Snow

Woke up this morning with a light sprinkling of snow on the ground. And cold. It is gone already, but the cold is sticking around.

So far I just have the space heaters we got last year on. They seem to be warm enough to heat the house and hopefully keep my heating bills down again. All the help we can get.

The Ben Stein talk last night was wonderful. He got a standing room only crowd and was very good.

The talk was for the college students on how to ruin your life. Don't study, hang out with the wrong people, do drugs, don't save money, etc... All things that are very true plus many more. And he talked about how to ruin our governments economy. All things we are already doing. We are no longer a manufacturing country. We are a service country. We buy everyone else's goods but produce nothing. Our children play video's but couldn't tell you how to make them. Most of our college students can't tell you what the president was for any given year. We have to go back to making a real education top most priority for our future to get any brighter. Stop teaching all this useless be green and no child left behind. Start teaching our children the way to succeed and be successful is by hard work. More people know the football stats better then how our government works. Its sad and it has destroyed us being a leader.

He also said what we all know. The economy is bad and going to worse. All recessions end and this one will also, but we will never go back to what we had. Our grandchildren will never have the same opportunities we had. And that's sad. We don't stress hard enough about saving money and spending within our means. Products mean way to much to us. I mean really. $500 for a purse! $200 for shoes. What caused that mentality? Headline news about what actor or actress is in rehab or getting fat. Who gives a darn. They are just actors. Not at all important in the scheme of things. Entertaining at times but still.... just people. Any many of them not very nice people at that. Oh Oh, this has turned into a rant.

But, besides having all that truth starkly illuminated he was a funny and wonderful speaker. If you ever get the opportunity to see him I hope you go. It was a great way to spend the evening and our youngest son went with us.

Chester the little piggy is better. We think he over ate when I got him some apples. He gets them rarely and I think it gave him a tummy ache. Poor Chester. And today is my grandson's birthday. He is 6 and he tells me he is 2 inches taller today. Wow. I told him pretty soon he will be taller then me. Sad thing is..... its true. They grow up so fast.

Well, off to the store. We need a few things for supper and Chester needs some fresh lettuce and carrots. Spoiled little pig that he is there is only one type of mini carrot he likes also. Have to get them. Organic of course.

Made it

How do you like the photo I took. Scary how that ghost showed up. It wasn't there when I took the shot!

I made it through the week. I am off now for the next 3 days. Thank goodness. It isn't hard work, maybe that's whats wrong. Sitting at a desk is not good for someone with arthritis. You do better moving around. Or maybe its just because the weather has gotten so cold. Whatever the reason I am stiff and sore today.

Woke up the unbelievable news about the Nobel Peace price. Well, I had lost all respect for that award years ago and this is just another example why. What were they thinking? Now a days if you get that award you have to question your character. It was between him and another fine suppressor of human rights, Kim Jung Ill. How would you like to be included in that group? No thanks. What a joke.

Helen. Yesterday I saw the mother deer and one of the babies go by the window. She is looking better. Filled out better and the babies spots are completely gone. Hopefully the other baby was around in the woods, they don't stick so close together like they did when the babies were little. But it looks like she survives another round. I hope the winter is easy on them this year.

I have PT today. Starting to dread that now it is so painful. But the people are so nice. I keep telling myself, this is helping, this is helping. Ouch ouch ouch.

And I get my hair trimmed because I have that shaggy look. I have such awful thin hair it really only looks good about 3 days. But at least I have hair as the women in my family tend to get bald. So shame on me for complaining.

Tonight we are going to hear the speaker at the college. Ben Stein is speaking on the economy. It is free so right in my budget and should be very interesting. I hear he is a great speaker. That is if I am feeling well. Right now I feel like the beginning of being sick.. You know, that vague unwell feeling. Slightly achy, slightly stuffed, tired. Time to hit the Zicam. If it is a cold it knocks it straight out if you start soon enough.

My oldest son is facing some serious health issues. They called him back in for more blood work and what is coming back is abnormal. I am a nervous wreak. I have a genetics heart disease in my family. It shows up in your mid 30's. My brother died at 37 from it and my youngest sister is gravely ill from it. I was tested and they said since I didn't have it by 40 I was probably OK. If I had had it my kids had a 50-50 chance of getting it. But another doc said they think it could show up any time. Anyway, prayers please. And I had Ricks appointment moved up to recheck his eye. Always something. Oh, and Chester the guinea pig is ill. We are worried about his little furry self.

