Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and just so I can get it out of the way, Happy Thanksgiving. Now, I offered to cook this year for the first time in eons. We got a turkey fryer this summer and I really want to use it. I've been cooking a bit here and there over the last few days, also working very hard at work getting things ready there for Thanksgiving and Christmas. It's been really busy. We are admitting four people on Friday. Plus we spent this past weekend in Long Island.
When Bri and I first met, we were introduced by a mutal friend. He set us up on our first date. He was in our wedding party and his wife read a lesson at our service. Brian was in their wedding party and I was pregnant with Em at the time. We love them to death and have a great time with them. She's a stay at home mom and he's an architecht. But, they live in Long Island. I HATE Long Island. It's too busy, the people there can't drive, think they own the road, nothing is close by and it's just a really stressfull time. But their son turned 4. And we were unable to get to his 3rd birthday party. Em thinks we are related. Why else would she call them Aunt Denise and Uncle Jeff? And isn't Jeffrey her cousin? SO, we went down.
Now, Brian has this irrational fear of bridges. My boss's father in law is a civil engineer in Long Island and told me that there was no way the we should set foot on the Throgs Neck Bridge. White Stone it is. No Problem. Now, we drive down through New Jersey, to take advantage of the cheap gas. Right now, the gas station on the corner is $2.25 a gallon. We paid $1.79 a gallon in Jeresy. Worth going that way. But, I had to drive the bridges. It's too stressful.
On a sad and happy note, the car dealer across the street from us, went out of business. The annoucement came in the paper on Monday and he was gone on Friday. The upside is that the crappy driveway at our house has been expanded to a whole car dealer parking lot. Party's at my house!
Now, we haven't been away if we haven't driven in a few years. We haven't been able to afford to fly or something else happens. But I got Em's report card and I'm not pleased. I was fighting the school board to keep from passing her. But Bush's wonderful act of No Child Left Behind beat me. Now we are talking about going to see a specialist in San Francisco. A working vacation. If we can afford it. The doctor is a visit over 3 days and costs $5000, none of which is covered by insurance. Then add in plane fare, rental car, food, hotel, entertainment, parking... The question is weather or not this guy is worth it.
Any by the way Twilight was great. But read the book. It's better.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Fan
In the English language, the word fan is really short for fanatic. Now, there aren't alot of things that I am fanatic about, but there are a few. Once upon a time it was Anne Rice novels. I have read all of them. All but the sleeping beauty series. That was just a bit too intense for me.
A few people have turn me onto other series including the Sookie Stackhouse novels that the new HBO show True Blood is based on. Then there is Harry Potter.
Last summer I was out of work for 9 weeks while I healed from an ankle injury. While I was out I picked up a book at random in Barnes and Noble. It quickly turned into my favorite book of all time. I have read it nearly seven times through. It's the first in the series of four.
What book you ask?
Twilight.
Okay, before the moans and groans start, let me tell you about the book. It was written by a woman my age who lives in the Scottsdale, Mesa area of Arizona. A good Morman woman, she wrote this wonderful love story about a mortal girl and the vampire that she falls in love with. It's one of the cleanest novels I have ever read. I think in the four books there is a collective six Damns and that's it. No bad language. No smoking, drinking, pre marital sex.
Now, I started reading the romance novels when I was about 12. I've been exposed to novel relationships since then. But this is something else. This is the best love story I have ever read.
The movie opens at midnight. I'm not thrilled with the cast, but it's only because I've got other people pictured in my head. I'll have to reserve my judgement for after I've seen the movie.
I'm very excited to see the movie. Brian and I are going to see it tomorrow.
But watching the television coverage and surfing the web coverage of the premeire are textbook cases of fantatism. I need the sound track. I have to have the music.
The author did the coolest thing with her books. For all five and a half books that she has written, she has put had put on her website a soundtrack for each book. Basically, a song that goes along or sums up the feelings she had in her head and heart as she wrote or edited each chapter. It's great. She has fantasic taste in music.
Well, I'm going to read some more about the premiere. See you all in Forks!
A few people have turn me onto other series including the Sookie Stackhouse novels that the new HBO show True Blood is based on. Then there is Harry Potter.
Last summer I was out of work for 9 weeks while I healed from an ankle injury. While I was out I picked up a book at random in Barnes and Noble. It quickly turned into my favorite book of all time. I have read it nearly seven times through. It's the first in the series of four.
What book you ask?
Twilight.
