Okie Sister

When I See You Smile

This is my favorite photo from this past weekend.

I had a wonderful visit with my younger brother Rick. The rain cleared for a few hours and we were able to sit out on my deck and enjoy snacks and brewskies while listening to our favorite tunes. I will treasure this memory always.

Of course, we are completely overshadowed by Miss Thing poking her head up to be the center of attention. Little Lola has so much personality...and she's not afraid to use it. Just look at that smiling face. What a goofball!

It is unthinkable to me that someone could dump this beautiful girl in a country ditch. But that's exactly what happened to her. How can humans be so cruel to helpless creatures? Lola arrived at our house hurt and scared. There were even some fights with our other dogs...to the point that I thought I might have to find her another home. With time her wounds healed and she learned to trust again. She gets along great now with our other girls.

Lola Lulu has brought a lot of laughs into my home. She can be a pain sometimes too, but that's all part of being a puppy parent.

People, please visit your local animal shelters. There are wonderful animals there in need of a good home.

I Love Love

Hope everyone’s Valentine’s Day was layers and layers of yummy goodness.

Our son gave his lady a diamond ring, so now both our kids are officially engaged.

Fiancée has a nice “ring” to it.

I think this means I need to buy some new shoes, because at some point one of them might actually have a  wedding. Although I’m not opposed to elopement.

Love is in the air.

It takes a lot to find that special someone  who completes you; who makes you happy and puts up with all your faults. The person that you know is going to be there for you in good times and bad. I feel they have both found that.

Or did it find them?

Hubby and I are tired of being the only “old married couple” in the family. We thought our gagging-ly sweet shining example of marriage would be an encouragement for others to following in our footsteps

...even if we can’t remember how long we’ve been married.

Survivor Man

My Hubby is incredible, but I already knew that. The recent power outage just reinforced my admiration. He's a real man who knows how to "do stuff." Plus he has his own tools, so he can also build stuff. He can take a power saw and cut wood. He can create fire; sometimes without even trying. He can cook a gourmet meal using propane. We ate very well during the blackout. I called him My Hunter Gatherer Man.

He kept a generator running for days; filling it twice daily with gasoline. One morning it wouldn't start back up. He took it apart, diagnosed what the problem was, found a replacement part and put it all back together again. It ran smoothly from then on. He's good at fixin' stuff.
 
We often comment on his knowledge of random stuff. He'll say, "Now, why do I need to know that." I'll say, "Thanks Cliffie," referring to mailman Cliff Clavin, who used to "amaze" his friends with his trivia at a little bar called Cheers. But knowledge is a wonderful thing to be able to access, especially when you are in survivor mode. Somebody needs to knows how electricity works.
 
In the past, I poked fun at Hubby when he would come home from Sams Club with a package of fifty batteries or 1200 forks. Mostly, because we don't have anywhere to store these items. Well, when you actually need that stuff, it is nice to have it on hand. I'll have to remember that next time he comes home with 100 rolls of tp.

 

"Well, Early cavemen, they went out and hunt for the very food that graced their simple table. The women stayed in the cave and developed art, culture, what-have-you. Men down through the centuries have always been hunters, doers, adventurers. Cogito, it is not in man's nature to sit alone and be passive and docile."- Cliff Clavin, Old Flames episode of Cheers.

Facing Your Fears

In our family, if you are deathly afraid of something, you don’t let anyone know it. Otherwise you open your email and find this clip from your daughter.

Then a few days later, you reach out the front door for your morning newspaper and find this gift from your brother sitting on the porch.

If only there had been a hidden camera so I could have seen Hubby’s reaction.

Reminds me of this past week’s episode of Modern Family and the Dog Butler. Too funny!

Oh and there was another episode of Modern family that featured this guy. Run Fizbo, run!

 

Go To My Happy Place

Spent my birthday at my daughter's house. Ate some good food and had a lot of fun.
Again, I have to say that my grandson is so stinkin' cute that I can't stand it.

Even when he is purposely drooling cookies out of his mouth for laughs.

One on One with Jax

 

Hmm...let me think about that.

 

You're hilarious!

 

What you talkin' about Granny?

What I'm Doing With My Summer Vacation

They say you can’t serve two masters.
For some time now, I’ve tried to actively hold two rather addictive hobbies. I’ve finally come to the conclusion that I can either be a Blogger or I can be a Genealogist, but I don’t have time to do both simultaneously. With genealogy, it’s either feast or famine. For a while you can’t progress any further or maybe you just get burned out from the search. Other times, like now for instance, there is so much information to input that it’s hard to keep up. So, this is what I’ve been doing for the past few weeks, updating my family tree. At some point I’m sure I will start blogging and reading all my favorite blogs again, but for the immediate future I’m taking a little break.

Newspapers and Toilets and Gummy Bears, Oh My!

It’s 3:13 a.m., do you know where your newspaper’s at?

I do. Mine slammed up against the front storm door, scaring the dog into barking.

