A Day In The Life

Last night at work was much better. Like I said, I don't hold grudges and the other nurse and I got along fine. Only problem today was only sleeping about 1 hour before I had to go to class. I did okay but I can't hold my eyes open to study. I bought the movie The Passion of the Christ today. I SOOOO want to watch it but I can't stay awake long enough. Maybe tomorrow... I get my motorcycle back tomorrow. I thought it had a busted seal but they said it was just overloaded with grease from when it was put together. Wonder if they'd buy me another pair of scrub pants where the grease got all over them?? Short blog but I'm really tired. Maybe I'll do another one tomorrow. Have a wonderful day!

Bad Night

All is not well with me today. I had what I think was the most horrible night at work I've ever had. I try so hard to be nice to everybody I work with. I want no enemies and I try to "do what Jesus would do". It was a very busy night with several admissions from the Emergency Room. I don't want to sound like I'm bragging, but I take excellent care of my patients. I try to treat them like I would want my mother treated. I also try to help my co-workers all I can. But for an RN to threaten to smack me because I was too busy to do her work for her was the last straw. I'm feeling very down this morning and I guess I think it will make me feel better to put my feelings on here. If I hadn't been working there 22 years, I would've walked out then and there. But I haven't let anybody run me off yet and I don't intend to let her. But I just don't want to go back to work tonight and then go to school tomorrow. Maybe a good day's sleep will fix me up. Someone told me to file a harrassment charge against her, but I'm sure she just felt overwhelmed by all the work. Anyway, so much for my whining. I'm gonna take a sleeping pill and go to bed. Maybe I'll feel better later. If you've made it all the way through this blog, thanks for listening to me whine.

A Lovely Breakfast

I just got home from Walmart and various other stores. I spent WAY too much money. But while I was at Walmart, my friend Mary and her mother, Lilly, met me there and we had breakfast together at McDonalds. Now, you may not consider this to be much, but to me it was a wonderful experience. I always enjoy seeing and talking to Mary and her family, and this was a casual meeting and I really had a great time. I look forward to spending more time with them, and can't hardly wait to see them again. When they get in their new home, I'm hoping to visit them and work some more on my signing. My ASL class starts Tuesday, but it seems I learn so much more from them. I keep trying to learn new words and phrases but I need to work on speed too. I can only do that with them and the mirror. But most of all, I want to spend time with them because they are very good people and great friends.

Miracle

One night I was in my back yard when I heard a very quiet "mew". I listened and heard it again. It sounded like it was coming from the crawl space under my bathroom. I went inside and got a flashlight. I came back outside and was moving the wood from the opening to the crawl space when I heard it again. It sounded like it was coming from my shoe. So I shined the flashlight down there and saw the tinyest kitten I have ever seen. I thought it had some grass or weeds stuck to it but on closer inspection, saw that the unbilicle cord was still attached along with the placenta! The mama cat must have been in trouble and just dropped the kitten as soon as it was born. I didn't know what to do. I ran to my mom's next door to see if she had any kitty sip (kitten formula). She didn't. It just so happened that a neighbor's cat had a litter of kittens a week before. They were almost impossible to get to. They were under some steps that had been blocked in. So I had to grab the back porch, swing my legs through a small opening, and go in that way. Now I'm known as the tomboy of the neighborhood. Now, most cats won't take care of kittens that don't belong to them, so I rubbed the kitten vigorously and rubbed the mama cat and the other kittens. (There were 4 others). I put it to her belly and it immediately started nursing. It is smaller than the rest of the kittens and didn't open it's eyes when they did, but hey! they're a week older. She can still hold her own with the others. Unfortunately, one of the kittens was grabbed by a boxer bulldog and was never seen again. I can only imagine it's fate and it's not pretty. Since God knows I love cats, he put that kitten in my back yard and put me outside that night. I call her my little miracle and I love to go over and pet her and play with her. My husband doesn't like cats and I would be afraid to leave her outside with my dog. I'm afraid she'd be his lunch one day. Miracle likes to prance around on Mama's roof in the middle of the night, keeping Mama awake. I hope if anyone adopts her, they will give her a home full of love and care. God knows she had a bad start in life so maybe He will grant me this one wish. She is a beautiful kitten, almost solid gray with some orange undertones on her fur. Anyway, this is the story of Miracle, and I think the name suits her fine.

Silence Is Golden

Today is Monday. I have been keeping my grandchildren for the last 3 day. Now comes the priviledge of putting my house back together and getting a shower and being in bed by noon so I can work tonight. Friday, Rebecca and Nicholas came up to spend the night. I love these 2 kids dearly. As you know, Rebecca was my first grandchild and holds a special place in my heart. Nicholas is Nana's boy and doesn't let me out of his sight. After I took them home on Saturday, Billy and Shelly came up to spend the night. Billy is PaPaw's buddy and doesn't let him out of his sight. But that doesn't stop him from getting into everything. He is all boy and loves to explore. I am determined to make Shelly a MeMe's girl. You see, I have different names for different families. I guess I'm trying to put off cleaning my house up by doing this. I'm the world's worst procrastinator. Now the kids are gone, but the house is too quiet. Even though the kids seem to be driving you nuts when they're here, it's so quiet without them. So I guess I titled this wrong. Silence may be golden in some cases, but I miss those kids when they're not here. I only wish they knew how much I love them. Maybe someday, they'll grow up and read this and then they may get an idea.

