Author Archives: Country Mom

The Ultimate Hypocrisy of Hatred

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thankyoujesustrumpsupporters

Photo courtesy of the Washington Post. I’m not celebrating like these folks, but I will admit that I voted for Trump.

The hate that is being spewed by Hillary supporters following the election is worse than any hate that Donald Trump could possibly have or spread, because it’s being aimed not just at Trump, but at anyone who voted for him. I have remained quiet regarding the election, but it is now time to own my position.

I voted for Donald Trump. I could deny that I voted for Trump, or I could even have voted for Hillary, and my red state’s electoral votes would still have gone to Trump, but I choose to do what’s right based on my own personal and religious views.  I am not embarrassed or ashamed to admit it.

First, my disclaimer: Trump was not my preference for the Republication nomination for president – he wasn’t even among my top three choices. In fact, as late as 8 p.m. MST on election night I was ranting about how “we picked the wrong candidate.” I don’t condone his brash and inappropriate behavior, but ultimately, his policies – while not perfect – fit better overall with my views than Hillary’s views do.

I am a white, Christian, heterosexual woman from rural America, but I am not uneducated. I am not against a woman as president, and I am not racist. I don’t have a problem with other religions, but it seems as though some other religions have a problem with mine. Somehow celebrating “Christmas,” for example, has become offensive. We have freedom of religion in this country for all religions – including Christianity.

I choose to fight for the life of the unborn. After birthing three children, I cannot fathom the idea of taking a baby from the womb. I knew within days that I was pregnant; there was life within me. No, I don’t believe a woman has a right to choose what to do with her body – not at the expense of another life. I believe abortion is the first step in a slippery slope of discrediting the importance of life. We are such a self-centered society; it’s all about us. What about “Thy will be done”?

I fight for the life of the unborn with the same passion and tenacity others use to fight for animal welfare. These people claim that animals cannot speak for themselves – neither can unborn babies.

And because of my view on the sanctity of life, I am opposed to the death penalty. I disagree with the Republican party on this issue. The death penalty does not serve as a deterrent for would-be criminals, and it does not save tax dollars. It costs more to defend a death-penalty case from start to execution than it does for lifetime incarceration.

I view same-sex marriage in the same light as pre-marital sex. It is outside of the order that God intended. The history of marriage is long and somewhat twisted, but civil marriages weren’t common place until the 1800s. Prior to that marriage was handled by the church, and perhaps government involvement is the clouding factor with this issue.

Beyond religion, I am a small business owner. Liberal policies in general do not serve small business owners well; employment law, for example, is tedious and difficult. I continually struggle with all of the regulations that I am under, and I periodically consider giving up on my business and going to work for someone else for this very reason. In my opinion, less government and more private enterprise is better in the long run, so I persevere.

I am a supporter of our constitutional right to bear arms. If we infringe upon that right, who gets the power to decide and enforce it? Will these people always be moral and just? Should we let Donald Trump be the keeper of our arms? Sadly, there’s already a national trust issue with our law enforcement officers. It’s just another slippery slope for which history has shown mixed results at best.

With regard to immigration, I don’t agree with either side’s “hard line” response. I am in favor of a path to citizenship for people who are already in this country. I understand that it can be difficult to grant exceptions for some folks while drawing the line for others, but it will be even more difficult to rip families apart. Social justice is more important than consistent, legal justice.

While I am open to revamping our immigration system and perhaps simplifying the process especially for refugees, I am not, however, in favor of opening our borders to all for immigration or trade. If we were to do that, there would be serious financial repercussions, and we could end up in an economic crisis like much of the rest of world. If we want to remain a help to the world as a whole, we must be prudent in our approach.

I am in favor of freedom of the press and free speech – even if that offends someone. I do read and review the opinions of those different than mine. Discussion and dialogue are key to public discourse and ultimately to shifts and changes in public opinion. As much as it pains me, I admit that most Main Stream Media outlets are biased – all we have to do is look at how the media has covered the election to see this – but most certainly and equally so is Fox News biased. One issue I have with Trump is that he attempts to limit the press, which could lead to an interesting battle with the “Fourth Branch of Government.”

I am worried about terrorism in our country and in other parts of the world. Honestly, I’m not sure if Donald Trump will make this better or worse, but Hillary certainly wasn’t going to make it any better.

