Tuesday December 19th 2023

Tweety, BSN, RN · Dec 19, 2023

Good morning!

It's chilly here, still in the low 50's and probably won't make it out of the 50's today.

I know a lot of nurses that don't give up their license right away but I guess eventually do.

I got about five hours of sleep. Been productive in that I did some meal prep, lunches and dinner for the next two days of work. Although tomorrow is a covered-dish lunch at work.
We had a nice covered dish dinner at bowling last night. I was told it's a "pot luck" and not "covered dish" since that's what they call it down here. Who knew?

Editorial Team / Admin · Dec 19, 2023

Hello all!

We call them "potlucks" here. Hadn't heard of "covered dish" before, huh...

Joe, I hope work continues to be light, before Christmas Day and New Year's.

Toby is about the same. He got up with me on the bed early this morning, which is his usual practice. I haven't noted much change yet. His urine sample was sent out for C&S, may have to change to a different Abx when results come in, in 5-7 days. He ate last night when we got home, and hopefully will eat this morning (his thyroid-suppressing medication is administered in his food, so hopefully he will eat).

We are looking at a rain storm coming in later today, lasting 3-4 days. Snow at Mammoth Mountain, in the Sierras. I don't know if we will get much snow in our local mountains...

Slept OK the first four hours, then was awake for the next five hours! Then slept a little after that. Today we need to take the car to the body shop recommended by our insurance agent, to have them eyeball the body damage, give us an estimate for repair or replacement, and order parts. We will return with the car once the parts come in. We hope to not have to rent a car while it's being repaired, will see.

Have a good day!

No Stars In My Eyes · Dec 19, 2023

Good Lord! Yesterday about an hour after I finished posting, my SiL and Niece (and her dgt, 6 yrs old now) and BiL came over, with the trailer in which to load unwanted stuff....I didn't realize that yesterday was going to be a big day, but it surely was!

SiL and Niece did the heavy lifting, and I did the stuff I could do without making my body call forth all the gypsies. BiL busied himself with papers, since his physical restrictions still apply. He also was making silly suggestions to 'the girls', and asking dumb questions (on purpose). So here's what we got done:

Ditched the old cruddy box Spring and mattress, dismantled the double-bed frame, moved the dresser across the room, moved the pipe-cabinet down to the 'formal' living room for whenever step-dgt can come and pick it up. Also took the old cutting block table out of the kitchen (hubby had done one of his falls on it and knocked it over, breaking the decorative tiles on the side of it (it has always been in my way, no matter where hubby and I placed it, since we moved here.) took down the set of folding doors between the kitchen and formal dining room, so the love-seat could be moved through the formal dining room and then down to the den. So, also got rid of the old sofa I've sat on for 7 years and created a grand-canyon type seat indentation. Pulled up the old rug from the den floor, and replaced it with a matching rug that was about 2/3rd's of the size of the one we took out. Brought down the coffee table from the formal living room. I vacuumed the den floor and washed the worst of the floor. Ditched a couple of the stupid 'occasional' tables which Nannie had set up with long, flowing 'skirts' and put vases with fake flowers in them. They were made of particle board and had rickety legs and were in the way. Set the coffee table in front of the loveseat and moved the footrest and smaller footrest (which Momo has to have to get up on the sofa) over to the far end of the sofa.

Momo was not freaked out by all this activity, she just was on duty, keeping track of where I was at all moments of the day. Kind of like my own special security watch-dog, sort of. Once I fixed her access to the sofa and put her little round bed and her baby blanket on the loveseat sofa, she was happy and took up her 'life-guard' duty from there, practically smiling to have HER things back in place.

I'm sure there were a few more things that were done, but right now I can't recall. OH! SiL took Nannie over to her house for a few hours and while there, got her into the tub (on a shower chair) and scrubbed her down with a rose water and salt combo....a real thorough bath! SiL also did her hair, and fed her supper! That is when I put the so-called finishing touches on the dens rearrangement. I'll have to put some dampened towels on the edges of the rug with something to weigh them down while they get relaxed; it had only been rolled up for 6 years, so it needs convincing to flatten out!

Grand-niece played in what she calls 'the pretty room) -- formal living room, then asked SiL if she could have the tiny little tea set that had been on the coffee table up there. (I said yes, of course) She came downstairs hugging these two fluffy knitted and lace laden 'angels' (one was a floppy eared rabbit and the other a teddy bear) and I asked her if she would like those, and of course she did. She held one in each arm after that. I asked her if she'f like a bag to put them and the tea-set in, but she said "No thank you, Aunt ('Ant' down here) Stars." She was so happy and when she left, she was clutching it all close to her chest, and smiling. Cute!

Then when the 'girls' left with Nannie in tow, BiL and I talked about the financial things, like we need to go to the bank with documents to get Nannie and hubby off of the checks and savings acct. May have to open new accts, but that's for the bank to take care of. He's going to take care of getting the property tax paid; it is due by Jan 6th. He said he would take out some cash money to give me, for a start to any future recompense. We also talked about the house. I said that when (IF!) Nannie died, I'm not sure what I'd do or where I'd go, because I said the house is tooooo big for me to take care of, and the maintenance costs, etc. and taxes were too much for me to pay, anyway. We are going to find out, if we can, if I ever find her will, who is going to have specifically what from Nannie's will.....Hubby had so-much percentage of the value, which I believe has now fallen to me, and BiL and SiL each have 1/2 %. Anyway, he said something about a 'mother-in-law's' place (a little house...or apt.?) behind their house, with two bedrooms, and Nannie and I could move in there until she dies and then I'd still have a place to live rent and mortgage free. Sounds good to me, actually. Now, since hubby passed, they are so helpful and kind to me, and also respectful and thankful for the things I have been doing for so long. Hubby and BiL's argument was the sticking point for so long, but now that he is gone, they know I was just 'staying out of it', what was between them, ie not part of it all. So!

