Friday, December 02, 2005

having a flashback...

i posted on a website, in conversation, that i must be vacuous...

heh heh... isn't that an oxymoron? if i were vacuous i wouldn't be able to use the word in a sentence, would i?

heh heh... i said oxymoron... heh heh

(those are sposta be Beavis & Butthead laughs, btw)

(heh heh, i said butthead, heh heh)

Friday, November 25, 2005

weather & NC

we've had unseasonably high temperatures for quite some time, but they fell rather swiftly to the area of 51 last week. figured we'd warm up a touch - today's forecast high is 45 - but stay in this general area. we've had high winds and lots of rain the last few days, so i expected a little warming.

well, i just peeked at next week's calendar on yahoo.com (i love it - free computerized calendar. who needs blackberries?) to see if i have anything i need to remember. the calendar includes the forecast. not bad for free, right? well, monday is forecast high of 71, and tuesday of 76.

well, it's north carolina, is all i can say. i do hope we have a pretty cold winter so we have fewer bugs next spring, and hopefully fewer allergens. i know, who are you and what have you done with our jennifer? especially her scarlett half? well, i'm getting older and wiser all the time, and learned how our winter weather affects our summer pests. hehehe

i'm also planning a big party in may when i break my lifetime record for longest time in one house. isn't that cool? may have to continue having parties every year i remain in this house, too. and with dad's custom pantry work, how could i leave? we talk about doing a sunroom in back; rip out the deck, put in a screen porch, only with glass so we can use it all year. that would be great. hardwood floors if we ever become solvent.

anyhoo... just a wee little vent. hope y'all are colder than me (hey, i'm still jennifer most of the time!).

Wednesday, October 12, 2005

bras again

didn't i JUST buy the damn things? why do they have to wear out? seems i'm thinking about them far too often. i never put them in the dryer so they will last longer, but still, i'm always thinking about bras.

the good news is, when the humidity decreases at the end of summer (about two weeks ago), they go on without sticking to me first after the shower.

worse news, my favorite shirt's elastic in the neck ribbing gave up the ghost. it's a t-shirt, but you've all seen it, it has an angel/fairy on the front, green tie-die background. got it at Cracker Barrel. i'm gonna hafta graft a new collar onto it, cuz i can't give it up!

(this fits into this post because it's another elastic problem.)

can't wait for Halloween! oh, wait, i have to buy COSTUMES this year. last year they made costumes out of what they had. gr.

Thursday, September 22, 2005

911

After Katrina, I am haunted by memories of 9/11. I can't be the only one!

But today's post is not about 9/11 the date, but about 911 the emergency line. I got to dial it for the first time (without incurring penalties and lectures, that is) last night.

let me backtrack a bit. Tuesday evening, after bedtime (11-ish), we heard an argument in the street. We live on a very quiet residential street, in a very quiet neighborhood; usually the most disruption is when the teenager who lives on the cul-de-sac roars through in his car TOO FAST. Tuesday evening, however, we heard a woman's voice yelling, low man's voice, and lots of arguing. this went on for quite some time - or so it seemed to us! at least 30 minutes or more.

Last night, we didn't hear a disruption until someone came running up our driveway calling out - then banging on our door, calling for help! well, I wasn't going to get up, but DH went to the door; he didn't open it, but he called through it. Then he hollered up the stairs for me to call 911. I thought he was threatening this person if they didn't go away we'd call the police on them, but actually, she WANTED us to call the police.

So I dialed 911 and said "we need the police." (DH did open the door about then.) The neighbor told us she had been beaten by her husband and was afraid he would leave with her son (age 3). The operator, of course, told her there was nothing they could do about him taking her son, as they were still married with no custodial dispute. but she was bleeding, and said he had drunk two bottles of Cutty Sark (isn't that whiskey? how could he STAND!?), and busted up her cell phone, so SHE couldn't call for help. so they sent the police, and an ambulance, I think.

This woman went back across the street and across the cul-de-sac, being frantic for her child. Meanwhile, I stayed on-line with the 911 operator until the police arrived. DH went back with her and became a witness to her condition/allegations. (I stayed home to prevent MY children being frantic.)