Hillary Clinton is most certainly part of the establishment, but that wasn’t my only issue with her. Hillary had no real plan for change, and she has her own ethical, moral and legal issues beyond those I mention here. She was not who I would want as our first female president.

And while I can empathize with the emotions Hillary supporters are currently experiencing – mostly due to the shock of the loss, I’m sure – I cannot understand the post-election personal attacks and judgments.

I know that I am not perfect; no one is perfect. We all struggle in this sinful world. That’s because we are all human. I have approached most differences I have with people I love and respect in an agree-to-disagree-and-move-on sort of way. Yet it seems that many of those who have different views than mine – those who view me as unaccepting – may not feel the same about me. Isn’t that the ultimate hypocrisy?

Second Daughter’s Knee Recovers Quickly – So Far

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It’s been more than three weeks since Tessa’s surgery in which she had an allograft, or cadaver MPFL, placed in her left knee, and so far her recovery has gone very well.

While I suspected that her condition was largely genetic since my oldest daughter, Callie, required the same surgery a few years ago, now I am not so sure. You see, Callie’s knee was tilted towards the outside and her lateral ligament on the outside of her knee was tight. As a result, in addition to the allograft, Callie also had a lateral release performed as well as a bit more work to straighten her patella. Tessa, on the other hand, required just the allograft and no additional work was performed on her knee to stabilize it.

The same doctor performed the surgery on both of my daughters. He said Callie’s ligaments were very tight while Tessa’s were extremely loose, so much so that her knee could almost be hyper-extended.

As a result of having less work done on her knee, Tessa had less internal irritation initially and seemed to recover even quicker than her sister immediately after the operation. The nerve block she came home with for two additional days of numbness also helped. Tessa was only on her prescription pain medications through Monday or 4 to 5 days, while Callie took the medication for one full week. Beyond that, their recovery has been very similar.

Tessa did not return to school until Thursday, Sept. 13, which was one full week after her operation. I believe she could have returned a little sooner, but she was concerned about being able to keep her leg elevated during classes. And keeping her leg up was key to keeping her swelling down.

After seeing her orthopedic surgeon for her first follow-up appointment on Monday, Sept. 17, Tessa abandoned her crutches. That was just 11 days after her surgery. The next day her physical therapist began to open her brace to bend up to 60 degrees at the knee. She then had it opened up to 90 degrees, even as she walked, one week later starting on Tuesday, Sept. 25.

Tessa experienced some serious muscle memory loss. It was over a week before she could reliably and consistently flex her left quad muscle, and even a little longer before she could lift her left leg without assistance. But she has been diligent about her physical therapy exercises, and we continue to see improvement.

Tessa leaves the brace off once in a while when she is lounging around the house, but generally she continues to wear it. She experiences some discomfort after a long day on her feet or if she moves wrong, and she still applies ice to her knee at night. But overall, she is doing well. Her wounds are about closed, and she has begun applying Mederma to them to keep her scaring at a minimum.

Even though her initial recovery was faster than her sister’s, I don’t expect Tessa to be released for full activity any sooner. The allograft was the most invasive procedure for both girls, requiring the most rehabilitation.

I still suspect it will be five months or more before Tessa can resume any joint-intensive activity such as hard running, jumping, twisting, etc. And it will probably be a year or so before she’s back to full strength and regains confidence her left knee.

And that’s all right. At least the most intense part of the fix is over. Now we just need to have patience and remain committed to her recovery, even when she starts to feel almost normal.

Second Daughter Experiences Patellar Subluxation, MPFL Surgery

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I still can’t believe it happened. It was the last basketball game of the season at the end of March, and she fell to the floor grabbing her knee.

Those of you who have followed my blog are probably thinking my oldest daughter Sports Girl – Callie – hurt her knee again. But it wasn’t Callie this time; it was my middle daughter, Tessa.

It took us a while to accept the fact that Tessa has just experienced patellar subluxation in her left knee just as Callie had at about the same age.  We even encouraged Tessa to go back into the game to keep playing. She tried, but she promptly came back out explaining that her knee started to give out again. She was in pain, and she was scared.

We continued with our denial. Since it was the end of the basketball season, we thought perhaps Tessa could recuperate and do some exercises and light weight training on her own to get past it. But her knee slid out two more times during physical education classes during April and May.

