Lack of aides, a good read

Hello friends,

I thought I'd switch gears and talk about my nursing assistant situation. I have three nursing assistants who have been with me for a number of years. I have another nursing assistant, who came back after a two year hiatus from Home Health Care. I am forever grateful to all them, as well as my nurse. They are all wonderful and I try to let them know as often as possible how much I appreciate everything they do.

My situation is this. I am in need of a couple more nursing assistants to cover my weekend shifts. This has been an ongoing dilemma and it's frustrating. My boyfriend is the "fill in" by default and he really needs time off. He is a nurse throughout the week and likes to utilize the weekends for stuff he needs to do around the house. Hopefully this situation will reverse itself and I can find a weekend warrior. :) I have considered posting on craigslist or care.com, but not sure how "safe" it is.

On another note. I recently finished a great book by Vivica Sten, called Still Waters. It is the first story in a series of five, called Sandhamn Murders. The story was based on a popular vacation spot in Sweden, called Sandhamn. It begins with the investigation of one murder, then another, and another, and yet another. I highly recommend this book. I will purchase the second story and post my opinion at a later time. :)

Cooper in training part 2

Training was once a week for six weeks. Every week seemed like a repeat of the week before, as he just was not able to focus. The trainer was discouraging. She  did not hold back her feelings about his bad habits, his size, strength, and aggression. The bottom line was Cooper had learned a lot of bad habits before we got him and it was hard to undo what he was doing wrong. He apparently had been roaming the streets without a home for a long time. It makes me sad to think about him not having a home for so long....

On our last day of training the trainer expressed her feelings. She felt Cooper needed to continue training somewhere else that was more advanced and more experienced with dogs that had control issues. She admitted that Petsmart training was not good for dogs with behavior issues. It was fine by me because I had no intent on bringing him back there for more training anyway. Her and I were on the same page, but for different reasons....

I met with another person about training, which was the same lady that groomed both our dogs. It was a Mother/Daughter team that did grooming, boarding and training. For training they wanted to do one on one (without me) once a week for three weeks. After three weeks, training would continue at their business.

They also had experience in training dogs to be service dogs. When I inquired about Cooper getting trained to be my service dog, they immediately voiced the reasons this would not be a good idea. :(

I was okay with Cooper not being cut out to be a service dog. He was still a sweet lug and offered so much love! 

Cooper in training

After Steve and I realized Cooper was going to be a keeper, I signed him up for a much needed obedience training class.

Steve worked a lot and did not have time in his schedule to go. He felt it would be best if a nursing assistant went with me anyway because they would need to learn which commands to give, etc.

On Cooper's first day, Mandy (my nursing assistant and I) loaded him up and took him to Petsmart. The trainer seemed nice, and I was eager to turn our ornery boy in to a star pupil. There were three other dogs in training, which were small and better behaved than my big black wild lab. Cooper wanted to play with them the whole time and kept lunging at them. He was so strong and almost too much for Mandy to handle. The trainer showed a dislike of his behavior and the owners of the other dogs were giving us dirty looks. It was insulting! We were there to get his bad habits remedied, not get judged. Grrr!

Little did I know that our first day was going to be our last day as a group. LOL Anybody who has seen the movie "Marley and Me" know Marley got kicked out of  training because of his shenanigans! I felt like Cooper was a Marley in disguise. :)

When we returned the second week, Cooper was the only dog in training. The trainer had moved her schedule around with the others because she felt like Cooper needed one on one. I appreciated her for recognizing this, as she probably didn't have to be so accommodating.

To be continued...

Goober Part 2

It was decided that Goober needed a new name. He became Cooper.

As soon as we brought Cooper home, he got a bath. Steve got a bath too, as it was quite a struggle to keep Cooper in the tub. :) The poor guy was muddy, needed brushed and also needed his nails clipped.

He seemed to ignore the cats initially, but that quickly changed. He was determined to chase them every chance he got. Riley was more bold and held his own. Alexandra on the other hand was afraid and stayed hidden. This was not fair to her and we hoped it would change.

