I Hate Jocks

Today at lunch time I went into the break room. There was only one other person in there, THE JOCK.
We have a fair weathered conversation. The only problem is the only thing he can talk about is sports.
The conversion went something like this.

Jock: Do you know who Peyton Manning is?
me: yes
Jock: What do you think about his move?
me: I think he has a thing for horses
Jock: what
me: I think he has a thing for horses because he went from a Colts to the Bronco
Jock: Oh I bet your one of those people who pick teams based on the mascot or jersey color
me: No I said, I pick a team based on statistic (jack ass)

Thank you for reminding me why I hate jocks.

Used Pajamas

The other day Malinda and I went to the thrift store. We usually go there once a week. I love to look at the china and tea cups, the nick nacks and dust collectors. Malinda was looking for pajamas for her mother. She showed me this pair of flannel Pj's. I thought they looked nice. How much I said. $9.00 Malinda replied. No way $9.00 for a pair of used pajamas. There must be some kind of mistake. 

We took the pjs to the young cashier, I said how much? $9.00. Malinda said lets go ask someone else. We went and found the old lady who is usually always there. Excuse me can you tell me how much these pjs are? $4.50 for the top, $4.50 for the bottoms, we sell them separate. I said are you kidding me? That is outrageous, poor people can't even shop in the thrift stores anymore. The lady just stared at me. 

So today while I was out with Jasmine and Fuchsia we stopped by a fancy smancy thrift store in Stone -Brook. I found a set of flannel woman's pajamas in very good condition. The price $4.50. So I asked the cashier is that for both pieces? Yes. 

Moral of the story, it is better to be poor in an affluent area.  

St. Pat Cheese, Cowgirl Creamery

I have been so excited to try Cowgirl Creamery St Pat cheese. A The Cowgirl Creamery is a local cheese maker. At long last I got a round today.

This is one of the first spring cheeses that the Cowgirl Creamery makes. They describe it as a semi-soft with with a bloomy rine. The rine has been aged in nettle leaves (don't worry they take the poison out) leaving you with a "smoky artichoke" aftertaste. The cheese has a beautiful deep green and white rine.

I would describe this cheese as fresh, clean like a spring day after it rains. It is light with a slight salty taste. As far as the nettle leaves to me tasted mildly grassy. My gig a low says it tastes like "happy cow." My dad says "it doesn't taste like much does it."

I think this would be the perfect cheese to go with St. Patrick's day dinner. I think it would be good on Irish soda bread that has raisins and nuts in it. To bad we had our St. Patrick's dinner yesterday!

Generally speaking, my family prefers a more robust cheese. For those of you who like mild, mellow this is the cheese for you.

Cute Leopard Slippers

This sunday I decided to cut church and stay home. I crawled out of bed, I took a shower, did not comb my hair, no make up. I put on my hot pink thermal top, my camouflage pajama bottoms, and my leopard print mule style slippers. I vacuumed and did various other chores around the house. I was happy. 

About 1:00 PM my cell phone rang. Here is the conversation -  Hello, Hello this is life alert, who, Life alert. Is this RQ? Yes, your father pressed his life alert button, we tried to call him 3 times, he is not responding so we are sending an ambulance. You are sending an ambulance? (I was really thrown off by this) Yes the ambulance is on the way to your dad's house. Oh my thank you. I called by brother and sister in law because they live closer. They said we will meet you there. 

I jumped in my car, leopard slippers and all, I broke the sound barrier to get over to my dad's house, fully expecting to find him laying in a pool of blood or worse. I beat the ambulance. I unlocked the door, DAD, DAD...I go to the back of the house, look in the bed rooms and bathrooms, DADDDD, not there, go to the front of the house look in the living room, his car is in the garage, DAD... I hear the sirens getting closer, now I know he must of fallen out by the woodshed, I peek out the back door , there stands my dad in his wood shop, sawing away.

I open the door and yell DADDDDD, he is sawing a piece of wood so he can't hear me. I hear the sirens they are very close now, DAD!!! He turns off his saw and says OH hi. OMG dad the life alert people think there is something wrong and the ambulance is on the way. WHAT! my dad says. I said you accidently pushed your button now they are sending help. Profanities start spewing out of my dad's mouth.