Then Tessa attended a week long basketball camp in early June. While the knee didn’t actually sublux during the camp, it did swell considerably. And so we dug out her sister’s old pre-surgery knee brace for her to use and scheduled an appointment with the orthopedic surgeon later that month.

Handsome Hubby was ready to schedule surgery right away. But even with her sister’s history, the surgeon approached Tessa’s issue conservatively.

Unfortunately, it was a familiar routine with a familiar ending. Tessa completed six weeks of physical therapy, and she performed the exercises faithfully. But when we went back to the doctor late in July, he wasn’t satisfied with the results. When he started to wiggle her kneecap with her leg extended straight, Tessa experienced extreme apprehension. To be honest, she about came up off the table.

So today I am sitting at the hospital waiting for Tessa to come out of surgery  – the same surgery Callie had done almost three years ago. Tessa is having a cadaver ligament inserted in place of her MPFL to stabilize her knee. She will also most likely have a lateral release performed and any other maintenance necessary to allow her knee to track better.

Callie hasn’t been completely without issues. She has had some discomfort and mild swelling around the ligament when she resumes a new strenuous activity, such as when soccer practices started twice a day in early August. There’s also the scars which will always be present on her young skin around her knee. Callie has some general tightness in her knee, as well, and cannot always easily bend her knee far enough to touch the back of her foot to the inside of her thigh. But I can’t do that either!

But we do know from Callie’s experience that the surgery works; it leaves the patient in better shape than before. And so we are going through it again with our second daughter at an even slightly younger age. Callie had surgery shortly after she turned 14; Tessa just turned 13 in May. Both girls had the surgery as eighth graders in school. The goal is to save precious cartilage that is damaged with each subluxation.

I always thought that Callie’s initial injury was primarily due to some sort of unusual blow to the knee she received during physical education class. But after Tessa has had the same injury, it’s hard to deny that the issue might be due in part to genetics.

Rylie is only five, and we know that this surgery cannot be performed until the patient has finished growing. But we have joked that perhaps if we get Rylie’s knee fixed now, we might be given a buy two, get one free offer. But we are only kidding. We are hopeful Rylie can somehow avoid the same fate. Besides, we know the health care industry doesn’t offer any such discounts anyway!

Oprah’s Ralph Lauren Interview Was … Odd!

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I really do like Oprah, and I appreciate soft, feature news as much as anyone. But I found Oprah’s interview aired today with Ralph Lauren on his RRL Ranch outside of Telluride, CO, to be a bit corny.

The ranch landscape is incredibly gorgeous, but how many ranch owners can afford miles and miles of peeled log teak fence?

Lauren has several large hand-painted teepees on his ranch, which are also amazingly beautiful and create an incredible scene against the sharp mountain backdrop. But inside these teepees are fully furnished and better decorated than my home, so how authentic can they really be? The Indians certainly didn’t live like that when they lived in teepees, and, sadly, even today many on the reservations still don’t live in anything nearly that nice.

I also found it odd that Oprah was so awe struck over a working cattle ranch. Oprah has spoken out against beef consumption on more than one occasion during the past 25 seasons of her television show.

And here’s the most absurd part of the actual interview. Oprah’s hardest hitting question to Ralph Lauren was, “Where did the idea for the polo shirt come from?”

Lauren didn’t really answer it other than to say that the polo shirt is a representation of the brand.

Hilarious! Yet I’ll bet this Oprah episode, being one of her last on network television, had more viewers than any hard news program of the day. That’s both odd and sad.

Knee holds up through basketball season

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Sports Girl (35) grabs for the ball from an opponent. The poor girl holding the ball had broke her nose in a previous game. Playing sports can sure be dangerous!

Sports Girl’s first high school basketball season has gone fairly well. She hasn’t set any freshman scoring records or anything, but she has been consistently able to play at up to the junior varsity level.

And while the season hasn’t been completely without incident or injury, remarkably, nothing has involved her knee. And it’s not like she hasn’t taken more than one or two nasty spills onto her knee or knees on the hardwood or tile basketball courts across South Dakota.

The surgery she endured over a year ago where a cadaver ligament was attached to her left femur and patella to replace her MPFL has so far proven successful in stabilizing her knee. She has had no further subluxation or dislocation issues, and she has had very little discomfort in her knee.