I was in my nightgown, DH in his boxers, no shoes. So after the police had arrived, I walked up the hill with a pair of shoes for him. He stayed until he'd given a statement, then came home. (I was on my knees by the bed, scared out of my mind!)

Apparently, this family is not LIVING across the street, just PARTYING across the street with a friend of the people who recently bought the house. (yup, there goes the neighborhood!) and our midnight visitor wasn't quite sober herself, IMO. DH thinks more than alcohol was at play. on a weeknight, with a 3-year-old child in the house. (but it was only 10 pm, really, not midnight.)

Well, all we could do is what we did. And I got to call 911. But I have a feeling this story isn't over. Hopefully, we'll have extra patrols, and less disturbance, and as they aren't the purchasers of our neighbor's house, they will be transient and find someplace else to party - or not party, as we'd hope. *sigh* Further bulletins as events warrant, as Calvin used to say/scream.

Wednesday, August 31, 2005

When I am an Old Woman

Jenny Joseph wrote this gorgeous poem about being an old woman...

I just heard a story about an old woman...

she goes to the grocery store, does her shopping, picks up a watermelon and feels chest pain. she checks out anyway, but she looks peaky and the clerk helps her out of the store. the clerk can't pick up watermelon because it's too heavy, so this old lady picks it up again to put in her car!

doesn't that just sound like something _I_ would do?


The following has been one of my FAVORITE lifetime poems since I was 17, I think; maybe younger! since i first read it for sure. "Red-hat" societies have become increasingly popular and use this poem for their motto. I'm a bit chagrined because I loved it before they did, but thrilled that it's got such wide exposure and fondness.

As for me, I intend to carry a permanent marker and correct people's misspellings without care for "ruining" their signs.

But I don't think "people" will be too shocked and surprised when suddenly _I_ am an old woman and start to wear purple!

"When I am an old woman I shall wear purple
With a red hat which doesn't go, and doesn't suit me.
And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves
And satin sandles, and say we've no money for butter.
I shall sit down on the pavement when I'm tired
And gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells
And run my stick along the public railings
And make up for the sobriety of my youth.
I shall go out in my slippers in the rain
And pick flowers in other people's gardens
And learn to spit.

You can wear terrible shirts and grow more fat
And eat three pounds of sausages at a go
Or only bread and pickle for a week
And hoard pens and pencils and beermats and things in boxes.

But now we must have clothes that keep us dry
And pay our rent and not swear in the street
And set a good example for the children.
We must have friends to dinner and read the papers.

But maybe I ought to practice a little now?
So people who know me are not too shocked and surprised
When suddenly I am old, and start to wear purple."

- Jenny Joseph

Sunday, August 21, 2005

SPAM guidelines

Please post "Being Beautiful" comments here!
Unfortunately, I had to close the BB post to comments due to SPAM.
Please DO NOT post spam. If you do not think it is spam, but I might, Please DO NOT Post.
I would like to be able to leave this open to postings from people who have not joined blogger. I would love to hear your comments about my posts, about life, about my blog; whatever is on your mind. I DO NOT (nor do my readers) want to hear about ANY business opportunities, etc.
If you are not sure if this applies to you, may I please assure you that it does!
Thank you for respecting these guidelines.

Monday, August 15, 2005

Being Beautiful

My darling friend Hayda has a blog in which she states why she is beautiful every day. That is such a marvelous concept/goal, I'm truly impressed.

I am beautiful because I believe I am beautiful. I am beautiful because this is how God made me. I am beautiful when I go to church and know that, yes, I make mistakes, and say things I regret at times, but God has forgiven me. I can only apologize, hope those to whom I have apologized will forgive me, but God has already, and He matters most.

I am beautiful when I am at peace with myself and those around me.

Please share how you are beautiful!

