Well I made it 4 hours.

  And a miserable 4 hours it was at that.  Started throwing up around 8:30 and the pain just kept getting worse.  I went to OPD at 11 and got some pain medicine and something for nausea.  I am going to go on clear liquids for the next few days to see if I can get my GB to calm down enough to get me to my week off.  It it gets worse I am suppose to go back tonight and get a complete workup.   So here I sit waiting for my phenergan and lortab to kick in so I can feel better.  I am soooooooo gassy and my stomach is sooooo bloated.  Sigh.  I have been putting this surgery off for quite awhile but I don't think I will be able to much longer.  Thank goodness the recovery isn't long.

   Well, night all.  Wish me luck that I feel better tomorrow and can make it just 5 more short days.

Check out my tags

           

     Isn't she sweet!  I got this from Missie's Magical Creations 

   I am still having some problems from my gall bladder.  Rick is planning on steaks tonight so it should be interesting.  We always remembered Gall bladder by the 5 F's in school.  Female, Forty to Fifty years old, Fertile, Fat, and Flatulent (farty, LOL).  OK I am not fertile anymore but I fit the rest to a tee!  This seems to be hanging on longer then it usually does.  Last time I had it ultrasounded they said I had alot of sludge but no stones.  That has been around 10 years ago.  That can be just as bad as it can plug everything up also.  So Monday if I make it that long I will call my doctor and make an appointment for another US.  Happy Happy Joy Joy.

    Hopefully work will go OK.  Our census is low so I am due to be pulled again.  Sigh.  I did not sleep well due to my pain so it should be a long night.  I have a 5 hour energy to help me along. 

                           

I am such a ditz

   Well here I am wondering why my fonts are all so large and why it just started when it used to be perfectly fine.  My pictures didn't look that large and I couldn't remember changing anything.......but I had.   I had zoomed in on an article I was having trouble reading a couple of days back and never re-set it back.  Duh.  OK, I feel silly but with all the things happening to peoples journals I thought it was AOL.  Do I feel bad for having such uncharitable thoughts?   Nah, I'm to0 tired right now. 

   Work was just brutal last night.   Death in the hospital seems to come in 3.  We had our 3rd last night plus 4 admits.  Top it off with my bad back and then this morning I had a gall bladder attack which I am still having pain from 4 hours later and it wasn't the best night I have had.  

      I had just decided this week to make an appointment to get my gall bladder re-checked since I have been having so many attacks lately.  It might be time to just get it out this year since I have met my deductable.  If I have it on a Friday I should be fine to go back to work my next day to work a week later on Thursday.  If it will just hold out until then.  Lately I have been having one to two attacks a day and they are getting more severe.  This I don't need but sometimes you can't get what you need.  Gee, another surgery, how dandy.  I think that will make 11.  Why they didn't take it out when I had my big belly surgery when they thought I had cancer I will never know.

    Well, I took a pain pill and am now getting that can't keep my eyes open feeling so I will see you all later.  Have a wonderful Saturday.  I hope the pain lets up so I can get some sleep.

   

I am such a wimp

   Just doing CPR yesterday has caused my back to go out. Yikes.  I woke up from a great sleep where I was finally catching some fish and my shoulder and back between my shoulder blades is soooooo sore.  I have two bulging discs there but since my breast reduction they don't bother me as much.   They sure are right now.   The good thing is Rick rubbed some biofreeze on my back and something about his rough hands rubbing the lotion on felt pretty darn good!    Hopefully I will be right as rain for work tonight and can work the kinks out.

    I haven't done a darn thing since I got up but read journals.  Everyone is doing well in J-land or as good as can be expected.  I am sending Krissy and John some extra prayers today.

   Rick is making hebrew nation hotdogs today.   I love those dogs.  They make a low fat one that is wonderful and all beef.  Put some chili on it and I am in heaven.

   I have been doing my journal in beta when I remember.  I just have to use that link all the time.  I just realized I forgot again so will have to change my links .  They want us to use it all the time.  I have to find out what different things you can do with it.  Since I usually don't go way out on graphics for anything I probably won't change much about how I journal but I do what I can to comply with requests.

   Well, that is all.  Below is a picture

I took for the Monday Morning photo shoot.  I love horses.

     

   Is anyone else having trouble with thier journals right now.  Look how wide mine is.  You can't even read it all.  This just started a couple days ago.  Is it the beta mode?  Let me know if it is just because they are working on them.

