The Edge of Reason

I am a nurse - kind of... sort of... not really. But I feel like one, so that counts for something.

^^^ that is the title of the somewhat witty, a little bit entertaining, and a whole lot of interesting entry I have composed in my head. I've been working on it since I woke up this morning. It includes the conversation with my husband as he informed me that I forgot to brush my teeth today. The first clue? My toothbrush was sitting on the counter with a big blob of untouched toothpaste. The story continues with my response about the dog getting sick while I was preparing for said toothbrushing. And then the entry goes on to tell about the other dog falling down the stairs while in her wheelchair as I scrambled to usher her still puking doggy brother out the back door (I hate dog puke!). I include more about my day by sharing the fact that I met the medical supply delivery guy in the driveway while still wearing my pajamas and the tidbit about me holding the phone to my ear as I awaited doctor's orders while multi-tasking in an attempt to add some mascara to my lashes (not recommended). And then I get to the part about the new nurse (not me, but a real nurse), the mean English teacher (I want to strangle the woman), and the 100 phone calls, 7 doctor appointments, 12 trips to the pharmacy, and eating dinner at 4:30 last night (also not recommended, because by the time 10:00 rolls around, you will be ready for breakfast). Thus, the whole I am a nurse - kind of... sort of... not really. But I feel like one, so that counts for something title.

Alas, that's all I have for you because to be completely honest, I am worn out and it is just too much to put into words. And so to summarize in a non-witty, not the least bit entertaining, and completely uninteresting manner: John's immune system began to shut down several days ago and it has been a mad scramble for answers, solutions, and help as I have tried my best to keep him out of the hospital. He's already missed seven days of school (we are only in week 4, so seven days is extensive). He's sick. He's unhappy. He's becoming belligerent. And I am at my wits end.

For those who have followed this saga, I'm sure that you are aware that if we have a nurse in our home, things are not good. The flip side of the nurse thing is that having a nurse in our home means that the doctors are sensing the urgency of this problem and they are working with me trying to keep John out of the hospital. So that's good.

And since I am being honest, I will add that all I really want to do today is take a nap to escape this nightmare. Unfortunately, there is a real nurse in my house, and I doubt she would appreciate a napping mother. Additionally, the other real nurses at the doctor's office keep calling me, so the quality of the nap would be completely compromised due to a phone that won't stop ringing. Thus, the nap will have to wait.

In other news as I push aside my intense longing for a nap, I was going to add to the original entry that will remain forever composed in my mind, never to be seen on computer screen or paper, this visual tidbit:

Okay, I know that this is the same image I used last year for the Grey's Anatomy Season Premier. But seriously... if I don't even have time to brush my teeth, it's a given that I don't have time to mess around with my Grey's Anatomy photos (and yes, I have an entire photo file dedicated to my favorite show in the history of television).  Grey's Anatomy is my happy place, and I am in some serious need of happy right now. I've been looking forward to the 2 hour season premier for weeks, and knowing that my wait has finally been whittled down to only one more night fills me with delight.

I. Can't. Wait.

And with that, I'm off to check on the nurse... the real one, not myself, for I fear that if I were to take the time to check on my actual self, I may find that I have forgotten a whole lot more than just brushing my teeth.

I'll see y'all on the other side of Grey's! Enjoy the show.

Note: teeth have since been brushed, scrubbed, flossed, and shined. I should be good to go for the rest of the day!

~ Feeling Patriotic ~

Yesterday I decided to take a break from getting ready for my company so that I could attend the McCain-Palin Road to Victory rally. I figured that mopping my floors was not nearly as important as witnessing history in the making, and so off I went to join thousands of people in what was my first political rally.

From early on, I was taught that religion and politics are two subjects that are private, personal, and not to be discussed in polite company. But because Sarah Palin seems to be the topic of interest right now, I have chosen to break social rules and share a few thoughts and a couple of pictures I took.

This was my first time attending a political event, and I will admit that it was awe inspiring to see so many Americans come together to show support for the presidential candidate and his running mate. What my decision boiled down to was Sarah Palin... I wanted to hear her speak and to witness first hand the change that has occurred in what I consider to be an otherwise crummy election season. I was not disappointed. She is a down-to-earth-everyday-girl. I liked her before I attended the rally, and I like her even more after seeing her in person. And even if McCain-Palin do not take office this year, I am so encouraged to see a woman have such an impact on a single election.

Because there were so many people at the rally, I ended up standing behind the media, which is not the ideal location for taking pictures. But since this was a first in my life, I tried to document it in some way. These are the best of the bunch - and they really aren't very good :giggle:. But, hey! I was there, and this is my proof, along with buttons, bumper stickers, and posters <--- all of which will remain tucked away as to not break the social rules I was raised to honor.

I left the rally feeling very patriotic, and I can honestly say that this election has taken on a whole new meaning to me - something that makes me happy because I like knowing that I am a part of the electoral process, and it feels good knowing that I have taken the time to become better educated and more aware of what is at stake.