After a week or so we questioned whether we could keep this crazy Cooper. Aside from tormenting the cats, he jumped up on everybody, counter surfed, and was basically too much too handle. The thought of  giving up on him made me cry. The thought of keeping him made me anxious. My biggest concern was my nursing assistants and their well being. I didn't want him to hurt them on accident. I asked myself, "Would they quit because of this crazy dog? Would they be okay with his shenanigans? Would they help me with his training techniques if we did keep him?"  It was a lot to think about it.

Each time Steve and I planned on taking the trip to Indiana to return him, we would find ourselves not following through with.it. We didn't talk about not going, we didn't talk about giving him more time, we just didn't talk about it at all. We simply ignored the elephant in the room. :)

Too be continued...

Goober

After we lost our Buddy, we lost a piece of our hearts. Steve was ready to get another dog much quicker than myself. The way he wanted to fill the void was too get another dog. Me, not so much. The pain of losing Buddy was so great, I wasn't sure if I ever wanted to  get another dog. We all grieve differently and no way is the right way or the wrong way, it's just individual.

After a few months had passed, Steve was getting relentless. :) He was itching for a new dog. Lady needed a friend, and I was ready to start looking. I searched Labrador Rescues, Craigslist, Petfinder, and the Humane Societies in our area. Each day I opened Petfinder, I kept seeing the picture of a black lab who was being fostered in Indiana. His name was Goober. His picture revealed big ears, big brown eyes, a long tongue that draped over his teeth on the outside of his mouth, and a blue ball between his front paws. He was just the cutest and the name Goober seemed fitting. :) He looked mischievous, which made me gravitate to him that much more. :)

Steve and I filled out an application to adopt at Lucky Lab Rescue. Once approved we made the trip to Indiana to meet Goober. When we pulled in the gravel driveway we had to drive slow because of the bumps. At the end of the driveway, was a rustic log cabin home. On the right of the cabin was a dog shelter that housed probably 8-10 dogs. On the left side of the driveway we noticed a tall man holding a leash up in the air. At the end of the leash was a big black lab bouncing up and down 10' feet in the air. He  was barking his head off in excitement. Was this Goober, that cute mischievous dog in the picture? I wasn't sure if I should be excited or mortified. Steve felt the same.

Steve, Lady and I got out of the van. The couple who ran the rescue seemed nice. Lady and Goober got along well, which was a plus. We visited awhile and played with Goober. I had a gut feeling the couple who ran the rescue was getting impatient with our unwillingness to commit. She began to show a need to wrap things up because she needed to feed the dogs. When Steve asked to see other black labs, we sensed an attitude. After he looked at the puppies he felt as if we should give Goober a home. Steve felt as if the other dogs would be easily adoptable unlike Goober. It was apparent that Goober had learned a lot of bad habits in his short life and we were up for the challenge. :)

To be continued...

Buddy

During my hiatus from blogger, we sadly had to say Good-Bye to our beloved Buddy. Buddy was our 11 year old black lab we adopted when he was just 8 months old. I say that with a smile because he was so ornery his first day here. He immediately came in and shat on the floor in my office. Directly afterwards he found his way in the kitchen. He nosed around and was distracted by the hand towel draped over the handle on the oven door.  He quickly chomped down on it  and flung it in the air as if it didn't belong. LOL He made himself at home, and brought us enjoyment for years!

Anyway, back to my story. It was Easter Sunday. We took a trip with the dogs to visit Steve's dad, who lived in Pennsylvania. As soon as we arrived, Buddy and Lady were greeted with a large bowl of water. Being the typical lab and alpha dog, Buddy didn't hesitate. He drank until it was all most empty. The thought of leaving any for Lady would have never crossed his mind.  After Lady drank her water, they  began to run and release hours of pinned up energy.  Soon after we went inside, I noticed Buddy seemed out of sorts. He began to bump in to the walls, he was dry heaving, and tinkled on the floor. We immediately took him to an emergency vet clinic. After X-rays were taken, they informed us he had developed bloat. For those that don't know, bloat is when the belly flips and kinks the intestines. They said the surgery would cost $3,000 and he could not leave for a couple weeks.  Well, as difficult as the decision was, we only had the option to let Buddy go. Buddy was 11 years old, we were four hours from home, the surgery and stay would cost thousands of dollars, and lastly  the chances of him surviving the surgery were slim.The four hour trip home was long and quiet. Our border Collie Lady didn't seem to notice Buddy's absence until the next day. She moped around for days. Here is Buddy and Lady fighting over a ball. :)

Where does time go?