Pulled

                               

I got pulled tonight.  Its enough to make any nurse groan.   Truth be told patients are patients are patients so it really doesn't matter where you work, the patient care is basically the same.  What does matter is getting out of your comfort zone.  Working with your co-workers and knowing they will be there for you if needed.  The comfort of friends.   I did not have a bad night though and from talking to the nurses on my floor it sounded like I had picked a good night to get pulled as it was wild over there.

    I got through my CPR and am good for 2 more years.  Now I have to do my competences again.  Gee time flys.  Its always something. 

       It used to be you just did your CEU's and that was good enough.  An occasional meeting, no big thing.  Then they started adding more and more mandatory things you had to do every year to prove you were good enough to do the job you do every day.   Gee they can't tell that day to day?   I am not the stupidest person so I think being told every year how to work the temporary pacemaker is a tad redundant.  But I get paid extra for it so I guess its OK. 

    There is no good time to do it though.  My day off!  Sucks.  Who wants to go in on their day off.   My day to work?  Sucks also.  I already work 12 hours, who wants to work more?   Just give me a computer program.  Yah that's it, make it like a journal that I have to read, yah that's it.  I could do that.

   Anyway I had a long day yesterday and have been up for 25 hours so far so is nitey nite all.

                                    

                        

Back to work

             

    We did end up going out last night to listen to jazz and had a nice bottle of wine.  Rick bought me this lovely rose from one of those rose people.  You know the ones.....

   Work tonight.  I don't go in until 11 tonight because I have CPR class from 5 to 7.   Nurses have to take continuing education classes every year and I have to do CPR every 2 years.   I sometimes think it is silly since this is not the type of CPR we do in a hospital setting but it is in my job requirements so I have to do it.  There are some changes this year so I actually got the book early and will study some today.

   Supper was great yesterday.   Marinating the chicken all night really gave it lots of flavor.  I have no idea what to do about supper tonight.  I will be in class until 7.  I told Rick I had done such a great job making wonderful meals all week it was up to him to come up with something that Dan could eat before he leaves at 6 and I can eat when I come home at 7.  I have a feeling it will be pizza but we shall see.

      I did some fall shots yesterday and thought I would share this one.  As usual Ricks 20 minutes were more like an hour and the day got overcast.  It was nice hiking through the woods and the dog loved it.

    I had to show these turkeys as I like this picture

   Well that is all.  I have to finish my laundry and study.  You usually take the test first and then do the annies after sitting through a really boring movie.  What fun.

Question About the Vivi awards.

   This is my first year with these and I have a question.  If the journals you want to nominate are already nominated, do you still nominate them again so they get more votes or does that help at all?  If they are there already is that enough then that they have been nominated.  I love all the journals I read and most have been nominated already so I didn't know if I should get my 2 cents worth in.  Does anyone understand what I mean with all this rambling on?  LOL.

When did I get so Old?

                         

I woke up this morning, all warm and comfy in my bed, feeling like I did at 18, 25, 35......turned over and stretched........Ouch! Charlie horse, joints popping, back stiff and sore. Boy talk about aging in the blink of an eye. Groan. Hobbling out of bed I catch a glimpse of my face in the mirror! Who is this middle aged fat lady looking back at me?  Minutes ago I was a smooth faced baby! Each year goes by in a minute, each decade 5, until before you know it there you are.  It isn't just me, my 84 year old MIL is always moaning about her wrinkles and thinks about getting something done about them!

I try not to witch to much about getting older.  My brother was 37 when he died, my best friend was 37 when he died also.  My mother was my age, 52.  I know they would happily change places with me, so I have never played that coy game of not telling my true age.  In my family that dies so young you greet each and every birthday with a victory yell, Yah, I did it!  And truely I am not in that bad of shape for the shape I am in.  So with that in mind, I take some tylenol, do my meditation and get ready to enjoy my day off.

The grumpy old man I am married to didn't get the brakes finished until late.  I could tell how it was going by how much swearing was going on and how loud it was.  Thank goodness I have no close neighbors.  When my granddaughter was around he had to give a quarter for each swear word.  She used to hang on his every word, LOL.  She would have done well yesterday and I think he should put a few dozen quarters in her bank for the heck of it.  We didn't get our photo shoot yesterday or grill either.  Today the chicken breasts should be wonderful after marinating all night. Yummy.

