It was a little after 7 AM when my phone pinged, signaling that I had a text message. “I’m going to pick you up in 10 minutes and take you to breakfast, be ready.” It was a change of plans from my friend Tom. Originally, I was going to meet him at Starbucks to put together a blog post for his company’s website. These plans had apparently changed.
Tom and I have many similarities; in fact, we are more similar than different. However, we do have one significant contrast. I’m a planner, and Tom is spontaneous. I believe that he enjoys rocking my boat, and I enjoy steadying his. I pull back Tom, and he pushes me forward. Since we respect each other, our actions benefit both of us.
Tom was being his usual cheeky self as we drove into the city, refusing to say where we were going but emphasizing that we would be driving through some “dangerous neighborhoods!” The latter deliberately injected into the conversation to add a bit of drama. However, I think he sometimes forgets that I was raised as a city boy, familiar with such places.
We pulled off the Eisenhower and into a different world. A place devoid of grocery stores but full of burger joints and fish shacks. A grassless zone of buildings pushed close to the edge of streets. Primarily old buildings, many seeming to need some repair. Some had grand facades from bygone days, the most spectacular being the churches. Towering and majestic, many former Catholic, some now reclaimed to other religions. Often showing architectural styles borrowed from the home countries where the immigrant builders originated.
I can’t attest to Tom’s route, but for whatever reason, it zig-zagged past places that evoked memories in me, some despite the fact that I had never seen them before.
We drove by Douglas Park, a vast green space with a lagoon. This park was close to where my parents grew up on Chicago’s west side. Driving by it evoked memories of stories that they told me. Stories of how the park’s pool was decommissioned and filled in due to infection fears during the polio epidemic. Stories of how, during the Great Depression, some of my aunts worked as maids for the rich people who lived around the park. They would stay at their residences during the week and return home on the weekends. The park is a bit shabby now but still retains a feeling of class and elegance.
We then drove by an enormous public high school built of brick in the Collegiate Gothic style, popular in the 1920s and 1930s. Its three-story edifice stretched an entire block, dominating the neighborhood. I spied its name etched on the school and it felt like I had just been punched in my gut. It was the Manley High School, the school where my father had been the Chief Operating Engineer. This was the last school where my dad worked, and once one of the largest high schools in Chicago, with a capacity for 3000 students. Its glory days are now past, with a shrinking enrollment since CPS has initiated its school choice program that allows students to attend schools outside their district.
Manley High School (image from the Manley High School Facebook Page).
I realized my dad’s enormous accomplishment as his position of COE was the physical plant’s equivalent of the academic position of the school principal, and he did this with an 8th-grade education. He stopped his formal schooling so his older brother could attend college but continued to attend night school for years, eventually taking classes at the Armour Institute, the precursor of the Illinois Institute of Technology. Seeing the last school he ran made me appreciate his ambition, and it gave me a better understanding of why my mother and father were so adamant that all of their children achieve a higher level of education. Ultimately, all 5 of us obtained a 4-year college education, and four hold graduate degrees.
My grandparents immigrated as peasants from Slovakia at the turn of the century with little to nothing. Yet, most of their grandchildren became highly educated and successful. I imagine that would not have been the case if they had remained in their motherland, as they would have been restricted by their class limitations. As they advanced their lives, in turn, they advanced ours. I am grateful for that.
We continued our drive eastward and reached the Illinois Medical District, a concentration of hospitals, research centers, and medical schools. Once again, I was filled with nostalgia. In the 1970s, I was a graduate student doing biochemical research. One of my experiments required the use of a device called an ultracentrifuge. Our lab didn’t have one, so we used one at the school’s medical center. It was an old machine without many of the controls of modern devices. I remember the professor of that lab quizzing me as I set up my experiment. “How will you calculate the speed of the ultracentrifuge?” After a moment of panic, I answered, “By graphing its values.” I had no idea how that thought popped into my head, but it was the correct answer. I recall that the professor struck me as being a bit odd. She spoke to me in a thick Eastern European accent, and I had to carefully listen to her. She had a poster board hung on the wall with her children’s academic accomplishments listed. Her one son did research in high school that was quoted in Lenniger’s Principles of Biochemistry, the de facto Biochem Bible of the day. I felt sorry for her other boy as his academic prowess was less. Why did I, a stranger, have to know that he was less gifted than his brother? It saddened me for him.
I would walk one-and-a-half miles from that medical campus lab to my spot at UIC’s Science and Engineering Lab building late at night. During those days, this was through a rough neighborhood, and I would do my best to stand at my full 6’3″ height as I deliberately walked with a blocky, overly masculine gait. I guess my stance worked because I was never bothered.
I was shocked at how nice the medical campus now looked, with many formally trashy areas gentrified with exciting shops and restaurants. From being a bit scary in the 1970s, it now had a warm campus feeling. It felt nice.
We drove east and soon were upon UIC’s campus. Built in the 1960s in the Brutalist Style by Walter Netsch, the campus was decidedly ugly when I attended in the 1970s. With almost zero greenery, it was a concrete jungle with hideous, giant elevated walkways blocking the sun and dripping on students who used the lower level. My wife attended graduate school at UIC decades after I did, and many of these monstrosities were demolished and new green spaces established, giving the campus a softer and more welcoming look.
UIC’s mission was to offer an excellent education at an affordable price. Initially a commuter-only school, it has helped countless individuals obtain an education that would never have been possible otherwise. Over the years, it has grown to include dormitories and other facilities; I had no idea how nice the campus had become.
New buildings have softened the harsh Brutalist architecture of the UIC campus. (image from the UIC website)
Tom drove down Halstead Street as I gazed at the new and improved UIC. Yes, the majority of the buildings were in the Brutalist style, but newer, more appealing buildings peppered the campus, which was also graced with more green spaces. With the backdrop of downtown Chicago, UIC had a clear urban feeling and a college campus vibe. It looked good.
UIC’s backdrop is downtown Chicago.
Once again, I was awash with memories of my years as a graduate student at UIC. As an undergraduate at NIU, I pretended to be an adult. At UIC, I was treated as, and became, an adult. Nights in the research lab, hours teaching undergrads, and time reflecting on my future. In those days, my goal was to become a university professor, a plan I would deviate from.
Growing up on the Southwest Side of Chicago, my worldly experience was limited. UIC gave me more than just an academic education; it exposed me to new ideas and divergent opinions. It introduced me to foods from other cultures. For the first time in my life, I had Greek food, Korean food, and Thai food. I fondly remember walking to the Jewish garment district to dine on potato latkes from Manny’s cafeteria. UIC also showed me I was on an equal playing field with my contemporaries. If I wanted to accomplish something, I could.
Seeing the campus made me nostalgic for those times, and for a brief moment, I wished I was back in the lab. Such feelings reflect the rose-colored glasses that one wears with age. It was a pleasant feeling to recall the promise of youth. A time when everything and anything seemed possible. A time when every option seemed so close that I could almost touch it. Nostalgia is a great thing.
We drove a little more and were at our surprise destination, Jim’s Original Hot Dogs, a bright yellow and red building at the corner of Rochford and South Union. The place is an open air stand with several walk-up windows. As we approached the line, I was struck that we were the only white people. I experienced an unnecessary feeling of caution, not for my safety, but if I would be rejected due to my race. That was not the case, and we were greeted with open arms as the woman at the window cheerfully asked me for my order.
Jim’s Original Hot Dogs was housed in a yellow and red building.I originally had some concerns as we were the only white people, but those fears were unfounded.
I ordered a pork chop sandwich and cheese fries based on Tom’s recommendation. The sandwich was unique, an actual unbreaded pork chop, bone and all. On top of the chop was a cloud of sauteed onions, plus a little yellow mustard. It was fantastic. With our bellies full, we returned to Tom’s pickup for the drive home.
The pork chop sandwich was delicious!My friend, Tom always up for an adventure.
An enjoyable adventure culminated in a new experience.
How often do we go somewhere oblivious of our surroundings? Always in a rush and stressed to get to our destination. How great it was to pause and “smell the roses” of my past. How lucky I was to be invited on this adventure and to be allowed to reconnect with my past.
Today is Tuesday, more precisely, the Tuesday after Mother’s Day. Mother’s Day can be considered a Hallmark holiday: to that, I say, so what? Sometimes, we need a reason to remind us to honor the important people in our lives. I believe such events do more than that; they bind us together, cause us to reflect, and allow us to step outside ourselves leaving our self-absorbed world. These times permit us to make someone else the center of our attention. In a world where we are taught the “me first” philosophy of life, a place where kindness is considered codependency, and an era where things instead of deeds measure worth, it is important to reflect on what matters. It is OK to be generous, kind, and considerate towards others. It is not pathological to think of the needs of others; it is healthy. There is a difference between loss of self and empathy. The first leads to unhappiness, while the second yields a feeling of connection and belonging.
Here in Kunaland, we foster compassion in our children in a variety of ways, one of which is celebrating the special days of others. The process is not a burden; it is a time of joining and working towards a common goal. Yes, we want the person of the day to feel special, but we all benefit from our collective actions. When done with a loving heart, serving others is fulfilling, and working together towards a common goal is pure joy.
We began these traditions when our kids were very young, and they are now fairly standardized.
Mother’s Day starts with breakfast in bed, and my wife’s requests are always the same: coffee, some sort of a fruit bowl, and a cinnamon treat. The latter item is most often a home-baked cinnamon roll, but at other times, it has been homemade cinnamon coffee cake or, this year, a Cinnaholic cinnamon roll from our local Cinnaholic store.
When the kids were very young, it was typical for me to buy precut fruit, but now, we have adult children capable of slicing and dicing. I never seem to be able to find a nice bed tray to carry up the breakfast. I know we have many, but they seem to hide in the cabinets when I go looking for them. Usually, I’ll use something else and modify it so it serves the purpose. This year, I found a large cookie platter.
Our prep buzzes with activity; some ice rolls, others cut fruit, and still others make coffee. My goal is to arrange the items so they are pleasing to the eye; some years, I’m more successful than others. When all is assembled we march up the stairs singing “Happy Mother’s Day To You,” borrowing the melody from the classic birthday tune. Julie always manages to look surprised even though we have been doing the same shtick for almost 30 years.
Some of us will cut fruit. It is less expensive and tastes better than precut too!I can never find the right tray. Here, I’m using a cookie platter. However, I try to arrange things so that they look appetizing and pleasant. Julie always manages to look surprised despite the fact that we have been doing this shtick for decades.
The next item on our agenda is brunch at my niece Karen’s home. Karen has a wonderful older home in an adjacent suburb and has been hosting a Mother’s Day brunch for as long as I can remember. This is despite that Karen, herself, is a mother of three. She insists on doing all of the cooking and baking. Somehow, she manages to fill her home to the brim with people. She had at least 50 guests this year. Karen is a fantastic cook, and eating at her home is better than going to a high-end restaurant for brunch. Karen and her husband Themi’s hosting is effortless. I honestly don’t know how they do it. Their hospitality sets the tone for the guests, who are happy and talkative. It is a wonderful afternoon.
Despite the small size of their house, my niece and her husband’s place seems to expand and accommodate no matter how may guest arrive.Here some of the guests are enjoying my niece’s fantastic cooking.Everyone is happy to catch up.
Back home, we usually have a few hours between the brunch and our next effort, making dinner for the celebrant. Julie is fond of a particular fish stew, but we don’t make it often as one of our kids dislikes fish, and another doesn’t like beans. However, they will allow exceptions on such special days.
This year I was lucky to find a French Silk pie, Julie’s favorite, at the baker’s. At 5 PM, we assembled to start dinner prep, with me directing. I am immensely proud of my kids, who all work together to get the job done. There is no bickering, or fighting, or prima donnas. There is just doing. We have been cooking together for a very long time, and over the years, our cooking time has become as enjoyable as our meal time. My kids are fun to be with.
We all work together to put the meal on the table.
With the meal completed and the table set, we call down the celebrant, and dinner is served. It is our tradition to go around the table and say something nice about our guest of honor, as it is another way to make them feel special. The celebrant’s job is to thank the cooks, and the event turns into one big love fest. When the kids were young, I would take them to the store so they could pick out gifts for Julie. That has long passed, and they now do that on their own. We are not into lavish gifts in Kunaland, something meaningful is more important. That may be a purchased item, something handmade, or even a service given.
Table is set, time to call down the celebrant!Julie loves this fish stew, but the kids object so we only make it on special occasions. Connecting together is better than any gift.
Some years end with games or a family movie, but this year ended with dessert and presents. It was a perfect day to honor a special person.
How wonderful to do something where everyone feels good. As a psychotherapist, I have witnessed the pendulum swings in society. I have witnessed the increasing move towards the “what about me?” society. A place where everyone feels that they are not getting enough and that their needs are more important than anyone else’s.
I’m all for people meeting their needs, but I’m afraid we have been sold a bill of goods. There is the trendy psychological edict of “self.” The concept is that everything must benefit the “self.” Like many trendy concepts, a reasonable idea has morphed into something that doesn’t approximate its original intention. It is possible to meet our individual needs while also caring for the needs of others. In fact, the latter is preferable, as all research points to the fact that individuals are happier when they are connected. Yes, I made an effort to give Julie a special day, but she will likely return that favor when Father’s Day approaches. When kindness becomes the norm, it is easy to do things for others, and it is easy for them to return that blessing.
