Decatur Celebration, Part 2 - Saturday

Saturday morning dawned sunny and cool; Mother Nature was giving us a break for Celebration! Usually it's so damn hot at our stage area, being surrounded by concrete and asphalt, with nary a shade tree in sight. But the weather gods smiled on us this day!

Unfortunately, Dear Hubby and I couldn't get downtown in time for the parade, because of all the yard work that needed done at the OTHER DAMN HOUSE THAT STILL HASN'T SOLD (not that it bothers me or anything, not a bit)(yeah, right).

AAAANNNYYYYWAY - - I was a little p.o.'d that I had to miss the parade, but we got there around Noon to help set up for Saturday's band, The Smithereens.

Now, I had heard of The Smithereens, but I was only familiar with one of their songs, "A Girl Like You", that I think came out around 1989. It's a good song. Find a video of it on YouTube and enjoy it.

The band wasn't supposed to be there for a couple more hours, so Steve and I decided to walk down to see his HERO - - none other than drag racer "Big Daddy" Don Garlits! Big Daddy was there with one of his dragsters, Swamp Rat VIII. I was able to get some pictures to mark the occasion:


The Dragster


Sign telling about the Swamp Rat


"Big Daddy" truck



Steve is thinking, "I get to meet MY HERO,and all I have to wear is this lousy BOWLING SHIRT!"

We then decided to walk around a bit more and see some people. One of the roving characters was the Traffic Cop from Providence, Rhode Island, who is famous for directing traffic IN STYLE - - his name is Tony, and he is a great guy.

Here is a YouTube video of Tony in action:


AND here's Tony at our little downtown party:


It was time to head on back to our Stage and see if the band was there so we could get set up. Saturday night was going to be a busy one. But on our way back, we went by the North Street Stage, and saw an amazing Blues musician, Melvin Taylor. That guy could really make the guitar wail!







We listened to a couple of songs, but then kept on towards our Stage. The good thing was, our stage was just around the corner from the stage Melvin Taylor was on, so we could still hear him as we got ready for our Saturday night show!

Saturday night will be the next post, and it will be a good one!

Decatur Celebration, Part 1 - Friday

Decatur Celebration time - - time to party, time to play, time to work our asses off!

22 blocks of downtown are blocked off starting at 5 AM on Friday, and work begins. Stages are built, vendors are moved in, electric is connected (drops were placed prior to Friday), and supplies are carted in.

Here is our "home away from home" for the next 3 days:

This is the Show Stage, the big main stage of the Celebration. It's our baby to take care of, along with the road crews, sound crews, and entertainers for the stage.

A couple of views from the Stage, down the street, showing some of the preparations for the event:



Everybody is working hard, getting ready for 5 PM Vendor openings, and 6 PM Opening Ceremonies.

At 6 PM, the party officially kicks off, and our first show, Vince Vance and the Valiants, begins:


Can you believe that hair?


He really knows how to work a crowd:


This is a 6-foot replica of Vince's head and hair, that he always has on stage:


Vince and the band have played at the Celebration 5 or 6 times over the years. They put on an incredible show, as always! Check out his website if you want to know about him - - he's a fantastic performer, and just an all-around nice guy!

After their 2 sets were finished (6:30, and 9:45), band equipment was torn down and the stage secured, Vince came backstage and sat with all of us and just visited for almost an hour. He has played in Decatur many, many times over the years at different events, and loves it here. We laughed and chatted, and it felt good to just relax and enjoy the cool night air.

But, it's time to head on home; tomorrow is another busy, busy day!

The Party's Over (UPDATE)

UPDATE: The pictures are now all cropped and cleaned up, and ready for posting! But, tomorrow marks the return to work, so the posts will start this week. Please excuse the delay, but duty calls . . . and YES, my feet STILL hurt!

Decatur Celebration is done and all wrapped up for this year.

I met some truly awesome people, ate lots of junk food, and took tons of cool pictures.

I will dedicate the next few posts to the "Party" and post some pics - - as soon as I get them all downloaded and cleaned up, that is!

I just wish my feet didn't hurt so bad . . .

It's Almost Celebration Time!

This weekend is the annual Decatur Celebration. This will be the 23rd year for the festival, and the 22nd year Dear Hubby and I have worked it.

