Great Finds
Several years ago (okay over a decade ago) my sister, her best friend and best friend's daughter met me at my apartment for a day of shopping. Jessica, the daughter, was about 2.5 years old at the time.
I wasn't quite ready. So everyone hung out in my living room. It amazed me the things that Jessica unearthed in the short period of time I was drying my hair. "A ball," she declared with joy showing me one of her many finds. (It was actually one of those stress balls.) Least to say, with Jessica active in my non-childproofed living room, I hurried to finish.
The long-ago incident popped into my head as I spoke with Chris over the phone. I had let him use my computer while I was out for the afternoon. He needed to download stuff and my broadband connection was needed.
"I'm assuming you found the
Robert Randolf CD I left on the desk." Yes, he had. I thanked him loaning to me and turning me on to this group. "Oh, I borrowed a couple of your CD's, I didn't think you would mind," he said. I didn't mind, but had no idea what CD's or where he found them.
Apparently I had a small stack on my back desk that he investigated. One was a John Fogerty CD and the other I can't remember (note to self: ask Chris what the other CD is that he borrowed). There was also the soundtrack to "Wicked"--guess I shouldn't be surprised that he passed on the musical. (Though, to frighten me, he will sing hard rock tunes like Ethel Merman.)
So, kids will find "balls" and grown-up men will find "CD's" in the clutter that I call home.
Hospital Stories
Five weeks ago my brother-in-law Bill had a heart-valve replaced. This was his second one in five years. Last week he went in the hospital with an infection. This happened last time as well. I don't think invasive surgery is his thing.
Yesterday afternoon my sister Nancy called me to tell me that Bill was going in for emergency surgery. They had transferred him from Mercy Hospital to Lutheran Hospital. This was confusing, but I wasn't going to ask questions and went over to Lutheran Hospital.
When I got to the hospital, the volunteer (Mr. Sloan) showed me to the ICU room. He knew where he was going as he had recently taken Bill there with my sister following along. "He's a feisty one," Mr. Sloan stated about Bill. I agreed and he referred to Bill and Nancy as my "parents". This is not uncommon and I find it amusing. Nancy is 16 years older than me and Bill is 19 years older.
When we got to the ICU, Bill wasn't there--they had already taken him in for surgery. So, we walked down to the surgery waiting area. This gave plenty of time for me to learn about Mr. Sloan.
He volunteers at the hospital on Monday with his wife. The rest of the week he takes care of his house and his sister-in-law's house as well. Turns out that his wife and her sister have MD. He said that in addition to that he has a life as well. I like Mr. Sloan, he has a good sence of humor.
I asked Mr. Sloan what he did before he retired. He told me that he taught high school science and farmed because he couldn't make a living teaching. His farmland was in Waukee and he sold his property to developers. He said he feels a little bad to see his property being developed. But, then again, he paid $300/acre for it and sold it for $10,000/acre.
By now we had located Nancy who was sitting in the surgery waiting area with family friend Jeffrey.
I got the update on Bill including why he changed hospitals. There was a leak in the roof over at Mercy. This trickled down to the operating room and comprised it's sterility. I realized that we are having a heat spell here after all the snow. It was a balmy 35 degrees outside and the snow was melting like crazy.
After I got all the updates, I told Nancy that the volunteer thought that Bill and her were my parents. She's gotten used to this as well and we had a good laugh. I assured her that she looks too young to be my mother even though she is so much older than me. She told me that she thinks my hair will turn white instead of gray as I age. I told her to keep on dying hers the color she has been because it is flattering on her.
Soon Bill was out of surgery (only 2 hours!). Things weren't as bad as originally thought and they did not have to cut through his sternum. We thanked God and went to his room.
Planes, Trains and Automobiles
"I attribute a lot to my knowledge of trivia and
Planes, Trains and Automobiles," my friend Julie said from her Nashville hotel room as we talked on the phone the other night. This was in the midst of the worst winter storm of the season in the Midwest. She knew it was fruitless to try and get back to Chicago that day. So, she had found a hotel near the airport and checked herself in.
My friend Caroline is due in town this week and I kept an eye on the weather for her. "Are you flying in through Milwaukee or just leaving through Milwaukee?" I asked on the phone. She is flying in to Des Moines and connecting throuugh Milwaukee on her way to Orlando on Friday.
I assured her that everything should be fine to get to Des Moines and that the winter storm will have moved East and Mitchell International in Milwaukee should be fine by Friday. Then I notice we are due for snow on Friday here in Iowa.
"Likely Light Snow, Areas of Blowing Snow," I see on Wunderground.com. I then look at Milwaukee and see that it should be mostly cloudy with "Likely Light Snow" around 9PM. Caroline has a trade show in Orlando this weekend. I think she should make it. It's always a good thing to not fly through Chicago.
Living in the Midwest, we always have weather as a conversation topic. Right now, though, I am glad that I don't live in the Northeast.
Eighteen is Good
I did a little happy dance when I got off the scale yesterday. In the past 18 months, I have lost 18 pounds. Eight of those have been since the end October.
The biggest lifestyle change has been weightlifting. It's something that has gone from being a necessary evil to being tolerable. I do not do free weights. The Y used to have Cybex machines and in December they switched to something else that I like much better (less settings), but can't remember the name of them.
The weightlifting was inspired by the fact that I am over 40 and don't want osteoperosis. The weight loss is just a bonus.
It Felt Like Forty
It's February in Iowa and that time of year when 33 degrees feels wonderful. The kind of day where you walk around with your coat unzipped talking about how balmy it is. How it felt like 40 degrees!
Prince, The Daily Show and The Superbowl
I was watching
The Daily Show with John Stewart and he made mention of no one being offended by Prince's giant calligraphy peni$. So, I wasn't the only one to make note of this...
At the time I was wondering what that said about me. It seemed like some kind of Rorschach test. Maybe it means that I should be a writer for The Daily Show. Now that is a career transition I would like.
So, yes, I watched the Superbowl. You can take the girl out of Chicagoland, but you can't take the Chicagoland out of the girl it seems. I was thrilled that the Bears were in the big game. Hoping they would win.
But, it became apparent by 3rd quarter that the Colts were playing a better game. I'm a good sportswoman. They deserved to win.
There is always next year!
New Year, New Look
Decided that my blog looked a little dark. So, out with the old and in with the new.