In my psychiatric practice, I would treat parents who had their children ghost them. Admittedly, some individuals would not be candidates for Parent of the Year. However, many were decent, good people. It wasn’t uncommon to have a child cut all ties without ever giving the parent a reason why or giving them a chance to change. They would stop responding to their calls and text messages and no longer include them in their lives. At other times, they would send a “no contact” letter without any explanation or recourse. Such actions were devastating and frequently unnecessary.
Yes, there are toxic parents out there who constantly pit one kid against another, or are always eager to criticize and compare. However, many of these folks should be allowed the opportunity to change. If they are unable or unwilling, then it is reasonable for the adult child to do what is necessary to preserve their mental health. However, it is surprising how many kids eliminate their parents based on perceived emotional injuries instead of establishing a conversation with them or setting less absolute limits that allow for growth on both sides of the fence. How can you change a behavior if you don’t know what you need to change? I have known flawed parents, but they did everything in their power to give their kids a good life, only to be rejected for all time. I have also worked with many parents whose child’s spouse forces an “us vs. them” edict where spousal harmony requires the child to abandon their family in favor of the in-laws. You can never have too many people who care about you.
Oddly, some of the most toxic parents that I have encountered seem to be given a pass and their kids’ continue their solicitous behavior.
Significant modifications must sometimes be made in a parent/adult-child relationship. If the holidays are always traumatic, it is reasonable to find alternative activities outside the family sphere. If a parent can’t resist comparing or criticizing, the first step is to identify obnoxious behavior clearly, and to establish a hard “no,” informing the parent that such comments are unwelcome. A hurt or insulted parental response can be countered with a thick skin and an unemotional yet clear retort. For parents with other issues, the solution may be as simple as having shorter get-togethers in neutral spaces, like a restaurant. A clear but polite “no” can be employed for parents who are always demanding things. Lengthy explanations are not required. I firmly believe in setting limits with people in a kind but clear way.
It is more difficult when problems exist in the adult child or their spouse. However, the same rules apply, although it may be necessary to acknowledge other motives, such as a spouse’s desire to estrange the child’s parents. At times, it is most reasonable to accept the limitations of the relationship,and to fill the emotional gaps in other ways.
To reiterate. Building traditions can strengthen bonds. However, there are times when it is impossible to reconcile a relationship, and the only solution is to move on. Yet, at other times, some effort can yield a positive result. Remember, you can never have enough people who love you and who you love. When possible, always go with the win-win scenario.
The day that boxed chicken broth actually tasted good.
Well, folks, today is D-day… for me anyway. Yesterday, I had no joy taking massive amounts of laxatives and then drinking 1/2 gallon of thick, salty water (GoLytely). I honestly felt that I couldn’t continue to drink the stuff; every gulp down wanted to come right back up. I pushed forward because what are you going to do?
I had a fear that the salty potion would do nothing, or not enough, as that is what happened to Julie several months ago, and which caused her to have to repeat her colonoscopy this last Monday. This time around, it included only two days of clear liquids and what could only be described as a draconian bowl prep. I felt terribly sorry for Julie and selfishly did not want to repeat her descent into Dante’s lower rings of hell.
Thankfully, my fears were unfounded, and I am eternally grateful that the distance between my bed and the bathroom is short. My advice to anyone who has to undergo this tortuous procedure is: if you think that sorta maybe you should approach the porcelain throne… Do not hesitate! Run! Leap! Go! You may not be given a second chance.
I know many of my Facebook friends are over 50, and so you have experienced the joy of the GoLytely solution or some other toxic waste preparation. I am speaking to the choir. For me, the worst part of the whole thing was drinking that stuff; it wasn’t the fasting or even the going. (and going, and going).
Last night, I had an undeniable craving for boxed chicken broth. Normally, I think that stuff is pretty insipid and flavorless. I have mentally classified it as colored water when I use it in cooking. However, my body wanted it, so I downed two steaming mugs of the stuff. I’m not sure if it was starvation or possibly electrolyte imbalance, but it tasted delicious. I’m aware that my broth desires will quell after I again assume that I am eating foods that go beyond Sprite and Jello.
I finished another half a gallon of “stuff” this morning… starting at a sprightly 6:30 AM, and it wasn’t very long before Nature was once again knocking at my door. To be frank, I had to pause this little missive at least three times during its writing to answer it. My hope is that my evacuation adventure will be completely over by the time that I have to drive the 15 minutes to the “drilling site.” I don’t want to have to bring a second set of sweatpants with me.
At 12:30, I’ll be under the knife. Well, not exactly… I’ll be under the probe. I already told Doctor Strangelove that he better drug me well as during my last experience ten years prior, I was aware of everything; I just couldn’t speak. There are just some things that no human should see, including high-definition video of their insides.
On a more serious note, I’m getting this test because I failed a Cologuard test. I wouldn’t mind it at all if you would say a little prayer for me that the positive was caused by a minor issue as opposed to the big “C.” More on that later.
Oh, as many of you know, I avoid concentration forms of sugar as I seem to be addicted to sweet things. However, post-procedure, I’m grabbing a vanilla milkshake… no judgment, please!
Peace
Mike
I was attempting to be humorous, but the real message of the post is hidden in the little paragraph that is the second from the last. I had failed a Cologuard stool test, and I was getting a colonoscopy to rule out colorectal cancer. I tend to treat my personal issues lightly with others, even when things concern me on a deeper level. I’m not one to pull out the sympathy card; that is just not me.
I was especially concerned as I was still dealing with my wife’s cancer. If the healthiest person in the world could get cancer (my wife), how about me? I was worried that my kids couldn’t deal with another ill parent. I currently run the house, from cleaning it to buying groceries for it. My family depends on me. If I became ill, I would be letting them down.
I wanted to take you through a more realistic version of my colonoscopy journey. I don’t give medical advice in these posts; they are for entertainment and educational purposes only. Always follow your doctor’s advice.
This would be my third colonoscopy. My first was slightly delayed at age 51, my second was at 61, and I was up for my third one this year. However, I was given the option to do an at-home Cologuard test instead. Since my last two colonoscopies were normal, this seemed like a good choice.
My doctor ordered the test, and it was delivered to my door a week later. The test itself was more complicated than I thought. Fortunately, it came with excellent instructions that included pictures and diagrams. You have to set up a “hat” in the toilet to collect your solid waste, making sure that you have enough but not too much (easier said than done). You then have to take a portion of that sample and insert it into a test tube container that has a fluid inside. Further, you have to pour a jar of liquid on the remaining sample to preserve it. Lastly, you have to make sure that everything is sealed properly so nothing leaks. The package has to be taken to UPS within a day for the test to be valid. It was a pain in the…well, you know what I mean.
It takes several weeks to process the sample, and the results are sent to your doctor. I was certain that mine would come back negative, so I was shocked when it returned positive. I did a quick research on the reliability rates and found that 8% of those with colorectal cancer can have a negative response, while 13% of participants can have a false positive response. That meant that I had an 87% chance of having colorectal cancer! Within hours of getting the results, I got a long message in My Chart from my wonderful primary care doctor, Dr. Lee. He said that the test was positive for cancer and that I had to immediately schedule an appointment with a GI doctor to have a colonoscopy. Crap (joke intended).
I told a few people close to me about the test results, and they universally told me not to worry and that I didn’t have cancer. Most said they knew someone who had a positive test that turned out to be a red herring. However, in all cases, they were referring to a more primitive test that looks for occult blood in the stool. The Cologuard test not only tests for blood but also looks for specific DNA that cancer cells produce. This double test should be more sensitive and more accurate than the old guaiac/FIT (blood in stool) test from the past.
I’m not sure how I felt about their responses. In my heart, I understood that they were trying to quell my fears. However, in my current state, their comments felt dismissive. My nature had me agreeing with them to make them feel better. I was soothing their fears instead of the other way around. I felt a bit cheated; so much of my energy and efforts in the last year had been devoted to my wife’s illness. So many individuals showered her with love, gifts, and attention. I felt that everyone’s goodwill had already been spent, and there was nothing left for me. However, I didn’t want to hear doomsday predictions either. I think I wanted sympathetic ears that allowed me to process my feelings without judgment. I did not want their interpretation, stories, or predictions. I just wanted to be cared for. I wanted to be important… enough.
However, that was not the case, and it was up to me to soldier on. I think my actions were represented in the above Facebook post. In it, I tried to make everyone feel comfortable and safe before I timidly mentioned to them that I was worried that I may have cancer.
I must take responsibility for some of my reactions as I have long understood that my role was to be healthy and never sick, and that job started very early in my life. If you have a rudimentary understanding of family dynamics, you know that family members often have defined roles. In my family, there were those who were sick and those who were healthy. Special attention was given to the sick ones. However, all of those “jobs” were filled by the time I came on the scene. My brother had prolonged effects from childhood polio and received a lot of attention from my mother. My sister had rheumatic fever as a child and was prone to getting ill. My dad regularly brought her special gifts. My mother was watched over by everyone; she had very brittle type I diabetes and was near death on a frequent basis. I have many memories of being woken in the middle of the night and told to get out of bed by my father, who would be in a panic state. My mother would be dripping in sweat and moaning with her head lying on the kitchen table. An ambulance would be called, and she would be rushed off to the hospital; I never knew if she would return. My older siblings and my dad would take the next day off, but I was sent to school. I guess that they believed that I wasn’t impacted by the crisis because I was only a kid. I can assure you that I was impacted, but I went to school as that was what I was expected to do.
My father told me that something as simple as a common cold could kill my mother, so I was in constant fear that I would bring home a bug and be responsible for her death. Events such as these primed me to place others’ needs ahead of mine. I learned early that my job was to provide support and care. I was not to demand attention. I have worked hard to become a more balanced person. However, the illness thing is especially powerful for the above reasons. It can return my behavior to a former time.
So, with all of this going on, I assumed my usual role of being capable and confident. It would be around six weeks between my GI visit and the actual colonoscopy, and a lot of other things would be happening in the interim that required my attention.
My poor wife was suffering from the aftermath of receiving massive amounts of radiation post-surgery. She, too, was now seeing a GI specialist who had advised a colonoscopy to assess the radiation damage. She had followed her prep instructions to a tee, but when she went for her colonoscopy, she wasn’t completely cleaned out. She had to schedule another colonoscopy, and this time, she had to follow an absolutely terrible two-day cleanse that involved only clear liquids for two days and an obscene amount of laxative assaults that included Ducolax, Miralax, and the dreaded “gallon of misery.” Her colonoscopy would be two days before mine. My energy needed to be directed to her, and I made sure that she had every comfort, this included making batches of various flavored Jello. Thankfully, her second test turned out well, with no significant abnormal findings. I was greatly relieved.
I was already in the throes of my early colonoscopy prep, which started over a week before the “cleansing” part. I made sure not to use any NSAIDS, like ibuprofen, as some doctors feel that these pills can make it difficult to control bleeding if a biopsy is necessary. Other doctors think that taking aspirin is no big deal. Blood thinners like Coumadin are known to pose a risk and must be modified before such a procedure.
I stopped all vitamins and supplements. Some vitamins contain iron, which can darken stool and make it difficult for the GI doctor to properly visualize the colon. Some supplements interfere with coagulation, so they are banned for the same reason that NSAIDS are prohibited. Days before my prep, I had to avoid fibrous foods, foods with skins, seeds and nuts, and dairy products, as all of these things can potentially stick to portions of the gut and mask potential areas of interest. Additionally, fiber can actually clog the ports on the colonoscope.
Lastly, I was encouraged to have a very light dinner the evening before I started the cleanse. This was not a problem as I ate almost nothing the days before my prep and very little the day before. Why did I eat so little? That is a topic for another day.
The day before the procedure, I was allowed to consume only clear liquids, but I had to avoid any food dyes that were red, blue, or purple. I did quite a bit of research on this colorant issue, and this restriction seems to vary from clinic to clinic. Most ban the color red as it can look like blood in the colon. Yet, some GI docs think that red coloring isn’t a very big deal. Some ban orange, while my clinic said that color was OK. Other clinics allow blue, which mine did not. It is important that you follow your physician’s guidelines, which may be different from doctor to doctor. It is just 24 hours of your life.
I normally try to avoid a lot of sugar, but I made sure that it was present in the clear liquids that I would be consuming. I had bought a lot of stuff for Julie, and plenty was left over for me. I had apple juice, ginger ale, chicken broth, some frozen Italian ice, and Jello available. There was still some Jello in the fridge that I had made for her procedure, but it was starting to get rubbery, so I made a couple of new boxes for myself. We also had a couple of those little squeeze bottles of water flavorings from Julie’s procedure. Additionally, I picked up a pack of individual lemonade mixes. My bowel prep was unflavored, and I could do some experimenting to see if there was any way to make it taste more pleasant. The night before my fast, I filled the gallon jug of GoLytely with water, shook it to mix it in the powder, and placed it in the fridge.
As I mentioned above, I had a fear that the prep wouldn’t work, as Julie had just experienced that. I’m old and slow, and my gut likes to take its time. I adapted one of her treatments and took some Dulcolax before my last real dinner. Holy cow, that did a number on me, and I visited the bathroom ten times that night. Even after ten trips to the bathroom, there was still particulate matter in my “offerings.” What can I say… I am full of it.
