Work

This is not a nice story so be warned.

A few months ago a man and his wife came into one of the hospitals that I work at. He was very upset and so was she. He had an accident in the beginning of the year, and as he could not afford the $35 co-pay did not go to see the doctor. Now months later in the hospital the ER doc's told him that he was going to loose both of his legs below the knee. They also said that if he had gotten checked out when the accident happened he would not be in this position.

He has to have the operation or he will not live. So the papers as signed, the date is set. However, before he goes in there are some questions that have to be asked and answered so that he can be better taken care of and get the right medication.

Keep in mind he has a job, a wife, health insurance but can not afford the co-pay.

So the standard questions are asked. Do you have any medication allergies? Then eventually the social questions are asked. These may seem invasive but they do help look of and stop potential problems both during and after the operation. Like needing nicotine replacement. So on to the social questions.

Do you smoke and do you drink? Yep to both. I do remember that he said each night he drank 2 big glasses of vodka. When asked how big he said about the size of a large soda glass. But he could not spend the copay to save his legs.

Sometimes I really really hate my job. Although it is not my job that I hate it the the choices people make.

This Weekend

This weekend was great. On Saturday I went out for breakfast to a little place called The New Moon Cafe. Oh I love their food, they have real wild blackberry jam. I wish I could buy it in bottles. Then after a short walk I went to my bath and massage appointment. A half hour soak in a tub where the water comes up to my chin then an hour long massage. The only thing that would have made that better is if Honey were the one doing the massaging.

Then I went shopping. I put something red, blue and yellow on layaway. Went to the bookstores and got a few things. Nothing much there, a new day planner, copy of Curve, a copy of The Cross Stitcher and a coffee.

By the time I got home it was the afternoon and I got some great shots of the grounds here. When I have the energy and the time I will post the pics.

Sunday I spent at home in my grandfathers rocker working on a cross stitch project and watching movies and TV shows. A great weekend.

Another Post on Breast Cancer

I know that today is national out day. OK, I am a lesbian I am madly in love with my girlfriend. She lives millions and millions of miles away (that is an exaggeration she is in CA, and I am in Olympia WA).

The other post on breast cancer is about the Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation she is seeking an Army of Women for some interesting research in breast cancer. She is looking for one million women to participate in healthy breast research. That way the scientists can study what is healthy, and hopefully be able to spot the subtle changes in breast tissue. I have signed up and so has Honey. I am going to see if I can get some of the others that I know to sign up as well. I have some emails to get out.

Breast Cancer

This month is breast cancer awareness month. The hospitals where I work are having games, walks, and other fundraisers for raising money for a cure. I for many of these events have to work and so will not be able to participate in them. There are also scrubs, and other items that I can buy where a percentage of the cost goes to cancer research.

All of that is well and good however, none of the shirts that the nuns are willing to sell fit my personality. So I go to a shop called Torrid. There I bought a shirt that says Boobs Rock. Twenty percent goes to breast cancer and depending on who sees me wearing it I get nasty looks or thumbs up. My profile picture is now a photo of my shirt.

Monday night

Monday night I went to a book signing in Seattle. It was for the author Christopher Paolini and his new book Brisingr. My son is a huge fan of this authors and if I had not made the "get A's and B's" deal with him I would have not gone. I got there at 6:30 and all ready there was a line around the block. Now this was not an open event attendees had to have tickets.

Once in the Knights of Seattle put on a good show. The only think I heard them complain about was that the horses would not fit into City Hall so no jousting. After the show Paolini came out and talked for a bit. He is a gamer for those interested. Read a few chapters from his new book and then at about 8:30 started to sign books. I got out of there at 11pm.

My son is thrilled that I got the book signed for him. I just wish that he could have been here for that (long story). Yes, I have a kid a teenager.

Also on the home front I have gotten a contract at a hospital in Federal Way. I have the most strange hours ever. I work from 1300 to 2100. I was told that the shift is normally from 1500 to 2100 but they could not get anyone to take that as a 30 hour week. What I don't understand is why they did it that way. Why not extend the hours to 2300? But I just fill in where needed I do not run the diagnostic imaging.