 

The girls had been outside earlier in the night growling at something in the alley too. Luckily, Unfortunately, I was already awake from the earlier barking incident. Hubby already resigned himself to the Lazy-Boy in the den for the rest of the night.

 

I had been laying awake for quite some time trying to determine what was making the annoying noise I was hearing. Finally I got up and opened Hubby’s bathroom door. The water in the toilet tank was running. I had to remove the tank lid and stick my hand down in there to shut the water off. That’s what you want to be doing at 2:30 in the morning, isn’t it?

 

Next I watched an episode of Chopped. It’s a show on the Food Network that pits chefs against each other. They have to come up with tasty dishes using mystery ingredients they pull out of a basket. The dessert round had them using blackberries, kiwi, wonton wrappers, and gummy bears. They always throw some odd item in there to see how creative the chefs can be.

 

It was after the gummy bear round, when I was trying to go back to sleep, that the daily news arrived and rattled the whole house. It reminded me of when my house makes contact with the baseball of the teenage boys next door. Over the eight foot fence we built on that side of the house!

 

Have I ever told you that one of the boys next door doesn’t have any legs? Every now and then I catch a glimpse of him running across my front lawn. That would be running on his hands. I swear I do a double take every time, it’s so unexpected and it’s usually seen just out of the corner of my eye. It’s only a blur because he can run so dang fast! Isn’t it amazing what some people can do? Like those paralyzed folks who can paint by holding a brush in their mouth. Or look at Stephen Hawking; he’s incredible. We humans have an awesome ability to adapt.

 

I’ve always heard that if one sense is weak, another sense is stronger. Is that an old wives’ tale? Or is it true?

 

My eyesight is bad, I wear glasses. Also I don’t hear so great, but boy my sense of smell is strong. I’m not sure if that’s good or bad. On one hand, I usually can tell when something in the oven is done just by smelling it from the other room. Also I think if there were a fire, I would detect the smoke before the flames. On the other hand, I about gag when somebody with too much perfume on walks past me in a store.

 

Hubby and I have an ongoing battle about household cleaners. Here he is being fantastic and cleaning some area of the house, and I’m in the other room opening windows and turning on fans. I actually get choked up and start coughing. Plus, it’s not uncommon for me to get a headache too. When he’s done, I throw any offending cleaning products in the trash. When he goes to the store, he buys more cleaning supplies. It’s a vicious cycle.

 

(If you know of any non-smelly cleaning products, let me know.)

 

I finally fall back asleep just after remembering that I closed the lid to the toilet seat. I was thinking I should probably get up and open it in case Hubby doesn’t turn on the light.

 

I’m awake when Hubby does come back through the bedroom. I tell him about operating on his commode in the middle of the night.

 

OS: “It about drove me crazy trying to figure out what that noise was.”
Hubby: “That must have been a short trip.”

Fruitylicious

Did anyone notice a fruity theme running through my posts the past few months?
That’s because my oldest brother sent me a fruit of the month club gift for Christmas. How exciting to find a box of delicious fruit waiting on the porch each month.

First there were the pears. They arrived in December and were a chilly 30°. I had to immediately bite into one. Crisp and juicy. Hubby made me a pear pie just like his mother used to make. I almost cried.

When my recent surgery was delayed for a week, I started to feel like I was catching a cold. What a perfect time for a box of Vitamin C enriched oranges to appear. Those, along with lots of rest, kept me healthy.

I just wrote about the wonderful grapefruit. I ate those for breakfast.

Now, what to do with this beauty?

My first thought was to launch into a Carmen Miranda routine, “Chica Chica Boom Chic.”

 

Actually, I’ll probably whip up my daughter’s favorite pie.

Pineapple Ice Box Pie

• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
• 1 cup crushed pineapple, drained
• 1 small container Cool Whip
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup pecan pieces
• 1 (9-inch) baked pie shell

Blend all ingredients together in mixing bowl and turn into baked pie shell. Chill for at least 4 hours in refrigerator before serving.

Note: You can also use a graham cracker crust.
From The David Wade Show which aired on the ACTS Network. I watched it when I lived in Arlington TX in the 80’s.

Asleep On The Job

Hubby and I ate out yesterday for lunch. I had a chicken sandwich with bacon and guacamole. Or so I thought...

Upon returning to my office, I sat down in my chair in front of the computer. Several minutes later, I woke up disoriented and groggy, with my hand still on the mouse. I stumbled into his office.
OS: “Honey, I fell asleep.”
Hubby: (laughing at me)
OS: “I think somebody slipped a Rufee in my lunch; either that or Tryptophan.”
Hubby: “Wasn’t me.”
OS: “Isn’t that what they would all say?”
Hubby: “Dad fell asleep here earlier today.”

I immediately rush over to the carbon monoxide meter, thinking that maybe I had been gassed. One of the drawbacks of having your office in an auto parts and repair business, is that sometimes the air is not so fresh. Just last week a guy came in to drop off his car, “It’s smoking a little bit.” When the mechanic started it up, this is what happened.