Saturday, July 30, 2005

summer

it's time for DOING, not blogging. just checked this and didn't even remember posting my May thoughts, but there they are. ain't blogs great!

we took a trip to the beach with my dear aunt and her family. they fit nicely in between our ages; DH is oldest, followed by aunt, uncle, me, girl cousin, DS, boy cousin, DS. Had a blast, learned new vegetarian recipe for tacos which we actually prefer to meat. the beach is too dang expensive but DH doesn't experience summer unless he goes to the ocean, so whaddayagonnado? plus, had nice income tax return, so there ya go. beach, childcare for the summer, and back into debt.

going to visit DH's brother next week at another beach. survived brain abscess six months ago; the whole family is getting together to say "sure glad you aren't dead, dude."

meanwhile, my big sister is - surprise! - expecting in October. just turned 37. should be an adventure!

#2 son had tonsils out the end of May, and between that and summer being what it is, there goes the blog until September. So unless I have any DEEP THOUGHTS before Sept., I'll see you then.

Monday, May 16, 2005

the crap on TV

From E! online:
"Thick and Thin (midseason): Lorne Michaels' Broadway Video produces this sitcom about a formerly overweight woman (The Practice's Jessica Capshaw, aka Steven Spielberg's stepdaughter) who has to deal with the new way people treat her when she loses all the weight."

oh yeah, i'm sure that's a real hardship. why can't we have a TV show that deals with all the crap people give you when you GAIN weight? izzit your thyroid? ARGH!

Wednesday, May 04, 2005

kids in church

taught sunday school this week. we're doing joshua, our part is leading up to jericho. he parted the waters, you know, like moses (i didn't; mo's don't focus on old testament). so we're making stepping stones. the teachers teach the same lesson three weeks (to three different classes) and are free. this is our third time teaching. we love it, learn every time.

one of the kids in this class is a bit rambunctious. okay, over-the-top rambunctious. had to settle him down a few times. after class, just before service, he comes past me (he's 9ish?) and kinda punches me in the shoulder. really rather hard. he's with his father.

so i go into sanctuary with da boyz. said kid comes in several minutes later and runs up, kisses my cheek, hugs me and says sorry. #1 son is all big eyes. i whisper (HE kissed ME, _I_ didn't kiss HIM!) cuz you know that's all against the rules. DS nodded, but he didn't like it; not my fault, but he didn't like it.

so we do communion this week (it's once a month). we're of the get-up-and-make-a-semicircle-around-the-preacher persuasion. mr. rambunctious is collecting used cups in a basket, following the person giving them to us, following the preacher who gives the bread. we had cautioned him that he'd have to be on his best behavior to take on this task. and he was! he was terrific.

so as he passes me, i squeeze his shoulder, and say "doing great!" he reaches up and squeezes the nearest thing. highly shocked, i grab his hand and smack it lightly. then spend the rest of my communion time berating myself for smacking a child - DURING COMMUNION!

after service, go talk to his parents. we're becoming friends; have visited each other's houses once. tell them. they are hysterical, dying laughing. i had been really offended at the moment, but realized on reflection that mr. R was just friendly squeezing the nearest thing to him, and did not mean for it to be the boobie. parents say they're glad they didn't see it; they'd have been terribly embarrassed. i'm saying, but i smacked your child - DURING COMMUNION! dad sez, smack him harder next time!

ah, youth. just a little trouble controlling impulses and our strength.

Thursday, April 21, 2005

LASER EYES!

for those who don't know, I got my eyes lasered several years ago. I LOVE it! it makes me want to sing AMAZING GRACE - I once was [legally] blind, but now I see.

for the first year, I dreamed all the time that my vision had regressed to how it used to be (20/400 - rather bad). (The dreams gradually became less and less frequent.) I was paranoid and wouldn't throw away/donate my glasses until the 6-week checkup! but it works and I really love being able to see.

so, I can't remember, but it's probably been a year since I had one of those dreams. I had one again last night. weird! it might be because #1 son leaves his new pair of glasses (11/04) on my headboard every night when I read him his story... Gotta break that habit! I like being able to see, even in my dreams!