Wow! Its hard to believe my last post was over 4 years ago! My last update was about training with the company Se*rs and about the cute cat that walked up to my boyfriend at Marathon gas station.

Well, we decided to keep that adorable cat. His name is now Riley and he has brought us much happiness!! He is a bit ornery, but there is rarely a dull moment! In the beginning he would attack anybody that walked by. While some of my nurses and aides thought it was funny, others did not see the humor. Thankfully, that phase didn't last long. Riley also learned how to open doors with his front paws. He seems to have a phobia with closed doors. Every time he passes a closed door, he jumps up, wraps his little paws around the handle, and pulls down until it opens. Because of this talent he possesses, we had to change the knob on our front entry door to a knob that he could not grab. :)

I do not work for Se*rs anymore. It was a temporary position during the busy Christmas season. I later obtained a position through a company called Postmates. It is an online platform where customers can place take out food orders. After they input their food order and clicked send, we would get the order on our computers, then call the restaurant to place it. I worked for almost two years until they made the decision to get rid of their work from home order placers. I loved that job and miss it everyday. I'm again looking for a job, and hope to find one soon. :)

Fall back tonight! Monster.

It's been a long time since my last blog post! I have attempted to post multiple times, but each time I tried I was not able to type in to the content box for some reason. Last night I got the idea to try to open up my blog in Google Chrome instead of my usual Internet Explorer. Well, I tried it and it worked. It must have been a glitch with Internet Explorer 8 or something? Regardless. Here I am. :)

The past two weeks I have been very busy with training for an upcoming job. I am not allowed to say the name of the company I will be taking calls for because I don't work for this particular company, but I am allowed to say the company I will be taking calls for is Se*rs. :) See, I work as an independent contractor for Arise Virtual Services and Se*rs works with them to hire people to work from home. It's just a seasonal position through the busy holiday season, but it will be something for now. 

The training is kicking my ass. It falls right flat dab in the middle of the afternoon (2-6) and totally cramps my social life. It's hard to get my errands  and phone calls done, too. I have eight more days left and I hope they go fast. The instructor is very rough around the edges, which makes the class less tolerable. He says the most insulting and rude things to us. There are only eight of us in the class and he gets so impatient if we don't answer his questions like Johnny-on-the-spot. He says yells, 'Come on guys you should know this. Are you out of it? Are you awake' I think it's rather rude for him to ask us if we are out of it as if we are all on some some of recreational drugs. I have to stop myself from getting rude back! I just yell mean and obscene things at my monitor. :)

Alexandra my kitty is doing wonderful!! I love her so much! A couple weeks ago my boyfriend brought home another kitty. It walked up to him at the Marathon gas station and appeared to be hungry. It jumped in the car (or so he said) and he brought him home. At first I thought the poor thing looked as if he had been hit with the ugly stick, but he has since grown on me and I think he is ADORABLE!! He is full of so much energy though and Alexandra and my dogs aren't used to that. Alexandra hisses at him, Lady is afraid of him and Buddy wants him for dinner. I'm not sure what our plans are for him, but we are going to get him fixed and get him checked by a vet. My boyfriend thought his dad might want him. For now, I call him Monster.  :)

Festivals, doctor appointment

Hi friends, hope you had a good weekend! Saturday I spent the day with my friend Leslie and her little sister (Big Brother/Big Sister) Aleya. We first went to the Enon Apple Butter Festival. This is where I ate the best tasting cheeseburger ever. I wish I could mimic it at home, but I don't know what the secret is. It was well done, the bun was toasted and cheese was oozing. :) This festival was small, but had a lot of vendors and people.