We work backstage at the big main stage, and it has been all sorts of interesting every year. We never know what to expect from the bands, the roadies, the fans . . . it's always unique, and always pretty crazy. It's hot, it's humid, it's a lot of hard work . . . and we love it.

It is such a blast to meet people you admired for their music many, many years ago, and to see what they are really like. I have had some major disappointments, but have also had the pleasure of meeting and getting to know some good ones.

This year the Celebration has The Smithereens, Plain White T's, Edgar Winter Group, Pauli Carman and Champaign, Caedmon's Call, Jr. Walker's All Stars, Otis Day and the Knights, and many, many more.

Since we spend practically all of our time down there, from Friday evening through Sunday night, there won't be any posts until after the show is over. Dear Hubby and I are taking Monday off work to recuperate, so hopefully I will be able to drag my poor old worn out, sunburned body to the computer and give you an update.

"Celebrate good times, Come On!"

Updates On My Other Blog

Just in case your interested. But seriously, it's not much more than a bitch and moan entry . . . so you have been forewarned . . .
Escape From the Money Pit

24 Years Ago . . . (pt. 6)

The phone calls continued on a daily basis, as well as walks along the lake, drives around town, just talking about everything and nothing. Everything was going very well, until one evening he asked me to go walk with him, and he just wasn't acting like himself. When I asked was was wrong, he told me that he had lost his job that day, and was very upset; not just about losing his job, but he was sure that I would not want to be seeing someone who was unemployed, and the money just wasn't going to be there to take me out or do anything. He said he would understand if I didn't want him coming around any more.

Well - - he was wrong.

The job he lost? He was a car salesman. The reason they let him go? They told him - - and this is a quote - - he was "too honest" to make a good car salesman.

YES, they DID give that as their reason.

When he told me this, all I could do was laugh! I then told him that it just clinched for me what I saw in him - - that he was a decent, honest man, and that was the kind of person I liked having in my life. I told him he was stuck with me, so he better just get used to the idea.

Yes, he was kind of shocked. And honestly? So was I.

So the walks along the lake and the drives around town and the long talks continued. We grew very close as friends, and as our friendship grew, so did our feelings for each other. I knew I was in trouble when talking to my roommate one day, and mentioned that if I ever DID get married again, it would be to somebody like him. She said, "Why not him?" And, I didn't have an answer to that; but I couldn't help but think, "Yeah, why not him?"

It was hard for me to let him know how I felt about him. I had been hurt so many times in the past, and was so afraid of it happening again. But, eventually I decided it needed to be said, and I did.

He didn't run away. He stayed there, steady as ever. And, he has not wavered a bit, for 24 years now.

He told me he fell in love with me the minute he saw me walk in The Arch that night, and his feelings only grew stronger every time he saw me. He says his feeling grow ever day, even now, all these years later.

As for me, well - - he made me see that even though I went through a lot of pain and heartbreak with others, it was for a good reason - - it was because he was out there, waiting for me. And we finally found each other.

It's been 24 years now, and I'm looking forward to the next 24. It's just going to keep getting better and better!

It's been fun reliving this story as I have been retelling it. I hope you have enjoyed it!

On His Way Home!

Last night Dad and I talked. He said he was feeling quite a bit better,and thought he would go home. I asked him to wait on that decision until I called the Doctor's office in the morning and get their opinion, and he agreed.

This morning I called and talked to the Nurse, describing how Dad was doing and how his arm was looking. She agreed that since he was improving, she didn't see any reason why he couldn't try going home.

SO - - I called the house and told Dad that I was "kicking him to the curb" - - and I don't think he minded hearing that news at all! :-)

Tomorrow after work, Steve and Dad will head down the road to his house, and I will follow shortly thereafter.

He's pretty happy - - he's looking forward to sitting in his own recliner, and sleeping in his own bed, and I don't blame him one bit.

Thank you for all your kind thoughts and prayers for Dad. I'm sure they played a big part in his recovery!

24 Years Ago . . . (pt. 5)

Sunday came, and was busy as usual, and the date from the night before just kind of faded into a pleasant memory. I kept myself busy and decided NOT think about it any more. And I was succeeding beautifully. Until . . .