 

“Ya think?” Hubby had to call the fire dispatch and let them know that all the smoke billowing out of the garage did not mean that the building was on fire. This is a sad, but true story!
Anyway, I think that incident broke the carbon monoxide meter, because it didn’t do anything when Hubby hit the test button.
Hubby: “Maybe you should go home.”
OS: “I would if I wasn’t too sleepy to drive.”

Eventually I did venture home and take a nap. A long, long nap. Which is weird because I thought I had slept fairly well the night before. It was the previous night that I woke up a 3 am and could not go back to sleep. At 11 pm that night I was counting the 20 hours that I had been awake.

Okay, so now that I had this long nap in the middle of the afternoon, I wondered if I would be able to sleep through the night. At 10:30 pm, I was startled awake by my cell phone. “Yo, this is your boy so and so.”
OS: “You’re not my boy, you must have the wrong number.”
People really should not drink and dial!
Do you ever get the urge to dial these people back about 5 am and wake them up? Me either...I’m just asking. 'Cause that would be wrong and mean to dial Danville, VA that early.

I woke up again about 1 am and I thought that I had suffered a stroke.
Seriously, that was my first thought, because the whole left side of my face hurt. It took several minutes to be cognizant enough to figure out what was going on. Unlike last week when I woke up with the right side hurting because of an earache, this was completely different.
Was it my ear? A tooth? My neck? What the heck?

I finally felt under my left ear and jaw, only to discover that my glands were extremely tender to the touch. They’re not particularly swollen, just sore. Now I’m wondering how this happened since I’ve been taking antibiotics for over a week now because of that earache. Me thinks I might be immune to amoxicillin. Either that or I’m coming down with Mono or Mad Cow.

This morning I asked Hubby what the name of those "glands in your neck" are called. I couldn’t remember “lymph nodes” and I didn’t want to Google sore glands. I was afraid of what results I might get; since last week I Googled throbbing ear, and got porn.
Go figure!

P - A - I - N

If you've been around as long as I have, you’ve experience some pain in your life. I’m talking about physical pain here, not that messy emotional stuff. The kind they ask you to rate 0 to 10, with 10 being the worst... or the drawing of the sad face with tears.

When I think of pain, I immediately remember two things in my life. And no, one of them is not childbirth. I actually don’t remember the pain of childbirth. I only remember it lasted a long time. I spent the entire day watching a recording of Bob Geldof's Live Aid concert; rocking out and timing my contractions.

 

The first painful event I recall is one day in the early 80’s when I ripped my big toe nail half way off. The rest of the nail had to be cut off by a physician. But not until after he took a big-ass needle and poked it into my toe several times to numb the area. That would be my raw toe flesh. Holy crap-poly, that hurt. I’ve never forgotten how much. There are some places you should not poke with a needle ...like hemorrhoids.

The second painful experience is not my recent hip surgery. That actually wasn’t too bad. I was on morphine the first few days, so if it hurt I didn’t feel it. I had my first hip surgery when I was a baby, so I was too young to remember any pain associated with it. I’ve also broken an arm, sprained an ankle, been knocked off my bicycle by a car, had my tonsils out, suffered migraines, had strep throat, and have had my wisdom teeth removed.

But all that stuff pales in comparison to the devil in the dark. That would be waking up screaming and crying in the middle of the night when I was a little girl because I had an earache. I bet my family remembers this too, because I was in excruciating pain. This happened several times too.

What made me think of this? Well, that would be me waking up Monday morning with a throbbing ear. Which I still have by the way. I saw a doctor Monday evening. He said my ear was not red, but also not normal. What the heck does that mean? He prescribed antibiotics and those antipyrine / benzocaine ear drops. Why are these ear drops not sold over the counter? I’ve been asking this question for decades. Anyway, this stuff is not working yet. It still hurts every time I turn my head. Any suggestions?

Five Weeks

Tomorrow marks five weeks since my hip replacement surgery. I’m posting this today because I will be out of town Wednesday.

This past week has been a difficult one for me emotionally. I was so tired. I finally took some medication and slept most of Friday night and well into Saturday morning. Then I didn’t get dressed or do anything all weekend. Plus, I drank a chocolate milkshake one day and ate apple pie the next. I know, dreadful... I must have been hormonal.

Hubby and I finally got caught up on about two years worth of Heroes episodes. I’m convinced shows like this are better when watched in a shorter period of time. Wish, I would have done this with Battlestar Galactica and Lost.

I’m wanting to just get up and walk already. It’s been so long since I’ve walked correctly that I’m having to practice now by chanting “heel, toe, heel, toe.” It’s easier when performed the proper way. I’m still using the cane for support. I’m just so anxious to have my life back. Slowly but surely. I’m sure this will all be a distant memory very soon. At least I’m driving now.

I need some new tennis shoes; ones that don’t have to be tied. I didn’t even think about this before surgery.

Went to a birthday lunch for a friend of ours at El Chico. Hubby and I rarely frequent the eateries in the mall, which is weird since it’s right by our work. I think it has to do with parking. We had a good time with these folks; shared lots of laughs. They brought the honoree a sopapilla after dinner, minus honey. Where was the honey, you ask? They were out of it. I never have understood this at restaurants. Don’t you know where a grocery store is? Last week Hubby went to Subway and they were out of ham. Out of ham, can you believe it! Why were they even still open. Luckily, I had ordered chicken.

