Would you look at this?
(Yes, that's me standing by the Jeep)
Isn't she a beauty?
Thursday, July 03, 2008
She's BAAAAAAACK!!!!!
UPDATE: Total damages to the Jeep are right at $4700. Add to that two Doctor visits, 2-1/2 days missed work, 2 prescriptions, and 8 X-rays - - and that is just for ME! Then there is the person in front of me that I was pushed into . . . that guy's insurance company is NOT going to be happy!
Would you look at this?
(Yes, that's me standing by the Jeep)
Isn't she a beauty?
Would you look at this?
(Yes, that's me standing by the Jeep)
Isn't she a beauty?
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
Dad Update - Good News!
Dad and I went to his recheck appointment yesterday with his urologist. Doctor is VERY pleased with the way Dad is doing! The Flomax is doing its job, and there is no surgery being considered at this point in time. Dad doesn't have to come back for a recheck for six months. YAY DAD!
In other "Dad News" - - his second heart stent procedure is scheduled for Monday, July 14th. I will take him to Springfield for that, and it will require an overnight hospital stay; I will be back to pick him up the following afternoon (if he behaves, that is - - otherwise, I will tell him to walk!(Just kidding)
I'll keep you posted on how that goes, but we don't anticipate any problems.
AND another "Dad News" bit - - here is this 83-year-old man, who always says that as his age he doesn't even dare by green bananas . . . is going out today and buying a new car! He talked about it yesterday, and said he was just 'thinking' about it, but that he was in no rush, and didn't plan on doing anything for awile yet.
Well, apparently "a while yet" meant just overnight, because I got a call from him this morning that he had talked to his bank, made loan arrangements, and was getting ready to head to the car dealership this afternoon to try and finalize the deal.
*sigh*
What AM I going to do with that old man? WHAT?
Oh well - - I'm just glad he's happy and is able to do this. I'll post pictures of the car as soon as I can!
In other "Dad News" - - his second heart stent procedure is scheduled for Monday, July 14th. I will take him to Springfield for that, and it will require an overnight hospital stay; I will be back to pick him up the following afternoon (if he behaves, that is - - otherwise, I will tell him to walk!(Just kidding)
I'll keep you posted on how that goes, but we don't anticipate any problems.
AND another "Dad News" bit - - here is this 83-year-old man, who always says that as his age he doesn't even dare by green bananas . . . is going out today and buying a new car! He talked about it yesterday, and said he was just 'thinking' about it, but that he was in no rush, and didn't plan on doing anything for awile yet.
Well, apparently "a while yet" meant just overnight, because I got a call from him this morning that he had talked to his bank, made loan arrangements, and was getting ready to head to the car dealership this afternoon to try and finalize the deal.
*sigh*
What AM I going to do with that old man? WHAT?
Oh well - - I'm just glad he's happy and is able to do this. I'll post pictures of the car as soon as I can!
Monday, June 30, 2008
The Doctor Says . . .
I cannot believe the lack of respect I get.
From people who are supposed to be my FRIENDS, no less!
I went back to the Doctor today for the two-week recheck from the wreck I was involved in. The X-ray results were good, and I am having no residual aches or pains.
The Doctor said I was "back to normal" . . . and herein lies the problem . . .
Anybody I tell this to laughs at me. LAUGHS!!
One so-called friend told me I should get a second opinion on that . . .
*hmph*
FRIENDS, indeed!
(Actually, I can't deny deserving all this . . . I AM, after all, a BRAT!)
From people who are supposed to be my FRIENDS, no less!
I went back to the Doctor today for the two-week recheck from the wreck I was involved in. The X-ray results were good, and I am having no residual aches or pains.
The Doctor said I was "back to normal" . . . and herein lies the problem . . .
Anybody I tell this to laughs at me. LAUGHS!!
One so-called friend told me I should get a second opinion on that . . .
*hmph*
FRIENDS, indeed!
(Actually, I can't deny deserving all this . . . I AM, after all, a BRAT!)
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Kitty Belly!
Monday, June 23, 2008
Jeep Update
Took the Jeep to the body shop this morning. He will have it all this week and probably part of next week. He has already torn into it, and said that under all the exterior damage, he didn't find much more. That thing IS built like a tank! He said he feels it will be a "good fix" - - and knowing Butch, it will definitely look brand new by the time he is done with it! (And YES, I will post pictures!)
Until my Jeep baby is back home, I am at the mercy of friends and family to get where I need to go. Fortunately, a close friend at work drives right past my house on her way to work and back home every day, so I am able to hitch rides with her. Thank God for friends and family! Without them, this situation would be an even worse ordeal than it already is.
la-de-da-de-da
I am heartbroken. When I got home from work today and checked the mail, there were not any more envelopes from ambulance chasers! Fickle bastards . . . *heh*
la-de-da-de-da
But I DID get a mailing from the insurance company of the man who ran into me. The letter said that they had been trying to contact me by phone, but were not successful, and that it was imperative that I contact them IMMEDIATELY to discuss this claim.
Funny thing is, the date of the letter is the day AFTER I talked to the them - - and the letter is signed by the SAME PERSON I TALKED TO . . .
NOT a good sign! *sigh*
la-de-da-de-da
Keep you posted.
Until my Jeep baby is back home, I am at the mercy of friends and family to get where I need to go. Fortunately, a close friend at work drives right past my house on her way to work and back home every day, so I am able to hitch rides with her. Thank God for friends and family! Without them, this situation would be an even worse ordeal than it already is.
la-de-da-de-da
I am heartbroken. When I got home from work today and checked the mail, there were not any more envelopes from ambulance chasers! Fickle bastards . . . *heh*
la-de-da-de-da
But I DID get a mailing from the insurance company of the man who ran into me. The letter said that they had been trying to contact me by phone, but were not successful, and that it was imperative that I contact them IMMEDIATELY to discuss this claim.
Funny thing is, the date of the letter is the day AFTER I talked to the them - - and the letter is signed by the SAME PERSON I TALKED TO . . .
NOT a good sign! *sigh*
la-de-da-de-da
Keep you posted.
Friday, June 20, 2008
AND Now We Have the "Ambulance Chasers"...
Update 6/22/08: I just got the second offer of representation yesterday in the mail - - this time, from a local firm. It met the same fate as the previous one (namely, the dreaded SHREDDER!)
When I got home from work today, there was this large, bright fire-engine red envelope in the mail, addressed to me. It was from a Personal Injury law firm, wanting to represent me in my "case" against the guy who hit me. AND (get this!) they could do it for FREE!
Um, yeah. Let's see - - "Lawyers" and "Free" are NOT two words that you EVER find in the same sentence. NOT EVER.
So on top of the other asshats I'm having to deal with, there are the "ambulance chasers" attacking through the mail . . .
*sigh*
Keep ya posted.
When I got home from work today, there was this large, bright fire-engine red envelope in the mail, addressed to me. It was from a Personal Injury law firm, wanting to represent me in my "case" against the guy who hit me. AND (get this!) they could do it for FREE!
Um, yeah. Let's see - - "Lawyers" and "Free" are NOT two words that you EVER find in the same sentence. NOT EVER.
So on top of the other asshats I'm having to deal with, there are the "ambulance chasers" attacking through the mail . . .
*sigh*
Keep ya posted.
$3,200 - - So Far!
Initial estimate on repairs to the Jeep have come in at $3,200. However, both the claims adjustor and the body shop guy have said that once they get the bumpers and fenders off, they know they will find more, so the claims guy has already said he will have to go out there and do an additional estimate.
I missed work Monday and Tuesday, Monday not only because of paperwork and Doctor/Hospital visits, but because I was feeling so crappy. Tuesday I felt even worse, so I stayed home. Wednesday I came to work, but had to come home at lunchtime for the rest of the day because I started feeling so bad. FINALLY, on Thursday, I felt clear-headed for the first time since the wreck. And today (Friday) is a little better still.
L-O-N-G, S-L-O-W process . . . *sigh*
IN OTHER NEWS - -
The insurance company of the guy who hit me has called me twice so far, and the guy yesterday wanted to "settle" on my medical claims. I said no. He told me the amount he was willing to offer. I said no. He offered to have an open-ended deal for all of (get this!) 30 days. I said NO. I am NOT settling. I don't know if I will have problems after 30 days, and if I do, then I have lost out. I want to make sure I am well and healthy. Period.
My Jeep goes into the body shop on Monday, and the healing process will begin for it also. It's going to take a week or two, but Butch promises that it will be good as new, and I believe him. He does AWESOME work, and I know he will be true to his word. Can't wait to have my baby back all bright and shiny again!
The guy who was in front of me that I got pushed into in the wreck has called me at home (WTF?) and told me that he had been "talking to a buddy at work" who told him that since I was the one who hit him, I was partially responsible for his damages! Excuse me, asshole - - I didn't hit you because I wanted to, I was PUSHED INTO YOU. You want to state your case, call my insurance agent. Do not call me at home. Ever again. Period. Leave me the hell alone. (Jerk)
Keep ya posted.
I missed work Monday and Tuesday, Monday not only because of paperwork and Doctor/Hospital visits, but because I was feeling so crappy. Tuesday I felt even worse, so I stayed home. Wednesday I came to work, but had to come home at lunchtime for the rest of the day because I started feeling so bad. FINALLY, on Thursday, I felt clear-headed for the first time since the wreck. And today (Friday) is a little better still.
L-O-N-G, S-L-O-W process . . . *sigh*
IN OTHER NEWS - -
The insurance company of the guy who hit me has called me twice so far, and the guy yesterday wanted to "settle" on my medical claims. I said no. He told me the amount he was willing to offer. I said no. He offered to have an open-ended deal for all of (get this!) 30 days. I said NO. I am NOT settling. I don't know if I will have problems after 30 days, and if I do, then I have lost out. I want to make sure I am well and healthy. Period.
My Jeep goes into the body shop on Monday, and the healing process will begin for it also. It's going to take a week or two, but Butch promises that it will be good as new, and I believe him. He does AWESOME work, and I know he will be true to his word. Can't wait to have my baby back all bright and shiny again!
The guy who was in front of me that I got pushed into in the wreck has called me at home (WTF?) and told me that he had been "talking to a buddy at work" who told him that since I was the one who hit him, I was partially responsible for his damages! Excuse me, asshole - - I didn't hit you because I wanted to, I was PUSHED INTO YOU. You want to state your case, call my insurance agent. Do not call me at home. Ever again. Period. Leave me the hell alone. (Jerk)
Keep ya posted.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Look At This!
Remember my little cherry tree? The one I blogged about here, and how happy I was that it had actually seemed to recover from the 2006 Ice storm?
WELL - - LOOK AT THIS:
I went outside for a quick walk this morning to try and get some of the "wreck" stiffness out of my body, when I noticed a couple of the branches had quite a few ripe cherries on them. I hurried back inside to get a plastic bag, and picked the ones I could reach.
The other branch is way too high, and will take a ladder to reach the fruit. But, I don't think I can handle a ladder right now, with the pain I'm experiencing and the meds I'm on. So they will have to wait until Dear Hubby Steve gets home.
There may not be enough cherries to make my Daddy a whole cherry pie, but I bet there will be enough to make him a nice cobbler or crisp - - This is what I've been waiting for ever since we moved here!
Later today I will get them pitted and put in a freezer bag, and hopefully be able to add to them as more of the fruit ripens. Can't wait to start baking!
WELL - - LOOK AT THIS:
I went outside for a quick walk this morning to try and get some of the "wreck" stiffness out of my body, when I noticed a couple of the branches had quite a few ripe cherries on them. I hurried back inside to get a plastic bag, and picked the ones I could reach.
The other branch is way too high, and will take a ladder to reach the fruit. But, I don't think I can handle a ladder right now, with the pain I'm experiencing and the meds I'm on. So they will have to wait until Dear Hubby Steve gets home.
There may not be enough cherries to make my Daddy a whole cherry pie, but I bet there will be enough to make him a nice cobbler or crisp - - This is what I've been waiting for ever since we moved here!
Later today I will get them pitted and put in a freezer bag, and hopefully be able to add to them as more of the fruit ripens. Can't wait to start baking!
Monday, June 16, 2008
L-O-N-G, S-L-O-W Process
This morning I decided to forego taking the Extra Strength Tylenol, just to make sure that I really WAS starting to feel better, and that the pills weren't masking any sort of problem. Well, by 7:30 AM I was in quite a bit of pain, so decided to get ready and go by my Doctor's office to speak to someone and get some advice.
I talked to the nurse and filled her in what happened. When she spoke to the Doctor, he wanted me put in a room immediately and wanted to see me. I felt pretty bad about this, because he had a waiting room full of people, and more on a list hoping to get in to see him today. But they insisted. *sigh* Okay - - on with the sexy backless gown (those things are DRAFTY!) and I settled in to wait.
He didn't keep me waiting very long. In fact, this was probably the quickest Doctor visit ever! He was very concerned about whiplash, checked me all out, and prescribed a prescription-strength does of ibuprofen and a muscle relaxant (which, by the way, is a pretty good one!). I go back in two weeks for a recheck.
He then sent me across the street to the hospital for X-rays. I again settled in, figuring it would be a LONG wait, but again was pleasantly surprised - - I was in and out of that hospital in 45 minutes! They took quite a few X-rays of my head, neck and shoulders, at all different angles. Hopefully they will show no injuries. I will find out when I go back for my recheck.
Then after dropping my prescriptions off at Walgreens, it was on to the insurance agent. They started the claim paperwork quickly, got an adjuster on the phone to talk to me, and things are moving pretty quickly and smoothly - - at least at THIS point. My body shop man will be back from vacation at the end of the week; by that time, I should have the estimate in hand and can get it and the Jeep to him to start the repair process.
