Happy Birthday Son!

THIRTY years ago My BABY was born.....at Reading Hospital in Reading PA. 10 lbs 1/2 oz.

Where did the time go????

Happy Birthday John!

Politics 101

Isnt it the first lesson in Politics 101 to keep your mouth shut until you know all the facts - especially if it concerns a friend?

Poor old man

This old man has been sleeping - and snoring - under my feet all day!

WHY???
Well, hubby put him outside just before we went to bed last night - just as he does every night.

But it seems last night - HE FORGOT TO BRING HIM IN!!!!!!

I am sure Jack did not sleep well out there with all the different noises and things going on,

Plus he was very upset yesterday when he saw me pulling clothes out of my drawers...kept trying to convince him that a trash bag is not a suitcase.....but I am sure he was wondering last night when he was locked out!

Saw something in a catalog I really like - the saying I mean : Land of the free - Becuase of the brave!!!

Maybe a thank you is in order?

As much as I have hated all this experience, maybe I will have to say thank you at some point....


These are the Evil Twins. They like to attack people and things. They have even hit me on the head! I will be oh so glad to finally get rid of them....

After a bit, sitting with the leg straight out is tiring. So I prop the leg, and the boot, here on my foot thing (we have a recliner/sofa).

Look what it - combined with the velcro straps getting caught - has done to this!

So okay, I have been wanting new furniture for some time. Hubby's matching recliner really needs replacing. Not only do I hate paying for it all - I really hate trying to find something and deciding on it! 9 times out of 10, what I liked in the showroom, I hate when I get it home in my house (including this set!).

This time out I think I am going for a love seat and two matching chairs.

Went to a warehouse sale for a very high end (AKA over priced) company a couple weekends ago. I was appalled at what they had for sale! All of their couches looked like they came out of a house full of unsupervised teen aged boys! And the "sales" price was wayyyyyyyy more than I would have paid for brand new furniture!

So, if anyone has any suggestions, I am open for them!

Well, not good news

Went to the doctor yesterday. The good news is there is healing going on. The bad news is - too slowly. So I am still off work. For at least another 4 weeks. Does anyone have any contact with any of the witches and wizards at Hogwarts? I need a healing spell...

So since I have no good news - I thought I would at least share some photos.

I love dragonflies. And I cannot believe he let me get close enough - with my new lens! - to get this photo! Actually quite a few photos!

Apparently the birds or the squirrel decided to gift me with a sunflower....yup, from the seeds they knock out of the feeder!

Conspiracy? Or maybe the Transformers really are taking over the world

So we have had this electric can opener for a couple of years. And every time he uses it, my husband has to fight with it. I can walk in, take the can out of his hands and get the can opener to behave and work correctly. He can't.

I bought him a cute little can opener that is supposed to open any kind of can made. He hated it. Refused to use it. Doesnt even know where it is.

Yesterday we were visiting Sam's House of Wal.....and he decided to buy a new can opener. Ended up with the same brand as the ones he fights with. And so he went to use it last night and the next thing I heard was "How the h### does this thing work????" (He's male and so of course rarely reads directions).....I walked into the kitchen, trying desperately not to laugh...and he finally figures it out. Actually looks way too complicated for me! But, it is the one he chose....

And this morning - the toaster broke....

Depression

Had another Xray today.
Now, I am not good at reading Xrays but I didnt like the look of it...

The one fracture looks like it is healing but the other one looks worse than before.....even the Xray tech said he didnt think I was going to be out of my book or rid of the Evil Twins any time soon.

Yes, I cried all the way home.

Soapbox

A few months ago I blogged about the son of our neighbor - who was killed while on the job with PG&E (tanslation Pacific Gas & Electric - public utilities company).

A few years ago we got hit with some pretty rough storms that caused a lot of damage and resulted in PG&E crews being out and getting a lot of overtime. Becuase of this the company cried po' mouth and had to raise rates and all....

Since then they have posted some pretty darn impressive profits. I am sure the shareholders are quite pleased with what they are getting - kinda like all the oil companies who are shedding crocodile tears but posting huge profits...