Yesterday afternoon, I ventured out into the back yard. I missed the blooming of my hyacinths this year. They were spent and sad looking. Rain or watering might have helped their journey. I was pleased to see that my rose bushes and the clematis both had new leaves. (Although, I had to look up a past blog post to remember the name Clematis. All I could remember was what Hubby calls it, Chlamydia. Not exactly the same thing.)

 

Clematis - 2008

There is so much work to do out there. Inside too, as everything is covered in a layer of dust. Dusting has not been a priority; too many other things to tend to. Hubby and I discussed what we were going to do about flooring in the family room this spring. I’m so wanting to get to all my unfinished projects. At least that four foot stack of magazines I had saved for my recovery has diminished. Anytime I can clear a stack of junk around here, it’s good news.

Happy 50th Babs

 

I’m absolutely mortified. This is an artist’s rendition of what the original Barbie, Barbara Millicent Roberts, might look like at 50 years old had she aged naturally.

Are you kidding me? This gal looks older than 50 to me, however the grey hair might be accurate. But would Barbie leave it that way? Wouldn’t she find herself a new hairdresser, get a cute current cut and highlights? Or was that Okie Sister?

 

Would Babs still be this skinny? Or would she have gained 30 a few extra pounds around the middle? And at 50, I’m pretty sure she wouldn’t be wearing such bright pink lipstick. She would know what colors look best on her.

I’m thinking she would have more lines on her face. After all, she’s worked like a bazillion jobs over the years, including a stint in the military. Maybe some laugh lines too, from all the fun she’s had along the way. Love the bags under the eyes; that must be from years of late nights like this one.

 

Is this somewhere in Oklahoma? Perhaps a "behind the scene expose" of what really happens when fellow bloggers gather at PW’s ranch house? No, this looks more like those zany gals down in Idabel to me. Party on, sisters!

 

I had a Barbie when I was a little girl. Not 10 or 20 naked Barbies cluttering the floor, but one Barbie. And she didn’t have a dream house, or a pink car, or a closet full of clothes. In fact, my oldest sister sewed her a blue penoir set so she would have a second outfit.

I held on to my vintage Barbie until my own daughter played with dolls. My Barbie had aged somewhat over the years, but still had a lot of life left in her. I turned my cherished Barbie over to my only child thinking she would care for and love it for many year to come. One day I overheard my daughter’s new moniker for my doll. She affectionately had named her, “Going Grey Barbie.”

 

Week 4

It’s been a month now since my hip replacement surgery. I ditched the walker and am walking with the aid of my cane. I’m a little shaky, but determined. Plus, I can get up and down the front steps unassisted now. The only drawback of using the cane is if I drop it on the ground, I’m really not supposed to bend down that far to retrieve it. To solve this, I keep a loop of string in my pocket so I can fish it back up to me.

I’ve been working very diligently at physical therapy, exercising there several times a week, trying to get my strength back and become limber again.

I can shower all by myself now. I still have to sit on a bench to do this, but it made me feel very independent to achieve this completely on my own.

I went out to eat lunch yesterday at one of my favorite Mexican restaurants, Don Jose’s. I’m starting to get my life back.

My biggest problem is trying to sleep at night. I just cannot get comfortable. Man, what I wouldn’t give for a good night’s sleep at this point.

Next step...driving. I figure I can drive better than those old people I see driving the wrong way on the “one way only” side of Gore Boulevard. You know the blue haired types who are barely visible peeking over the top of the steering wheel? I’m sure I can drive circles around them.
Them and anyone talking on their cell phone.

 

My First, My Last, My Everything

Mrs4444 at Half-Past Kissin' Time just blogged about her favorite teen idol. This got me thinking about my own childhood crushes.

My first one was Bobby Sherman. Bobby was a singer and actor who graced the cover of several teen magazines including Tiger Beat. It was the 1968 television show Here Come The Brides that got me hooked on “The Sherman.” The show featured the Bolt brothers and other lumberjacks in Seattle looking for love. David Soul, who later starred in Starsky & Hutch, played one of his brothers. Come on, what six year old little girl doesn't love hunky lumberjacks?
After several appearances on the show Emergency, Bobby Sherman found a calling in paramedic and first aid work. He even started a volunteer EMT foundation. Later he became a deputy sheriff in San Bernardino County.

Bobby Sherman singing Seattle

 

My second crush came from a 1971 television series, Alias Smith and Jones. Hannibal Heyes and Kid Curry were outlaws, train and bank robbers, offered amnesty if they could stay out of trouble for one year. It starred Ben Murphy and Pete Duel.
Duel had previously appeared on numerous TV shows including Gidget and Love On A Rooftop. At the height of his popularity, Pete Duel fatally shot himself while drinking at home. He was replaced by actor Jon Roger Davis (Dark Shadows), who narrated the show. (At one time, Davis was married to Jaclyn Smith). 
Ben Murphy has appeared in too many shows to list here. Maybe you remember him in Gemini Man? He played a secret agent that could make himself invisible. (MST3000 alert - watch Riding with Death) Looks like these days, Murphy spends his time playing tennis. Honestly, I thought all these guys were quite handsome.

