Monday December 23 2024

Tweety, BSN, RN · Dec 23, 2024

Good morning!

Joe, hope you have a good day. Glad you had a good day out with a friend. Hope the cat eats better.

I did some online education at work at home this morning. Friday someone came around with instructions to read a power point and do education by the end of next week. I said "I certainly don't want to shoot the messenger, but let me be clear on this. You're giving one-week notice on an education that must be done Christmas week, when people are busy, traveling and taking vacation. Have I got that right?". LOL. It's an action plan because on joint commission were deficient in charting pain and response to pain medication. They had months to come up with it and give us a week do to it. Okay. Consider it done.

Don't have much going on today. Going to the gym, cleaning the bathrooms are stuff I hope to accomplish.

Ado Annie, ASN, RN · Dec 23, 2024

Geez, Tweety, I don't blame you for pointing that out, even if it is only to the messenger.

Sorry that Tweety and J22 had such bad days, hope today is a good one.

J22, I remember back in college (a long time ago) I had an apartment with two other girls about a mile south of campus. My roommate needed to work on campus late one evening (we both worked at the computer centers) and didn't have a car so she talked me into riding our bikes when we went to campus. I'm afraid I was really grumpy because riding into that cold north wind did make my face hurt.

TMB, that's a neat photo. I think it would be fascinating to experience an arctic Winter (and Summer) ... once. As a lifestyle I'm afraid the lack of sunlight in Winter would leave me depressed.

Speaking of depression, I'm really fighting it this season, though not for any particular reason. I have always loved Christmas -- the festive-ness, the anticipation of Advent, the light-in-the-darkness messaging, time with family -- but lately the drudgery steps in. And since my parents died, and Hubs' brother and sister died, we don't really see family much anymore. Hubs' grandkids are 1,000 miles away and other than that there really aren't any children in our lives. My sister has definitely started a slide into dementia. I'd like to visit her again but we can't all get away because of Gma and ... and... and...

We saw Wicked in OKC several years ago (stepson, Gma, Twin A, and I) back when Gma could still behave appropriately and even maybe enjoy the show. It was good, but (imho) not great. I read the book (an eye-opener -- a lot sexier than the musical) to try to understand the story better.

No Stars In My Eyes · Dec 23, 2024

OMG, I seriously need to re-boot my brain! I have been thinking that Thursday is Christmas, and SiL just informed me it is Wednesday! Maybe I can get a re-set as a Christmas gift? SiL keeps saying, "Don't worry, it's all good." But honestly I don't think I have been so OFF as much as I have been this month or longer...

I did sleep well, as SiL came this morning and woke me up telling me by text that I needed to come downstairs and let her in. So I did, and then I went back to sleep and woke up at 12:20!

Now I have to decide what/if I am going to do today that I can get done by 4 PM, as I have to pick Nannie up at the daycare ctr at 4:30 PM. Trying to talk myself into doing SOMETHING, but the little devil on my left shoulder says "Just forget it!" But I do have at least a few things that must get done.

I am trying to wake up sufficiently to continue with the day....This feels so screwy; I need some time to get reoriented, but I don't know that I will be able to get some. SiL says that Chatty CG is coming Thursday, but I have a feeling that will fall through. I need to off-load some doubt and pessimism for the New Year.

Well...I should stop here and gather my wits....they seem to be running around like a bunch of 3- year-old kids on a sugar-high!

Editorial Team / Admin · Dec 23, 2024

Hello all!

Joe, I hope your cat continues to act "normal" and at least eats some. Re: B and his dating practices: he may have something different he's looking for (which may not, really, be attainable) -- who knows? Just keep being you.

Ado, I hope today is good for you. It takes a lot to do all you do, AND take care of Gma.

And for you, No Stars! Woo-hoo, Nannie at Day Care! And yes, Christmas is on Wednesday! (I, too, sometimes have trouble remembering what day it is)

The play Saturday night was good, a nice local production. It was a mishmash of A Christmas Carol involving Sherlock Holmes. Apparently many more than six parts were shared by the cast of six -- a change of costume alerting us that this may be the same person but she is playing a different part!! AND, one of the main parts (also playing a couple other parts 😉 ) actors was ill, and the director stepped in and carried the script around, and read from the script! Needs must, donchaknow! It was all a valiant effort, 'the show must go on!'