Before I attended the rally, I was sitting on the fence. Today... I got off the fence.

And with that, I will close because the truth is, I am really uncomfortable talking about politics! No wonder there is an unwritten social rule that it is impolite to do so.

In other news: my company still have not arrived, but I expect to see them soon. At least I hope to see them soon. Waiting is no fun at all, and at this rate, I'm going to have to do the housework all over again if they don't get here today.

Pretty Things

This post in lieu of housework, because I am nothing if not the Queen of Procrastination.

Several years ago, I hired a guy named Frank to design the window treatments for my new home. It took months to cover all the windows, and while the window treatments were being made I met with Frank almost weekly to go over color swatches, measurements and the ever important budget. By the time my windows were all "dressed" Frank and I had developed a good working relationship - or so I thought! When the task was finally complete and my windows were looking ever so lovely, Frank commented that I had been an interesting customer. And then he told me that he had never worked with anyone who was so concerned about "pretty things." He said he'd had customers who cared about style and function, customers who wanted modern and trendy, and customers who were only concerned about color and design... but he had never had a customer whose sole intent was to be surrounded by pretty things.

Ever since Frank made that comment, I've paid attention to my innate desire to make things pretty. Frank was right! Pretty is important to me, and I think the reason is because when I see pretty I feel happy. Shabby, old, dirty, dull... those things depress me. And when I really stop to think about it, it makes sense that I am forevermore trying to pretty-up my life - pretty means happy and happy means content. I am all about contentment because when I am content, life is good!

And so in keeping with my intention to keep the blog pretty (see! This desire for pretty extends far beyond my surroundings), I've decided to share some of the pretty things I did last week while preparing for my company. Keeping in mind that I did not have time to make over an entire room, instead I chose to give little make overs to the rooms the company will spend the most time.

The first make over was to the digital frame that sits on the side buffet in my kitchen. A weird thing to make over, but I had a reason: I remembered that when my family was here in June, we all congregated in the kitchen to drink our morning coffee and pass the time between events. I also remembered that I was kicking myself for not updating the photos in the digital frame before they arrived because most of the pictures in the frame were pictures I'd added long ago to my mom's iPod, and the majority of the pictures were taken by my sister. Boring. Uninteresting. And the ever dreaded DULL.

I've mentioned in the past about using the digital frame as a digital scrapbook - which in essence means adding digital pages rather than single picture files. I've discovered that this is a fun way to showcase multiple pictures on a single screen, and it is also a great excuse to play with Photoshop, which is so much easier than actual scrapbooking and far more fun than doing housework to prepare for guests. In the end, I made nine new digital pages on Friday. Most of them were quick and easy, using basically the same design concept because 1) 6.5 x 4.5 is a really weird size to work with, and 2) my goal was volume not design.

Here are three of the pages I threw together. These pages show what I actually do with the pictures after I post them on the blog (all nine pages can be seen in my Facebook photo album titled Digi pages for the digi frame):

And so although I couldn't make over my kitchen before the company arrive, I'm hoping the colorful pages add something new and pretty to the mix. And if not, at least I found a good excuse to procrastinate doing the housework!

The other touch of pretty I added to the house was a new afghan to drape over the back of the sofa in the family room. The old afghan matched perfectly, but it had balled up a bit from so many washings and it has faded a lot from the direct sunlight - so it was time to retire the afghan to a less obvious location (like the bedroom). Plus... I was tired of it... and it was nine years old... the sofa needed a splash of color and something new - what better way to achieve that than crocheting a brand new afghan? Which is exactly what I did. I started the afghan the evening Alyssa left for college (that's called nesting), and since the pattern was a simple zig-zag I was able to finish it in about ten days. Voila! A face-lift for the sofa and a lot of color added to the room. To make this afghan I used the Lion Brand Homespun yarn, which is actually strands of thread and fiber woven to create a string of yarn. The yarn has a ton of texture and although it is a tad bit difficult to work with, it makes up like a dream. Here are pictures of the finished project:

The digi pages and afghan were all I had time to complete before the company arrive mid-week. I wish I would have had time to make over the upstairs hall wall. It is a mess. But that project involves spackle and paint, new shelves and new photo frames, and about a week of my time in order to do it right. I'm thinking the hall wall project will be saved for January when I have nothing but time on my hands and long, dreary days ahead. Until then, my two pretty little make overs will have to do because at the end of the day, a visit from family is not about pretty things and make overs at all... it's about the history and memories and sharing, which is exactly what I am looking forward to this week while Jeff's sisters are here.

Randomness [<--- is that a word?]

These flowers make me smile.

Late last spring, Alyssa decided she wanted to plant a garden and so she went to Target and bought packets of seeds. She then rummaged around under our deck and dug out some old planter boxes. She filled them with dirt, scattered the seeds, added some Miracle Grow, and placed the boxes outside my kitchen window. All summer long we waited for flowers wondering what her green thumb would cultivate. She ran off the squirrels hourly. She watered the dirt daily. And she moved the boxes from sun spot to sun spot every single week. By the time she left for college, she had pretty much decided that the squirrels had won the battle and that her garden was a bust because after three months, there were still no flowers in sight.

