August 05, 2016 - Msg 105456: Good morning, porch! Good grief, that Yugo video is a hoot, but for the life of me, I can't figure out why anyone would go to all that trouble and expense to put a big Olds engine in that dinky little car. People sure are funny....

Well, I'm happy to say the "pain" in my hand and wrist has been downgraded to "discomfort." Still haven't taken any meds for it, and it looks like I won't need to. Even typing isn't painful. Awkward, but not painful. The soft cast he has on it covers my whole hand, with just my fingers and thumb peeking out, and runs halfway to my elbow. You can see how that would limit typing, but I'm making it work. One-handed was just too slow. I've gained a whole new respect for a friend at church, who lost part of her arm in an accident when she was 17. It's off at about mid-forearm, so she only has one hand, and yet she cooks and keeps house, and always is perfectly groomed, looks like she stepped out of a fashion magazine. Neat lady!

Asa, you're right, things do happen sometimes and can't be avoided. However, the difference is in the way the aftermath is handled. Sounds like your company does it right, offering some stopgap remedies, and I would imagine you kept communication open and let folks know what to expect. Most people will respond to that, and understand that complaining isn't going to fix it any faster. However, this thing with Boo's workplace sounds like they're not doing that. All I've heard so far sounds like management is not communicating, and no one has any idea what's being done or when they can expect it to be fixed. That's a volatile population of troubled kids there, most of whom have been kicked around and ignored most of their lives. They don't need more of the same. Management needs to talk to them, keep them informed, show them a little respect and concern, and ask for their cooperation and patience. Then get some people involved (like politicians) who can get something done.

Well, guess I'll go rustle up something to eat. Toye Starr and I slept very late this morning. Then I've got to figure out how to shower and wash my hair with this silly cast on my left hand. I used to wrap a patient's hand and arm in a small towel, then in a plastic bag, and tape it shut around their arm. Then I'd help them bathe. Not sure how I'm going to do the wrapping and taping and shampooing with just one hand, but I'll try. Maybe I won't wash my hair until tomorrow, so it will be fresh for Sunday. Got to shower though, as I'll be playing bunco tonight. Oh shoot! I roll dice left handed! Guess I won't tonight. Maybe it'll change my luck! Blessing, porch. --Romeena
August 05, 2016 - Msg 105457: Now if that isn't porch-dedication, I don't know what is! Swept this porch one-handed! Toye Starr helped - she dusted the rockers with her little plumey tail. --Romeena
August 05, 2016 - Msg 105458: We'll just start calling ya "One Arm Romeena"...lol Hopefully switch hitting will bring you some luck tonight....G-F
August 05, 2016 - Msg 105459: Asa, One good thing about being a Maintenance guy, when the A/C goes out and you fix it, you will be "THE MAN" once again don't worry!...lol
(Unlike Boo's situation) Yep, that is a fine line that a maintenance guy walks... G-F again
August 05, 2016 - Msg 105460: quick thought when andy griffith show aired think back what you were doing type of car you was driving music etc that year rather you share it or not its a fun trip down memory lane. have a great weekend pappa bear
August 05, 2016 - Msg 105461: :( HI
GOING ASKED FOR MORE PRAYER FOR SARA, SHE WAS ALL TO COME HOME NOW WE HEAR SHE HAVE SOMETHING WRONG WITH HER IN SIZE SO GOING TO KEEP HER FOR ABOUT A WEEK.

G-F YOU CAN HAVE ALL THE RAIN.

:( TOM :(
August 05, 2016 - Msg 105462: Well, Romeena, things are hitting the fan at work. You would not believe what today has been like. I was scheduled for day shift so arrived at work at 6am. It was 92 degrees in the nurse's station. We had water, but no AC. I had my big fan to sit in front of and prepare the meds. When I went to take them to the boy's unit to dispense them, it was about 96 degrees and the kids had been in that heat all night. There were staff members who were throwing up and going home sick. The bosses showed up and there was talk of the state licensing people showing up and closing the place down.. They basically came and said the kids had to be moved out somewhere until the air is fixed. They had the ac folks on the way and the administrator of the facility asked me if they could take the kids to my church for the day while the ac is being fixed...so, we moved all the kids to the education building in the church and they will probably have to stay there until in the morning when it is cool enough to move them back. I just left the church a little while ago to come home and shower and eat and I will have to go back later tonight to be sure everything is locked up if they are able to leave tonight. Apparently the air is back on but it is going to take some time to cool the old place down. It's really a shame because everyone is trying so hard but the place just needs to be bulldozed. It is a private-owned facility (a very poor one owned by a very elderly man), and the state has a contract with the facility but we receive very little funds from the state. I don't know what will happen but maybe we kept the place open for one more day.

