Another letter

 

Because I thought she should know.

Open Letter

to my fabulous BIL who faithfully called voters in swing states over the past several weeks.


Thank you.

Third time's the charm

Or,
I finally have a daughter-in-law.

Favorite quote:
"They're gonna get married if I have to do it myself!" Uttered from the Most Reverend Doctor Lunasea, who graciously got herself ordained in the Christian Glory Church where Glory reigns and where, with a minimum of fuss, you too can be a minister; just so we could actually have an end to the saga. Of course, it helps that she was well aware of, and in fact attended one of, the previous attempts.

Michael & Mariela Wedding

This shindig was thrown together at the very last minute (seriously) and turned out just lovely. Despite the rainy day, we had a very nice time. We had a real cake, incredible lobster stuffed filet, twice baked potatoes, asparagas bundles etc. I actually don't know if this link will work, but Picasa offered me the option, so I'm trying it.

I managed not to have to go trick or treating with LK the evening before, so I spent my time finishing up favors and table decorations. This is not really the way I'd suggest throwing a wedding, but it worked. Of course, it helps to have family members who own a catering and rental shop. We definitely took advantage of their expertise and inventory. It was either that or paper plates. The minister was the groom's godmother and the caterer was the groom's godfather. Kinda nice that way.

The Bride's immediate family will still not recognize the relationship, but a couple of cousins and a friend were able to share the day, so thankfully, she was not all alone with just her inlaws! All in all, it was a very nice day.

another milestone down - only 3 weeks or so for the next one! Fortunately for us, some other little character is responsible for arranging that one.

Stayin' Alive

Heard on the radio yesterday that playing the BeeGees song "Stayin Alive" during CPR is beneficial because the beat is pert near perfect for timing of compressions.
I could just see it - in ERs and ICUs everywhere, the strains of the BeeGees in the background. At least until there is a workers comp case or two for mental distress.
Back in the 70s it was Yankee Doodle. Not sure which one I prefer.


Oh - and while looking around for stuff about this - there's a comment by Tex at Guitar Girl RN where he is already rewriting the lyrics -

'Well, you can tell by the way I CPR,
I compress real well, I'm a Superstar....."

now I can totally get behind that!

Taking the Linky Way Out

I could say more, but these posts do such a good job, I thought I'd just lead you to them.

C'mon California - No on Prop 8.

Being Visible

An esteemed colleague of mine rides his bike to work on occasion (actually a couple of them do, but this story is just about one of them). A few weeks ago, he tangled with a car and the car won.

OK. It was a pedestrian. And the pedestrian won. That just doesn't sound as impressive does it? Anyway, he didn't feel so great for a week or so.
So he decided to go visible.














Additions: yellow bumpers, new yellow helmet, coat, caution sign, reflectors. I just love this guy - he cracks me up. But damn - SOMEONE will see his next crash - we're pretty sure of that!

And in the spirit of sharing wisdom, here are his helmet links:

Bicycle helmet linkage:
Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute

The Safety is Sexy Campaign - You'd look hotter in a helmet

Wear A Helmet

(Ba)rack my world

WHAAAAT is this?
Rod Sterling must be around the corner here somewhere.

Last night:
DH and I had a "date night". Rare. Very rare.
He opens the car door for me. Never happens. (not complaining - just a fact)
I get in and see this:


in his cup holder.
I'm convinced I'm in an episode of the Twilight Zone.

Parents Weekend accomplishes what is it supposed to accomplish.
 

We get to see the facilities
 

We get to check out the local tailgate efforts
 

We take a picture to record the occasion
 

and we visit with each other.

The interesting thing about Freshman Family Weekend is that it probably accomplishes exactly what it is intended to accomplish. BK is not as bothered by being so far away and we're happier that he's there. Good all around.

What I did on Summer Vacation, Part 3

Because all good things come in threes (and some barely passable ones, too, but we'll not go into that), part three shares a fun birthday party with a particularly cute nephew, also known as A. and his equally cute mother, also known as Lunasea, who takes after her slightly older sister also known as me.


We chased after a gaggle? tribe? flock? - turns out it is a rafter of turkeys we chased around the yard. And if my camera had just captured the last one to the right, I'd have demonstrated that multiple of 3 theme again. Yes, this is stretching it a bit thin, but hey...


