Kansas City, Borrowing a C300 and a Salvadorian Restaurant

One of the advantages of having teenagers is that we have permanent babysitters we trust.  That allows Aimee and me to run errands without the kids.  For example, on "Black Friday", we had a regular maintenance appointment for the Sprinter Van at Mercedes Benz of Kansas City (actually in a suburb called Overland Park).  One of the disadvantages of owning a Sprinter Van is that not all Mercedes dealerships work on them.  For us, that means regular trips to Kansas City.  Another disadvantage (probably the biggest) is that maintenance at Mercedes dealerships is expensive.

Aimee and I had noticed some squealing noises emanating from the engine bay.  It sounded to me like a loose belt.  After sitting in the waiting room for 20 or 30 minutes, Chris, the Sprinter service manager, told us it was going to take more than two hours, so we were eligible to borrow a complimentary loaner car as long as we stayed in KC.  Aimee's done this before, but it was my first time.  They let us borrow a brand new, black Mercedes C300.  Now I see why maintenance is so expensive!

Aimee and I decided to go to Target for some Christmas shopping (the Black Friday crowds were long gone) and find a Hispanic grocery store that had some seasoned achiote paste, because Aimee is making nacatamales again this Christmas (I'm spoiled!).

The Hispanic grocery store we found closest to the dealership via Google was Latino y Punto in Overland Park.  They had exactly what we searched for, so we decided to get lunch next.  We picked El Salvadoreño, a Salvadorean restaurant in Overland Park.  

The food and service were excellent.  I had carne asada...

This is from the restaurant's Facebook page

...and Aimee had pollo asado.  But what really caught my attention was this sign.

If you don't read Spanish, the sign says "This business is protected by the Blood of Christ.  The keys are in Heaven."  As if the food, wasn't enough, that really made me think of my mom!

Just before we finished eating, Chris called and told me that they needed to replace the accessories drive belt and the bracket that holds the tensioner pulley onto the engine block, but they didn't have a bracket on hand.  If the belt broke, the water pump wouldn't work, which would overheat and destroy the engine, so they would let us keep the C300 for the weekend and we'd have to return on Monday, when they'd get the bracket in and replace it.

We went back to the dealership to get some stuff out of the van and Chris showed me the problem with the van.  The bracket had been machined incorrectly, so it held the pulley at the wrong angle, and that caused the belt to rub on one side.  Tough luck, but at least Aimee gets to drive a C300 for the weekend.  I don't, because I'm still taking narcotics for shoulder pain.  She even took it to WalMart today!

Aimee moved our old Chevy Cavalier out of the garage to make room for the C300.  She said, "one day of driving the Mercedes and the Chevy really sucks!"  Frankly, it was a hooptie to begin with! 

Now we really look like Euro-snobs, with a German luxury car and a British motorcycle in the garage!  Well, I hope Aimee enjoys it while it lasts, because it goes back on Monday.  In the mean time, we can't even take the kids to church on Sunday! 

Shoulder Surgery 2-Week Update

As I wrote earlier, I had shoulder surgery to correct an injury that dates back to 1993 and has been causing me pain ever since.  Aimee drove me back to Kansas City the Wednesday before Thanksgiving to get the stitches out and so Dr Munns could determine the way forward.

No more stitches!  We'll see how this incision heals.  Hopefully the scar won't be too gnarly.  I mean, if I had a good story to go with it, that would be cool, but since I don't, it isn't.

These stitches are for the artroscopic part of the surgery.  They were the most painful to remove, for some reason.

Originally, Dr Munns said he wanted me to wear the sling for three weeks.  I told him my biceps and pectoral muscles had been really sore from being bunched up all the time.  He checked my shoulder's mobility and decided to take me out of the sling already and have me start working on mobility because the repair is holding up well and, as he said, I'm starting to stiffen up.  He said he wants me back to 80% mobility - compared tot he right shoulder - by my next appointment in four weeks.  That's daunting, considering that my left shoulder hasn't had 80% of the right's mobility in years!

Time to make a physical therapy appointment on post.

Jer-Bear Says "Boo!"

This is a typical night at the Schneegans house.

Shoulder Surgery

Back in June of 1993, I was a skinny 17-year-old, who looked about 12, going through Army basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, MO.  I don't even remember how anymore, but during the bayonet assault course (I think they cut it from basic recently), I injured my left shoulder.

It hurt, but I didn't want to get recycled, and I could still function, so I just toughed it out.  That winter, going through AIT at Fort Knox, KY, I noticed my shoulder hurt whenever the weather changed - especially when it got colder or more humid.  I didn't know it then, but that's a pretty clear sign of arthritis.