THAT is when the fun will begin - - thanks to the guy who decided to use ME AND MY JEEP to stop his van, I will be put through a lot of inconvenience! I know I shouldn't be feeling angry, but - - DAMMIT! I know, it could have been much, much worse. At least I'm home, and not badly injured. But DAMMIT! Oh well . . .
Anyway, I will keep updating as things happen.
I talked to the nurse and filled her in what happened. When she spoke to the Doctor, he wanted me put in a room immediately and wanted to see me. I felt pretty bad about this, because he had a waiting room full of people, and more on a list hoping to get in to see him today. But they insisted. *sigh* Okay - - on with the sexy backless gown (those things are DRAFTY!) and I settled in to wait.
He didn't keep me waiting very long. In fact, this was probably the quickest Doctor visit ever! He was very concerned about whiplash, checked me all out, and prescribed a prescription-strength does of ibuprofen and a muscle relaxant (which, by the way, is a pretty good one!). I go back in two weeks for a recheck.
He then sent me across the street to the hospital for X-rays. I again settled in, figuring it would be a LONG wait, but again was pleasantly surprised - - I was in and out of that hospital in 45 minutes! They took quite a few X-rays of my head, neck and shoulders, at all different angles. Hopefully they will show no injuries. I will find out when I go back for my recheck.
Then after dropping my prescriptions off at Walgreens, it was on to the insurance agent. They started the claim paperwork quickly, got an adjuster on the phone to talk to me, and things are moving pretty quickly and smoothly - - at least at THIS point. My body shop man will be back from vacation at the end of the week; by that time, I should have the estimate in hand and can get it and the Jeep to him to start the repair process.
THAT is when the fun will begin - - thanks to the guy who decided to use ME AND MY JEEP to stop his van, I will be put through a lot of inconvenience! I know I shouldn't be feeling angry, but - - DAMMIT! I know, it could have been much, much worse. At least I'm home, and not badly injured. But DAMMIT! Oh well . . .
Anyway, I will keep updating as things happen.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
A Bad, Bad Day
Update (Sunday, 6/15/08): I am kind of stiff and sore, but not near as much as I thought I would be. TOMORROW, however, will probably be another story. I am taking the day off work to go see my insurance agent, talk to the body shop guy, and also plan on calling my Doctor to let him know what happened. I will check with him to see if he recommends my getting X-rays taken, on the off-chance whiplash symptoms appear later on down the road - - I don't think that will happen, but will go by what he says.
THIS is what happens when you are the middle part of a three-vehicle accident.
I'm fine, my passenger is fine, and so are the drivers of the other two vehicles. I was able to drive my poor Jeep home, albeit SLOWLY, and the person in front of me was also. The person behind me who started this whole chain reaction, however, was not so well off. I believe his minivan is totaled. He really hit me hard.
I will explain in more detail later - - but right now I have a date with a bottle of Extra Strength Tylenol and a nice comfy bed.
I am NOT looking forward to how my body will be feeling tomorrow!
THIS is what happens when you are the middle part of a three-vehicle accident.
I'm fine, my passenger is fine, and so are the drivers of the other two vehicles. I was able to drive my poor Jeep home, albeit SLOWLY, and the person in front of me was also. The person behind me who started this whole chain reaction, however, was not so well off. I believe his minivan is totaled. He really hit me hard.
I will explain in more detail later - - but right now I have a date with a bottle of Extra Strength Tylenol and a nice comfy bed.
I am NOT looking forward to how my body will be feeling tomorrow!
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Finally Fixed!
Well, Dish Network finally restored some of my faith in them.
The service guy, who was scheduled to come out "sometime" between 12 Noon and 5 PM, called me at 11:15 AM, apologized for running early (yes, he did!), and asked if there was any way he could come right then instead of waiting until the afternoon.
Oh hell yeah! I'll be right there!
I got home, and he was already waiting in the drive for me. (I'm glad I work at a College with a lot of "diverse" individuals - - this man was covered in tattoos and some piercings, but hey, as long as he can do the job, that's all that matters!)
I showed him to the bad receiver, and he went to work. He checked the phone jack and phone line, and decided to try replacing the phone jack, just in case. That didn't work. So he went out to the truck and got a different receiver and replaced that.
That didn't work either.
WTF?
So he did some more checking, and just on a hunch, he also replaced the phone line, so that all three things were new. THAT worked!
Apparently, when the lightning hit, it not only messed up the receiver, it also messed up the phone line. Once they were BOTH replaced, things worked again.
That young man was there working on things for 2 hours. He was nice, polite, and did a very good job. AND (points for him) he likes animals, and my shy-girl Squeak decided she adored him. She would NOT leave him alone!
SO once again, Dish Network has redeemed themselves. I guess if they had sent the new receiver and we had hooked it up, we still would have had problems since the phone line had been knocked out also.
When we decided to swtich from Cable to Satellite, we did a lot of research on the providers in our area, and decided to go with Dish Network. We have had Dish for just over three years now, and they have always been very good with us.
I guess maybe we should not have been so upset when they decided to send someone out. It was just that on top of all the other things we have been dealing with, it was just one more obstacle to get through. But it worked out very well, and I would still highly recommend them to anyone considering Satellite TV.
Just one more happy ending! :-)
The service guy, who was scheduled to come out "sometime" between 12 Noon and 5 PM, called me at 11:15 AM, apologized for running early (yes, he did!), and asked if there was any way he could come right then instead of waiting until the afternoon.
Oh hell yeah! I'll be right there!
I got home, and he was already waiting in the drive for me. (I'm glad I work at a College with a lot of "diverse" individuals - - this man was covered in tattoos and some piercings, but hey, as long as he can do the job, that's all that matters!)
I showed him to the bad receiver, and he went to work. He checked the phone jack and phone line, and decided to try replacing the phone jack, just in case. That didn't work. So he went out to the truck and got a different receiver and replaced that.
That didn't work either.
WTF?
So he did some more checking, and just on a hunch, he also replaced the phone line, so that all three things were new. THAT worked!
Apparently, when the lightning hit, it not only messed up the receiver, it also messed up the phone line. Once they were BOTH replaced, things worked again.
That young man was there working on things for 2 hours. He was nice, polite, and did a very good job. AND (points for him) he likes animals, and my shy-girl Squeak decided she adored him. She would NOT leave him alone!
SO once again, Dish Network has redeemed themselves. I guess if they had sent the new receiver and we had hooked it up, we still would have had problems since the phone line had been knocked out also.
When we decided to swtich from Cable to Satellite, we did a lot of research on the providers in our area, and decided to go with Dish Network. We have had Dish for just over three years now, and they have always been very good with us.
I guess maybe we should not have been so upset when they decided to send someone out. It was just that on top of all the other things we have been dealing with, it was just one more obstacle to get through. But it worked out very well, and I would still highly recommend them to anyone considering Satellite TV.
Just one more happy ending! :-)
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Dish Network Update
Well, apparently Dish Network isn't going to take our word for the fact that lightning hit the receiver. They are sending someone out on Wednesday afternoon to "verify" the problem, before they replace the receiver.
What-EVER . . just FIX the damn thing so that Dish doesn't charge me more because the updates are not being received! (Yes, that is what happens - - if, for some reason your receiver can't receive the updates, they charge you an extra fee per month.)(I know, I know - - it doesn't make any sense to ME, either!)
I'll keep ya posted . . .
*sigh*
What-EVER . . just FIX the damn thing so that Dish doesn't charge me more because the updates are not being received! (Yes, that is what happens - - if, for some reason your receiver can't receive the updates, they charge you an extra fee per month.)(I know, I know - - it doesn't make any sense to ME, either!)
I'll keep ya posted . . .
*sigh*
Monday, June 09, 2008
Catch-up - FINALLY!
Things have been really SCREWY since my last post, and the majority of it has to do with bitchy MOTHER NATURE. Let me explain:
In the past week, we have had major thunderstorms, deadly lightning, tornadoes, major straight-line winds . . . all the good stuff that Mother Nature saved up and decided to give to us ALL IN THE SAME DAMN WEEK.
Gee, thanks, Mom. You shouldn't have. REALLY.
Early last week I was awakened during an early morning thunderstorm with a bright blue flash that seemed to come from inside the bedroom, along with a very loud "SNAP!" sound. I looked around, but did not see anything damaged, so I went investigating through the house . . . nothing noticeable.
I went and took my shower, and then decided to call Steve to let him know what had happened, so he could check things further when he got home.
The phone was dead. As a doornail. So I figured (naturally) that the blue flash I had seen was the phone line being zapped by lightning. Steve got home that night and checked the junction box outside the house - - the main line had a dial tone outside, so the problem was inside the house. No problem - - we have paid AT&T Linebacker for years, so they will come in and fix it for no charge; however, they are not able to get to it until MONDAY, JUNE 9th.
*sheesh* That's a whole week away!
That evening, we checked the computers, and we had no Internet access either. Now we got a little worried, because the computers are only a month old - - but we were finally able to determine that the problem was on our Wireless provider's end, due to storm damage. So we were without Internet connection for 2 days.
THEN - - the brand new printer, which unfortunately had not acted quite right ever since we got it, decided to quit altogether. Dead. As a doornail. *sigh* Here we go again . . . Steve got on the phone with HP Tech Support the next day, and spent almost an hour on the phone with the Tech guy. NOTHING the guy asked Steve to try worked. So the upshot is - - they are sending us a brand new printer as a product exchange. It should be in this week.
Keep in mind that during this whole time, we are having severe storms and heavy rains on a regular (read: DAILY) basis. In fact, last week we had right at 9 inches of rain. That's not a typo - - I said NINE.INCHES.OF RAIN. IN A WEEK. Everything around our area is flooded. There were some streets in the city that had water standing higher than I have EVER seen, to the point that even the very high-profile vehicles were getting stalled out and stranded in the standing water. Very, very scary.
And the rain KEEPS coming down . . . in fact, we are expecting between 1-3 inches additional rain today.
Anyway - - back to the phone problem . . . today the AT&T guy calls and I meet him at the house. He checks the junction box outside, and everything is cool. He comes in to check the inside wires, and also asks if we have any satellite receivers hooked up to the phone line. I said I wasn't sure (I don't usually handle that stuff - - that's Steve's thing), and he said if so, that could be causing the problem, that he had seen that many times before. But first he headed down to the basement to check the wires.
When he got that done, he came upstairs, pointed to the far northwest end of the house and said, "What is in the room right back there?" I said it was the Master bedroom. He went back there to check the phone jack, which worked fine. BUT - - the phone line was connected to a satellite receiver in the bedroom. He unplugged the phone line from the receiver and plugged in his diagnostic equipment . . . and there was the problem.
Apparently, that bright blue flash I had seen that morning was from the receiver being hit by lightning running through the phone line, and even though my back was turned to the receiver, it reflected brightly in my dresser mirror. The receiver would still work and receive satellite signal so that we could watch TV, but the satellite sends updates to the receiver via the phone line. When it doesn't connect, it keeps trying to redial, and the phone line is in a constant busy state.
Once the guy unplugged the receiver, I plugged our phone back into the main jack, and "voila!" - - the phones work again!
SO - - Dear Hubby Steve has to call Dish Network tonight after he gets home and get a new receiver. They will send one out, and we will have it in a day or two, and we will send the damaged one back.
And hopefully this is the END of this ordeal - - it's been exhausting!
On top of all this, it's my busy time at work, and I have been working evenings and weekends presenting orientation sessions for new online students. Also, my boss is out of town this week, so that means double-duty for me right now.
I think I'm looking at needing some serious ROR time in the very near future!
In the past week, we have had major thunderstorms, deadly lightning, tornadoes, major straight-line winds . . . all the good stuff that Mother Nature saved up and decided to give to us ALL IN THE SAME DAMN WEEK.
Gee, thanks, Mom. You shouldn't have. REALLY.
Early last week I was awakened during an early morning thunderstorm with a bright blue flash that seemed to come from inside the bedroom, along with a very loud "SNAP!" sound. I looked around, but did not see anything damaged, so I went investigating through the house . . . nothing noticeable.
I went and took my shower, and then decided to call Steve to let him know what had happened, so he could check things further when he got home.
The phone was dead. As a doornail. So I figured (naturally) that the blue flash I had seen was the phone line being zapped by lightning. Steve got home that night and checked the junction box outside the house - - the main line had a dial tone outside, so the problem was inside the house. No problem - - we have paid AT&T Linebacker for years, so they will come in and fix it for no charge; however, they are not able to get to it until MONDAY, JUNE 9th.
*sheesh* That's a whole week away!
That evening, we checked the computers, and we had no Internet access either. Now we got a little worried, because the computers are only a month old - - but we were finally able to determine that the problem was on our Wireless provider's end, due to storm damage. So we were without Internet connection for 2 days.
THEN - - the brand new printer, which unfortunately had not acted quite right ever since we got it, decided to quit altogether. Dead. As a doornail. *sigh* Here we go again . . . Steve got on the phone with HP Tech Support the next day, and spent almost an hour on the phone with the Tech guy. NOTHING the guy asked Steve to try worked. So the upshot is - - they are sending us a brand new printer as a product exchange. It should be in this week.
Keep in mind that during this whole time, we are having severe storms and heavy rains on a regular (read: DAILY) basis. In fact, last week we had right at 9 inches of rain. That's not a typo - - I said NINE.INCHES.OF RAIN. IN A WEEK. Everything around our area is flooded. There were some streets in the city that had water standing higher than I have EVER seen, to the point that even the very high-profile vehicles were getting stalled out and stranded in the standing water. Very, very scary.
And the rain KEEPS coming down . . . in fact, we are expecting between 1-3 inches additional rain today.
Anyway - - back to the phone problem . . . today the AT&T guy calls and I meet him at the house. He checks the junction box outside, and everything is cool. He comes in to check the inside wires, and also asks if we have any satellite receivers hooked up to the phone line. I said I wasn't sure (I don't usually handle that stuff - - that's Steve's thing), and he said if so, that could be causing the problem, that he had seen that many times before. But first he headed down to the basement to check the wires.
