Update on the Perils of Parking

Kindly note I have made 3 (three) phone calls to the security and administration of the hospital, and have not had a reply. One person is on vacation until mid-October, the other ignores my pleas for assistance. Oh well, I can't park anywhere anymore.
Wait, wait, what am I thinking? I deliver babies. I BRING business INTO the hospital. THEY owe ME!!

Alas, I am liberated. I will park where I damn well please, and the security department can go to hell.

I feel so much better now.

Perils of Parking

I have had it. I have absolutely run OUT of patience. Now I really don't think anyone who knows me would ever say I am NOT a patient person. Not even my former husband, who, although he has many adjectives to describe me (most of which are not too nice) would ever say I was NOT patient.
I am a patient person. A very patient person.

But, I have finally had it.

Friday a.m., I arrived at the hospital to take care of 2 patients in labor. It was 7:20 a.m. I pulled into the parking space in the ER parking lot. This is where I have been parking for 3 1/2 years. It is where I was told by the security department that I had to park. (After all, I cannot park in the doctor's lot....I am NOT a doctor).

I got out of my car. I was greeted by a lady-rent-a-cop.

Good morning, I said.
Good morning. You can't park here.
Oh, yes, I really can. In fact, this is where I have been told to park by the security department.
No, you can't park here.
[sigh] Well, this is where I was told to park. Where is it you think I should park?
In the employee lot.
But I'm not an employee. I don't work for the hospital. I am a midwife. I work for a doctor's office--Cornerstone Clinic. I deliver babies, you know, just like doctors do. Only I'm a midwife.
[blank stare] [silence]
Well you can't park here.
[I smile.] THIS is where I was told to park.
You deliver babies?
Yes.
Then why don't you park in the Doctor's parking lot?
[OH MY GOD, could it be she actually understands this?] That is an excellent question. I SHOULD be allowed to park there, don't you think?
Well, yes.
If you could help me with this, I would really appreciate it. Can you ask your boss to give me access to the Doctor's lot?
Well, I'll check on it, and leave a note on your winshield.
Thank you very much. I'd really appreciate it.

Flash forward. It's 1030 p.m. I have delivered 2 babies. My knees ache, my back is killing me, I haven't eaten anything all day except graham crackers. My blood sugar is getting low, and my brain is feeling a little foggy. I am exhausted. Hmmm, there's something on my windshield. Could the rent-a-cop have actually come through?

I remove the paper from my windshield. It is a TICKET. It says YOU CANNOT PARK HERE.
Blue steam is starting to shoot out both ears. YOU CANNOT PARK HERE.
I unlock the door, and then I notice there's a bright yellow sticker on my side window. It says THIS CAR WILL BE TOWED.
Oh my Lord.
I have HAD it.

On Monday, I am going to kill someone OR I will be getting a sticker to the doctor's parking lot.
I have HAD it. My patience is GONE.

Wow...Americans are really awesome

I know that the news tends to show alot of nasty stuff, and how mean people can be, but I must confess, that I have recently been reminded that Americans are probably the most generous, kind and compassionate people around.

I sent out an email to everyone on my list about the American College of Nurse Midwive's "Blankets for Babies" campaign, which was activated to help women and babies in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. I put up signs at work, and put out boxes for donations. In less than 2 weeks I have 20 boxes of blankets, baby clothes, diapers and toys along with $270 in cash donations which are wending their way to those in need in Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi.

If my small effort can generate this much generosity, wow.... It's way more than I expected.

I have always felt very proud to be an American, and I am just once more reminded exactly why.

Smutty comments

I have deleted 2 comments that had links to porn sites. Gross. I am insulted.

A National Disgrace

Along with every other American, I watch the coverage of the disaster in the south and I am absolutely appauled. I am shocked by the magnitude of the damage, I am more shocked by the complete lack of preparedness demonstrated by the agencies who should have been ready to help in this disaster. I cannot imagine telling thousands of people to take shelter in places that had no beds, water, food or medical supplies. I cannot imagine "forgetting" that there were thousands of souls stranded in huge flooded buildings.
I cannot imagine the suffering of those people.
There is no excuse for this. We pay the FEMA people to be prepared for this sort of thing. ALOT of money. I wonder what the salary of those idiots would buy for the people of New Orleans--probably alot more than a sandwich and a bottle of water.

Doing some good

As a Midwife, I am a memeber of the national organization of midwives, called the American College of Nurse-Midwives. They have a perpetual charitable drive which, every year at the national convention, collects blankets for babies in need. They send them to various places and people, which is a wonderful thing.

Due to the horrible mess in the South as a result of Hurricane Katrina and the ensuing floods, they have activated that program to provide blankets and baby clothes to the women and babies in need who are in shelters; we are going to do what we can here in Rockford to gather these things and send on to the mothers and babies who are suffering.

At least this way I can feel like I am doing some good to help in this horrible situation. May God bless them all. They must feel that it's the end of the world.

Further Adventures in Plumbing

Well, the brilliant plumber seems to have failed to fix the problem. We had leaking into the basement again on Friday. Mom called Smartie-plumber back. He returned and declared that no pipes were leaking. Hmmm, well then...where does water come from?? Electric lines, gas pipes, perhaps the phone or cable tv has sprung a leak....
Can anyone help me?????