Thursday, September 16, 2004

The Lights are On...

And it's good to be home. It's windy here , and wet. And we were without power for about two hours, but not too bad here. And yep, I did have to stay at work till 3, then drive home in all the crap. Just in time for the lights to go out and freak out my kids. So we haven't had dinner yet, though tonight I'm just doing salads and hot dogs. I just sat on the couch and knitted on the sock of doom for awhile. Tomorrow is payday, and I'm hoping to find some fabric for the Hogwarts robe. My oldest daughter is embroidering a patch for the robe.

Other than that I'm inexplicably tired and the kids are watching Spy Kids. They keep breaking into the programming to say, basically, "it's still raining." Gee. Never would have guessed. Oh, here they go again. Still no word if there's school tomorrow.

My mom's neighbor across the street now has a tree in his living room. Other than that everyone I know is still safe, and I pray it stays that way.

Ivan visits L.A. (cont.)


Ivan comes to visit. Posted by Hello

Looks like it wasn't as bad as they said it would be - thank God!!! But my kids are still home today - we're expecting thunderstorms this afternoon. No major flooding, maybe a tornado, but only a chance of one. Not a big deal. I think my theory about jealous waterman was right.

I conked out while working on my sock last night - I finished to top cuff and contrast colors, started back on the gray. At least it matches the sky today. Anyway, I woke up on the couch about an hour ago tangled in yarn (thank you kittens) and realized I had fallen asleep watching the news a little over an hour after I last logged on and posted. So much for not sleeping.

I did have over 20 patients yesterday - guess I was tired after all. I have been called in this morning, just seeing the patients who are going home tonight or early tomorrow. What really sucks is the other girl who does my job has no kids, and lives closer to the hospital than I do. But she's too scared to drive in the weather if it gets bad. So that leaves me. Mom of three kids. Farther away. It sucks. Of course I could refuse, but then I'd have a crap load of paperwork to explain why these patients didn't get seen, not to mention the trouble from administration I'd get. It's just not worth it. I'll be home before the projected noon-time bad weather (thunderstorms) hit. Goody for me.

Well, as my whole day is shot to hell, guess I'll go ahead and go on into work.

Wednesday, September 15, 2004

Ivan visits L.A.

Lower Alabama that is. And we, in North Alabama, a mere 400 miles away, are "bracing for impact" to quote a local news guy. School is out tomorrow. No ballet. Grocery store out of milk and bread and batteries. I don't know if it's really going to be bad, or if the local weather and school system people are jealous of the attention South Alabama is getting and want in on the action.

We are getting some outer cloud bands, and the wind has picked up a little. Some sprinkles. This is just one HUGE storm. I haven't been through a hurricane in almost 20 years. I had really hoped not to go through another one. And we are in the place alot of people are evacuating to.

I have alot of family in Mobile, and I can't get in touch with any of them. I've been trying all day. I take this as a good sign, that they got the heck out of town. They usually ride these things out as my aunt's house is high, has good, sturdy, interior rooms, and she has a generator. But she is quite elderly so I hope they took her and left town. We are supposed to spend Thanksgiving there this year, probably the last I'll have with one of my cousins who has terminal cancer. God, please keep them safe!

I will probably spend all night knitting the other sock, as I'm too worried to sleep. My dad used to procrastinate evacuating our house in Florida (on the water, lots of glass) and once we were even trapped on the Key we lived on. Though we ever only lost a few trees, it was still scary - the wind and then then the calm and then the wind again. Don't get me wrong, I prefer hurricanes to tornadoes (which are common here) because if you're smart you can get out of the way of a hurricane. Tornadoes just happen. But I don't actually LIKE hurricanes.

Another thing - I think I will forbid any of my children from becoming a weather person. Even the local stations have sent people down. I'd so hate to know that my child was in a hurricane ON PURPOSE. A fireman goes into a burning building to save a life, a paramedic into danger for the same reason. Policemen too. Dangerous things done on purpose because they need to be done. I don't view standing outside in a hurricane as one of those things. Also they put rescue workers at risk, because they have to stay around to help if one of these stupid reporters gets hurt. Pet peeve.

Prayers to everyone in the storm's path, especially Johnny, Nancy, Aunt Dotty, John, Sara Ann, George, Leigh, Daniel, Doty, Greg, Anna, Daniel, Patti, Johnny, and Caroline. And yes, John is a popular name in my family. As is Daniel.

Tuesday, September 14, 2004

Food, glorious food!

I got to go to the grocery store today and buy real food!!! I bought fruit and veggies and salad stuff and bread and cheese and juice, and even some ice cream (couldn't resist). So even though I am deeply ashamed to be on food stamps, I am very happy to actually have food in the house. Ironically, I get about seven dollars less a month in foodstamps than I pay in taxes (state and federal) so I guess I'm not really not a leach on society, but society is only just breaking even with me. And this is the first time in over a month that I have had supper. Even though my kids have never gone to bed hungry, I have, often. There were days when all I ate was the leftovers from their plates. But hey, we are all still alive and nobody has serious nutrition-related health problems.

Tonight for supper I made lemon chicken with rice and mixed veggies. Leftovers will go to work with me tomorrow and I can have lunch too!!! I made some iced tea and the kiddos had milk. For dessert we had vanilla ice cream. I sprinkled some cinnamon sugar on top of it - yummy!!