When he got that done, he came upstairs, pointed to the far northwest end of the house and said, "What is in the room right back there?" I said it was the Master bedroom. He went back there to check the phone jack, which worked fine. BUT - - the phone line was connected to a satellite receiver in the bedroom. He unplugged the phone line from the receiver and plugged in his diagnostic equipment . . . and there was the problem.
Apparently, that bright blue flash I had seen that morning was from the receiver being hit by lightning running through the phone line, and even though my back was turned to the receiver, it reflected brightly in my dresser mirror. The receiver would still work and receive satellite signal so that we could watch TV, but the satellite sends updates to the receiver via the phone line. When it doesn't connect, it keeps trying to redial, and the phone line is in a constant busy state.
Once the guy unplugged the receiver, I plugged our phone back into the main jack, and "voila!" - - the phones work again!
SO - - Dear Hubby Steve has to call Dish Network tonight after he gets home and get a new receiver. They will send one out, and we will have it in a day or two, and we will send the damaged one back.
And hopefully this is the END of this ordeal - - it's been exhausting!
On top of all this, it's my busy time at work, and I have been working evenings and weekends presenting orientation sessions for new online students. Also, my boss is out of town this week, so that means double-duty for me right now.
I think I'm looking at needing some serious ROR time in the very near future!
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Busy, BUSY Day . . .
We moved Dad back to his own home today. He was so excited!
I had to work this morning, proctoring an ACT test for a student. That took care of my entire morning. While I was doing that, Dear Hubby and Dad packed up all Dad's "stuff" and moved it to his house. When I was finished working, I packed up all the groceries I had bought for Dad and brought them to his house and got them all put away. Then Dear Hubby fixed Dad's doorbell, front door lock and back door (which wasn't shutting right). We then headed on back home, leaving Dad smiling and waving from his OWN FRONT PORCH, looking very, very content and happy.
Not exactly the way I planned on spending my Wedding Anniversary, but at least we got the old dear back to his own home.
Yes, that's right - - today is our Wedding Anniversary. Twenty-two years today!
So even though it's been a busy, hectic day, I'm just happy. I'm with the love of my life - - my soulmate - - my life partner. That's all that matters!
Happy Anniversary, Steve. I love you more and more every day!
I had to work this morning, proctoring an ACT test for a student. That took care of my entire morning. While I was doing that, Dear Hubby and Dad packed up all Dad's "stuff" and moved it to his house. When I was finished working, I packed up all the groceries I had bought for Dad and brought them to his house and got them all put away. Then Dear Hubby fixed Dad's doorbell, front door lock and back door (which wasn't shutting right). We then headed on back home, leaving Dad smiling and waving from his OWN FRONT PORCH, looking very, very content and happy.
Not exactly the way I planned on spending my Wedding Anniversary, but at least we got the old dear back to his own home.
Yes, that's right - - today is our Wedding Anniversary. Twenty-two years today!
So even though it's been a busy, hectic day, I'm just happy. I'm with the love of my life - - my soulmate - - my life partner. That's all that matters!
Happy Anniversary, Steve. I love you more and more every day!
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
YAY DAD!!!
The Vac dressing machine worked! Dad's incision is now completely healed (except for one little spot that he just needs to use a bandaid on), and Saturday we are moving him back to his own home.
He is so damned excited, I'm not sure if he will be able to sleep tonight!
YAY FOR MY DAD!!!
He is so damned excited, I'm not sure if he will be able to sleep tonight!
YAY FOR MY DAD!!!
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Keep Your Fingers Crossed . . .
The new VAC dressing Dad has been wearing for over 2 weeks is working!
The Home Health Care nurse comes to change the dressing every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. The last 2 times she has been here, she has said the incision is almost totally healed up!
Dad has a recheck with the Doctor next Wednesday, and we hope he will say that Dad is healed up enough to be released. If that is the case, Dad will be going home next weekend.
It's been good having him here and being able to spend time with the old guy, although it has been pretty hectic as well . . . extra time to spend in the mornings getting things done, extra meals to fix, extra laundry . . . but he is a very easy houseguest to have here, and Steve and I have both enjoyed it.
Speaking of my Dear Hubby Steve - - I am a very lucky woman. I have a husband who truly loves and respects my father, and treats him as if he is a part of his own family. I could not have gotten through this whole situation as well without him. I owe him BIG TIME for everything he has done. I love you lots, babe. I truly do.
Let's keep our fingers crossed for good news on Wednesday - - Dad is so anxious to finally go home to his own "space" - - but this house will seem pretty empty when he does.
The Home Health Care nurse comes to change the dressing every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. The last 2 times she has been here, she has said the incision is almost totally healed up!
Dad has a recheck with the Doctor next Wednesday, and we hope he will say that Dad is healed up enough to be released. If that is the case, Dad will be going home next weekend.
It's been good having him here and being able to spend time with the old guy, although it has been pretty hectic as well . . . extra time to spend in the mornings getting things done, extra meals to fix, extra laundry . . . but he is a very easy houseguest to have here, and Steve and I have both enjoyed it.
Speaking of my Dear Hubby Steve - - I am a very lucky woman. I have a husband who truly loves and respects my father, and treats him as if he is a part of his own family. I could not have gotten through this whole situation as well without him. I owe him BIG TIME for everything he has done. I love you lots, babe. I truly do.
Let's keep our fingers crossed for good news on Wednesday - - Dad is so anxious to finally go home to his own "space" - - but this house will seem pretty empty when he does.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Monday, May 05, 2008
I'm Back!
My new computer just got set up and running this evening, and it's GREAT!
It's gonna be a tough week, getting everything reloaded and configured, but at least I'm BACK!!!!!
It's gonna be a tough week, getting everything reloaded and configured, but at least I'm BACK!!!!!
Friday, May 02, 2008
Quick Update
I probably won't be back online full time until early next week. Ran into a slight "glitch" with the new computer and the OLD printer, which required me ordering a card to install so the old printer can be plugged in. We are not feeling like setting everything up and then having to tear it all down in a couple of days to install the new part.
So I'm waiting - - patiently - - (heh).
But for now, I need to get off Hubby's computer so he can finish up his stuff, and so Dad can get some online time to check his e-mail. Having three people share one computer is NOT fun . . . but it will be over soon. It will. I hope . . .
So I'm waiting - - patiently - - (heh).
But for now, I need to get off Hubby's computer so he can finish up his stuff, and so Dad can get some online time to check his e-mail. Having three people share one computer is NOT fun . . . but it will be over soon. It will. I hope . . .
Thursday, May 01, 2008
It's here!
My new computer arrived today! Hooray!!!!!
We probably won't have everything up and running until this weekend, but at least there is a light at the end of the tunnel now!
Hopefully I will be back on and posting again soon, because I have LOTS to talk about and no way of taking the time to work on them.
Be back soon!
We probably won't have everything up and running until this weekend, but at least there is a light at the end of the tunnel now!
Hopefully I will be back on and posting again soon, because I have LOTS to talk about and no way of taking the time to work on them.
Be back soon!
Monday, April 28, 2008
AAARRRGGGHHH!!!
Posting is going to be WAY spotty for a little while - - my computer crashed and burned yesterday afternoon!
I was working on it yesterday morning. Everything was going just fine and dandy. I then took a break and made myself a bite of lunch. When I came back, I saw a black screen with two lines of white text:
"Internal Error -
Press any key to reboot . . . "
So I did. Press any key, that is.
The hard drive said, "click - click - click" . . .
I tried it again. Same result - - "click - click - click" . . .
Damn.
BUT - - thanks to my Dell Employee Purchase Program through work, I'm getting a very good deal on a new computer system. A REAL good deal! I will hopefully have it soon and be up and running again soon.
But when I think of all the software loading I will need to do - - and try to recover a lot of my browser bookmarks, and trying to recover some of my files from my old computer (with the help of my College Tech Support buddies - - THANK GOD FOR THEM!) - - I just get tired. It's gonna be a LONG process, but worth it in the end.
So please be patient, and I'll be back on as soon as I can!
I was working on it yesterday morning. Everything was going just fine and dandy. I then took a break and made myself a bite of lunch. When I came back, I saw a black screen with two lines of white text:
"Internal Error -
Press any key to reboot . . . "
So I did. Press any key, that is.
The hard drive said, "click - click - click" . . .
I tried it again. Same result - - "click - click - click" . . .
Damn.
BUT - - thanks to my Dell Employee Purchase Program through work, I'm getting a very good deal on a new computer system. A REAL good deal! I will hopefully have it soon and be up and running again soon.
But when I think of all the software loading I will need to do - - and try to recover a lot of my browser bookmarks, and trying to recover some of my files from my old computer (with the help of my College Tech Support buddies - - THANK GOD FOR THEM!) - - I just get tired. It's gonna be a LONG process, but worth it in the end.
So please be patient, and I'll be back on as soon as I can!
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Why I Like Spring In Illinois
It's finally getting to look like Spring!
All the little wildflowers are popping up all over the yard:
My Lilac bushes have TONS of buds on them this year!
But best of all - -
My poor little cherry tree, which was nearly totally destroyed by the November 2006 Ice Storm, to the point where I told Dear Hubby Steve that this Spring it would need to be cut down (a la George Washington? hee.) . . .
WELLLLLLL - -
LOOK at this little fighter!
The branches that are left are brimming with blossoms!
Heh. I may get a pie out of that tree yet!
All the little wildflowers are popping up all over the yard:
My Lilac bushes have TONS of buds on them this year!
But best of all - -
My poor little cherry tree, which was nearly totally destroyed by the November 2006 Ice Storm, to the point where I told Dear Hubby Steve that this Spring it would need to be cut down (a la George Washington? hee.) . . .
WELLLLLLL - -
LOOK at this little fighter!
The branches that are left are brimming with blossoms!
Heh. I may get a pie out of that tree yet!
Friday, April 25, 2008
RATS!
Well, there was good AND bad news at the Doctor's office today.
The good news is, 2 of his incisions are completely healed and looking great!
The bad news is - - the problem incision is still not healing as well as the Doctor would like.
He has ordered another type of dressing to be put on the spot, and Home Health Care will still be coming out daily to change it.
Dad really had his hopes up about going home this weekend, but I just had a feeling it would not be quite this soon. We had a pretty big discussion about it last night, and he pretty much had his head set that he was going to go home, PERIOD.
Well, unfortunately not . . . at least not yet. But soon.
The Doctor wants to see him back on Wednesday, and then again 2 weeks from today. We are all hopeful that Dad will be released in 2 weeks and finally be able to get back home.
We are all keeping our fingers crossed!
The good news is, 2 of his incisions are completely healed and looking great!
The bad news is - - the problem incision is still not healing as well as the Doctor would like.
He has ordered another type of dressing to be put on the spot, and Home Health Care will still be coming out daily to change it.
Dad really had his hopes up about going home this weekend, but I just had a feeling it would not be quite this soon. We had a pretty big discussion about it last night, and he pretty much had his head set that he was going to go home, PERIOD.
Well, unfortunately not . . . at least not yet. But soon.
The Doctor wants to see him back on Wednesday, and then again 2 weeks from today. We are all hopeful that Dad will be released in 2 weeks and finally be able to get back home.
We are all keeping our fingers crossed!
We're Off To the Doctor
This has been a pretty rough week.
Last Friday at Dad's Doctor appointment, everything is looking really well!
Except . . . (yes, there is ALWAYS an "except", isn't there?) . . . one of Dad's incisions has a place on it that is not healing the way it should. This is pretty serious, not only because of the risk of infection, but the spot that is not healing is directly above the graft they placed in his groin area to shuttle blood flow to his right leg. If the incision separates and the graft is exposed, it will have to be removed. Yes, that means more surgery.
So - - instead of getting released and hopefully going home, as he was hoping for, he has been with us another week, with Home Health Care nurses coming daily to change a special hydrogel dressing to promote healing. Plus another week of antibiotics to prevent infection.
Today we go back to the Doctor for another check on the incision. Dad has already informed me that he wants to go home this weekend to stay. I'm all for it, because I know he wants it so badly, but - - I am very insistent that the incision be completely healed FIRST. So we may be butting heads a little bit over this one.
I DO understand how he feels! If I were somewhere other than my own home for a length of time, I would be damn anxious to get back to my own space! He's been away from his home for over six weeks now, only going back 1-2 times for a short while to pick up extra clothing or mail. He wants to go HOME. He wants to go NOW.
I understand. I GET IT.
But I WANT HIM HEALED TO PREVENT A FUTURE PROBLEM.
*sigh*
I hope we can both get our wish today.
Last Friday at Dad's Doctor appointment, everything is looking really well!
Except . . . (yes, there is ALWAYS an "except", isn't there?) . . . one of Dad's incisions has a place on it that is not healing the way it should. This is pretty serious, not only because of the risk of infection, but the spot that is not healing is directly above the graft they placed in his groin area to shuttle blood flow to his right leg. If the incision separates and the graft is exposed, it will have to be removed. Yes, that means more surgery.
So - - instead of getting released and hopefully going home, as he was hoping for, he has been with us another week, with Home Health Care nurses coming daily to change a special hydrogel dressing to promote healing. Plus another week of antibiotics to prevent infection.
Today we go back to the Doctor for another check on the incision. Dad has already informed me that he wants to go home this weekend to stay. I'm all for it, because I know he wants it so badly, but - - I am very insistent that the incision be completely healed FIRST. So we may be butting heads a little bit over this one.
I DO understand how he feels! If I were somewhere other than my own home for a length of time, I would be damn anxious to get back to my own space! He's been away from his home for over six weeks now, only going back 1-2 times for a short while to pick up extra clothing or mail. He wants to go HOME. He wants to go NOW.
I understand. I GET IT.