I think I will go take a little siesta. I earned it.

Prayer for Sara, TOM.

Boo
August 05, 2016 - Msg 105463: Wow BOO, all I can say is that is disgusting in this day and age!! Prayers for all those kids and staff members! So sad that it took getting sick to get the "ac folks on the way!" I'm sure they could have done it all along, but the old tight wad owner didnt want to spend the money to do it!!
OK, I got that off my chest!
Prayers for all,
MDC
August 06, 2016 - Msg 105464: Back after a little respite.
TOM--My prayers continue for Sara. So sorry to hear of this
setback.
PAPPAbear--to answer your question... Back in 1966 at this time I was 17 years old, and on a roadtrip with my mom, dad, and sibs to visit my grandparents in Minneapolis, MN. It was quite a trip with all of us crammed into a '65 Ford Custom. Tent and bedrolls in the roof rack and the trunk loaded for bear. I remember miles and miles of cornfields in Iowa!
GF--GO Indians! :)
ASA--glad you got a little rain.
ROMEEna--hang in there, this too shall pass. BTW, i did not mean that a book whack would be
good for your size of cyst, just meant it for my small baby pea sized one. :)
Nite all,
MDC
August 06, 2016 - Msg 105465: Prayers for Sara for sure Tom. Hang in there friend.

Mercy sakes Boo. That is a horrible situation you are in. I am glad at least they got the a/c working.

Yes sir GF. Us maint. fellers can go from hero to villain back to hero pretty darn quick, can't we. I remember a few years ago I had a boss tell me this. He said that I should on occasion shut down an a/c system while no one saw, and then wait for them to call me about it so I then could "fix it". His thinking was that if you kept things working all the time, folks would take us for granted. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I told him I have enough going on naturally without playing those kind of games. He was the type of boss who didn't like any push back. Well a few days later I get a call from one of our properties that their a/c was down. I drive to it, get on the roof, and find one of the fuses on the three phase disconnect had magically come undone. I put it back in and closed the disconnect and bingo, it fired right up. Well I wasn't born yesterday. I asked the receptionist if she had seen anyone up on the roof the last day or so. She responded just my boss had gone up to inspect the roof membrane and get some measurements. I knew what was going on and I was livid. I got him on the phone and called him out on it. He initially denied having even been on the site for months. But when I told him the receptionist had seen him on the roof, he knew he was busted. I said if you do anything like that again, I am going to the department Manager or higher if I have to. I wasn't going to play his stupid games. He was the worst boss I have ever had. Thank goodness a year or so later he was shifted to a different crew. What a weasel. I
August 06, 2016 - Msg 105466: whoops, I hit the wrong key. I bet you have had a few dealings like that yourself GF, 10-4?

Well better get. Off to the store for groceries. Let's see what I forget to buy this week. lol

Asa
August 06, 2016 - Msg 105467: Morning Gang... All kinds of happenings in Canton today, the Hall of Fame activities are this week-end. If you are into football this is the place to be!... As for me, I avoid it and all the crowds. But if you are a Tim McGraw fan, he's having a concert tonight...

TOM, sorry about your sisters setback, but the doctors know best on what she needs...

Hopefully Romeena was able to roll her dice 🎲🎲🎲with her other hand...

Boo, your work sight is a "Hot Mess" literally!....Hopefully the fixed it right....Cool Runnings.....

Yep, MDC, sounds like the Indians are hoping for some post season action this year!....

G-F
August 06, 2016 - Msg 105468: Guess we were posting at the same time Asa. Fore sure us maintenance guys have to clean up a lot of messes from people's decisions! Dont get me started!.... G-F again
August 06, 2016 - Msg 105469: Good Morning G-F,Asa,Romeena,possum,Maude,Boo,TOM,Pappa bear,MDC and all...glad the hand is better Romeena...well I'm here filling in for a worker (OT) for me ..till 6pm off tomorrow for a change ..Get to go to preaching !..slow here this morning..had a couple of boiled eggs..got to do some bush hoggin this afternoon and get the garden ready for the winter planting...cabbage,turnnip greens ect...will be cutting okra till frost...have to cut every other day..pulled close to 200 maters the other day..Mrs SPOT got the vacume sealer out and went to work putting them in the freezer...well let me head over to Amazon and do a little shopping prayers SPOT
August 06, 2016 - Msg 105470: Asa... You had me laughing all day about your story... WE GOT TO BE WORKING FOR THE SAME PEOPLE!....
But it is good to have a "Brother in Arms" who knows what it's like... You're a TREASURE!.... Maybe we can work on a song together?.... "The Maintenance Man Blues"...lol. G-F
August 06, 2016 - Msg 105471: Wow, Asa, good for you for standing up to your boss like that. That takes courage for sure. But I know you work for a bigger boss in heaven, and us folks who aren't "ept" in the a/c field thank Him for people like you.

