Saturday, August 26, 2006

Oh, no, what have I done....

Anyone with a head (heart) as soft as mine should simply stay away from places like animal shelters, orphanages, Salvation Army buckets, etc. I am such a sucker.

This all started because Mom didn't want to make a memorial donation for my cousin who just died to the Gay group in LA that he had been involved with. She just wasn't comfortable supporting them. Well, it's her money, and she can be a bigot if she wants to be. So I suggested she make a contribution to something SHE felt was worthwhile, like the animal shelter or ASPCA or something, starving children in China, whatever. She decided that was a good idea, and told Aunt Dottie that was what she intended to do, which I guess met with her approval. At any rate, today, before the hairdresser, off we went to the animal shelter to make a donation.

OK, so could YOU go to the animal shelter and NOT look at the animals?? If so, you are a stronger person than me. I had to look. And there were so many cute, homeless kitties. Puppies too, but considering I have two of them already, I spent my time with the kitties.

There was this perfectly adorable one, all black with white boots who kept reaching through the bars of his tiny cage to me. It broke my heart. But then I took him out and all he wanted to do was bite and scratch. (That won't do).

So we left, went to the hairdresser, and then home. As I drove down the street closer and closer to home, I could see the poor little kitties crying, and I caved. I turned the car around and back we went. We held numerous kitties and finally settled on a gray tiger/tabby about 6 months old. It's a boy. As yet, un-named.

I pick him up on Monday. With the EXPRESS understanding he will NEVER go outdoors. I am now entertaining suggestions for names for a sweet gray tiger/tabby with green eyes, boy names, please.

Oh, what have I done.

Thursday, August 10, 2006

OK, Pam, I know

Ok Pam, I know you are right. Thanks for bringing me back to earth.
Everything is going to be all right.
Everything is going to be all right.
Everything is going to be all right.
Maybe if I say it long enough, I'll really believe it.

Saturday, July 29, 2006

It's Been a Hard Day's Night

It's been a hard day's night
Seems I am channeling an old Beatles song. Everytime Pam goes away, I seem to get the crap beat out of me. I am incredibly tired. I did not sleep on Sunday night, Monday night, Tuesday night or Wednesday night. Finally, I thought I would get to sleep on Thursday, but I had to get Mom to the hospital. I did sleep for about 4 hours that night. Friday night, I was in my own bed all night, but did not sleep. Brisco is perfectly happy to sleep in my bed. How a small dog can take up so much space, I will NEVER understand, but he does. He likes to sleep crossways on the pillows. Xena on the other hand, HATES to share her bed with him. She doesn't mind Teddy nearly so much, but Brisco, she absolutely HATES to share the bed with. She jumps off, then on, then off again. She stands on the bed and glowers at him. I place myself in the middles and she settles down, but that means I am not particularly comfortable. If I put Brisco on the floor, or in Mom's room in her chair or on the bed, he cries, barks and will not stay there. So, I become a human fence between the two of them. Add to that the 14 pages I got last night....Yes, I do not exaggerate. Fourteen. I hope Pam has had a nice vacation. Because I don't think I will ever allow her to leave, ever again. EVER. Aside from the fact that I miss her terribly (no one understands what I talk about in quite the same way), I don't think I could ever do this solo practice stuff again. I am too old, too tired, and too stressed. I started my day today with patients in two of the 3 local hospitals, rushed to one when the night shift nurse told me the patient was 9, alas, when I arrived she was really 4. Slight difference. I really needed to be at the OTHER hospital, where Mom was and where the other patient was as well. I came back and waited, waited, waited for her doc to make rounds, alas, he did not. I had to leave again, because this time the patient across town really WAS 9. She, thank the Lord, had a lovely little girl, who although she had only shown us clear fluid, turned it green while she was pushing. Then back across town again, Mom could be dismissed and she was chomping at the bit to get home. So I took her home, then back to the hosp again for the final (I pray) patient to deliver. This one will take some patience, too. 15 yrs old. Oh my.Everything is going to be all right.Everything is going to be all right.EVERYTHING is going to be all right.If I could only sleep for about 3 days.....