Okay, before the moans and groans start, let me tell you about the book. It was written by a woman my age who lives in the Scottsdale, Mesa area of Arizona. A good Morman woman, she wrote this wonderful love story about a mortal girl and the vampire that she falls in love with. It's one of the cleanest novels I have ever read. I think in the four books there is a collective six Damns and that's it. No bad language. No smoking, drinking, pre marital sex.
Now, I started reading the romance novels when I was about 12. I've been exposed to novel relationships since then. But this is something else. This is the best love story I have ever read.
The movie opens at midnight. I'm not thrilled with the cast, but it's only because I've got other people pictured in my head. I'll have to reserve my judgement for after I've seen the movie.
I'm very excited to see the movie. Brian and I are going to see it tomorrow.
But watching the television coverage and surfing the web coverage of the premeire are textbook cases of fantatism. I need the sound track. I have to have the music.
The author did the coolest thing with her books. For all five and a half books that she has written, she has put had put on her website a soundtrack for each book. Basically, a song that goes along or sums up the feelings she had in her head and heart as she wrote or edited each chapter. It's great. She has fantasic taste in music.
Well, I'm going to read some more about the premiere. See you all in Forks!
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Sleep!
My sleeping pattern has always been a little screwy. I'm at my best when I can get up around 11 am and go to bed around 3 am. But having a day job that's really hard. I could work evening shift, in theory, but I'd never see Brian or Em. So, it's either day shift or night shift. Well, ever since I was in the hospital and sleeping a lot to recover, my sleeping pattern is all messed up. Most days, I fall asleep on the couch after dinner.
Well, last night Brian and Emily let me sleep. I woke up somewhere around 9:30 and now I've been up since. That was 4 hours ago.
The only thing that is going to fix this is a couple of days of forcing myself to stay up until an appropriate bedtime say 8:00 and taking a few sleeping pills.
It kind of reminds me of when Em was a baby and went through that stage as all children do, the socialization of nights and days. Some people insist that babies are getting their nights and days confused, however, how can can you be confused when there is something you don't understand to begin with. Adults seem to think that babies insintivly know that days are awake time and nights aren't. Well, who determines that? Is it really daytime that is awake time? Why? There is still so much happening at night.
Maybe that's something that happens after working night shift. You realize that the world is still working. That life still goes on.
Well, needless to say, thank God we have really good tv. There are 800 channels to find something on.
Yeah History Channel!
Well, last night Brian and Emily let me sleep. I woke up somewhere around 9:30 and now I've been up since. That was 4 hours ago.
The only thing that is going to fix this is a couple of days of forcing myself to stay up until an appropriate bedtime say 8:00 and taking a few sleeping pills.
It kind of reminds me of when Em was a baby and went through that stage as all children do, the socialization of nights and days. Some people insist that babies are getting their nights and days confused, however, how can can you be confused when there is something you don't understand to begin with. Adults seem to think that babies insintivly know that days are awake time and nights aren't. Well, who determines that? Is it really daytime that is awake time? Why? There is still so much happening at night.
Maybe that's something that happens after working night shift. You realize that the world is still working. That life still goes on.
Well, needless to say, thank God we have really good tv. There are 800 channels to find something on.
Yeah History Channel!
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Sticker Shock
It finally happened. My computer died. It had been difficult charging it for some time now and I wasn't sure if it was the battery or the port where you plug in the cable. So, when I couldn't get it to charge at all and was completely without a system, because the battery was so dead that I couldn't even boot it up enough for it to tell me that it was dead, I decided that it was time to take it to the Geek Squad.
Now, I hate Best Buy. The sales staff is rude, condisending, bunch of stupid geeks in the the bad way. I love the show Chuck and would love to find someone who works at the Geek Squad that is like Chuck. But, alas, it doesn't happen. I did however get a lovely girl who was very smart and nice. She took my laptop, did a few things and declared that there was nothing they could do for me. The system was dead.
So, needless to say, I needed to get a new computer. So, I went to the computer section and I was under sticker shock. It's been about five years since I bought my laptop and I paid enough for it. I was surprised that prices really haven't come down that much.
Well, I bought an Emachine which if I am not mistaken is an IBM product. It's going to be fine for what I need to do. Plus I have learned my lesson as I will need to pay someone to extract my hard drive from the other system and down load it to my system or jump drive or something. I will not be storing too much on this system. Everything will be on jump drives. Not going to loose everything again!
I have music, pictures, word docs... so much stuff.
So this is the first blog from the new system. It's fine so far.
