End of the Month

... we in the accounting world don't like it.
snarl
But every month here it comes and I already know and start dreading it at the beginning of the month, because of how the way I am. It's especially bad at the end of a "quarter" and completely hideous at the end of a "year". (these are all technical terms you don't need to worry your little heads about)

At home here, I have begun my semi-annual opening of the "mail" - another technical term - and to everyone that sent us Christmas cards last year, thank you! I'm hanging them up now...

As soon as I get through all this "mail" I will retreat back into my shell and become oblivious again.

But!
thank.god.there's.no.toad.in.here.
Anymore.

A Week Later

well, my bad.

ok, it's fracking SNOWING here, wth? Goddard's bringing up all the four letter words (lake, effect, snow, belt, - I know, I know! they're not all four letters! We don't care (royal "we")) whoah. my parentheses are getting out of hand.

I'm still waiting for my Global Warming, here. You hear me? (anybody out there?) Waiting and waiting... (crickets)I fully expected tropical climes here BY THIS TIME. Hey - I'm getting older, now. I hope to have this warming in place before I kick the bucket so that my last years will be happier. what's the deal with this snow crap

I guess all my rantings won't solve anything - growllll

and then there's the election! Which, I will not tell you how I want it to go since I don't want any rabid snarling foaming-at-the-mouth electorate attacking me here. But I will tell you this: I plan to vote next Tuesday (even though five dead people voting will more than cancel out my vote - no one seems to be worried about this???!!!???) - yes, I will vote. and then I'm going to bed with the covers over my head and I never EVER want to know who won. Do not tell me. I do not want to know.

All I know about the polls, is - I have only taken part in ONE. Which was obviously by an extreme right wing group, asking me if I'm against killing babies. Yes I am. Click, goodbye.

Why aren't yall calling me? I have me some opinions that I would be more than happy to share with everyone, although I don't, right now. Oh, that's right - I usually don't answer any phone calls. I guess it's my own fault. But I don't know anyone else that got polled, either. Have any of you been polled? Well, who are these poll people that are giving opinions? Do we trust them?

there's this question of HSMO's and AWNA's and - I won't go on.
and where's my WARMING? by gum. You PROMISED.

whatever.

Car

I have to go to the grocery store after work, instead of having gone at lunchtime, because at lunchtime I had to go put air in THREE flat tires. This S-C car is obviously enraged with me now for ignoring its "service engine soon" cries and is planning to self-implode. Fine. Bring it on.

Bob

He had a blood test yesterday, and another one tomorrow or Thursday (confused) and a doctor's appointment Friday and hopefully we will find out what's going on in his blood. Heh. As if that means anything to me. But he is still having trouble with breathing which is, after all, IMPORTANT. All new doctors now, so I'm hopeful.

Hillcrest is a very good hospital, and affiliated with the Clinic, but smaller. He had every doctor (of 7) checking him every day, even on the weekend. I'm impressed. We are not used to this. We are used to everything getting lost in the big morass of the big hospitals, which is why people die there.

Winter Cometh

Tonight I finished out the lugging and stowing and organizing of everything in the garage; so that I have a little cubicle wherein I can park my so-called car. Because my car is OLD, people, and needs tender loving care in cold weather so that it does not fall apart any further than it already has. As it is, the ding dang "service engine soon!" light will not go off, despite having given it a new gas cap - which "Rusty" says is because there are leaks in the pipe into which you feed gas. This of course, besides sounding dangerous, means it will not pass an e-check next year, so we have until August to find a new pipe in the junk yard or I will have to buy a dang new one which he figures around $200; not counting putting it in.

So, whatever.

Today I read somewhere that scientists are now predicting that we are in for a period of colder weather; lasting years. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot?!? What has happened to my Beloved Global Warming that I was SO looking forward to??!? Gloom, despair, and agony on me.

