Warm?

It snowed again this morning. Yes here in good old Alabama. Now granted this is the northern aspect of Bama land, but still. It doesn't snow here. It...just...doesn't.
But it has. This winter anyway. A lot. And it will again. This weekend actually.
Thank God for global warming. If it weren't for that, we'd be really cold or something.
Oh, wait...we ARE.
It's been freezing here. And elsewhere from what I gather.
This has been an awfully cold, miserable Winter.
I've given up showers. I'm into hot, hot baths. The only time this cold natured old broad is warm lately.
And I don't want to go out. I'd rather stay in once I get home from work and just gel.
Where it's reasonably warm. Snuggie, here I come.
That's one of the drawbacks of really cold weather. The hell with the sexy nightgowns and such. I go for sweats and flannel. If the Skipster wants me; it's a challenge.
Although; that's not all bad. At our age, every little bit helps. So a challenge ain't too bad.
I know......TMI.
Deal with it.
Even ancient, dusty old folks are still active.
As a matter of fact; from where I stand this Winter; the Old Man and I are the only global warming around. If we didn't have each other; we'd be freezing here in the sunny south.
Once Again

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Teacher vs Instructor

I had a chat with one of my fellow "Instructors" the other the day.
OK, she was scolding me. Again.
Apparently I let myself get bogged down with the incidentals. Those being; I add too much extra to my teaching. I embellish. I give the kids the extra info that she deems unnecessary to classroom instruction.
Okey dokey.
I respect her opinion. She is after all, a bit more of the expert in the classroom. She has taught longer than I.
But with all due respect, when she looked me in the eye and dropped this on me - "all we need to teach them is to give a proper shot" - I kinda drew back and did a little rethinking.
Excuse me?
Aren't educators supposed to ED-U-CATE? As in teach? I mean not just skim the surface and make it look all glossy and shiny, but like a true wood worker, give the piece a deep burnish and many coats that protect the surface bring out the patina of the wood; the beauty.
And just for the record? I do teach my chicks to "give a proper shot." That's even one of my extras. I've made them a booklet that has illustrations of how to locate and map the proper injection sites on the body.
I've also set up charts on "patients" that have allergies, illnesses, and problems such as they will encounter in real-life situations. These charts are what they will use in their clinical trials for grading. And those are the "patients" that will get the shots. The kids will have to now make sure there are no allergies involved or if permits have been signed or if dosages are correct.
Oh; my. They will have to study the meds and the rules.
They were using charts with their own histories, healthy young people with nothing wrong with them.
Yeah, that made sense. Treat the healthy medically. And I decided they get a practice run thru and then they will have to work it in an exam room setting. They won't know which patient or what Dr.'s order they're gonna have to deal with until they grab a chart.
Just like real life.
And this has bent my coworker outa shape. She thinks once again; I'm putting too much into my work.
Not me.
These kids are gonna be taking care of me, my friends, possibly my family members. I WANT them to KNOW what they are doing and why.
My husband; St. Skip; thinks she's bent because the boss likes it. And because the kids are having fun.
Hell; I'm having fun.
We injected tangerines for practice on Thursday and had a blast. I incorporated their math into the lesson.
When the janitor stuck his head into the room for the trash and saw the tangerines, he raised his eyebrows. He wanted to know what the ....? I loftily informed him those were former patients.
The kids loved it.
You know you're onto something when they help you clean up.
I sat there reveling in a good, good session.
So what? In came Debbie Downer. And then followed the conversation. Or lecture.
Technically I need her lead. She was the one that set up the formula for the Clinical aspect of our Program. She has been guiding me thru the process. Little by little. It's as if she enjoys sharing her knowledge and glories in it. OK. OK. She irks me a little. And I know she probably means well. At least I hope she does. But damn it; I see nothing wrong with giving the kids a heads up for real life. And I see nothing wrong with bringing new ideas into a program. Especially if they enhance learning.
If I volunteer my time; do the work on my own; pay for the materials; and donate the goods which can be used over and over again; what's the big deal?
I've upset the apple cart and a fellow Instructor.
I've been bad. Apparently.
So I'm afraid she and I are going to have to agree to disagree. Respectfully of course.
She will continue to instruct.
I will continue to teach.
OnceAgain