Anyway, this young man was killed ON THE JOB.....we just found out what his death benefits are and how they are heping this young family. He left a teen aged son, a wife, and two young children (one just a few months old).

Anyway - the generosity of working in this dangerous field (remember the song "I was a lineman for the county...) included $5,000 funeral expenses and a one time pay out of $10,000. Of course, all medical benefits for the family immediately ceased.

I think this is so sad considering how much money this company generates and how dangerous of a job a lineman has.

$10,000. Wow. Divided by 3 kids, that is what, barely a community college education for each of them? It isnt even enough to support one of them for a year.

The family is having a Memorial Golf Tournament this weekend to raise money for the family. I am sure that they will be able to raise far more than the generous amount PG&E gives to their employees when they are KILLED ON THE JOB!

So, the next time you pay your utility bill, remember most of it will end up in the pockets of the shareholders....and for those of you who complain about how much the workers are paid...remember that when they die doing their job....their lives are worth much less than the lives of the management in the company....

Weekend Wrap UP

So this weekend wound up our vacation week - well, what was supposed to be our vacation!
It was really a nice relaxed time that seemed to last much longer than a week - in a very good way! Probably because we broke everything up - and did not do a lot of driving (since I have found out the hard way that long periods of time in the car jsut dont work well with my ankle!) I am really going to be lonely starting this week when hubby is back to work and I am still sitting here at home...
Sat - 4th of July - we went to daughter's house for a bbq lunch - she had to work that night but said it was essentially a good night! Hubby bbq'd ribs and I actually ate 2 of them! They were so good - and I dont like ribs! That night son and g'friend came over to our house and we bbq'd chicken and watched the fireworks from the upstairs window. Anyway - look at Luke go!!! He is walking!!! All the better to keep up with or away from his older brothers!

Sunday we took Connor and Jack to the County Fair. And of course we start the day off with a piece of cake - and this time each of the boys had to have their own cake....Connor had strawberry (we were very surprised that they actually had strawberry cake! Thank you 4H!!) - Jack had chocolate - and PaPa had German Chocolate! Yes, they each shared one bite with MeMaw! And it was a bit of eating all day long, with Connor being the garbage pit and Jack savoring each bite....cake, cinnamon almonds, jerky (altho they persist in calling it bacon), a huge corn dog for Connor, and Jack ate his entire hot dog complete wiht bun! And then of course we finished up with something I adore but only allow myself to have about once a year...can you guess what it is????

Dont they both look so excited about the photo that MeMaw made them take? I thought Aunt TiTi would like to see her boys in the sunflower photo!

Yes, we did do carnival rides. Well, sorta. Poor Jack was ripped off. There were so few rides he could go on...he needs to grow at least 2" by next year! But they did have fun on this Cars ride...they spent time waiting deciding which one to ride on, but when it came down to it, they really didnt care!

Ahhh, I wait all year for this - COTTON CANDY!!!! And what is the next best thing to eating it?? Wearing it!!!!!!

So I had 3 entries....even just one entry gets you a free ticket into the Fair....These were my last minute bootees - I made them the day before I had to deliver the entries. And they didnt win a darn thing...In fact, I didnt do that well this year at all....but who cares - the fun is seeing other people's beautiful entries!

My sweater did win 3d place. I cant wait to get it back to be able to wear it! This was really my only made-to-enter-into-the-Fair item!

And this little bit of Shaker wisdom recieved an Honorable Mention.

And here is the last 1/2 hour at the fair...as we were getting ready to leave....

This weekend we finished by seeing a total of 3 movies. And I have to tell you - if you aren't sure if you want to see a movie - or you are not in a hurry to see it - wait to see it at the Vine! The seats are so comfortable - they actually sell Coke and not that other nasty soda - and it is only $5!!! I read that this fall they are going to start dinner and a movie here - I cant wait! (Oh, and generally speaking, the bathrooms are the cleanest of any theaters in this area!).