The following day - - when I got home from work and found a delivery from a local florist . . . a white milk glass vase with 2 red roses, and a card saying what a nice time he had on our date.

Ohhhhhhh my . . .

As I was standing there, shell-shocked, the phone rang. It was "the man", asking about my day. I kind of stammered into the phone, then apologized and told him I had just gotten home and gotten the delivery from the florist, and thanked him. He said he just wanted me to know that he really did enjoy getting to know me, and would I mind getting together again? I said that would be fine (well, what else COULD I say while holding flowers from him in my hand?) - - we chatted a few more minutes, then hung up.

I just sat there, thinking about the nice time we had, and the conversations we were having, and thought, "Maybe I need to give this one a second look."

And so I did . . .

And yes, there is MORE! :-)

A Turn-Around - - Finally

Dad's arm is amazingly better today!

When he got up this morning, he decided to take an Extra-Strength Tylenol instead of teh Darvocet. He's only allowed up to 4 Darvocet a day, so he wanted to make sure he would be able to take one at bedtime tonight. (Smart man, my Daddy is!)

When I came home at 11:30 to make him some lunch, he said his arm was still tender, but he didn't have much pain; in fact, he had not had to take any more Tylenol, or a Darvocet, or anything! Also, the swelling has gone down significantly, and he dark red color has faded a little.

When I got home at 5:00 this evening, he has still not taken any pain meds! But he said it was starting to get a bit more sore, so he took a Darvocet with supper. He can then take another one at bedtime if its needed.

I think he has finally turned a corner - - and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that he just continues to improve.

One - slow - step - at - a - time . . . . . poor dear . . . . .

Here We Go Again . . . *sigh*

We made another trip to the Emergency Room with Dad this morning.

Well, actually, I should say Dear Hubby made the trip with Dad. Dad woke up with almost unbearable pain in his right arm, and the numbness was back in his hand to the point where he couldn't grip anything, not even to take his morning pills. I got up, took a quick shower, and called Hubby at work while I was getting dressed. He said his work was all caught up and then some, and that he was going to come home and he would take Dad to the ER. And he did.

Bless that man. I thank God every day for having him in my life!

Once they left, I finished getting dressed and headed into the office. This is Finals week for the Summer semester, and I had some things that needed done right away for some instructors. And, since my boss is gone until Wednesday, and we are also short-staffed due to one of my Help Desk workers being off sick, I was the only one at the time who could get it done. By being able to get in early, I was able to get everything done that was needed.

Dad was given some Darvocet for pain, and was scheduled to go back to Springfield this afternoon to meet with the doctor (again!) - - by that time, my "stuff" at work was caught up, so I called and told Hubby I could take Dad to Springfield.

He was having none of it. Excuse me??? He's MY Dad, you know . . .

He didn't care. He told me HE was going to take care of things today, and that was that.

*sigh*

Is it any wonder why I love that man?

Anyway, the Doctor told Dad that this is going to take some time to clear up, and to stay with the Darvocet. So Dad is with us for an undetrmined amount of time. Which is fine with us, but it's bugging the hell out of him . . . he wants to go back home! All in good time, Dad - - all in good time.

Keep ya posted.

24 Years Ago . . . (pt. 4)

The phone calls from the "new man in my life" continued every evening. The conversations were light, and fun, and I found myself enjoying them, in spite of my determination not to start seeing anyone on a frequent basis. And it was funny - - the closer it got to Saturday, the more nervous I was becoming. I attributed it to the fact that I was going through a self-imposed moratorium on dating, and had not dated in almost a year. That, and Sheri's constant comments on how happy she was that I was dating this guy, and her giggles every time I protested that fact!

Saturday finally came, and found me taking extra care to look my best, all the while telling myself, "It's just one date. ONE DATE! That's all!"

*sigh* Why was I so darned nervous?!?

Finally, the doorbell rang, and there he was. We took off for a club in a nearby city to see a band. I remember that it was a very nice, relaxed evening, and as we had similar taste in music, really enjoyed the band. A Beatles tribute band, as I recall . . .

Later, when he brought me home, he leaned down, gave me a very short, sweet kiss, said goodnight, and was out the door. After he left, I just stood there . . . if this was just one date, and I didn't care one way or the other if I saw him again, why were my toes curling? (Definitely not something to mention to Sheri!)