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Ouch

Well this has just sucked. And I mean that quite sincerely. I'm not a happy camper here, folks.
I was cleaning my house; minding my own business and the next thing ya know; OUCH.
I either pulled something, decided to play with a kidney stone; or pinched a nerve. Whatever I did I regret it, apologize for it and I'll mea culpa all day long. If it'll make it go away.
This all went down about one or so, Friday by the way. It's Monday now and still twinging. Better; but twinging. And I'm flipping tired of it.
Not that that's gonna make it better.
But ranting and raving gets a lot off my chest. Which is not helping the twinge. Or whatever it may be.
So here's the deal; when you decide to move walls and rearrange furniture; get on your hands and knees to brush off the rugs; and scrub baseboards, etc.; watch out; it could hurt.
It started off with a pain in the left side that got steadily worse. Finally walking on the tiptoes of the left foot. Had to tilt myself up on one side. Didn't go out Friday night.
Yup, stayed in and sat; leaning over to the right. Wasn't the happiest of campers. Even took some meds. And all the freakin' pills did were make me lightheaded.
So there I sat; unhappy and too zopped to do anything about it and still hurtin' like a sumbitch.
Saturday, no change. And now I'm a whimpering puppy. But quietly. And just working on paperwork for the kids at school. Gotta keep on keepin' on.
Then out to dinner to celebrate friend's birthday, Saturday night. I refused to missed THAT. Finally got SOME respite; Rum. Had a few drinks and everything eased off. Didn't last but for a few hours, but hey, take what you can get; right?
So there you are. I now have the cure for hip pain. Liquor.
Of course, you can't live off that and work. Or I can't. Or I won't.
Sunday, better. Yippee. But then I made the mistake of getting out of bed. But by now, I had a secret weapon. On the way to the birthday party, we bought me a little heating pad. And I spent the day on it. hahahahaha.
Now I've got ammo to fight back. Watch me now. Heat; gentle as a carass; all day long.
And so we have today.
I feel a bit more human. Not a twisted piece of ouchy stuff.
And now I know what it's like to be one of my patient's that lives with a chronic pain.
Mine isn't chronic, but I've gotten a dose of 3 days of good; can't escape; always there and doesn't respond to anything pain/ache/hurt.
It hasn't gone away, but it's better. And by golly, I'll take it. At least I'm walking like normal. Still not smiling about the situation, but haven't quit with life.
Skip's all about just laying around and doing nothing. I'm all about getting things done so I don't get further behind.
I have 4 classes this quarter. Smallest population is 19 students. So...
But I ouch a bit if I get too rambunctious.
Oh, well, life goes on and here I sit. Straight up at least.
So until the next post; I'll just sulk about this left hip/flank twinge deal. It'll get better or I'll give in and see Doc Amy and get her to wave her magic wand or something.
No needles.
In the meantime.
Ouch. And your move. I'm staying put.
OnceAgain

