Chad Buckendahl Blog 2007

Chad Buckendahl 2007 Blog

2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2006 | 2005

Vikings Vs. Broncos
12/30/2007 3:06 PM

John Scherer (the Video Professor) gave Megan and I two box seat tickets to see our team (The Minnesota Vikings) play the the Denver Broncos. We made a whole day of it, tailgating with a bunch of Vikings fans before the game.

Megan is doing fantastic now. It's rairly a question whether she has enough energy to do something. For the greater part of this year, that question has determined our game plan each day. As we end the year of 2007, we are thankful in family and friends that were buy our side helping us get through this year. Thank you all!

Christmas w/ Family
12/25/2007 9:06 PM

Chirstmas in Iowa this year was a much needed few days of catching up with my side of the family. We spent a night with each of my sisters (Tammy and Dawn), two nights with Mom and Dad and two nights with Grandpa. Most of the time was spent catching up on the past year's happenings. Everyone was very interested in how Megan's transplant has changed our lives. We enjoy talking about it with our family since they were by our side the whole way through it. It was extra special because of all the time we got to spend with my Grandpa.

.....

Christmas w/ Friends
12/16/2007 4:26 PM

Megan and I celebrated Christmas a little early with our good friends Joe/Lita and Sean/Julie. We went out to eat, told stories and had a good time laughing. It's hard to believe how far we've all come this year. 2007 has definitely brought this group a ton of challenges. We're all better for having survived it. I could not have done it without Joe and Sean. They are truly some of the best friends a guy could have.

.....

Paul's Birthday Party
12/15/2007 6:55 PM

We spent the night celebrating Paul's 33rd birthday with a bunch of Melissa and Paul's family and friends at one of our favorite Chinese restaurants.

Antelope & Deer Hunt in Montana
11/6/2007 3:30 PM

I went hunting with my brother-in-law Bill and was able to take an antelope and deer on the same day. What a hunt it was! Bill also got an antelope.

.....

Kansas Opening Day - Pheasant
11/3/2007 4:30 PM

Opening day in Kansas was eventful. While I did not hunt well, the group did -- took 38 birds. Unfortunately, Jazz got sprayed by a skunk. I knew it would happen someday but you're never prepared like you should be for a skunk. She didn't get it that bad but nonetheless, she stinks pretty bad. I also got to see Lacy (Sean's Lab pup) hunt for the first time this weekend and that was a treat. She's going to be good.

Monday Night Football!
10/29/2007 6:00 PM

Uncle Dennis came to Denver with some Bronco/Packer tickets for Monday Night Football. We were able to stay for the whole game and just had a blast. The Packers won in overtime with a 82-yard bomb by Brett Favre. Dennis was happy since he is a Packer fan. I had fun but could not bring myself to cheer for the Packers.

.....

The World Series
10/28/2007 11:39 AM

What an experience last night was. Seeing Megan so energized during the game was amazing. I don't know where she found the energy but she had it last night. We went to the game hoping that she would make it through the 5th inning but after the 7th, she was still going strong - yelling and clapping for the Rockies. We left the game at the top of the 8th just to make sure we got a cab quickly and she would not have to stand and wait. It worked great. We slipped into a cab and got home before the end of the inning to watch the rest of the game. Unfortunately, the Red Sox won. Nonetheless, it was a wonderful experience in more than just wanting to see a World Series game. I got to see Megan have fun for the first time in awhile.

Go Rockies!
10/27/2007 12:37 PM

It's officially Rocktober in the state of Colorado. Our home town Rockies are in the World Series and Megan and I got the opportunity to go to the game thanks to our brother-in-law Jim. Thank you so much Jim. How kind of you to buy us tickets.

A limited amount of tickets went on sale here in Colorado and Megan tried but two hours after they started selling them, they were all sold out. Megan waited online for the whole two hours desperately trying to get in like thousands of other folks. We thought we had no chance of seeing our team play but then... Becky (Megan's sister) called and gave her the great news. Jim had purchased us two tickets to game 3! Megan called me on my way home from work and I darn near wrecked when she gave me the good news.

So, tonight, I see my first ever World Series! Megan and I will take a cab to Coors Field and stay as long as we can (shooting for the 5th inning). Look for us on TV. We're in Section 117. See where we are sitting below. Jim got us amazing seats. Our two favorite players are Tulowitzki and Fogg. Tulowitzki is a rookie and reminds me so much of my boyhood idol, Cal Ripken Jr. Fogg is just fantatic and ironically is pitching tonight. Megan loves Fogg.

Great Wine
10/27/2007 8:43 AM

Megan surprised me and signed us up for a wine club with International Wine Cellars out of Lake Forest, Illinois. We have over time built up a nice collection of wine but find it hard to choose to save a wine for another day/year that you know is fantastic. We don't have expensive taste in wine but now and then we come across a bottle that we'd consider under priced. This week, that happened in a wine from Lyndoch Valley in South Eastern Australia. The wine we purchased was Lyndoch Valley’s Shiraz 2005. We loved it and the price was $12.