I ran in the house to get to the front yard before the medical people show up, my dad right behind me. My dad takes off his life alert and throws it across the room still cursing like a drunken sailor. I get out the front door my brother and family show up. My brother and Sister in law take my dad back in the house. 

The fire department is first to show up. I tell them oops sorry it was an accident no help needed, the fire truck driver rolls his eyes,  the ambulance shows up. I had totally forgotten what I had on tell I looked down and noticed my leopard slippers. Oh well, what am I going to do. I apologize to the fire and ambulance people and go back in the house. 

My dad was having a complete melt down. Thankfully my brother seems to have a calming effect on people. My sister in law convinced my dad that this incident was a great trial run and now we know everything works. I called the Life Alert people and arranged it so that they call me first before they call for medical help. He promised he would continue to ware his life alert. 

I went home and took a nap, knowing that my dad was ok. 

Mammogram

The other month I had to go get a mammogram.  I arrived, and registered, and sat down near the front desk. There was a waiting room full of anxious women.

I noticed a huddle of nurses behind the front desk. They were trying to talk quietly, but I could still hear them. Nurse 1 was saying what should I do?  Nurse 2 was saying tell her she has to leave, Nurse 1 says I can't do that, nurse 2 says you have to, mumbling from the others. Nurse 1 stomps off.

The next thing I know there is a young woman standing in front of me at the desk sobbing, begging Nurse 2, please I have a big lump in my breast, please help me, Nurse 2 sorry you don't have any insurance, Please I am so scared, what am I suppose to do? Sorry can't help you, sobbing even more, please ... Nurse 2 interrupts- your insurance is no good anymore I called and checked. You will have to leave now. The sobbing young lady leaves. The waiting room was silent.

My heart broke for that woman. I have to wonder how many other women this happens to every day.

Summer

The other day I went to Target to buy a small room heater. I couldn't find any. I asked an employee if she knew where I could find one. She said " we don't sell heaters in the summer." I said that I did not realize that March 2 was summertime. Although I can see why she may think this is summer.


Anyone feel the earthquake this morning? No one here did. We all slept though it even the dogs.

Socialized Medicine

Sorry it has been a LONG time. Here is an update.

I continue to battle with Kaiser about dad. Around October the oncologist told my dad he had to have his port taken out because it was clogged. 

We went to Dr. Ratchet is oncologist. She was setting up the appointment to get the port removed, not giving my dad any choices. I said wait a minuet Doctor Ratchet., is there any other options? 

You may recall that when they put the port in the "simple 15 minute surgery" took 15 hours, my dad nearly bleed to death, he got a blood clot in his juggler vain and an infection. The doctor turned her chair around looked at me and said "anytime you access that port you are inviting infection." 

I said to Dr. Ratchet, Dr. you cannot tell me that is the same thing." Dr Ratchet turned back to her computer and said "Your dad is going to die anyways, so we are going to take the port out." EXCUSE ME DR.? Your dad's cancer is going to come back and it is going to be very bad, he is going to die, there is no need to have the port in." Now not only am I shocked, I am pissed. Dr. Ratchet when did you become God? just saying'. HE NEEDs TO GET THAT PORT OUT HE IS GOING TO DIE THE CANCER IS GOING TO KILL HIM. Are you kidding me, what are out options Dr. Ratchet? NO OPTIONS. Are you telling me there is not one other thing you can do to see why the port is clogged? Your dad is 81 years old (still looking at the computer) HE IS GOING TO DIE. I am so mad now I want to strangle Dr Ratchet. Dr, tell me again there is NOTHING you can do for him? Well, we can give him a dye test to see why the port is clogged. Ok how about if we try that first DOCTOR.

Look we all know my dad is going to die, so are you, so am I. How dare Dr. Ratchet treat my dad as if he is a death row inmate waiting for the execution. 

We go in for the test, the nurse gets the port unclogged first try. She says I am going to go tell Dr. Ratchet. (heheh)

December my dad's blood test came back, his tumor markers were high. They gave him a CT scan, they could not find the cancer.

For all you people who are worried about a "socialist" type medical system and "death squads," I am here to tell you they already exist. It is called Kaiser. My dad has obviously used up his allotted life time Kaiser dollars and they no longer want to care for him.

When we left I told my dad that God is the only one who knows when your number is up. 

Not Doctor Ratchet.