The next day it was clear liquids as described above. Of interest, there is a small study that found that small amounts of certain low fiber foods eaten on fasting day did not interfere with bowel preps and made the experience much more tolerable for the patient. However, follow your doctor’s protocol; you don’t want to have to repeat this test. I wasn’t very hungry, and one day of a liquid fast wasn’t too bad.
The evening started with the formal prep, and I took out my gallon of “stuff” from the fridge. From past experience, I knew that I didn’t want to flavor the entire bottle, as too much or the wrong flavoring could make the experience worse. Instead, I flavored each glass individually and tried several different concentrations of orange, mango/pineapple, and lemonade. For me, ½ strength lemonade worked best to partially mask the salty taste of the vile stuff. Worse than the salt was the texture of the liquid, which was very viscous and almost slimy. Our primitive brains protected us from toxins, and I think mine was shouting, “Don’t drink that vile, slimy, salty stuff; it isn’t good for you!” Honestly, each gulp wanted to return to where it came from. I tried a psychological trick and reframed the experience by remembering a fruit nectar that I had when traveling in Hawaii. It had a similar viscosity, but under those circumstances, I enjoyed it. Reminding myself of the similarity somehow made a bit of a difference. With lemonade mix and a cognitive fix in hand, I was able to drink the stuff, but it was still a nauseating experience.
YouTubers have a few other suggestions. One common one is to use a straw. Another suggestion is to chase a few sips of the goop with a more tasty drink, like apple juice. You take two or three sips of the laxative, then a sip of apple juice, then repeat. Another suggestion is to suck on a hard candy after you finish a glass. Make sure that the candy isn’t a forbidden color.
I was doing what was called a split prep. I was to drink ½ of a gallon at night and another ½ gallon early in the morning. This was in contrast to my last cleanses, which had me drinking the whole gallon at once. Apparently, the split prep is better tolerated and more effective, which is why most doctors now use it.
I started to research different bowel cleansing methods and came up with a surprising number of different protocols. It seemed that the most popular was the gallon jug of PEG (polyethylene glycol) plus electrolytes (brand GoLytely). However, different docs had different methods. Some split the dose 50/50, others did a 75/25 split, and still others had their patients drinking the entire bottle at once.
The gallon prep seems to be the most hated, but it also seems to be the most prescribed. That is likely for several reasons. First, It is balanced and less likely to mess with the patient’s electrolytes. Normally, this isn’t a big deal, but it can be a problem with patients who have chronic illnesses like kidney or heart disease. Second, it is cheap, which means that it won’t be an issue if a patient has to pay for it. Third, because it is cheap, insurance companies are more likely to approve it. Fourth, it has been proven to be effective in most cases.
The second most popular method on YouTube was “home brew,” where the user mixes an entire 8 oz bottle of Miralax with 64 ounces of Gatorade or a low-sugar fruit juice. Some doctors felt that this was slightly less effective than the gallon of goop, but still pretty good. I found their comments interesting as Miralax is PEG, and the active ingredient in the gallon jug was also PEG at the same milligram amount. Perhaps the lower volume of liquid made the difference; studies have shown that drinking a few extra liters of water causes a more complete evacuation. The Miralax protocol often had the patient take some Dulcolax pills earlier in the day.
A number of patients on YouTube said they preferred this method, likely due to its reduced volume. Unless you are a water drinker, getting down half of a gallon of fluid in a couple of hours is not pleasant. Drinking ½ of a 64 oz Gatorade can be better tolerated.
I recall hearing about a protocol that used magnesium citrate. However, I couldn’t find reports of people using this method. This treatment typically starts with Dulcolax tablets in the morning, followed by a bottle of mag citrate at 6 PM and another one the morning of the test.
I also found some protocols that used a combination of Dulcolax, mag citrate, and Miralax. That combo seems quite potent and not for the faint of heart.
There is also SuPrep, which is a low-volume prescription solution, and SuTabs, which are pills. These could be alternatives for people who just can’t drink glass after glass of goop. They are magnesium-based laxatives, and you still have to drink water after you take them. However, drinking good old H20 has to be better than drinking a salty, viscous fluid. SuPrep and SuTabs can be expensive preps.
Neither Julie’s doctor nor my doctor mentioned any of these alternatives options during our initial visits.
The gallon jug is the most balanced, least likely to cause electrolyte imbalance, and is cheap. Unfortunately, it also seems to be the most disliked. If you feel like you can’t do it, it is reasonable to talk to your doctor about options; most options require you to drink less fluid.
Lastly, if you have bowel issues, like chronic constipation, you should mention those problems to your doctor. Neither of ours asked about such things, so you may need to be proactive. Also, if it is 5 hours after you started your prep and you have no signs of movement, you should probably give your doctor a call to see what else you can do. Remember, if you don’t clear, you will likely have to reschedule your colonoscopy, and you will also be given a more rigorous prep.
Let’s get back to me. I started the prep by drinking a single glass and setting a timer for 10-minute intervals. I wanted to give my body time to tolerate the solution, but I also wanted to push the endpoint up so I wouldn’t have to deal with hours of drinking it. It took me a little over an hour to finish ½ of the gallon, and at around 2/3rds point, I had to “go.” For me, the warning was slight, and I’m very glad that I immediately heeded it; otherwise, I would have been cleaning up a mess. Although almost uncontrollable, the good news was that there was no cramping. Here again (TMI warning), I was amazed that I was still eliminating solid fragments, and that went on for some time. Eventually, my results looked more like brown gravy, then a murky yellow liquid, then a clear lemonade. I’m being graphic, just in case you have to go through this. I want you to know what to expect.
I started my prep at 5 PM, and the ordeal was mostly over by 9 PM. I went to bed and slept.
My procedure was at 12:30 PM and so I was instructed to start the second ½ gallon at 6:30 AM. This time I went straight for the lemonade flavored mix and got the stuff down a bit faster. I was expecting to see the light yellow stool color again, but instead I got a fairly murky dark yellow. I believe that I was flushing out secretions that had built up over night. However, at about halfway through my “experience” I was running clear yellow again.
As far as food was concerned, both my wife and I were somewhat selective. We didn’t use everything that we bought, but it was nice to have options. I had a cup of black coffee in the morning and two little cups of Italian ice throughout the day. I put some of my homemade Jello in a bowl, ate that for lunch, and had some chicken broth around dinner time. I really enjoyed the chicken broth, which suggested that I needed electrolytes. If you are going the Jello route, I would advise you to make it yourself instead of buying it premade. The commercial stuff is often rubbery, and it is typical to get a variety pack that contains a lot of red and blue, which you can’t eat. Making Jello is super easy; you just have to remember to cool it hours before you want it so it can gel. I was surprised at how tasty the Jello was as I hadn’t had plain Jello in decades. Lastly, I should have been drinking more water, but I could only consume so much fluid. I was already on overload.
It is suggested, and I agree, to dress very casually. I wore sweatpants, a tee shirt, and a hoodie to the procedure. After a preliminary evaluation by a nurse and a very brief interview with the anesthesiologist, I was wheeled into the GI suite, and the anesthesiologist administered a drug into my IV. Within 30 seconds, I was out. During that time, the doctor inserted a 4-foot-long flexible hose (the colonoscope) in me, which not only allowed him to visualize my colon but to pluck polyps and take biopsies if needed. Luckily, I was completely unaware of anything that he was doing. I woke up in the recovery room. The test itself was an absolute breeze.
Colorectal cancer is now the third leading cause of cancer deaths in the US. It used to be a disease of the elderly. The only exceptions were people who had a rare genetic mutation. However, for an unknown reason, it is on the rise in younger adults. I saw YouTube videos of men and women in their 20s and 30s who were having bowel issues but were dismissed by their doctors because they were too young to have cancer. It turned out that they did have colorectal cancer, and they all stressed the need to be your own advocate when it comes to your health. When I started getting colonoscopies, I was advised to start screening colonoscopies at age 50. That has now changed to age 45, and sooner if you are having symptoms.
Long-term changes in bowel habits (constipation or diarrhea), bloating, pain in the abdomen, blood in your stool, black stools, extreme fatigue, unexplained back pain, problems having a bowel movement, feeling a lump in your abdomen, stools that are as thin as pencils, and unexplained weight loss, could be warning signs and should be evaluated. Naturally, many of these symptoms are nonspecific, so don’t automatically assume that you have colon cancer if you have back pain. However, if that back pain is persistent and without cause, it makes sense to explore it further. The one symptom that everyone asked me about was blood in my stool. If you have that, it may be hemorrhoids, but don’t assume that it is; get it checked out.
If the doctor finds polyps, he can remove them during the colonoscopy. Most bowel cancers start as polyps, so this can be a simple cancer cure. The polyp will be sent to pathology to determine if it is normal tissue, precancerous, or cancerous. If it turns out that the polyp is cancer, further treatment will likely be recommended.
Bowel cancer is graded in stages, with late-stage cancer spreading outside the colon and often to the liver and lungs. This level of cancer has a high mortality rate, which is why getting a colonoscopy is so important. Early discovery has a very high survival rate.
I watched a number of individuals on YouTube who had Stage 4 colorectal cancer who were doing well, some being in remission. However, their treatment involved a variety of things, including radiation, chemotherapy, and surgery. All of that can be avoided by getting regular colonoscopies. Yes, the prep sucks, but not nearly as bad as some portray it. It is one day in your life that could give you many years of life. It is worth it. If you can’t stand the thought of drinking a gallon of goop, you now know that there are a multitude of other treatments that can enhance the evacuation experience.
Do what you can to make the prep day as pleasant as possible. Wear clothing that is comfortable and comes off easily. Make sure that you are close to the bathroom. You will be going a lot so have quality TP, as well as some sort of barrier cream such as Vaseline or A and D ointment. I’m fortunate as I have a bidet, I can’t tell you what a difference that little gadget made.
Give yourself permission to do whatever you want. Read, watch videos, listen to music, or just sleep if that is you jam. I took a shower right before I went for my procedure, but also felt the need to take one on my return a few hours later. There is no right or wrong here, just do your thing.
So what about my test? My particular doctor talks to the patient’s driver, not the patient. This makes some sense as the patient is still groggy from anesthesia. However, I would have liked to be part of the conversation. With that said, the great news is that my colon was clear, not even a polyp. I was one of the 13% who got a false positive. Whew.
I celebrated by going off my sugar restriction for a day and got a delicious vanilla milkshake for lunch. Every sip was pure joy made sweeter by the knowledge that my colon was healthy.
Peace
Mike
My wife and I had colonoscopies within two days of each other. Here are our respective “jugs of joy.” My wife was prescribed a fancy flavored concoction, while I was given the generic flavorless variety.
I sat at a back table looking forward. The room was marginally lit. My friend Ralph was at the front of the room. He was celebrating a milestone birthday and giving a little speech in this cozy private room of a lovely restaurant. Most events make me want to take pictures, and this was no exception. I pulled out my iPhone 14 Pro and touched the trigger button. A second later, I captured the memory, and the photo looked pretty good.
I have used smartphones and smartphone cameras long before the iPhone existed, and let me tell you that those early cell phone cameras were horrible. They had low resolution and grainy images even with good light, and the image quality transitioned to unusable in dim light. However, people loved having a camera on their phones and the industry listened. Photos taken on recent smartphones are amazing. Sharp, vibrant, and clear even when the conditions are somewhat poor.
Some of these improvements are based on better hardware, but much of the credit goes to the super computing power of the phone’s microprocessor. That same chip that allows you to watch high resolution YouTube videos is used to maximize every single photon that hits a pixel on the phone’s tiny camera sensor.
My iPhone 14 Pro has a few extra features including fixed wide angle and telephoto lenses, as well as several computerized effects. For instance, I can take a portrait shot with my phone, and its computer will artificially blur the background to make the image look more professional.
Why would anyone need a dedicated camera when they carry a phone that not only takes great photos, but also allows instant posting to social media? The answer is that most don’t, a cell phone is all that they need. However, that is not always the case as suggested by the next photo.
This is a photo taken with my iPhone of the 2024 total solar eclipse. Now that I have told you what it is, you can probably decipher the picture. However, it looks nothing like some of the photos that were shown on the news or on social media. Those photos were sharp, clear, powerful, and amazing. My photos looked more like a Rorschach ink blot. If my phone was so good at taking a picture of Ralph, why couldn’t it take a good photo of the eclipse? The answer is simple. Phones use settings designed to take a snapshot. When you want a picture that is not a snapshot, most phone cameras fall short for many reasons.
Who should consider a dedicated camera? Here are a few examples.
-The parent who wants to take in-focus photos of their active toddler.
-The animal owner who likes taking photos of their pets.
-The parent who wants the best close-up action shots of their kids when they are playing sports.
-The drama coach who wants clear and in-focus photos of their actors on the stage.
-The bird watcher who needs to document their finds.
-The person who wants to take photos of the Milky Way.
-The person who wants to take highly detailed photos of their collection of tiny things, like coins or butterflies.
-The person who needs to take close-up photos of objects that are far away.
-The person who has to take pictures in adverse weather conditions.
-The person who must take flash-free pictures in dark places, like a nightclub.