A Couple I Am Thankful to Know

I have several friends but I have 2 friends whom I feel truly blessed to know. Their names are Mary and Bucky Carver. They live in Clinton, TN but will soon be relocating to Oak Ridge, TN when their new home is completed. I first met Bucky when I was a student at Pellissippi State taking a class in American Sign Language. He was the assistant teacher and also my tutor. One day he brought his daughter, Tori, to class with him. She is a wonderful girl and very shy. Bucky came to my house to help me put down some linoleum and Tori came with him. She was so shy at first but then she and I started trying to see who could nail the wood down the fastest. The evening ended up with me taking Tori for a ride on my motorcycle. When I found out Tori was going to be playing baseball (my favorite sport), I went to all the games I could. Bucky and Mary also have 2 sons, Justin, 13, and Ryan, 5. Ryan just started kindergarten and doesn't like school. Justin is your typical teenage boy, only very nice and considerate of others. Bucky also attends Pellissippi and is working toward a degree in networking and communications. I wish I was half as smart as he is. I met Mary at one of Tori's ball games, along with her mother Lillian, Lilly for short. Mary was very nice but I didn't see her again for awhile. When I did get the opportunity to see her again, she was still the same sweet girl I met the first time. I call her a girl because she's my daughter's age. Bucky and Mary are very patient with me when I talk to them. You see they, along with their daughter Tori, are deaf. I just consider them friends though, not "deaf" friends. I have met alot of hearing people that I wish were as nice as they are. We get along great, or at least I think we do. Sometimes I feel like I'm being a bit overbearing because I want to spend time with them alot when I know they have their own friends in the same culture that they have known alot longer than they have known me. I just feel lucky that they have accepted me as a friend. My entire outlook on the deaf world has changed since I started taking ASL and met the Carvers. If I ever hear anyone say anything bad about anyone just because they are deaf, I will be fighting mad and I tell them the only reason they say bad things about people is because they are uncomfortable with their own insecurities. I have never met a nicer family than the Carvers, deaf or otherwise. Tori has graduated from elementary school to middle school now. Kids just grow up too fast. Although I have known them for just a short time, I feel as though I have known them forever.

My Special Friend

I have a special friend named Anna Burnette. She is jokingly referred to as my "2nd best friend" (private joke). I have known Anna for 15 years ever since she came to work at the hospital where I work. She and I have been there for each other through thick and thin. She has 2 children, Mindy and Matthew, and 2 step daughters, Shannon and Kelli. She also has a step son named Robby. I think Anna is the most special person in the world, outside of family. I consider her a sister and love her. She is the best nurse I know of and I would want her taking care of me or my family if one of us was in the hospital. She has grandchildren but I lost count on how many. I feel as though I have known her longer than 15 years. I can talk to her about anything. I wish we had time to do things together outside of work. We used to be on the same schedule but now we don't work together that much, with my school schedule and all. Anna has short blond hair that always looks like she just stepped out of the beauty shop. Anna, if you're reading this, I love you and hope we both get the chance to do something real soo. Anyway, I want to ride in that fancy new car of yours.

My Family

As you know, I am 50 years old. I would like to tell you a little about my family. My mother, Granny, is 76 years young and is the most important woman in my life. I love her so much. I wish she could live forever. I don't know what I'll do if anything happens to her. I guess you could just lock me up in a padded room with one of those nice white jackets. My husband, Doug, is 54 years old and very special to me. We have been married 33 years and we've kind of grown on each other. You can't be married to someone that long and not love each other. My daughter, Bambi, is 32 years old and the mother of Rebecca and Nicholas. Bambi can be a little unnerving at times, but she is really a lovely person. She sure has turned out to be a good mom. Rebecca was my first granddaughter and will always hold a special place in my heart. I tried to get Bambi to give me custody of her, but nothing doing. Nicholas is almost 22 months old and gets into everything. But he definitely knows the meaning of "no" and uses his knowledge well to stay out of trouble. He is so cute. He loves to get in the pool with me but he won't let go of me. Bambi is married to Jeff, who works in Oak Ridge. My son, Doug II, is in the army and will soon be coming home for good. He has been to Afghanastan 3 times and Romania once. He is the father of Billy and Shelly, my other 2 grandchildren. He is married to Rose, who works at the day care where the children stay and is also a student. I think she is majoring in education. Doug seems like a really good dad. I guess we'll find out for sure once he gets home and is aroung the kids all the time. Billy is 2 years old and is also into everything. (terrible 2's). He is very adventurous and likes to see what makes things work. He is so funny when he talks to an imaginary audience. Maybe he'll be a preacher one day. Or a politician (God forbid!). Shelly is almost 5 months old and she's a real cutie. She doesn't do alot right now but she has learned to turn over and she loves to smile. My step grandmother (Zula, aka:MaMaw) will be celebrating her 100th birthday next month. I'll hopefully be attending her party. She still gets around but has fallen and broken a hip in the past and lives in an assited living facility. My dog, Troy, is a sweet little puppy. He protects the house and will gladly chew off the arm of anybody he doesn't know. My dad, Frank, passed away when I was 19 from lung cancer. He was only 51. I love him and still miss him to this day. He'll be gone 31 years the 20th of this month. Daddy, I wish you were here and healthy. My sister, Gerry, is the single mom of Kelli, who is married to Jeremy. They are expecting their first child in November. Gerry will be a grandma then and she just doesn't know how special that will be. Gerry is an LPN and works in a nursing home. Kelli works in the bakery at Walmart and Jeremy works in the pharmacy at Walgreens. I am an LPN and I work in a hospital. I hate working in nursing homes. It takes a special person to work in a nursing home and I just don't have the patience. So this is my family. Hope you've enjoyed reading about them cause they mean the world to me.