Oh wait, here‘s a surprise. My third crush comes from a television show too. This time it’s from the soap opera, The Young & The Restless. Starting in 1976, John McCook played Lance Prentiss, love interest of two of the Brooks sisters, Lorie and Leslie. John also sings and has done a lot of theater work. He has been married since 1980 to actress Laurette Spang, (who played Cassiopeia on the original series Battlestar Galactica). It wasn’t until this past year that I realized that “my Lance” was the same actor who could be seen all these years playing Eric Forrester on the soap The Bold & The Beautiful.

10 Questions with John McCook

I’ve blogged about my next crush before, but I never realized that he is also my last crush (on a celebrity). How many time have I told you how much I loved me some Patrick Swayze? Ever since he played the role of Orry Main in the 1985 miniseries North and South, I’ve had a thang for "The Swayze." I wanted to be his Madeline. (Madeline was played by the lovely Lesley-Anne Down, who now stars opposite John McCook on The Bold & The Beautiful)
I also liked The Swayze in Red Dawn, Road House, Ghost, City of Joy, etc. And of course, I've already talked about my obsession with Dirty Dancing.
I don’t know if you watched his recent interview with Barbara Walters. It was heart breaking listening to him talk about his battle with cancer. He came across as very open and honest. I couldn't help but shed a tear.

Hubby (my everything) and I have really enjoyed watching his new series on A&E, The Beast. The cinematography of the show absolutely blows me away. It’s very dark and mysterious and the show is very intelligently written. So much so that when I missed a scene recently, I had to pause and have Hubby bring me up to speed. After this past weeks episode, Hubby and I had the following exchange:
OS: Are you loving some Patrick Swayze now as much as I do?
Hubby: No.
OS: Come on, don’t you have just a little man crush on him?
Hubby: Umm, NO!
OS: But he’s such a good actor...

 

Three Weeks

It’s been three weeks today since my hip replacement surgery. I feel that I’m still progressing very well. I’m up and around most of the day; although I keep wanting to take a little cat nap about two each afternoon.
I’m working a few hours a day. Before this I would have said that both my jobs consisted of me sitting at a computer all day. I never realized before how often during the course of my day that I stand, or reach, or bend, or turn, or scoot around in my office chair. It’s quite a workout.
On top of that, I’m going to physical therapy during the week. This exercising actually makes me feel better when I leave than when I arrive. I think it aligns me. My therapist thinks he can stop the aching pain and discomfort that I’ve been feeling when I lay down to rest at time. This has been my only uncomfortable time. It was causing me to still have to pop a pain pill at night; which doesn’t last all night, so I wake up about four each morning.
I’m still using the walker, but hope to be strong enough to ditch it after another week. I have one step going up to my front door that I can’t navigate alone yet because it‘s not wide enough for the walker. Maybe next week I’ll be strong enough to get by using just my cane. I hope to be able to drive soon too. Hubby has worn himself out running me back and forth during the day.
My biggest complaint at this point is that I still can’t take a bath. I just want to soak in a tub full of hot water and my favorite sea salts at the end of each day. That would make me so happy and relaxed. But noooo.... I have to sit on a bench and shower with the hand held sprayer. There’s no way I could get in and out of a tub, I can barely use the potty at work because it is so low.
Just keeping it real folks.

Not A Good Day

The world is deafeningly quieter today. We have lost the great voice of Oklahoman Paul Harvey Aurandt, who went to be with his “Angel” on Saturday.
I cannot remember a time when his deep, soothing voice was not a part of my life. I was exposed to his noon day "News And Comment" radio program while still in the womb. I don’t think my Dad ever missed his broadcast.
Mr. Harvey always seemed so wise and clever as he enlightened us with those human interest stories, laced with his special touch of wit and whimsy.
And tell me, who among you were not tempted to get out your checkbook for a pair of those Bose speakers? I know he always made me want to own a set.

From my oldest brother November 11, 2008 - “We listened to Paul Harvey on the red plaid radio above the dining table each weekday at noon in my youth. Dad would come home for lunch and it was a good time to be together when we could. Paul Harvey had a great radio voice and excellent delivery. He always had interesting things to say and never reported anything gory or distasteful because he said he was a diner guest of the families listening."
"Never thought of it before, but may be he had an influence on me to seek a place in journalism.”