-The person who wants to use a sophisticated flash setup for professional-looking portraits of family and friends.
-The person who documents their hobby by taking photos of moving trains, racing cars, or jets taking off.
-The person who makes their living taking pictures (journalists, wedding photographers, nature photographers, etc.).
-The person who sees photography as a form of artistic expression.
-The person who wants to turn photography into a hobby.
-and anyone else who needs to take photos that are beyond “Instamatic” snapshots.
However, that is likely only 10% of the photo-taking population. The remaining 90% will do just fine with their point-and-shoot phone. If you are in that 90%, you can stop reading now (whew!).
If you check the prices of cameras you will be struck with sticker shock. It is possible to spend many thousands of dollars on a high end camera body, and a magnitude more than that on camera lenses. For most, these prices are completely out of reach, but there is a solution. First, we need to talk a bit about what makes a camera a better choice in some situations, as well as what different types of cameras are available.
How are cameras different from a smartphone?
Most cameras can be used in a fully automatic mode, just like a smartphone. Additionally, some consumer-level cameras have presets for common scenarios like action shots or low-light photography. Also, their functions can also be fully customized. Let’s look at some of the functions that can be adjusted:
Shutter speed
You can adjust the shutter speed on a camera. A slow shutter speed allows more light to enter the camera’s sensor, so you can get a bright image even under low light conditions. A fast shutter speed freezes action, making it perfect for sporting events and fast-moving subjects.
On this camera the shutter speed is adjusted by the knob on the right. Note, that there is also an automatic setting where the camera automatically picks a shutter speed.
Aperture
You can adjust the aperture of the camera’s lens. A wider (more open) aperture lets in more light for flash-free nighttime photos. Wider apertures can also keep the subject in focus while blurring the background (shallow depth of field). That style is trendy in portrait photography. A narrower aperture makes sure that everything in the photo is in focus. Think about photographing a large group of people standing in rows three deep. A narrow aperture would make sure that everyone would be sharply in focus.
On this camera you can select the aperture right on the lens. You can also have the camera do this automatically by selecting “A.”This camera uses a different way to select aperture (Av) and shutter speed (Tv) using a control dial and a thumb wheel control. The “A+” selection puts the camera into a fully automatic mode where the camera decides on all of the settings.
ISO
You can adjust how sensitive the camera’s sensor is to light, this is called adjusting the ISO of the camera. Keeping the ISO low preserves the most detail in a photo, but raising the ISO allows you to take noise free pictures in darker conditions with a slight loss of detail.
Different cameras adjust ISO in different ways. The dial on the right has two functions. The main numbers adjust shutter speed, but the dial behind the little window adjust ISO. Again, there is an “A” setting that will adjust ISO automatically.
Exposure triangle
Shutter speed, aperture, and ISO work together to control how much light enters the sensor. Together, this group is called the exposure triangle. You can greatly change the look of your photograph if you know how to adjust these parameters. With a few simple clicks your photo can go from a snapshot to a magazine cover level image, and it is a lot easier than you think. Note, that your camera can adjust all of these parameters automatically, or it can adjust just some of the parameters automatically. As an example, you can have your camera adjust its shutter speed and ISO, while you only adjust the aperture.
Use a faster shutter speed to freeze sporting action.
Use a wider aperture to blur the background in a portrait.
Use a higher ISO to take a flash free image in a dark venue.
Or adjust all three to find the perfect balance between effect and image quality.
External controls
All cameras have dedicated controls that allow you to change various settings or set the camera to automatic. Pro-level cameras have many external buttons and knobs, making changing these settings on the fly very easy.
Pro cameras put all of the controls front and center allowing the user to easily change a setting at a moments notics.
The hot shoe
The hot shoe is a connection on the top of a camera that allows the user to electronically connect an external flash to a camera and transform the photo of a subject from a “deer in headlights” look to a polished pro image. Using on and off camera lighting creatively can produce amazing pictures.
A hot shoe is a connection point on the top of the camera that allows the user to connect things, like an external flash or flash controls. An external speedlight can bounce the flash and give a portrait a much more professional look.
Changeable lenses
Many cameras allow the end user to change out lenses. There are lenses for any need, from super powerful telephoto lenses to lenses designed to get up close and personal with tiny objects (like bugs). I often use a wide-angle lens when I take professional architectural shots as it opens up the space and makes rooms look bigger. I also use a medium telephoto lens when taking portraits. Its long focal length and wide aperture allow me to keep the subject in focus while creating a creamy, blurred background.
There are dozens of different lenses available for cameras. Above (from left to right) you can see a tilt-shift lens for architectural photography, A medium zoom lens, a super zoom lens, a 35 mm prime lens, and a 50 mm prime lens.I use a wide angle lens when taking interior shots to give the space a more open look.
Accurate focusing
Cameras can focus very quickly in tricky light situations. Some older cameras were specifically designed to be great at focusing and were used by sports and wildlife photographers. Many newer cameras have phenomenal focus, even in their consumer-level offerings. Along with focusing is tracking (the ability to follow a moving object and keep it in focus). The same rules apply here.
Manual focusing
There are times when it is best to focus the camera yourself. If I could have manually focused my phone when taking the eclipse photo, it would have turned out significantly better. The majority of cameras have some form of manual focusing; however, pro cameras make manual focusing an easy option.
Low light performance
Cell phones use computer calculation tricks to make dimly lit photographs look clear. Cameras do this too, but also have much larger sensors which have the ability to gather significantly more light. For instance, a full-frame sensor has over 30 times more surface area than the tiny sensor of a typical cell phone.
Consumer cameras vs. Professional cameras.
One way to separate cameras is between consumer-level and enthusiast/professional-level models. Consumer-level cameras are less expensive. They can do many of the things that a pro-camera can do, just not quite as well. For instance, many consumer-level cameras can freeze action as they have a maximum fast shutter speed of 1/4000 of a second, while many pro-cameras have shutters that can operate as fast as 1/8000 of a second, and even faster than that when they are in all electronic mode. Note that you can freeze a human at play at around 1/250th of a second; pro-bird photographers usually shoot at a 1/1000 to 1/2000 of a second, and to freeze a speeding car, you may need a shutter speed of 1/4000th of a second. Shutter speeds faster than 1/4000th of a second are only used for exceptional situations.
A consumer-level camera will have simplified controls. You can often control the same things that you can with a pro-level camera, but you will need to go through additional steps to do this. A pro-level camera has dedicated physical controls front and center, whereas a consumer-level camera may require you to press several buttons or go into the camera’s menu system.
Consumer-level cameras are usually made of some sort of polycarbonate (plastic), whereas pro-level cameras often have a magnesium frame that is coated in a rubbery material. In general, everything from the switches to the shutter mechanism is more robust and built to last longer on a pro camera. Higher-end professional cameras are also weather sealed and can withstand being in the rain (within reason). Such a situation would short out a consumer-level camera.
Over time features drift from one group to another. High end features like fast focusing drift down from pro-cameras to consumer cameras, and convenience features like flip out screens drift up from consumer cameras to high end ones.
Is it reasonable to buy an older camera?
Technology in the camera world has advanced rapidly. However, older cameras can take stunning photographs in just about any scenario. An enthusiast/pro camera from as early as 2008 and many consumer-level cameras from a few years after that can take amazing pictures. If someone has special interests, like photographing birds in flight or performers in a dark and smoky jazz club, they may need to be more selective when deciding what older camera they should choose, but those options are out there. Many photographers prefer the photos that come out of older cameras, which some say are more “filmic.” (looks more like traditional film)
What can newer cameras do that older ones can’t?
In the world of photography cameras are always advancing with better specifications and features. For instance, newer cameras may be able to focus at blazing rates or have computerized features like eye detection focusing. However, many older cameras are still very capable. Remember, these cameras were state of the art devices used by professionals who took professional photos. In fact, some professionals continue to use these cameras with great success.
The question of Megapixels.
Older cameras may have as little as 12 MP sensors, while the highest megapixel count of some newer cameras exceeds 60 MP. However, the pixel count doesn’t really matter unless you are wildly cropping images or if you need to print huge photos that will be viewed up close and personal. Photographers have long created large prints using ten and 12-MP cameras. There have been art photos displayed in museums that were taken with a 6 MP camera. In other words, don’t worry about the MP count. Did you know that traditional 35 mm film has a resolution between 12-16 megapixels? Most photos on social media are reduced by the platform to under 2 MP. In the real world, anything above 10 MP will do you just fine. Most newer cameras are in the 20-24 MP range.
Recommended Image size of social media sites:
Facebook photo 1200 x 628 pixels or 0.8 MP
Twitter Profile photo 400 x 400 pixels or 0.2 MP
Instagram Square 1080 x 1080 pixels or 1.2 MP
YouTube thumbnail 1280 x 720 pixels or 1.0 MP
All about sensor size.
The camera sensor on a smartphone is tiny, and the phone’s computer has to do a lot of work to take the information from that sensor and turn it into an awesome photo. Dedicated cameras have much larger sensors. These sensors have greater surface areas so that they can capture more light. Additionally, the larger sensor size combined with the physical properties of the lens used can create all sorts of interesting effects, the most common being bokeh, where the subject is in sharp focus while the background is a soft blur.
Often, the larger the sensor, the more expensive the camera. A larger sensor area means the camera can produce good images when light conditions are low. Additionally, larger sensors often have better dynamic range. There are more levels between absolute black and pure white in the image. However, smaller sensors are constantly improving, and with their improvements, their cameras have also gone up in price. Some smaller sensors now rival some larger ones in the quality of the images they produce. Note that all typically used sensor sizes have the potential to create stunning images, and image quality depends on more than the sensor. The camera’s image processor and the quality of the lens used are just as important.
When quizzed, many professionals can’t determine what size sensor an image came from by just looking at a print made from that image. When they succeed, they use tricks, like looking for the depth of field in an image or other things that consumers would be unaware of.
Types of sensors.
-1″ These sensors are primarily used in high-quality compact and bridge cameras. These sensors have about five times more surface area than a typical cell phone sensor.
-Micro 4/3. These sensors are used by Olympus/OM systems and Panasonic/Lumix cameras. They have around 9 times more surface area than a typical cell phone sensor. Because these brands use a smaller sensor than brands like Nikon and Canon they can make cameras that have smaller bodies and that use smaller lenses. The lenses may be less expensive as they need less optical glass to cover the smaller sensor.
-APS-C. This sensor size is used by many different camera manufacturers because it is at the sweet spot between cost and performance. It has a surface area around 15 times larger than a typical cell phone. APS-C cameras can be smaller and use less expensive lenses than Full Frame sensor cameras.
-Full Frame. Used in flagship cameras, full-frame sensors have around 36 times more surface area than a typical cell phone sensor. Because of this, they often have the best low-light performance and the best dynamic range, and they also can produce the best bokeh. However, they are the most expensive cameras, have the most expensive lenses, and are usually bigger and bulkier than cameras that use smaller (yet very capable) sensors.
DSLR or Mirrorless.
DSLRs are based on an older film camera design that uses mirrors and prisms to share the image from the lens with the image sensor and the viewfinder. Despite being an old design, it is very refined. Mirrorless cameras don’t need this system, as the image that you see is directly sent from the image processor. It is a video image, not an optical one. Your cell phone camera is a mirrorless camera. Manufacturers like Olympus/OM Systems, Panasonic, and Fuji have made mirrorless cameras for a long time. Sony initially built DSLR/SLT cameras, but they changed to mirrorless cameras fairly early on. Canon and Nikon were the DSLR holdouts; however, they recently switched over to all mirrorless cameras.
Early mirrorless cameras had low-resolution displays, slow focusing, and laggy viewfinders. However, that is in the past. Mirrorless technology allows for more bells and whistles. For instance, some cameras can recognize what a moving object is (car vs. person) and track it accordingly.
Both DSLRs and mirrorless cameras can take excellent photos; they are just slightly different technologies. Older mirrorless cameras often use a slower contrast-detection focusing system compared to the lightning-fast phase-detection focusing of DSLRs. However, that has also changed, and now, some high-end mirrorless cameras have the ability to instantly focus on just about anything.
Which DSLR or mirrorless should you buy?
That is up to you. If you are looking for a bargain in a high-performance action camera, you can’t go wrong with an enthusiast/pro-level DSLR. Cameras that sold for thousands of dollars years ago can now be had for a few hundred, and they are still great cameras. Additionally, there are dozens of lenses for these cameras, and they are often sold at much more reasonable prices than lenses for some of the newer camera systems. Nikon and Canon were the DSLR leaders. Both offered cameras that professional photographers loved to use. Both companies switched to mirrorless cameras a few years back.
The new Canon and Nikon mirrorless cameras are absolutely fantastic but expect to spend big bucks to buy one. Additionally, the lenses (which are excellent) use new mounts that are different from their DSLR brethren and are extremely expensive.
Sony cameras have been mirrorless for quite some time and you can buy some of their earlier (and excellent) mirrorless offerings at reasonable prices. Additionally, there are many older Sony branded and third party lenses available on the used market. However, their new cameras are also stratospherically expensive.
Sony, Nikon, and Canon cameras use sensors that are either APS-C (smaller) or FF (full frame) in size. Although they have their differences, both sensor types take excellent images. Older full-frame cameras were better at taking photos in low light than older APS-C sensors. APS-C sensors offered lower cost and greater magnification (crop factor). Newer APS-C cameras are very capable of working in low light.