She did, however, sprain her left ankle about a month ago, and she has had some pain from shin splints. The ankle sprain has continued to plague her, requiring constant taping during all practices and games to keep her ankle from rolling again, and continued icing afterwards. Now she has developed an allergic rash and a friction blister on her left heel from all of the taping.

These injuries are really incidental. At least I think they are. I say that because I find it odd that all of her weaknesses appear to be on her left side. She had the most trouble with the Achilles tendon pain during soccer on her left leg. And now her left ankle has given out, as well.

Sports Girl has been diligently strength training in the weight room, so I don’t think her left side can really be that much weaker than her right. Can it? Or could it all somehow be related to her knee surgery?

Either way, I still declare the knee surgery a success. At least so far. Sports Girl is gradually regaining her confidence, and she doesn’t seem to worry about her knee any more. The reward is seeing that competitive spark return to her eye … and when she grits her teeth, watch out!

Successful Surgery Sees Sports Girl Through Soccer Season

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Sports Girl has finished her first post-operation soccer season without incident! She made it to every practice and played in all 10 junior varsity games for her high school.

Sports Girl (maroon) goes for the ball in a high school girls junior varsity soccer game.

If you look closely, you can see part of Sports Girl's scar on her left knee here.

And while she may not be quite as strong competitively as she was before her knee issues began, she was mostly without pain and without worry that her knee would pop out of place throughout the intense, 7-week season. And she didn’t wear a knee brace at all!

So as we approach the one-year anniversary of her surgery coming in mid-December, I am almost ready to declare it a complete success. My only hesitation is seeing how things go on the basketball court.

You see, it was the first week of middle school basketball practice that delivered the final blow to Sports Girl’s knee issues at the end of October last year. Basketball involves more jumping and quick turning than soccer, and the hard indoor court is actually harder on Sports Girl’s knee than the soft grass soccer field even if it is sometimes uneven. Basketball shoes do provide more support and shock absorption than soccer cleats, thankfully, and we will soon be shopping for Sports Girl’s new high tops.

High school girl’s basketball won’t actually start until around Thanksgiving. Between now and then Sports Girl plans to keep running and lifting weights a few times each week at the local recreation center to stay strong and ready to play.

Sports Girl has worked hard the past 10 months to recover with physical therapy, performance training and other practices and workouts. She can’t quit now or the results of all her hard work could all but disappear in the six or seven weeks she has off in between soccer and basketball. So while Sports Girl is looking forward to a break from regular team practices these next several weeks, I know she has no intention of giving up on her physical progress.

Prodigal Cat Comes Home

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Actually, the headline on this post is a bit misleading. It should probably read “Bringing Home Traitor Cat.”

We have to go get Snowball from the neighbors to bring her home. And when we do, George keeps a close eye on her. George wants to play, but Snowball just growls and hisses at him.

That’s because Snowball the cat didn’t come home of her own accord, and she isn’t “wasteful” as is the definition of “prodigal.” Rather, she is a bit of a “Benedict Arnold” cat. She has willfully abandoned the comforts of our home and taken up residence as an outdoor cat living under the neighbor’s deck.

We periodically stop on the county road at the neighbor’s driveway and beckon the usual “Here Kitty, Kitty, Kitty!” And almost without fail, Snowball comes walking and meowing towards us. With continued enthusiastic calling we can get her to come to us, and we get her into the vehicle to bring her home.

We did this a few days ago. Once we got her home, she filled her belly with cat food and fresh water and took a long nap on the chair in the living room. Then in the middle of the night she woke my husband with her vocal pleas to be let outside, and she promptly returned to the neighbor’s place.

Snowball was a stray kitten at our county fair shortly after we moved to the country six years ago. After letting Horse Lover drag her around the fairgrounds for the better part of a day with the cat not fleeing, I decided to bring the cat home. And I didn’t even treat her like your average country cat; I let her live in the house complete with cat food, water dish and litter box!

She still snubbed us – although not right away. At first when we let Snowball outside, she would always return later that same day or the next day for sure. But then the dynamics changed around here. Within the first year of Snowball’s life we also added a Pembroke Welsh Corgi puppy to our family. The next year we added a second Corgi puppy. And the year after that we added a baby girl to our life … Busy Toddler … that’s about the time she started extending her outings to weeks, then months, then to only returning when we go get her and bring her home. It got worse when we brought home our second cat, Ginger, shortly thereafter to be renamed George. So I suppose her betrayal shouldn’t entirely be a shock to us.