Boo, glad you got your a/c working, and I hope they find a better place for those kids.

Pappa Bear, good idea about TAGS memories and what we were doing, but I wasn't even around until the last two years that TAGS was on so I didn't have a car. Was probably playing with some toy ones though.

Prayers that everything turns out well for Sara, Tom.

Well, I finished watching the last episode of TAGS on Netflix last night. So now I don't know what I am going to watch, unless they put Mayberry RFD on at some point.
I wasn't very thrilled with the last episodes. I like Ken Berry and all(especially on Mama's Family), but the episodes just weren't very interesting. I did notice that in the Sam Jones episodes, Andy did seem more relaxed. I'm guessing because Andy Griffith knew he wasn't going to be featured in the show anymore, and that took some stress off of him.

-Sterling Holobyte
August 07, 2016 - Msg 105472: "Asa and GF were H-VACS, adept as they could be, told every
crook in the repair book to stay out of Mayberry..."
Sterling, do you like westerns?
Some years ago I bought the entire Wyatt Earp series, and my dad and I would watch them when I
would visit. ME-TV has westerns on in the AM to the PM, Gunsmoke, Bonanza, Rifleman, etc, I like them all.
RO--how did bunco go what with yer hand all taped up?
GOOD Sabbath to all!
MDC
August 07, 2016 - Msg 105473: Good Sabbath all.

Thanks for the kind words Sterling, but I probably don't deserve them. The truth be known, this boss and I had been at odds with each other for some time. He was new in management and came in with an agenda. He desired to surround himself with yes men, and really took it personally when any of his crew differed with him on anything. I am not, by nature, a disagreeable person. In fact I really try hard to get along with everyone. And I will try to please the boss whenever I can. I may not agree with him on everything all the time, but hey, I'm no dummy. He may not always be right, but he is always the boss, and thus has the means to make my life miserable. The thing I couldn't handle with him was he was a scheming scoundrel who was only interested in promoting himself. He lied constantly. I think he would lie even if the truth sounded better. I have always tried to be a straight shooter and honest with my dealings with folks. So I refused to lie for him, and would not back him up on his lies to others. Therefore I was not a team player in his view, and a threat, and must be removed. He tried for a couple of years to do that. Thankfully I think I had developed a reputation of being a good worker and an asset to the company. Most folks could see that there had never been an issue with me for the 15 years I had worked prior to him becoming the boss. All his shenanigans eventually caught up to him, and although he is still employed with the company, he is not my boss any longer and is disliked by any who seal with him. He has created quite a reputation of being someone to avoid as much as possible. I'm sure that bothers him, but he made his bed. Now he has to sleep in it. 10-4 GF?

Ha MDC, It took me a minute to get that you was singing there. Nice job. lol

Yes GF, Are you close to Canton? I would love to go to the HOF sometime. Have you ever gone?

Well better go get spruced up for preaching I reckon. I didn't sleep well last night so I hope I don't pull a Gomer and doze off and start snoring.

Prayers for all.

Asa
August 07, 2016 - Msg 105474: Asa, I now live just east of Canton. But I grew up and worked in Canton most of my life. Funny thing, I lived a half mile from the HOF but was only there one time with my Son on a Father/Son event they had. I have been to the HOF game one time though, I had free tickets!....

Mainly I stayed away from all the crowds and drama that week!... My kids were in the band so I did go to the "Grand Parade" the years that they marched in the parade.

Back in the day, they had a all night street party along the parade route that was as crazy as Mardi Gras that night before the parade.
Finally the city and the police got tired of all the drama and stupidly and they Nipped it in the Bud and shut it down.

If you are a football fan, it is the Mecca of places to see, plus they are in the process of making a whole complete complex with hotels restaurants and football themed activities all year around... Yep, it's going to be BIG!...

As for your former Boss... "What goes around comes around!" Good guys may come in last at times but they are always respected and appreciated by their peers.... Amen?