Jim's Obituary

A good man passed from this world last month. He went to join his parents and forbearers of whom he was so proud. Those of whose legacy, he strove to be worthy.
The date of his death doesn't matter, nor of his birth at this juncture.  What does matter was his life.  The life he lived and those he left behind in this world he loved so dearly.
Jim left 2 sons.  They were his sun, moon, and stars.  He was a man not afraid to tell these 2 young men he loved them.  And it was readily evident that he did.  He shone with pride when ever they were mentioned or he spoke their names.  They were the 2 people most dear in his heart.
He left Family; the ones he spoke of often were his Sisters.  Though like many modern families, they were scattered across the world.  When they all came together during his last weeks; I have it from a most reliable source he stated, "This is NICE."
For old grumpy pants to say that; well; it meant tons.  Tons.
He had a career in the Military. The Army to be specific.  He serve honorably and well.  He accomplished every task given and every mission assigned.  He was a pilot and soldier.  He was a Veteran and Patriot.  If you cut the man, he bled red, white and blue.  Literally, I believe.  He retired and went on to continue to serve in yet another capacity.
Jim worked as a Contractor continuing to serve the "Kids" as he called those still in Uniform.  And he was a quiet warrior for them.  He knew the nuances of Government workings.  His was not the manner of bluster or force.  It was finesse and tactic and campaign.  Whether he wore them down or out, I do not know; but he protected the Kids and worked for them to the best of his abilities.  "We have to look out for them," he once said to me.
He was a giver.  Quietly without fanfare or publicity, he gave to Charities and to those in need.  He especially supported Foundations set up to assist the homeless Veterans.  He gave without expecting anything in return; not even a thank you.  This was the measure of the man.
There were those who took advantage of his generosity.  But, it mattered not to him.  He wanted to help; to assist; to aid.  Did he make mistakes?  Oh, yeah.  Did he give when he shouldn't in those cases.  Definitely.  Was he taken advantage of?  Yep.  But he shook it off and went on.  Lesson learned and muster forward.  Don't dwell on it.  Another day, another Heineken.
That was our Jim.
Stubborn old coot.
Speaking of which.
He was obstinate, hard headed, set in his ways, fastidious to a fault, and could be downright prissy.  Yeah, you heard me right, people.  Prissy.  I told him once he probably starched his boxers.  He got a twinkle in his eyes and leaned forward and said, "Nah, I just iron them."  And I started laughing. It was he who gave Janis and I the names, "Thelma and Louise." He could tease and pick like a second grader. But, he could take it, too.  So, I suppose that part was okay.  That part.
He didn't play fair sometimes.  If I got in a snit with him, he made me laugh and I got "unsnitted."  That's cheating.  He cheated a lot that way with his friends. He made you laugh, really laugh.  He liked to regale his friends with jokes and stories.
He had a lot of friends.  You liked him.  He could drive you crazy with his story renditions and the way he wandered from the subject, but you just liked the guy.  And it was there he was most, most blessed.
You see, as the life of this man wound down, 2 of those friends "angeled" to him.  They had that special bond with him that sometimes the luckiest of us get.  The luckiest.
His angels were Janis and Matt.  One a saucy lady of dubious redhair and one a man in battle fatigues.  It was they who spent those last hours together with this gentle man.  It was they who gently led him from this world to the next.  It was they who performed that most selfless act of love in letting go; in telling the one who struggles to disconnect from life, "you've done well; it's okay now."
And so he let go.
And now here I am with this group of words that try in vain to give you a gist of the worth and feeling of this man. And I am not sure how to sum up his life.
Perhaps this will tell you best.
Shortly after Jim passed, my daughter call with good news.  As I congratulated her and rejoiced with her, she caught the hint of sorrow in me.  And she ask what was wrong.  And so I told her, "Jim died."
She had a bit of trouble remembering exactly who he was as she had only met him a few times.  So I jogged her memory.  Then she exclaimed, "Oh no, Mama.  Not the nice man."
And that is it that says it best. 
He was a NICE man.
OnceAgain

Jim

We will attend a viewing; this afternoon. A long time in coming.
Remember I told you of my friend,Jim, who passed back in December? On the 22nd?
It will be for him.
The memorial mass will be tomorrow.
Yesterday his obituary finally appeared in the local paper. Finally.
It was the driest, barest, coldest, least representative narrative of an individual I've read in a long time.
Oh, all the proper people were mentioned. The sons; the sisters - who he loved but rarely saw; the nieces; nephews - who were rarely part of his life; the wife - from whom he'd been separated for 18 YEARS.
His military career was brushed over. No real mention of his many, many accomplishments.
His work as a Contractor after his retirement was a gloss. Nada. Nothing.
The man was awarded the Order of St. Michael's, for gosh sake. He supported the homeless veterans; quietly, but consistently. He always made sure that we had a place to celebrate the 4th of July.
Nothing was made of the fact this man was a Patriot; a Soldier who revered and loved his Country.
Last, but never, never least; no mention was made of his friends. Jim had tons of friends. But especially Janis and Matt. They had grown so very close these last few years. Those two were tirelessly devoted to him in his last weeks; last days.
It was they who were at his bedside as he drew his last breath. It was they who gave him the "okay" to stop the painful battle with life and ease into Heaven. It was they who best demonstrated that selfless, selfless last act of purest love.
For all that he could be; aggravating, exasperating, stubborn, mischievous, and prissy (yes, I said prissy); Jim was loyal, true, fun, mischievous (it works both ways people), and just a darn good guy.
And THAT was what should have been written.
All of it.
Janis and Matt deserved more; Jim would have wanted it.
Jim deserved more; he earned it.
So I've written this. It doesn't matter the year of birth or death; it matters what a person WAS.
JIM TORNEY was a damn fine man.
And we loved him.
God speed, old friend.
OnceAgain