The de Young

On the 28th of September Honey and I went to the de Young for the last day of the Chihuly exhibit. She drove me up to the headlands so that I could see Golden Gate Bridge, and the city that way. We stopped for some alone time there. Then drove into the park or I should say tried to. It turns out that it was opening day for another museum there. First day is free, weee!!

Not good for us. We had tickets for 2pm after about an hour of looking for a parking spot we drove though the park to find one. There was a line of people running up the road. Honey did drop me off so that I could get our tickets and start the tour while she kept looking for a parking space.

We learned on Sunday that the line of people was over a mile long. They had to call in EMT's as people kept passing out. The museum was letting in 500 people an hour and at the end of the day over 50,000 people when through those doors. When I got home I did look up online the price of the museum ticket one adult $26. I think it would be worth the $26 to get in on a less crowded day.

Anyway, I did get some good shots of the glass that Chihuly had on display there. These are just some of the pictures that I got. I am going to have to figure out how to move the pictures where I want them one day. Then one day I am going to have to figure out how to get some of the wicked cool templates that I see on other blogs.

The Beach

These are some of the pictures that I took when Honey and I went to the beach in CA. I wish I had gotten a picture of the sand it was more like fine gravel than the sand that we have here in WA. We went to Bodega Bay and to Goat Rock beach where the Russian River joins the ocean. The wind was so strong that the birds had a hard time flying, sail boats out on the ocean seemed to be tipping in the waves. The power boats moving in slow motion. It was a wonderful day and the nights were better that however, you have to use your imagination on.

I'm Fined

I made it back from my trip ok I got home on Sunday at about 1130pm. Monday I woke to find that I brought something back with me. I have a cold. A nasty nonthinking nose running cold. So Right now I am fined and when I am all better and fine. I will put up some pics from the trip. I am going back to bed and watch very bad movies.

Vacation

I have started a vacation this week and will not be able to post until I get back home. I hope to have some pictures to show everyone. Next Saturday Honey and I are going to see Chihuly at the de Young in San Francisco. So have a good week.

The Bobbles, the Pool Shark and the 12th Man

The Bobble heads

I was in the car stopped at a light when I looked into my rear view mirror. There in the car behind me were four people all listening to music. I don't know what they were listening to but they were all bobbing their heads in time to the beat. They looked like a group of bobble head dolls.

The Pool Shark

Do not listen to Honey if she replies on here. We have been playing online pool for the past few days and the only time I win is if she sinks the cue ball when she tops the eight ball in. I don't feel that is winning as I have only sunk 2 balls myself. I have even tried blowing in her ear but I guess that just does not work on the phone.

So I decided that we should play another online game. Chess, we guess what she beat me at that AND checkers. So last night we played dominoes and I won. WOOOHOOO me! I know that will only be until she figures out all the rules and nuances of the game. So if you happen to meet Honey online and she wants to play pool know this she will kick your butt. She is only slightly competitive, but she knows that turns me on.

The 12Th Man

Sunday I went to my first ever NFL game. The hawks were playing some team I don't remember who. It was so much fun. I screamed until I was horse and when I talked I sounded like a cartoon character. I ate garlic fries, had 2 bottles of $3.50 water (beer was $7.00). Got some great shots of the stadium and Seattle. The best part of it was I was for once a real 12Th Man.

For those of you who don't know what a 12Th Man is they are the loudest fans in football. In fact several other football teams have accused the Seahawks of miking the crowd because they cannot hear the plays that are called. That is just not true here is more from the fans, and just one more. How the team uses that is amazing.

View of the City from Qwest Field
View of the City from Qwest Field

The Sound with a ferry before the game

The Blue Thunder Drum Line

Filling up

Raising the 12th Man flag

Blitz the Mascot

Blue Thunder

Go Seahawks

Sea Gals

Full Stadum

Hard-ly Working

I have less than a 7 days to get ready for a trip. I have to pack, clean the car, clean the house, and yes still go to work. So with all of that on my plate why am I sitting here reading, listening to and writing blog stuff?