The truly ironic thing is that the neighbors don’t really want her around, but we can’t get her to stay home! We try not to take her shunning personally, but the fact that she continues to leave sure makes going to get her less of a priority for us.

Unfortunately, Handsome Hubby is getting tired of being woken in the night by a howling cat. He’s also tired of her shedding all over our furniture as she naps, and of her jumping on our countertops searching to satisfy her sweet tooth. She is the first and only cat I’ve known who will eat the sugar off of a powdered donut and leave the rest in tact!

Anyway, Handsome Hubby would really rather we just left Snowball alone at her residence of choice – the neighbor’s place. And we might just have to do that since bringing her home obviously isn’t making much of a difference to her anyway.

On a side note, if I had I been blogging back when we first got Snowball, I probably would have called my middle daughter “Cat Girl” or something similar as she was as crazy about cats at the time as she is about horses now. After attending her first circus, Horse Lover announced that she wanted to be a cat trainer when she grew up, and then decided she wanted to be a cat wizard. That decision hung around for quite some time. She doesn’t appreciate being reminded of that whimsical time of her life, but we sure enjoy remembering her sweet innocence!

HOR$E$ Are Expensive to Keep & Show

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Horse Lover shows Sadie on halter in an English class. We also borrowed her attire.

Horse Lover competes on Sadie in a Western riding class. We borrowed saddles for the show.

I made arrangements in June to board our experienced, 19-year-old show horse, Sadie, at a barn where Horse Lover could also take riding lessons. After just four or five weeks of lessons, Sadie was tuned up, and Horse Lover had made significant gains in her horsemanship skills.

I’ve written before about Horse Lover’s lack of opportunity to ride. So this effort was generous on my part, and it meant the world to my daughter.

Horse Lover wanted to leave Sadie at the barn to take lessons much longer, but unfortunately we just couldn’t work that extra expense into our regular family budget.

You see, one thing has become painfully obvious to me as I’ve tried to make Horse Lover’s dream of becoming a seasoned horsewoman a reality – horses are extremely expensive to keep, and are even more expensive to show.

A friend of ours once had a bumper sticker on her SUV that read simply, “HOR$E$.” I now have a complete and total appreciation for the profound and true statement that one-word bumper sticker made.

All winter Horse Lover begged us to take riding lessons. She wanted nothing more than to ride her horse. But with frigid temperatures outside and things like school occupying the bulk of her time inside, we just couldn’t make it happen. There was also the challenge that we still didn’t have a horse trailer to transport the animal, and riding lessons were expensive enough without also having to pay to board the horse.

But somehow as the weather warmed and school let out for summer, we managed to make lessons work for our pre-teen daughter, and she was in heaven. I took her to the barn a few times each week and waited and waited and waited while she learned to brush, halter, bridle, saddle, ride and put away the horse.

As a result of this time (and money) spent, Horse Lover and Sadie earned several blue ribbons at our 4-H county horse show at the end of June, and she is now ready and eager for more riding experiences. So instead of satisfying one of her desires, we simply wetted her appetite, it seems.

While she is no longer incessantly begging us for riding lessons, she is begging us for LOTS of other things including a new western saddle, an English saddle, a horse trailer, an outdoor riding arena, a barn and even a new horse. She’s worried Sadie might be a little too old and too arthritic to lope or gallop.

Just last week we found a used western saddle in good condition in Horse Lover’s size, and we paid $600 for it. She had outgrown the youth saddle she was using and so the need for a saddle was imminent if she was going to continue riding the horse. The other items she wants aren’t needed as urgently, at least not according to Handsome Hubby or myself, and that’s good. Because every one of them would cost considerably more than $600.

As a parent of three, I’m used to buying my kids one thing and then having to buy more to go with it. Think Nintendo DS, iPod or even small toys like the Littlest Pet Shops. Each item requires additional game cartridges, headphones and cases or houses and additional animals.

I did a quick count just the other day and Horse Lover has more than 25 cases for Nintendo DS games on her bookshelf. So including the game system, we’ve probably spent almost $1,000 on this system over the past several years. That’s crazy, but it wouldn’t even come close to how much we’ve spent on this horse obsession in just the last few months!

Besides the big-ticket items I’ve already mentioned, we regularly buy feed and fly spray for the horses. We also pay the farrier to trim hooves and the vet for vaccinations.