Monday, July 24, 2006

Dining Delights, No, REALLY

Wow, I forgot what real home-cooked food tastes like. Having Eunice here is like having died and gone to cooking heaven. We have a weekly menu. I get to suggest what I would like to eat. I don't have to eat expired food anymore. We cleaned out the fridge AND the freezer, thank God. It's wonderful. I have had fajitas, stir fry, roast that's not like shoe leather. No more freezerburned items, it's amazing.
Thank you Eunice, Thankyou, THANKYOU!

Sunday, July 23, 2006

The further adventures of Clyde and Clara

Clyde and Clara are Karen's cats, whom I have described before in my writings. Well, Karen left for Michigan last Wednesday, and I have been cat-sitting again. I thought things were going very well, Clyde is always glad to see me, Clara is neurotic as usual. Until yesterday.

Clyde, who usually greets me at the door, was nowhere to be found yesterday morning. I could hear him meowing, but could not see him. I finally found him under the ottoman, when I moved it, there he was. I said, "Oh, poor Clyde, were you stuck there? (he wasn't)" and I reached down to pet him, and he attacked my hand, scratched up my arm and bit me! I retrieved my bleeding limb, and thought, FOR GOODNESS SAKE What is wrong with him.

I went upstairs, gave him fresh food and water, cleaned his litter box, did the same for Clara(who, by the way, was quite happy to see me), and started back down the stairs, and there was Clyde again, about 3/4 of the way down the stairs, back arched, hissing looking like Satan re-incarnated. I stepped closer, and he attacked my foot, which fortunately had on a sturdy New Balance sneaker, and pushed him down a step. He hissed and tried again.

I decided to "channel" the dog whisperer, and thinking more like a cat whisperer, I hissed back at him and stomped my feet on the stairs. It worked. He ran.

What the heck got into him.

I took my bloody arm home, washed it well with soap and water, treated it with antibiotic cream and a couple of bandaids. Hopefully I won't turn into a were-cat or get some sort of pasturella infection. Damn thing. That's the last time I cat sit for them!

Wednesday, July 12, 2006

My Dog Needs a Bath

What is it about dogs that makes them love to roll in stinky stuff?

I don't know what Xena has been into, but, Lord Almighty, does it ever stink.
Have you ever thought about the logistics of trying to bathe a 75 lb. doberman who does NOT want to be bathed? Right.......

Tuesday, July 11, 2006

The Oracle of Starbucks

This is evidently what they think of my perpetual order of a venti peppermint mocha.

Behold the Oracle's wisdom:
Personality type: Clueless
You don't go to Starbucks much; when you do you just tag along with other people since you have nothing better to do. You would like to order a Tazo Chai Crème but don't know how to pronounce it. Most people who drink Venti peppermint mocha are strippers.
Also drinks: Wine coolers
Can also be found at: The mall

Hmmmm. I think they missed the mark on that one....

Wednesday, June 28, 2006

Tolerance

I have found something else of which I am completely intolerant: Intolerance. I have had reason lately to devote some time to thinking about this, as I have been faced with some interesting folks who seem to preach tolerance with one side of their faces, and practice bigotry and judgementalism with the other.

Let me be more specific. Forgive me if I offend anyone, but I really have to believe in a God who loves all his children: White, Black, Yellow, Brown, pink with purple polka-dots. I really believe He loves you if you are Catholic, Mormon, Bhuddist, Islamic or Wiccan. I think He loves you even if you don't believe He exists. I certainly can't say I feel the same about people in general. Lots of people (mostly doctors) wish Midwives didn't exist; they certainly act like we don't exist, and I can't even for a second say I have any sort of feeling for them, except possibly contempt.

Ahh, but I digress. If I recall my New Testament study correctly (it has been quite a while...), Jesus really spent most of his time hanging out with the Sinners, the poor, the wretched, the great unwashed. He didn't chastise them for their station in life. In fact, it seems to me that most of the chastising that got done was directed toward those who should have known better and couldn't properly behave themselves--those who often thought they were "better" than others.

"Judge not that ye be not judged", is one of my favorite bits of wisdom from the scriptures. I think that means that if I am tolerant of others, and don't look down on them, or think ill of them, when it comes to the great judgement day, I will be looked on kindly by those who are required to evaluate my worldly behaviours. I like that idea. I try to live by that, some days I do better than others, but I really think I do try. I think you should try to meet people where they are in life, and accept them that way. Now, that doesn't mean you can try to educate, humor or cajole, even argue sometimes. But try to accept and love others for what they are, "sinners" just like me.