Two Weeks

Two weeks after surgery, here is where I stand. (Pun intended.)
I’m walking all over the house with my walker. I’m not allowed to put my full weight on my leg for another couple of weeks. I’m starting to get bruises on my hands from the walker.
When I get into bed, I still have to lift my leg up with my hands. More exercise needed to regain that particular movement. I have to sleep on my back. This is driving me crazy. I have pain in my heels from this.
I can’t cross my legs... ever; for the rest of my life. I’m still not allowed to lean forward; have to keep shoulders behind my hips. I have a fancy plastic and rope contraption that I use to put on my socks. I have to wear these TED (anti-embolism) hose for several more weeks. They are hot, but they did cover up my hairy legs; that is until Hubby shaved them for me last night. (What a trooper.) The hose have an opening on the ball of the foot, but mine get twisted around all the time and my little toes fall out and I Monk out. I try to fix this with my reach-y grabber tool, but it doesn’t work very well for this. However, the grabber tool is great for retrieving the lotion bottle on the other side of my nightstand or for getting yogurt or soda from the fridge. Pockets also come in handy for moving snacks from kitchen to other areas of the house.
I’m not supposed to twist either. You remember that DVD the doctor sent home with me before surgery. It explained how to move around your house, how to climb stairs, how to get in and out of the car, etc. Absent from the video was instructions on how you are supposed to wipe your butt when you can’t reach behind you or bend forwards. I’m just saying, that might have been helpful information to add. Since this post has now gone to pot...did you know that pain meds make you constipated? In an effort to counteract this, I’ve never ate so much fruit in all my life.
Getting off of the blood thinner immediately made me feel better. I’ve cut way back on the pain pills too. I no longer require the house to be 60 degrees. I actually got chilled this afternoon. This was before I realized that the air conditioner had come on because it's in the upper 70’s here in OK today.
Hubby and I traveled to OKC for a follow up with my doctor and to get my staples out. Had an x-ray made and was told everything looks good. Walked my butt off on this trip and ended up having a painful and sleepless night afterward. (Not that I’ve slept through the night since surgery.) I had wanted to go to work for a little while the next day, but stayed home and rested instead. Today I went to the office for about three hours. I’ll continue this as long as I feel up to it, if Hubby doesn’t mind driving me back and forth during the day.

Works of Art

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Therefore, art is subjective. (I always say comedy is too.) We each respond to, and like, different forms of it.

Way back in the first part of December, I told you about attending a photo exhibit for some local female photographers who had traveled to Santa Fe together. Hubby bought me a piece that I admired. Well, I finally received it this week. Now, I just need a frame.

I’m a great admirer of food. I think it should be ascetically pleasing as well as delicious. I’m so fortunate that Hubby leaned how to cook from his mother. It’s come in real handy the past few weeks. Not only am I being fed, but it’s healthy food, and good looking too. This was last night’s offerings. I had to grab my camera ‘cause I thought it was so pretty. I might have been a bit on the hungry side too.

 

Little Cricket has not left my side since I arrived home from the hospital. What a faithful companion she is. Hey, we didn’t nickname her “Dr. Cricket T. Wicket” for nothing. She has always attended to the injured of our pack. My mother (not a big animal lover) always said that Cricket had the sweetest little face. That was a big compliment coming from her.

 

 

This last one you might not think of as art. Here’s where the subjective part comes in. Considering the fact that I’ve had to live with an ugly Frankenstein scar on my leg since I was a baby and first had hip surgery, I can appreciate the skill in which I was closed up this time. Once the bruising subsides and the staples are removed, I think this will be a scar that I can live with. 

The surgeon’s materials are flesh and blood, sinew and bone; as opposed to the painter’s canvas and oils, or the sculpture’s kiln and clay. A masterful artist in the eye of this beholder.

Update 4

Recuperation Notes:

This is a story boys and girls about Oxycodone and the Seven Dwarfs: Sleepy, Dopey, Queasy, Dizzy, Weepy, Happy, and Swoon.

First let me say that I feel everyone has to heal and recover at their own rate after surgery. As long as I’m moving forward and getting better each day, then I’m progressing well. At least that is what Hubby told Weepy this week. I’ve felt like I was taking two steps forward and one step back. I didn’t like the back.

I expected to be up and moving around more by now. But I, like several other members of my family, suffer from side effects from medications. So, while I would like to be sitting up in a chair, Queasy and Dizzy have other plans for me. I even tried to cut back on the pain meds so I wouldn’t feel so bad, but then I was too sore to actually move around. So I’m in a catch-22 here. I’m going to continue the meds for now, because on them, I can move my muscles more, get up and down unassisted, do all my leg exercises, and haul ass with my walker.

I envisioned my recuperation period as a great time to finally get caught up on my reading material. I have a four foot stack of magazines and books waiting here for me. I thought I would also be enjoying reading all my favorite blogs. My reader sits with 600 unread posts. Sleepy has not allowed me to keep up. I can’t even remember how many time I’ve fallen asleep now with my hand on the mouse. It’s so sad. The other night I fell asleep watching a tv show, so I was rewinding back to the last commercial break and fell asleep in the middle of rewinding and ended up at the beginning of the show. I’ve been able to stay awake long enough each day to log into work and take care of business and that’s about it.

