Smokin' Armadillo?

So, we're all sitting here tonight (with our dust masks firmly in place) when I start smelling something burning.  It's a familiar smell, so I start investigating. 

Smoke is rising from the halogen lamp in the living room!  Damn.....I hate it when that happens.

I'm thinking another moth has been drawn to the light and has met its demise and it's now being roasted.  Not a nice thought, but it's usually quick and we just bear with the smell for a few seconds, then it's over.  Not this time......I about got out the fire extinquisher for all the smoke!  And.....the smell.....YUK!  The house is quickly filling up with smoke and the rancid smell of barbqued bug innerds!

Between gagging on the acoustic dust and the foul odor the insect cremation we were now enduring, I didn't know if we'd all make it! Choke, cough, and gag!  This was not your normal burnin' moth smell......

Smoke continued to rise above the lamp and it was a hazy grey color as it floated near the ceiling. Soon it would drop  toward the floor..... I was ready to tell the kids to hit the ground and start crawling toward the door.    My gosh how long is this thing going to burn? 

"Good Lord Tam!  That is too much smoke for just a little moth.....look in there an see if that's a vampire bat or somethin' huge  burning in there!"  I said.

She isn't quite tall enough to see what's in there, so I get Ab to pull the plug on the lamp before the neighbors call 911...............

Mom saves the day!  I grab the lamp, open the door and run outside......tippin' the lamp, I dump a  BIG (crispy and smoldering),  BLACK BUMBLE BEE out on the lawn!

....He was a HUNKA, HUNKA BURNING BUG.......       

Remodeling Blues

Well, our remodeling project continues.

I had the brilliant idea of copying the spiffy looking ceiling in the newest issue of Lowe’s Creative Ideas magazine. The magazine refers to the ceiling as a "fifth wall" which is "often overlooked as an opportunity to add style and beauty to a room." Ceiling tiles, planks or panels can "transform" your ceiling from "drab to dramatic" according to the article.

Swell….more drama in my life!

I had already had the recessed lighting in mind and purchased everything for my handyman, who, just this morning had scraped every inch of the grease trapping, pop-corn lookin’ acoustic stuff off my kitchen ceiling. The entire bottom floor of this house is covered with a fine white dust and it may take years to dig out of this mess. Why I had an acoustic ceiling in the kitchen, I’ll never know. Obviously a man built this house.

Then came the Lowe’s magazine and once again I use my woman’s prerogative to go from drab to dramatic with Armstrong paintable tin-look ceiling tiles- trimmed with wood beams. "No problem" said my handyman, and I was off to the big city to buy those nifty ceiling tiles, that Lowe’s advertised.

Only problem was, I didn’t read the fine print.

Wouldn’t you know those things are special order! Grrrrrrr! It would take about 10 days to 2 weeks to get my product delivered to the store, which is 50 miles from my house!

No thanks! I will stick with drab!  Besides, we’re already wearin’ dust masks. :cough: I need to get this "stylish" project completed so we can breathe again.

I can’t take too much more drama anyway!

Or, any more creative ideas from home improvement stores!

Papa is Hospitalized

Mood: Happy!!! 

Don't get me wrong...I am not happy because my father is in the hospital...ok, well maybe I am, because he's getting some much needed help.  We got him admitted in a Skilled Nursing Facility and after one day there, he's doing better!  Since he has an HMO, I am not so sure how long it will last, so I am praying that it's going to be long enough to get him back on his feet and wanting to live again. 

Last night he refused his dinner because he was so nauseated.  They planned on doing a line for direct feeding, but this morning he decided to eat his liquid breakfast!  Yes!  Major progress!  (maybe he didn't want to go thru that surgical procedure that they'd have to do to insert the tube)

Then he had a liquid lunch and he said he ate most of it!  When I got there it was about 3pm and he said he's been "starving" all day and constantly thinking about food!  He said that he's been craving Pork Fried Rice, of all things!   I wanted to run right out and get it for him!  But, we're taking b-a-b-y steps here!

He said the facility's social worker came by and spent about an hour talking with him about depression and his illness.  I was thrilled because at least it was some adult conversation from someone other than me.  She came back later to check on him and we all talked about his depression, the family's concerns and what he could do to become more active. 

Papa mentioned that he'd like to volunteer at the Senior Center and possibly drive some of them to doctor's appointments!  I about fell outta the chair!  More progress! 

So, tomorrow I am going to the local Senior Center to find out about Meals on Wheels, lunches at the center and their various activities.  I am also going to contact some of his former work buddies who are also retired to see if they'll include him in their outings.  And....he's a Mason, so maybe some of those guys will lend a friendly ear or spend some time with him! 

He's got to have some stimulation and interaction with people to come alive again and we're gonna see to it that he does! 