Last night we dressed Victorian and attended the Currier and Ives production up at Oak Glen. Before we were checked in, we waited on the porch, by a fire pit (propane), and chatted with the cast member who was roasting chestnuts -- over the open fire! We each got to try one after they were deemed 'done' and cooled off enough to try (they were OK; I think they weren't quite done).

Held in an old wooden packing house/barn-like building, it was decorated with lots of small lights in the rafters, a Christmas tree twinkling near the soup table, and greenery tucked in the beams of the walls. Four family members (dressed in Victorian garb) regaled us with caroling as we came in and got our bowl of potato soup, with a plate of sourdough bread and butter. Then came a reading of "I Heard the Bells On Christmas Day" with a violin solo in the background. There was a central stage with a white "curtain" with a Victorian b&w Christmas scene depicted on it. A pianist played a keyboard while we were served with our meal: apple glazed ham, a chicken pot pie, green beans and roasted potatoes, with a roll and honey apple butter. There followed a community carol sing-along with "the band:" keyboard, guitar, banjo, mandolin, upright bass, fiddle! and then we 'decked the halls' with boughs of holly cut from the holly bushes on the property! Then the tables were cleared away and "cotillion dancing" began, with the banjo player doing the calling. It was fun to watch (and we could get dessert of brandied bread pudding on a table outside while the area was being cleared and during the dancing). We left after the first dance, and stopped to see oldest ds at work for a few minutes. He works as a bartender at a local "pub" and it was kinda busy last night. I hope it wasn't weird busy for him; some ppl act strangely as the alcohol meter rises.

Christmas Day we will have a Zoom call with the ds's and then take oldest out to Vietnamese Pho soup.

That's it from here! Have a good afternoon and evening!

nursej22, MSN, RN · Dec 24, 2024

Good evening. Cool and breezy, but dry. The sun did peek out a few times. I went shopping with youngest ds. I let him drive as I am still a little nervous. Traffic was bad, and pedestrians were just stepping out in front of cars willy-nilly. At our last stop we saw a fender bender. It was nearly full-contact shopping at the grocery store, and I wasn't quite able to complete the list due to empty shelves. We got some nice cheeses to put out with fruit and crackers on Christmas day.

Tomorrow we are going to a showing of Its A Wonderful Life at a small independent theatre. In the evening we'll stop by dh's SiL and see his side of the family. dd and her boys will sleep over at our house and we'll have breakfast. The rest of the day will be snacks, board games and puzzles, no big meal. I've ordered some party platters from Subway for something more substantial than chips and dips.

Gosh, Joe, I hope the kitty can get over whatever is bothering him.

Stars, having Nannie out of the house must be disorienting, but I'm sure you'll adjust.

Tweety, how frustrating that your hospital is so inconsiderate. From what I've read and seen with family, that whole pain documentation business seems like a joke, to me.

I think I tried to read the book that Wicked is based on, but gave up. The movie was okay, beautiful costumes. It was cute that Kristin Chenowith and Idina Menzel had small parts to sing.

Dianah, you Christmas plans sound nice. We will do face time with eldest ds and DiL. They are in Vermont to see her parents, possibly for the last time.

Ado Annie, ASN, RN · Dec 24, 2024

I heard rain falling for a few minutes outside. 55 degrees.

I made a batch of pecan tarts/ pecan tassies. They're a bit labor-intensive. I wanted to send some to stepson so hopefully can do that before the family breaks into them. Stepson has flu A. 🤧

I did finally mail the package to stepdaughter and her family.

Twin A is sickly, too, including throwing up after dinner last night. Twin B is frustrated because his boss has canceled last minute a couple of times on his annual review. She doesn't seem to understand how hard it can be for night shifters to come in the middle of the day, either. On the other hand, I think Twin B is overreacting a little. I thought Nov/Dec was a strange time to be doing employee reviews. I have not had my one-on-one with my boss, either.