more information about this program: http://www.toysfortots.org/


U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program

MISSION: The mission of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program is to collect new, unwrapped toys during October, November and December each year, and distribute those toys as Christmas gifts to needy children in the community in which the campaign is conducted.

GOAL:The primary goal of Toys for Tots is to deliver, through a shiny new toy at Christmas, a message of hope to needy youngsters that will motivate them to grow into responsible, productive, patriotic citizens and community leaders.

OBJECTIVES: The objectives of Toys for Tots are to help needy children throughout the United States experience the joy of Christmas; to play an active role in the development of one of our nation's most valuable natural resources - our children; to unite all members of local communities in a common cause for three months each year during the annual toy collection and distribution campaign; and to contribute to better communities in the future.

ACTIVITIES: The principal Toys for Tots activities which take place each year are the collection and distribution of toys in the communities in which a Marine Corps Reserve Unit is located and in communities without a Reserve Unit that has a Marine Corps League Detachment or group of men and women, generally veteran Marines, authorized by Marine Toys for Tots Foundation to conduct a local Toys for Tots campaign. Local Toys for Tots Campaign Coordinators conduct an array of activities throughout the year, which include golf tournaments, foot races, bicycle races and other purely voluntary events designed to increase interest in Toys for Tots, and concurrently generate toy and monetary donations.

The Kuklenz Elf Klan

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Dishwasher Update

The kitchen remodel is in progress and
we've been looking at upgrading to stainless steel appliances.

I love my dishwasher and it is only 5 years old
and I didn't want to replace it since it works just fine....
so Doug suggested ordering a new skin for the front of it.

BEFORE PHOTO: the white skin for the Bosch dishwasher

AFTER PHOTO: The stainless steel skin
~ wallah ~ updated dishwasher!

The stainless steel stove Doug had been wanting is no longer available.
We purchased the stainless refrigerator on Wednesday, last week.
We purchased the stainless stove from Sears, on Black Friday.
It was a new model, deeply discounted.
It was in their Black Friday ad, but the stove was only in one store in the entire DFW metroplex.

The microwave however, has taken more research that one would expect.
That was ordered online on Monday evening.

The Sears appliances (stove and frig) are due to be delivered on Dec 23rd,
just in time for Christmas.
This is our Christmas present for each other....
maybe we'll just open presents in the kitchen so that we can enjoy our presents too!

Mouse in the pool

Disclaimer: Actual image was not used so that some people would not be "grossed out" with my image. The image used is Mickey Mouse in a pool....not an actual mouse in the pool ~ like I experienced the other day.

THE STORY: When Karl and Audrey were here for Thanksgiving, they wanted to use the hot tub. They enjoyed their time in the hot tub, but at the end of the evening, I went outside to check the pool equipment and make sure everything was turned off properly. Mind you, it is dark outside and I only had a small flashlight. I heard what sounded like a problem with the skimmer basket. I opened the skimmer basket and saw a bundle of black twirling around in the basket. I figured a tie must have come off Audrey's swimsuit. So I reached in to fish it out of the skimmer basket, only it didn't exactly feel like material. I shined the flashlight on it, it was a mouse!

EEEK!

I touched it!

I stood up quickly, about falling into the cold pool water. I quickly got inside the house and tried speaking, not many words were coming out. Karl was trying to understand what I was saying and all I could muster was "Get Dad!"

Karl walked upstairs and told Doug to come down. He went outside to investigate. He fixed the pool equipment and disposed of the mouse. He came inside, "Yep it was a mouse" "I can't believe she was even that calm!"

Lesson Learned:
Beware of putting your hand in the skimmer basket you never know what might be in there!