But I WANT HIM HEALED TO PREVENT A FUTURE PROBLEM.
*sigh*
I hope we can both get our wish today.
Friday, April 18, 2008
A VERY Rude Awakening!
This morning, shortly after 4:30 AM, I hear the closet door rattling, and Steve coming down the hall before leaving work. I sit up in bed and realize it's shaking also. Steve comes in the bedroom doorway, stops, looks at the closet door, and then flips on the overhead light (ouch!). He sees both cats laying on the foot of the bed, and me sitting up in bed, all three of us blinking in the sudden bright light.
He said, "I thought one of the cats was stuck in the closet and was pawing the door."
I said, "They are both right here."
He just looked at the closet, and then the cats and me.
I said, "It's called an earthquake."
He said, "........"
I said, "The bed is shaking, too."
He said, "It must be an earthquake!"
*sigh*
Thank you, Steve. I didn't realize that.
Yes, there was an earthquake in Illinois today! The epicenter was about 6 miles east of West Salem, which is located about 120 miles southeast of Decatur, and about 120 miles due east of St. Louis. The magnitude was 5.4, and they even felt skyscrapers sway in Chicago from the shock. It rattled our windows and the closet door and our beds (and a couple of cats also!), but no damage in our area. There was an aftershock around 10:30 this morning, but nothign major.
So Mother Nature provided me with a natural alarm clock this morning! Unfortunately, I have the day off and did NOT need one, especially that early!
Oh well . . .
He said, "I thought one of the cats was stuck in the closet and was pawing the door."
I said, "They are both right here."
He just looked at the closet, and then the cats and me.
I said, "It's called an earthquake."
He said, "........"
I said, "The bed is shaking, too."
He said, "It must be an earthquake!"
*sigh*
Thank you, Steve. I didn't realize that.
Yes, there was an earthquake in Illinois today! The epicenter was about 6 miles east of West Salem, which is located about 120 miles southeast of Decatur, and about 120 miles due east of St. Louis. The magnitude was 5.4, and they even felt skyscrapers sway in Chicago from the shock. It rattled our windows and the closet door and our beds (and a couple of cats also!), but no damage in our area. There was an aftershock around 10:30 this morning, but nothign major.
So Mother Nature provided me with a natural alarm clock this morning! Unfortunately, I have the day off and did NOT need one, especially that early!
Oh well . . .
Thursday, April 17, 2008
A Reunion (of sorts)
Were you popular in high school? Well, I wasn't. There were not a lot of people I hung around with at my school, and after Graduation I moved away and haven't spent a whole helluva lot of time in my home town. Oh sure, I go back to visit family and such, and I do make sure to go to every one of my class reunions, but that's about it.
I think that has changed.
There is a group of former classmates who have been meeting for dinner once a month for quite a while. I happened to see one of them at the Mall a couple of weeks ago, and she mentioned this and asked if I would like to join in. Well, I said yes, but was still pretty unsure; as I said, I was NOT popular in high school, didn't run with the crowd, and even thought it's been over THIRTY-FIVE YEARS, those things tend to stick with you. But I said yes anyway.
Tonight was the first dinner that I went to - - and I must say, I had a wonderful time! The conversation was lively, we were able to catch up on some things, and it really was fun. In fact, I'm looking forward to next month's dinner.
It's amazing how much can change over the years . . .
I think that has changed.
There is a group of former classmates who have been meeting for dinner once a month for quite a while. I happened to see one of them at the Mall a couple of weeks ago, and she mentioned this and asked if I would like to join in. Well, I said yes, but was still pretty unsure; as I said, I was NOT popular in high school, didn't run with the crowd, and even thought it's been over THIRTY-FIVE YEARS, those things tend to stick with you. But I said yes anyway.
Tonight was the first dinner that I went to - - and I must say, I had a wonderful time! The conversation was lively, we were able to catch up on some things, and it really was fun. In fact, I'm looking forward to next month's dinner.
It's amazing how much can change over the years . . .
Saturday, April 12, 2008
What Is With This Weather?????
Today we had rain, mixed with snow, mixed with sleet; sometimes all sleet . . . It rained constantly, non-stop, all damn day! Correct me if I'm wrong - - but isn't it APRIL?????? *sheesh*
Mother Nature can bite me.
Mother Nature can bite me.
************************************
Anyways . . .
Took Dad on a "road trip" today to his house. We sorted out a month's worth of newspapers and a lot of mail - - amazing how fast that stuff piles up! I then took him to Church for Saturday evening Mass. A lot of people there were surprised to see him, especially considering he just had major surgery 2 weeks ago! He seemed pretty pleased to be there.
Once we got back here to D-town, we stopped for a quick bite to eat; well, not that quick, unfortunately - - is every Perkins Restaurant slow as molasses in January, or is it just OUR local one? I never knew an order of potato cakes could take so long - - did they have to send off to Idaho for the darned potatoes? Unbelievable.
Once we got back home, he was ready for the recliner. The trip wore him out, but I think it did him a world of good! You can only sit in a house doing absolutely nothing but watch TV for so long before you start going a bit stir-crazy!
Took Dad on a "road trip" today to his house. We sorted out a month's worth of newspapers and a lot of mail - - amazing how fast that stuff piles up! I then took him to Church for Saturday evening Mass. A lot of people there were surprised to see him, especially considering he just had major surgery 2 weeks ago! He seemed pretty pleased to be there.
Once we got back here to D-town, we stopped for a quick bite to eat; well, not that quick, unfortunately - - is every Perkins Restaurant slow as molasses in January, or is it just OUR local one? I never knew an order of potato cakes could take so long - - did they have to send off to Idaho for the darned potatoes? Unbelievable.
Once we got back home, he was ready for the recliner. The trip wore him out, but I think it did him a world of good! You can only sit in a house doing absolutely nothing but watch TV for so long before you start going a bit stir-crazy!
*************************************
I am now going to go fix myself a drink, relax a bit, and hopefully get a good night's sleep - - which is easier said than done when Dear Hubby is gone. But I'm sure the Chambord and soda will help quite a bit . . . :-)
************************************
Hope everyone is staying warm and dry - - from the sound of the forecast, next week will be more like the Spring weather we have all been waiting for! Yay!
Friday, April 11, 2008
A-Hunting We Will Go
Dear Hubby is off hunting the elusive wild turkey:
I told him not to come home without one! These things - - believe it or not - - are mighty tasty! The meat is not white or dark, but more like a combination of the two, and it stays real moist and juicy. Just pop it in a turkey roasting bag, and you're good to go . . .
Now I'm getting hungry! :-)
Good luck hunting, babe!
I told him not to come home without one! These things - - believe it or not - - are mighty tasty! The meat is not white or dark, but more like a combination of the two, and it stays real moist and juicy. Just pop it in a turkey roasting bag, and you're good to go . . .
Now I'm getting hungry! :-)
Good luck hunting, babe!
Thursday, April 10, 2008
So Far, So Good . . .
Catheter is out - - catheter is STAYING out (at least through the weekend) - -
He goes back for a recheck on Monday, and hopefully things are all working as they should be!
Also, his strength is really coming back and he is starting to get a bit 'feisty' . . . in fact, the physical therapist told him yesterday that she no longet needs to see him, and he told the health care aide today that he could take his own darned shower! :-) So she got kicked to the curb . . .
Things are looking pretty good on the ol' Daddy front!
So - - now that things are going so well with him, I have some other blog posts in the works on so other "FUN" subjects . . . so stay tuned!
But - - I do appreciate the opportunity to 'vent' and get rid of some of the pressure and stress of this situation, and I do thank all of you who have commented for your kinds words. I appreciate them more than you will ever know.
He goes back for a recheck on Monday, and hopefully things are all working as they should be!
Also, his strength is really coming back and he is starting to get a bit 'feisty' . . . in fact, the physical therapist told him yesterday that she no longet needs to see him, and he told the health care aide today that he could take his own darned shower! :-) So she got kicked to the curb . . .
Things are looking pretty good on the ol' Daddy front!
So - - now that things are going so well with him, I have some other blog posts in the works on so other "FUN" subjects . . . so stay tuned!
But - - I do appreciate the opportunity to 'vent' and get rid of some of the pressure and stress of this situation, and I do thank all of you who have commented for your kinds words. I appreciate them more than you will ever know.
Tuesday, April 08, 2008
Keep Your Fingers Crossed . . .
Tomorrow Dad has an appointment with the Doctor to get the catheter out . . . let's hope it's for good this time! He is more than ready to let that thing be nothing more than a bad memory . . . !!!!!
Sunday, April 06, 2008
Things Are Coming Along . . . Slowly
Dad's "Road Trip" Saturday went very well! It was a beautiful day - - sunny, warm (upper 60's!), and just a great day for a drive.
Our first stop was his house. I told him to SIT DOWN and RELAX and just enjoy being in his own house for a bit. Well, he did just that! I left him there, sorting a huge stack of mail, while I ran his errands - - pharmacy, bank, Walmart - - and then came back to the house to take him to get a haircut. Once he was all "beautified" (he really rolled his eyes at THAT one!) we headed back on the road back to my house.
All together we were probably gone about 3-1/2 hours. By the time we got back home, he was pretty tired out, but happy to have gotten out of the house, and to be able to spend some time in his own home.
Next weekend we are going to do it again (minus the haircut). I think getting out once in awhile may do him some good.
Our first stop was his house. I told him to SIT DOWN and RELAX and just enjoy being in his own house for a bit. Well, he did just that! I left him there, sorting a huge stack of mail, while I ran his errands - - pharmacy, bank, Walmart - - and then came back to the house to take him to get a haircut. Once he was all "beautified" (he really rolled his eyes at THAT one!) we headed back on the road back to my house.
All together we were probably gone about 3-1/2 hours. By the time we got back home, he was pretty tired out, but happy to have gotten out of the house, and to be able to spend some time in his own home.
Next weekend we are going to do it again (minus the haircut). I think getting out once in awhile may do him some good.
Thursday, April 03, 2008
Brief Dad Update
I haven't been posting lately, because things have been a bit hectic around here. Dad's doing pretty well, though to hear HIM tell it, he's not doing worth a damn. When the Home Health Care Nurse came to the house Wednesday, he told her he should have been recovered in 6-8 days! She just smiled and shook her head and told him it would be more like 6-8 WEEKS.
I don't think he was too happy about that.
In fact, every day he just can't seem to understand why he is not getting stronger faster. And every day I tell him that after major surgery, it takes TIME and PATIENCE. And PATIENCE is not one of his strong points, which he freely admits. (Hmm, wonder if that's where I got it from . . . )
But he IS getting better, slowly. We are going on a short "road trip" to his house on Saturday, about 35 miles away. I was going to make the run to pick up his mail and some meds refills, and he decided he wanted to go. The weather is supposed to be sunny and in the low 60's, so getting out of the house and into the fresh air will probably do him good. He mentioned a few other places he wanted to stop at while we were there, and I just flatly told him "No", because I really don't think he realizes just how much this is going to wear him out. (Yeah, I'm mean - - well, he can just deal with it.)
Saturday will be a pretty exciting day for Dad. I think just being in his own house, even just for a few minutes, will raise his spirits. And mine!
I don't think he was too happy about that.
In fact, every day he just can't seem to understand why he is not getting stronger faster. And every day I tell him that after major surgery, it takes TIME and PATIENCE. And PATIENCE is not one of his strong points, which he freely admits. (Hmm, wonder if that's where I got it from . . . )
But he IS getting better, slowly. We are going on a short "road trip" to his house on Saturday, about 35 miles away. I was going to make the run to pick up his mail and some meds refills, and he decided he wanted to go. The weather is supposed to be sunny and in the low 60's, so getting out of the house and into the fresh air will probably do him good. He mentioned a few other places he wanted to stop at while we were there, and I just flatly told him "No", because I really don't think he realizes just how much this is going to wear him out. (Yeah, I'm mean - - well, he can just deal with it.)
Saturday will be a pretty exciting day for Dad. I think just being in his own house, even just for a few minutes, will raise his spirits. And mine!
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Out Of the Hospital (Already???)
Dad is out of the hospital and back home with us. He's pretty weak, and a bit sore in some spots (incisions) but doing pretty well, considering he just went through major surgery Thursday.
Do I think he was discharged too soon? ABSOLUTELY!
Do I think he will recover faster here with us? ABSOLUTELY!
I am not pleased with the level of care he received once he got to his actual hospital room - - it was the same floor he was on after his last surgery, and I wasn't happy with his care then, either . . . in fact, I have the name of the Nursing Administrator, and I believe she and I will be having a chat soon.
More later - - right now, we are exhausted, and I need to get some rest. But first I need to make sure Dad takes his mountain of meds . . . *sigh*
Do I think he was discharged too soon? ABSOLUTELY!
Do I think he will recover faster here with us? ABSOLUTELY!
I am not pleased with the level of care he received once he got to his actual hospital room - - it was the same floor he was on after his last surgery, and I wasn't happy with his care then, either . . . in fact, I have the name of the Nursing Administrator, and I believe she and I will be having a chat soon.
More later - - right now, we are exhausted, and I need to get some rest. But first I need to make sure Dad takes his mountain of meds . . . *sigh*
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Yay Dad!!!
Dad came through his surgery with flying colors! The stent was placed successfully; therefore, the doctor did not have to open up and do an actual repair (which is a very, very GOOD thing!) - - also, the bypass to his right leg artery was successful, and he now has strong pulse and good blood flow in BOTH legs (which is also a very, very GOOD thing!)
He will be in the hospital for a few days, and then back home with me for a few more before he can head back to his own house.
It's been a long day - - we got to the hospital at 5:45 AM - - and Steve and I are totally exhausted. More info later . . .
(YAY DAD!!!)
He will be in the hospital for a few days, and then back home with me for a few more before he can head back to his own house.
