As the New Year Rolls on

          It's a New Year and it is acting just like the year I left.    Went to work in 2010 and got off at 7:30 am on 2011.    Yup, the air was just as cold and I was just as tired.     I had the good luck of working extra shifts all weekend.    And we were very very busy.    I think that will be changing though.

 Now in the new year everyone's new insurance is here.    Rates skyrocketed and many things that were covered are no longer covered.    I suspect we will get a lot more people who couldn't afford to get their medication filled and had another heart attack or go into congested heart failure more.     It's not that patients are non-complient as much as they just can't afford the cure.

          Well,  I really didn't mean to start off the New Year on a bummer note.   I just read another journal who was talking about how much their premiums went up,   thinking about my son who now has no insurance and thinking about the patient I had earlier who couldn't afford the blood thinner that would have prevented his heart attack   And thinking about the news that said that the most effective medication against breast cancer,  the one with the highest success rate was being removed from the market because it was too expensive for most people.   What happens to the money with all those pink sales?   Someone gets rich I suspect.   And I think about what will make it worthwhile for them to develop any new cures in the future is the majority won't be able to afford it or the insurance companies won't let you get it anyway.   The dark ages of health care has arrived.

     So this isn't getting any lighter is it.   Ok.  Let's see.   I worked 13 hours last and slept.  Getting up I poured myself one of the nastiest cups of coffee I have ever had.   Then Rick asked me,  What's for supper.   Apparently the glare I gave him spoke a million words because I hear dinner being prepared in the kitchen.   Don't get on my badside when I haven't had a decent cuppa.   One more night of work.   I am not looking forward to it.   I have had a couple of severely confused patients all weekend.   It wears you down.  Neither of them sleep at all.   I keep thinking today,  one more night,  one more night,  one more night.

    I am starting a 100 day wellness program with some co-workers.   I find the holidays have done a number on my well power so I am hoping to get back in the swing of my weight loss.   I  need motivation.   I need a day off.   I need a winning lottery ticket.  Course you have to buy one to get one, right.  Ta all.  I need a hot shower.

Happy New Year's

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to min',
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
And days of auld lang syne.
For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We'll tak' a cup o' kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.
And here's a hand, my trusty fierce,
And gie's a hand o' thine,
And we'll tak' a right guid willie-waught,
For auld lang syne.
For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We'll tak' a cup o' kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.
And surely ye'll be your pint stowpt,
And surely I'll be mine,
And we'll tak' a cup o' kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.
For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We'll tak' a cup o' kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.
-Robert Burns

           Now I hope all of you who read this sang along with me as you read the lyrics to the song.   I go to work tonight in 2010 and will leave in the morning on a brand New Year.  2011.  

    Will this be your year?   So new and bright with potential.   The year you will cherish each day as a gift to be enjoyed,  family and friends to be cherished and loved.   A new year where anything is possible if you want it bad enough.    

  And remember......  Just because I am working tonight,  it doesn't mean you have to be silly on our slippy and snowy streets and come see me.  Take a limo,  my son may be driving it and tip well.

   Happy New Year everyone.   Blessings to you all.

It's almost a New Year

        Wow,  I finally got used to writing 2010 and it's almost a new year.  2011.   Doesn't seem possible.   I remember when everyone was worried about Y2K.    Time flies faster then a hummingbird.   Just a blur.

       I start my work week tonight.   I am looking forward to 2 nights of holiday pay.  Whoop Whoop.   The money will be great.    I hope I get to work them both and won't be taken off.   I'm not feeling awfully well today so I hope that gets better.    Rick has the crud and I feel like I may be coming down with it also.   Bummer.     But,  I bet it won't get to bad.

      My oldest son lost his job.   Of course this is terrible news.    He was in a accident in the snow that wasn't his fault,  but they say any failure to have control......   so now he joins the ranks of the unemployed.    It will be a first.   Since he has 5 people depending on him he is under a lot of pressure.    But he is hitting the job market already and I will keep my fingers crossed.   He has a great work record so that will help.   Keep him in your thoughts please.

      We had the opportunity to try out our new house alarm system much to my embarrassment when I set it off and couldn't remember how to turn it off.   I was very pleased at how quickly the police responded but hopefully won't have such a senior moment again.  Duh.  They were nice about it though.   I guess until you actually use it you don't pay as much attention to the instructions as you should. LOL.

    We are expecting a winter storm today again.  Of course on the day I need to go back to work.   We are stocked up and have gas for the snow blower so we are good to go.   Thank goodness I live in an area used to snow as we get dug out much quicker then the poor people in New York.  Course all most all of us have snow blowers and we all have shovels and snow tires on our vehicles.   Can you imagine being stuck in a subway for 7 hours?   With no restroom!   

        Well,   I hope the next year is good.    My goal, besides weight loss,  pay off my home and be dept free.   I am close to having it paid and plan on doubling up on payments until it gets low enough I can just pay it off.   It will be a happy day.   I already have all my vehicles paid for and no credit cards.  The house if the last hold up.   I have been paying over and above for the last 2 years so this is the year I pay it off.   You can survive bad times if you own your own home.   I plan to.

     I hope everyone has a blessed and Happy New Year.   May the new year be kind to you and your health be outstanding.   May the blessing of family and joy touch you all.

Happy DAy after Christmas

   I hope everyone had a lovely and safe Christmas.    We had a great one.    We gathered at my oldest son's around 3 to open presents and then ate at 5.    I got some lovely gifts.   One is a cool wine holder that had a great bottle of wine in it.  Check it out.

   I also got another Jim Shore Santa bringing my total to 2 large ones and 2 small.   Sophie made me some cherrio bird feeder strings.  Then Rick and I got a huge surprise.   

  I always said before I die I wanted to drink some Dom Perignon.   Maybe because we made our will out this year it worried the youngest, LOL,  but we opened his gift and check this out.

 

I think I died and went to heaven.   I scolded him and told him to never ever spend that much money on us ever again but I am thrilled.  What a huge hug they all got from us as they all were in on it.   Now to find the perfect time we can all get together and lift our glasses to toast.   Rick turns the big 60 this year,  that might be the perfect time.

  Jessica made a fantastic dinner and we relaxed afterward with some mellow Templeton Rye.   At $40 a bottle we felt pretty well off and well fed.    Today, the diet starts again.

 I hope on my wonderful on line friends had a lovely day.   I started my day out with a prayer and my meditation.   I ended it with a prayer of thanks for family and friends.  

Lovely

Merry Christmas

Early Mornings and good books

              I couldn't sleep last night and finally quit trying  around 3:30.   Maybe now would be a good time to start my new book,  A Big Little Life by Dean Koontz.   It's a dog lover's book.

              If you have been lucky enough to share your life with a great dog,  a smart dog,  a sweet dog, you will like this book and totally relate to how this dog impacts their lives.   And enriched it.   Dogs have a way of doing that.

             Over my life I have been lucky to have shared it with dogs.  Not all as smart as Zoey is but funny and endearing in many ways.    I have had dogs save my son's life and warn us a gas leak.    Dogs that warm your feet on a cold winter night,  dogs that keep watch when your sick and comfort you when your sad.    Dogs always think you look great and would never think you look bad fat or thin.   They are happy,  joyful and live each and everyday with a joyful outlook that should be copied by the humans lucky enough to share some time with them.

         So yes, it has sadness in it,  but sharing you life with a great dog is worth every minute of it and I have to recommend this book.   I had it read by 8 am.   With Zoey laying beside me wondering why I was hugging her with wet cheeks.