Now, I do confess there are some other things that I am intolerant of: Child molesters, people who abuse animals, people who take advantage of those in need or less fortunate than themselves. People who abuse the trust of the innocent.

But I know, that in THIS life anyway, there may not be justice. But I have to believe that there will be justice someday for all those people. I just hope not to be numbered among the intolerant. If I burn in Hell, at least it won't be because I was an intolerant, bigoted bitch. (After all, my ex-husband thought I was a pompous, arrogant, back-stabbing lesbian in need of therapy--that sounds like enough to send me to anyone's version of Hell, don't you think??)

In the meantime, I will happily prescribe birth contol pills to teenager, and married folks too. I will give follow up care to those who have had abortions, and I will be kind to doctors who are rude and abusive to me. We'll all get ours in the end....

Wednesday, June 14, 2006

Change is Good


I got a great link from Ethan, and have made myself a South Park character. Here I am...

Things are changing around our house. We are making major adjustments to accomodate the soon to arrive family members. The oldest son and my daughter-in-law to be are moving in. So, Mom has vacated her room, taken up residence in my former office/den/guest room. The family room has become my office/hobby room, and the former living room wil now be in much heavier use than ever before. We have re-arranged the furniture, TVs and phones. We have curtained off walls in the basement for Erik to use as an office. I hired some energetic young men to help move furniture, and they did a good job, bless their hearts. They are my nurse's children, all 6 of them from 20 down to about 8 years of age.
Ellie has been visiting, and she has moved on down to visit in KS, leaving a small, black, pointy-footed dog to take up space in MY bed, much to Xena's distress. Ted likes to sleep up by my head, fortunately and Xena down by my feet. Unfortunately, they take up enough of the bed so as to not leave much for me!!
We are getting ready to have a kitty at our house again. I love kitties, I hope she will love us. We shall see...

Change is Good

Tuesday, May 30, 2006

Waiting

I am waiting. Waiting for a baby, or, I should say the 2nd baby of the day. Elizabeth Lorraine Marie was already birthed, and now we are waiting for hmmm, I think it's Zachary. Hopefully before midnight, we'll see.
I seem to spend alot of my time waiting. Waiting for babies, waiting for the next day I'm not on call, waiting for the weekend, waiting for the next vacation. Waiting for Ellie and Eunice to come, waiting to see the Ted, waiting to get Erik and Eunice here, waiting, waiting, waiting.
It is true that I am a patient person. But sometimes, there is just TOO MUCH WAITING.
Sometimes, I would like to throw myself down on the ground, like a 3 year old, and scream, "I want it NOW, NOW, NOW."
My grandmother, always one with a word of wisdom, said "Patience is a virtue, possess it if you can, you'll find it in a woman, but never in a man."
Patience, patience, patience.
Tonight, I am sick of being patient.

Tuesday, May 09, 2006

Cats

I have a splitting headache tonight, right behind my left eye. I think I am brewing a migraine, which I have maybe once a year. I have no idea why. I have really had a fairly nice day--had a nice baby this a.m., big girl. Fairly calm afternoon at work.
I am cat-sitting for Dr. Z while she is in WDC. Her cats ( and don't get me wrong, I LOVE cats) are just a little neurotic. There's Clyde, the house cat--referred to as such since he has the run of the house, and Clara, the bathroom cat, since she lives exclusively in the upstairs bathroom. Clara used to live in the upstairs bedroom, but has taken to potty-ing on the bed, so now she lives in the bathroom... Clyde upchucked a hairball on the hardwood floor, which I had the wonderful opportunity to scrub up this afternoon, and Clara pooped on the bathroom rug, which I didn't see, and managed to step in. Gee, I love cat sitting. She is coming back on Friday. I still have that smell of Cat-poo on my shoes, so they are sitting in the garage. The dogs are giving them the once over.
I am really looking forward to having the famous and lovely Cinamon (Eunice and Erik's cat) come to live with us. I hope she learns to love everyone in the house. I really miss having a cat. NO MORE OUTDOOR cats however--Mom are you listening??? I think she got the point even more after I told her what happened to Jodi's cat--someone used him for target practice, and hit him with a load of buck shot, broke his leg in 3 places. Poor baby. Jodi was SO upset, of course, who wouldn't be.