G-F


August 07, 2016 - Msg 105475: Good evening, porch. Asa and G-F, I hear you, and believe me, sorry bosses are everywhere, in all fields. After 35 years at the same hospital, believe me, I could tell some stories! One of them, I think I repeated here once before, but it fits right now, so I'll tell it again. When those stupid little CFL light bulbs hit the scene, and started replacing incandescent bulbs, some bigwig on the hospital board decided they'd be "green" and would save money, so he had maintenance go around and replace all the light bulbs in the patient rooms with CFLs. Lots of problems there - one being that they take up to a minute to come to full brightness. Not smart when you're taking an elderly person to the bathroom and the little bathroom is just barely lit. Also, in an emergency, when a team has to hit a room like gangbusters, you don't want a feeble light, you want all the light you can get.

The crown jewel though, was the dimmable lights in our new-mom rooms. Just a few months earlier, we had requested and received dimmers for all the ceiling lights in our postpartum rooms, so moms could see well enough but a newborn's eyes weren't assaulted by bright lights all the time. We could dim them down to candlelight level, and mom and baby could just hang out and cuddle. The bulbs were replaced during a couple of days off for me, so I didn't know it had been done. Got to work, and immediately started getting calls from patients that there room lights were "just going out!" After the third one, I figured it out. I never used the bulbs myself, but my renter dd, and called to complain that the lights above his fireplace were not acting right. He had put CFLs in them, and they were on a dimmer, so they would go out when he tried to dim them down. I promised my patients we'd fix their lights soon, put in a work order for Engineering with an explanation of the problem, the incandescent bulbs were put back in the next day and the problem was solved. Now, of course LED has left the CFLs in the dust, because they can be dimmed, and they run even more cheaply than the CFLs, AND without that ghastly gray-green light that the CFLs emit. Still not as warm as incandescents, but acceptable, and cheap.

I also remember when another big kahuna got the notion that carpeting the entire hospital would make it a much quieter environment. I was on the "Noise Abatement" committee that year, representing the nursing department. Thank goodness! When the committee voted to recommend the carpeting, there were only two dissenting votes out of 12 - me and the person representing Environmental Services (housekeeping). We decided to fight, and fight we did! It took a whole afternoon of wrangling, and finally devolved into some pretty graphic descriptions of what a carpeted floor in a patient room would look like and what would be living in that carpet (E. coli, anyone?) after a few months, but we won. One by one, we pulled people to our side, until the vote was reversed, with only two still wanting to do it. It didn't happen.

Problems arise when major decisions are made by people other than front-line workers, but it happens all the time. We try to tell 'em, don't we, guys? --Romeena
August 07, 2016 - Msg 105476: When will I learn to proofread? That would be "their room lights" and "my renter did", up there. Sorry. --Romeena
August 07, 2016 - Msg 105477: Hope eve3ryone had a good Sumday. Our's was full but good. Preachin', youth fundraiser lunch, a birthday party for little Emily, who is not so little anymore (9)..was able to take a nap this afternoon, though, which was nice. I even watched an old movie with Bette Davis, which I loved.

I found out a little more about the job and it has caused me some grief. I fear this may be the end, but its in God's hands. There are some important administrative meetings this coming week. This morning in church, I was sitting in the back and had a good view of the girls from the facility that were attending and it just broke my heart. It is so hard to think of the end of the ministry to kids like them that we have been blessed to be a part of for so long. I watched them as they worshipped, I prayed with one girl during the prayer time and my heart just broke for her. I don't know where she will go if the facility closes. It is just very hard. Your continued prayers are appreciated and I thank you for them. I know there are so many things that need fixing but honestly, there are so many good things that happen in that place. There is love there..and there is the sharing of the gospel.

Hope you all have a good evening and Monday.

Boo
August 08, 2016 - Msg 105478: My goodness, Boo. You're carrying a heavy load right now. Your love and concern for those kids is obvious, and is definitely to your credit. I will continue to pray for God's will to prevail, and that an acceptable solution will be found. I wish my mind didn't run in some of the channels that it follows, but I can't help it. It just seems to me that America has so many things backward. A program like the one you work in is about to go under for lack of adequate funds, and at the same time we have dozens of sports figures who are collecting millions each year just for playing some sport, and they can't even keep their personal lives clean. It doesn't make sense. Same with politicians. Some of them get a quarter million or more just for giving some self-aggrandizing speech somewhere, and yet everyone knows them to be crooked as a dog's hind leg, but still it continues. "Lord, what fools these mortals be!"

I had a CT of my chest done this morning. It was ordered as with and without contract, but they couldn't give me the contrast dye. Seems my serum creatinine was too high, at 1.5. Should be 1.1 or less. I hope the doc can see what he needs to see in the without-contrast scan. We're trying to find out why I get so short of breath so easily.