I have my camera all set up and my tripod loaded. We are off to find a picture of a horse and a fall picture for this weeks photo shoots. Greg at (Photo Trek) told me how to use my filter correctly.  Lazy me I just screwed the thing on and went off happily shooting with know idea how to use it.  Read instructions?Gee, some of my husband must have rubbed off on me after all these years.  Just think of how great my pictures could have been if I had used my new filter correctly.  Hopefully now I can get some truely great picture.

One of the reasons I am so stoved up today is since I couldn't go shooting yesterday and certainly didn't feel like doing any house cleaning I sat on my butt reading on of the books Gary lent me. I find at my age that pretty much assures you of having a stiff arthritic day the next day. Ya don't use it.... ya lose it... Today I plan on being much more active and am also going to whine and beg for a night out listening to live jazz tonight. I want some good music and a nice bottle of wine.

    So Rick just came in and said he is almost ready, that means in husband speak I have about 20 minutes to get ready. I try to explain the importance of morning light etc.......... but it doesn't seem to sink in. I could go alone but that isn't any fun. I want to be out doors with him sharing in natures beauty and if my pictures aren't perfect, well often times the day itself is.

                      

Where do forest rangers go to "get away from it all?"

I went to a bookstore and asked the saleswoman, "Where's the self-help section?" She said if she told me, it would defeat the purpose.

 

Another beautiful day out.

    The weather looks great out there again and I would like to go for my car ride to check out the fall colors.  Rick is putting new brakes on the car this morning so if we go it will be later.

   The highlighting on my hair turned out so nice.  She put some red highlights in it this time which I have never had but really look good.   Unfortunately the red will fade sooner she said.  I like it though and Rick likes it.  He always did like redheads.

    For supper tonight I am marinated chicken breasts in that toasted sesame low fat dressing I got from Depo Deli.  I just know it will be great on chcken.  We will have yams with them and I have some green beans I am cooking.  Rick will grill the breasts.  Yummy.

   I took lots of pictures on our ride yesterday using my new filter.  It really brings out the blue in the sky and the clouds look wonderful.  Check it out. http://journals.aol.com/midwestvintage/MyPhotoJourney/entries/2006/09/26/-using-my-circular-polarizer-filter/874

    I hope everyone has a great day.  I think it was Jackie who was asking what lap band surgery was.  Here is a link on that.

http://www.lap-band-surgery.org/How-is-the-LAP-BAND-System-placed-around-the-stomach.cfm

A beautiful day

          The poisen ivy along side the trail is turning red, warning you to look, don't touch.  It was a beautiful day for a ride.  The weather blessed us with low 80's and challenged us with a pretty good head wind at time.  We had a lovely ride.  The new trail now has some benches to rest on and we sat by the river for awhile and enjoyed the day.  The wood were cool and starting to smell of heady spices like fall.  Deer and wild turkey hurried out of our way as we rode along the gravel trail.

      

        The clouds were big and fluffy and the trees were just starting to turn giving you a hint of how pretty they will be in a week or two.

        In the river we saw a white pelican, not that common around here and the more common Canadian Geese.

         

          After 23.8 miles we ended up at the river in town.  It was a nice ride and the view from the river was pretty with sparkling diamonds on the water. 

   

Every ride is special because soon they will end.  Every day is special because who knows when they will end.

     We stored our bikes and went out to eat.  Our friend Gary gave me a couple of books to read.  So that is what I will do, finish this, go to bed and read a good book.   Night all.

Monday

              

          This morning I am getting my hair highlighted.  I am lucky at 52 to have little grey hair but it is a icky brown color now that I am older.  I was tow headed as a child and it just kept getting darker and darker as I got older.  Now a pretty brown, just a mousy brown so highlighting it makes it look like it used to when I was younger.  The face gives me away though, lol.

 

           It is sunny out and cool.  Rick got some super puncture proof filled with green slime tubes so we are riding today.  Not sure where.  Probably out to Adams or I want to do the new bike path again.  Might be some fall pictures I can take.  We shall see. 

    I also am started to count points again today.  We shall see.  I have been hungry for homemade split pea soup lately and potato soup and chicken and dumpling soups.  All the heavy fall and winter soups that take the chill out of your bones.  I also have ordered some Vic's hot buttered rum mix.  We used to get it around here but people don't drink those type of hot drinks anymore.  They are wonderful in the winter.  That or hot cocoa with peppermint snaps in it.  Warms you right to your toes.  

        My father-in-law used to make us a bottle of peppermint snaps every Christmas.  It was so smooth.  I sure miss him,  and his peppermint snaps.  I have the recipe but it isn't the same.