I have started coming home and napping in the afternoons. I do not want to make this a habit, so I am waiting until I am getting to the point of being sleepy then I am going to get up and work on the car. The car was not going to be my first job as I know myself and will have to clean it out again before I go. The car is first on the list with a good scrubbing, on the way to work before I left my driveway I spilled my coffee. This would not normally be bad at this time of year but the temp reached 90+ in the car. My coffee had milk in it. So this is not going to be just a pick up the trash that might be in there, and take it to be vacuumed. NO now I have to vacuum and then bring it home and scrub the carpeting. eeeeeeewwwwwwww..

Oh and why is vacuum spelled that way? Why not spell it an easier way?

Late on posting

I meant to get this up on Friday or even Thursday night but have been to tired, cranky, hormonal. Thursday was my second book club meeting and we reviewed Out Stealing Horses. For me it was a book that I would have read only if I were incredibly bored, that includes cleaning the bathroom. It was well written however it left many questions unanswered for me. What happened to Thrond's father? Why a suit, why not something more useful? It is not one that I will read over again.

For this month we have decided to read Wizard of Earthsea. We were to have read one called Infidel but have pushed that book back to next month. What has brought about this change is that the library here is having what they are calling Timberland Reads Together. In this the local booksellers agree to sell the book at a discount and anyone in the library system can read the book them meet for a mass discussion.

Timberland library covers 5 counties, not just one or a few city's. This is a huge library system and I love it. I should tell them that. Back on topic, this is the fourth such read that the libraries have worked out. At the end of each read the author if still living is invited to read, answer questions about the book and also sign them. So it looks like this will be an interesting one.

Assaulted

Assaulted, this past week I have been audio assaulted more times than I can count. It started Monday. After I went to the library to work on my laptop and spend some down time I wanted a nice quiet lunch. So I went to a fish place and when I walked in the restaurant was quiet, however before they served me my meal someone had turned on the radio. Not to something quiet and relaxing so that there was a soothing low toned music in the background. No, this was a non-local country station. So not only did I have to listen to music that I am not fond of I had to listen to the static that occupied an out of town station.

There were several times that I was in my car and I could hear others stereos over mine. I will admit that I do not have the best car stereo in the world (I have one working speaker). I do however do not want to hear what others are listening to when I am trying to hear something else.

But the worst was today. I got home, and had gotten off the phone with Honey when the neighbores started up with their music. Don't get me wrong listen to your tunes. I just don't think I should be able to understand what they are listening to when I am in my bedroom and that is not the shared wall.

I like music, I like all different kinds as Honey can tell you. I like that other like music, I just don't want to hear it.

Sand in the City

This weekend was Sand in the City. It is a benefit for the Children's Museum, every year they have a theme, and this year it was movies. When I went there yesterday it was between down pours so I am sure that on Saturday the sand sculptures were a bit more defined. It was still incredible to walk thought and see what each person or team had come up with. I love the look on the dogs face that is getting the shot.

Sir Hissss from Robin Hood

King Kong, Evolution in Engineering

Not sure but I think it is Cats and Dogs

Verne from Over the Hedge

Hammy from Over the Hedge

R.J. from Over the Hedge

Amethyst Initiative

I have been reading and hearing a lot on the news about the Amethyst Initiative. One side will talk about hoping to stop binge drinking and therefor the problems that binge drinking causes. The other side says that lowering the drinking age would cause more fatal car accidents. Who is right?

I don't know. What I do know that at the age of 18 my son will have the right to vote, have to register for the draft, can join the military, and if found guilty of a crime be charged as an adult. However, he as an adult who can go to war and be killed for serving the country, sacrificing his life if he so chooses. He at this age can do all of that is not allowed by the same government who he might choose to serve, cannot at the end of a long hard day have a beer. Or at the celebration of achieving something is not allowed to have a celebratory glass of wine.

Am I the only one who this does not make sense to?

Aug 20th 2007

I know it is odd to have a post dated for a year past, however this is the date that I sent Honey an email that changed everything and for the better I might add. Today is one year in our more than friends relationship, in this year we have covered much ground. We have gone from friends to lovers to being engaged. Happy Anniversary my love.