Fuji has always made mirrorless cameras that have a retro and exquisite style. Fuji designs its own image sensor using proprietary technology. Some say that their sensors produce the most pleasing images, but that is a subjective opinion. I felt that the early Fuji cameras were slow to focus, but they have improved dramatically over the years. Most Fuji cameras have APS-C-sized sensors.
Panasonic and Olympus/OM Systems cameras use a sensor size called 4/3 (or micro 4/3). These sensors are smaller than APS-C but still take great photos. Older cameras with these sensors may not perform as well as larger sensors in low light. They offer a magnification (cropping) factor even greater than APS-C sensors, which could be a plus when shooting distant objects. Their bodies and lenses are smaller (due to the smaller sensor), which makes them excellent for travel and street photography. Their lenses use less glass (smaller sensor) and, therefore, are often less expensive. Panasonic cameras have a more traditional look, while Olympus/OM Systems cameras have a retro look. Both used a focusing system called contrast detection, which could be slower than the phase detection used on DSLRs.
One of my early mirrorless cameras was a 2011 Olympus EPL-2, which used Olympus’s original contrast-detection focusing system. I found its focus reasonably snappy, and the photo quality was excellent. Newer micro 4/3 cameras have great focusing. Micro 4/3 cameras often initiated novel and cool features in their cameras. Things like in-body image stabilization (IBIS), built-in ND (neutral density) filters, and built-in focus stacking. Other camera manufacturers “borrowed” these ideas and have incorporated them into some of their cameras. If you don’t know what these features are, just accept that they are fantastic.
Recommendations.
It is tough to give recommendations as everyone has different needs. However, for the cost-conscious, here are a few suggestions. My focus will be on lower-cost systems that offer high value. I’ll also emphasize still image use. Although some of these cameras can take reasonable video, video is best left for newer cameras.
For sports and wildlife, DSLR cameras like the Nikon D300S, Nikon D500, Canon 7D, and 7D Mark II are good choices, with the newer version performing better than the older one.
The Nikon D500 offers fantastic focusing for action events like sports.
For “Jack of all trades” full frame shooting the Canon 5DII or 5DIII are good choices, as are the Nikon D700, Nikon D600, Nikon D750, and Nikon D800. The Sony A7 II is a more compact mirrorless camera with a full frame sensor. For a less expensive APS-C camera consider the Canon 60D, 70D, or 80D and the Nikon D7000, D7100 models.
Although fairly old technology, the Canon 5D Mark II is a legendary camera that introduced a usable movie mode. The Mark II has been used to film parts of many TV shows and movies, although newer cameras have greater video ease of use and resolution. The Mark II is still a wonderful stills camera.
For a cool-looking around-town contender, check out the Fuji X-T1 or X-T2 or one of the early Fuji X100 fixed lens cameras, such as the X100S or X100T. A fixed lens means you can’t change the lens. The X100 series of cameras have a fantastic lens, but you will need to “zoom in with your feet.”
The Fuji TX-2 is a beautiful camera.
For a versatile smaller camera, the APS-C Sony A6000 could be a good choice. I also like the APS-C Canon M6 Mark II (although its lens mount is now discontinued). I own both of these cameras and usually wind up grabbing the Canon.
The Sony A6000 is a feature packed APS-C camera.I love my Canon M6 Mark II. Its lens mount has been discontinued but you can find many used lenses at great prices.
If you are looking for a quality older camera that is also very capable at shooting video consider the Panasonic GH4 which offered cutting edge video when it was introduced.
The Panasonic GH4 set the standard for modern video recording.
If you are looking for an around town or travel camera consider the Olympus OMD-EM-10 or the OMD-EM-5 (original or second generation). These micro 4/3 cameras have smaller camera bodies and smaller lenses.
Due to its smaller sensor the Olympus OM-D EM 5 Mark II offers a nice compact size.
Naturally, there are dozens of other cameras that could be included in the above list, which is designed to get you thinking rather than trying to influence your decision-making.
An older camera may lack some of the technical bells and whistles of newer cameras, but they are extremely capable and much less inexpensive than newer offerings. These were the aspirational cameras of photographers when they were launched, and photographers produced stunning images using them. Many of these cameras offer up-front controls, making it very easy to experiment and learn.
Lastly, some of these manufacturers make cameras with an even smaller 1″ sensor. However, those are primarily used in pocket and bridge cameras and would need to be the topic of a different post.
Where to buy?
Resellers like KEH, Adorama, and B and H test the used cameras they sell and offer limited warranties. You may pay a little more, but you are assured of a working camera. I have bought used cameras on eBay. However, eBay is more like of a Wild West show, but I have had good luck choosing sellers who have many sales and high ratings. A word of caution. Camera shutters (especially on a pro camera) may function well over 100,000 actuations. However, it is always better to buy a camera with a lower shutter count (75K or less). Also, if a camera looks like it has been through the war, it probably has been, and it is likely not a good choice for a first real camera purchase.
A little bit about lenses.
One of the coolest things about many cameras is that you can change the lenses out. There are so many different types of lenses, from super wide angle to super telephoto lenses. Additionally, there are many specialty lenses. You can use a tilt-shift lens for architectural photography to eliminate perspective distortion (a building that looks as if it is falling away or towards you in the photo). There are also many macro lenses that focus incredibly closely, and these lenses are used to take amazing shots of tiny things, like insects.
Lenses can be extremely expensive, depending on whether they are designed for professionals or consumers. But there is a workaround. Most camera manufacturers have moderate zoom kit lenses that can be purchased with the camera at a good price. These lenses are frequently made of plastic and have limitations. Some have fairly good optics, while others are a bit crappy. You can find many used ones on eBay and other sites for a very good price, and they can help you start your camera journey. Just google to see if a particular lens model is considered good or bad. Don’t buy a bad lens, and don’t expect a kit lens to perform like a professional lens. However, a decent kit lens is very versatile. Ones with limited range (like 18-55 mm) can get you started, but those that have a broader range (like 18-150 mm) may be the only lens that you ever need. Beyond their plastic build kit, these lenses have a variable aperture. The level of light coming in is reduced the more you zoom out the lens. I often use an 18-150 mm kit lens when I’m hiking with my Canon M6 Mark II camera. Its zooming capability gives me a lot of options, and its lightweight plastic construction is easier to carry than an all-metal pro-style lens. Pro-level lenses often have a fixed aperture that is constant throughout the lenses zoom range.
There are also plastic but reasonably good prime lenses (prime lenses have just one focal length, so they don’t have any zoom ability). Many manufacturers make a 50 mm (good for portraits) and a 35 mm (good for general photography) bargain lens, which has much better optics than kit lenses. New, they sell for a couple of hundred dollars, but used, they can be had for less.
A commonly used professional-level zoom lens is the 70-200 mm F2.8 zoom. You often see this type of lens being used by journalists and other professionals due to its great versatility. This is a fantastic lens when you need to obtain a close-up of something, but you are at a distance. For instance, you can shoot your kids’ soccer game or take photos of them performing on stage. As an example, Canon’s version of this lens for their new RF-mount mirrorless cameras sells for an eye-watering $2,600.00! Canon’s older DSLRs use the EF style mount, and a used pro-level EF 70-200 mm F2.8 can be purchased for $500-$600. If you want to save even more money, you could go with a used Canon EF 70-200 F4 (smaller aperture, so it is less good in very dark conditions) for around $450.00.
Just like when buying a used camera it is best to buy from a reputable dealer. However, I often buy on eBay for a better price and have had good results. When you buy a used lens, test it out to make sure that the optics don’t have mold growing inside (bad) and it focuses properly. Return the lens if it is defective and try again.
Remember, lens mounts are specific to a camera brand and can vary within that brand. As an example, Canon’s Full Frame DSLR uses EF mount lenses, while their APS-C DSLR cameras can use cheaper EF-S mount lenses as well as the more premium EF mount lenses. Canon’s new mirrorless cameras use the expensive RF mount. My little Canon M6 Mark II is an orphan model that uses the now-discontinued EF-M lens mount. I know this sounds very confusing, but once you know what lens mount your camera uses (just Google “What lens mount can a XXX use?”), you will be set. It is not difficult at all.
A word about video.
The first high-end stills camera to also take video was the Nikon D90, introduced in August 2008. It was absolutely revolutionary in this regard, but it could only take 5 minutes of video at a low 720p. Cameras rapidly improved, and the next milestone camera was the Canon 5D Mark II, introduced in September 2008. That camera could take 1080p video and has been used to shoot parts of TV shows and even movies. Yet, older cameras have many drawbacks from newer models when it comes to video. For instance, many older cameras will give you better results if you focus them manually when in video mode. If you are very interested in a camera that can take both still images and also has easy video recording, go for a newer old camera, or perhaps spend the extra money for a new consumer-level camera.
Software anyone?
Photo editing software can raise your photos to another level. There is a lot of free or very inexpensive photo editing software out there. If there is interest, I’ll post about that topic.
Final Thoughts.
Buying a used camera will still cost money, but it will be a much smaller investment than buying a new camera while giving you all of the tools needed to up your photography results. These cameras may be all that you ever need, or you may acquire GAS (gear acquisition syndrome) and eventually get the latest and greatest camera of the future. I can’t control your desires.
Some of the new consumer-level cameras have amazing features, great focusing, and fantastic low-light performance. However, they are light both on direct controls and construction. Yet, they will still be more expensive than many of the cameras listed above. However, you do you.
As a Kodak commercial once said, “Share moments, share life.”
I don’t have many friends. I know others who appear to have scores of them, but I only have a handful. Perhaps that is an understatement, as my family is in my friend zone. However, my total “n” is still small.
Don’t feel sorry for me; my lack of friends is by choice. I don’t want a lot of friends. I like people, and I enjoy spending time with others. Generally, people seem to like me. I’m friendly with many and treat everyone with kindness and respect. I have many acquaintances, just not many friends.
I take being a friend very seriously. I want to be there for my friends in any way that I can be. I want to be trusted, and I want to trust them. I hold my friends close. I hope that their association with me improves their lives, and I feel they absolutely enrich mine. I hope you now understand why I don’t have many friends. Being a true friend takes a lot of energy, and I only have so much energy. However, I’m happy to spend that energy on those I care about.
I am much better at taking care of others than having others take care of me. If you have read any of my past posts, you know the history behind my unwillingness to ask others for help. As I have previously said, in many ways, my lack of help growing up turned out to be a good thing; it made me independent and an excellent problem solver. Remember, things are neither good nor bad; they just are. It is how we approach life that matters.
Over the years, I have become more comfortable asking others for help. Indeed, I ask Julie and my kids to help me. I’m fortunate to be very close to my sisters, who have offered me their emotional help and support on many occasions. Things become more complex when I extend my needs beyond that tight sphere, but I’m trying. I need to grow in that direction.
Yesterday, we had a mini-disaster in Kunaland. It was after 10 PM. Julie and I heard a knock on our bedroom door. Grace said she had been running the shower to warm it up, but it was only running cold. I quickly confirmed her observation and then went to the basement to investigate. There, I could see a puddle of water at the base of the water heater and hear the sound of running water. I tried to shut off the intake water valve, but all of my turning did nothing. It was now almost 11 PM. I told everyone that there was nothing to do tonight and described to them the fine art of the sponge bath. Julie was well versed as her recent hospital stay made her an expert. We all did our best to clean up and went to bed.
My last task for the evening was to send a text message to my friend, Tom. I knew that he would be sleeping when I sent the message, and I asked him to call me in the morning. I said, “Tom, I need your help and advice; please give me a call.” I got a call back at 6 AM the next morning. Tom is a general contractor, and I trust his advice implicitly.
Tom is in the very final stage of finishing up a massive project. He restored a house that suffered flood damage on all three floors. The project took months and was mostly completed. The family was moving back into the home today. Yet, there were still a multitude of small things to finish ranging from installing door knobs to placing appliances. Tom would be enormously occupied today. I felt guilty bothering him, even for a phone call.
“Tom, my water heater popped last night. The kids are up in arms. Can you use your contacts to help me get a plumber out today?” Tom replied, “Give me a minute; I’ll make some calls and get back to you.” Shortly afterward, he called back to tell me he had left some messages and was waiting. A wave of relief washed over me—then silence, then more waiting on my part.
An hour passed, then two. There was nothing to do but to be patient. The doorbell rang, it was Tom. He told me the plumbers were busy, so he came out instead. In the bed of his GMC Denali pickup was a huge box, a new Bradford White water heater. Tom dropped everything and went to his plumbing supply house to pick it up. He was here to start the installation process himself.