Well, I didn't sleep much last night, maybe an hour. My motor just wouldn't turn off - too much on my mind, I guess. I'd rather not take a nap today, so I'll sleep well tonight, but I'm not sure I'm going to have any choice. I'm about to fall into my keyboard right now! Maybe I'll go eat an early lunch and see if that perks me up. Blessings, friends! --Romeena
August 08, 2016 - Msg 105479: Good evening all.

Romeena, I pray you are ok dear. I hate to hear you are ailing. You got something we can loosen? (Just trying to inject some humor here) Seriously, you will be in my prayers.

Hey GF, They didn't hire you to go paint the field there in Canton did they? It had Newton Monroe all over it, didn't it? lol

Boo, I sure hope things will work out. Well of course they will, but you know what I mean. Prayers for you for sure.

MDC, I knew you were a Rifleman fan. Bonanza too? I record a few off of TV Land every now and again. I even saw the episode where they explain how "Hoss" got his nickname. But I can't remember it now. Eric sure seemed like an odd name for back in those times, don't it?

Well I got called in at 4:00 this morning with another water leak in the ceiling. This one was dripping water into a 277 volt light fixture. But I got the power killed and the leak fixed before it got too bad. GF, This was a pin hole in a copper fitting this time. Right in the fitting itself. That was a first for me.

Well I think I am off to bed early. I'm tired. Watch a Matlock or two and get a good nights sleep I hope.

Prayers for all. Especially my two Texas sweethearts.

Asa
August 08, 2016 - Msg 105480: Oh My..... WHAT A MESS!.... No I was far away that day... One of my Mayberry friends from Tennessee was up for the weekend festivities not a good experience ...G-F
August 09, 2016 - Msg 105481: Maybe the folks in Canton thought they were paving the lot of the gasworks! ha I cant believe they had
to cancel the HOF game for something like that!
Good grief!
ASA--never told ya, but when I had our new water heater put in a couple years
ago, about a half hour after the plumber left,
I walked out into the garage, and sure enough, a new copper fitting was doing that very thing! Amazing. (to quote Barn).
Well, heading to bed, more later,
MDC
August 09, 2016 - Msg 105482: Hey MDC... I think those guys that were responsible for the field are NOW filling Chuck-Holes for the street Dept. If you live in the North you know what kinda job that is!!... A full time job for sure, and a hot one in the summer... Yep, they wished they WERE at the "Rock!"...lol
I Can't imagine how much money was lost, not to mention all the disappointed fans!

Asa, Newton Monroe and Cousin Virgil had nothin on those guys!... Funny thing tho, the local papers are being quiet on the subjec. Kinda like CNN, MSNBC, are on Hillary's issues..

Sorry I could not help myself once again, but telling what God likes to hear the most... "The Truth!".... G-F
August 09, 2016 - Msg 105483: Good morning, porch! Hahaha, Asa! Yes, I've got something I'd like to loosen - this dratted soft cast on my left wrist! It itches under there!!! I've had very little pain in the surgery site, but there's bruising nearly to my elbow, and my hand was swollen and bruised. Most of the swelling is gone, but the bruises remain. Makes my hand look dirty, and it probably is. I've only been able to wash my fingers, as I can't get the cast wet. I think that's been the most annoying part - not being able to thoroughly wash my hands. As a nurse with a hand-washing compelsion, it's pretty frustrating. Don't worry about me, though, my friend. All in all, I'm pretty healthy. My cardiologist addresses me as "Timex", and all my docs say my iffy kidney function numbers don't represent disease, just "old kidneys." Humph! Not sure I appreciate that, but it is what it is. OK, so I'm no spring chicken anymore. At least I'm not alone in that.

As for the respiratory issues, I think what the CT is going to show is that the right upper lobe of my lung is fibrotic and mostly useless, a reaction to the radiation I took in 1979. That's a known side effect, but the calculated risk was taken anyway. No one expected me to live long enough for it to happen, not with a Stage III, almost IIIb tumor. Five years was an overly-optimistic prognosis. Prayer, a good surgeon, good medical care, a supportive family, but mostly prayer and God's intervention, and I'm still here, 37 years later. God is good.

The bad news is that there's nothing they can do to restore any lung tissue that's been damaged by the radiation. The good news is that it won't progress. It will only affect the area that's already damaged. In other words, it shouldn't get any worse, and I'm quite functional, so no problem. I just have to know my limitations and don't try to run any races, so to speak.

