QUOTES

"Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren't used to an environment where
excellence is expected."
- Steve Jobs

"Wisdom consists of the anticipation of consequences."
- Norman Cousins

CAN'T WAIT FOR THIS WEEK TO BE OVER

All the hype and hoopla about the G 20 has me crazy. The whole town will be in a state of forced isolation. I am glad I have no need to go into the city. I am sick of hearing about protesters, the ones who should be protesting are the people who will lose two days pay because of the meeting. Many business has been forced to close because of the summit. No place to park, diminished bus service and inability of the food and other vendors to get into the city. The mayor and county executive had their heads where the sun doesn't shine for this one.

Access to the city is virtually in a lock down. All the parking garages will be closed. The parking lots outside the city center will be available. To top the whole moronic off is that the Pittsburgh Pirates (LOSERS FOR THE 17 YEAR) have a baseball game on Thursday afternoon and NO ONE CAN PARK IN THE NORTH SIDE LOT which is near the stadium.

The Pittsburgh Pirates get the Cats Ass Award from me. Not only for having 17 years of losing seasons in baseball. But not canceling the game so people who need to work can find a place to park. They close the parking garage and reserve it for the baseball fans.

The Pirates Organization rationalized, when the were seeking funding for a new Baseball Only stadium, that if they build it they will play better. I really feel that sports players should be on a merit salary. If you lose so does your pay.

Guess I will get of my soap box now, but my ire is still there

THE MALAISE CONTINUES

This picture was taken last year in Williamsburg VA. I had gone to a conference and I am going this year too. The weather is cool and the meeting is always excellent. The hotel is about one half mile from Wiliamsburg, so I love to just walk around and see the sights.

My brother lives down in that area and I get to visit him and his family. I am in an autumny sort of mood. I love the cool nights where I have to pull up the quilt or bedspread to get warm at night. I do not sleep well when the weather is hot. I set the A/C at 76 and even with the ceiling fan I am too hot. Soon it will be time to break out the quilt.

I had talked about cutting down my hours in January, but now I do not know if I will do that at that time. Chuck and I had talked about getting some things done around the house. We had a new fence installed and he wants to get some concrete work done. We could use a new roof, perhaps new kitchen countertops and new appliances, since the ones I have are 20 years old, and we would buy new ones while we are both working full time.

In March I could COBRA my health insurance and not have to worry about coverage till I am eligible for Medicare. If it still exists. I keep thinking about the movie SOYLENT GREEN . It puts me in the mind of my Great Uncle Bill in the 1970's when my father told him he should get a flu shot and Bill told my father that he heard they "were putting something in there to kill the old people" We had a laugh about that, no to his face, but then a lot of old people stated to die who had the shot....I wonder ???? We quit laughing at Uncle Bill.

William Francis O'Rourke circa 1915, as a young man, I wonder what was the occasion for the picture. There were six out of ten siblings living. Two of them never married, William and his sister Mary, my father said Mary had a wedding planned and had made the arrangements with St. Williams Catholic Church in East Pittsburgh PA. For some reason (still unknown) she called of the wedding and never got married. That is probably a good story, but I doubt if I will find out what it is.

OFF AND UP EARLY TODAY

 

Since I was on beeper call yesterday I awoke to the sound of my beeper alarm ringing.   I have it set about five minutes before swipe in time.   Just in case I forget to clock in this reminds me.    I have a lot of setting up to do for the days surgery and sometimes I get busy and need a reminder to do so.

I did not get called in, but I was ready to go.  It is surprising that sometimes you get the call and somedays" you slide slick.   I slid slick. 

Chuck and I started on painting the bathroom.   He got as far as the ceiling, there were holes and cracks to repair.   We will finish today.   There is another bathroom to do and it also needs some touching up.  

We have a list of things we want to get down before we retire.  Like painting, perhaps new kitchen counters and appliances and some outside concrete work.   All it takes is time and money.

I took some pictures and will finish with some after.   The bathroom was painted with that sponge painting that was popular about ten years ago.  It looked nice, but even I was getting tired of it.

No colors of autumn, yet.    This was taken last fall.   The past week the weather has been like San Diego CA.   Warm during the day and cool at night.   This morning I woke up and it was raining.   Going to be like Seattle for a while, there are more rainy days here than sunny.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work."

Thomas Edison

I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN....