Well, shower time. Take care all.

Stay

Stay !!!
I pulled into the crowded parking lot at the Local Shopping Center and rolled
down the car windows to make sure my
Labrador Retriever Pup had fresh air.



She was stretched full-out on the back seat
and I wanted to impress upon her that she must
remain there.

I walked to the curb backward,
pointing my finger at the car and saying emphatically,
'Now you stay. Do you hear me?'

'Stay! Stay!'

The driver of a nearby car, a pretty blonde young lady,
gave me a strange look and said,


Why don't you just put it in park ?

As the days turn

I am sitting here feeling just like that kitten. I have been working the 3rd shift for 9 years now. On my days off I switch to sleeping nights but I go to bed around 12 and get up at 8 or 9. Now I go to bed at 9:30 and try to sleep. Get up at 6 am. Look in the mirror and my hair looks like this!


Yikes. How do people do it? I have co-workers show up in the morning. Their hair looks wonderful. They have make-up on, smiles. They seem alert and bright. I drag in looking like that. Tired, no make-up. Can't do a thing with my hair. You can take the nurse out of her regular shift but it ain't a pretty sight. And I miss miss miss patient care. I hear the nurses chatting and taking care of the patients from my cold little office without windows. Wishing I was doing that. Missing it. A Lot. Sigh.


I was feeling pretty smug. Oh look at me with the super high pain tolerance. Able to soar through surgery at the speed of light. Super patient. Then I start the hard part of PT. They twist and turn my arm. Stretch and pull. And I...... Yes I, cried out in pain! Dang that hurts. You just can't imagine how that hurts. So I am a wimp after all. But. It is working. I scratched my back today without the back scratcher. I can reach over and touch my other shoulder. Don't laugh, I seriously could not do that. And I don't let the pain stop me. I moan and groan. An occasional tear rolls down my cheek, but I am going to get all my arm back if it kills me. And it might. Or else I will never get back to working nights and doing patient care again.

Well, enough of the whine. We are expecting the dreaded white stuff this weekend. I am hoping they are wrong. It is way to early.

The news. Lets see. The are giving the homeless in Detroit free Money! When asked where they got it they said Obama. When asked where he got the money to give them they said, I don't know. Well...... I have a pretty good idea. And I just took a pay cut too. Stop giving my money away. I need it so I don't become homeless. Sigh. They just don't get it. When I finish the new book I got maybe I will tell them.



Thanks Donna for the lovely name tag and ta all. Rick is making a great supper and I am going to take a shower.

Day Shift

Thank you Sugar for the lovely graphic and reminder. Have you had your mammogram lately? I am due. Have to make my appointment.

I don't understand why people like the day shift so much. That getting out of bed before 6 am is for the birds. And desk work. I am grateful they have work for me to do while I am not able to use my arm. Don't get me wrong. But I like patient care. I will be so happy to get back to normal. I hope it is soon.

PT was brutal today. I went in with a pain score of 3. Not bad. I left with a score of at least 7. The passive range of motion and isometrics is over. Now onto the strengthening exercises and stretching these old muscles. It feels good to stretch my muscles out but it is painful. It brought tears to my eyes today I tell you. There is a certain area when I lift my arm that is so painful. Once I get past that it is better but getting past that is a challenge. And then I had to go right back to work. All I really wanted was a pain pill and to take a nap. But. If this is what it takes, so be it.

Blue heron flying over the lakes below



Yesterday we went to a new lake Rick found so I could get some shots. Its a created watershed. Very pretty. There were Blue herons, gulls, geese, and Terns ( maybe they are plovers, I can't tell, can anyone tell by the shot below? ) all over. So pretty.


They had dammed up the area and the dead trees were stark and beautiful and a great home for fish and the birds.




What was cool was this dock was handicapped accessible. Check out the ramp leading to the lake. Click on the photos to see them full size. I love the shot below. Pretty cool I think.



Rick is making chicken and red potatoes for supper and I plan on calling it a early evening. I am too tired for anything else. This week I only work 4 days. 4 long days.