We have free access to a pen and pasture in which to board the horses right by our house, and we get ample hay from Handsome Hubby’s father and brother on the ranch. I couldn’t imagine having to pay for these items, as well. I can honestly say that if we did, we wouldn’t have horses.

But since we do have the set up and we already have the horses, I’m sure we’ll continue to invest in Horse Lover’s obsession as much as we can. I hope she can be happy with what we are able to do and doesn’t always just want for more.

Navigating Options for Rural, High-Speed Internet Access

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I recently switched from HughesNet satellite (center dish) ...

... to this Alltel USB modem (black thing on right) to access the Internet.

One drawback to living in the country is the lack of true high-speed Internet access. I’ve been in search of the best Internet connection available ever since we moved to the country six years ago. As a result, I’ve switched Internet providers four times.

And while exactly what constitutes high-speed access is relative, none of the options I tried involved dial-up Internet access; that’s simply not an option for someone who works from home and must have fast, reliable, always-on Internet access for her livelihood. Unfortunately in the sparsely populated area of West River South Dakota where I live, no companies have invested in any fiber, wired option for high-speed Internet to those of us in the country. So I’ve been sampling the wireless Internet access options.

I went from HughesNet satellite Internet access, to WildBlue satellite Internet, back to HughesNet and most recently to Alltel wireless broadband Internet access. And through it all, I’ve purchased three satellite systems and two routers as I’ve struggled and anguished and yearned for the reliability and speed of the service I had when we lived in town.

Initially, the big issues for me were cost, reliability and speed. As my business grew and my kids grew, our reliance on the Internet continually increased. As a result, the biggest issue for me in my most recent Internet service provider change was Fair Access Policy restrictions.

I understand that only so much data can be moved over the Internet at any given time, and that everyone should have the same chance to move this data. But I don’t believe 200 or 250 megabytes of data per day is enough for the average household anymore. Not when we are transmitting graphic design files for proofing and printing, uploading pictures for printing and sharing, publishing web sites and blogs, enjoying YouTube, and downloading and purchasing music, television episodes and podcasts. Something has to be done to increase the Internet infrastructure so it can meet our ever-increasing demands.

I’m not yet ready to recommend wireless broadband access over satellite, but I will share what I’ve experienced and learned:

Satellite Internet

Two satellite services offer Internet access in my area – HughesNet and WildBlue. Both services offer several packages featuring different speeds and allowing different levels of usage. Both companies require customers to purchase or lease equipment, and both allow multiple computers to access the Internet through the use of a standard router.

Each company has a different Fair Access Policy (FAP), and those who exceed the allowed usage are “FAPed” or restricted in their access for a certain period of time. Both companies offer e-mail addresses with Internet access, and both require two-year contracts for best pricing, particularly on equipment. Satellite access requires a clear view of the southern sky and access can and will be interrupted by weather including rain, snow, fog and high wind.

HughesNet – The basic home package costs $60/month; the fair access policy for this plan allows for 200 megabytes of data to be transferred (downloaded and uploaded combined) in a 24-hour period before restrictions are applied. Installation is generally free, but equipment can cost an additional $20/month for up to 24 months. Customer service is great, and customers are allowed one free token per month to reinstate their Internet connection if they are “FAPped.”

WildBlue – The basic home package costs $50/month; the fair access policy for this plan allows 7,500 megabytes of data to be downloaded and 2,300 megabytes of data to be uploaded in a 30-day rolling calendar. Installation is also generally free, and equipment costs tend to be less than those for HughesNet. Customer service wasn’t as good, and while neither satellite company will guarantee their speeds, rumor has it that WildBlue has added more customers than it can handle and therefore speeds have dropped for everyone.

Wireless Broadband Internet

There are only two companies currently offering cellular service in South Dakota – Alltel and Verizon. AT&T is in the process of taking over the Alltel business in the state since Verizon purchased Alltel and one company cannot maintain a monopoly. Wireless broadband Internet requires the purchase of a USB modem, which can be plugged directly into a computer or can be plugged into a special router, allowing multiple computers to be online using the same Internet connection.

One positive to wireless broadband Internet access over satellite service is that customers can actually access the Internet while traveling, as long as the appropriate cellular connection isn’t lost. But if the USB modem is taken on the road, anyone left at home cannot access the Internet.