Well, I think I'll go play with Toye Starr. She's been in here pawing at my ankles, trying to get my attention. She's like a toddler, has to have a "mommy fix" quite often. Sweet little old thing! I do love that puppy! Can't believe she's nine years old. I still miss Sugarplum, too. Remember when she used to pull the little refreshment wagon at our softball games? Wearing her little team uniform? That Sugarplum. She always said "hey" when I visited the porch. Toye Starr would like to, but I just can't bring myself to do it. That was the Plum's thing.

Blessings, friends. Have a good day. --Romeena
August 09, 2016 - Msg 105484: And Toye Starr says how-do. --Romeena (How's that?)
August 09, 2016 - Msg 105485: Romeena, I remember when they told my dad to go see a specialist becaust of his kidneys. I was worried but he got the same diagnosis as you and his kidneys did ok until his final day. ;) hehe
He also had terrible asbestos scarred lungs but functioned well anyway. You are in my prayers partly for selfish reasons..I just don't think I could stand it if you got really sick. I guess I would have to, but it would be very hard.

Aw, thanks for those kind words and prayers, Asa, and all of you. What a blessing and support you all are.

It was hot at work again last night but the ac guys says it should be better today. He has been at work but says he never had a job like this one! It was only 85 in the facility and that feels a lot better than 95. It should improve. Still don't know the results of the administrative meeting yesterday.

Today my Erin turns 15. She started off the day with a panic attack and we had a long talk. she is still struggling a lot with anxiety and has been depressed again. I noticed she has a bruise on her right hand which she confessed is from punching something. She said she wants to cut herself but knows that if she starts, she wont be able to stop doing it. I don't really understand it all. I asked her to please tell me if she has suffered some sort of abuse in the past but she denies it completely. She is acting like some of the girls I have worked with who have been abused or have post traumatic stress disorder. She will be seeing her counselor tomorrow and her pediatrician on Friday. These are tough year for kids..she will get through it because she has a big, loving support system but we have to really keep our eye on her. She tends to hide things and not tell us when she is struggling.

Better go put some clothes in the dryer.

Boo
August 09, 2016 - Msg 105486: Awww, Boo, thank you! It's nice to have a friend who cares about you like that. Really, I'm fine. There is very little I can't do, that I would want to do, and I could probably even improve those few limitations by losing some weight. Yep, gotta shed a few pounds. Or a lot.

So glad the a/c situation is improving for you at work. That was just ridiculous, having those kids living in such conditions, and expecting the staff to work in it. I can't imagine the state allowing that to continue.

Poor little Erin. I wish she could overcome that anxiety thing, and how scary that she has thought about cutting. I don't understand that one at all, but I know it's very real and a lot of kids do it. It's a relatively new phenomenon - I don't think it had even been heard of when I was a kid - but it's surprisingly common now. I think that says more about our society today than it does about the kids themselves. Kids face pressures and temptations today that didn't exist fifty years ago.

Well, I need to go put out some critter feed. The stones are bare! There's a hopeful little squirrel nosing around out there, but finding nothing. I've got some grapes in here that are just too sour to eat, but he won't care. It's weird - I ate one grape out of the little bag, it was sweet, so I bought them. So far, I haven't found a single grape in the rest of them that didn't just set my teeth on edge. I don't understand that! The critters will eat them, though. They love any kind of fruit, berries, grapes, whatever, and they don't care whether it's sweet or not.

Blessings, porch! --Romeena
August 10, 2016 - Msg 105487: GF--I thought at first that you were talking about a new restaurant...Chuck-Fill-HEY! haha
SPOT--I hear that the Delta computer outage started in Atlanta!! tsk tsk! ha
BOO--I bet Erin's anxiety is because of the murder.
Please have her read Phillipians 4:6 about not being anxious, and also Matthew 7:25. The Word is our two-edged sword against the evil one who is very real and who is seeking whom he may devour. Plead the blood of Jesus over your family everyday! I know, I sound more like a pentecostal than a catholic, but i guess i'm a bit of both! I think that it is very important tho!
RO--Lucas McCain (Chuck Connors) reminds me a lot of your Dale, from you you have said here. Tough and strong one minute, but kind and compassionate the next. :)
On Day Tripper today the host stopped in at "The Pecan Lodge" a BBQ place in Dallas. Ever been there? The beef ribs looked like good eatin.'
ALL--A new barber shop opened in my town recently named Floyd's! Yup, really, with even a barber pole out front. I stopped in and it is a 5 chair! The proprietor told me that he indeed named it after the show, and the five chairs is a reference to Floyd's remark about the shop in Raleigh having 5 chairs!
I have been trying to watch some of the Olympics on NBC's broadcast channel, but there is a commercial every 5 minutes!!! But go USA!
Prayers,
MDC

August 10, 2016 - Msg 105488: Asa, your reply to my comments to you changes nothing about my opinion, or my comment about you. You're a bird in this world!