COLDER weather?? Do we not have cold enough weather round here? God give me strength.
It's another test, I know it is. And that dang Dick Goddard - already talking "wind chill factor" - can't wait until he starts with the "lake effect" and "snow belt" stuff. Oh, and the "heavy snow late tonight" stuff, which they never tell you what "late tonight" means, exactly. Is it after 9:00? or 10:00? or 1:00 in the morning? which is not "tonight" at all, btw, it's "tomorrow". Please clarify. I suppose he'll say "early tomorrow", which again, can mean anything. Anything after midnight and before noon. If they can predict all these global climate changes, you would think they could pinpoint the five day forecast! pete's sake. or at least tomorrow/tonight.

Have to stockpile vodka. That's what they do in Russia. even drink it at work!

Toad-Free !!!!

He's outta here.

Thank God and Greyhound he's gone.

Hit the road Jack.
and don't you come back no more...
What other songs are there?

These boots are made for walking....

I am woman, hear me roar....

Found him behind the toy box inside a clear plastic box that the kids' wooden blocks came in. That was convenient of him to climb in there, I must say. This was AFTER I moved EVERY single plant in the living room, armed with two grabbers, flashlight, a net and a poker. The living room is still a little bit disheveled and must stay that way for awhile because I DO NOT CARE. At all.

Now I know that true happiness is knowing there are no toads in your house. and I say so, every time I walk into the living room, "Thank God there are no toads in here!" this may go on for awhile, I think it's Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

P.S. Toad is alive and well and OUTSIDE, where he freaking belongs. case you care

Bob Update

He is feeling better every day, although the first day I thought he should be back in the hospital.

Told me yesterday he was going hunting this morning; to which I replied (paraphrase) "Hell No!" He did not argue about it so he was definitely not well enough to go.

I don't think hiking through the woods breathing in cold air is advisable right now.

Burning Bush Has More Than One Red Leaf

How many red leaves this year? two? four?

Hopenchange

Dadgum Christmas Cactus

Toad Update

... I'm getting used to the idea of having one in the living room. Since I can't do anything about it until Saturday because he's hiding, being the black hearted devil that he is - the plan involves a butterfly net; wearing gumboots and a helmet, and swearing a lot.

What?

Of course I know it's crazy, why do you ask?

By then he will have scampered off into unknown corners and become an integral part of the building. (btw- there are no FEMALE toads, are there? That would be just too disgusting)

Woe is me

On the other hand there was no dead livestock tonight to clear up. Life is good. Or the cats couldn't get out of the house today and go hunting or something.

Bob Came Home

and you can call him here. You all know the number.

THERE'S A FROG IN MY LIVING ROOM

BIG FAT FREAKING FROG OR TOAD hopping around. SOMEONE PLEASE COME GET IT OUT. How do you even do that??? If it was dead I would get it out somehow but I don't know what to do here. Can it hop up the stairs, do you think? Because I'm hiding upstairs.

I am now officially on my last nerve. I already cleared up two dead mice tonight one on the deck one in the garage; it's averaging two per day - I seriously thought of storing them up in garbage bags in the freezer until garbage night but then, that's just wrong. I think. ok, well, I'm losing my grip on sanity. and I'm not going to dig little holes all over the yard, either. The mice have all been outside. Nice, good, dead mice have the decency to STAY OUTSIDE at least.

I'm thinking of moving out of the house.

Who did this voodoo/dead/live/animal curse on me? Take it off. Do it now.

I think I have a butterfly/fishing net somewhere. Maybe I can trap it under there and then just wait until it starves to death or something, in several weeks time.

What do you want to bet there'll be a freaking bear in my kitchen tomorrow night. Hopefully a dead one ok, now I am truly insane hoping for dead bears in the kitchen. Whatever.

I have to get a grip.

10/15/08

Bob has been moved out of ICU and is in room433 bed 1, 440-312-5283 and he is hoping to come home tomorrow. I want him to stay, though, as long as possible for fear it's not over yet. No longer on a heart monitor which is worrisome; still on oxygen.

This is all I know.