Miss Oklahoma USA

My beautiful cousin, Miss Lindsay Hill, was crowned Miss Oklahoma USA in November 2003 and she will represent the Sooner State during the April 2004, Miss USA pageant in Los Angeles!  My whole family will be there to cheer her on!

Here's the link to her photo and bio!

http://www.missoklahomausa.com/lindsay_bio.html

A little story about Lindsay.......When she was about 4 years old and we were back there visiting, I lit a cigarette (I quit forever in 1988) and she just stood there and stared at me like I had lost my mind!  She had her little hands on her hips and stared intently as I exhaled into the room. 

I was kind of puzzled and didn't quite know how I suddenly became so fascinating, and then her mama said......"She's looking at you like that because she's never seen anyone smoke before!"

OMG!  I crushed out that cigarette, thinkin' I'd traumatized her for life and never ever smoked near those kids again! 

Looks like she's done got over it, huh! 

I think I was the one who was traumatized......guilt, guilt and more guilt!

 

Urgent Care Visit

Papa, Abbie and I spent over 8 hours in Urgent Care today. They immediately hooked him up to IVs, heart monitors and oxygen. He was extremely dehydrated, so the fluids helped a lot. He received medicine for nausea, and blood tests were done. His white blood count was extremely high, so the doctor also gave him IV antibiotics, for a probable kidney infection. He doesn’t need a kidney infection on top of all of this, especially considering he only has one kidney!

Anyway, he rested most of the day and they were about to release him for home, when I had to speak up. I told the doctor that he was "wasting" away at home….not eating or drinking, or taking his meds, or getting out of bed and that this was the 3rd time in about a week that he’s had to have medical intervention, so I felt that he needed some extra care, that he’s not getting at home. I explained that I was back to work after being off with him for about 3 months, and he’s getting sicker instead of improving. I asked if we could have a home health care nurse, or if he could be placed in an inpatient rehab program to regain his strength.

The doctor agreed and arranged for a bed tomorrow at a skilled nursing facility. Papa will be fed through a tube for a few days and they’ll monitor him closely to help him get back on his feet. I don’t know if it’s going to work, but it’s worth a try.

I am really concerned especially after the doctor gave us today’s medical records to hand-carry to the nursing facility, and of course we decided to read them..... His diagnosis:

Anorexia, Wasting, Uncontrolled (unreadable), Depression and ? Cancer.........

Now, we’re back to the possible cancer diagnosis?  I thought we’d already dealt with that, but it’s rearing it’s ugly head again. The doctor didn’t mention that in our conversation today, so what’s happening here? 

Strength

"I no longer have the physical or psychic strength to overwork-perhaps this will save me" -Peg  (Quote from Women Who Do Too Much-daily calendar)

Someone's gonna end up in the hospital today.  If it ain't Papa, then it will be me!  I am fading fast........

When I got home last night, it was the 2nd whole day of Papa being nauseated and not eating or drinking anything.  Of course, he wouldn't even try something liquid with sugar, like the doctor told him to do when he gets like this.  :throwing up my hands in despair:   

"Papa, have you tried one of the suppositories for nausea that the doctor prescribed?"  I say. 

He hadn't thought of that!  So, I grab the meds and the box of gloves.

"MOM......YOU aren't gonna do that are you?" says Ab with all the alarm and disgust a 12 year old can muster for such things.

I hand them to Papa and say..."If he doesn't, I will!" and we leave him to his business. 

The medication doesn't help much and he's still holding the trash can under his chin a few hours later.  He has nothing in his stomach, but it's there just in case. 

Common sense must prevail and I tell him that I am taking off work tomorrow and taking him to the doctor, since his doctor hasn't yet returned my call.  He finally doesn't protest and I head to bed. 

At 10:30 pm, I am just drifting off to sleep and my bedroom door suddenly flies open and the light's turned on...Ab yells, "MOM, Papa needs you!"  In my just about asleep stupor, I run downstairs to his room and excitedly say...."What, what's the matter?  Ab said you wanted me!" 

He says pleasantly.............."I just wanted to tell you goodnight before you headed upstairs!"

Arrrrrrgggggghhhhh!  

So, I have to go now, we're heading down the mountain to the doctor's office....I wonder if Papa and I can share a hospital room? 

 

Pity Party Hangover-No Alcohol Involved!

It's early and it was a very short night.  I look like Wynonna Judd's DUI photo this morning.  YIKES! 

I'll tell you, I just can't do those pity parties like I used to in my younger days!   Pity ain't purdy!  I am not so sure that make-up alone can fix this one......

So, I am sitting here doin' what any self-respecting, sorrowful, how-bad-can-it-get feelin', over-worked and under-appreciated, chubby and sad woman would do....I am eatin' a good, solid depression food breakfast of ice cold Diet Pepsi and Keebler's new Sandies Fruit Delights-Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies (made with real fruit-so it's healthy) that are soooooo good, you'll wanna throw rocks at those Girl Scout cookies! 

