October's weather was kind of all over the place. We had a lot of really nice summery days and a few "oh my god, it's so cold it's going to snow any minute" days. Vic and I have gone thru a heap of wood already making fires. Every year we rent a wood splitter to split the larger pieces of wood so they'll fit into our little wood-burning stove. (We haven't split yet this year.) We moved the remaining outdoor plants inside and put away any patio stuff that was still lurking about. We had a really good wind last night that knocked down any of the little yellow leaves that were clinging onto our backyard trees, so now we have a yard filled with yellow and red. Autumn is always my favorite time of year ~ I love the leaf colors and the crispness in the air.
One of the two big events this month were the addition of our new family member, Erin. She is a black lab we "rescued" off of Craigslist. I don't think her previous people took very good care of her at all. She's about 17 months old and has a great disposition. We got her mainly as a companion for Meg and the two of them get along wonderfully. She's been with us now for a week and there haven't been any fights with any of the kids. She does have some sort of skin condition, but the vet thinks it should be cleared up easily enough with some antibiotics.
The other major event is Vic's health. She has been out of work since the beginning of September. After many x-rays, MRIs, and blood tests, the doctor seems to think she may be suffering from fibromyalgia. Vic suffers from all the symptoms of it and pretty much confined to the house due to the terrible pain she's always in. Hopefully we'll know something for sure in the next couple of weeks so that we can begin to actively treat it. Until then, she's a house-wife. And we are a one-income family. Not such a good thing to be around the holidays. I'm hoping for a merrier November.
Work is still going well. I'll be leaving the world of 12-hour shifts and will start my 8-hour days in November. I really looking forward to getting home while it's still light out. I'm starting to feel more and more confident in my surgical abilities with each passing case. I actually had a patient code on me a few days ago. The doc started administering CPR and there was just total controlled chaos for about 15 minutes. My job in those situations is to just get out of the way, which I did. She came in for a "routine" procedure, but the day was anything but routine for any of us. Just goes to show you how precious life is.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Saturday, October 03, 2009
september in review
September was definitely a "do nothing" month. My brother and his wife came for a visit last weekend, so the few weeks before that were spent cleaning the house. I think we need to have guests come more often ~ it's really the only way the house ever gets cleaned! They just came up for the day. I think they wanted to get away for a while and our house was within driving distance. It was a nice visit ~ nothing special.
Vic's been off work since Labor Day with her back problems. She sees the neurosurgeon next week. I hope he can offer an alternative to back surgery. Now that I know a few more things about surgery, I think it should definitely be a person's last resort. Right now, there's no telling when or if she'll go back to work, so most of my month has been spent working and worrying about money problems. Actually, it's an all-consuming thought. And Vic isn't really one to make sacrafices. We still have to buy the most expensive fucking cigarettes and we still have to have cable TV.
We STILL have dog issues. I think Megan has actually gotten a bit worse. Before, she never wanted to leave the living room. Now she refuses to leave the couch. We have to drag her outside to go potty. She doesn't look or act sick, she eats and gets plenty of water, and once outside she chases squirrels and runs around the yard, but she won't play ball and refuses to walk thru doorways. I'm so incredibly frustrated by the whole thing that I've just given up completely. She's Vickie's dog now.
September was not a good month.
Vic's been off work since Labor Day with her back problems. She sees the neurosurgeon next week. I hope he can offer an alternative to back surgery. Now that I know a few more things about surgery, I think it should definitely be a person's last resort. Right now, there's no telling when or if she'll go back to work, so most of my month has been spent working and worrying about money problems. Actually, it's an all-consuming thought. And Vic isn't really one to make sacrafices. We still have to buy the most expensive fucking cigarettes and we still have to have cable TV.
We STILL have dog issues. I think Megan has actually gotten a bit worse. Before, she never wanted to leave the living room. Now she refuses to leave the couch. We have to drag her outside to go potty. She doesn't look or act sick, she eats and gets plenty of water, and once outside she chases squirrels and runs around the yard, but she won't play ball and refuses to walk thru doorways. I'm so incredibly frustrated by the whole thing that I've just given up completely. She's Vickie's dog now.