Wednesday, April 20, 2005

let's hear it for floobies!

nothing but pink will do for this one.

i recently posted i had been diagnosed with papilloma for my 35th birthday. well, when they went to look for it for a ductogram, or a fine needle biopsy, they couldn't find it. they ultimately did an MRI, which showed normal floobies. yay! i get to keep my floobies! (the new thinking is that the original symptom was caused by an irritated duct, which appeared like a papilloma on mammogram, but had cleared up by the time the MRI was done - four weeks later.)

anywho- let's hear it for floobies! I got to have my first mammogram the week of my birthday, and I gotta tell ya, I've heard some horrible things about mammograms. they pinch and they hurt and they're horrible. well, if your breast tissue is the opposite of dense (read: floobies!), I think it likely hurts less. the normal mammogram wasn't really much to complain about. the tighter one for the abnormality was ouchy, but not too bad - and I'm the girl with the low pain threshold who cries over everything!

(the attempt at fine needle aspiration was a lot worse than the mammogram, and that was probably BECAUSE of the floobies, but i digress.)

i'm back to myself again and feel like posting my deep thoughts once more. i'm sure you all missed me. now you gotta kiss me.

SPRING???

so, i walk outside this morning, thinking what a beautiful day. take a deep breath of what is sure to be crisp, clean, spring air. wait a minute. take another breath. what the heck is this? the air smells like DOG BREATH! how is this possible? it's a gorgeous blue blooming spring North Carolina day? why does the air smell like dog breath?

beat feet back inside and thank goodness for air conditioning. gr.

Monday, April 11, 2005

Gabe

Well, he's finally had it with me fussing over baby girls. Outside church yesterday, he told me he wished he was a girl SO I WOULD BE HAPPY. major brakes hit. we had a long talk and reached a compromise:
- I may still fuss over babies, but NOT kiss them. only my children.
- I must give my kids equal fussing time.

I also explained how my whole life is set up so Gabe and Tyler will be happy people. I could have a different job, but they would not be as happy in after school care, so I didn't change jobs. I read and sing to them every night so they will be happy. I spend time with them doing things they like to do and things we all like to do so we will be a happy family.

I also reminded Gabe that I have a big heart and room for lots of people in it. I didn't love him any less when Tyler joined our family. He was happier after this talk. But I still can't kiss anybody who doesn't live in our house.

Thursday, March 10, 2005

see previous post

who needs an Easter basket? I'm already a basket case!

birthdays

I turned 35 Sunday.
For my 30th birthday, I got postpartum depression.
For this one, I've been diagnosed with a papilloma. That's a benign thing, but requires medical care.
I am getting OLD.

On the plus side, I was recently told I looked 10 years younger than I am! That felt good!

But physically, if I have one more thing go wrong this year, I may as well quit.

This is NOT a good post. I do apologize.

Sunday, January 23, 2005

guess what gross stuff i learned today! OR why nurses are dangerous!

[background information: Since October, I've been going to a support group for GI disorders on WebMD. Some of the folks there have had C. diff. (Clostridium difficile) infections, which are tenacious and evil. One lady is going back for neurosurgery soon and wanted to know how to prevent getting this again.

This problem frequently erupts when people who have been exposed to it go on strong antibiotics, which everyone with GI infections gets.]

[The way C. diff. is spread:] C diff causes spores which are "shed" by the person who has it. These spores can survive up to 70 days in the environment. To catch c diff, you have to ingest it (sounds gross, I know). There are so many ways that it can be transferred in the hospital. And you're at a bigger risk if you're on antibiotics which kill the good bacteria in your gut, allowing the c diff to proliferate and fill the void.

[how to prevent getting it:] The cleanliness of those around you at the hospital and the 'health' of the surfaces in your room is going to be a big determining factor with the C. diff., or with any other opportunistic infections. The very best thing would be to have a 'glove box' posted inside your room door and for the nurses to be instructed that they have to glove up before coming near you. And that would also apply to almost anyone that enters your room - food try handlers, med techs, anyone........

And that's going to prove problematic as you've already thought out. I'd start by talking with your surgeon/doc and see what you can arrange. If necessary, you might purchase the glove box yourself and ask each person to please glove up as they walk in. Your going to be considered a pain and a nut, but what the hell.

If possible bring your own food utensils - wash and use them at every meal. If your food tray is placed on the bed tray, don't touch the tray, itself. Move it using the bed sheet around your hands, or use gloves.