Fast forward 20 years, and my shoulder deteriorated to the point where the pain was almost unbearable during my last Afghan deployment.  Upon redeploying to Fort Riley, KS, I started the long, irritating process of getting my shoulder checked out by an orthopedic surgeon.

I saw my battalion's PA first, of course.  She prescribed Motrin and physical therapy.  When that didn't help, she ordered me an MRI and referred me to an Army surgeon on post.  That surgeon diagnosed me with a torn rotator cuff, tendinitis and degenerative arthritis, but said he didn't know how to fix my shoulder and referred me to a shoulder specialist at the University of Kansas (KU).  Thank God for that!

At KU in Kansas City, Dr Munns took one look at my back and noticed something everyone else had missed.  My left infraspinatus muscle had atrophied.  He suspected that was because my suprascapular nerve was compressed, and therefore couldn't carry signals to the muscles like it's designed to.

Dr Munns referred me to a neurologist, who measured how efficiently my nerves conducted electricity.  That, ladies & gents, was a painful experience!  It confirmed, however, that my suprascapular nerve did not conduct electricity like it should.

With that information in hand, Dr Munns operated on my shoulder on 13 Nov 2013.  Keep in mind, I redeployed in early June.

Inside my messed up shoulder.  Dr Munns cleaned up the scar tissue and sowed the torn muscles back together.

Tears repaired

Dr Munns used this incision over my left scapula to relieve the pressure on my suprascapular nerve.

Arthroscopy incisions

I've spent the last couple days mostly on the hide-a-bed couch in our family room, partially lucid, doped up on Percocet.  I am definitely lucid enough, however, to realize how blessed I am.

First, I thank God for modern medicine.  My procedure was impossible only a few decades ago.  I can't imagine living with that pain indefinitely, especially since it made some of the simple pleasures in life - like rough housing with the kids or DIY projects - excruciating. 

Second, I thank God for steering me toward Dr Munns.  Not only is Dr Munns one of the most experienced shoulder surgeons in the country (he co-authored the text book KU med school uses), he was a competitive power lifter in college who's had three shoulder surgeries himself.  Consequently, he was far more understanding of my desire to return to full athletic activity.  He said it would probably take a year, but he's confident I can do so.  This is yet another example of God answering prayers in ways that - not only did I never expect - but for which I never would've thought to pray.  Dr Munns' experience led him to think my suprascapular nerve was the source of the problem, and he was right.  If not for that experience, he might have repaired my rotator cuff, only to have it tear again due to further atrophy. 

Most importantly, I thank God for Aimee and the kiddos.  These first few days of recovery have been painful, but they would've been far worse without them helping me do all the things I can't do myself (of which there is a long list).

Thank you, all who prayed for us, and please keep us in your prayers as I recover.  As you all know, Aimee is great with child, and caring for two babies (Jer-Bear and me) while carrying another is exhausting.  

Until next time. 

Why We Home School

Eli took a toy gun to school today.

He even played with it in class. 

Despite that, he didn't get sent to the principal's office.  He didn't get suspended, or expelled or punished in any way.  Nobody called the police.  No SWAT team raided the school.

But we're the crazy ones for home schooling.

Aimee's Beef Jerky

Along with the fruit and yogurt leather Aimee made recently, she also made beef jerky.

Back when she bought the dehydrator, she also bought a vacuum sealer.  That allows her to dry the meat less thoroughly (which means it's softer, and therefore easier to chew), but still store the jerky without refrigeration.  And this is the finished product.

Next... Paleo packs! 

Baby Gender Reveal Cake

We had a baby gender reveal party with a cake made by our friend, Denise McDougal.  We invited our friends, the Jones family, over to celebrate.  As you can see, Denise made a beautiful cake with both girl and boy elements.  The interior color reveals the baby's sex!

The moment of truth approaches! 

It's a....

...girl! 

 
Now we just need a name!

Candace's Slumber Party

For her 11th birthday, Candace opted to have a slumber party.  She invited two friends over - our neighbor, Ysenia, and Emma, daughter of the Fitzpatricks, our friends from the late, great Bamberg Hospitality House.

The girls had individual pizzas they made themselves.

Instead of a cake, Candace had 11 cupcakes with one candle each.

After that it was movie time.  Candace picked "Teen Beach Movie".  If you're anything other than an adolescent girl, trust me, you don't want to see it. 

The next morning, after an abundance of silliness, the girls had pancakes, sausage and bacon.  Eli helped make the pancakes, while I cooked the sausage and bacon on the gas grill outside. 

 After that, it was all princesses and super heroes in the Schneegans house.