      I have been listening about the movie they made that shows our president being assassinated.  Why no public outcry.   Whether you agree with him or not we should not be letting another country make a movie like that without screaming our support of our president.  No one is patriotic like the old days.  Its like airing your dirty laundry now a days.   We can say what ever we what in the states, but we should show a united front elsewhere.  JMHO.  Political statements should be left out of movies.  They should be bipartisan.  Reason number 852 I gave up TV. 

                        

Check out my ladies.

     I made a site to show my ladies.  I think they are sweet.

                                    Julia's Ladies

Sunshine

                 

  Oh the glorious feeling of waking up and having sunshine come in the window.  It has been days and days since the sun was shining. 

                        

    Now normally this would mean a bike ride!  However.......Rick is having terrible trouble with his tires.   He got into a puncture vine on our last trip.  He has changed the tubes twice.  He has gone over the tire with a fine tooth comb looking to see if he missed a thorn and patched the tires again.  Yesterday both tires were flat again.  He just bought the tires so it will suck if he has to get 2 new tires.  However until he gets new tires our rides are over unless I go by myself or he rides my son's $2200.00 dollar bike which would make us way to nervous.

   I need to exercise.   I am feeling so thick in the middle today.  Obviously I have not been dieting at all.  I am up 5 pounds.  I just can't seem to get into the habit again.  This happened last year at this time.  I think your body wants to start eating and storing fat to get ready for the long cold winter which is on the way.  I start craving comfort foods like the meal last night.  Salads just sound terrible right now.  Without my beloved spinach they aren't the same anyway.  Chili, casseroles, heavy stews sound sooooo yummy.  I need to fight back.  Time to get serious and hit the gym again.  Time to count points again.  Time to remember why I wanted  to lose weight again. 

   Sometimes I am so sorry I didn't get the lap band.  Maybe if I couldn't eat as much it would help.  I am not snacking and I am most of the time eating low fat, fruits, sugar free everything, but I am still eating too much and am not exercising enough.  I did so much better when I hit the gym everyday.   So with that in mind am I hitting the gym today!  Lord no!  Not on a Sunday.  It will be packed.  Tomorrow!  Well no.......I have an appointment to get my hair highlighted........the day after?    Gee, the sun is suppose to be shining and I want some fall pictures plus hopefully Ricks bike will be fixed and we can ride.   I am hopeless.

Supper was great

                     

      I must admit to wondering how horseradish would be on pot roast.  I usually only put horseradish on ham but it turned out darn good if I say so myself.  I don't have any leftovers on the meat.  My son took 3rds which I have never seen before.  Darn no sandwiches tomorrow.  The brussel sprout were great also, in fact the entire meal was good.  I don't cook much these days and when I do it is light and healthy.  This was definately comfort food.  My mother in law came over and enjoyed the meal also.  She doesn't cook much these days so always enjoys someone elses cooking as we all do.

   Well, I am ready for bed.  Just have to brush my teeth and meditate.  I got out of the practice for awhile and could feel the change.  I am just more relaxed when I meditate often.  I was having lots of trouble with my asthma since I cleaned the tub and it helps calm me down.

   Night everyone.  See you in the morning.  I hope I have some interesting dreams.

                          

Supper for the first day of Fall

                  

                

 Joyce was making pot roast and it sounded so good I decided to have it today also.  I wanted something alittle different so this is the recipe I decided on.  Hope its good.

 

                     Crockpot Savory Pot Roast

 

Don't be afraid of the amount of horseradish in this recipe. It mellows significantly during cooking, adding a fabulous flavor to the meat. Of course, if you like horseradish, serve the roast with more on the side! INGREDIENTS:

3 lb. boneless beef chuck roast

1 Tbsp. olive oil

8 small potatoes, cut in half

3 cups baby carrots

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

5 oz. jar prepared horseradish

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1 cup water

PREPARATION:Heat oil in a large skillet and brown the roast about 10 minutes, turning occasionally, until browned. Place vegetables in the crockpot. Place beef on top of vegetables. Mix together horseradish, salt and pepper in a small bowl and spread over the beef.

