The Wind Comes for our Tal Moon

Yes, Tal had another stroke. At some point during the night of the 15th of April, 2014.

He appears to be in very deep sleep yet his eyes fluttered open to look at Tiger lying quietly alongside him and Fiona standing near. 

He hasn't said anything nor has he shown any signs of distress or discomfort. "His breathing is calm and even" says Romig who spent the night of the 16 th sleeping beside him. 

His friends visit : David and Fiona Wong-Wagner, and their son Tiger, Tal's godson, as I mentioned earlier. Gerry Egan, his friend and closest confidante at El Castillo spent quite awhile with him yesterday. Marie Cash came and spent a moment with him. 

Lissa is flying over the Atlantic and will be there on the evening of the 16th . 

He is accompanied by his team of Ambercare Hospice Nurses : Virginia Gilstrap  and Josepha and Hospice Doctor Tron, : as well as his El Castillo nurses, Kris, Cathy, Ted, Hans and Anna. His aides : Dan, Jackie, Carol, Sandra, Dolores and Brenda 

I will update you all on what hospice means for Tal in his current condition as soon as I have any further information. That should be at about 10 pm Santa Fe time. 

Lissa 

sending this from Dallas Fort Worth airport stopover : 3 PM 

Google Glass and Tal : The Big Wish

April 15, 2014

What is Google Glass ?  

Basically it's a pair of glasses ( actually one glass on the right hand side) with a lens that reflects directly onto the right eye's retina. 

Google Glass uses something called "Bone Conduction Transducer (BCT).  So if you were sitting next to Tal while he was wearing these, you wouldn't hear anything but he would be able to hear Glass speaking clearly. Wow! 

Google Glass* offers access to a search engine, camera and connection to the web via existing Wi-fi. For those with Bluetooth and Android phones or Iphones, Google Glass connects with/via these too. 

Pop, being in one place could use the simplest and least costly system: Wi-fi.   

A typical day might start like this: 

Pop could be lying in bed, reach down and put on his Google Glass. It senses automatically when it has been put "on" . This is called "On - Head Detection".   
He turns on Google Glass using the "Head Wake Up" feature by lifting his head slightly. It is pre- set to react when you lift your head to an angle of 20°.  You can also set this angle to whatever is comfortable.  

It uses voice recognition software or a scroll pad device that is part of the right stem of the glasses. He wouldn't have to shout (!!!) just speak w his normal voice. 

For the moment there are 8 Basic Voice actions of which 5, look like they would be most useful to him. 

They are:

"Ok Glass..."

"Google..."  (Google search engine")

"Send a message to...

"Make a call to...

"Make a video call to"

"Take a photo" 

These are is just some of the basic options !

Pop would be able to hear his email via the Glass "Read Aloud" function. 

Pop could write this blog using Glass' blogger app

Hear your comments read back to him. 

He could write and read poetry, haikus and short stories. 

Write letters and send them! 

He could listen to a radio program/web cast. 

He could hear the New York Times read to him.  

He could listen to music of his choice. 

Google Glass could offer him up to 7 hours a day of this kind of basic usage. 


So here I am sending this big, big wish out into the universe : 

Google Glass + Tal Streeter would make a great pair !  

Today, April 15 2014 Google Glass goes on sale for 24hrs to anyone living in the USA that wants to "Become A Glass Explorer".**

Now how to come up with 1,500 Dollars?  Hummmmm. 

L

*Lots more things that Google Glass is capable of doing: getting directions, facebook, twitter, Reddit...the list of apps is phenomenal but this is what I think Pop, with practice, would be able to use.

**At present there are something like 8,000 Glass Explorers in the United States. They are used by people in all walks of life. 

Nothing Like Friends !

For those of you that haven't yet seen Tal since his stroke or perhaps not recently, you might want to plan a visit.

It's not like these are his last days or anything like that. Goodness knows, Mom and I think he is in a stable place physically speaking. He is on hospice and has been for some six months now. What hospice means for Pop is that he will never be going to the hospital ever again. He is as comfortable as he can be, given his situation.        

One thing I've noticed ? Pop's friends have an easier time helping him get back to his old self than newer friends of whom he can be wary. It's as if he doesn't have to figure out who you are ! Seeing a friend, he can rely on his memory of what you have done together, of what he knows about you from the past. Imagine just how reassuring that is for him !

He knows he can trust his friends.

Trust is a big issue for Pop ! Trust is a big issue for anyone with Anosognosia.

Especially when Pop is not quite sure about new people in his environment. Why are they talking to me ? Are they someone trying to impress me or someone I should be trying to impress ? Where do these people fall in the hierarchy of importance to my situation ?

With his old friends, things fall back into place very quickly as he doesn't ask those questions. He just picks up from where you two last left off.  Even if that was twenty years ago !

It goes without saying that there is alot to get used to, to organize beforehand. Speaking one on one, sitting on his righthand side, allowing time for him to answer. Coming at a good time when he is rested. But it's all doable. And very much appreciated.

As you can imagine, for anyone with their intelligence intact, days that lack meaningful conversation are deadly indeed.

Dream of Flight Family Gathering January 2014, Romig House, Zocalo :  
    

Part 2 of Dream of Flight Family : Ken, Fiona, Suzanne, Virginia, Tiger, David and Rob