Our next stop was the Yellow Springs Street Fair. I always enjoy going here because of the vendors and the people. I am a big people watcher and this place is filled with people to watch! :) The hippies with their long dread locks, tye-dyed apparel, bohemian style dresses and with their make love not war attitude...it's a win at the Yellow Springs Street Fair. :)

Afterwards we went to Leslie's and hung out in the yard while babysitting her cute curly haired grandson. He was non stop on the move. :) One minute he was on the slide, the next on the bike, the next he was feeding the dog popcorn...LOL. We also spent time with Leslie's step daughter, who was getting ready to attend her first homecoming dance. She looked very pretty.

Today I went to the doctor. I needed to give a urine sample because I'm 100% certain I have a urinary tract infection. I also have a spot on my cheek (face, not bum) that keeps recurring. It's a small dry scab that goes away and comes back every few days. I thought she would want to biopsy the skin, but instead she just froze it off. :) That was the first time I had something frozen off. It was easy and just stung a little. I wonder what else can be frozen off??? :)

When things get tough....

Last night while lying in bed, I began thinking about the things that are weighing on me. I thought about  how frustrating it is to have things burdening me and having no means of fixing them. I have family and friends who rely on god to help them get through their struggles. They say they put "it" in god's hands and he will guide them through what needs to be done. I myself have never had that "relationship" with god. I didn't grow up in a family that attended church. I cannot ever recall having a conversation with my parents that involved a higher power.

I have often thought about those who are spiritual and have faith. It seems that those who can rely on a higher power to get them through the rough patches in life, are possibly healthier and more optimistic than those who don't. I honestly don't have that and it makes me somewhat envious of those who can.

Many times on Facebook I run across a post that someone is requesting a prayer request for themselves or for loved ones. I don't want to ignore their request, but I also don't promise a prayer because I would be fibbing! Instead I respond with, "Thinking of you" or something similar. I don't know why I cannot break the wall that separates me and prayer.... it's complicating!

Many years ago while in a nursing home I received physical therapy. The Physical Therapist was friendly and struck up a conversation about her past. She admitted to not going down the right path when she was younger. She was on the verge of leaving town and giving up everything. She said while driving down the highway she received a "message" from God. She went on and on and dummy me showed interest and this fueled her fire. For weeks she would come in my room and start encouraging me to find God. She said all I had to do was ask god to come in my life and I'd be saved. Again, I didn't cave.

Looking back I realize how unethical this was. She should not have been pushing her spiritual beliefs on a patient, especially to the degree she was. In her defense though, it was something she felt strong about and it turned her life around for the better! Maybe she wanted me to feel what she felt. :)

Not so power wheelchair, Autumn, Employment?

Hello! :) As I type away, updating my blog I'm sitting in a power chair that is broken down and not serving it's purpose!! It's allowing me to sit up so I'm not in bed, which is a good thing... I'm stuck in one place and unable to move around, that's the bad thing. I operate my wheelchair with a chin control and it seems after just a couple months of use, the control conks out and doesn't operate correctly. I can move backwards and to the right and left, but not forward. I have a call in to the wheelchair company. They are trying to expedite everything so I can get a new control without waiting for insurance coverage, etc. Wish me luck! :)

Today my nursing assistant and I decorated the front porch. We gave it an autumn theme complete with pumpkins, gourds, a bale of straw, corn shock and a small broom made from corn husk. I usually don't invest the time or money on Halloween or the fall season, but this year I found a way to do it cheap. A farmer down the street has a large stand at the end of his drive way. It's full of produce, mums and items used to decorate (Straw, brooms) that are much cheaper than what you pay in the store. :)

Employment. What to say?? The position that I interviewed for last week is still in limbo. I haven't heard back. In order for me to move forward with this company, my vocational rehab counselor needed to let them know she supports my employment. I'm not certain why the need for a rehab counselor exactly, but she did let them know she supports my employment.