It's been a long day - - we got to the hospital at 5:45 AM - - and Steve and I are totally exhausted. More info later . . .
(YAY DAD!!!)
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Tomorrow
Tomorrow is Dad's surgery.
It will be a long day for all of us - - We will get him to the hospital between 5:35 - 5:45 AM, and his procedure is scheduled for 7:30 AM.
We are all pretty nervous at the moment, but Dad is really handling things well. I think he is just ready to get it done and over with. (as are Steve and I also!).
Dad went to a church here in town this morning and visited with the parish priest. He said he now feels much better about things, and I'm glad.
Here's hoping all goes smoothly and I can report back good things tomorrow.
It will be a long day for all of us - - We will get him to the hospital between 5:35 - 5:45 AM, and his procedure is scheduled for 7:30 AM.
We are all pretty nervous at the moment, but Dad is really handling things well. I think he is just ready to get it done and over with. (as are Steve and I also!).
Dad went to a church here in town this morning and visited with the parish priest. He said he now feels much better about things, and I'm glad.
Here's hoping all goes smoothly and I can report back good things tomorrow.
Monday, March 24, 2008
Letter to Mother Nature
Dear Mother Nature,
Friday was the first day of Spring.
Sunday was Easter.
This morning, I wake up to find this:
As I said - - it's SPRING already. You might want to GET WITH THE PROGRAM . . .
Sincerely,
"Dizzy"
*sigh*
I hate snow . . .
Friday was the first day of Spring.
Sunday was Easter.
This morning, I wake up to find this:
As I said - - it's SPRING already. You might want to GET WITH THE PROGRAM . . .
Sincerely,
"Dizzy"
*sigh*
I hate snow . . .
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Friday, March 21, 2008
Jealousy . . .
Well, I'm in trouble now . . .
Carmichael got pretty miffed at me when I posted a picture of Squeak on here earlier in the week, to try to lighten things up. Now he thinks she's "Mommy's favorite" . . . *sigh* . . . kids these days . . .
ANYWAYS - -
To bring back peace and harmony to my humble home, I have decided to post pictures of my dear little boy also, just to make him feel "special" - - so here they are:
Asleep (or trying to!) in Mommy's lap
Look at those eyes - - gorgeous!
There - - I hope that makes my dear little boy feel better!
Carmichael got pretty miffed at me when I posted a picture of Squeak on here earlier in the week, to try to lighten things up. Now he thinks she's "Mommy's favorite" . . . *sigh* . . . kids these days . . .
ANYWAYS - -
To bring back peace and harmony to my humble home, I have decided to post pictures of my dear little boy also, just to make him feel "special" - - so here they are:
Asleep (or trying to!) in Mommy's lap
Look at those eyes - - gorgeous!
There - - I hope that makes my dear little boy feel better!
So Far, NOT So Good
Dad had to have the catheter put back IN today. Needless to say, he is NOT a happy camper at the moment!
His system is working, but not good enough yet. He is still retaining too much fluid. The Nurse said she could put it back in today, or he would more than likely be making a trip to the Emergency Room this weekend to have it done.
He was so looking forward to being able to go home for a few days before his next surgery! He is pretty down at the moment, and I'm just heartbroken for him.
This is very difficult for me to be dealing with - - I have always been "Daddy's Girl", and have always viewed my Dad as this big, strong man who is able to do anything. Seeing him like this is so hard . . . he feels he is being a bother and is disrupting our lives, and I am trying to make him understand that is not the case. So what if my routine has been disrupted? Big freakin' deal! My routine has not been nearly as disrupted as his!
Just before my Mom passed away - - five years ago next month, actually - - she told me she was worried about my Dad and him being able to take good care of himself. I promised her that I would do everything I could to take care of him, no matter what it took. I did not mean that when it got difficult, it would be time to "bail"!
I am very fortunate to have a partner by my side who is very caring and compassionate, and does everything he can to help me with this situation. He adores my Dad, and Dad considers him the son he never had (sorry Dad, but Hi! I'm a GIRL!). Having Steve here has made it much easier to get through all this, and even thought I didn't think it was possible, I love him even more for it.
Please send good thoughts Dad's way - - he needs all the hope and encouragement he can get. And Steve and I appreciate it.
His system is working, but not good enough yet. He is still retaining too much fluid. The Nurse said she could put it back in today, or he would more than likely be making a trip to the Emergency Room this weekend to have it done.
He was so looking forward to being able to go home for a few days before his next surgery! He is pretty down at the moment, and I'm just heartbroken for him.
This is very difficult for me to be dealing with - - I have always been "Daddy's Girl", and have always viewed my Dad as this big, strong man who is able to do anything. Seeing him like this is so hard . . . he feels he is being a bother and is disrupting our lives, and I am trying to make him understand that is not the case. So what if my routine has been disrupted? Big freakin' deal! My routine has not been nearly as disrupted as his!
Just before my Mom passed away - - five years ago next month, actually - - she told me she was worried about my Dad and him being able to take good care of himself. I promised her that I would do everything I could to take care of him, no matter what it took. I did not mean that when it got difficult, it would be time to "bail"!
I am very fortunate to have a partner by my side who is very caring and compassionate, and does everything he can to help me with this situation. He adores my Dad, and Dad considers him the son he never had (sorry Dad, but Hi! I'm a GIRL!). Having Steve here has made it much easier to get through all this, and even thought I didn't think it was possible, I love him even more for it.
Please send good thoughts Dad's way - - he needs all the hope and encouragement he can get. And Steve and I appreciate it.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
So Far, So Good . . .
Dad finally had his catheter removed, and so far, the 'plumbing' is working pretty well!
We go back to the Urologist tomorrow morning at 8 AM so they can scan his bladder and make sure things are working well.
So Dad is a pretty happy camper at the moment!
Next week is his second surgery, and of course - - you guessed it - - they will have to put a CATHETER back in! Here we go again . . . *sigh*
Please continue keeping Dad in your thoughts and prayers . . . they are greatly appreciated.
We go back to the Urologist tomorrow morning at 8 AM so they can scan his bladder and make sure things are working well.
So Dad is a pretty happy camper at the moment!
Next week is his second surgery, and of course - - you guessed it - - they will have to put a CATHETER back in! Here we go again . . . *sigh*
Please continue keeping Dad in your thoughts and prayers . . . they are greatly appreciated.
Sunday, March 16, 2008
On A Lighter Note . . .
I haven't posted a picture of Squeak lately . . .
We took her to the Vet last week for her shots and a checkup, and she has gained almost THREE POUNDS since we brought her home! I guess that is what happens when she doesn't have to fight 16 other cats for food!
We may have to change her name again - - to "Chunky Monkey" . . . :-)
The picture was taken yesterday during the "Great Jackson Chili and Soup Luncheon" at our house. We had the usual group of loonies over here, and we all made soup or chili and had all the fixin's on the side. Dad knows all of them also, so he had a great time getting to see everybody as well, even though he was so tired he had to excuse himself early and go lay down for a rest.
As you can tell, Squeak was really tired also - - and you can tell the day's activities were REALLY BOTHERING HER . . . =^.^=
We took her to the Vet last week for her shots and a checkup, and she has gained almost THREE POUNDS since we brought her home! I guess that is what happens when she doesn't have to fight 16 other cats for food!
We may have to change her name again - - to "Chunky Monkey" . . . :-)
The picture was taken yesterday during the "Great Jackson Chili and Soup Luncheon" at our house. We had the usual group of loonies over here, and we all made soup or chili and had all the fixin's on the side. Dad knows all of them also, so he had a great time getting to see everybody as well, even though he was so tired he had to excuse himself early and go lay down for a rest.
As you can tell, Squeak was really tired also - - and you can tell the day's activities were REALLY BOTHERING HER . . . =^.^=
Dad Update, Part 2
OKAY - -
Dad had a procedure that completely shut off an artery in his right leg that was pretty much 100% blocked anyway. That way, when he has his next procedure on the 27th of this month, it will not create a "backwash" into the anuerysm that they will be repairing; also, they will do a 'bypass' from the left let artery over to the right leg, and he should then have very good blood flow to both legs.
The surgeon had some difficulty when he first got in and started working on the leg artery, and it took quite a bit longer than he had expected, but he got the job done. As he said, he is working with 83-year-old 'plumbing', and sometimes things don't always work out as planned. Since it was a little more complicated than he had anticipated, they decided to hold him overnight for observation.
I am SO glad they did.
In the middle of the night, Dad woke up in extreme pain, and called for the nurse. It seems that he could not go to the bathroom, and his stomach was distended and very sore. They put a catheter in, and it relieved things immediately.
The next morning I came to the hospital and was told what had occurred. Dad seemed to be feeling pretty good, but tired. They decided late morning to take the catheter out and see how things progressed.
Well, they didn't.
By mid-afternoon, Dad was again in severe pain, his stomach distended and sore, so they had to put the catheter back in. (ouch!!!!) Dad's surgeon told the nurses to contact the urologist and have Dad checked out. They also had a specimen sent to the Lab to get tested.
The urologist checked Dad out and said he had developed a prostate infection, and the prostate was swollen and preventing him from being able to pass anything. They prescribed a kick-ass antibiotic and FlowMax, and sent him on his was - - to our house - - WITH the catheter and Foley bag still attached. He will be wearing this contraption until at least Wednesday, when we are to get an appointment with the urologist at his office for a recheck.
Dad is still very tired and pretty weak, which is to be expected - - after all, not only did he just go through surgery, but that infections is probably really wearing him down! He spends a lot of time sleeping, and his appetite isn't very good at the moment, but I make sure he at leasts eats SOMETHING so he can try to get his strength built back up a little.
I'm just glad he is here instead of at home.
We will know more Wednesday after we meet with the doctors - - the surgeon for a Carotid artery scan, then Pre-admissions at the hospital for the surgery on the 27th, then the urologist for all the other stuff.
What a week this is going to be . . . at least it's Spring Break at the College, and with no students on campus, it will be pretty quiet.
Keep us in your thoughts and prayers.
Dad had a procedure that completely shut off an artery in his right leg that was pretty much 100% blocked anyway. That way, when he has his next procedure on the 27th of this month, it will not create a "backwash" into the anuerysm that they will be repairing; also, they will do a 'bypass' from the left let artery over to the right leg, and he should then have very good blood flow to both legs.
The surgeon had some difficulty when he first got in and started working on the leg artery, and it took quite a bit longer than he had expected, but he got the job done. As he said, he is working with 83-year-old 'plumbing', and sometimes things don't always work out as planned. Since it was a little more complicated than he had anticipated, they decided to hold him overnight for observation.
I am SO glad they did.
In the middle of the night, Dad woke up in extreme pain, and called for the nurse. It seems that he could not go to the bathroom, and his stomach was distended and very sore. They put a catheter in, and it relieved things immediately.
The next morning I came to the hospital and was told what had occurred. Dad seemed to be feeling pretty good, but tired. They decided late morning to take the catheter out and see how things progressed.
Well, they didn't.
By mid-afternoon, Dad was again in severe pain, his stomach distended and sore, so they had to put the catheter back in. (ouch!!!!) Dad's surgeon told the nurses to contact the urologist and have Dad checked out. They also had a specimen sent to the Lab to get tested.
The urologist checked Dad out and said he had developed a prostate infection, and the prostate was swollen and preventing him from being able to pass anything. They prescribed a kick-ass antibiotic and FlowMax, and sent him on his was - - to our house - - WITH the catheter and Foley bag still attached. He will be wearing this contraption until at least Wednesday, when we are to get an appointment with the urologist at his office for a recheck.
Dad is still very tired and pretty weak, which is to be expected - - after all, not only did he just go through surgery, but that infections is probably really wearing him down! He spends a lot of time sleeping, and his appetite isn't very good at the moment, but I make sure he at leasts eats SOMETHING so he can try to get his strength built back up a little.
I'm just glad he is here instead of at home.
We will know more Wednesday after we meet with the doctors - - the surgeon for a Carotid artery scan, then Pre-admissions at the hospital for the surgery on the 27th, then the urologist for all the other stuff.
What a week this is going to be . . . at least it's Spring Break at the College, and with no students on campus, it will be pretty quiet.
Keep us in your thoughts and prayers.
Friday, March 14, 2008
Dad Update
Well, Dad's leg procedure did not go exactly as expected.
Oh, the procedure itself went great! But there was a complication, and he developed a prostate infection, and they kept him overnight for observation. He is catheterized at the moment, and will be until at least Wednesday.
Steve finally has Dad home from the hospital, and then went back out to pick up some prescriptions for him. Dad is now comfortable and in bed. (In fact, I think I can hear him snoring - - he is sleeping hard!)
I will go into more detail a little later - - but right now it's LATE, and I'm exhausted after spending the most part of two whole days in the hospital . . . just sitting, and waiting, and sitting some more, and waiting some more . . .
So I am going to finish up a couple of things for the "Great Jackson Chili and Soup Cookoff" tomorrow, and then heading to bed for some well-deserved sleep. *yawn*
Oh, the procedure itself went great! But there was a complication, and he developed a prostate infection, and they kept him overnight for observation. He is catheterized at the moment, and will be until at least Wednesday.
Steve finally has Dad home from the hospital, and then went back out to pick up some prescriptions for him. Dad is now comfortable and in bed. (In fact, I think I can hear him snoring - - he is sleeping hard!)
I will go into more detail a little later - - but right now it's LATE, and I'm exhausted after spending the most part of two whole days in the hospital . . . just sitting, and waiting, and sitting some more, and waiting some more . . .
So I am going to finish up a couple of things for the "Great Jackson Chili and Soup Cookoff" tomorrow, and then heading to bed for some well-deserved sleep. *yawn*
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Well!
It only took THREE WEEKS - -
And TWO PHONE CALLS - -
But the box of 2-1/2 inch galvanized screwes that the flooring guys took off with . . . FINALLY got returned!