Mmmmmmmmm! ::wipin' crumbs from my chin::

I am feeling soooo much better!

Now, if I can just fix this face........................ 

After the Fall

Today has just been a SWELL day! One of those kind where if I could get my hands on a tranquilizer, I’d take it quick, but then.....I wouldn’t be able to because I can’t get my teeth unclenched! Grrrrrr!

Pounding out my thoughts on this keyboard will have to suffice for a way to release my frustration, since it’s illegal for me to choke out those idiots who are pissin’ me off today! Normally, I am a very calm person, the kind that my oldest daughter says you always want near you during an emergency. But today, there’s just been too much "attitude" from those that I’ve had to deal with today. You know….problems with their tone of voice, or the way they "deliver" the message. A little sugar coating goes a long way when telling a person you can’t or won't do something that they’ve asked you to do….be polite, smile and say I am sorry, offer an alternative or something, etc.

So, like I said, it was….a SWELL day, which really was a spill-over from the day before. Yesterday, Papa fell AGAIN, for the second time in just a few weeks. This time it was in the house, and he twisted his ankle pretty bad.

Of course, yesterday he says it’s just a "little sprain", but he spent the whole day and evening in bed. Mind you, he just got out of the hospital Saturday, so the fact that he was in bed after the fall wasn’t too alarming.

But this morning, he said he couldn’t walk and his FOOT hurt all night long. He asked me to take Ab to school, which is about his only activity anymore. I checked out his foot and ankle and told him that I’d take him to the doctor. He said he’d be able to drive himself and he didn’t want me to take off any more time from work. He promised me he’d call the doctor and get it checked out.

But, did he do it???? NOOOOOO! He said he didn’t want to go to the doctor and he laid in that bed allllll day long, without eating or drinking anything. Which also means he didn’t take any of his medications.

Arrrgggghhh!

continued................

After the Fall-continued

Guess who got to drive him to the doctor tonight, since he was vomiting, and in so much pain, with a heart rate of 104? Yep, 45 miles down the mountain to urgent care, only to get a doctor who decided it was only a sprain with a cursory exam and no ex-ray, based upon the "mechanism of the fall."

Papa’s bombed out on pain killers and doesn’t bother to show her exactly where the pain is….IN HIS FOOT and I explain that he’s home alone, so it would really make me feel better if they ex-ray his FOOT.  To appease me, she reluctantly orders an ex-ray and I push his wheelchair to the Radiology area.  The tech says, "Ok, so we’re taking a picture of his ANKLE."  I say that it’s really his whole foot, and I try to point out where it’s hurting.

"I can ONLY do what the Doctor ordered and it says ANKLE" she says.  I very politely ask if she could call the doctor…..and she stops me in mid sentence with ‘YOU can go ask her!" and then tells me to step outside. 

Of course, the ex-ray is negative and I express my concern to the doctor. She says that it’s only a sprain and suggests that she prescribe a walker since Papa is having such a time getting around and staying vertical! Papa declines a walker and I push him to the car in the wheelchair and we head home…..45 miles UP the mountain.

Papa says…."Do you think you can take Ab to school for awhile since I can’t walk? " I just burst into tears, because it’s more of him shutting down…staying in bed, and wasting away. I am back at work, and can't do anything about it!

I tell him my concerns, and that if he can’t even get up to get a bite to eat, or drink, that he’s going to just lay there and die. 

He doesn’t respond.

I am beginning to think that laying there and dying is exactly what he wants.

Assorted Stuff

The grocery strike has ended!  I am so glad and I can't wait to get back into my favorite grocery store!  If it wasn't pourin' rain, I'd be there right now.  It's been really difficult shopping at the non-union store in town, while the strike's been going on.  That store might as well be a convienience store, considering the prices they've charged lately.  Do ya think it had anything to do with the fact that most of us decent folk wouldn't cross the picket line and HAD to shop with them?  Hmmmmm?

Tonight I am just drop-dead tired, and I imagine I will be in my nice warm bed by 8:00 pm.  I saw my doctor today and was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis, which is what I figured was happening to me.  He said it wasn't Lupus, "considering your age!"  Gee thanks Doc!   Now, Tam and I are taking the same meds, hers for Lupus and mine for RA, which are both autoimmune diseases.  With Papa having diabetes, another autoimmune illness, that's 3 generations with such conditions. 

Today I ordered my new solid surface cooktop and microwave/oven combination for the kitchen update.  Yep, that's my kinda stove......no drip pans or places for dirt and grease to accumulate.  Just cook and wipe it clean!

Well, I am off to bed........Nite all!