As I was getting ready for bed, I found myself thinking about the evening, and realized I was smiling. I told myself to STOP THAT. It WAS just one date. I may never see or hear from him again. So STOP IT.

But I fell asleep smiling, all the same.

Yes, there is more . . .

Another Setback

Yesterday morning Dad woke with a lot of pain in the arm they used for the heart stent procedure. Also, his hand was numb. That was 2 of the symptoms they had told us to be on the lookout for, because they signaled that there was a problem.

So I called the Heart Institute in Springfield. They recommended I take him to the Emergency Room right away, which I did. The ER Doctor called Dad's Doctor from there, and a 12 Noon appointment was set for Dad at the Springfield office.

We got Dad over there to get checked out. The Doctor thought it might just be some pressure on the nerve by the incision site, but sent Dad to the Diagnostic Center for an ultrasound, just to be safe.

The ultrasound showed that the artery was showing some leaking around the incision site, and normal blood flow was not making all the way down the arm, causing some numbness in his hand. But, he does still have a good strong pulse in that arm. Also, some of the blood is pooling around the surgery area, which is causing the pressure and pain he is experiencing.

He now has that arm in a sling to ease some of the pressure, and we will be heading back to Springfield for his recheck on Monday . ..

*sigh*

Why is it - - whenever it is supposed to be one of the EASIER procedures . . . it isn't?

Keep my Dear Ol' Daddy in your thoughts and prayers - - appreciate it.

What the Hell Were They Thinking?!?!?!

I went to Springfield to pick up Dad from the hospital yesterday. I got there around 1:15 PM, and was told by staff at the Nurse's Station that he was not ready to be discharged yet - - that there was a "situation" - - and they were not sure when he would be discharged.

A "situation" . . . like what? I had called earlier that morning to check on exactly where I needed to go to get him, and no one had mentioned anything about any "situation" . . .

I could not believe what they told me.

A little background on heart stent patients - - usually, they go in through an artery in the groin area. However, if that artery is not available, such as in Dad's case (because of the past surgery in March that blocked off that artery and a bypass put in), they go in through an artery in the arm. Heart stent patients using the groin artery are ordered to be total bedrest, and laying totally flat on their backs. Patients who had the arm artery used, however, do not have that restriction.

Remember this as we go along. This is important.

Apparently during the night Monday, Dad had to go to the bathroom. The nurse just assumed he was on total bedrest. She ASSUMED this. And because she ASSUMED this, and DIDN'T CHECK THE ORDERS OR CHECK WITH THE DOCTOR LIKE SHE WAS SUPPOSED TO . . . instead of getting him up to go to the bathroom . . .

She had a catheter inserted.

Yes, that's right - - she apparently took in upon herself to have a catheter inserted, COMPLETELY AGAINST DOCTOR'S ORDERS.

Now, anyone who has been following the "Dad Saga" knows of the problems we had last March, when Dad had the catheter problem, and had to wear one for weeks. We just got that problem cleared up, and things are working well - - smooth sailing, so to speak. Even the Urologist has released him and said he doesn't need to check him for another 6 months.

And then this nurse decides to screw that up.

Apparently, when she put in the catheter, Dad said it "hurt like hell", and he was so uncomfortable, between that and staff coming every couple of hours to check his vital signs, he got almost no sleep all night.

WELL!

When his Doctor came in to check on him the next morning and discovered what had happened, he was LIVID! And rightfully so. He investigated and found out who did it, and told the RN he was going downstairs to the Cath Lab to "take care of business."

I hope the bitch got fired.

SO!

I get to the Nurse's Station and they tell me all of this. AAAAAND they got to see the Sicilian temper side of Dizzy Ms. Lizzy. It was not a pretty sight, not at all. I was ranting. I was yelling. I was very, very angry. They ALL knew it.

His urine had a lot of blood in it, and they were having to keep him there until it started clearing up. They did not know how long it would take.

I told them I was not leaving that hospital until 1) he was going with me, and 2) I talked to the Doctor. And, I did not care how late I was there until I did!