The doctor also has me on a blood thinner. I don’t know how much that effects my system as well. I think it had a big part to play in what I now refer to as “the incident.” I was warned in the hospital not to run hot water while trying to bath. So Wednesday night while sitting on my bench hosing myself down, I specifically turned the water a lower temperature than usual. All was going well until Hubby was helping me towel off. That is when Swoon came to visit. I warned Hubby and he did the best he could trying to hang on to naked,wet, unconscious chick; not an easy task. Well, think about it, when you are about to pass out, you are supposed to lean forward and put your head between your legs, right? Well, I couldn’t do that. I’m not allowed to lean forward. I must keep my shoulders behinds my hips at all times. I awoke just as Hubby was calling 911, but before he pushed enter on his cell phone. I assured him I was okay. However Queasy had other plans. Hubby loving blogged about the “Return To The Exorcist.” Needless to say, I’ve been forbidden from bathing anytime soon. This was my step backwards for the week.

Dopey has an interesting effect on me. You know that running dialog that goes on inside your head? Well, Dopey makes me say all those thoughts out loud, continuously rambling on about the most minute details. Hubby thinks this is really fun from a control freak like myself. I’m a big goofball anyway, and this medication makes me even sillier. Happy has me giggling at times, not unlike that crazy Tatiana girl from American Idol. So, I’ve had some laughs along the way to recovery. Some of this has been so ridiculous that you just have to laugh; it keeps Weepy at bay.

Update 3

Surgical Notes:

On the way to the hospital, Hubby reminded me how he forgot the events of the whole day when he had shoulder surgery. (He actually forgot several day’s events, but whatever.) His point being that I wouldn’t even remember the current conversation. Obviously that didn’t happen. Hubby only vaguely remembers the coyote that ran out of the dense fog and took off the front bumper under panel of his truck as he ran over it on the HE Bailey Turnpike that morning.

Before I went to the hospital, I was tempted to take a marker and write a big “No” on my good hip. Just in case. Imagine how amused I was when the pre-op nurse got out her marker and marked “yes” and “no” on the appropriate hips. This was a “permanent” marker, because a week later I can still see it. That and tape residue.

My operating gown was made of paper, but had many layers and made me quite warm. I was told it had a ventilation system for heat and air. Made me think of a NASCAR racing suit.

After a discussion with the anesthesiologist about what a puker I am, she decided a patch would work best for the nausea. Some medication that’s helpful for motion sickness as well. I’m glad I remembered this conversation or I might have been concerned when two days later I found a silver circular sticker behind my left ear. If you are familiar with “the marked” from The 4400, then you get my concern.

I expected much more pain in my hip. Feels more like an achy soreness.

Morphine drip is a good thing.

You would think that an orthopedic hospital would have more comfortable toilet seats.

Nurses rock. Only had two exceptions in the two dozen or so I saw during my stay. The first one was a very large man named Jessie who didn’t support my leg correctly as I was getting back into bed, thus pulling a muscle in my inner thigh. This was the most pain I felt the whole time I was in the hospital. The second nurse, Sheri, well, I’m not sure what her problem was. I had a very bad experience Friday night from the pain meds. The room was spinning like a merry-go-round until I hurled. Sheri was insisting I take that medicine again the next morning and seemed to take it personally when I refused. Luckily my doctor showed up just as this was happening. All the other nurses, techs, and personnel took great care of me. I wish I could remember all of their names. Sherika was there the first night and Montana the last. Montana giggled all night. She had a great attitude and personality. My angel Trina took care of me the night I was the sickest. I squeezed her hand and thanked her profusely for being there for me.

Update 2

Hi all,
Thanks for your well wishes.
I'm at home, resting, working on my leg exercises. I'm on pain meds and a blood thinner. They make me queasy and have a headache, so I'm not able to be at the computer very much.
This too shall pass. Hopefully, I'll be back soon.

My Funny Valentine

To My Valentine, who means the world to me….




Lucky
By Jason Mraz with Colbie Caillat

Do you hear me,
I'm talking to you
Across the water across the deep blue ocean
Under the open sky, oh my, baby I'm trying
Boy I hear you in my dreams
I feel your whisper across the sea
I keep you with me in my heart
You make it easier when life gets hard

I'm lucky I'm in love with my best friend
Lucky to have been where I have been
Lucky to be coming home again
Ooohh ooooh oooh oooh ooh ooh ooh ooh

They don't know how long it takes
Waiting for a love like this
Every time we say goodbye
I wish we had one more kiss
I'll wait for you I promise you, I will

I'm lucky I'm in love with my best friend
Lucky to have been where I have been
Lucky to be coming home again
Lucky we're in love every way
Lucky to have stayed where we have stayed
Lucky to be coming home someday

And so I'm sailing through the sea
To an island where we'll meet
You'll hear the music fill the air
I'll put a flower in your hair
Though the breezes through trees
Move so pretty you're all I see
As the world keeps spinning round
You hold me right here right now

I'm lucky I'm in love with my best friend
Lucky to have been where I have been
Lucky to be coming home again
I'm lucky we're in love every way
Lucky to have stayed where we have stayed
Lucky to be coming home someday

Update

I'm alive. Surgery went well. I've mooned the entire north wing while taking baby steps down the hall with my walker. They're probably kicking me out of here this weekend. More later.