I had the opportunity to visit some friends from my days in Chicago and drive by one of the houses I lived in nearly 3x10 years ago. Strangely enough - it looks almost exactly the same!

AND, we went to Indiana University for Freshman Parent's weekend in order to make faces we hadn't made for 3x10 days or so.

What I did on Summer Vacation, Part 2

Continuing that theme that our college student might never get to to these things ever again, BK beat the crap out of us at bowling.
(We never bowl - usually our scores are right there with the 64 guy)
Anyone who tells you saying goodbye is easy hasn't been with these two at the airport.



LK was a dunk tank target. It took 3 kids and an invitation to the 3rd kid to go up and hit the bullseye with her hand but she got dunked.






And we watched someone climb a climbing wall in bare feet. Must have hurt.

What I did on summer vacation, part 1

Catching up on my summer blogging:

I went on a roller coaster and screamed with LK.

I protected her from certain attack. Or maybe I just recorded it for posterity.








We prepared to say goodbye to our Hoosier with very many dinners out or special things to do which we were sure he would NEVER have the opportunity to do again IN HIS LIFETIME!

We had a very creative dessert prepared for us. We didn't eat much of it, but we admired it mightily, for it was prepared with love. And a lot of chocolate syrup.

Karma - Send - Now

DDD has an official, for a national tour, callback tomorrow. I'm sure it's the first of many, but WOO HOO this is awesome!


She says she's not getting ahead of herself and that there's no way she'll actually get cast at her first callback, but it seems silly not to help her out a little...


I want to gather all our collective internetish good karma and send it her way.




Everybody, on three:

1

2

3


OHMMMMMM....








OK - I might be a little fuzzy on the meaning of Karma, but it seemed right at the time.

So let's all at least send some encouragement her way... You GO, GIRL!!!

Overachievers overachieve

Remember how weird it was for three olympians in three different sports from the same small town, let alone the same high school and same graduating class? Well, happy to say, they all brought medals home with them! Simply amazing. I keep wondering why NBC didn't pick up on that little story...

So howyadoin?

Most frequently asked question:
"So, How're ya doin'?"
Next most frequently asked question:
"Is it weird?"
Followed by:
"How's LK doing with it?"

I can only assume these people are talking about the hole in my chest where wind whistles in and out with some regularity. I'm not sure how it attracts the attention it does. I try to keep it covered, but somehow it becomes noticeable.

I've been afflicted with this a couple times before, so I understand that it will slowly close up and I'll only hear that faint whistling sound now and then. But it's hard to convey that to curious friends.

I'll be gathering and sending care package #1 when - whoosh - there it is again. Looking at the kitchen table set for 3. whoosh. Running into GF (who understandably talks to him considerably more often than I) who says he's having a hard time today - pretty lonely. WHOOSH... will that damn wind kick it down a notch, please???

Maybe it's because this was my baby for so very long... maybe because he still hung around the house fairly regularly... maybe because he allowed me to talk with him when things were so up and down with GF. Maybe because the last two times, I still had a super busy house to keep up with. Or maybe I have blocked the memory of just how long this feeling takes to become normal.

All I know is that -

re Q1: Hanging in there, wishing I could talk to him at least every other day. Enjoying the clean bedroom while missing the mess. Feeling detached from things - even work, which is pretty consuming. Working hard to conjur some energy to create a "real" dinner. Wishing there was a hockey game to watch.

re Q2: Yes. Definitely.

re Q3: Surprisingly well. She is appropriately and wonderfully self-centered and has gotten into the swing of being a first grader, bringing home the lovely green slips from her teacher exclaming just how exceptional she is. It helps so much that she enjoys her teacher and the classroom. She doesn't hang out in his room, she doesn't ask to talk to him all the time (though she knows she can call him whenever she wants). She's just busy being 6 years old. I think it hits her now and then, but she has two other older siblings who show up and then leave, so it's not as foreign to her as one might think.

Good thing I've got twelve more years before I have to do this again.

Letting Go

"She's had eighteen years

To get ready for this day

She should be past the tears

She cries some anyway"

BK - Be safe, be good, wear your coat. Study hard, but still have fun. Remember the people you love, and remember how much we love you. Have a fabulous 4 years in Indiana.