Now, I hate Best Buy. The sales staff is rude, condisending, bunch of stupid geeks in the the bad way. I love the show Chuck and would love to find someone who works at the Geek Squad that is like Chuck. But, alas, it doesn't happen. I did however get a lovely girl who was very smart and nice. She took my laptop, did a few things and declared that there was nothing they could do for me. The system was dead.
So, needless to say, I needed to get a new computer. So, I went to the computer section and I was under sticker shock. It's been about five years since I bought my laptop and I paid enough for it. I was surprised that prices really haven't come down that much.
Well, I bought an Emachine which if I am not mistaken is an IBM product. It's going to be fine for what I need to do. Plus I have learned my lesson as I will need to pay someone to extract my hard drive from the other system and down load it to my system or jump drive or something. I will not be storing too much on this system. Everything will be on jump drives. Not going to loose everything again!
I have music, pictures, word docs... so much stuff.
So this is the first blog from the new system. It's fine so far.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Witness Protection is sounding about right
When a person goes into witness proctection, they get a whole new life. New people, new names, new town, new life. I've had about all I can take.
Brian's father George, has been sick for years. He had his first bypass about fifteen years ago. There is nothing that he hasn't gone through with his heart. Bypasses (2), stents, mechanical valve, heart attacks, mini strokes, AAA, CHF and now to top it all off, V-Tach.
Okay, for the non medical people. The heart has a natrual rhythm. Lub Thub. Even, steady. When is goes faster it's called Tachacardia. When it slows, it's Bradycardia. the V is ventricular. Basically, the lub thub is the noise of the valves of the heart opening and shutting again. Door A lub shuts and door B opens. Door B shuts thub and door A opens. The heart contracts top and bottom. This contraction moves the blood from one room to the other.
The V tach is a fast heart rate with the natural 2 step rhythm all wiggly. There is something electrical not allowing his heart to beat regularly.
There are a couple of fixes, that include shocking the heart like on ER or medications. But they have not shocked him yet, as the rate always comes back. So, the other fix is sticking in an internal defibulator. It will shock the heart from the inside as the rhythm gets wiggly.
It's an operation. But after all that is going on with George, he can't be safely on the operating table for more than 2 hours. There is a surgeon that comes to Kingston once a month from Westchester Medical Center and can generally do the operation in less than two hours.
Problem 1, he was here two weeks ago and won't be back for two weeks.
Problem 2, George can't wait for two weeks. This is so bad that it could kill him.
So, tomorrow, George is supposed to go to Westchester Medical Center to have the surgery.
Brian is going to drive his mother to he hospital in Westchester tomorrow, spend the night with her and then take the train from Westchester into the city to meet my father at Grand Central Station so that my father can go with Brian to his appointments with the surgeon on Tuesday. What a great birthday for Brian on Tuesday!
But with all the time I have taken off from work, I can't go with Brian and I don't really want to take Em to Westchester.
I had better go and get Brian's bag ready for tomorrow. He needs to pack light. I have to help him, if I can pry him away from Sunday night football.
Brian's father George, has been sick for years. He had his first bypass about fifteen years ago. There is nothing that he hasn't gone through with his heart. Bypasses (2), stents, mechanical valve, heart attacks, mini strokes, AAA, CHF and now to top it all off, V-Tach.
Okay, for the non medical people. The heart has a natrual rhythm. Lub Thub. Even, steady. When is goes faster it's called Tachacardia. When it slows, it's Bradycardia. the V is ventricular. Basically, the lub thub is the noise of the valves of the heart opening and shutting again. Door A lub shuts and door B opens. Door B shuts thub and door A opens. The heart contracts top and bottom. This contraction moves the blood from one room to the other.
The V tach is a fast heart rate with the natural 2 step rhythm all wiggly. There is something electrical not allowing his heart to beat regularly.
There are a couple of fixes, that include shocking the heart like on ER or medications. But they have not shocked him yet, as the rate always comes back. So, the other fix is sticking in an internal defibulator. It will shock the heart from the inside as the rhythm gets wiggly.
It's an operation. But after all that is going on with George, he can't be safely on the operating table for more than 2 hours. There is a surgeon that comes to Kingston once a month from Westchester Medical Center and can generally do the operation in less than two hours.
Problem 1, he was here two weeks ago and won't be back for two weeks.
Problem 2, George can't wait for two weeks. This is so bad that it could kill him.
So, tomorrow, George is supposed to go to Westchester Medical Center to have the surgery.
Brian is going to drive his mother to he hospital in Westchester tomorrow, spend the night with her and then take the train from Westchester into the city to meet my father at Grand Central Station so that my father can go with Brian to his appointments with the surgeon on Tuesday. What a great birthday for Brian on Tuesday!