September was not a good month.
Friday, September 11, 2009
lately
I haven't been the best blogger lately. As a matter of fact, I kinda suck at it right now. But I'm not even sure if anyone still checks in any more. I know I check everyone's blog (I may not always leave a post, tho), but I've noticed fewer blogs there, too. Summer is just a hectic time ~ lots going on. Sometimes you just don't have the time to sit down and post something. Also Facebook has cut down on the number of bloggings, too. I guess it's just easier to jot down a quick line or two about what you're doing instead of composing an entire paragraph. I'm on FB, but I'm not a very good poster there, either. I'm more of a reader and occasional commentor.
Lately I've been so busy with work, that I just can't find the time to do anything. Our house is a mess and I think the dog is feeling a bit neglected. Working three days a week is nice because it gives me two days off, but on the days I work, all I do is work and sleep. Kind've a bummer right now. So that's why I've been a bad blogger.
I thought I'd let you in on some things on my mind of late.
* My brother is planning a trip here in a few weekends. He may or may not bring my mom. Either way, our house is a mess and we really really really need to start tidying up soon.
* Meg is putting on some weight, which is good because we both thought she was a bit undernourished when she first came to live with us. But I think she's putting on a bit too much weight. I feel partly responsible because I never have time to walk her.
* Money. I know we don't have it as bad as some other people, but it's definitely not good here, either. I'm so tired of always worrying about how to pay this bill or that bill. And every time I think that we'll finally get caught up, some calamity happens that puts us back in the hole again.
* Vic isn't feeling well ~ problems with her back. She goes for another MRI today to hopefully determine what the problem is. She's been off work for the past week (calamity) and just feels awful. We both really hope it's nothing serious. I have a feeling it's not something that will require surgery, but then I'm not really a doctor, am I?
* Speaking of health care...I'm not going to use this as a forum to give you my views on the whole subject, but remember there is no such thing as free health care. Nothing is free. And to think that uninsured people aren't receiving free health care now is silly. Every time you go to the hospital and are charged $30 for an aspirin it's because the last 10 patients before you were treated even though they didn't have insurance or money in their pocket, so we pass along the bill to you in the form of overinflated pricing. And to think that you'll be able to keep your present insurance is also misleading. You may be able to continue with your present company's insurance plan, but at a much higher premium. Just ask any of the Canadian patients I see every day what they think about socialized medicine. Why do you think they are crossing the border to seek medical attention? It's because they are on long waiting lists for much needed surgeries. I just think there are a lot of flaws in this proposal.
* Vic and I would like to move. Preferably further north and in an area without screaming kids or neighbors who work on cars until 1am. We'd also like a snowblower. And a snowmobile. With a basket to carry our groceries home from the Krogers.
Lately I've been so busy with work, that I just can't find the time to do anything. Our house is a mess and I think the dog is feeling a bit neglected. Working three days a week is nice because it gives me two days off, but on the days I work, all I do is work and sleep. Kind've a bummer right now. So that's why I've been a bad blogger.
I thought I'd let you in on some things on my mind of late.
* My brother is planning a trip here in a few weekends. He may or may not bring my mom. Either way, our house is a mess and we really really really need to start tidying up soon.
* Meg is putting on some weight, which is good because we both thought she was a bit undernourished when she first came to live with us. But I think she's putting on a bit too much weight. I feel partly responsible because I never have time to walk her.
* Money. I know we don't have it as bad as some other people, but it's definitely not good here, either. I'm so tired of always worrying about how to pay this bill or that bill. And every time I think that we'll finally get caught up, some calamity happens that puts us back in the hole again.
* Vic isn't feeling well ~ problems with her back. She goes for another MRI today to hopefully determine what the problem is. She's been off work for the past week (calamity) and just feels awful. We both really hope it's nothing serious. I have a feeling it's not something that will require surgery, but then I'm not really a doctor, am I?