Oh, and I got brave enough - and desperate enough - to get a pedicure! She was so careful with my leg it was almost funny. But what hurt me the most was my left knee - I think those muscles in that entire leg had really been on vacation!

Now, back to work on the Christmas presents for the grandkids... 2 down and 3 more to go, one is on my needles right now. And I need to start studying for the RNC exam in September.

What I am not understanding tho, is that I am still only putting partial weight on my ankle, wearing the boot that it is so obvious I still need....yet I go for a repeat Xray next week...and see the MD on the 22d and then supposedly back to work on the 28th! Altho I cannot wait to get back to work (wonder how long after I get back to work that you will start hearing the opposite of this!) I cannot figure out how I can go from partial weight bearing to full walking around and able to do my 12 hour job in 6 days. And I think I want to get better shoes that will help support my ankle - but not sure if I am brave enough to try on shoes yet - and not sure what kind to get that will stand up to possible/probable swelling by the end of the day. Well, we will see....

Happy Fourth of July!

Have a Happy and Safe Fourth of July!

Take a moment to reflect exactly what we are celebrating.....and a moment to thank the men and women who made it a day to celebrate - and who keep us able to celebrate an Independence Day!

More Mini Vacation

So, long before I planned on having a broken ankle (you do read this with the sarcastic tone I am writing it, right?) we bought tickets to see Spam-A-Lot. And then we decided to try and get tickets to see King Tut when we realized our other vacation plans were doomed. So we decided to spend the night in SF. After looking around at hotels, a good deal for the Sir Francis Drake came up. I have always wanted to go to the Starlight Room and chances to do it jsut never came up. So, when we saw the good deal for the hotel, of course I booked it.

Well, should have known we were going to have issues when the room we book and paid for was not 'available' but they gave us a 'comparable' one. A lovely one. A corner room with a view to die for. Problem is, this is an old hotel and the corner room was difficult to get a wheelchair into. And the doors are heavy and there is no way to prop them open. And the view - I guess it was good if you want to look at other buildings...The room wsa pretty and the bed was comfortable...altho the king we paid for would have been better becuase of my ankle...

And that evening when we ventured upstairs to got to the Starlight Room for the very first time....guess what???? Oh yeah, you saw the photo up there....it was closed for a private function. But not to worry - it would be open the next night.....too bad we werent going to be there....

Wed we went to the King Tut exhibit. FABULOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The only downside were the crowds and the wheelchair....boy was I wishing for the motorized scooter again - and I know hubby was too!!!!! Again, it was the adults. Except for the one little girl (not little enough for me to excuse, probably about 9 or 10) who spent the time 'acidentally' running into me.....the third time she finally got my ankle which did not feel good at all! And it wasnt just me - she was shoving other adults around - and oh, the time she got my ankle? Her father was close by and you know what his response was - "jsut a minute, I am trying to read this and I cannot until that lady (meaning me) who is blocking things moves". Never recieved an apology - or even acknowledgement from her - never heard her say 'excuse me' or anything to the others she was pushing thru.....

This was wonderful! Our faces hurt so badly from laughing - and the laughter started the minute the play started and really still hasnt ended. I was a little worried whether I would like it or not, becuase British humor really isnt my style of humor.....but it was great!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am so glad hu bby insisted on going!

Today he gets a break from me and my wheelchair (sounds like a song doesnt it???) and is playing golf out at Wente's with our neighbor. Hope he has fun!

Sat. we will be bbq'ing over at daughters house and then will watch the fireworks from our usual place - our upstairs window! And Sun we are taking 2 of the grandson's to the County Fair! And then sadly, our vacation will be over. What has been nice if this time hasnt flown by and it has been relatively relaxing. I think the dog is finely stopped being mad at us too....

Mini Vacations Are Wonderful!

You know we had to cancel all of our original vacatin plans, because they were just not compatible with a broken ankle and crutches. Couldnt really think of a viable alternative until - of course! - hubby thought of Disneyland! We didnt think we would be able to get reservations that late - but no problem! So we flew down very early on Friday - and that really went well. The flight was fine, as well as being met by a wheelchair and all. The motorized scooter we rented was ready and waiting at the hotel....and so we took off for a day in Disneyland - which also was a free day becuase it was my birthday! And the nice thing was, when we pooped out we didnt have to deal with disappointed kids when we went back to the hotel for a break!