Romeena, you take care of yourself. I am so glad that the doctors were wrong in their prognosis for you. I don't know what we would do without you here.

Boo, in your comments about Erin you could be speaking about Kai as well. I am wondering if it is more of the teenage girl thing. Though I do think MDC is pretty close. With what Erin has been through, it is bound to give any young person(or even older) more anxiety. You are right though in that Erin has a firm foundation at home, which is so important.

MDC, I do like westerns. The Rifleman and Wanted: Dead Or Alive are two of my favorites. Though I am in the habit of watching those during the daytime, and I need something to help me wind down at night, but still interesting, like TAGS is.
Right now, for some reason, I am watching Kolchak: The Night Stalker. Is anyone familiar with that show? It's kind of like The X-Files, though I think it is more entertaining. Sure, the creatures are pretty low-budget(what do you expect for a show that came out in the 70's), but it has a quirky appeal to me. Part of that appeal to me is nostalgia, as my oldest brother and I used to watch it together when we were younger. We would stay up late on weekends or during the summer and watch it in reruns, usually making homemade pizza or popcorn(remember when you use to make popcorn by using a pan and some oil? I loved the burnt crunchy pieces.). It starred Darren McGavin as a reporter who would do stories on these weird creature incidents, and usually ended up being the one stopping whatever creature was in that episode. He brought to it a funny element that made it more enjoyable, and less likely to give you nightmares. Though some of them were quite scary.

Anyway, so that is what I am watching right now. I thought of starting over with TAGS again from the beginning, and I may still do that, but I think I will give it some time so I can watch them and not feel like I JUST watched them.

-Sterling Holobyte
August 10, 2016 - Msg 105489: Good morning, porch. You guys who enjoy old reruns (as I do) might enjoy watching "Barney Miller" if you get it in your area. We do get it here, and I just DVR it so I can watch it whenever I like and can buzz through the commercials. I've always had a little crush on Hal Linden, and the way he handled the role of Barney was just perfect. Wise, thoughtful, honorable but human. Great show, great writing, great casting. Abe Vigoda as Sgt. Phil Fish was hilarious, Ron Glass was perfect as the dapper Harris, and you just had to love impetuous Wojo. Then Jack Soo as Yemana was so lovable. Really a great show that I always thought didn't get the recognition it deserved.

Well, gotta run. I have to go pick up some bags of mulch - Joe will be here shortly to spread it on the flowerbeds, and then I have to be at the doc's office at 1:30 to GET THIS SOFT CAST OFF MY ARM!!! Thank the good Lord. The thing is driving me nutty. Blessings, friends. --Romeena
August 10, 2016 - Msg 105490: Thank you, MDC..I'm sure what happened next door certainly has escalated things, as far as the anxiety goes. She loves the verse you mentioned and the word of God is a comfort to her. We are praying, spending time with her, going to counseling and putting her in God's hands. I don't think it helps that I work around what I do and see the results of trauma in the lives of so many kids. I just have to not let my mind go there.

Sterling, I am so sorry to hear that Kai is struggling with anxiety. I know it is very common among teen girls. What is important is that we do all we can to get them through these years without damage that can last a lifetime. Drugs are my number one concern because so many times these girls turn to drugs to self-medicate their anxiety. Lets remind one another to keep the lines of communication open with them and pray for guidance.

Gotta run!

Boo
August 10, 2016 - Msg 105491: I'm home, and the soft cast is gone. I've got a bruised arm, a 2" incision with a bunch of very tiny sutures, and steristrips. The hard part for me will be to leave those steristrips alone. The idea is for them to just fall off by themselves when they're ready, and my inclination is to pick at them to hurry them along, but I shouldn't. The good news is, I can now wash my hands properly, and can even shower and shampoo my hair without worrying about keeping that arm dry. The therapist gave me some gentle stretching and mobility exercises to do for the hand and wrist. It hurts a little, but not that much. I see the doc again at the end of the month to get the stitches out. He does a great stitching job, like a plastic surgeon would do, and he leaves them in until everything is solidly healed. He did both of my carpal tunnel releases, and you can't even find the incisions. They're just not there. This doc looks like a kid, like he's about 17, until you get close enough to notice the tiny crows-feet around his eyes, and the very attractive gray in his hair. He's got to be about 40 or so, but he sure doesn't look it. He's one fine surgeon, that's certain.