Job interview. Nasty neighbor and Nerdiest State is Ohio??

 

Hello! As I mentioned in my last post, Saturday I was busy filling out job applications. Well, I surprisingly received two calls Monday morning. One was regarding a work from home position and the other was a brick and mortar position around Dayton.  I was really excited to move forward with both job potentials to see how each would pan out for me.

 

Up until today, I had been playing phone tag with one girl who was from the brick and mortar place. When we spoke this afternoon, she asked me what hours I preferred and if I wanted full time or part time. I said I preferred part time and would like evenings. That is when she said the hours are from 4:30PM-1:00AM Monday through Friday. It's a 40 Hour work week. I told her I will apply again if that shift becomes a possibility.

 

At 2:00 I had an interview with the company that hires people to work from home. Right off the bat the lady who was doing the interview could not hear me. Ugh!! She called back from another phone, which was a bit better than before... but, the problem still existed. The interview was going swell, I felt confident, then she asked how many words I typed a minute. I said 25. She said, "Oh, for this position you are expected to type 30. I then politely said, "Well, in the job description it says applicants need to type 25-30 wpm. That is why I applied. Well, I thought we had worked beyond that because she kept saying she thought I was a good candidate. She then asked how I type. I explained it was an onscreen keyboard with word prediction (I can save words, type faster) and I explained how my head movement maneuvers the mouse, etc. Well, she then felt the software might not be compatible with the company's software. So, again I'm digging myself out of this assumption she has and trying to explain I have worked for many companies over the past 10 years (even their company) and it's not been an issue. She still felt she needed to escalate some questions to HR. I understood completely, but at the same time I'm worried that just the fact that the software could pose a compatibility issue, is a strike against me. Before we ended the interview she asked me to take a typing test that she would send me through e-mail. I said, "Sure" and I typed 32 wpm. Yay me, but I don't think it will get me any closer to getting this job. She sent it from an email address with a do not reply. :(

 

On a lighter note. Evidently Ohio is the nerdiest state. I got this factoid from the Dayton Daily News!! I thought that was a low blow until I saw some of the titles that the other states earned! Who does this research? and isn't there better things to spend money on?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Troy, Ohio was popular and made it in to an episode of  20/20. It was about a neighbor (A) on one side of the street who didn't get along with the neighbor (B) across the street. It showed scenes where neighbor B taunted his neighbor A with shining an orange light in her windows, he called her a whore, he let his grass and plants grow really long, he painted cruel things on his tree that referred to her son.... I would think that Neighbor A making this squabble national news would only provoke neighbor B????  Click below for the video.

 

http://bcove.me/9u5nuvg3

Manic Monday

Hello readers, I hope you had an enjoyable weekend! :) My weekend was pretty good! I ended up staying home and taking it easy. I filled out some online job applications for customer service representative positions, which ate up most of my Saturday  afternoon. That's ok though, maybe something good will evolve from that?? :)

I am still so fricking discouraged about the money that was stolen! I keep telling myself that it could be much worse! Unfortunately that is only a temporary reprieve. Ugh!! I cannot fathom how someone could be so effing cruel and steal something that was never meant for them. My mind does not operate the same as someone's who thinks it's okay to steal from others!! Unfortunately I have been in company with someone who does and possibly for a very long time. :( Loser!!!!

TGIF, shrimp festival and people who steal

Hi, Happy Friday! :) I hope my blog readers have a great weekend!! I myself don't have a lot going on this weekend. Tomorrow I will be job searching again. Boy, this has been a struggle! It's been a struggle for many people, I know it's not just me. My friend is also drinking from the same cup! He has a college degree in business (I think) and has been job searching since December. Nowadays finding a decent well paying job is like nailing jello to a fricking wall!.