FINALLY!
About time.
And TWO PHONE CALLS - -
But the box of 2-1/2 inch galvanized screwes that the flooring guys took off with . . . FINALLY got returned!
FINALLY!
About time.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Update on Dad
Well, Dad has his surgeries scheduled.
He is going to have the leg artery worked on this Thursday, the 13th. He's coming up to stay with us Wednesday night, then he and I will be at the hospital at 9 AM to get him admitted. His procecure is scheduled for 10 AM.
This is just a same-day procedure, so he will be coming back and staying with us that evening, and then spending the weekend with us. If he behaves himself, I MAY let him go back home on Sunday.
Please keep my Daddy in your thoughts and prayers, and thank you for doing so.
He is going to have the leg artery worked on this Thursday, the 13th. He's coming up to stay with us Wednesday night, then he and I will be at the hospital at 9 AM to get him admitted. His procecure is scheduled for 10 AM.
This is just a same-day procedure, so he will be coming back and staying with us that evening, and then spending the weekend with us. If he behaves himself, I MAY let him go back home on Sunday.
Please keep my Daddy in your thoughts and prayers, and thank you for doing so.
Thursday, March 06, 2008
Yes, I Know . . .
It's been awhile since I posted - - actually, a lot longer than I had meant for it to be.
The reason? Burn-out. Sheer, total burn-out.
Things at work have been busy, things at home have been hectic, the other house STILL has not sold, the dishwasher died, Dad's surgery procedures (yes, PLURAL) are coming up this month . . . the stress has just been piling up lately, and it's really been affecting me.
Add to all this that I have over 3-1/2 weeks of vacation time accrued, and almost 225 sick hours accumulated, and you can see that there have been no breaks for this girl.
So last week I had a long talk with my boss and told him very frankly that I was not doing well. We decided a little mini-vacation was in order for me, so I put in my request for this past Friday and Monday off.
Oh man - - that is JUST what the doctor ordered!
It was funny - - I had all these little 'projects' around the house that I have been wanting to do, and I was like, "I can work on this one, and do some stuff on this one over here, and start on that one . . . "
Reality - - I sat on my ass on the couch and pet the cats and napped for four days!
And it was good.
I went back to work Tuesday feeling refreshed and ready to take on the world - - or at least my little corner of it!
So I am back, and have LOTS of things to post about. So be watching!
The reason? Burn-out. Sheer, total burn-out.
Things at work have been busy, things at home have been hectic, the other house STILL has not sold, the dishwasher died, Dad's surgery procedures (yes, PLURAL) are coming up this month . . . the stress has just been piling up lately, and it's really been affecting me.
Add to all this that I have over 3-1/2 weeks of vacation time accrued, and almost 225 sick hours accumulated, and you can see that there have been no breaks for this girl.
So last week I had a long talk with my boss and told him very frankly that I was not doing well. We decided a little mini-vacation was in order for me, so I put in my request for this past Friday and Monday off.
Oh man - - that is JUST what the doctor ordered!
It was funny - - I had all these little 'projects' around the house that I have been wanting to do, and I was like, "I can work on this one, and do some stuff on this one over here, and start on that one . . . "
Reality - - I sat on my ass on the couch and pet the cats and napped for four days!
And it was good.
I went back to work Tuesday feeling refreshed and ready to take on the world - - or at least my little corner of it!
So I am back, and have LOTS of things to post about. So be watching!
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Um - - What???
Update: I Googled this, and found out that this is "A mildly spiced cake, with raisins, served warm, with warm custard sauce." (I'm still not convinced)
Steve and I went to World Market, next door to Borders in Fort Wayne, where we spotted this:
I don't think I want to know . . .
Steve and I went to World Market, next door to Borders in Fort Wayne, where we spotted this:
I don't think I want to know . . .
Book Signing!
Saturday, Dear Hubby Steve and I decided it was time for a "Day Trip", so we decided to head on over to Fort Wayne, Indiana, and check out Eileen Cook's Book Signing for her recently released book, "Unpredictable."
There was a nice group of people at the signing. Eileen did a brief reading from the first chapter, and then answered questions from the audience.
Some of Eileen's family members were there, and it was very obvious how proud they were of her (especially her Very Proud Father). They have good reason to be!
Eileen signed my book, and graciously took time to talk with me. She is very personable, and you can tell she loves what she does.
On the back home, Steve drove, and I took the opportunity to browse through the first chapter. I can already tell that I am going to thoroughly enjoy reading this book!
If you are looking for a good read with plenty of humor, please check out Eileen's book. I guarantee you will not be disappointed!
There was a nice group of people at the signing. Eileen did a brief reading from the first chapter, and then answered questions from the audience.
Some of Eileen's family members were there, and it was very obvious how proud they were of her (especially her Very Proud Father). They have good reason to be!
Eileen signed my book, and graciously took time to talk with me. She is very personable, and you can tell she loves what she does.
On the back home, Steve drove, and I took the opportunity to browse through the first chapter. I can already tell that I am going to thoroughly enjoy reading this book!
If you are looking for a good read with plenty of humor, please check out Eileen's book. I guarantee you will not be disappointed!
Thursday, February 21, 2008
In A Book Store Near You
Look what has made it to the shelves of the WaldenBooks store in my little part of the world?
The author, Eileen Cook, is on tour to promote the book, which debuted February 5th.
From the correspondence Eileen and I have shared, she seems like very nice, very talented lady. I wish her all success with her writing career!
So if you want a good read, go check out Unpredictable!
The author, Eileen Cook, is on tour to promote the book, which debuted February 5th.
From the correspondence Eileen and I have shared, she seems like very nice, very talented lady. I wish her all success with her writing career!
So if you want a good read, go check out Unpredictable!
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
By Popular Demand . . .
After all the bitching, moaning and complaining about FlooringAmerica, and saying how nice the floor actually turned out, I have had a couple of requests for pictures of the beautiful floor . . .
Ask, and you shall receive:
Pretty, no?
Ask, and you shall receive:
Pretty, no?
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
The Big "5-0"
No, not me - -
Dear Hubby Steve turns 50 today! And believe me, he wears it well, or at least in MY opinion he does!
I haven't been able to talk him into posing for a "Big 5-0" picture (yet!), so for now, a picture of his cake will have to suffice:
Happy Birthday, Babe. I love you!
Dear Hubby Steve turns 50 today! And believe me, he wears it well, or at least in MY opinion he does!
I haven't been able to talk him into posing for a "Big 5-0" picture (yet!), so for now, a picture of his cake will have to suffice:
Happy Birthday, Babe. I love you!
Monday, February 18, 2008
Project is Finished! (Part Two)
Installation day was finally here. The installers showed around 9 AM and proceeded to bring in the flooring and their tools, and headed on down the hall to scope out the situation. I locked the cats into one of the bedrooms to keep them out of the FLOOR PATCH COMPOUND and the GLUE (from past experience, I know to do this - - THAT is another post all its own!). I then retired to the sunroom to read the morning paper, drink some hot tea, and stay out of their way so they could get the job done and get the hell out. Yes, I was still harboring bad feelings towards FlooringAmerica at that point.
As it turned out, I had good reason to.
They had not been on it very long - - just long enough to put in the patching compound to seal any seams in the subflooring - - when the first "snag" came up. It seems that one small part of the subfloor, where four pieces of the flooring met, was not glued down as tightly as it should have been. It was going to need a couple of screws on 2 of the corners to make sure the floor was level.
I said a COUPLE of screws. Remember this.
Anyway, the one installer came out to the sunroom and told me about this, and said that they would need to leave, have my husband "work on it" that evening, and then they would come back tomorrow to finish the job.
Excuse me? They wanted to LEAVE? Because of a COUPLE of screws? And come back TOMORROW? Meaning, of course, that I would have to try to arrange to get more time off the next day, which was impossible to find out at that point BECAUSE IT WAS A STATE HOLIDAY AND CAMPUS WAS CLOSED!
I told them they would have to speak to my husband about this. They said he could call in after he got off work. I told them he was on break, and I intended to call him NOW, and they could speak with him NOW. He was still protesting this as I dialed and got Steve on the phone. I handed the phone to the installer, who (very unhappily)took it and started trying to explain the situation.
A couple of minutes later, he handed the phone back to me, and Steve said, "What the hell is he talking about? I have screws, and a drill, and they can just get it done while they are there!" He wasn't getting any arguments from me on that!
I went downstairs, found the screws they needed, brought them up and handed the box to they other installer, who immediately informed me that the other guy was on the phone with their boss to find out what they were supposed to do about this. I totally ignored that, and just politely asked if they would need a drill to use; if so, to let me know. I then walked out of the room and back to my newspaper.
A few minutes later, I noticed that it had gotten very 'busy' - - apparently their boss had told them to "do whatever it takes" to get the job done. Suddenly, the screws had been placed in the subfloor (all TWO of them), they were suddenly very nice and polite, and the flooring got installed - - PERFECTLY - - in no time at all. They then got all their equipment picked up and hauled out, and went on their merry way.
The floor is beautiful, by the way.
However - in their haste to get out of there . . . they took off with the box of screws belonging to dear hubby. I made a call and asked their supervisor to have them drop the box back by the house.
Tomorrow it will be ONE WEEK. The box of screws has not been returned yet.
I know it's a small thing, and I should probably let it go. But after this entire ordeal - - I'm not going to.
But one thing is for certain - - we will NEVER, EVER do business with FlooringAmerica again. EVER.
It's a good thing the floor is as beautiful as it is.
As it turned out, I had good reason to.
They had not been on it very long - - just long enough to put in the patching compound to seal any seams in the subflooring - - when the first "snag" came up. It seems that one small part of the subfloor, where four pieces of the flooring met, was not glued down as tightly as it should have been. It was going to need a couple of screws on 2 of the corners to make sure the floor was level.
I said a COUPLE of screws. Remember this.
Anyway, the one installer came out to the sunroom and told me about this, and said that they would need to leave, have my husband "work on it" that evening, and then they would come back tomorrow to finish the job.
Excuse me? They wanted to LEAVE? Because of a COUPLE of screws? And come back TOMORROW? Meaning, of course, that I would have to try to arrange to get more time off the next day, which was impossible to find out at that point BECAUSE IT WAS A STATE HOLIDAY AND CAMPUS WAS CLOSED!
I told them they would have to speak to my husband about this. They said he could call in after he got off work. I told them he was on break, and I intended to call him NOW, and they could speak with him NOW. He was still protesting this as I dialed and got Steve on the phone. I handed the phone to the installer, who (very unhappily)took it and started trying to explain the situation.
A couple of minutes later, he handed the phone back to me, and Steve said, "What the hell is he talking about? I have screws, and a drill, and they can just get it done while they are there!" He wasn't getting any arguments from me on that!
I went downstairs, found the screws they needed, brought them up and handed the box to they other installer, who immediately informed me that the other guy was on the phone with their boss to find out what they were supposed to do about this. I totally ignored that, and just politely asked if they would need a drill to use; if so, to let me know. I then walked out of the room and back to my newspaper.
A few minutes later, I noticed that it had gotten very 'busy' - - apparently their boss had told them to "do whatever it takes" to get the job done. Suddenly, the screws had been placed in the subfloor (all TWO of them), they were suddenly very nice and polite, and the flooring got installed - - PERFECTLY - - in no time at all. They then got all their equipment picked up and hauled out, and went on their merry way.
The floor is beautiful, by the way.
However - in their haste to get out of there . . . they took off with the box of screws belonging to dear hubby. I made a call and asked their supervisor to have them drop the box back by the house.
Tomorrow it will be ONE WEEK. The box of screws has not been returned yet.
I know it's a small thing, and I should probably let it go. But after this entire ordeal - - I'm not going to.
But one thing is for certain - - we will NEVER, EVER do business with FlooringAmerica again. EVER.
It's a good thing the floor is as beautiful as it is.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Project is Finished! (Part One)
The bathroom project is FINALLY finished! *whew*
But not without its problems . . .
The main problem was with the company we used to get the vinyl flooring.
Ever heard of FlooringAmerica?
They are new here in town, and Dear Hubby went searching for flooring the Friday we had the major snowstorm. They were the only company open that afternoon, and we needed flooring QUICKLY - - so he decided to give them a chance.
BAD move.
He came home with some flooring samples and we put them down against the wall tile, decided which one looked good, and then decided to go back the next day to place the order.
When we got there Saturday morning, we showed the lady Steve had been dealing with which one we were interested in. She got out her calculator, did a lot of figuring, and then gave a slip of paper with the number $1,470 on it.
YES. One Thousand Four Hundred Seventy Dollars.
For a 12 x 8 bathroom.
I looked at her and said, "EXCUSE ME? I don't think so!" She started in with some big long explanation about floor prep and installing and transitions and seaming all . . . I just kept looking at her and said, "This will NOT do." I said to Steve, "Ready to go elsewhere?" The lady looked a little panicked and said she would refigure. Which she did. And gave another slip of paper with the number $1,140.
I gave her another look. And said, "No, this will not do at all." I then said to Steve, "I'm ready to go elsewhere." The lady looked more panicked and said, "No, no, let me see what I can do."
She went to the showroom floor and picked out a couple more samples. We looked at them - - they were very similar to what we had picked out originally - - so we took them home to see what they would look like. One looked good, so we went back and told her which one we wanted. She grabbed her calculator and started figuring, and then gave us the figure of $320 for flooring and installation. We could live with that.
We placed the order and asked how soon the flooring would be in and could get installed, as we were under a pretty tight timeline. She told us - - MANY TIMES - - that trucks came in on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
TUESDAYS and THURSDAYS. She told us NUMEROUS times. Remember that.