We struggled to get it downstairs, then he sliced open the box and pulled the heater out. Tom brought down an enormous toolbox and fished around it to find a pipe cutter. Since I couldn’t turn off the broken intake valve on the water heater, I had to turn off the water throughout the entire house. With the cutter in hand, he quickly disconnected the broken unit and moved it off to the side. Despite having the house water off the disconnected water pipe continued to drip on the floor. Tom dug into his box and found a shutoff valve. However, he couldn’t solder the new valve onto a wet pipe.”Do you have any white bread?” Tom asked. I ran upstairs and found the remnants of a loaf. Tom took the bread and shoved it into the pipe, using it as a temporary plug. It worked, and he was able to solder the new valve onto the pipe. Once connected, he had me turn the house water back on, at which point he opened the valve, and the now soggy bread shot into a bucket. He reconnected all of the water pipes with a push here and a pull there. “Mike, I don’t have any black pipe for the gas line. I’ll have to return later tonight when I finish my job. At least you can run cold water now.” I thanked Tom, and he was on his way. I felt guilty as I was making his already complicated day even more complex for him. However, I felt incredibly grateful at the same time. At least with cold water, we could cook, clean, and, most importantly, flush the toilets. I was happy.
Less than an hour later, I got a call from Tom. Instead of returning to his worksite, he had picked up a black gas pipe at the hardware store. In a bit, he was back at my house working. Tom is very skilled, so it didn’t take him too long to make all the connections. It was then time to ignite the pilot light on the water heater. Tom tried and tried again, but it would not light. I recognized that an indicator on the unit was blinking in a sequence, and I counted the blinks, and it became apparent that the water heater was showing some sort of an error code. I looked it up on my phone, and it said it was due to a “thermostat sensor fault.” The service action was to “Check temp probe ohms” and to “check the water temperature.” What?? That was supposed to make sense? Without a mechanical understanding, I had no idea what the service manual was asking me to do. By then, Tom had received several calls from the homeowners and had to leave. “I’ll be back tonight,” he said. I felt terrible that I was messing up his day. He suggested that I try to ignite the water heater in his absence. I cut a large section out of the cardboard box in which the water heater was packed to use as a cushion on the wet utility room floor. I was in an incredibly awkward position in the utility room which was poorly illuminated by a lone flashlight pointing up toward the ceiling (I needed both hands to try to ignite the heater). Every attempt failed as the heater continued to mock me with its five-blink error code. The possibility existed that we would have to disconnect the water heater and return it for another one. That was a horrible possibility. Tom continued to call and check on my progress. “Well, Mike, at least it should be easier to install the next one.” The thought of disconnecting and returning the water heater was heavy. Tom said, “Why don’t you call tech support.” I said, “OK,” but I didn’t even realize that water heaters had a tech support hotline. I started searching on the web for an 800 number for Bradford and White. Finally, I got to the right place and was greeted by a charming lady who said she would help me.
I explained to her that I wasn’t a contractor and was unfamiliar with the water heaters’ ins and outs. She assured me that it was not a problem. With the speakerphone on the floor, and a drainage PVC pipe stuck in my back; I tried to start the heater again, with her giving me step-by-step instructions. They were no different from what both Tom and I had tried. No luck… all we got was the stupid 5-blink error code.
She had me make sure that all of the external wires were attached. They were. Then, she asked me to remove the faceplate that protects the heater’s computer control board. Usually, this would not be a problem, but I was lying on my side in a dark utility room with a flashlight pointing at the ceiling. Oh, I also didn’t have a screwdriver. I told the support lady that I had to get one upstairs. She said, “Don’t worry… I’m here all day; I’ll wait for you.” I ran upstairs, rummaged through my anemic toolbox, and ran down with a couple of screwdrivers. None were correct. Two more trips finally yielded a broad but sharply chiseled screwdriver. That one worked. “Be careful; there is a ribbon cable that is very short. If it disconnects it will be very hard to reconnect” The cover came off with those words, and the ribbon cord disconnected. I could see where it plugged back in, but the wire was impossibly short. There was no way that I could see the connection point while getting the plug back in. I had to reconnect it by guess and feel, and I started to do that, thinking that I would never get it back in. This way, then that way, then “click” it was in!!
“Make sure you tighten all of the screws; they serve as the earth ground. The heater won’t start up if they are not tightened enough” Hmm, where were those screws… oh, spewn all over the basement floor, of course!. One by one, I found and replaced them.
“OK, now reconnect the external wires to the control box.” I crossed my fingers and did my best. “I’ll walk you through the startup sequence. Remember that you must hold the igniter button down for at least 15 seconds after the pilot lights to ensure that the thermocouple stays open.” It sounded like she was talking pig Latin. The words were familiar, but I was unsure if I understood the meaning. “I’ll do my best,” I told her. I turned the control knob to “pilot” and pressed it in. Then, I pressed the piezo-electric igniter 15 times. “Keep pushing the control knob in. I’ll tell you when to stop,” she said. “Tell me when the indicator light goes from red to green.” It seemed to stay red for an eternity, but then, like magic, it blinked green. I heard the “whoosh” sound of gas igniting, and the water heater was running. That little internal cable had disconnected from the control board during shipping. It was the cause of the malfunction. Just at that moment, Tom called again. We have flame!” I shouted. “We have flame!”
This story has a happy ending, not just because we can all take hot showers tonight. When I first became friends with Tom, I saw my role as helping him. I built his website, took professional photos of his projects, wrote copy, and did many other things. It felt good to help Tom, and I felt good about myself. However, over the years, Tom has helped me countless times in ways I could never have helped myself. Today, he dropped everything to make sure that I was alright, and that is not the first time he has done that. I’m so fortunate to have a few true friends. I am so fortunate.
My photography career started in the 8th grade when I received a Kodak Instamatic point-and-shoot camera as a graduation gift. Since I had the only camera in the house, I became the de facto photographer for important occasions. My family told me that I had a knack for taking pictures at that time. Honestly, I don’t know if that was true or if it was just a way to appeal to my narcissism. Let me know that you like something I’m doing, and I’ll likely continue doing it for you.
My picture-taking career continued, and over those early years, I bought a film camera or two, including a decent 35 mm one. I didn’t know how to use it and only shot in automatic mode. At that time, I didn’t realize that I could alter the photo in many ways, simply by a turn of a knob or a press of a button.
Fast forward to the 1990s. For whatever reason, I started to make educational videos using consumer-grade video equipment. I built an editing suite in my basement that consisted of tape players, time-based correctors, character generators, and more. A rat’s nest of wires connected everything. Those were the analog days, and although I got the system to work, I was always unhappy with the final product. Each time I ran a signal through a different machine, the resulting image degraded slightly. My videos looked OK but needed to look more professional.
In the early 1990s, I remarried and started a yearly Christmas newsletter. The format included a family update, recipe, and photos. Initially, preparing the photos was a drag. I would take them with a film camera, have the film developed, scan the images to digitize them, and then insert the digital copies in my newsletter software. I wanted a faster workflow, so I decided to jump on the bandwagon of the new digital cameras hitting the market. I entered a local camera shop and left with a $700 Kodak instant digital camera. It was a rectangular box with a button that didn’t even have a viewing screen. What was its resolution? A not-so-mighty 0.3 MP! Yet, it was so cool to take a photo and instantly use it or send it to someone via email. These were the years before smartphones, multimedia text messages, and FaceTime.
My video work continued, and I went from analog to digital editing. I couldn’t afford a proper video editing computer, so I taught myself and built my own. By going digital, I no longer had any loss in video quality, and I was able to produce very high-quality videos. That started another small chapter in my life and I launched a successful production company that made educational videos and CMEs (continuing medical education) materials for professionals. It was a fun little gig, but video work was highly time-consuming, and eventually, I became bored with the process. I didn’t have a passion for video.
Taking pictures was infinitely more interesting to me. Photographs felt like art. Sometimes, that art was a beautiful or exciting scene; at other times, it was possible to tell an entire story in a single frame. Either way, being a photographer was wonderful. My camera purchases progressed from that simple point-and-shoot to cameras with all sorts of bells and whistles.
Like most disciplines, the more you do them, the better you get at them. Soon, I was snapping portraits, doing corporate work, and shooting events. It was a lot of fun. Each type of photography involves its own set of rules and techniques. If you know me, you know that I love to learn, and photography offered me endless opportunities.
If you have been reading this blog, you know I have a friend named Tom. I met Tom around eleven years ago, and we became fast friends around nine years ago. On the surface, we appear to be very different, but we share many common interests. That said, Tom has many skills I lack and vice versa. I call on Tom for his help, and he calls on mine for my help.
Tom is a general contractor who does craftsman-level work. Although he is happy to do just about any job, he enjoys significant renovation projects, including those caused by fires and floods. He hired photographers to record some of his completed projects in the past, but their final images were only so-so. Years ago, I took over that role and once again I had to learn a new set of rules and techniques. After all these years knowing Tom, I have a basic understanding of construction, and combining that knowledge with the creative process of picture-taking has been a joy.
Tom is just finishing a significant flood restoration job in a Naperville home. The owners were on vacation when a second-floor toilet started to leak. The flooding destroyed the upstairs bathroom and severely damaged four bedrooms. The main floor was more compromised, and the kitchen, powder room, parts of the family room, parts of the dining room, the laundry room, and the first-floor study had to have hardwood floors removed and walls stripped to their studs. The enormous finished basement didn’t fare any better, with significant damage to the floor, ceiling, closets, and walls.
The house was uninhabitable and required a complete restoration. Tom is capable of such tasks, and his efforts gave the homeowners a modern and beautiful home. I took before-and-after shots of the entire project and wanted to share the shots of the kitchen and family room in this post.
People used to ask me if I was bored being retired. Although every day is Saturday, every Saturday is a new adventure. There is always something to learn and do.
Here are some shots of the kitchen and family room post flood.
Half of the floor had to be removed in the family room.The former kitchen.The dining area.Here you can see a 90’s style fireplace with a brick mantle.
And now the restoration.
Whitewashing the fireplace completely transformed it. Tom removed the old brick mantle and built a new wooden one by himself using bits and pieces of wood and trim.
Lastly, a plug for my friend, Tom. If you are looking for a general contractor for just about any job, give him at call at Gizmo Home Craft, (630) 585-8369.
It started over a decade ago, and I’m so glad it did. Before that, Julie and I had more traditional roles, but not for the reasons you may think, it was out of necessity.
When Julie was pregnant with Grace, we did the math. Julie was working part-time as a psychologist in my office, and when we contrasted her earnings with the cost of private childcare for two kids, it became evident that we would only be ahead by a few thousand dollars. That calculation didn’t account for the other costs that one incurs to survive working while raising a child. Of course, Julie could have gone full-time, but that had drawbacks.
We mutually decided that she would take a hiatus from work and focus on the family. In turn, I would become the sole breadwinner as I had more significant earning potential. I took that responsibility seriously and worked a ridiculous number of hours. Julie shouldered parenting and made a point to serve the kids a home-cooked meal most nights. This action plan continued for over a decade and was the right decision for our family.
Eventually, Julie returned to the workplace, and meals became slabs of Stouffer’s diners and boxes of frozen pizza. The kids were unhappy with this change, so they let us know. They wanted home cooking again. Julie was at her limit, but my schedule had opened up a bit. I have always been a confident cook, but I had released that role when I married Julie. It was now time for me to don my apron.
I do few things casually. If I were to resume meal prep, it would have to have a purpose other than filling bellies. I admit that at least one of my motivations was selfish. I’ll tell you about that reason next.
One of the issues that happens when you work 60-70 hours per week is that you are home less than you would like. I always came home right after work, but it would be late in the evening, and I would be emotionally spent. My family was a solid unit, but in many ways, it was as if I was standing outside the house and looking through a window at them. I wanted to forge a better connection with my kids, and cooking together could be the answer. Additionally, I knew that learning to cook would offer them many skills beyond poaching eggs. It is a complex discipline that has a plethora of learning opportunities.
I started “Cooking with Dad Thursdays.” If you were home on Thursday night, you would mix and chop right along with me.
I wanted to teach my kids basic cooking skills and give them the confidence to tackle any recipe without fear. We focused on everything from adequately grilling a hamburger to making a smooth white sauce. In the process, I emphasized flexibility. We could omit or substitute something else if we didn’t have one ingredient. I also emphasized organization and “cleaning as you go.” Nothing deters cooking more than having to face a mountain of dishes post-meal. I wanted to teach them the benefits of making things from basic ingredients that could be fashioned into thousands of recipes. A cake mix can make a cake, but flour can make many things. I pushed for balance and frugality. One of our occasional indulgences is the humble Costco roasted chicken. You can’t beat its $5 price point. We would have one meal with the chicken, but I would save the carcass and make a cream of chicken soup a few days later. The kids preferred the soup to the chicken!
The kids prefer our homemade cream of chicken soup.
Along with meal prep, we made sure that we put the leftovers away, washed the dishes, and cleaned the table.
Over the years, we started cooking more days than just Thursday, and meal prep became a time that we looked forward to. As the kids became more proficient, it became easy to direct them, and at times, they directed me. We worked together as a team, an invaluable skill to have in life. We not only enjoyed making a meal, but we also loved sitting at the table as we ate, talked about our day, and laughed.
The kids working with Julie to make me my birthday dinner. They have the skills to work independentlyWe have a thing in our house for sculpted butter turkeys on Thanksgiving. My daughter thought it would be funny to “sculpt” some butter for my birthday!
Eighteen months ago, Julie became ill, and I went from cooking several days a week to making meals every day. I was capable of this responsibility, but it was a drag. Eventually, Julie took over Monday meal-making, but more needed to be done. The kids still helped me when I cooked, but it was time to turn over Wednesday nights completely to them. The three had to plan a menu, execute it, and clean up afterward. Would all of my efforts be in vain?