.....but I didn't .......I have mentioned the problem with the computer and the fact I wanted to destroy the old thing, (c.2004 !!!!!) with a hammer, but it wasn't the computers fault......I found out that Chuck and Emily were also having conectivity problems. Emily called Windstream (our isp) and found out that the problem was with the modem.

They sent us (for a few about $100) a new modem and Emily installed it, and low and behold it is working like a new computer. The advantage of this is it is a combination modem and a wireless system. Two devices have been replaced by one........and the beauty of this new device is that it has a firewall. No one can use our system and it is wonderful, at least the past two days have been wonderful.

How long can a person hold on to an old computer. Chuck has a desktop that was probably made when XP was new. How long ago ws that??? I know it is older than my HP, which was purchased in 2004, I remember that because that was the year that my father had died. What a morbid way to remember a date.....

All we had to do was connect the device and hit "connect to" and enter the serial number on the modem and voila there it goes.....

I had to fortunate opportunity to have off tomorrow; the chief sent me a text message and asked me if I wanted off and I said YES. This was good for me, today I had a few skin lesions removed and starting on Saturday I had four days off, so that will make a total of six......YEAH......I'm so excited..........

OFF TOMORROW, AND I LIKE IT THAT WAY

Tami, I promise I will not use that again.   This one is a little better.  Lisa, I saw the Windings and who would waste their time making that and how many people on this planet can read it.   I guess it is some sort of secret language like kids would make up in elementary school.

Today was a long day.   I did odds and ends this morning and on to Urology this afternoon.   On of the great advances in Urology are the PVP Green light Laser.  Up until a few years ago the treatment for enlarged prostate was called a Trans Urethral Resection.   If the man had trouble urinating the procedure would to be to insert an instrument thru the urethra (Google that one-goes from the outside to the bladder))  and use an instrument to slice the enlarged prostate.  This required about a week in the hospital, much bleeding and a urinary catheter to drain the urine.   It was much dreaded.    Then came the medications that are now given to shrink the prostate.  Now, if that doesn’t work a new procedure was developed.   The man comes in and under a general or spinal anesthesia a instrument is also inserted and the laser beam cuts away the tissue and cauterizes it at the same time.    Blood loss is minimal and the person usually goes home the same day or the next day.   A catheter is needed for a day or two and the blood loss in small.

I should have invested in the Laser. 

Next is the update on kidney stones.   Today we have ESWL (Extra Corporal Shock Wave Lithotripsy)  that is shock waves given to the outside of the body and this is used to break up the stones so they can be passed naturally.  This requires sedation or a general anesthesia.  Before this, a large incision was used on the flank and the the stone had to removed manually, also many days in the hospital and a lot of pain.

Also if the ESWL does not work another instrument can be inserted into the bladder and then into the ureter (goes from the kidney to the bladder) and another type of laser is used to break the stone.  Then the small pieces are expelled by themselves.

What used to be major surgery with large incisions is now done without any incision, less pain and a quicker recovery.    Things have progressed at rapid speed.   If you are interested in these procedures see a Urologist.

Most of the surgery today is minimally invasive and designed to have a quick recovery and to get people up and out of the hospital.  Hospitals can be a dangerous place with all the microbes lurking there.  You are really much better if you can go home the same day.

 

STUMPED

Now, exactly how many people use these innumerable and sometimes indecipherable fonts ???   My daughter has a picture of the day blog, maybe I should start a FONT OF THE POSTINGS blog.   This one is actually readable.   I should check and see which one it is…..Viner Hand ITC, whatever that means…….

Last week I was off and I decided that I really like it that way.   Word is becoming increasingly busy.   Sites keep getting added, and the work load increases every week.   I realize that some people would love to be this busy if they are unemployed.  I am close approaching, wait a minute, I have passed it…..I graduated Nursing School in 1968, and I have been working at this profession for forty one years.

If anyone wonders, why in the world are all those old nurses working I will tell you.   WE ARE WORKING FOR THE HEALTH INSURANCE.   When anyone in the health care business retires NO ONE OR ANY ENTITY WILL BE PAYING FOR OUR HEALTH INSURANCE.    If my mother had told me to be a school teacher I would have been retired eight years ago, making as much in retirement as I had working, and I would have tax payer funded health insurance.    At least in the state of Pennsylvania.  I do not know about the other states.

Tomorrow is a ten hour day, so I better get showered and go to bed.   First I have to get off the damned soap box.