We didn't hear from them on Tuesday, so figured the flooring would be in on the Thursday truck. Well, Thursday came, and was almost gone, and we had still not heard from them yet. So Steve called . . . and was first told that they were too busy to talk to him and they would have to call him back. (That man is WAY more patient than I am, apparently - - I would have handed someone their ass right about then.). They actually DID call him back, but seemed to know nothing about the flooring . . . until the guy on the phone FINALLY found the order and told Steve, "That truck comes in on Mondays."
Mondays? MONDAYS??? (Please see above)
They told Steve they would give us a call next Tuesday and schedule an installation for the FOLLOWING week. Remember me saying Steve was more patient than me? Well, this is when he lost it. He started in on the guy and told him in no uncertain terms when the floor needed installed, and no later than that . . . and ended the call.
Later on, there was a message on our phone that the flooring would DEFINITELY be in on Monday, and that he had put us on the list for insallation on the following Tuesday.
But the fun was just beginning . . . I will write about the installation adventure in my next post!
But not without its problems . . .
The main problem was with the company we used to get the vinyl flooring.
Ever heard of FlooringAmerica?
They are new here in town, and Dear Hubby went searching for flooring the Friday we had the major snowstorm. They were the only company open that afternoon, and we needed flooring QUICKLY - - so he decided to give them a chance.
BAD move.
He came home with some flooring samples and we put them down against the wall tile, decided which one looked good, and then decided to go back the next day to place the order.
When we got there Saturday morning, we showed the lady Steve had been dealing with which one we were interested in. She got out her calculator, did a lot of figuring, and then gave a slip of paper with the number $1,470 on it.
YES. One Thousand Four Hundred Seventy Dollars.
For a 12 x 8 bathroom.
I looked at her and said, "EXCUSE ME? I don't think so!" She started in with some big long explanation about floor prep and installing and transitions and seaming all . . . I just kept looking at her and said, "This will NOT do." I said to Steve, "Ready to go elsewhere?" The lady looked a little panicked and said she would refigure. Which she did. And gave another slip of paper with the number $1,140.
I gave her another look. And said, "No, this will not do at all." I then said to Steve, "I'm ready to go elsewhere." The lady looked more panicked and said, "No, no, let me see what I can do."
She went to the showroom floor and picked out a couple more samples. We looked at them - - they were very similar to what we had picked out originally - - so we took them home to see what they would look like. One looked good, so we went back and told her which one we wanted. She grabbed her calculator and started figuring, and then gave us the figure of $320 for flooring and installation. We could live with that.
We placed the order and asked how soon the flooring would be in and could get installed, as we were under a pretty tight timeline. She told us - - MANY TIMES - - that trucks came in on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
TUESDAYS and THURSDAYS. She told us NUMEROUS times. Remember that.
We didn't hear from them on Tuesday, so figured the flooring would be in on the Thursday truck. Well, Thursday came, and was almost gone, and we had still not heard from them yet. So Steve called . . . and was first told that they were too busy to talk to him and they would have to call him back. (That man is WAY more patient than I am, apparently - - I would have handed someone their ass right about then.). They actually DID call him back, but seemed to know nothing about the flooring . . . until the guy on the phone FINALLY found the order and told Steve, "That truck comes in on Mondays."
Mondays? MONDAYS??? (Please see above)
They told Steve they would give us a call next Tuesday and schedule an installation for the FOLLOWING week. Remember me saying Steve was more patient than me? Well, this is when he lost it. He started in on the guy and told him in no uncertain terms when the floor needed installed, and no later than that . . . and ended the call.
Later on, there was a message on our phone that the flooring would DEFINITELY be in on Monday, and that he had put us on the list for insallation on the following Tuesday.
But the fun was just beginning . . . I will write about the installation adventure in my next post!
Sunday, February 10, 2008
For the Moment - -
It's been a busy weekend! So, until I get a chance to post more, here is something for you:
Um - - whatever.
 | My Peculiar Aristocratic Title is: Her Most Serene Highness Lady Liz the Weary of Much Leering Get your Peculiar Aristocratic Title |
Um - - whatever.
Friday, February 08, 2008
Wednesday, February 06, 2008
Mother Nature's Fury
We have had HORRIBLE weather lately. First, 12 inches of snow, and now thunderstorms that have dumped almost 4-1/2 inches of rain on our area, causing flash flooding throughout the area.
And the thunderstorms? Vicious!
Last night a heavy thunderstorm moved through our area around 5:30 PM. I was still at work (taught a class last night) but Dear Hubby was at home. There was a very bright bolt of lightning and a large clap of thunder; he knew it had hit somewhere close by. He looked out our sunroom windows, and this is what he saw, about 1/2 mile from our house:
That is a picture of three OIL STORAGE TANKS - - lightning had hit and caught 2 of the 3 tanks on fire!
Hubby called 911 to report the fire. Rescue personnel immediately flooded the area, and the road just past our house was blocked off.
They had just gotten a good stop on the fire, when it re-ignited, causing one of the tanks to explode:
Flames were literally shooting hundreds of feet in the air!
The news crew interviewed Dear Hubby, since he was the one who reported it. The link to his broadcast is here.
They finally got the fire under control around 9:00 PM, just before I got home from work (so I missed all the excitement!). Fortunately, no one was injured during the whole ordeal.
Mother Nature can be a vicious bitch sometimes . . .
And the thunderstorms? Vicious!
Last night a heavy thunderstorm moved through our area around 5:30 PM. I was still at work (taught a class last night) but Dear Hubby was at home. There was a very bright bolt of lightning and a large clap of thunder; he knew it had hit somewhere close by. He looked out our sunroom windows, and this is what he saw, about 1/2 mile from our house:
That is a picture of three OIL STORAGE TANKS - - lightning had hit and caught 2 of the 3 tanks on fire!
Hubby called 911 to report the fire. Rescue personnel immediately flooded the area, and the road just past our house was blocked off.
They had just gotten a good stop on the fire, when it re-ignited, causing one of the tanks to explode:
Flames were literally shooting hundreds of feet in the air!
The news crew interviewed Dear Hubby, since he was the one who reported it. The link to his broadcast is here.
They finally got the fire under control around 9:00 PM, just before I got home from work (so I missed all the excitement!). Fortunately, no one was injured during the whole ordeal.
Mother Nature can be a vicious bitch sometimes . . .
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
Today Is the Day!
It's finally here - -
Eileen Cook's new book, Unpredictable, is available TODAY!
Look for it at your favorite bookstore or online seller.
Well? What are you waiting for? Get going! :-)
Eileen Cook's new book, Unpredictable, is available TODAY!
Look for it at your favorite bookstore or online seller.
Well? What are you waiting for? Get going! :-)
Monday, February 04, 2008
FOG, FOG and MORE FOG
Update: What is it with people? It is FOGGY - - REAL FOGGY - - you practically cannot see your hand in front of your face. And yet - - there are freakin' IDIOTS out there who insist on driving their dark-colored cars with NO HEADLIGHTS ON!
Unbelievable.
-----------------------------------------
It is FOGGY out today!
I'm not talking your kinda misty, eerie, wispy tendrils of fog - - I'm talking the DEADLY, CANNOT SEE A DAMN THING type of fog. And the Dense Fog Advisory for our area has been extended until 9 PM tonight.
It's nasty.
Example: I left the office about 1/2 hour ago to make a quick run to the Post Office to mail a package.
I was back to the office within 10 minutes.
No, I don't work that close to the Post Office - - but I COULD NOT SEE. You cannot see the cars in front of you at the stoplight until you are almost hitting them!
Heck, you can't even see the stoplights!
I'm not kidding.
I have cancelled my appointment tonight after work and am heading straight home. The 5 minute drive may take me 20 minutes, but better late than sorry.
If the weather in your area is anything like ours is here today, PLEASE be careful!
Unbelievable.
-----------------------------------------
It is FOGGY out today!
I'm not talking your kinda misty, eerie, wispy tendrils of fog - - I'm talking the DEADLY, CANNOT SEE A DAMN THING type of fog. And the Dense Fog Advisory for our area has been extended until 9 PM tonight.
It's nasty.
Example: I left the office about 1/2 hour ago to make a quick run to the Post Office to mail a package.
I was back to the office within 10 minutes.
No, I don't work that close to the Post Office - - but I COULD NOT SEE. You cannot see the cars in front of you at the stoplight until you are almost hitting them!
Heck, you can't even see the stoplights!
I'm not kidding.
I have cancelled my appointment tonight after work and am heading straight home. The 5 minute drive may take me 20 minutes, but better late than sorry.
If the weather in your area is anything like ours is here today, PLEASE be careful!
Sunday, February 03, 2008
Winter Wonderland
Update: Late afternoon (4:30 - 5:00)
Rain, rain and more rain - - LIGHTNING and THUNDER.
Un-freakin'-believable . . .
*sigh* Welcome to Winter in Central Illinois . . . . .
------------------------------------------------
We had an unusual Winter experience this morning.
Yesterday, the temps climbed into the upper 30's. Overnight, as the air cooled a bit, it drew up a lot of the moisture from the melting snow, creating a heavy blanket of fog. As temps cooled down more, the fog froze, coating everything in crystal:
The trees in the front yard:
And in the back:
One lone sentinal in the back yard:
The bush next to our garage was beautiful:
All the trees and fields around our home were encased in crystal shells. Absolutely breathtaking.
Too bad it has to be so damn cold to be this beautiful!
Rain, rain and more rain - - LIGHTNING and THUNDER.
Un-freakin'-believable . . .
*sigh* Welcome to Winter in Central Illinois . . . . .
------------------------------------------------
We had an unusual Winter experience this morning.
Yesterday, the temps climbed into the upper 30's. Overnight, as the air cooled a bit, it drew up a lot of the moisture from the melting snow, creating a heavy blanket of fog. As temps cooled down more, the fog froze, coating everything in crystal:
The trees in the front yard:
And in the back:
One lone sentinal in the back yard:
The bush next to our garage was beautiful:
All the trees and fields around our home were encased in crystal shells. Absolutely breathtaking.
Too bad it has to be so damn cold to be this beautiful!
Saturday, February 02, 2008
Friday, February 01, 2008
SNOW DAY!!
Campus is closed - -
The snow just keeps coming down, more and more - -
The wind is kicking up - -
It's a good day to stay inside!
Except for this afternoon - - once the snow tapers off and the wind starts to lay, it will be time to go out and scoop the sidewalks. Steve is outside right now with the tractor and blade getting the drive cleared in front of the garage so we can get out if need be . . . I think the news said we had 11 inches of snow - - it's really deep out there!
******************************
This extra day will also give Dear Hubby and me an extra day to finish up a MAJOR project in our Master bathroom. We thought it was just a faulty toilet, but unfortunately has turned out to be much, much more than that. Apparently, something underneath it had been broken for a long time, and had been leaking all that time. When Steve went to pull up the old toilet, the floor came up with it . . .
He has torn up the floor, all the way through to the basement, and had to replace the subfloor and overlay all around the toilet area. Fortunately, the rest of the subfloor was able to dry out okay, so just the overlay needs replaced on that. He will probably get that finished up today.
Tomorrow we have to find new floor tile and get it put down, at least around the toilet area, so that we can put in the new unit. Then we can lay the rest of the floor tile.
This has been going on all week - - my poor Dear Hubby has really had his hands full! I wish there was more I could do to help him, but it's a small enough area right there that two people won't fit . . . so I just stand back and offer (im)moral support . . . (hey, it's the least I can do)
If you have bad weather in your area today, please be careful and stay safe!
The snow just keeps coming down, more and more - -
The wind is kicking up - -
It's a good day to stay inside!
Except for this afternoon - - once the snow tapers off and the wind starts to lay, it will be time to go out and scoop the sidewalks. Steve is outside right now with the tractor and blade getting the drive cleared in front of the garage so we can get out if need be . . . I think the news said we had 11 inches of snow - - it's really deep out there!
******************************
This extra day will also give Dear Hubby and me an extra day to finish up a MAJOR project in our Master bathroom. We thought it was just a faulty toilet, but unfortunately has turned out to be much, much more than that. Apparently, something underneath it had been broken for a long time, and had been leaking all that time. When Steve went to pull up the old toilet, the floor came up with it . . .
He has torn up the floor, all the way through to the basement, and had to replace the subfloor and overlay all around the toilet area. Fortunately, the rest of the subfloor was able to dry out okay, so just the overlay needs replaced on that. He will probably get that finished up today.
Tomorrow we have to find new floor tile and get it put down, at least around the toilet area, so that we can put in the new unit. Then we can lay the rest of the floor tile.
This has been going on all week - - my poor Dear Hubby has really had his hands full! I wish there was more I could do to help him, but it's a small enough area right there that two people won't fit . . . so I just stand back and offer (im)moral support . . . (hey, it's the least I can do)
If you have bad weather in your area today, please be careful and stay safe!
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Let It Snow . . .
It's snowing pretty hard outside, and the wind is really kicking up. This system is a big, nasty one, so this might get pretty interesting before it's all over with.
The College closed at 5 PM today and cancelled all evening classes. If we get the 6-12 inches of snow they are saying we might, and if those winds keep kicking up and blow it all around into mile-high drifts (well, maybe not QUITE that high) . . .
I'm thinking SNOW DAY for tomorrow . . . (keeping fingers crossed!)
I'll keep ya posted.
The College closed at 5 PM today and cancelled all evening classes. If we get the 6-12 inches of snow they are saying we might, and if those winds keep kicking up and blow it all around into mile-high drifts (well, maybe not QUITE that high) . . .
I'm thinking SNOW DAY for tomorrow . . . (keeping fingers crossed!)
I'll keep ya posted.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
WHAT Is Going On With the WEATHER????
TODAY: By early afternoon, it reached a high of 62 degrees.
LATER: By mid-afternoon, we were under a severe thunderstorm warning, and the torrential rains started.
LATER STILL: By the time I left work at 4:30 PM, the temperature had dropped. To 22 degrees. And it was sleeting. And everything was frozen. And covered in ice.