Biker Chick

Hi, I'm back. I think my most favorite thing to do besides going to church is riding my motorcycle. You see, it's my midlife crisis. Along with getting my belly button pierced. I guess you could say I'm in my second childhood. I am a very young 50 years old and love to be around young people. When I get on my motorcycle and ride I feel right at home. I must admit, I'm pretty good to have only dropped it once and that was because someone was watching me make a turn and made me nervous. Now that it is turning colder, I'll still ride it. I'll just dress warmer. And when it turns really cold, well, I've got a warm suit and electric gloves. So I don't get cold unless I forget to turn the gloves on (not that that has ever happened. No not me). I mostly ride my bike to school and work. I have never ridden in a big ride or gone to bike week. When I got my first bike, I didn't have a license to drive it, so I asked my husband to drive it home for me. He wrecked it twice and it never got home. It had to go back to the shop. Needless to say, he was in the hospital shortly after that, and not from injuries sustained in the wreck. Seriously, he had already planned this hospital stay. I didn't do anything to him (or did I?). I recently bought him a motorcycle because he wants to ride so bad. His is a Kawasaki 600 Eliminator. He looks like an elephant on an ant. You see, he is kinda HUGE. My bike is a sweet Honda Shadow Spirit 750. It's purple and has ghost flames on it. I love it. I still miss my red Shadow 600. My 750 has a windshield, sissy bar, and hard saddle bags on it. I decided I needed saddle bags when I lost my books and homework off the back of my first bike as I was going to school. Just flew right off. A man stopped and I thought he was going to ask me if I needed help but all he did was fuss about me being pulled over on the side of the interstate. I felt like telling him when he learns to speak English, he could suggest what I should do. The nerve of him! Some guy you can barely understand trying to tell you how to drive in America! I just told him to go on about his business and I would tend to mine. I got my book back (after almost getting run over on the interstate in rush hour). But alas, my paperwork was gone. I had a very understanding teacher who let me redo it as long as it was in by the end of the day. That took some work! So now I haul all my stuff in my saddle bags and they aren't going anywhere. Hence, another boring story by a boring person. Have a good day!

My life after marriage

I got married at the ripe old age of 17. My daughter was born the following February. (please, no math). I was still very young and not the best mother around. If it hadn't been for my mother-in-law, no telling what would have happened. But I'm proud to say that I have a beautiful daughter who still pushes my buttons at times but I still love her dearly. 8 1/2 years after she was born I had a son. Thankfully I had settled down some by that time and I cared for him myself. We lived in many different places in Knoxville and Kingston and never really had a permanent address until the past 13 1/2 years. We have lived in one place that long. Hard to believe, huh? Also I am an LPN who is going back to school to get my RN degree. It seems like I have been in school forever getting in all the prerequisites and all, but I'm closer now than I was. Also last semester I saw American Sign Language offered at my school and took an interest in it. Now I'm hooked. I want to be able to communicate with ALL people (as long as it's within the English language). My husband is impressed with what I have learned so far and is encouraging me to further my education in ASL. Anyway, back to the subject at hand. My husband is a disabled veteran. If I had known how it was going to be before I married him, I probably wouldn't have. But then I was 17. Now I'm glad I did. He is a good man and I love him. My son is currently in the army and should be getting out in about a month. YEAH!!!! Both my children are married and have given me 4 wonderful grandchildren. My daughter has Rebecca and Nicholas and my son has Billy and Shelly. These kids are my life but please, no more! I love keeping my kids on weekends but I can't keep them all at once. They're quite a handful. Plus there is some jealousy going on between babies. I love my life as it is. I stay busy with work, school, my husband and trying to help my mom as much as I can. I only wish I could do more. But my husband is VERY dependent on me and I can't let him down. I guess I've bored you enough. Maybe my next post will be more interesting. Thanks for looking.