February 08, 2011
January 31, 2011
James F Goodrich
January 22, 2008
Hospital Update
Dad's still in the ICU. I was hoping he'd be sent to a room by now, but apparently the doctors are still worried about his condition.
January 19, 2008
Back To The Hospital
Dad went back tot he hospital Friday afternoon. He'd been suffering from a debilitating weakness for the past few months that didn't seem to go away. He kept saying that he'd go see the doctor when he got stronger, but he never got his strength back. He finally got so weak that it started to affect his breathing. At the hospital they found that the carbon dioxide count in his blood was three times the normal level. As of now, he's in the ICU and hopefully they'll be able to find out what this problem is and how it can be treated.
July 17, 2007
Father's Day
Its hard to talk about someone as importand as my Dad without getting emotional, and since that's really not in my nature, I'll just say this ...
I am going to try to not miss any chances to spend time with my Dad and not waste the time that he has left.
July 10, 2007
Two Years
Sometimes its hard to believe that its been two years since Joe died. Not so much the time as just the idea that he's no longer around.
July 26, 2006
Another Hospital Trip
A new life rule -- Never think about how things have been so quiet recently.
Just this past weekend I was trying to come up with a blog topic. I haven't had much to write about since not a lot has been going on. I was trying to come up with a commentary on how quiet things have been and there hasn't been much going on.
When suddenly ...
Monday, Ellen had to go to the hospital for some severe pains. It ended up being kidney stones and, thankfully, nothing very serious. After several hours in the hospital and a nice oxycotin prescription later, Ellie was home and sleeping. She hasn't had any pain yet, but I'm sure when that stone passes, she'll be a lot of fun.
June 18, 2006
Lordy, Lordy, Look Who's Almost 40!
Today, Ellen turns 39.
Wow, that's old. Its like almost 40.
I'd say more about this, but I don't want to make things any worse for me than they already are.
March 06, 2006
Family Update
Dad's back from the hospital (again). He was released on Sunday, but he has to go back for tests to make sure that the clot has been eliminated and that everything else is fine. Now that's he's home, I'm hoping his recovery will go a lot better.
March 01, 2006
Family Update
Dad's back in the hospital again. This time its for a blood clot in his leg that was probably brought on by his lack of activity over the past few weeks. He'll be in a few days while they treat it and hopefully he'll be out by the weekend.
February 15, 2006
The latest news about my Dad
Things did not go well with my Dad’s latest operation. According to the doctor, the blood vessels in his right eye are all dead and the eye is useless. They’re going to take a look at the left eye and see if there’s anything that can be done to improve it.
Some background – His left eye had a broken blood vessel in it that was repaired with laser surgery about ten years ago. He can see out of it, but there’s a dead spot and the vision is blurry. Reading is almost impossible and television is a blur. Hopefully, they might be able to improve the eye enough so that his vision is good enough to read.
Its surprising that a man who spend three years with the Marines in World War II bombing the Japanese in the Pacific and thirty-three years as a city firefighter, all with virtually no serious injuries, gets hammered with such a serious case.
Updates as they occur.
February 14, 2006
And now, a few words about my wife
My wife is my best friend. Ellen is my companion, my partner, my friend that I can talk with, my friend to go to for advice or when I need vent about work. Our conversations can range from silly to serious and cover numerous topics. And although her interests aren’t always the same as mine, she also knows things that I don’t.
Ellen and I don’t always communicate well. Sometimes we get angry at each other over silly little things. We each have little character flaws that sometimes get on each other’s nerves.
To my wife and my best friend, Happy Valentine’s Day.
BTW – What’s for dinner tonight, dear?
February 08, 2006
Family Updates
First of all, my Dad had an examination yesterday and they scheduled him for surgery on February 13 to try and save his eye. If the surgery works, he should have some vision (the doctors won't hazard a guess on how good or bad this will be). If it doesn't work, they'll probably have to remove the eye.
Today would have been Joe's 33rd birthday. Between the Steeler's win on Sunday and his birthday, I'm sure he would have had a great week. Happy birthday, Joe.