Damn, this is hard.

Funny...

Found in piano today.

My family.

What a bunch of comedians.

Overachievers non-Anonymous

DDD has always felt that her graduating class lacked cohesiveness. They were not all the best of friends. That is probably typical of many high school experiences.


BK's class was so different. There were certainly cliques and social "types", but the lines were more blurred than in most classes. It was a singularly nice class.


I just realized today why DDD's class was so different.




They were just too darn busy overachieving.

Crazy Hair Day

In which I read an email from camp saying that crazy hair day is tomorrow. And I go shopping with LK to buy some colored hair spray and only find blue. And I get up and put crazy ponytails in hair and spray several of them blue and put colorful ribbons every which way in crazy ponytails



only to find out that the email was sent the day BEFORE yesterday, making yesterday crazy hair day instead of today.

Bah.

Jealousy unleashed

Wow, that last one was a downer, wasn't it? Sorry about that. Sometimes that stuff just rears its ugly head. Thanks for putting up with me. As a matter of fact, things have been pretty danged awful on the work horizon lately, so I've had a hard time coming up with fun stuff in general. But OMG!!! DDD calls me last evening, I can barely hear her. Turns out she's at

SHEA STADIUM

at the very

last

concert

ever to be

held there.

BILLY JOEL.

I just about fainted. And I wasn't even there! I have no doubt I would have been screaming like a teenybopper if I'd been there. Holy Crap! Incredibly Holy Crap!

The first band ever to play there was the Beatles, so they coined this concert Beatles to Billy.

Roger Daultry

Steven Tyler

Garth Brooks

Paul McCartney!!!

I can't stand it! Fuggedaboudit!

She'll be blogging about it soon at Broadway Bloopers. What an experience! I would have known everyone of those songs. Well, if I couldn't be there, I'm glad she was...

Aren't we all supposed to live vicariously through our children?

Well. Ok. then.

photo found at newsday.com

credits: (Kevin Mazur /WireImage / July 18, 2008)

Caring is not a choice

Once again, I'm reminded of my nursing history. This time, by Kim from Emergiblog, who writes about the death of one of her patients. And again I wonder just why it is that the death stories are the ones that stick with me in those little recesses of brain matter where they are available at a moments notice.

I was a temporary hire in a coastal city in Alabama once for about 6 weeks. This was during a 2 year period of time when DH and I were still pretty much newlyweds and lived the life of employed gypsies. We drove a trailer around and parked it in mostly beautiful campgrounds near wherever DH's engineering assignment led him. This time it was in a post Hurricane Frederick town near the Gulf of Mexico. The devastation was still evident, but streets were passable and the gunk mostly gone. What was still there were the uprooted trees and roofless houses.

This medical center needed help and even though I was only going to be there for 6 weeks, I had intensive care experience. It was mostly a piece of cake job - many of the cases they put in the intensive care would have mostly been handled on the floor at the last hospital I'd been at. But not this one.

The little boy came in - 6 years old, lethargic and clammy. The nurse could not start the IV. I got lucky and got one in only to have it infiltrate within about 20 minutes. Not nearly long enough to hydrate and medicate the youngster. A resident came in and proceeded to do a "cut down" to get an IV in place (a surgical procedure where you cut the skin to visualize the vein and thread the catheter directly into the vein - usually a very last resort). He then left the room and told me (the nearest nurse) to "go tape it". I said "WTF (not quite in those words, but pretty damn close - I was new there, remember?) - you left it unsecured???" and ran in there, "my" patient or not. The child promptly coded and the team ran in to resuscitate. About 15 minutes in (give or take - who knows), I notice the IV was laying on the bed, the meds and fluids soaking the sheet. I can't remember who was directing the code but I remember the incredulity on his face when he realized the IV had not been secured. He uttered some choice words that I felt were directed to me, tried a few more attempts to get access and the code was over.



It should have been the idiot who placed the catheter without taking the extra minute it would have taken to secure it properly who should have felt responsible. But it was me. Because I couldn't get it secured before he needed it. Because it came out at the time he needed it most. Because he was 6 years old. Because his family was going to face the rest of theirs lives without him.

Sometimes it sucks to care.

But the alternative is just not an option.