But with all the time I have taken off from work, I can't go with Brian and I don't really want to take Em to Westchester.
I had better go and get Brian's bag ready for tomorrow. He needs to pack light. I have to help him, if I can pry him away from Sunday night football.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
What color?
Warning, this blog maybe gross and not for the easily sickened. You have been warned.
As a nurse I have seen things that could turn the normal person into a blubbering pile of vomit. Being that both my sister in laws and mother in law are nurses, we often talk about things around the table or while cooking that would turn even a cast iron stomach. It doesn't phase me. Most of the time, I don't even think about it.
Well, I have these four incision sights on my belly. There is to be some drainage. I would be worried if there wasn't. What has me the most concerned is the belly button. It's draining a lot. Well, after I got into the shower today and got dressed, we went out for a while. Where we went will be another blog. Every time I move, my stomach drains a bit. Well, by the time I felt it through my pants, I knew that something wasn't right. There was too much drainage. I looked at the spot, as it only has a steri strip on it. I am so allergic to tape that even band aids give me a rash.
So, I looked at my belly and the color of the drainage was different. Not the clear I have seen, not bloody or even a bit infectious. It's orange. I mean orange.
My pharmacist family will under stand this refference. The drainage was Pyridium orange.
I'm going to see the doctor in the morning to see what is going on.
But, on to other things. There is a consignment shop a few doors down from me. I have never been in there, as my size often makes it hard for me to shop at places like that. But since I have lost a bit of weight, it's better. Well, Friday night is my office's one year party. So, I was thinking about buying a suit to wear. But, I'm not sure that I am a suit person and I hate Macy's. I ended up finding two great buys. I got a great Ann Taylor dress and a fantastic brocade Nine West Duster all for less than $50!
Now, this is a cool thing. Recently, the Girl Scout Council here in Ulster County merged with all the counties in the Hudson Valley into a new council called Heart Of The Hudson. Well, they had signs remade and they were ready to be hung. So, the office called Em's girl scout leader who called us and asked if Emily would be a Brownie Rep for the new sign hanging today.
I was so honored.
There are some cool things about Emily and the Girl Scouts. But that's another Blog for another time.
As a nurse I have seen things that could turn the normal person into a blubbering pile of vomit. Being that both my sister in laws and mother in law are nurses, we often talk about things around the table or while cooking that would turn even a cast iron stomach. It doesn't phase me. Most of the time, I don't even think about it.
Well, I have these four incision sights on my belly. There is to be some drainage. I would be worried if there wasn't. What has me the most concerned is the belly button. It's draining a lot. Well, after I got into the shower today and got dressed, we went out for a while. Where we went will be another blog. Every time I move, my stomach drains a bit. Well, by the time I felt it through my pants, I knew that something wasn't right. There was too much drainage. I looked at the spot, as it only has a steri strip on it. I am so allergic to tape that even band aids give me a rash.
So, I looked at my belly and the color of the drainage was different. Not the clear I have seen, not bloody or even a bit infectious. It's orange. I mean orange.
My pharmacist family will under stand this refference. The drainage was Pyridium orange.
I'm going to see the doctor in the morning to see what is going on.
But, on to other things. There is a consignment shop a few doors down from me. I have never been in there, as my size often makes it hard for me to shop at places like that. But since I have lost a bit of weight, it's better. Well, Friday night is my office's one year party. So, I was thinking about buying a suit to wear. But, I'm not sure that I am a suit person and I hate Macy's. I ended up finding two great buys. I got a great Ann Taylor dress and a fantastic brocade Nine West Duster all for less than $50!
Now, this is a cool thing. Recently, the Girl Scout Council here in Ulster County merged with all the counties in the Hudson Valley into a new council called Heart Of The Hudson. Well, they had signs remade and they were ready to be hung. So, the office called Em's girl scout leader who called us and asked if Emily would be a Brownie Rep for the new sign hanging today.
I was so honored.
There are some cool things about Emily and the Girl Scouts. But that's another Blog for another time.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Recovery
Well, it turns out it wasn't my appendix. It was my gall bladder. The gall stone was the size of a quarter! It was huge! I had a laproscopic prodecure that means only four little slits for the tools and that was all.
I had the surgery on Thursday afternoon and was out on Friday afternoon. I'm weak and tired. But I need to go back to work.
I could some more percocet.
I had the surgery on Thursday afternoon and was out on Friday afternoon. I'm weak and tired. But I need to go back to work.
I could some more percocet.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)