* Speaking of health care...I'm not going to use this as a forum to give you my views on the whole subject, but remember there is no such thing as free health care. Nothing is free. And to think that uninsured people aren't receiving free health care now is silly. Every time you go to the hospital and are charged $30 for an aspirin it's because the last 10 patients before you were treated even though they didn't have insurance or money in their pocket, so we pass along the bill to you in the form of overinflated pricing. And to think that you'll be able to keep your present insurance is also misleading. You may be able to continue with your present company's insurance plan, but at a much higher premium. Just ask any of the Canadian patients I see every day what they think about socialized medicine. Why do you think they are crossing the border to seek medical attention? It's because they are on long waiting lists for much needed surgeries. I just think there are a lot of flaws in this proposal.
* Vic and I would like to move. Preferably further north and in an area without screaming kids or neighbors who work on cars until 1am. We'd also like a snowblower. And a snowmobile. With a basket to carry our groceries home from the Krogers.
Tuesday, September 01, 2009
august in review
Happy September! Looking back, August seemed to be spent doing a lot of what Megan is doing in this photo. We’ve had a really mild Summer and have been doing lots of yard work, so I think we kind’ve took August off to just lay around a bit. We started a few projects, but really didn’t do anything big. I’ve been at my new job now 2 whole months and still like it! The people are nice and I actually like what I do (most of the time). So I guess things are just moving along nicely ~ nothing new or exciting to blog about.
August in review:
* I started working 12-hr shifts at work. It’s nice having 2 days off during the week, but standing on my feet for 12 hours at a time is a real killer. I may get a new schedule next month. We’ll see.
* I painted our Adirondack chair Caribbean Blue. It was a nice shade of Forest Green, but the paint was chipping off and it needed to be repainted. I thought I would try a more vibrant color to shake things up a bit. I’m glad I did.
* Our sunflowers bloomed...for a few weeks. They lasted about 10 days before the squirrels discovered them and devoured their little sunflower faces, leaving us with a lot of naked sunflower stalks. We’ve got big plans for the gardens next year, but as with most things in life, it will all probably depend on the money situation.
* I read only one book this month,The Missing by Thomas Eidson. We picked it up for a quarter at a garage sale. It was made into a movie a few years back ~ Indians kidnap Cate Blanchett’s daughter, so she and Tommy Lee Jones hunt them down and get her back. It was a pretty good read (definitely worth a quarter!).
* We (mostly Vickie) started painting the upstairs bedroom. I just can’t get motivated to paint, so I haven’t been much help (sorry Vic). First we have to Kilz everything and then paint. It will really look nice if it ever gets done.
August in review:
* I started working 12-hr shifts at work. It’s nice having 2 days off during the week, but standing on my feet for 12 hours at a time is a real killer. I may get a new schedule next month. We’ll see.
* I painted our Adirondack chair Caribbean Blue. It was a nice shade of Forest Green, but the paint was chipping off and it needed to be repainted. I thought I would try a more vibrant color to shake things up a bit. I’m glad I did.
* Our sunflowers bloomed...for a few weeks. They lasted about 10 days before the squirrels discovered them and devoured their little sunflower faces, leaving us with a lot of naked sunflower stalks. We’ve got big plans for the gardens next year, but as with most things in life, it will all probably depend on the money situation.
* I read only one book this month,The Missing by Thomas Eidson. We picked it up for a quarter at a garage sale. It was made into a movie a few years back ~ Indians kidnap Cate Blanchett’s daughter, so she and Tommy Lee Jones hunt them down and get her back. It was a pretty good read (definitely worth a quarter!).