So, handicapped access is not always what you think. It doesnt always mean we skip the lines, or we get first in line....but it does have lots of perks! One of them was here on hubby's favorite ride - Casey Jr. We got to skip the HUGE line of maybe 6 people (boy, did we time Fantasyland right that morning!) and when he let us in, the guy told us that the backcar would be the easiest to get into....which is karma because that is where hubby always wants to ride! As we were settling in we can hear this one women loudly complaining about wasting their time in line and not being able to get to sit where they wanted. Again, I remind you, the line had about 6 - 8 people in it. Now if this were us, we would jsut have told the guy that we really wanted the back, and we would wait for the next ride.....but no, she had to sit close enough to use so we could hear her b****ing the whole time about WAITING ALL THAT TIME IN LINE and not getting to sit where they wanted to (I also remind you this was a woman and man, no kids)....I mean, c'mon lady, I would GLADLY trade places with you and let YOU have the broken ankle!

When we pulled back into the station we could see the next line waiting - all of maybe 10 people.

And jsut to prove her point, the woman refused to get off the ride and back in line - she just got out of where she was sitting and walked to where I was struggling to get out of the car with my crutches....she could barely wait until I got out of the way to jump into the seat.....again talking about WAITING IN LINE FOR THE TURN....so I very politely looked at her and in my classy way I told her to B**E ME!!!!

As we wheeled down the ramp and away I turned around - smiled broadly at her - waved - and wished her a happy day....

Tom said he had visions of her coming to beat me up - I told him no way would she do that becuase she would lose her seat and might have to WAIT IN LINE again!!!

This trip provided me a whole new perception of Disneyland. And people. I didnt mind the kids who didnt notice because, hey they are kids and this was Disneyland....but it amazed me how sitting in a wheelchair turned me invisible to so many adults. They would try and walk across in front of a motorized scooter (these things dont have brakes - you stop it by letting go of the "go" lever and so it doesnt necessarily stop immediately) or stop right in front of you.....and not move! Altho Disney is very good at making the park accessible there are some points that are not positive - like the bathrooms. Ok, so they have the handicapped stall - but how the &*^%$ do you get the doors open while sitting in a wheelchair! And the fireworks - love the employee who told us they started at 9:30 and we should be able to get a fantastic viewing spot right in front if we got there by 9:10!! HA HAHA HAHA. Luckily we knew better, and we joined the people sitting in front of Cinerella's castle about 8 PM. And then it was time for fireworks.....and everyone had to stand to watch them. Yeah, they are fireworks up in the sky - but some of the stuff occurs lower down. And when you are sitting in a wheelchair and everyone is standing around you.....well, I jsut had to take the photo to show what I got to see!!!!!!!!!!!

Doncha just love my scooter! Actually it was pretty fun - especially running into walls and corners and stuff especially when someone messed with my speed control!

Had birthday dinner at the Blue Bayou. I splurged on surf and turf. The surf was okay - but the filet was probably the best piece of steak I have had in who knows how long! It was so tender and cooked so perfectly. Then I had to have the creme brulee for dessert. But loved the treasure chest with cookies inside!!! Isnt that cute?

And here was my birthday dessert. Too bad I dont do chocolate desserts....

All in all we had a good time. Disneyland hotel tho needs to find some way to accomodate more of their guests at the pool. We only went one time becuase there never was a chance to find a place to sit at poolside.

The weather was nice. In the 80's so not too hot. What was most surprising to me was how not crowded it was. We stopped going in summer many years ago because it was unbearably crowded - this was more like the old days. The longest wait in line was 30 minutes....Friday was probably the busiest of all 4 days we were there. I thought for sure the weekend would really pick up but it didnt. And, BTW, I am not complaing about the lack of crowds!!!!