Well, I am going to take some excedrin migraine and drink a coke. Maybe that will help.

Saturday, April 29, 2006

More dining delights

I worked 36 hours straight. Got up Thursday a.m., worked all day, all night and all day Friday. Came home. Exhausted. Dinner: Leftover Pizza from at least 2 months ago, frozen, re-heated until burnt and crispy, along with 2 hot dog buns, which had been buttered and sprinkled with garlic salt. Also burnt, black.
Just shoot me now.

Tuesday, April 25, 2006

Not to worry my dearest fabulous fiance/daughter-in-law

I read your blog. I have answers to your questions. No, the grandma will not be upset if you do not let her wash your clothes. She will be relieved she doesn't have to do it. She will happily relinquish some of her kitchen duties, and shopping duties. She will love getting out and doing something fun, like a hobby or class. She is pretty housebound with only me here, since my job eats me alive.
Now, repeat after me,
Everything is going to be all right.
Everything IS going to be all right.
Everything is GOING to be all right.
Everything is going to be ALL RIGHT!!
Really, it is.
I can hardly wait for you to get here. We have more girly fun together!!!
LOVE YOU!!!

Friday, April 21, 2006

Continuing Menu Items

Thank God I go out to lunch. I had a GREAT lunch with Jodi and Pam and Jim today. Because when I got home, this is what greeted me:

Knackwurst (I don't even know how to spell it, why would I eat it?) Some form of mystery meat, which, unfortunately got a little close to the fire, and was burnt on both sides. No amount of mustard made it edible.
Water-logged, overdone Brocolli, cheese sprinkles and vanilla pudding, made with sugar-free mix and skim milk.
OK, why does anyone even BUY vanilla pudding? If it isn't chocolate, why even bother? Then, mix it with skim milk, which I strongly suspect was outdated, as I KNOW for a fact I have not picked up a quart for at least 2 weeks.
I can't stand this any more.
And then, when I asked what the mystery meat was (NO, I didn't put it that way, I was polite), she burst into tears.
I am going to jump off a bridge. I can't stand this much longer.
Someone HELP!!!
Where are my car keys??? I'm going to McDonalds.

Wednesday, April 19, 2006

Tonight's Menu

Salad. Very sad romaine lettuce.
Pork chop, hockey puck style. How can anyone consistently turn pork chops into hockey pucks?
Asparagus, approx. 1/3 in. chunks, muushy.
Someone kill me.
Oh, wait, that's what's happening now....

Monday, April 17, 2006

Thursday, April 13, 2006

Tonight's Menu

Cherry tomatoes, 6, with 1 tsp. blue cheese dressing, for dipping.
1 petrified pork chop
Chopped asparagus, boiled beyond recognition.

That's all.

Yes, that's all.

I'm going to Culver's.

Wednesday, April 12, 2006

Ha HA HA

Try this one--if George gets stuck, you can move him with the cursor.

http://www.planetdan.net/pics/misc/georgie.htm

Saturday, April 08, 2006

One of the Squirrels is Missing

I had a set of two cute little plastic squirrels (supposedly they look "realistic") who sit in the tulip bed at the base of my front yard flagpole. They came as a set. One crouches, looking cute, and the other sits on his hind legs, also looking cute.

The crouching squirrel is missing.

I can't imagine a burgler sneaking into my front yard by dark of night, and making off with one squirrel.

So, then, what happened to the crouching squirrel?

I have an idea--I think it's been kidnapped, no squirrel-napped. Carried off in the night, squirrel-napped by a band of wild squirrels and taken prisoner. I think if we conducted a search, we might find it tucked away in the hollow of a tree, wondering why the heck someone hasn't put out an Amber Alert for Squirrels on it's behalf. Or wondering how much ranson (in the form of walnuts) has been requested for it's return to the front yard tulip bed. It wonders why the sitting squirrel hasn't hired detectives to find it. Poor thing. I hope it's squirrel-nappers are kind to it.

I would like to make a public plea to the squirrel-nappers to return the crouching squirrel to the tuplip bed. I will NOT negotiate with terrorists. There are no walnuts here, I am a poor working midwife. Please, return the crouching squirrel to it's home.