If they wanted me to buy ingredients, I would do so. However, the vast majority of the time, they created meals from what we had on hand. Recently, I was especially impressed. Our larder was bare as I needed to go shopping. They assessed the situation and came up with a solution. We had the ingredients to make Dutch apple pancakes. However, we had never made them before; in fact, none of us had eaten a Dutch apple pancake. They read the ingredients, knew that the dinner would work, and proceeded ahead. Their efforts turned out great.
The kids were ingenious and came up with a dinner, Dutch apple pancakes, despite the fact that our larder was bare.
Lastly, it is not uncommon for them to pack leftovers for lunch while their peers spend their cash on going out to eat. Another frugal life skill!
So, why is teaching your kids how to cook a good idea?
It gives them a skill that they can use throughout their life.
It teaches frugality.
It teaches resourcefulness.
It encourages confidence.
It teaches problem-solving.
It teaches organization.
It teaches teamwork.
It can create strong bonds and wonderful memories.
How can you beat that?
Spend time with your kids. Teach them what you know. Use your teaching to expand their knowledge beyond the task at hand. Celebrate the simple things in life; they are the richest.
Mike
We were gifted the ham bone from our greater family’s Easter celebration. What to do? We made some 15 bean soup with it. Spices can turn something bland into something delicious!A delicious chicken coconut curry. Simple to make, but impressive.A recipe from my past. Chicken and stuffing casserole. Comfort food at its best.Another of my childhood favorites that the kids now claim as one of their favorites, potato pancakes. Yes, I know more bacon… what are you going to do?We also bake. Grace found this recipe and wondered if we could make it. Why not!We had fun making this cake. Yes, I like crazy colors. The kids are now more proficient bakers than I am.
Addendum: I’m sure some of you may feel that we should be cooking healthier or using more organic ingredients. If that is the case, I respectfully would like to say that you are missing the point of this post. However, you do you, and I accept you for who you are.
A few weeks back I took my son on a school tour. We planned to stay at a hotel for two nights, but I wanted to pack light. I had just done a review on a small power bank that seemed perfect to use as my phone’s temporary charging system. I had tested all of its many features and they seemed to work well. The unit was small, and claimed an impressive 20,000 mAh of power. I felt that this should be enough to fully recharge my phone from zero more than four times.
My phone was at a 50% charge when I plugged it into the fully charged power bank. The next morning my phone was only at 84% charge, and the power bank was at 21%. Clearly, it did not have a 20,000 mAh battery. In fact, it likely didn’t even have a 5000 mAh battery. Yet, the print on its case clearly stated 20,000 mAh. I was upset. However, my motto is “Don’t get mad, confirm or reject your suspicions with hard data.”
Battery banks (AKA power banks) seem pretty straightforward. Bigger mAh units should be able to charge a phone more times. However, my research has shown me that there is no real regulation on battery banks, and that it is necessary to go to extraordinary lengths to figure out the true capacity of any unit. These banks are sealed and you often have to destroy them to get a peek at their actual battery. Battery banks can be branded with bizarre sounding names. The seller can silk screen anything that they want to on the case. If a product gets bad reviews it is easy to rebrand the next batch that they are selling. Additionally, the industry itself gives out confusing information making it difficult to know what you are buying even when a company is reputable. Because I review products I had a number of battery banks that were nearly new for testing. I decided to learn more about the ins and outs about these common products; by the end of my research I was not only disappointed, I was shocked.
Some terminology
Ports: Most battery banks have a complement of both USB A and USB C ports. Many (but not all) USB C ports are bi-directional. You can charge the bank through them and they can also output a charge. Some older models may require you to use a micro USB cord to charge, which can be a bit of a hassle as these cords are now less common.
Metering: Most battery banks have some method to tell you how charged they are. Some will have a 4 LED display, while others will give you a more precise digital readout.
Size: Battery banks come in many sizes. Typically, the bigger the bank the bigger the capacity. However, this is not always the case. Make sure that the size that you pick is compatible with your needs. When traveling abroad I had a small battery bank that I could easily slip in my pocket. I was dependent on Google Maps (which consumes a lot of battery energy). I would have been lost without that power bank, which was so lightweight that I barely knew that I was carrying it.
Recharge times: Some battery banks can recharge faster than others. Sometimes that difference can be dramatic.
Watts: Some battery banks will list watts, for instance 15 Watts or 20 Watts on the front of their case. This indicates the maximum watts that certain ports, or a combination of ports can deliver to a device like a phone. Some phones can accept higher watts and will charge faster. Larger devices, like tablets, may require higher watts to trigger their charging circuitry. I tested the power (watts) output of a few banks and their maximum output was lower than what was listed on the case.
Volts Out: Volts refer to the force of the electrical current. Here is a water analogy: If you are trying to fill a bucket it will fill faster if the flow rate is faster (more pressure). Likewise, a battery will fill faster if the voltage is higher. The standard power output of a USB port is 5 volts. However, some phones are capable of accepting higher voltages. and will tell the battery bank to send it. Note that some battery banks can only deliver 5 volts, so that is what the phone will get. Higher voltage output yields faster charging. As an example, an USB C Power Delivery port can (potentially) deliver up to 48 volts. Note, both your phone and the power bank have to be compatible with the same protocol for fast charging to kick in.
Amps Out: Another electrical parameter. This refers to how much charge is moving through the circuit. Using the water analogy, if you filling a bucket it will fill faster if the diameter of your hose is wider. More amps means faster charging. Your phone will limit the amount of amps that it will accept. An old iPhone AC charger will deliver around 1 amp of power, but newer iPhones can accept up to 2.4 amps so an advanced AC charger will charge a phone faster. Some battery banks can provide higher amps, others can’t. A battery bank will usually list the maximum amps that any given port will provide on its case. Here too, I found exaggerations on several banks.
A phone may tell a battery bank to provide more amps; it may also tell a battery bank to provide less amps than the bank is capable of delivering. Exceeding a phone’s charging recommendation can lead to early phone battery failure, and can even cause a battery to explode.
Lastly, a battery providing 2000 mAh at 2 Amps will deplete faster than one providing 2000 mAh at 1 amp. Higher draws have a negative impact on a battery. That is just the way battery chemistry works.
Watts Law: At this point you may be thinking, “What gives, Mike? First you said that higher volts will charge a device faster, and then you said it was higher amps! Which one is it?” The answer is both, as they work together to calculate power, which in this case we are calling watts.
Check out this equation:
volts x amps = watts (power).
When you increase volts or amps (or both) you will supply more power from your power bank to your device. More power means the unit will charge faster.
mAh (milliamp/hour): A unit that indicates overall capacity of a battery bank. One milliamp is equivalent to 1/1000 of an amp. To use the water analogy, think of a battery as a tank. A bigger tank can hold more water and a bigger battery can hold more charge. Common battery bank sizes are 5,000 mAh, 10,000 mAh, and 20,000 mAh.
Depending on the phone, a typical phone battery can store from 2,500 to 4,000 mAh with some phones having batteries that are as large as 5,000 mAh.
A common misperception is that it is simple to calculate how many times a power bank could recharge a phone by doing simple math. For instance, you think that a 5,000 mAh power bank should be able to recharge a 2, 500 mAh battery twice (5,000/2,500 = 2) . To understand why this is not the case we need to get into the weeds a bit.
If you want skip the sciency stuff then go directly to “The Bottom Line”
Most power banks output around 5 volts (some can deliver higher voltages on demand). However, the lithium battery inside the power bank is only 3.7 volts. The mAh listed on the case uses 3.7 volts in its calculation which gives a higher mAh number.
Here is a practical example for a 5,000 milliamp power bank
Volts x amps = watts (Watt’s law again)
3.7 volts x 5,000 mA = 18.5 watts
However, at 5 volts
watts/volts = amps (Watt’s law rearranged)
18.5 watts/5 volts = only 3,700 mA
Note that the overall power (watts) is the same in both equations, but both the volts and amps have changed.
The 5 volt value is (approximately) 75% of what the 3.7 volt value is. This is the case for all power banks. Because of this confusion I think that it is better to compare Wh (watt hours) of a battery bank when trying to figure out its capacity. A typical 5,000 mAh battery will deliver around 18.5 Wh of power. Some well designed batteries may actually give you a bit more power, but still list 5,000 mAh on their case. Other battery banks go in the opposite direction and overestimate their capacity, sometimes to the extreme.
A decent battery bank should list its mAh, (mili-amp hours) as well as Wh (watt hours) on its on its case. However, some manufacturers greatly exaggerate these numbers.
Many Factors Impact A Battery: Let’s assume that we are going to test a quality power bank. There are losses to consider. The power bank has to convert the 3.7 volts of its battery to 5 volts or higher for the USB port. This results in power loss. The receiving device may also have to do some sort of voltage conversion. That could lead to more power loss. Some cheap gas station charging cables have more resistance than branded ones, and you can have a loss there. Most lithium batteries have a BMS (battery management system) circuit. The BMS circuit can do many things. Two of its most important functions are to regulate the voltage used to charge the power bank (too high of a charging voltage can cause a power bank to explode), and to prevent the battery from discharging completely. Completely discharging a lithium battery will dramatically shorten its life. Therefore, the BMS will prevent further discharging once the battery is at 10-20% of its capacity (depending on the programming of the BMS). That last bit of power is not available to the user. Other factors that reduce the power of a battery include the ambient temperature, and the way that the charger is being utilized. Devices that demand a higher amperage to charge will deplete a battery faster, even if it is providing the same mAh as a unit delivering power at a lower amperage.
The Bottom Line
Unless a power pack is over rated it is acceptable to expect that it will only perform at 60-80% of its rated Wh capacity.
Therefore, a typical 5,000 mAh battery that is rated at 18.5 Wh will only deliver 11.1 Wh-14.8 Wh in real life. If a battery has a tested capacity of at least 60% of its listed capacity it is delivering its stated Wh capacity. If it is lower than 60% the seller is telling a fib.
The Test
I needed to come up with a way to drain and monitor a battery bank in a standardized fashion. Luckily, I’m a nerdy guy who has a bunch of electronic tools lying around the house. I came up with two methods. The first method was more sophisticated, and a bit more accurate. However, some of the no name banks could not recognize the first method and would turn off prematurely. The second method was more crude and was slightly less accurate, but it worked for the majority of the battery banks. That was the one that I used. Remember, your results may vary.
My fancier setup. This USB multi-meter uses a separate power source for its operations which leads to a more accurate final reading (by a bit). However, some of the battery banks that I tested would not recognize it enough to fully discharge the battery bank.Here you can see my better system (top) which didn’t work for all cases, and my cruder system (bottom) which did work. The bottom system should still give enough information to determine the good from the bad.
The test was simple, I fully charged each battery bank and then completely discharged them using my gadget. I compared the actual power output of a power bank with its stated capacity. If the actual output was at least 60% of the stated output the unit passed. Some packs did very well, others were abysmally bad.
Here are the battery banks that I tested.
The results
Battery #1 JRT-Japan (however it is made in China) 5,000 mAh pack. This is an exceptionally thin battery that is sexy as far as batteries are concerned. I have had this battery for a year or two, but only use it rarely. It probably has been charged less than 10 times. It claims an output of 18.5 Wh, but only tested at 7.8 Wh, which is 42% of its stated power. Verdict: FAIL
Battery #2 Dilibird.5,000 mAh pack. I could not test this battery using either of my gizmos due to the Dilibird’s limitations. For a crude test I used the battery bank to charge my phone which was at around 60% charge. Even in this situation the pack would randomly shut off and I would have to re-initialize it. Despite all of my efforts my phone only charged to 97% and the Dilibird went from 4 full bars of power to 1 bar. Verdict: FAIL on multiple levels.
#3 Metecsmartme 5,000 mAh pack. The case on this unit is a nice size. It is very pocketable and fairly thin and light. It claims an output of 18.5 Wh and delivered 14.4 Wh which is 78% of stated capacity. Verdict: PASS
#4 4 Meyin Miusc (no that is not a typo) 20,000 mAh pack. This unit impressed me when I did an initial review. However, it is also the unit that performed poorly when I used it at the hotel. It is the reason that I developed this test. The pack is loaded with features, which include a digital power level, wireless charging pad, and multiple built-in power cords. Additionally, it claims 20,000 mAh of power. It did not list Wh (which battery banks are required to do), but a 20,000 mAh battery calculates to 72 Wh of power. In testing the unit it only provided 8.2 Wh of power, which is an abysmal 12% of stated capacity. Verdict: Despite a lot of bells and whistles it falters in its most important property, battery capacity. FAIL
This battery bank had all sorts of bells and whistles including built in power cords. Impressive on the surface, but garbage in use.
#5 Anker 10,000 mAh pack. This is a fairly slim unit that is easily pocketable. It has outlets for USB C, USB A, as well as a built-in USB C power cord. The USB C outlet is bidirectional. It features a digital power meter. It states that its capacity is 36 Wh of power. In testing it delivered 24 Wh of power, for 67% capacity. Verdict: PASS
#6 6 Veektomix 10,000 mAh power bank. I found this unit in my drawer and added it at the end of my tests (sorry, no photo). This unit is about the same size as the nice Metscmartme, but a bit thicker and heavier. It has a digital display. Ports include a micro USB for charging, USB C which is bidirectional (you can charge here too), and USB A. The small size made me think that this unit overstated its capacity. It claims 38 Wh of power, and delivered 32 Wh, which is an awesome 82% of stated capacity. Best in class. Verdict: PASS
Conclusions
When it comes to power banks it is the Wild West. There is no regulation, and it seems that sellers silk screen whatever values that they want to. Many of the names are bizarre to English hearing ears. It is likely that these brand names come and go so there is little reason for some to establish a quality product.