Shiraz and Syrah are actually are the same grape. It is called Syrah in France, Argentina, Chile and most of the United States. In South Africa, Australia, and Canada it is known as Shiraz. This wine is a great buy. Next time you go to the liquor store, pick up a bottle. You won't regret it.

Elk Hunting
10/12/2007 8:43 AM

Elk hunting was fun this year but we did not see any elk. In speaking with several other hunters in our section (551), it looks like we were not alone. Nobody saw much for elk in the section this year. Looks like we'll be looking for a new section to begin scouting and hunting next year. It was still a great life experience so for that I am thankful. I really enjoy getting out in the middle of the forest and seeing sites so few get to enjoy. The picture directly below is a lake I came across in one of my morning hunts. Further below is my bunk in the wall tent. Sean, Jay and Jeff also had bunks in the tent. We ate pretty good on the hunt and all had a good time. See more pictures of Elk Camp.

.....

Quail Hunting in Kansas
10/6/2007 8:12 PM

Joe, Sean, my brother in-law Marty and I went on our annual quail hunt in Winona, Kansas (map below). It was great introducing Marty to Joe and Sean. Equally as enjoyable was watching Jazz hunt with her sister (Jada) and nephew (Ernie). Marty took the most birds in this hunt. He did really good showing up all of the Colorado guys. See more pictures of the quail hunt.

Megan Seeing Maureen - First Time After Transplant
9/20/2007 9:15 PM

Megan walking into see Maureen for the first time after the kidney transplant surgery. See more pictures of Megan's kidney transplant. CLICK HERE >>

Going into Surgery
9/19/2007 9:16 AM

Megan and I signing the last minute paperwork just before she was taken into receive her new kidney from Mom. Look how calm Megan is. She's so brave.

T Minus 15 Hours
9/18/2007 9:15 PM

Megan and Maureen the night before the kidney transplant. Maureen is giving Megan her kidney in the morning.

Rocky Mountain National Park
9/15/2007 1:24 PM

Megan and I decided to get away for the day so we got up early and drove to Estes Park and were having so much fun, we just kept going and went into and all the way through Rocky Mountain National Park. It ended up being an all day trip that was full of great conversation, wonderful sights (even spotted a black bear outside of Loveland) and crazy changes in weather (hot sun, rain, sleet, hail and snow in a matter of 5 hours).

.....

Project Complete, Almost!
8/12/2007 5:57 AM

I am in the final stretch with the dog run / storage area. Only a few minor things left to do. This was one heck of a project. There is well over 150 hours of labor in this! Thanks to Wade & Crew, Chad and Paul for helping out. See the progress of the project here.

Final Preparations
8/1/2007 6:42 AM

I have worked each night this week to get the dog run / storage area ready to poor concrete on Friday at 8 AM. There's a 30% chance for rain on Friday and if it rains, I'm in trouble. The concrete I ordered is dyed and the color will wash out w/ water. Keeping my fingers crossed!

.....

Gardening
7/28/2007 9:52 AM

The garden looks pretty good this year. It is growing well.

.....

Dog Run Modifications
7/27/2007 10:35 PM

We decided to convert our dog run into a dog run / storage area. The pictures of the construction don't do it justice. We moved a total of 15 yards of soil. It was one of the hardest weekends of my life. Hopefully all the work will pay off with a higher value home. More pictures are coming so you can see what we're doing to it.

Pictured is my good buddy Wade and his coworker and my new friend Brian.

.....

Megan's Quad
7/21/2007 8:02 AM

Megan and I bought a quad this weekend. We'll have tons of fun in the future on this machine. Megan has been riding it up and down the street just having a blast.

.....

Happy Birthday Megan
7/14/2007 6:05 PM

We organized a birthday party for Megan. It was a lot of fun. We had 18 guests to help celebrate and boy was it a day to remember!

.....

Like Father, Like Son
7/14/2007 1:23 PM

Paul (our neighbor) called me to look out our front window at his 2-year old son Broady as he helped dad mow the lawn. He's the cutest little guy and we so enjoy Broady. Paul and Melissa are alright too. : )

Sister's Rule
7/10/2007 8:02 PM

Angie (Megan's sister) visited for a couple days out from Michigan. They adore each other.

Allenspark, CO
6/30/2007 9:20 PM

Megan and I drove to Allenspark to see Wade, Trish, and Casey. They were camping there this weekend and we drove up for a couple of hours to get away. It's nice getting a little more freedom to do things away from home. Megan is feeling stronger and stronger as the weeks pass.

.....

Visitors from Indianapolis, IN
6/21/2007 6:26 PM

Steph (Megan's roommate at Purdue) and Josh had a wedding to attend in the Springs so they stayed over one night with us. It was great catching up with them. Last we saw them was at their wedding a couple of years ago.

Stopping in to Show Support
6/13/2007 8:15 PM

I am amazed by our family. The show of support we've had over the last year is a testament to the love we have amongst us. Some of you, I've never even meet but feel the love in the e-mails, cards and phone calls you send our way. Thank you!

.....