On Sunday I may go to the shrimp festival. Terrapin Moon plays there from 3:30-5:30 so my nursing assistant & I might tag along. We'll see. :)

I learned yesterday that the piggy bank that houses all of our spare change that we have collected over the past few years was stolen!!! Also, a bag of coins that were all ready rolled and counted was stolen also!! It was over 1,100.00! Nothing else was missing. I am 100% convinced it was an inside job. It had to have been someone who knew we had that money and where it was kept. I am so angry! That was what we were going to use to help with kitchen cabinets...I hope karma gets the frickin loser who stole from us!!

Not only are we out a large amount of money, but for me...I feel so violated.

Doppleganger and Best dad ever

One can never ingest too much knowledge! Today while watching Kelly & Michael I learned about the word Doppleganger. It is defined as someone that looks like you, but has no blood relationship to you. I have been asked a few times if I have a twin sister who works at a restaurant in Vandalia. I have a twin, but she does not work at a restaurant in Vandalia nor has she ever. My sister and I actually look very little alike. It's funny that there is someone out there that looks more like me than my own twin does. :)

Yesterday I was watching The Talk and it got funny. The ladies were telling their viewers about a Dad who was tired of telling his daughter to change her short shorts and decided to get even one day. It happened when his wife told their daughter to change out of her slutty shorts before they go out to dinner and she said No. The girl's dad left and came back with his own man version of daisy duke's. Best Dad Ever :) I can't help to think if this was my dad wearing some denim short shorts and showing that much leg I'd find myself hiding behind a wig, sunglasses AND the menu. HeHe! In all reality though I think this dad is probably a great dad who wants the best for his daughter! He seems really cool and knows how to have fun!! :)

Relationship hiccups & Saying good bye to summer

Hello! I hope you had a great weekend! This weekend was a nonchalant one for me, but I'm not complaining. :) On Sunday I watched the Eagles/San Diego game, read from an online book called, "Pride and Prejudice" and applied for a job. On Saturday I stayed home and did some things on my computer and Friday night my boyfriend and I got in a big tiff. It's actually still in the air as we have not spoken five words since! I'm not proud of it! I have done a lot of thinking about it and not sure what to do. We both said some awful things to each other and it opened my eyes! I know we aren't  happy together like we once were! We probably stick together because it's easier. It's more convenient. We have a house. We have animals. The thing we don't have is happiness! Oh we also don't communicate! Pft!!! He had a Dr's appointment today about his blood work results. I asked what the doctor said and he said, "Not much" and kept watching the television. He didn't even look at me.

The thought of being single again and starting a new relationship makes me cringe. I won't put the cart in front of the horse just yet, but I do need to start having dialogue with him. I need to see where he wants this relationship to go or if he even wants in it anymore... Anyway....tick tock tick tock

It was a sad hour today as my nursing assistant & I packed up most of my summer outfits and tucked them away in a big plastic tote. :( I now have my sweaters out and ready to face another Ohio Winter. :) Not really, but what can I do about it?? :)

Vertigo - NASCAR

Hi, I hope you are enjoying your week! Today I went to the doctor about my vertigo and dizzy spells. She checked my ears, eyes, breathing, blood pressure and shoulder movement. Everything was fine except I had fluid in my left ear and some build up in both. The medical assistant used an elephant ear wash to clean out my ears and it was awesome!! I also got a steroid injection because of the fluid in my ear and got a prescription for motion sickness. I'd rather not take another medication, but it's only temporary. :)

I watched the Richmond Sprint Car race Saturday night. I didn't think much of Clint Bowyer losing control of his car with 7 laps to go causing a caution, but Steve thought it was odd. He said that there was no debris and didn't really understand the caution. Today it came out that Michael Waltrip Racing attempted to manipulate the outcome of the race by causing that caution. Clint Bowyer, Martin Truex and Brian Vickers got penalized 50 points, which knocked Martin Truex Jr out of the chase and put Ryan Newman in as a wild car participant. Michael Waltrip Racing also got fined $300,000 and Ty Norris, executive vice president /General Manager and spotter for the #55 car got suspended indefinitely. The crew chiefs for these 3 drivers are on probation until December 31st.

