Iowa dog Days.

Its hot and muggy in Iowa tonight and a good night to just relax. I got off work at 7:30 and Rick and the kids were there to pick me up. I could get used to that. After visiting awhile I went to bed and Rick was on his own. They watched Annie on the computer and Mackenzie and Gabe taught Rick how to make egg salad for sandwiches. It turned out really good. The cool things about that is that is the things the kids will remember. Teaching their grandpa how to make the world's best egg salad. And Rick says it was. Then they shopped and came home and woke me up around 12:30. Short sleep for me but worth it to spend time with the kids.

My doc has called twice wanting to talk to me, but I am putting it off until tomorrow. In my experience it isn't a good thing when your doc calls you at home. And I was in a good mood and just want to keep it for awhile. So instead of talking to him we went swimming with the kids and had a grand old time. They are just so much fun to be around.

When they left we went out to eat and right now Rick is out getting a bottle of wine so we can relax in the kiddie pool again and just enjoy the evening. The pool is big enough we can fit two floating mats in it and just chill. A hot and steamy night in a nice cool pool, wine and the man you love floating on water. What a nice way to spend the night. Especially since I work the next 2 nights.

Well, I hear the van, time to get ready for the pool. Kiddie pools rock, LOL. Take care all.

The day after

Zoey survived another 4th and our neighbors setting off what sounded like bombs the entire night. She almost needs to be sedated these days. For a town that it is illegal to set off most fireworks we had quite the display and it sounded like a small war was going on while driving to work.

I never could understand the thrill of firecrackers. In fact, they all pale for me next to a huge fireworks display put on by cities. They seem like cheap imitations of the real thing and a real letdown. Once my kids got older we happily stopped wasting our money on them. No more burnt fingers from sparklers, no more mess all over the yard.

But some people really like them. Driving to work at 10:30 last night we saw fireworks going off all over town. Is it just this town or everywhere? It seems like the poorer the neighborhood, the more fireworks you see. They can have torn screens and broken windows and light off 500 dollars worth of fireworks every year. Weird.

Anyway. We got the usual blown up hands and asthma attacks from the thick smoke. But the large firework display was very impressive and because it had rained most of the day the fire department got a break. Not a single fire. We had a couple of grumbling patients upset about the noise, did I mention some of them sound like small bombs, which seemed to go on most of the night, but besides that it was a uneventful night. Sadly we had one death this morning but it was very peaceful and everyone else was stable. I wondered how many of the people celebrating really gave much thought to what they were celebrating for?

I work tonight and then am off tomorrow. I have to call my shoulder doctor. My shoulder is just killing me and with our census low we don't have has many staff to help lift. Turns out my shoulder just isn't up to it.

Now for what is becoming a daily whine fest.

My breathing is still a problem, my back was killing me, it hurts to take a breath and my shoulder feels like it has a knife in it. My ganglion cyst on my wrist is back. Hummmm, that just about covers it. Oh wait, I forgot. Since going back on my steroid inhaler I have sores all over in my mouth. No matter how much I rinse after I take it I get mouth sores. I can get them in seconds and it takes forever for them to go away. My asthma is kicking up today so I used my rescue inhaler and this new crap is just that, crap. I miss my old inhaler. It actually worked and delivered the medicine deep in your lungs so you could breath easier in seconds. So far I haven't had any luck with this inhaler. Sorry people but I don't believe for a minute the old inhaler was really killing off our ozone level and I think saving people's lives if more important then making money off making us all take ineffective inhalers. I have read of some deaths that the families think is because these new inhalers don't work as well. I have to agree. Mine has never given me the relief the old one did.

Rick is at a cook out at my son's. I had to sleep today so didn't go but I sent a pie. It is nice to have some peace and quiet actually. Tomorrow the kids will be back which should be fun for Rick while I sleep. I have a feeling I won't get much, LOL.


Time to stop for now and get in the shower. It will be a long day I can tell. Hope everyone had a great weekend.

Strange work week.

Due to the holiday my work week has been chopped up. I only worked 4.5 hours last night and got off at 11:30 and tonight I don't go until 11. We only had 11 patients when I left so I hope we get more in or they will have me stay home tonight. Actually that would be a good thing as I am having some pretty severe shoulder pain and pleurisy tonight. But financially that would not be the best. It has been an expensive week with the kids here.

It is raining today and we pretty much just stayed home. Rick is grilling and then I have to try and stay awake until I go to work. I am so used to 12.5 hours it seems like working 8 just flies by. I will be done in no time.

More pictures of the grandkids. The first picture is my grandson and youngest son. I just love the eye contact in the shot. They are both so happy to be spending time with each other.
They are good buds.


And this one I love because she isn't posing for the camera and has such a natural happy look. They had a great time in the pool. She is just so pretty and sweet.



I can't even begin to tell you how many photos I have taken. I get so few that when they are her I take hundreds, LOL. The pool was a blessing as it was so hot this week. It really kept them entertained.




I love that choppy hair look.



Friday they spent the night in the tent and made smores with grandpa and their uncle. A stray young cat showed up and the kids would not leave it alone. Much to the guys distress the cat sat outside the tent the entire night meowing. The kids slept through it. When I got home I had to tell them to leave the cat alone so it would go home. I was afraid Zoey would get it plus they aren't always healthy. Both kids were crying and I had had a terrible night at work so it was not the best morning. I went to bed and left the kids to the men. Rick gave the cat a meal and it happily went back to where it lives. I think it belongs to the people on the hill. Man. I would have been begging my mom to let me keep it also.