Last night when Nannie came home I mentioned to SiL about Nannie needing her meds, and SiL went up to the kitchen and got the meds I had put in little med cups. Unbeknownst to me, Nannie took the supper pills AND the bedtime pill at the same time.....so NOW, Nannie is conked out and it is almost 2 PM. I tried to get her awake enough to get up, but she talked to me with her eyes closed and made no movements or indications that she was ready to get up. She agreed to it, but I guess the meds still have her snockered. I let her be, because what else could I do? I don't want to give her all of the morning meds because there is a Seroquel in there and she probably doesn't need that right now!

Anyway, I'm sure she will eventually sleep off last nights combined-med effects. Meanwhile, maybe I'll go upstairs to do the 3 or 4 days of dishes in the sink.

All for now!

Tweety, BSN, RN · Dec 19, 2023

Stars. so glad Nannie's side of the family is being so good to you. Sounds like you got a lot done.

Dianah, hope Toby gets well soon.

Not sure where I got "covered dish" because down here they do say pot luck and I've been here for 30 years. But I've mostly lived in the SE..North Carolina, Georgia and Florida. So somewhere they say covered dish for pot luck. I was questioning myself but Webster says " covered-dish supper: noun: a community meal to which each guest brings one dish, all dishes being shared by all.

No Stars In My Eyes · Dec 19, 2023

Ummm....not that it matters a heck of a lot, but the bath I mentioned that Nannie was given was actually rose water and SUGAR, not salt!

toomuchbaloney · Dec 19, 2023

Tweety said:

Stars. so glad Nannie's side of the family is being so good to you. Sounds like you got a lot done.

Dianah, hope Toby gets well soon.

Not sure where I got "covered dish" because down here they do say pot luck and I've been here for 30 years. But I've mostly lived in the SE..North Carolina, Georgia and Florida. So somewhere they say covered dish for pot luck. I was questioning myself but Webster says " covered-dish supper: noun: a community meal to which each guest brings one dish, all dishes being shared by all.

In Alaska they call them potlatch, which is the whole party/ event.

nursej22, MSN, RN · Dec 19, 2023

Hi. I should be baking, but I'm hiding in the bedroom. dh has christmas carols blasting in the living room/kitchen and has a nasty smelling candle burning. Im sure it will hurt his feelings if I blow it out and turn down the music. I drove sis to Seattle for her post op check, then we went out for breakfast, before driving back. To me, all that driving is tiring. Last night, we loaded some junk into the pickup and ds took it to the dump. dh is getting more serious about down-sizing and moving to a smaller house, thank goodness.

I hope Toby the cat is on the mend and he is on the correct antibiotics.

Wow, stars, that is a lot of furniture moving. I am so glad that your in-laws can appreciate your situation. Whoopsie on the meds, but stuff happens.

We say potluck around here, I think covered dish is more of a midwest expression. I always thought of potluck as people brought what they wanted, but at most of the latest ones I've been to, have a theme or you're are assigned a category, like salad or side dish, or dessert.

Dh has a Pentax DSLR, which he enjoys.

Oh snap, it's 3 in the afternoon and I forgot my morning pills.

No Stars In My Eyes · Dec 20, 2023

Nannie woke up at 6 PM and got up, I put her chicken potpie into the microwave....and proceeded to forget about it for the next hour! I did eventually realize that the little beeps I heard every so often was the microwave saying "It's ready!" So I only had to reheat it for another minute and it was hot again, enough to eat.

At 10:30 PM (I had told her that since she slept so late today I would let her stay up until 11 PM.) I remembered that I had put her soaking wet sheets into the drier after they finished washing. So I had to get up and make her bed with the fresh sheets.

I swear, it is so busy in my head there is not much 'waiting space' for some of the things I need to keep track of to do 'later' in the day. I hope I am not getting dementia! Maybe I will improve as things get resolved; I sure hope so!

GADS!

Ado Annie, ASN, RN · Dec 20, 2023

I hope Toby is doing better.

Stars, what a big day and a lot of work! Glad they're being so helpful.

It was always a potluck around here. I've only read about the "covered dish" meal. In Indiana, some people called it a "carry-in" or a "pitch-in." We're having one at the hospital Thursday and there is a list to tell what you're bringing, I guess so not everyone brings dessert or something. I've got a couple of appetizers in mind. Tonight I made the cheating kind of fudge where you mix chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk. I tossed some pecans in it, too.

Got a text at 7:30 this morning that the one nurse scheduled to work med/surg was a no call/no show. So I put on scrubs and was a floor nurse until someone relieved me about 1:00. It was fine except for computer/technology issues. There was someone who came on for outpatient abx and the admissions staff had a hard time getting her admitted in the computer. Then I had issues with the telemedicine computer but finally got it (and me) to do right.