I am busy hunting for a new job, trying to get back into school, and hopefully we can be off food stamps soon. 'Cuz even though I'm elated to have food in the house, I really hate being on them.

Monday, September 13, 2004

Hi ho, hi ho.....

Yep, off to work today. And the kiddies are all at school so I am enjoying a few minutes of peace and quiet while they are not here. Watching the Today Show, and Matt was grilling Kitty Kelley, now Sharon Bush. It was good to see him going after somebody anti-Bush for a change. Though now he's going after Sharon. Whatever. Still trying to get a yard sign, but our local RNC headquarters keeps running out of them. My daughter called the Kerry campaign, they have plenty. She takes this as a good sign. Though my 6yr old supports Kerry. When asked why she responds "because nobody likes him and I want him to have at least one friend." I told her that it's her right in this country to support whatever candidate she wants, for whatever reason, but in the future perhaps she should consider other issues too. Of course this goes right over her head and she just smiles at me and runs off to play Barbies.

Planning on taking the socks of doom to work with me today in case we have a light patient load (quite likely on a Monday). I HAVE to get these things finished!!! It has taken me longer to knit this one sock that the first pair. After this I want to knit a shawl or something light, and airy. Something with lots of color and texture. Something NOT gray.

Sunday, September 12, 2004

Random Thoughts

Went to church last night, and of course watched the 9/11 tribute on T.V. Weird how quick everything in this country has gotten back to "normal", how we are bickering over the stupid stuff again. The thing that gripes me the most is the news constantly saying how we have reached over 1000 casualties in the War on Terror. Sorry, that number was reached, threefold, on a beautiful September morning three years ago. My little ones are just now old enough to understand a little of what happened, they don't remember it. My oldest remembers, and it will probably be the defining event of her lifetime like the Challenger disaster was for us who were around in the 80's.

Church was OK, but way too loud. I like going Saturday night, not as many people there. But you really notice they have the volume cranked ALL THE WAY UP. I have worried about the volume in Children's Church before too. I will have to speak to somebody. Since truth comes by hearing, we don't need the band to deafen us before the service even begins. Now don't get me wrong, I like a lively praise and worship service, this is nothing new to me or my kids. It's just so incredibly loud at this church. Honestly, it was painfully loud and my ears were still ringing an hour after I got home.

Going to be sewing tonight, just badges on Brownie vests. Hope to get the carpet put back down today too, as the leak is fixed and the water has all been dried up. Tuesday I hope to clean the carpet and maybe even scrub the bathroom floors. Also by then I should be able to go do some grocery shopping as my food stamps have been approved and should be good to go Monday. As ashamed as I feel to be on food stamps, we need to eat.


Saturday, September 11, 2004

Cleaning Day

Worked every day this week, as the other girl who does my job called in sick every day. The bummer is I won't get overtime since I had to leave early every day due to childcare arrangements, appointments, stuff like that. At least the work got done. Having spent the last nine days at the hospital, I am now hoping to "enjoy" a couple of days at home. I told the kids they better not get sick or hurt, as I refuse to go back there until Monday.

Knitting is going nowhere right now. It's not only that I don't have time, but I'm so tired I can't even muster up the energy. I did turn the heel on another sock, but that's as far as I've gotten since last week.

Today I plan to clean all day. My house isn't quite at disaster stage yet, but it's getting close. I'm hoping I can get either the local news or the health department out here next week to look at the leak and the mold, as I got a letter yesterday stating that I am responsible for the repair costs. Good thing my daughter and I have been taking pictures and keeping notes on the whole thing, as I have a feeling I might need these.

Friday, September 03, 2004

A day at the Lake

Yes, the lake is still in my hall. I called from work today and was told that the plumber was here. He wasn't. Of course they are closed until Tuesday because of Labor Day. At least the lawyer I went to see has sent them a letter stating that I won't be paying rent until it's fixed. He is also going to try to get the rent for the past three months refunded, since I've had this problem this long. Yay! I'd settle for the next three months free, but apparently that's not how it works. I just wish this guy did family law, maybe then I could get child support. Oh, well.

Work wasn't bad today, our census is way down and I had a normal patient load today. We lost the contract for the military insurance, so I wonder if that has anything to do with it, or if everyone in the region has delivered already. We will still get those babies in our NICU, since we are the regional neonatal unit. But if the Tri-Care people get too ticked off, they may just send their NICU babies to Vanderbilt or Children's in Birmingham.

They put pictures of some of our NICU graduates up in the hall leading to the unit today. We were all in the halls looking at them. It's so hard to believe that some of those kids are "our" babies. They look so healthy. Yet they were all so sick, so tiny. Working in NICU makes you believe in miracles. There are pictures of babies on oxygen and with feeding tubes too. The parents were more interested in these. Personally, I like the pictures of the graduates better. If my kid were in there, I'd want something to look at that would give me hope that everything would be OK.

Not much knitting going on. I've been sick the past couple of days so my house is a disaster. I have started reading Lord of the Rings again. My best friend is really into it, and I'm actually enjoying it. Maybe after I finish all this Hogwarts stuff I'll make an eleven cloak. In the movie they kind of look knitted, I'll have to borrow the movies from her and see. Maybe when I get over knitting all this gray.

And a final note.... Even though I'm a Republican, and even though I voted against him twice, my prayers are with the Clintons as Bill goes through surgery.