* We (mostly Vickie) started painting the upstairs bedroom. I just can’t get motivated to paint, so I haven’t been much help (sorry Vic). First we have to Kilz everything and then paint. It will really look nice if it ever gets done.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
the minutia of my life
On this, my day off, I thought I would introduce you to the things on my desk: a touch lamp (one of the greatest inventions EVER), a small frame with a pic of Shannon in it (world's greatest dog), a spamalope cartoon, a London water globe, calculator man, a basket filled with scrap pieces of writing paper, an Air Force mug rug, cell phone, a squeezy ball shaped like the globe, a pocket-sized calendar with my paydays highlighted, a picture of a bucktoothed squirrel, the latest Smithsonian magazine, a little 3-drawer thing that holds address labels and stamps, and various computer stuffs.
My day off has been spent washing things. Washing the dishes, some rugs, and the towels. I've also been waiting for the mailman to bring my new book on Elizabeth I. So far, no mail. Is this some kind of postal holiday or something? With all the recent cutbacks, has the government decided to do away with mail or is my mailman just taking his sweet ass time getting here today? I really want that book.
I also went to the grocery store and bought a tomato and a head of lettuce in anticipation of eating BLTs later when Vic gets home. Curiously, I don't like tomatoes and I actually prefer lettuce shreds to lettuce pieces.
I wonder if I'll like working 12-hour shifts more in the Winter. Right now, my days off are spent catching up on housework and watching the dog sleep all day.
My day off has been spent washing things. Washing the dishes, some rugs, and the towels. I've also been waiting for the mailman to bring my new book on Elizabeth I. So far, no mail. Is this some kind of postal holiday or something? With all the recent cutbacks, has the government decided to do away with mail or is my mailman just taking his sweet ass time getting here today? I really want that book.
I also went to the grocery store and bought a tomato and a head of lettuce in anticipation of eating BLTs later when Vic gets home. Curiously, I don't like tomatoes and I actually prefer lettuce shreds to lettuce pieces.
I wonder if I'll like working 12-hour shifts more in the Winter. Right now, my days off are spent catching up on housework and watching the dog sleep all day.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
my busy days
I wish I had a really good reason for not blogging more lately...but I don't. It just seems like I've been busy with the normal everyday boring-type of things that fill my days. I only work three days a week, but they're all 12-hour days; when I get home I am totally exhausted. Sometimes I struggle to stay up an hour or two and then pour myself into bed. And my days off are usually spent running all over the place getting chores done. The one luxury I've afforded myself recently has been trying to devote more time to reading. As a matter of fact, I just ordered a book on Queen Elizabeth I and hope to get it sometime this week. When the cool weather starts back up, I'll be spending more time inside and I'll get back to scrapbooking again. So I guess my blog has suffered a bit lately. But I wonder if the people who would normally read this are all too busy with their lives to spend some time here. So maybe we can all get together on a more regular basis in the next couple of months.
Friday, August 14, 2009
today
Today is my day off. I told myself I wasn't going to do any work-type thing today, just read and relax. But I think I'll cut the grass. (I've already read and relaxed.) It's hard not to do something around a house that is filled with so many "to do" projects. Most of them are too big for just one person, so I have to wait for Vic. Others of them are just extremely tedious and I just keep avoiding them. I really don't mind cutting the grass, though. When I was a teenager I absolutely hated mowing and would bitch and whine about it endlessly. But that was then and now it's different. This is my grass. (Well, actually it's the bank's grass, but they let me borrow it for about 30 years.)
It seems like yardwork is the only exercise I get these days. On workdays, I'm on my feet for 12 hours, so I don't feel much like doing anything more strenuous than crawling into a nice warm bubble bath. And on my days off, I'm just not motivated to do anything. That's not really true. I am motivated, but I don't have anyone to go walking or cycling with, so I just stay home and do little stuff around the house instead...like cutting the grass. So off I go ~ the back yard awaits me!
It seems like yardwork is the only exercise I get these days. On workdays, I'm on my feet for 12 hours, so I don't feel much like doing anything more strenuous than crawling into a nice warm bubble bath. And on my days off, I'm just not motivated to do anything. That's not really true. I am motivated, but I don't have anyone to go walking or cycling with, so I just stay home and do little stuff around the house instead...like cutting the grass. So off I go ~ the back yard awaits me!
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