They asked me if they released him and he was still having the problem, would I be able to take him to his Urologist the next day? I said NO! If they broke him, THEY were going to fix him! And we were NOT leaving until they did!

The RN talked with the Unit's RN Manager, who came in to talk to me. She was apologizing all over herself. She assured me that Dad would be taken care of. She assured me the Doctor was taking care of whoever caused the problem.

I repeated the same thing to her that I had told the Nurses - - YOU broke him, YOU are going to fix him. Period.

About 4:15, the Doctor came in to see us. He and I had a very good talk. Believe me, he was as upset as I was! This man is very particular about his patients and how they are treated, and what happened to Dad was totally unacceptable. (Well, YEAH) I told the Doctor that I am an only child, that his patient was the only Daddy I have, and I am very, VERY protective of him. I did not appreciate someone not only doing an unnecessary procedure on him, but they caused him physical pain, and after all the problems Dad has had in that area, they better hope they didn't cause any permanent damage! (or else)

I have no doubt that someone is in very bad trouble in the Cath Lab there.

Finally, around 5:30 or so, they said Dad was doing well enough to be discharged. They got all his paperwork ready, and eventually I was able to break him out of there . . . finally!

Dad is doing much better now. His problem finally cleared up last night and has not returned. But he's very tired, his arm is still pretty sore, and can't seem to get enough sleep today. But I'm sure tomorrow will be even better, and hopefully he can go back home on Friday.

Please keep my Dear Ol' Daddy in your thoughts and prayers.

Back Home

Dad is back home with us for a few days now.

I went to Springfield to pick him up from the hospital today, and there was a "situation" . . . I will have to explain more later. Right now I'm exhausted. But it is a very INTERESTING "situation" and I even got to lose my temper a bit and throw a little hissy fit. It was grand and glorious.

Hopefully once THIS stuff settles down, I can get back to the "24 Years Ago" posts - - heck, it was just getting interesting, and then I go and leave you all in suspense . . . nothing like a cliff-hanger, huh? ;-) I'll post the rest soon, that's a promise.

Just gotta get Dad all situated first.

But for now, g'night *yawn*

Everything Went Well!

Dad's procedure went well - - the Doctor is very pleased!

I am now home, and will head back tomorrow afternoon to bring him back to my house for a few days . . . (this sounds familiar, doesn't it?)

Since Dad's surgery in March, they can no longer use the artery in the groin area to go through and place a stent; instead, they have to go in through the arm. That means that he will have to be very careful with that arm for the next 3 days, so instead of staying with me 1-2 days as originally planned, he will probably be with us until the weekend.

That's fine - - he's a very easy houseguest, and Squeaky Kitty is VERY happy to have Grandpa back! She's already been lovin' all over him!

We are all very happy to have this procedure done and over with!

We Interrupt This Blog for the Following Announcement . . .

I am in Springfield at the Heart Institute. They just took Dad back for his heart stent procedure.

I'll be sure to keep you all posted on how he does.

24 Years Ago . . . (pt. 3)

That evening on the way home from work, Sheri continued her campaign to get me to go out with "the guy" on the business card. She was persistent, I must admit! Finally, I asked her to give the card back to me. It was a card for a local car dealership, and on the back were places to fill in contact information. I took the card, and on the back, wrote my name and address (figured he already knew where I lived, so what did it matter) and in the blank for the phone number, wrote "Still unlisted (nice try, though!)" - - and handed it back to Sheri. I then told her she could pass it on to her friend next time she saw him.

Little did I know . . .

That night, I was in bed early. All this mandatory overtime was really draining me! It was around 8:30 pm, and I was sitting up in bed reading, when the phone rang. When I answered, there was a very nice-sounding male voice on the other end who said, "So, you are still unlisted, huh?"

Oooooh my - - Sheri, you little brat.

I replied, "Well, yes, I WAS . . . be sure to call our mutual friend and make your goodbyes, because she is toast tomorrow when I see her!" He just laughed and said, "Don't blame her. She said she thought I was a nice guy, and that I should have a chance to talk with you again. I really hope I'm not bothering you."

*sigh* No, of course not. What else did I have to do, except catch up on my sleep? I decided that a brief conversation wouldn't hurt, and might appease Sheri.