Not long after she left, I peeked out my window one morning and noticed a sea of tiny pink and purple flower buds. Alyssa's garden is finally growing! What a nice surprise, and what a special reminder that, although she is no longer living at home, her special touch remains.

Randomness (I really don't think that is a word!):

• High school is back in session. John is on day three. Unfortunately, on day two, he spent two hours in the vice principal's office. He took a stance, which was a risk, and ended up paying for it in spades - thus, his first visit to the principal this year. What gets me is that most of the time he was in her office (an office I am intimately familiar with, having attended more than one meeting there), she was attending meetings, so he sat alone missing chemistry and lunch. My question is this: why did she not send him back to class and address the problem after school? I don't understand how making a kid sit in an empty office gains anything - especially when said kid did nothing to disrupt or disturb classes in the first place. I'm all for appropriate punishment, and I don't dispute that John probably deserved just that, because it sounds like he was disrespectful in his comments to her. But I take issue with the fact that John was not allowed to attend his first day of chemistry class. In my mind, there is something wrong with how the situation was handled. For now, I'm staying out of it. But if this continues, I, too, will be spending time in her office.
• We have company coming next week. I like company and I am excited for their visit. I only wish I would have known about it sooner because getting ready for company is a month long ordeal for me. Remember last spring when I spent six weeks sewing and painting before my family arrived? That's what I like to do before people come to my home - I like to spiff everything up and give mini make-overs to the house. I won't have time to do that now because my company arrive in less than a week. I'm a tad bit stressed.
• Speaking of company... my vacuum is broken. Great timing - NOT! It needs a part, so there is no way it will be repaired prior to our company's arrival. I've got a back up vacuum, but it doesn't have attachments. Can I just admit that I'm stressing over this as well?
• And speaking of broken... my iPod is broken, which, in turn, breaks my heart. I'm having a difficult time getting jazzed up for a major "company is coming" housecleaning without the companionship of my iPod. Currently, we are looking into purchasing a program that will back up my iTunes Library. The program is only $20 - so it's a good investment - but if my iPod doesn't unfreeze long enough to pull up the library, the program is going to do me no good. Another little glitch in this plan is that I need to find 50+G of memory to store my back up library because that is how much stuff I have on my iPod. 50 gig is a lot! I think I'm going to need another external hard drive. This iPod boo boo is costing me more than a heartache.
• About heartache... my heart no longer aches over Alyssa's departure, and here is why: Alyssa is so happy! She is loving college and she is adjusting very easily. And in the end, that is all a mother could wish for. So after a summer of agony, I have come to realize that a happy college student makes up for every ounce of trepidation I experienced.
• No segue in to this, so it is very random... I am lacking in photo subjects and I miss taking pictures (thus the flowers and the picture of the dog below, I was desperate). How on earth am I going to keep my blog looking pretty if I don't have pictures? I've been thinking about this a lot and I've come to the conclusion that I need to start sewing and scrapbooking and crocheting again because dressing up the blog with inanimate objects is better than nothing.
• Sewing... one of my favorite subjects. The new season of Bravo's Project Runway is well underway. I TiVo the show every week and I watch the episodes over and over again. There is just something about this show that inspires me. If I were twenty years younger, I'd try out for Project Runway in a heartbeat. Heck, if I were twenty years younger, I'd go to Parson's School of Design just to learn how they do the things they do.
• TiVo... mine is working overtime on Wednesday nights. Thursday used to be the day for Must See TV. Lately, Wednesday has become my Must See TV. I've got Project Runway, Top Design, and last night a new cycle of America's Next Top Model began <--- okay, I know there is the tranny gimmick this season, but after watching the two hour premiere, I still think I'm going to enjoy this cycle. If they focus heavily on the tranny... maybe not... but the tranny can model... so who knows what they have in store for us.
• About Thursday being a Must See TV night... I've got it marked on my calendar in SHARPIE MARKER! The countdown has begun for the premiere episode of Grey's Anatomy, Season 5. Three words about that: I. Can't. Wait.

And that, my friends, is about as random as I get. Sadly, this is how my mind works 24/7. It drives John crazy. He tells me that I wear him out when I'm talking because it is so hard to keep up with the randomness of it all. And again... there's that word: RANDOMNESS. I'm pretty sure it's not a word, but certainly sounds good when describing my thought patterns.

One more random item - another picture. This time of my dog because she doesn't gripe and moan when she sees the camera. Misty's back has gone out again, so I took this picture holding her in my lap with one arm while I held the camera out with the other. I'm telling you - I am in dire straights when it comes to photo subjects right now. It's always bad when I have to resort to taking a picture of myself holding the dog.

Edited to add: I looked it up! Randomness is in fact a word. Who knew?