But What Are You?

Some of you mistakenly took my Loser post seriously the other day. Surely I jest. Hubby’s even having t-shirts commissioned for us to mark the occasion.

 

After I commented that the "M" in "I’m" shouldn’t be capitalized, he sent me another possible set of shirts.

 

I quickly altered this second pair to more accurately reflect our relationship.

 

 

 

Eggs-actly What I Wanted

January 31
Hubby asked if he could make me breakfast and what would I like. We discussed what we had available to cook and then he said something like, “We won’t be having omelets.”
You see, he is the master omelet maker in the family. He produces his fluffy variations in a fold over omelet pan. Well he did, until it wore out. I showed him how to make an omelet in an a regular frying pan, but he was not impressed. I have to omit that mine tastes great but they are not the same as his. That fold over pan somehow steams the eggs and fluffs them up about an inch thick. They are really good.
So, simply solution, go to the store and buy a new fold over omelet pan right? Not in this town. We have not been able to find one anywhere in Lawton. So this morning after our breakfast exchange, Hubby says dejectedly, “I’ll never have a good omelet pan again.”
Inside I’m dying and almost blurted out the fact that I had ordered him one online the day before.

February 4
I was watching “Dear Genevieve” on HGTV. Genevieve was doing a kitchen makeover for a couple. She took them to a ginormous kitchen supply store to buy some new cookware. Hubby, who was sitting next to me, says, “I bet they have an omelet pan there.”
I smiled on the inside.

 

February 6
Box arrives for Hubby. Nothing says love as we approach Valentine’s Day like an egg omelet pan and an egg spatula... if that's what your heart desires. Aren’t they the cutest things ever?

 

We actually have a rule in our house about buying household items for special occasions. The rule, (as stated by me) “Don’t buy a vacuum cleaner for my birthday or I will kill you”, or something to that effect. To circumvent said rule, Hubby once gave me a shiny new four slice toaster with a dozen red roses sticking out of it. I found that creative and practical. I have too many vases anyway.

Turning Into My Mother

A couple of years ago, Hubby called me out on a bad habit of mine. I used to leave waded up paper towels all over the kitchen and evidently he was getting tired of throwing them away. In my defense, I left them there because I have a serious hand washing monkey on my back and I was being frugal and reusing said paper towels. Also as I cooked, I would often use one of these towels to wipe up spills or to wipe my hands on. And I wasn’t leaving them for him to pick up, I just hadn’t thrown them out myself yet.

One day we were at my mother’s house and I hear him cracking up. Why? Because he looked around my mom’s kitchen and saw waded up paper towels. “Well at least you come by it naturally,” he said. Oh great, I’m turning into my mother, I thought. Well, that was just the motivation I needed to break this habit.

What I didn’t realize is that this particular habit is contagious. For sometime, I thought I was going crazy because I was sure that I wasn’t doing this anymore, but I kept finding paper towels around the kitchen on the counters. I finally realized it wasn’t me, but Hubby that is doing this. So Honey, guess what, you are turning into my mother. How does that feel?

Hubby also has sock issues (as evidenced by this "sock ball" I pulled out of the laundry basket), but we already knew that. Read Wet Socks on his blog.

Crumbtastic

I’ve blogged about some of my little OCD quirks (monkisms), but I’ve not narced on Hubby for his. His may be actually more severe than mine. When we first started dating, he had all his shoes lined up neatly in his closet floor and his shirts were hung in ascending sleeve length and also according to collar detail (or something like that).

I’m always amazed when I open the peanut butter jar and it is smooth and flat on the surface. Not sure how he even does that. So imagine my shock this morning when I open the tub o’ margarine and see this.

 

Okay, first of all...crumbs, yuck. More importantly, how the heck did this get all lopsided. I don’t understand... but instead of buttery toast, I‘m opting for cereal (if the date of the milk is not expired). Somebody’s got some ‘splaining to do.

No New Messages...

Day six without email at my home. The internet provider says they are building a new mail server. Me thinks they ordered parts from China. Delivered by slow boat. I’ve got about 5 old computers sitting around my house if you guys need some spare parts. Call me.

My vote for the 2008 Okie Blog Awards has been sitting in my Outbox the whole six days. I may have to send it from work. Deadline is the 7th.

My hip surgery has been delayed a week. Now I have to re-prepare myself mentally for next week, instead of this week. Too bad I lent out my car. I didn’t think I would have much use for it.

"Remember, texting or talking while driving can be dangerous to your health."

Hey, why does anyone hold a phone up to their ear anymore? A wireless headset costs as little as $20-$30.

Spent Super Bowl Sunday on the couch in front of the television. Not at all a football fan, but even I appreciated what an exciting game this one was.

My grandson, (pictured in the previous post) hung out with me. He’s such a good baby; perfectly content and entertained by me making silly faces and funny noises for him.

Hope to have an exciting new feature out for you very soon. Stay tuned.

MVP

 

MVP - Most Valuable Playdate