Family & Friends
6/2/2007 6:32 PM

We decided to have some friends over today. Our friends Trish, Wade, Chad Biggins, Beth, and family - Bill, Tom, Mary and John were all over for dinner. We BBQ'd burgers and brats. It was the first time we had a bunch of people over in awhile and it felt great. Today was a great day! Megan enjoyed it so much and seeing her happy and laughing was a treat.

.....

Weekend Duties
6/2/2007 12:22 PM

I love weekends. They give me the opportunity to spend time outside and away from a computer (except to blog). I got up early this morning and started staining the deck. Bill also got up early and we got it completed by 10 AM. Then Tom and I took the BBQ to the car wash and cleaned it up for summer. Everything around the house is looking so good. I am looking forward to summer.

.....

Bill in the Hot Tub
6/1/2007 7:58 PM

Megan's brother Bill in the hot tub enjoying a nice cold refreshing Miller Light. This week has been full of first's in awhile for Megan. We went out to eat at TGI Friday's last night and tonight, she sat in the hot tub with Bill and I. It is good to see her healing up good. She seems to get more energy everyday.

Bill & Tom Dawson Visit
5/30/2007 5:29 PM

Megan's brother and dad got here on Monday. We are enjoying having them. Bill and Tom are building more shelves in the garage to give us additional storage. I'll post pictures on that later. They took Megan to dialysis today and Tom and I went and picked her up this evening. She's doing great but said I was pressing my luck asking to take another picture of her. It's amazing having her home again.

.....

Video Professor Delivered Meals for Memorial Day Weekend
5/26/2007 3:54 PM

You all know that the folks I work for (Video Professor) have been extremely helpful to Megan and I. They have delivered meals before several times but I thought I'd take a picture and post it today. A total surprise it was to have enough food for us to eat through the long weekend.

I never would have expected that Video Professor be so good to us during this ordeal. Megan and I are very thankful and pray that others that are going through struggles also have some folks to lean on.

Our Good Neighbor Paul
5/26/2007 10:22 AM

Our neighbors Paul, Melissa and Brody (http://www.foote.info/index.htm) have been so good to us. They regularly take care of Jazz. Today, we're repaying them by watching Laila (their boxer). Jazz and Laila love each other. They play pretty hard.

.....

Megan on the Phone Again..
5/25/2007 7:35 PM

Megan is recovering well. She has good days and bad days. Actually, good hours and bad hours. It changes quickly. We hope that it will be more good than bad soon. She's really had a good day today. I took the last two days off to be with her and have Monday off too. Really enjoying having our family back together.

.....

Working Hard
5/22/2007 2:01 PM

I am working from home for a few days until I know Megan can get things on her own. Video Professor loaned me a laptop and got everything set-up so I can work from home. Part of me says to let her do it on her own but a big part of me wants to help. She can't get better unless she does things on her own so I'll have to force myself. Maybe I'll go back into the office on Thursday - after she's had a few days to rest and know whether there are important things she can't do by herself.

Bon Voyage
5/22/2007 6:39 AM

Tammy and Linda took off this morning to head back east. Megan took a picture of us as they were walking out the door. I can't believe Megan is finally home. I am so thankful and happy. Having Tammy and Linda here was just what I needed. Linda told so many memorable stories of Grandpa and Grandma Buckendahl. I miss them but having Linda around made me think about how good we had it when they were alive.

Home Again!
5/21/2007 5:21 PM

They ran Megan on dialysis this morning, pulled her pick line and let us go home. Jazz was very happy to see Megan and Megan happy to see Jazz. I'm pretty sure Jazz has been mad at me because Megan wasn't home. Hopefully she'll snap out of it and love dad once again. Life just isn't the same without Megan.

Enjoying the Sun
5/20/2007 11:04 AM

Tammy (my sister) and Linda (my aunt) are visiting from Iowa and Nebraska respectively. They have really cleaned up the house the last few days and planted many of Megan's outdoor flower pots. It looks very nice around the house.

Dr. Lopez just called me and let me know that Megan is going to be coming home tomorrow. That's a huge relief. I can't wait to have her back at the house. I think she'll eat better here and progress much faster at home. The plan is to run dialysis tomorrow morning and send her home. The only unanswered question is whether or not they will require her to come home with the feeding tube. Megan and I don't want that but Dr. Lopez feels it's the best thing for her. So, he met us in the middle and ran a prealbumin test that will take 24 hours to get the results. If the level is good, he'll remove the feeding tube and send her home. If it's not good, they'll keep the tube in and send her home.

Gardening
5/13/2007 8:32 AM

We love gardening and each year we get quite a few vegetables out of our garden but this year, we should do better because we put in a drip line. The front yard is growing really well this year too. Can't wait until Megan can come home and see that I haven't let it completely fall apart. It would have if it weren't for family and friends.

.....

Bladder Surgery
5/3/2007 9:41 PM

Megan is in recovery. Her bladder surgeon came out and explained that he had never before seen an anatomy like Megan's. The way she was put back together and/or grew (from the time she was 6 years old) had him baffled. The primary goal of the surgery was to correct Megan's bladder so that it won't reflux the next time they put a kidney in. The second purpose of the surgery was to remove her current kidney.

I have not seen her yet but they say she's doing well. The bladder part of the surgery went longer than expected but the outcome was positive.