February 01, 2006
Nothing Good Comes From A 4:00 AM Phone Call
Monday morning at 4:00 AM, I got a call from my Mom that my Dad had fallen and injured his eye and the medics were on the way to take him to the hospital. Late that afternoon, they took him in for a 6-hour surgery to try and save his eye. He went back home yesterday, but we won’t know for several weeks if the surgery was successful. For someone who reads as much as my Dad, his eyes are very valuable. Updates as they occur.
Some random thoughts over the past few days --
What is it about hospital beds that make people look like they’re on death’s door?
Waiting is never fun. Waiting in hospitals is worse. For someone like me who want’s to know what’s going on and hates inactivity, its downright torture.
Modern medicine is a miracle. Despite all the negatives about how current system, I don’t believe that better care is possible anywhere else in the world.
August 24, 2005
Wedding Notes
Yesterday was the big day. For August in Pittsburgh, the weather couldn't have been nicer. It was around 80 with virtually no
humidity and a clear sky. Very different from the normals for the year where the temperatures spike into the 90s with a sticky, soup-
breathing humidity.
We got to Judge McLaughlin's office a little after 10:00. The receptionist told us that there was an arraignment waiting for the
Judge and that we were the second wedding of the day. After waiting about twenty minutes, and being treated to a parade of six
detectives arriving for a second arraignment, we were called into the court for the ceremony.
What surprised me about the ceremony was the numerous mentions of God. Maybe I was expecting something more secular
because of what I've seen from Hollywood, but it was a nice surprise. At some point during the exchange of vows, I could see Ellen
start to get a little weepy, so I did what I normally do in such a situation -- I made her laugh. Right at the part where she had to say
"love only you..." I raised my left eyebrow and nearly got her to laugh out loud. I almost got her to giggle through the whole thing.
At the end of the ceremony, Judge McLaughlin shook our hands, wished us luck and said "Bring in the first arraignment."
At least we got priority.
Afterwards, we went to see my folks and Ellen's Mother. We stopped at McDonald's drive-through for lunch on the way home, and
then took a nap. We went out for dinner that evening (no sense in making Ellen cook on her wedding day -- she'll be doing it for
the rest of her life) but first we had to stop at a game store that I had found while searching the net. Yeah, we're geeks.
It was definitely the anti-wedding. No huge ceremony, no throngs of family, friends, co-workers, or other strangers, no chicken
dance or hokey-pokey (Ellen -- I love the chicken dance).
Thank God.
That's the story. We'll be spending the next few days or weeks sorting through various stuff that both of us have -- what we need,
what we don't, what we have doubles of -- and trying to make some order out of the chaos that has become my -- correction -- our
house.
As if it were structured and ordered before.
humidity and a clear sky. Very different from the normals for the year where the temperatures spike into the 90s with a sticky, soup-
breathing humidity.
We got to Judge McLaughlin's office a little after 10:00. The receptionist told us that there was an arraignment waiting for the
Judge and that we were the second wedding of the day. After waiting about twenty minutes, and being treated to a parade of six
detectives arriving for a second arraignment, we were called into the court for the ceremony.
What surprised me about the ceremony was the numerous mentions of God. Maybe I was expecting something more secular
because of what I've seen from Hollywood, but it was a nice surprise. At some point during the exchange of vows, I could see Ellen
start to get a little weepy, so I did what I normally do in such a situation -- I made her laugh. Right at the part where she had to say
"love only you..." I raised my left eyebrow and nearly got her to laugh out loud. I almost got her to giggle through the whole thing.
At the end of the ceremony, Judge McLaughlin shook our hands, wished us luck and said "Bring in the first arraignment."
At least we got priority.
Afterwards, we went to see my folks and Ellen's Mother. We stopped at McDonald's drive-through for lunch on the way home, and
then took a nap. We went out for dinner that evening (no sense in making Ellen cook on her wedding day -- she'll be doing it for
the rest of her life) but first we had to stop at a game store that I had found while searching the net. Yeah, we're geeks.
It was definitely the anti-wedding. No huge ceremony, no throngs of family, friends, co-workers, or other strangers, no chicken
dance or hokey-pokey (Ellen -- I love the chicken dance).
Thank God.
That's the story. We'll be spending the next few days or weeks sorting through various stuff that both of us have -- what we need,
what we don't, what we have doubles of -- and trying to make some order out of the chaos that has become my -- correction -- our
house.
As if it were structured and ordered before.