That is some dirty racing. It makes me question the integrity of these racers, the crew chiefs and anybody involved!! I'm glad they are getting penalized!!

Happy dump day!

Hello!

My Happy Dump Day is not a typo, it's a reflection on how I feel. I am in a mood! If I could get my hands on the pesky fly that keeps buzzing around me, he'd be toast. Does he know I can't move my arms and that is why he is taunting the F out of me?? It sure feels like it!!

I am angry for another reason, but am going to refrain from posting it for obvious reasons. My Mom always told me not to write anything on paper if I didn't want others to see it. (Something like that anyway). I'm pretty certain documenting my feelings on a public blog falls in that category. :) It just seems like I get f%^ked over by the ones who should always have my back! I despise hypocrites! I'm a firm believer in karma and hold on to hope that said person gets it. I am a good person and have so much forgiveness in my heart. I am getting numbed by being let down and walked on. I know when the time comes and it's my time to go my conscious will be clean. Will yours??

Anyway...

Big Brother tonight made me laugh. Amanda got booted out, which was long overdue!! She is such a bully! On the down side, Elissa also went home (jury house) and that bummed me out. :( She was my favorite and I was hoping she would win.

Happy Labor Day

Hello! Well, the long weekend is winding down and our company will be leaving in the morning. The visit went fast as it always does and that is always the worst part.

Yesterday my nursing assistant, Jean & I went to Kohl's and Walmart. At Kohl's I bought a cute dress for only $7.80 which was marked down from $70.00. :) I have a wedding this weekend and class reunion coming up in a few weeks so maybe I can wear it to one of those events. :)

Tonight we grilled out for dinner and afterwards they played corn hole. I didn't think the games would ever end. ZZZzzzz! We were outside until dark and seeing the little sand bags became a chore! It was especially fun watching Mel and Jean play against each other. :)

Steve and his dad were busy doing odds and ends around the outside of the house today and yesterday. Saturday Jean painted Buddy & Lady's dog houses and Mel put shingles on the top. :) It looks nice and Buddy is sporting a few white stripes on his ear and tail because he didn't allow the paint to dry before he trekked through his dog house! :)

It won't be too much longer before the Fall weather takes over and our warm days are behind us, unfortunately. This weekend I noticed the leaves are coming down heavy and the trees are looking bare. :(

Mumford & Sons, Wright Pat Air Force Base

Hi! Happy Saturday! :) Tonight Mumford and Sons are playing right across town and I'm green with envy! I want to be there so bad and a tad bit salty that I am not. I wonder why they chose a wee tiny town like Troy, Ohio to play??? I think they must have attached a map on the wall, blindfolded someone, put a dart in their hand, spun them around and walah, the person hit Troy. No??? :) Anyway...I will wait, I will wait for you. Hehe!

Steve took his papa bear to Wright Patterson Air Force Base today. I wasn't invited, but that's ok, I didn't want to go anyway! I have been many many times. I used to go with the residents at the nursing home as this was a yearly activity outing. I wish I could say I enjoyed myself, but honestly my mind was focused on the hundreds of stares that my fellow roomies and I captured. The wheelchairs, ventilators, oxygen tanks, moans, grunts and urine bags were like eye candy to the buses and buses of little people gathering around at their teacher's direction. I think us crippled folks were way more interesting than any of the airplanes. I wasn't amused! I remember one little girl in particular. She was so engulfed in me and my apparatuses, she failed to realize her 50 pound body was blocking the whole isle, not allowing anybody to go by her. As I was glaring at this rude little creature my dad was attempting to tell her we needed to get by her. Needless to say he was more tolerant than myself, but he also understood my frustration.

The next year my brother got the ok to take a day off school and went with me. I had not been evaluated for an electric wheelchair; therefore, he pushed me in my manual wheelchair. He pushed me really fast in the wide open area and under the planes, which was a tad bit scary for me. He enjoyed seeing my fear and laughed at me. :) I had more fun this time around because my injury was not as raw as the first time around and it was good to spend the day with my brother. :)