More flowers for you

This morning

I woke up this morning at 330 it was a noise that woke me and I thought that it was my new upstairs neighbors doing who knows what. Not really caring what they were doing, I just knew that my last half hour of sleep was interrupted. Just as I dozed off the sound came again low and far away rumbling in the sky. Thunder. I stayed in bed and listened to it until I was almost going to be late for work.

It was not the sharp cracking thunder this was the low reverberating echoing rolling thunder. The kind that starts out soft and low, then gradually intensifies in sound, and then slowly fades away. I did not see any lightening just heard the thunder. What a wonderful way to wake up. Much better then who know what the neighbors are doing now.

Heat

It is almost midnight here and it is to hot to sleep, to hot to eat. I would love to be able to climb in the freezer and cool off. Tomorrow it is to be about 105, we don't have air conditioning it is not often that we get heat like this. I should be in bed, I have to get up in less then 4 hours for work but everything is sticky. It is as if the lakes were about to boil, the rivers are still cool, but the beaches are full. I live in a small city, I would hate to live in Portland or Seattle right now, the heat rising from the black top would only make it worse.

I am so looking forward to the fall when the rains come again. I do miss the rain, the cool breezes, football season. It is even to hot to blog. So I will leave a pic of what it feels like outside right now.

What a week

I have changed my work schedule from having the weekends off to taking Sundays and Mondays off this month. So on Tuesday my alarm goes off at 4am and then the phone rings, the hospital does not need me. Great nap time, every 10 minuets until 7am the bloody phone rang with calls from work. So I finally get a little more sleep get up at 10 and at 1445 I get a call they need me to come in and work of the evening. Great but evening shift starts at 1400 and at that time of day it takes me an hour to get to the hospital. They are OK with that. SO I work until 2245 head home get to bed at about midnight. The alarm goes off at 4am Wednesday.

For what happened on Wednesday see above.

Thursday the alarm goes off at 4am. I think what idiot turned that thing on and went back to sleep. I sleep alone I am the idiot. 5am I wake up in a panic, call the hospital and guess what they need me for the day shift. That starts at 6am, I can get there in time IF I leave in 15 minutes. No breakfast, no COFFEE, no lunch, but I made it. Worked until 1430 drove past my house for an appointment at 1600 got there early so I got out of there early. Went home and zoned out until 1800. Talked to Honey on the phone, made a mad dash to get ready for the book club.

Book club this was my first meeting and I am the youngest one there. The average age of them seems to be about 65. Me I am not even 40 yet. The book club was some of what I expected some not of what I thought it would be like. We had read Little Heathens this month. Next months is Out Stealing Horses.

Friday I worked a day shift, tried to do laundry I have to go to a laundry mat. My bank was having a "little glitch" with the computer and so as I had used all my quarters to wash I had 5 loads of wet laundry to deal with. Hours later they got the "little glitch" fixed. I did not have to wait that long to get the laundry dry I got to borrow some quarters from my brother.

Then yesterday I worked a day shift. Ran some errands and fixed dinner. Talked to Honey and Passed out cold until about 830 this morning. That has been my week.

A side note I talk to Honey every night even when I work a double. On the goals my car goes in Monday for an alignment. That means I have a day at home where I can clean the apartment. Woohoo

The list, L K, and Berrys again

I am not a list person nor am I an A type person. In fact on the alphabet scale of person types I am more of an L or a K type personality. What I did was I actually made a list of things that I want to one day blog about. That is where the list comes in at, I wrote it up at work when my patient was sleeping. It was so warm and quiet in there I needed something to do to keep me awake. So I have this list one and a half pages long, why am I not blogging about anything on that list? I wrote it down so I would not have to remember it, good plan. The list is in the car.

L or K type to get the list I would have to go into my bedroom find the keys, put on some type of footwear, walk out to the car, unlock the door, find the notebook, lock the car, walk back to the apartment, take off footwear, walk to the computer, decide what topic that I want to post about, and then type it up. That sounds to much like work to me.

Oh this week I froze a flat of blueberries and I talked to my supplier, they are going to get in boysenberry's. Last year none not one boysen, this year I am going to get me some.