July 29, 2005
Day By Day
My favorite online comic, Day By Day, had a strip on the Knoll funeral-crashing (July 25).
If you don't read Day By Day, what's wrong with you?
Seriously, its a good laugh at the expense of the usual targets (the UN, Ted Kennedy, Michael Moore, etc.). Read it, live it.
July 28, 2005
Another Update
There's a couple new articles about the Knoll funeral flap:
In addition, Rhonda had some time on Tony Snow's radio show and Fox News on Tuesday.
Also on Tuesday, I received a call from the sister of Joe's Battalion Sergeant Major. The news of this insult had reached Iraq and the Marines, to put it mildly, were not happy. We talked for a while and I gave her Rhonda's number and explained that she was dealing with everything.
Which brings up another point - I've seen on some blogs that the left-wing sedition party members are calling Rhonda a Republican operative because she organized a demonstration against Michael Moore when he visited her town.
Rhonda is a Republican operative, but Michael Moore is a respected filmmaker.
Yep, makes sense to me.
Some of my co-workers have asked why I haven't had any quotes in the paper or my face on tv. Simple - I know I'd give them too much of a sound bite. I'd launch against the sedition party, against the media (yes, even Fox News -- I can't remember the last time I saw images from 9-11 on there), Knoll, and Governor Edward G. Robinson (oops ... I mean, Governor Edward G. Rendell).
All-in-all, I'm satisfied with what's going on. The sedition party has been embarrassed again for their anti-American views and my faith that a majority of this country supports the troops has been renewed.
In addition, Rhonda had some time on Tony Snow's radio show and Fox News on Tuesday.
Also on Tuesday, I received a call from the sister of Joe's Battalion Sergeant Major. The news of this insult had reached Iraq and the Marines, to put it mildly, were not happy. We talked for a while and I gave her Rhonda's number and explained that she was dealing with everything.
Which brings up another point - I've seen on some blogs that the left-wing sedition party members are calling Rhonda a Republican operative because she organized a demonstration against Michael Moore when he visited her town.
Rhonda is a Republican operative, but Michael Moore is a respected filmmaker.
Yep, makes sense to me.
Some of my co-workers have asked why I haven't had any quotes in the paper or my face on tv. Simple - I know I'd give them too much of a sound bite. I'd launch against the sedition party, against the media (yes, even Fox News -- I can't remember the last time I saw images from 9-11 on there), Knoll, and Governor Edward G. Robinson (oops ... I mean, Governor Edward G. Rendell).
All-in-all, I'm satisfied with what's going on. The sedition party has been embarrassed again for their anti-American views and my faith that a majority of this country supports the troops has been renewed.
July 26, 2005
Staff Sergeant Joseph Patrick Goodrich, USMC
My brother Joe was killed in action in Hit, Iraq on July 10.
Its been a rough couple weeks.
First, I want to thank all of you who have written sympathy and support in e-mails. All of you, my friends, and my co-workers have been a big help and I really appreciate it. Ellen has been a great help; there when I needed her and helping me stay centered.
The viewing and the funeral amazed me. Hundreds showed up, not just friends and family, but people that Joe touched and influenced in his life. Every municipality in Allegheny County and the State Police sent police cars to the funeral. The escort from the funeral home to the church was thirty police cars. An amazing show of respect and Joe deserved every minute of it.
I have a few more things to say, but I have to get my thoughts together first. I'm posting a consolidated list of various news articles about Joe.
Again, thank you all for your support. I'll be back soon.
- DOD Press Release
Fallen Heroes Memorial
Post-Gazette obituary
The Post-Gazette Obituary Guest Book
Tribune-Review story
Another Post-Gazette story
And you can't have an Irish funeral without a fight. Guess what happens when the Sedition Party sends the Lieutenant Governor to a Marine's funeral.
And the fallout from the story of this wacky-moonbat's action has been building.
Personally, I don't care if Knoll and Rendell apologize. An apology from a politician is worthless, they'd be doing it to minimize the negative spin. Rendell was behind the military vote suppression in 2000 and tried again in 2004, and I should accept an apology from him? As far as the senile old bat goes, she just said what the Sedition Party (Ted Kennedy, Dick Durbin, Al Gore, and so on)
has been spouting all along. I have no respect for them and even less for when they say "sorry."