10/14/08

And so, after a good day yesterday, he had a bad night. With coughing and rapid heart rate (130)

10/13/08

Much better tonight! He was dressed and eating steak and potatoes when I got there tonight (hasn't really had solid food lately). Anyhoo, there was talk of moving him to the "general population" today but then every time he stands up his blood pressure bottoms out so another day at least in CCU. In and out of a-fib.

the doctor is ordering up some magic socks that he hopes will keep the blood flow from settling in his feet somehow, when he stands up. ok.

I have been since sunday, picking up repaired cars, and trying to ready some stuff here for winter. The GCT had to come down before we get high winds/snow because the roof will end up in the next county, as the last one did. Ron and David were here sunday and we picked up cars and then took off the roof and the sides of the GCT, and then Ron finished up Bob's diggage and planted grass seed and cleaned out the barn and I cleaned out the garage. But then of course we could not find a place open to buy straw and not only that they close every day before I can get there from work - so Farmer brought out straw tonight and scattered it on the stuff. This I think is to keep the birds from eating the seeds, although they probably already have.

thanks, you guys!

and tonight Mercy ate a mouse aacckk. I was pretty mad at her. But she does not seem to care at all. This happened while I was hauling the garbage to the curb tonight which was of the utmost importance because of the large dead rabbit in one of the bags - CATS. They left it in front of the door last Thursday morning (unless it just dropped dead there like that other one) - that same morning I locked myself out of the house and had to break the kitchen door by hurling myself against it (futile) and using a crow bar - and Mercy didn't seem to care at all, either, that someone was trying to break into her house, by the way. I don't understand all this unconcern.

anyway I don't have time to deal with all this wild game right now; this was the second mouse Mercy has found in two days; thank God she didn't get the rabbit - I used a long handled grabber to pick that sucker up and tried not to actually look at it ever.

Hello? I suppose dead birds will drop from the sky next. It's not like we are in a wooded area here, there's no excuse for it. Stop it.

P.S. sitemeter looks a little different now but it's still sitemeter.

10/12/08

He was breathing better today (Sunday) and the rest is beyond my understanding really. The adrenal function is now ok but he is in a-fib and thus back on coumadin. I guess he is NOT bleeding somewhere then?
Here's a list of the (7) doctors involved, functions:

Pulmonary
Nephrology (whatever that is) sounds like a mortician
Cardiology
Gastroenterology
Endocrinology
Infectious Disease
Hematology

Every day something gets better but something else gets worse, far as I can make it out.
I can't follow it all so I will just list facts in here and you can make of it what you will.

10/11/08

Yesterday when the defib went off, Bob was in v-tach. The defib fixed it but what the hell?. The heart doctor says his valves are flapping.

Today his heart is holding steady - he is back on the scary lung damaging drug amerodarone.
But today he could not breathe. He was better by the time I left. He had another chest xray this morning; I do not know the results. He is now on diuretics; evidently the iv over hydrated him - he must have had fluid in his chest.

They ended up giving him 3 units of blood. oh and they also say he is bleeding somewhere but they cannot find where or why.

The train wreck is in motion.

The diabetes is better and he was very depressed about that. He says if he ends up a diabetic he will throw himself out the window. I pointed out that he is on the ground floor and he would probably just bruise something.

He felt a little better by the time I left but still very sick.

He does not want visitors, he has a lot going on
but call him if you can to cheer him up. 440-312-4500 ask for CCU room 11

Updated Bob

10/10/08
Just talked to him (I am going there after work)
His right lung is pretty much filled up with pneumonia, but as of yesterday afternoon there were less "immature" white cells in his blood, which means it's getting better, I think.
Last night he had gone in to a-fib and was being given two units of blood (the why of which still confuses me)
and then of course the kidney malfunction
His sugar is all messed up now but the a-fib I think may be over; his defibrillating pacemaker having gone off at 7 this morning and fixed it (which he says is like being kicked by a mule)
They are giving him more blood. ? He wants to know where he lost 3 units of blood.
Can you get over filled with blood? What if something pops? (this is really how I think)

10/09/08
He had a CT scan in the middle of the night which showed nothing wrong with his abdomen. His one lung is pretty much full of pneumonia and his bp is pretty much staying 70/48 and he still has fever and intestinal upset. There is some kidney impairment. They are doing a blood transfusion today; I can't remember why.
It was probably pneumonia all along rather than flu, or maybe both or I don't know. Drs say there still has not been a reported case of flu in Ohio. I say they're stupid.