And if you haven't used gloves before, learn the proper way to take them off - use one gloved hand to grab the cuff and pull it down over the hand section so it's inside-out. Ball it in the palm of the gloved hand, and with the un-gloved hand, grab the cuff and roll the glove down off the hand so that the other 'balled glove' is inside. Discard them as a unit. If you have to, when you use the bathroom, 'glove' the handles of the faucet and the toilet (before) each time you use them, and remove and discard each time.

Yeah, you'll use a heck of a lot of gloves, but what the heck if it keeps you 'clean.' If you want to disinfect, that may be problematic, as I don't know too many disinfectants that are reported to kill C. diff., although some on the board might. The cheapest might be a 10% solution of bleach - it's pretty effective in a molecular lab and might work well. The only thing that I know that does work is phenol or phenolic solutions, but they're caustic and dangerous. I don't know how you're going to feel after the operation, but if you can take some steps to protect yourself I'd sure seriously think about it.

[my personal input:] i got my CNA certificate last year, and in NC, at least, we're required to wear gloves whenever dealing with body fluids. your nurses shouldn't be annoyed by being asked to wear gloves even more often. and our hospitals have several sizes of glove boxes in every patient room, next to the door, with a purell dispenser.

if you explain to your caregivers that you have had c.diff, they'll understand your request that they take precautions.

i cared for patients with c.diff as a student, and it is required to glove AND gown if you are entering their rooms. doesn't mean the staff does it; saw the RNs go in to check a gauge in their uniform; they said they weren't touching anything, so they didn't need to.

nurses need to be educated about how c.diff is spread; i didn't know about the spores etc. it's our first responsibility to protect our patients, not expose them to next-door's spores of c.diff!

I got my CNA as a prerequisite for RN, but then had to drop out of school due to GI troubles and financial strain. now working full-time at my job as a medical transcriptionist. been doing this 13 years now, know just enough to be dangerous about so MANY things, thought RN would be less dangerous - guess i was wrong!

Saturday, January 22, 2005

tire store

ok, i'm grateful my van isn't smoking, as it's awfully close to 100K.

we drove to richmond last weekend. DH checked the oil prior to leaving, as we
really were due for the oil change already. he added a quart.


as we arrived home (DH drove straight through, as the kids were asleep), when we got off the freeway, we noticed a smell of burning oil. hoped it was the car in front of us, since it had just become noticeable. it wasn't. we pulled in the garage, and DH looked into the engine compartment right away. the oil cap had not been replaced tightly and had come off. fortunately, it was still IN the engine. so was a good quart of oil, all over the surfaces and smoking. so we didn't procrastinate the oil change any longer! i'd noticed a drop in mileage a few weeks ago and thought "I'd better get that changed!" oops.

whoever drove my van back out front after its oil change was SMOKING! i didn't see him, i only smelled my van afterward! i was furious! it's COLD and I had to drive with the window down to keep from gagging! it was a terribly strong smell. what would you have done?

DH had gone to get his tires rotated a few days earlier and found that he had belt showing through on two tires. our accident in layton seems to make the tires wear more quickly on the elantra. couldn't be his driving style! he's so unused to having passengers, he takes corners at top speed. until i was a passenger more often, i myself was oblivious to the need to drive differently when chauffering. :D

so our local tire store has gotten their share of our income this week. they rotated the van's tires, too, and now it's pulling to the right, so we have to go back. argh.

enjoy the cold. we've got our share of that, too.

Thursday, January 13, 2005

january, crikey!

is it too bizarre for it to be january already! crikey, it's 1-13 before i've noticed! christmas was terrific, yada yada, i haven't been online here in quite some time.

the little one turned 5 and has Strep. the big one got a Green Belt and can't control himself in class. yours truly has returned to full-time employment (read: dropped out of college again) and has myriad health complaints. the DH remains frustrated with his direction in life and building dreams, not pursuing realities. (of course, it's hard to pursue realities in such a depressed economy, so at least he's raising his spirits.)

january, crikey! it's 70 degrees out and gorgeous. the forecast has us dropping to highs of 40 within days. gotta love north carolina "winters."

[ed. note: please leave me notes that you've been here. you may sign in as anonymous and identify yourself within your note, should you prefer not to remember yet another password!]

january. it's hard to be entertaining in January.