That conversation ended TWO HOURS LATER, and somehow, with a date scheduled for the following Saturday night. I told him he could come by and pick me up, so that he would be assured that I would actually meet him this time!

And I figured since I wasn't seeing anyone at that point, a date would be a nice diversion. And, maybe it would quiet Sheri down a bit. And it was just ONE DATE, right? What could that hurt? It's not like I was going to keep seeing the guy, or get serious or anything, right?

Seems like fate had other ideas about that . . . . .

Oh, by the way - - I still have the business card:



That blur in the upper-righ-hand corner is where he wrote my UNLISTED PHONE NUMBER as Sheri gave it to him. Brat.

And yes, there's more . . .

24 Years Ago . . . (pt. 2)

The Monday morning following my weekend in St. Louis found me getting up early and driving across town to meet my carpool. About halfway there, I happened to glance over and notice something on my windshield, stuck under the passenger side windshield wiper. What the heck? I pulled over into a parking lot and grabbed it. It was a business card from a local car dealer. I again thought, what the heck? I just bought this new truck, and someone is trying to sell me something? Weird . . .

I put the card on the seat next to me and started driving again. Something was nagging at me about the card - - what was it? But I was tired and sleepy, and just wanted to get across town and meet my carpool so we could get to work.

But as I drove, that nagging feeling kept at me, and I kept glancing at the card. What was going on here? Suddenly it hit me - - Oh my gosh! That was the guy I met last week at the Arch, and I stood up Saturday night! What the . . . ?!?!?! How did he find where I lived? I didn't mention an address - - I just mentioned the "West End", which is pretty darned big! What is going on here?!?!?!

When I got with my carpool, I brought the card with me and told them all the tale. They got a pretty good laugh out of it. Later in the day, one of the carpool members, Sheri, asked me if I still had the card with me. When I said yes, she asked if she could see it again, so I gave it to her. She looked at it for a minute, and then said, "I thought this phone number looked familiar. I know this guy! He really is a nice guy; I think you should go out with him. Really." I told Sheri if she thought he was so nice, she should keep the card and go out with him. She just laughed and said, "No, I think he is nice for YOU!" I disagreed, and would not take the card back from her.

Little did I know what Sheri had in mind for that card, and for me . . .

24 Years Ago . . . (pt. 1)

24 years ago - - July 10, 1984. That date fell on a Tuesday that year. It was my roommate's birthday, and she wanted to go out and celebrate. I volunteered as designated driver, for many reasons - - I had to go to work early the next day, so I didn't need to be drinking anything stronger that soda; also, my roommate had just gotten a new car, and neither of us felt like she needed to be taking any chances with it after celebrating her special day.

So out we went. First to our favorite hang-out, Lock, Stock & Barrel, a pub near the College campus. It was kind of a quiet night, but there was a nice crowd, and lots of friends to hang with.

But then my roomie got bored. She wanted to go to the Arch Lounge. *sigh* The LAST place I wanted to be that night was the Arch! I tried my best to talk her out of it, but it was no use - - it was HER birthday, and she wanted to go to the Arch, and she wanted to go NOW . . . pretty please?

*sigh*

Okay - - so we were off to the Arch.

As we walked into the place, I scoped it out as usual - - it was pretty quiet in there (it was a TUESDAY NIGHT, after all), there was a local band playing that I knew pretty well, and there didn't seem to be any obvious axe murderers loitering around, so I settled into an empty seat at the bar to listen to the band while my roomie found a group of her friends to sit with.

As I was sitting there, sipping a Diet Coke and listening to the band play, the man next to me struck up a conversation. He seemed nice enough, and I was bored just sitting there waiting for roomie, so we started chatting. During the course of the conversation, he started asking for my phone number, but I shut that down, saying that it was unlisted, and it was going to stay that way. He accepted that, but still kept his hand in, hoping I would relent and give him the number, but he was not successful.

Finally, my dear roomie came up and told me that she was going to stay with the other group, and that they had promised to get her home safely. She knew I had to go to work early, so she thought that might be the best thing for her to do. Which was fine, because I was tired, and just wanted to go home at that point.

The man I had been chatting with walked me out to my vehicle, and made one more attempt to get my phone number; he said he really wanted to talk to me some more, that he had really enjoyed getting to know me a little bit. Again, the answer was no.