This weekend they are with their dad and Rick and I are recooping for Monday. It has been fun having them. I can't believe they are leaving Friday already. I will miss them so much.

Well, time to go start on supper. Hope everyone had a safe and happy 4th.

Happy Independence Day

My God! How little do my countrymen know what precious blessings they are in possession of, and which no other people on earth enjoy! ~Thomas Jefferson

The Absurdity continues

Massachusetts is going to fine you if you don't have health insurance, up to $912.00 a year! So if your poor and can't afford private health insurance or if you decide you just don't want it, you face a fine. And then our government wants to tax you for having private insurance. Doesn't this seem like a major scam to you all?

So what happens then if you can't afford to pay your fine? Do they stick you in our already overflowing prisons? "Hey what are you in for"? "Not having health insurance". OMG.

So our government raises taxes so high no one can afford to pay them, half the business will close down due to government regulations, more people will lose their health insurance, face fines, go to prisons which can't afford to feed the prisoners they have already. Its a government approved plan to weed out the poor and in a dog eat dog new society only the rich and well connected will survive.


Now here is some change I just can't believe in.



Think about this stuff tomorrow when you celebrate your 4th of July.

Early start and long night

I was still sleeping when Rick got here this morning with the kids. At 7:15 am. And I work all night until tomorrow at 7:30. So it is going to be a long long day. It has been a long day.

This morning we went for a walk by the river. We walked about 2 miles and the kids rode their bikes. Then we went shopping. My grandson must be going through a growth spurt because he was starving all day. Eat eat eat.

We made brownies this afternoon which is a tradition with my granddaughter and me. She asked me is she could make brownies with me for her entire life. Forever I told her she would be welcome to make brownies with me. And now my grandson is old enough to help. And I tell you they always turn out wonderful when they help. extra chocolate chips, nuts, chocolate syrup. I undercook them about 5 minutes and they are soft and sinfully good. I had a small piece and the rest they can eat.

Yesterday we all ate at Chuckie Cheese. That is what the silly cups are like, isn't that the silliest look. And they went to the hospital while I had my test. I am suppose to go talk to the Dr sometime Monday or Tues.

My back as been a real problem but I am still able to walk with the kids but I tell you, when they go home us grandparents just collapse. How did we do it when we were younger and that is why you do it when your younger, LOL.

I am not looking forward to working tonight. I am so tired. It will be a long night. I hope it is busy or I am doomed. And I don't know what I will do if they get rid of tylenol. Motrin never did work for me and I rely on my tylenol to make it through the shift when my back is like this.

Well, time to get ready. I am behind on the journals but don't have much time while they are here and I know you all understand. This is so much fun.

With this new Cap and Trade bill. Our state uses coal fueled energy. Does yours? If it does did you know they say your electric bill will go up $100 to $400 a month. Time to rid of AC and computer if that happens and get the oil lanterns out again. Back to the dark ages. This is the change they wanted voted in. Sheesh.

Grandchildren

We had had the kids during the day this week. Picking them up at 7 we get to enjoy them until around 4. It has been fun and exhausting.



As you can see we took them to the cemetery to feed the ducks. It is nice out there and the there are a couple of swans. The weather has cooled down during the day so it is a delight to be outside. So the first day that is what we did. Feed the ducks and then went home and the kids played in the pool. It was fun. Zoey jumped in once and promptly jumped right out because the water was cold. That will teach her to crash the party.


The next day we packed up all the bikes and went to the lake which has a bike trail around it. It is only about 1 mile around it and the kids had no trouble riding it so we went around twice. It is a challenge riding bikes with childen. They stop right in front of you without warning and are all over the trail. But it was so fun. We were going downhill at one point and I realized I didn't have helmets for them. I never think about it normally but I did then. What if one of them crashed! We played on the playground equipment then came home. Even Rick went down the slide once. Isn't he cute.


We did some birding on the way home and saw a goldfinch


And a blue Heron fishing.


I made us lunch and then they watched a movie on the computer. My back has been a issue this week so I needed a rest.



Later the kids played in the pool again and I watched them and my youngest son come over to see them. The kids adore him and his has endless energy. It was fun watching them. It is just so good to have them here.

I had promised Chucky Cheese and last night we went there. The pizza is terrible, but the kids don't care. They barely stop to eat and had a blast. Me, I was pooped. It is exhausting and I am out of practice plus the place was bursting at the seams with screaming happy children last night. The noise level was sonic.

Today I am drinking coffee while Rick picks them up. I have a echo on my heart at 10 and my doctor's office called and wants me to come in in a couple of days to recheck my breathing and go over the final chest report and echo. I won't be able to do it until monday or tuesday. I am going to be watching carefully while they do my echo today though. I know enough to be able to tell if any of my valves are leaking, but he also wanted to rule out vegetation since I had strep and crud a couple of times this year. I haven't had on in years so this should be interesting. I do know since I have been back on the steroid inhaler my cough is better though I did had my first asthma attack of the year last night. Forgot how scary they are.

Well, enough rambling. Time to get ready to greet the joys of my like. I sure wish they lived closer. Mackenzie and I are baking cookies or brownies today. And I am sending them home with them.