The Original Tavern Recipe

Tavern Loosemeat Sandwich

The loosemeat was created in 1924 at Ye Old Tavern-now Gus' Family Restaurant on 14th and Jackson St. in Sioux City, Iowa. Nowadays you will find the original sandwich served at Bob's Drive Inn on Hwy 75, LeMars, Iowa just a mile or so out of Sioux City, at The Tastee Inn and Out, on Gordon Drive and at Miles Inn on Leech Ave. among others. If you see a recipe for loosemeats that contains tomato juice-run! A loosemeat is a sloppy joe without the slop-so stay away from anything tomato-ey please! These little sandwiches are great for football parties, slumber parties, with a cold beer on a sunny summer day, or just anytime you want a real taste of Americana cooking that takes just a few minutes with very little cleanup. These are typical Iowa tavern fare. I loved these sandwiches so much when I was a kid that one day I ran into my Grandma's tavern/cafe and asked for a "tavern". They came served with a thin sheet of restaurant paper under them. I was so eager I ate my sandwich half way gone before I realized I was eating the paper too:-) After cooking these in the kitchen they were transferred to a portable steamer. This is the original recipe for the little dudes that were served in the Midwest.

30 min | 10 min prep

SERVES 4 -5

• 1 lb of real good ground chuck or ground beef round or ground sirloin
• 1 tablespoon fat like lard or Crisco (if meat is round or sirloin)
• 2 teaspoons salt, just enough to lightly cover bottom of your skillet
• 1 onion, chopped fine
• 1 tablespoon prepared yellow mustard
• 1 tablespoon vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• water, to cover
• salt and pepper, to taste

1. Get out a cast iron skillet-they are the best for loosemeats-or other kind if you have no iron skillet.
2. Melt fat over medium heat and lightly salt bottom of skillet.
3. Break ground beef up in skillet and start crumbling it with the back of a wooden spoon-this is very important-the meat must end up being cooked up into small crumbles.
4. Add chopped onion while browning meat.
5. Keep working with the back of spoon to break up meat.
6. When meat is browned, drain off any fat and return meat to skillet.
7. Add mustard, vinegar, sugar, and just enough water to barely cover meat in the pan.
8. Cook, at a simmer, till water is all cooked out-between 15-20 minutes.
9. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
10. Heat your hamburger buns-they're traditionally steamed for loosemeats-I like mine toasted lightly-do it the way you like it.
11. When buns are warm, put yellow mustard on them and add some dill pickle slices-I put on lots!
12. *If you start changing this recipe and using things like olive oil for the fat and Dijon or honey mustard for the yellow mustard, you will not get the traditional yummy taste of a loosemeat sandwich.
13. Likewise, don't add any liquid smoke or Worcestershire sauce.
14. Make them just like this the first time so you can sample the simplicity of this famous Midwestern treat.
15. If you want to start making changes after that by all means do so but I'd like you to taste the original recipe at least once.
16. Serve with homemade potato salad and chips or with my Easy Cheesy Potato recipe.

Day 2 of work

Not quite as much to do to keep me busy today and I was so tired. This getting up early is for the birds. My boss says she might have me work nights as charge on some days, just not take patients and that sounded good until I remembered having to wake up in the middle and do PT. It still might work out if I can get my PT scheduled first thing in the morning. Get off work at 7:30 and go to PT at 9 and then sleep. We will see. It would be much nicer then what I am doing now. I hate not being busy.

The weather is cold and rainy. I had to wear a coat. Where is my wonderful nice weather. Boo hoo. Not ready for this cold dreary weather. I hope we get some good days before it snows. I still have my outside plants out. Need to try and get them in. They are so huge they are heavy. The cactus could poke your eye out so Rick has to be very careful. I don't know what I will do when they get even bigger.

PT went fair today. In only 2 days of not exercising as much I can tell the difference. My arm is spasming a lot and I was really tight. I have to figure out a way to get my exercise in and my work in. I get this terrible bone pain in my upper forearm. Just a real deep horrible pain that lasts a few minutes. Not sure why. But it is new and awful. Hope it doesn't get so it lasts longer.

Rick is making taverns tonight. He makes great ones. I think they call them Poor boys in some states. And it cold enough for a nice hot cuppa tea. Well, stay warm all. I am waiting for my son to call with his lab report if he got them.

Here is a link for you if you like black and white photography. Some great shots featured.