Customers can also connect a phone with an existing data plan to a computer for Internet access, but the phone cannot be used for voice calls or for text messaging at the same time. And the data limitations of the existing plan still apply.

Wireless broadband speeds should increase as local networks are upgraded from 3G to 4G systems.

Verizon Wireless – Verizon provides a free USB modem after rebate for customers who agree to a two-year contract. The company also offers a modem in a network-compatible device at a reduced price under a two-year contract. Customers must choose between getting the free modem or the reduced-price network device.

Verizon service costs $60/month and allows for up to 5 gigabytes of data to be transferred in a 30-day period. If a customer exceeds the 5-gigabyte limit, access is not restricted. Instead, customers are simply charged an additional 5 cents per megabyte over the limit; so if the limit is exceeded by 1 gigabyte, an extra $51.20 will be charged.

Verizon’s nationwide calling plan allows customers to access the Internet from virtually anywhere in the United States. Verizon also offers a 30-day trial period.

Alltel – Alltel also provides a free USB modem after rebate, and customers only have to agree to a one-year contract. Or customers can choose to go with a network-compatible device at a reduced price so multiple computers can go online under the same Internet connection. Service costs $60/month, and there is no limit on data transfer. Internet access is, however, limited by Alltel’s service area. Nationwide access is available for an additional $10/month. Alltel offers a 15-day trial period.

Alltel customers will become AT&T customers within the next nine months or so. While equipment will need to be upgraded, it will be at no cost to the consumer. And customers will be allowed to continue with the terms of existing Alltel contracts, which means the unlimited data feature should continue to be available even though AT&T does have data limits on its wireless broadband Internet.

As I mentioned, I recently switched to Alltel largely because of the unlimited transfer of data option; I was tired of being “FAPped” with HughesNet. I’m actually a Verizon customer for my cell phone service, but the Verizon wireless broadband option still restricted my data usage. I also liked Alltel’s one-year contract rather than two years, so I don’t have to wait as long to change again if I’m not completely satisfied. The cost for Alltel was the same as HughesNet and Verizon, and the speed seems very similar so far.

In summary, my Internet speed still isn’t as fast as a true DSL connection, and I do pay more than most folks with the cable/DSL options available in town. But I’m glad there are options other than dial-up for those of us choosing the country life, and I am hopeful that the options will continually get better.

Ortho Releases Sports Girl for Sports, Physical Activities

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It’s been a long time since I have posted, and I know many of you are following Sports Girl’s progress as she recovers from her MPFL replacement surgery. To you I apologize.

I hope you assumed that no news was good news, because things continue to go well. Sports Girl steadily cut her times in both the 800k and 1600k in track through mid-May. She went back to her orthopedic surgeon on June 2, and – as we had anticipated – was fully released to resume all of her former physical activities and sports. It was a great day, and barring any future complications or other issues, it was our last visit to this doctor. While we would recommend this physician to anyone without hesitation, for reasons that should be obvious, we are grateful that Sports Girl doesn’t have any future appointments scheduled with him.

Since then, Sports Girl has been strength training and conditioning three times a week in a summer training program offered by the local high school athletic trainer/physical therapist. She has also participated in open gyms twice a week in preparation for basketball; she has even played in a few summer league basketball games.

She had some discomfort in her left knee during the first basketball she played, but subsequent games seemed to go better. I am sure my knees would hurt if I tried to play a basketball game in my out-of-shape state, so hopefully her pain was due more to her lack of recent activity than to the surgery itself.

It’s been a little over 6 months since Sports Girl had her surgery. While we had hoped her recovery would progress much faster, all her caregivers have said she has done remarkably well.

Just yesterday I took Sports Girl to our local family practitioner for her annual sports physical examination. This is the same doctor who referred us to the orthopedic surgeon at almost exactly this time last year. Since Sports Girl has not had cause to see a doctor this past year other than for her knee surgery, our family doctor hadn’t known how his referral had turned out. He was genuinely interested, and we were thankful that he knew of a doctor who took a proactive approach to frequent patellar subluxation issues. I know of a couple of middle-aged women who have just lived with this problem and the pain and discomfort that goes with it for much of their lives.

It seems we have come full circle, and Sports Girl is looking forward to a successful year playing soccer and basketball as a freshman in high school. I’ll have to post pictures …