TONIGHT: It is presently 15 degrees, and the winds are gusting up to 45 MPH. It is snowing and sleeting.
WHAT THE HELL JUST HAPPENED HERE? :-(
LATER: By mid-afternoon, we were under a severe thunderstorm warning, and the torrential rains started.
LATER STILL: By the time I left work at 4:30 PM, the temperature had dropped. To 22 degrees. And it was sleeting. And everything was frozen. And covered in ice.
TONIGHT: It is presently 15 degrees, and the winds are gusting up to 45 MPH. It is snowing and sleeting.
WHAT THE HELL JUST HAPPENED HERE? :-(
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Friday, January 25, 2008
All Settled In - - FINALLY!
I am finally moved in and pretty much settled in my new office - - FINALLY! The only thing I have left to do is bring a small chrome shelving unit in on Monday morning so I can finish putting some things away, and then maybe I can actually get some WORK done! (What a novel concept THAT will be!)
My little office is really pretty nice, and my new boss is pretty much moved into my old office, so that is working out well. My poor student workers, however, are not faring so well . . . their space is so cramped, they can barely do what they need to do! We have been told that this is just a temporary thing, until they finish up some other construction and moves around campus, and that we will then be moved to a permanent spot with more room (Gee, maybe they can time it for the first week of FALL classes - - that week is even MORE hectic than the first week of Spring classes! Yeah! THAT'S the plan!)(No, I'm not bitter - - not a bit . . . )
I'm just glad to finally be in my space, have boxes unpacked, and being able to DO something to help the students. That's what I'm there for, and it's been rough not being able to help this past week. But come Monday, that is all going to change - - Lizzy's back in business! :-)
My little office is really pretty nice, and my new boss is pretty much moved into my old office, so that is working out well. My poor student workers, however, are not faring so well . . . their space is so cramped, they can barely do what they need to do! We have been told that this is just a temporary thing, until they finish up some other construction and moves around campus, and that we will then be moved to a permanent spot with more room (Gee, maybe they can time it for the first week of FALL classes - - that week is even MORE hectic than the first week of Spring classes! Yeah! THAT'S the plan!)(No, I'm not bitter - - not a bit . . . )
I'm just glad to finally be in my space, have boxes unpacked, and being able to DO something to help the students. That's what I'm there for, and it's been rough not being able to help this past week. But come Monday, that is all going to change - - Lizzy's back in business! :-)
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Good News on the "Dad" Front
Dad went to see his family doctor yesterday, who said he was doing great, and pronounced him "worth a million bucks" - - or "ten million at today's prices" . . .
So we are very pleased with the news!
His next appointment is his recheck with the heart doctor on Feb. 7th.
Yay for my Daddy! :-)
So we are very pleased with the news!
His next appointment is his recheck with the heart doctor on Feb. 7th.
Yay for my Daddy! :-)
Monday, January 21, 2008
Renew the Dream
I read about this post on another blog, followed the link . . . and - - well, please go here and see for yourself.
There is nothing I can add - - this says it all.
There is nothing I can add - - this says it all.
Friday, January 18, 2008
By The Way . . .
Did you notice the new addition to my sidebar??
Over there, on the left - - just under my Profile - - just keep scrolling . . . There! Do you see it?
Eileen Cook, an author who hails from Vancouver, Canada, has her very first book, "Unpredictable" coming out February 5th.
You should check it out. Also, you should check out her blog.
Go ahead - - I'll be here when you get back! :-)
Over there, on the left - - just under my Profile - - just keep scrolling . . . There! Do you see it?
Eileen Cook, an author who hails from Vancouver, Canada, has her very first book, "Unpredictable" coming out February 5th.
You should check it out. Also, you should check out her blog.
Go ahead - - I'll be here when you get back! :-)
This Week is FINALLY Over!
Thank God!
This has been a LONG week - - lots of hours. And, it's been a ROUGH one . . . and it went just the way I was afraid it would. *sigh*
When I first heard they had hired a full-time director for our Department, and that they were going to have to rearrange our area to squeeze in another office and another whole person, I said, "As long as they don't have everything all torn up during the first week of classes, we'll be okay."
This was the first week of classes.
They started construction on our area Monday morning.
*sigh* Damn.
All week long, we have had to put up with our furniture all moved out, my student workers in a different room than I am (makes it hard to supervise, and also train the new one), the new boss in another room in a whole different area, students trying to come back for help that we are not able to provide because ALL OF OUR STUFF IS SOMEWHERE WHERE DID WE PUT IT DAMMIT.
Along with all this, there is the actual construction process itself - - concrete drills, drywall saws, drywall sanders, drywall DUST, paint fumes . . .
And still trying our best to serve the frantic students coming back for help, trying to hold Orientation sessions ("I can't print out the attendance sheet for this session! Where in the hell is our printer!?!?!?") and just trying to keep some small shred of sanity (NEVER easy for me, even in the best of circumstances).
But the construction is FINALLY finished, the furniture will get moved in next week, and hopefully we will all be together in the same area and all settled in soon. The new boss will get into the swing of things, and we will finally be working together as a team. And, it will be good to FINALLY be able to help the students like we need to!
But right now - - I'm heading for some well-deserved rest!
This has been a LONG week - - lots of hours. And, it's been a ROUGH one . . . and it went just the way I was afraid it would. *sigh*
When I first heard they had hired a full-time director for our Department, and that they were going to have to rearrange our area to squeeze in another office and another whole person, I said, "As long as they don't have everything all torn up during the first week of classes, we'll be okay."
This was the first week of classes.
They started construction on our area Monday morning.
*sigh* Damn.
All week long, we have had to put up with our furniture all moved out, my student workers in a different room than I am (makes it hard to supervise, and also train the new one), the new boss in another room in a whole different area, students trying to come back for help that we are not able to provide because ALL OF OUR STUFF IS SOMEWHERE WHERE DID WE PUT IT DAMMIT.
Along with all this, there is the actual construction process itself - - concrete drills, drywall saws, drywall sanders, drywall DUST, paint fumes . . .
And still trying our best to serve the frantic students coming back for help, trying to hold Orientation sessions ("I can't print out the attendance sheet for this session! Where in the hell is our printer!?!?!?") and just trying to keep some small shred of sanity (NEVER easy for me, even in the best of circumstances).
But the construction is FINALLY finished, the furniture will get moved in next week, and hopefully we will all be together in the same area and all settled in soon. The new boss will get into the swing of things, and we will finally be working together as a team. And, it will be good to FINALLY be able to help the students like we need to!
But right now - - I'm heading for some well-deserved rest!
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Oh His Way Back Home
Dad has been doing great! He finally decided he was ready to go home, so this afternoon, that is what he did.
It was fun having him around for awhile, but I understand his wanting to get back to his own house, sleep in his own bed, play on his own computer . . . and not have darling daughter watching him like a hawk! (Actually, I'm not THAT bad!)
I'll still be keeping a close eye on him for the next six weeks or so, because that is when the second procedure will be scheduled. Once he has that done, he will probably spend a couple of weeks in the hospital, then a couple more in a rehab facility, then a couple of weeks more with me.
Keep you all posted . . .
It was fun having him around for awhile, but I understand his wanting to get back to his own house, sleep in his own bed, play on his own computer . . . and not have darling daughter watching him like a hawk! (Actually, I'm not THAT bad!)
I'll still be keeping a close eye on him for the next six weeks or so, because that is when the second procedure will be scheduled. Once he has that done, he will probably spend a couple of weeks in the hospital, then a couple more in a rehab facility, then a couple of weeks more with me.
Keep you all posted . . .
Saturday, January 12, 2008
One Down, Three To Go . . .
Dad had the stent placed in the one heart artery that was 90% blocked this past Thursday. The Doctor proclaimed the procedure 'smooth as silk' when he talked with me after it was done, and that Dad was doing great!
They admitted him to stay overnight, as they wanted to monitor him for 24 hours, but by 8:30 the next morning, the Doctor told him he could go home anytime he could get a ride.
Unfortunately, both Dear Hubby and I were at work, and had not anticipated this . . . *sigh*
SO - - Steve took off work at 1:00, came home and showered and changed, and headed on over to Springfield to pick up Dad. I left work at 2:30, headed to the store to pick up a few things, and then went home to make sure everything was ready.
Actually, they beat ME home! Dad was already discharged and sitting there waiting for Steve when he got there! They headed down to the car and back to our house.
Dad is staying with us until Sunday, just to make sure he's doing okay. So far, he is feeling and doing very well.
Dad goes back to the heart Doctor in 4 weeks for a recheck, and if all is well, he will be looking at having his second procedure - - repairing his abdominal aneurysm - - about 2 weeks later.
2008 is going to be a L - O - O - O - N - G year . . .
They admitted him to stay overnight, as they wanted to monitor him for 24 hours, but by 8:30 the next morning, the Doctor told him he could go home anytime he could get a ride.
Unfortunately, both Dear Hubby and I were at work, and had not anticipated this . . . *sigh*
SO - - Steve took off work at 1:00, came home and showered and changed, and headed on over to Springfield to pick up Dad. I left work at 2:30, headed to the store to pick up a few things, and then went home to make sure everything was ready.
Actually, they beat ME home! Dad was already discharged and sitting there waiting for Steve when he got there! They headed down to the car and back to our house.
Dad is staying with us until Sunday, just to make sure he's doing okay. So far, he is feeling and doing very well.
Dad goes back to the heart Doctor in 4 weeks for a recheck, and if all is well, he will be looking at having his second procedure - - repairing his abdominal aneurysm - - about 2 weeks later.
2008 is going to be a L - O - O - O - N - G year . . .
Wednesday, January 09, 2008
My Dad
My posting may be a bit sporadic for awhile - - my Dad is having some procedures done, and between work, running him to Springfield for his procedures, doctor appointments here in town, and having him home with me for some recuperating time, well - - getting on the computer and having time to blog has not been possible.
Dad had a heart cath done last Friday, and then stayed the weekend with us, because they did not want him doing any driving or much else for 48 hours afterward. He went home Sunday afternoon.
Tuesday we went to the doctor here in town, and discussed what will be done next.
This morning, he found out that he will have a stent placed in the main left heart artery to clear a blockage that is at 90%. This will be done tomorrow afternoon. They will keep him overnight, and will then come to our house for a few days.
There are a couple more procedures he will have to go through, but they will be spacing them out every 2-3 months or so.
SO - - 2008 is off to a rolling start! (*sigh*)
It sucks already.
I'm hanging in there - - wish me luck.
And if you are one who prays, please say one for may Dad - - appreciate it.
Dad had a heart cath done last Friday, and then stayed the weekend with us, because they did not want him doing any driving or much else for 48 hours afterward. He went home Sunday afternoon.
Tuesday we went to the doctor here in town, and discussed what will be done next.
This morning, he found out that he will have a stent placed in the main left heart artery to clear a blockage that is at 90%. This will be done tomorrow afternoon. They will keep him overnight, and will then come to our house for a few days.
There are a couple more procedures he will have to go through, but they will be spacing them out every 2-3 months or so.
SO - - 2008 is off to a rolling start! (*sigh*)
It sucks already.
I'm hanging in there - - wish me luck.
And if you are one who prays, please say one for may Dad - - appreciate it.
Tuesday, January 01, 2008
Happy 2008!
So - - do you make resolutions?
I do, but only if I know I can make a serious effort to achieve my goal. I try to be realistic about my resolutions.
That being said, here is what I resolve to accomplish in 2008:
(1) Continue the "year of un-dieting"
I learned this from reading Crazy Aunt Purl - - she resolved to never diet again, but to walk for exercise, and watch what she eats, and the results were fantastic. I decided to give it a try, and it worked for me also. Therefore, I will continue this for 2008.
(2) Sell our other house
It has been on the market for a year now. I know the market is not good for sellers, but it WILL sell. We just have to keep working at it and get the job done. Fortunately, we have excellent professionals working for us, so we are not in this alone. I would hate to be trying to do this ourselves - - what a nightmare that would be!
(3) Remember to take my meds and vitamins every day - - even on weekends or when I'm on vacation
I try to remember to do this - - honestly I do - - but I tend to get busy on the weekends or when I'm on break, and the next thing I know, it's bedtime and I haven't taken them. I will do better in 2008.
And last, but certainly not least - -
(4) Tell my Dear Husband Steve, the best man in the world*, that I love him. Every. Single. Day.
Well, I do that anyway, so that will be an easy resolution to keep! :-)
I hope 2008 is good to all of us!
* He really IS the best, and I'm the luckiest woman in the world having him in my life!
I do, but only if I know I can make a serious effort to achieve my goal. I try to be realistic about my resolutions.
That being said, here is what I resolve to accomplish in 2008:
(1) Continue the "year of un-dieting"
I learned this from reading Crazy Aunt Purl - - she resolved to never diet again, but to walk for exercise, and watch what she eats, and the results were fantastic. I decided to give it a try, and it worked for me also. Therefore, I will continue this for 2008.
(2) Sell our other house
It has been on the market for a year now. I know the market is not good for sellers, but it WILL sell. We just have to keep working at it and get the job done. Fortunately, we have excellent professionals working for us, so we are not in this alone. I would hate to be trying to do this ourselves - - what a nightmare that would be!
(3) Remember to take my meds and vitamins every day - - even on weekends or when I'm on vacation
I try to remember to do this - - honestly I do - - but I tend to get busy on the weekends or when I'm on break, and the next thing I know, it's bedtime and I haven't taken them. I will do better in 2008.
And last, but certainly not least - -
(4) Tell my Dear Husband Steve, the best man in the world*, that I love him. Every. Single. Day.
Well, I do that anyway, so that will be an easy resolution to keep! :-)
I hope 2008 is good to all of us!
* He really IS the best, and I'm the luckiest woman in the world having him in my life!
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