'Tis the Night of Christmas

It's Christmas evening. Like Moore's "EVE" poem; all is quiet through the house. Skip is abed along with the pup and cat. I have the TV on as I'm on call for the Hospital.
It's my last shift. I don't miss it. I guess I should, but that's the reality of it.
Maybe it really was time for a change. Or maybe that wasn't the Unit for me. I enjoyed the Unit at my prior hospital more, but the Staff at this one better.
You can't have it both ways I suppose.
Reality can just suck sometimes.
And my mood has been a bit sour.
My friend who had lung cancer passed this past Wednesday in the wee hours of the morning. He made it almost 30 minutes after the midnight hour.
Now the significance of that? The day prior had been his 56th birthday.
The old coot said he wouldn't die before his birthday and leave me older than him. A gentleman to the end and a man of honor. He just had that one major fault. He could not leave cigarettes alone.
On a happier note; eldest daughter got her CPA! She's worked so hard. I can't describe all she's done. The kid's got heart and moxie.
I wish I had half the "stuff" my girls have in and about them. They are two terrific young women.
And now Christmas is winding to a close.
So is the year, actually.
Where did the time go? Weren't we just ringing in'09 a few days ago?
I thought so. I remember being in Tallahassee with the Family.
Then the year just tumbled forward. Roughly, too.
I thought it started off well. The new job at the College, the Unit was challenging, and I was bumpimg along okay.
Then Uncle William passed and the LAG's - as I refer to them - got nasty about Estate stuff; well it got busy. Switching hospitals made it busier. Doing that while teaching and managing an Estate was probably not the smoothest move. I like to learn things the hard way. Then we piled the remodel of the house in on the list. Did I mention the contractor trouble? Thought not. Well, there was that too. Cost us. A lot. Time and about $2,000.00. OUCH!
Skip's paying for that one by the way. He insisted on THAT dude.
And just as we thought we had a handle on things and were catching our breath; the cancer hit. Worse for him, yes. But watching him; it tore you into pieces and ripped your soul.
And he did to himself. That is the hell of it.
Not easy to watch a loved one turn into a cachetic shadow. Morphine and its haze is indeed a blessing. And for him and his family and those of us who loved him too; Christmas Angels came early in the form of the Hospice personnel who c
ame and gave the tender care
all needed in those final days.
Ah, Christmas is coming to a close. The final minutes ticking a way. Time marching onward as it is want to do.
Time to count my blessings and close these musings in the quiet of this house.
OnceAgain

Highs and Lows

It's a day.  A day.
Emotions are sometimes laid out like a child's hair that has been tangled from a bubble bath gone gloriously afroth.  Snarled and whipped and furled.
Don't you sometimes wish you could pour conditioner on some events and watch them smooth out into a river of shiny taffy?
Not gonna happen.
I was supposed to share my good news with a friend, JT, as soon as I found out; or as soon as possible. JT has lung cancer that has spread.  He's terminal.  Another friend, J, as been his point of contact, go-to, don't-leave-me-I'm-afraid. 
So I had planned to ask her if today would be a good day to see him.  He's weak and has good days and bad.  Plus his sisters have converged.  And I was taught to never just "drop in" on folks.
Southern thing I suppose.
But when I saw J last night, they had just admitted JT to the hospital.  He's to have rest today while they rehydrate him and bolster him up with antibiotics.
So the plan is to see him tomorrow and share my news after I hand in my formal letter of resignation to the same hospital where he has been admitted.
Oh, my news.  I will be a full time Instructor at the College as of next quarter. 
And I'm trilled, beyond elated actually, I love working with my kids and at the College.
But, besides JT's being so ill, I am going to miss my Unit at the Hospital.
What I won't miss is the pain I've had after 12 hours of being on my feet and pulling and tugging obese patients.
I'm old and worn out I suppose.
My carcess is showing it's age.
Rats.
And my Supervisor.  Well, let's see.  I actually got him the position.  It was a thing where a good man needed a job and they had an opening and I campaigned.  So now I feel like I'm deserting him.  But I shouldn't because he is still employed and doing well.
But, I'm a mother hen over my chicks.  I have a hard time letting my children grow up.
I am going to stay through the Holidays.  I had said I'd work Christmas Eve and Christmas Day night shifts.  And I will. 
It's something I've always done. 
There are younger Staff out there with small children.  If I work those shifts, that's one more parent that can spend those shifts with their kids. 
Skip is in agreement with me on this.  So my "official" day of resignation will be the 28th.  I have to resign on the 28th as that is a work day.
Ain't no body gonna come in on the weekend just for me.  I ain't that special.
It would be real neat if I were.
Ah, life.  It raises you to such heights and then drops you on your ass just to let you know; you ain't all that, but I'm giving you a break enjoy what you have.
Live the moment I 'spose.  And I shall.
J just sent me a MMS.  JT is not doing well.  No visitors.  Family only.  She will give him my news for me so my promise will be kepted.  Let me know of changes.
Didn't I just mention landing on an ass.
Mine's a bit flatter today.
And so I will close.
OnceAgain