He then swtiched tactics - - would I at least agree to meet him on Saturday, at a place of my choosing, and at least give him a chance to get to know me a little better? I said yes, but it was just mainly to get him to LEAVE ME ALONE so that I could go home - - I was tired, and morning was coming up fast. So I told him when, and where, and got in my truck and went home.

I had NO intentions of meeting him on Saturday, and I didn't. In fact, I took my son to St. Louis for a weekend of Zoo time and baseball game fun.

I thought that was the end of it, but apparently I had underestimated that man . . .

More to follow.

Medical Update

Update #1:Well, it's "Dad Time" again!

Dad is going to have his second heart stent procedure done this coming Monday. We need to have him in Springfield at 2 PM that day. They will do the procedure, and then keep him overnight. I will go back to Springfield on Tuesday to pick him up and bring him back to our house for a couple of days. So we will have a house guest again for a couple of days! Which is fine - - he's an easy guest to have around.

And Squeak will be so happy - - her "Grandpa" will be back!

Update #2: This time it's for me.

Back last November, I had a small mass show up on my right hand, just below the thumb. I checked with my Doctor, who said he thought it might be a ganglian cyst, which sometimes show up there, because they attach themselves to a tendon. We decided to wait until after the Holidays to pursue it, because you know how THAT time if year is . . . and since it was causing me no pain or discomfort, and was not impeding any hand motion, we decided to wait until after the New Year.

Well, when January hit, that is when all the stuff started with Dad. Every time I tried to schedule something for my hand, I had to cancel it because something else would come up for him. Finally - - FINALLY - - I was able to get back to my Doctor and have him check it again.

By this time, it had grown a little bit, but it still does not cause any pain or discomfort, nor does it impede any motion in any way. My Doctor referred me to a very good Doctor at The Hand Center. They took X-rays, and got me into a room to meet with Dr. S.

When I spoke with Dr. S, he agreed that it could be a ganglian, but the X-rays were pretty inconclusive, so he ordered an MRI for me. I got that done a couple of weeks ago, and yesterday went back to meet with him to discuss the findings. It seems it is NOT a cyst, but a soft tissue mass, similar to a fatty tumor, and he feels the best course of action is to excise it. As in cut into my hand and remove it.

SO - - I now have hand surgery scheduled. It will take place August 22nd. It's fairly minor, and an outpatient procedure. Dear Hubby has already scheduled that day off, and will be there with me the whole day. They will use the "Twilight" anesthesia, so a couple of hours after surgery they will send me home. Steve then plans to stay home in case I need anything (BLESS THAT DEAR MAN!)(I'm definitely keeping him!)

I thought I was handling it all very well, but . . . last night I couldn'd sleep; my blood pressure was pretty high. And today, I felt kinda light-headed and had trouble focusing all day. The boss finally sent me home at 3:00 this afternoon, and when I got home, I immediately laid down and took a short nap. Things are a bit better now, but I still don't feel 100%.

It's all nerves . . . and I realize that everything will be FINE. Really it will. But it's still nerve-wracking.

Why couldn't this be happening to my LEFT hand? I'm predominately right-handed, I make my living on a keyboard and mouse, and this damn thing is on my RIGHT HAND.

*sigh*

2008 has NOT been an easy year for the Jackson household . . .

Happy 4th of July!

ENJOY YOUR HOLIDAY!

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?

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!

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!)

Kitty Belly!

OH, CARMICHAEL!!!!

Look at you, boy!

Showing your belly like that! Have you no shame?



*sigh*

Obviously not . . .

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.

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.

$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.

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!

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.

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!

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! :-)

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*

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!

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!

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!!!

Oh, And?

We STILL can't get the damn printer to work . . . *grrrr*

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.

Happy Mother's Day

To all the Moms out there in Blog-land - -

Have a very Happy Mother's Day!

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!!!!!

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 . . .

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!

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!

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!

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!

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.

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 . . .

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 . . .

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.

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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!

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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 . . . :-)

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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!

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!

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.

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 . . . !!!!!

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.

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!

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*

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!!!)

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.

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 . . .

Happy Easter

"With Him, all things are possible."

THIS, I truly believe.

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!

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.

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.