Pour water over all. Cover slow cooker and cook on low heat for 8-10 hours until everything is tender. Serves 8

Brussels Sprouts in Pecan Sauce

8 Servings

1 pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed
3 tablespoons margarine
1/4 cup pecans, chopped
salt and pepper, to taste

<FONTCOLOR=#004000 size="4">Cook the Brussels sprouts, covered in boiling salted water until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain. Keep warm. Heat the butter in small saucepan and brown the pecans; do not let them burn. Pour the pecans over the Brussel Sprouts and eat. Serves 4 to 6. "Greene on Greens" Source: Public domain recipes converted from Meal Master format

     We are also having apple pie with vanilla bean ice cream on top.  To drink I have a nice bottle of Zinfindel wine.

              

                    

How Evil are you

   I got this from Pam

How evil are you?

  This is my test results.  Figures, I always was a pretty good girl as my mother would say.

 

How evil are you?

Good Morning everyone

                                     

   Good morning.  I am sitting here drinking some great Sumatran coffee and waking up.  I have been reading alerts and it takes me a few cups to get through them all.  I found a new journal through Dads that is really good,samsays I like the way he writes.  I like the memories of by gone years.  At the hospital I like the old stories from the patients.  How things were in the years before running water, TV, cars, ipods, and computers.  Harder but sometimes happier times.

     

   Well it isn't raining yet, but it is suppose to.  I am hoping for a good day to get a ride in.  Also want to do my ride in the country for fall pictures.  Weather permiting maybe Monday. 

 

   I have been just slugging so far and getting my plants moved inside.  The Jade tree is getting pretty big now.  I think it is about 5 years old.  I have another  that I put out this spring.   It had done so bad during the winter I was pretty much just putting it to get it out of the house.  Only a few leaves remained and I thought about just chucking it in the garbage.   I am glad I didn't as it has thrived outside and is now beautiful.   How will I keep it alive all winter?  I have it by the sunlight lamp and hopefully that will help but it has gotten so large it won't last long there.  I have to repot it also as the pot it is in is cracked.  Another thing.  I don't remember the name of it.  It reminds me of the jade tree only with smaller leaves.  Doesn't like much water.  Anyone know the name of it?

               

            

    

   Well I am finished with my coffee so its time to close up the computer, take my shower and get a move on.  The days are shorter now and I don't have time to finish all I want to do.   My son sent me some new pictures of my grandchildren and I want to get a frame for the big one.  They are so sweet and cute and I miss them them terribly.  I hate that they live so far away.

 

                        Habit-Forming

SEVERAL ELDERLY NUNS were on the second floor of the convent when a fire broke out. The nuns calmly took off their habits, tied them together to make a rope and climbed out the window to safety. When they were on the ground, a reporter asked them, “Weren’t you afraid the rope might break since the material is so old?”

“Heavens, no,” said one of the nuns. “Old habits are hard to break.”

R & R and strong coffee!

         

          Well, here it is the beginning of my week off again.  Time flys.  It was really brutal at work last night so I am resting my dogs and drinking some Kona coffee my sister Lori sent me from Hawaii.  She lives there and is always disgustingly happy every time I talk to her.  How could you not be living in paradise, LOL.  Her husband just bought her a scooter so she is buzzing all over the island having a ball.  I hope to visit her next year but that would involve the dreaded awful much feared and avoided flying so we shall see.   Scotty beam me up.  That is how I would love to travel.  Pretty scary when I would rather have my molecules scattered and then joined together again just to avoid flying.

   I worked in OPD here when we had a terrible plane crash in the 90's.  Flight 232.  I have not flown since.  I will never get the images of that day out of my mind.  Then 9-11.  I have decided there is so much in this country I would love to see yet and I love to travel by car.  Still cheaper then flying.

                            

   It doesn't look like I will be riding my bike until Monday.  Darn weather. Now that the farmers are trying to get their crops in and the fields put to bed it has been raining daily.  What a beautiful lightening storm we had last night though.  Can't help but be so impressed with natures fury.   We had planned on a trip this weekend to take fall pictures as the colors have really popped here but now it looks like it will be later in the week.  Sigh.

   I got 2 more lady figurines this week.  My collection is really growning.  These are so sweet.  One came from United Kinddom in a brown bubble bag with just a thin layer of bubble wrap around.  I am amazed it survived.  The other came from Tx doubled boxed with enough bubble wrap and peanuts for 3 of them.  I always packed more like the 2nd.  If I had sent something wrapped the first it would be in a hundred pieces.  I plan of taking pictures of all my ladies and putting them in a page.  Keep me in mind if any of you run across made in Japan dancing ladies.

   Well, Rick almost has supper ready and I suppose I could get off my lazy butt and set the table.   I plan on renting a movie and slugging it out tonight.