Expect 60-80% true capacity when buying a decent power bank. However, in my test of 6 units 3 couldn’t even make that level of performance.
Look for a bank with many favorable reviews. Although these can be scammed, it is likely that a well regarded unit with hundreds or even thousands of reviews is legit. Shopping brand names can also help as a company’s future sales can be dependent on present reviews. The Anker unit that I tested passed and is a safe bet, however two lesser known brands performed better. I was especially impressed by the Veektomix. It delivered 82% of its rated power and it did this in an incredibly sleek and compact case.
Lastly, make sure the unit that you buy has the features that you need, including the type of ports as well as the power delivery capability. If you are charging a device that can utilize a higher Amp or voltage output make sure that your unit can deliver it. I think the best units have a bi-direction USB C as well as a USB A port. This combo gives you the most flexibility. If you want a unit for on-the-go use a power bank with a rating of 5,000 to 10,000 mAh should do the trick. Better brands may have better batteries that could offer more charging cycles before they degrade.
Please note that this post is my personal opinion. Testing was done with my available equipment which is not laboratory certified.
Battery Bank and Power Bank refer to the same thing.
Good Luck
Peace
Mike
Addendum: For those interested, I did go try to modify my Amazon review of the Meyin Miusc power bank (#4). I initially gave it a good review as I was impressed by all of its bells and whistles and used it to top off my phone a few times (which worked fine). However, I became aware of its low capacity when I used it in the hotel scenario that I talked about in the first paragraph of this post. When I went back to modify my review the product had been discontinued and was removed from Amazon and so it was not possible to change my evaluation.
My fantasies of adventure started months ago when Julie asked me if I wanted to go camping. Naturally, I said yes, despite some trepidation, as the last time we went camping, Julie broke her foot. However, this would be the chance of a lifetime.
Also, it would be a great way to test out the new all-electric camper kitchen that Tom and I built and installed last summer. That kitchen started as a simple redesign but turned into much more with my friend Tom’s creative mind. The old kitchen was dominated by a sink and two internal 8-gallon tanks; for the uninformed, I had to contend with 64 pounds of fresh water and 64 pounds of gross gray water. Over the years that I have owned Violet the camper van I have found much more efficient ways to keep my dishes and myself clean on the road. The sink and its system had become obsolete, wasting valuable space in my tiny home on wheels where every square centimeter of storage was essential.
Violet’s new all-solar all-electric kitchen.
My initial plan was to remove the sink and replace the kitchen countertop with a laminate surface. We could easily cut the laminate and install an induction burner. However, Tom’s idea was to completely rebuild the kitchen, which would be considerably more work but add practicality and storage space. We went with plan B, which involved weekends of cutting, gluing, and screwing. This would also permit us to make a custom countertop from wood we had harvested from fallen trees. Years prior, Tom arranged a deal with the Morton Arboretum to purchase fallen trunks, which we sawed and cured into wood planks. He had used the planks for his home remodel, but there was enough scrap wood to make a one-of-a-kind kitchen countertop for Violet.
I had played around with my new solar-powered kitchen, but you never know how something will work until you test it in the field. This trip would be the kitchen’s first field test.
I remember seeing my first solar eclipse in the 1960s. I was in grade school, and I recall the warnings to “Not look directly at the Sun.” I made a pinhole projection box to view the Sun as the moon bit progressive chunks out of it. I’m uncertain if that eclipse reached totality, but it impressed me enough to have vivid memories of the event decades later. I remember standing on our front lawn, adjusting my makeshift device while noting all the others standing on their cramped patches of front yard in my South Side Chicago neighborhood.
In 2017, we took our kids to Southern Illinois for that eclipse. We visited St. Louis to check out Washington University as a potential college for my daughter and then drove east to the eclipse. Every place was crowded, but we eventually found our way to a county fairground and witnessed totality with hundreds of random watchers. It was an incredible experience.
This time around, it would just be Julie, me, and Violet, the camper van. Julie had called around for lodging. Bargain hotels, like Motel 8, were being booked at almost $1000 per night. Campgrounds were starting at $250. Yikes! She found a makeshift offering in Marion, Illinois, which was directly in the path of totality. Fifty dollars gave us the privilege to park in a field that belonged to a church. We were happy to get it.
We traveled to Marion, Illinois to witness over 4 minutes of totality.
We built Violet to be self-contained. We carry water (and water purification), generate electricity via solar panels, and possess simple toilet facilities. We would be fine. All we needed was reasonably level ground to park on.
The total eclipse would be on Monday, but we drove to Southern Illinois on Sunday. We initially planned on leaving Chicagoland on Saturday to explore the region, but we wanted to attend a friend’s 65th birthday celebration that day.
Being my compulsive self, I had already gone shopping for camp supplies. The dry goods were already packed in the camper and the refrigerated items were placed in a bag in our home fridge. That way I wouldn’t forget to bring anything. All I had to do was unload the bag into Violet’s chest fridge on the day of the adventure.
Since we were only going overnight, packing was as simple as tossing a few items of clothing in a backpack. As far as Julie was concerned, all she needed to bring were her personal items, as I would be taking care of the rest.
With Violet fully fueled and her larder overflowing, we set off on our adventure. The trip to Marion was calculated at around 5 hours, but terrific winds and rain extended the trip to over six. Julie wanted to stop at Carbondale, as that was the epicenter of eclipse activities, but I was already spent and couldn’t imagine the additional hour of drive time. As Violet’s pilot, I made the executive decision to give it a pass.
The field location was obscure, so we used GPS coordinates instead of standard street directions. However, finding the place turned out to be a breeze, as well as a surprise. The Christian church was situated on acres of a neatly cut grass field. The place had it all, a massive fire pit, a pavilion with picnic tables, and…BATHROOMS!! The setting was as lovely as a dedicated campground. Best of all, we had ample space, and our fellow campers were chill and respectful. Fantastic! And did I say, BATHROOMS! When you are a camper used to camping on BLM land, bathrooms are a BIG deal.
Sunday and pre-eclipse Monday were spent quietly. Talking, reading, and a little YouTube watching. My initial test of the kitchen was simple: grilled ham and cheese sandwiches. I challenged the system more on Monday morning as I made coffee in an electric coffee pot and homemade breakfast burritos using both the induction hob and the microwave. Everything worked flawlessly. Despite running my fridge, using the lights, heating the cabin with the Webasto heater, and cooking, I only used 19% of my battery’s capacity. Additionally, the 400 watts of solar on Violet’s roof had my batteries back at 100% capacity by early afternoon—a total success for a total eclipse day.
We had a perfect spot to camp.The field was large enough so that everyone had enough space.We spent much of our time talking and reading. Note that the passenger’s seat can rotate into the cabin for more space.First test, making some grilled ham and cheese sandwiches for Sunday dinner. Then coffee for two the next morning.Making the burrito filling.How about some breakfast burritos using both the induction burner and the microwave? No problem!
By 1:30 PM, we had our lawn chairs in position as we saw the moon slowly eclipse the Sun through our heavily tinted eclipse glasses. I took a few shots on my phone by covering its lens with the glasses with fair results. At that point I regretted not bringing along one of my professional camera rigs with me. Alas, you win some, and you lose some.
The first thing that I noticed was that it suddenly became cooler. However, the Sun had to be almost completely covered before the light changed from day to dusk. At 1:59:44 PM, totality occurred and lasted 4 minutes and 7 seconds. We went from dusk to night; the wind stilled, and the birds stopped singing. More spectacularly, the Sun turned into a black disk surrounded by a most amazing coronal ring. It was awe-inspiring and almost spiritual. When totality occurred, there was an audible gasp throughout the campground, which then went quiet. We viewed totality in respectful silence. Minutes passed, and then a tiny crescent of light emerged, then more. In about 30 minutes, the moon had broken its bond with the Sun, and life in Southern Illinois returned to normal.
With most of the Sun blocked it was cooler but still very bright outside.With only a tiny sliver of Sun remaining the sky turned to dusk.Then it was suddenly dark!I put my solar glasses over my iPhone’s camera lens to capture the moon starting its progression. Darn, I wished I brought one of my pro-cameras!Another iPhone shot, this time of totality. Super cool!
We had cleaned up Violet so all we had to do was to collapse and load our chairs back into her garage. Then, the trip back home.
I have to admit that driving back to Chicago was a nightmare. The 5-hour trip turned into 7 hours and 40 minutes of stop-and-go traffic. This was no surprise, but it still sucked. We arrived home at 10:40 PM. I decided to unpack the camper in the morning, showered, and went promptly to bed.
Was seeing 4 minutes of eclipse worth driving twelve and a half hours? Absolutely!
Easter Saturday morning finds me in the kitchen making heaping quantities of cheesy chivy potatoes for our extended family Easter party. They have been an Easter tradition in our family for over 40 years. I was tasked with making them over 30 years ago and have done so ever since. The recipe is simple… make mashed potatoes and add cheese and chives. I usually spice them up with some hot sauce and garlic but don’t tell anyone, as those are my secret additions. The biggest issue with making this Midwestern food is the mess and pots. I have to pull out my 12-quart stock pot, my Kitchen Aid mixer, and many utensils, all of which get covered with a sticky potato goo.
This year, my daughter Grace and I also made some CPS (Chicago Public Schools) sugar cookies (see my last post), and Julie made her famous Heath Bar cookies for the party.
Over the years, Easter has been hosted by different family members: first my parents, then my sister Carol, then my sister Nancy, and now my sister-in-law Kathy. Easter is a communal affair where everyone brings a dish to the party. From sweet potatoes to Jello molds (we are in the Midwest, after all), to lamb cakes, it is quite the feast. A party filled with my siblings, nieces and nephews, and their kids is always a good time.
Our extended relatives drifted away many years prior. We were one of those ethnic families who celebrated every holiday, communion, and confirmation en masse. However, that changed in the early 1970s. More recently, my cousin, Ken, asked me what happened to cause this separation. Honestly, nothing happened. All I recall is that as our families grew in size via marriages and children, it became impractical to host everyone, and the all-inclusive parties of the past ended. However, this was not the case with all, as many of my cousins continued to celebrate events together.
My mother passed away in the 1970s, and my father in the early 1990s. At my dad’s funeral, my sister mentioned to my cousin Ken that it would be nice to have a family reunion picnic. That summer, my sister secured a permit for a park in her town, and the KRF (Kuna Family Reunion) was born. I remember my cousin Ken bringing all sorts of things to that first event, including melting popsicles for all! From the KFR came the Kuna Kampout, the Droby Fest Christmas Party (Droby is a traditional Slovak sausage), and other get-togethers. Ken became the organizer of most of these events.
Over time, Ken’s sister Kris and her husband Bob took over more and more of the responsibilities of these parties. How fortunate I am to have responsible and organized cousins. How grateful I am that they have kept these get-togethers alive.
This year my sister-in-law Kathy hosted our family Easter party on Easter Saturday. As a twist, she extended the invitation to our cousins, and many accepted. Yet, another connection to our extended family.
The party was a great success, with everyone bringing a dish to pass, more desserts than even a foodie like myself could sample, and a tremendous amount of goodwill and joyful spirits. We don’t talk about politics or other divisive topics. We share stories about our lives, kids, and grandkids. Many of us are now retired and have transitioned from complicated work lives to ones of simple pleasures.
This year’s party was punctuated by a new twist: a DJ with a Karaoke machine. Few have singing voices, but that didn’t stop us from going up to the mic and belting out a song or two. Our efforts were met with rousing applause from the audience. Clearly, sympathy applause, but we will take what we can get!
Easter symbolizes many things, but for me, it represents a rebirth. Thirty years ago, our family reconnected with our extended family. Our mighty clan was reborn, and we have been moving forward ever since.
My cousins are good, kind people, and catching up with their lives is always a pleasure. The same can be said of my siblings and their prodigy. Naturally, I’m pretty fond of my family too.
Kuna Klan, I sincerely want to tell everyone that I love you! Cousins, thank you for welcoming me back into your lives. Knowing you has made my life richer. I am so proud to be part of our group and pleased that you accepted me back into the fold.
Happy Easter, readers. Be reborn today.
Peace, Mike
A good time to catch up.Here I am trying to look Eastery. Doing our best to sing “Don’t Stop Believing” by Journey. The more singers that you have the better your sound.Even the little kids got into it.If you come from an Eastern European family you always talk about “the spread.” Here, two of my cousins are starting to assemble our Easter feast. Trust me, it was much larger than what you see. We all gathered in a circle to pray. My sister-in-law surprised me by asking me to say grace. Yikes! I did my best.My sister-in-law did a fantastic job putting together our party.Many brought dessert. It has been a tradition to take a photo of our kids on stairs every Easter. Well, our kids aren’t kids anymore!And now a photo of the “old folks.”