CCU room 11 and do not ask me how to find that room. I got very lost this morning.
CCU is "coronary critical care unit".

Thank God he is in the hospital where at least qualified people can take care of him.
One thing I am not, is a qualified people.
Pray your life is never in my hands. I might drop it.

Bob

he is at Hillcrest hospital with a touch of pneumonia.
He is in CCU because no other beds were available. You can only call the desk there; not his room, although he can call out from his room. Room 11

It took 9 hours to get him into this room. I had to leave and go to work because of a scheduled workers comp audit.

Do not get this flu; go get a shot. I got one last night at the CVS minute clinic and I am still wiping down the house with clorox, in my homemakery way.

anyway
thatisall

Save Yourselves

don't come here, whatever you do.

Bob had a fever of 103.8 tonight, 6:00 pm so nothing is better than yesterday. fluids, aspirin etc Worst thing is he never took his regular pills yesterday or today, or until tonight when I asked - I just assumed he had I guess, so who knows what will happen from that.

and I am hand debugging myself but I think I am doomed also. Boss's wife is already sick, too and so it will be in the office within a week (we handle all the same papers) dang I was gonna go get a flu shot today but I don't think you can after you've been exposed? Well I am still on prednizone and I don't know how that affects anything - hopefully it will make me immune somehow.

I see that I'm making this all about me. but gee,, I was actually gonna go get a flu shot this time! first time ever.

I'm walking around with Clorox wipes - phone, remote control, etc., and making voodoo signs

My Day

I dedicated this weekend to hauling in my house plants from the
G/C/T, and I temporarily installed them in the garage until I get them where they belong which is in the house, on Death Row. This is the place where I kill plants over the winter. There will be some that just don't make it - mostly from neglect.

Full disclaimer: see the "decorating" post.

Sick Here

... Bob is., Evidently the flu which has been going around here.

Bed all day and I am trying to stay away; being the bread winner and all.

Watch yer back.

Decorating

there have been indications in my experience that prove to me that I am not destined to be Martha Stewart, or even Suzy Homemaker. Not only that, but that chaos will rule if I try to be like them although I keep making disjointed attempts to do so; because I feel really I should. (?)

Apparently, being oblivious to the fact that I can never do this, I continue on.

I bought a "reed diffuser" oh god a bottle of oil that you then stick bamboo (or something) reeds into, that then sucks up the oil into the reeds and "diffuses" the frangranced oil into your room. and so it does. The fragrance is "Ginger Peach" from Pier 1 and I really like it.
(I used to like it.)

This may sound fairly easy to you.

So I stuck the reeds, and set the dang thing on the buffett in the dining room. One word:

Cats.

They walk around on furniture, dontcha know, and KNOCK THINGS OVER (why, why, why). Oh heck, yeah, and it turns out "Ginger Peach" oil will strip the FINISH from buffetts (and other living things). Yeah that buffett that I lovingly refinished back when I was in my refinishing mode, (which has long since passed), now has to have the top re-done and I'm getting to that, hopefully before Thanksgiving although it was not in my original plans for Thanksgiving, and will most likely once again, put me in A FOUL MOOD about the whole Thanksgiving thing, which truly, I love, but something ALWAYS HAPPENS.

We were leaving to go somewhere when I discovered this and tried to clean up somewhat; evidently getting oil under my fingernails as Bob kept saying: "It smells like a pie in here!"

that's me. I smell like a pie.

could be worse, I guess.