The traffic going into Dallas was ridiculous. On the highway that cuts through Irving, the eastbound traffic (toward Dallas) was not moving. It was like a parking lot. Westbound was clicking right along, but eastbound was at a standstill. The construction of the new mixmaster on the edge of town was the problem. They had it shut down to one lane, and would often shut that one down as well, while some big old rumbling thing twirled and pirouetted in the middle of the lane, moving some big piece of the new road. It's going to be like this for about three years, at various points along the way. Argh!

Teenage girls, especially early teens, can be a real challenge. Girls tend to be little drama queens anyway, and for some, if they figure out that their "angst" gets mom and dad's attention, they're not above using it. If the parents are tuned in and know their child well, they would see through it, and I have no doubt that Boo and Sterling would do so. You're both good parents, and keep the communication open with your kids. However, If the parents don't see through it, the kid can really yank them around with it. I remember a 13-yr-old girl who was my patient in the hospital. She had a fuss with her "boyfriend" and to punish him, she swallowed a bottle of Tylenol tablets, and then called him and told him what she did. Instead of rushing to her side, as she had envisioned, he just called her mother and told her! Mom took her to the ER, she was admitted, and the remedy was started, which is just awful. The girl had told me she took Tylenol "because it can't hurt you", but she figured her boyfriend would think it could. Imagine her shock when the doctors thought so, too.

She was in the hospital for four days, drinking Sprite with Mucomyst in it every four hours, for a total of 17 doses. Mucomyst is the trade name for N-Acetylcysteine, and it stinks to high heaven. Smells like sulfur, cabbage and skunk all rolled into one, and very, very strong. You can smell it coming down the hall. The Sprite doesn't even begin to mask the stench. It's awful, but it's very effective at protecting the liver from damage from acetaminophen overdose. That poor child would start crying whenever I or whoever was caring for her would enter with her "dose." Once that was finished, she had another shock waiting, when she learned she had to see a psychiatrist. Her mother was a bit put out as well. One day the child said she didn't think all this stuff was necessary. I told her it was, and she said she didn't believe me, so I asked her, "Do you think your dad's insur@nce would be paying for all of this, and your dad would be paying the deductible and co-pay if it wasn't necessary?" She just stared at me. Oh, and the boyfriend never called, nor came to the hospital. He was 13, too. Kids!

Well, I think I'm ready to kick back and rest for a while. Blessings, porch! --Romeena
August 10, 2016 - Msg 105492: well looks like the porch has just been swept,good job romeena,especially since you did it all with one arm! Ky Girl here,I have missed you all so much.Nice to see all the familiar names.Boo,I can relate to what you are saying about Erin.I have two daughters and I tell you they can worry you to death.Well,I cant visit long,my youngest grandson is fussing,I am watching him this evening.He is so frustrated he cant walk.He is 6 months old and is trying so hard to walk.He is my youngest daughters son.Blessings to all of you,take care-Ky Girl
August 10, 2016 - Msg 105493: Great to see you, KY Girl! Please come back more often. Yes, teen girls are a challenge.

I took Erin to the counselor and she said it helped a lot telling someone. She felt unburdened and we had a good afternoon together. We had chik fil a, did a little school shopping and had a great talk about s*x and hormones, etc. She has a friend at church who just attempted suicide this week and we talked about that. It was a very productive time together. Thanks for the prayers and encouragement. I know we are going to make it through this ok. One thing Erin told me that I know is true but it was emotional hearing it from someone her age. We were talking about some of the troubled girls that she knows who are already promiscuous with boys and other girls and she said that having a loving family, as she does, keeps her from going to someone else looking for love. She said some of the girls she knows are doing the things they are doing because they don't have love at home and that is what they are really looking for. It made me cry because I know it is true..poor children.

Well, its back to work in the morning. I guess I had better make my way to the ironing board soon.

Boo
August 10, 2016 - Msg 105494: I may have misled you with my last comment, Boo. I actually am not sure if Kai is going to have anxiety issues this coming school year (although I know I am a nervous wreck just thinking about whether she will or not). I was referring to last year when she was having all those issues, and being moody about it and just keeping it to herself, kind of like you mentioned that Erin does when she is struggling.
Right now Kai seems ok, except for not wanting to do anything. But it is summer, after all. I just hope that the "don't want to do anything" attitude doesn't carry over into the school year. She did go on that trip to Colorado with her grandma, and she has gone on a couple outings with friends, and I would hope stuff like that would help. But we will see, I guess.

I think it is very positive the way Erin is confiding in you, and she really seems to know what's going on around her. You should be proud of that.

Nice to see you, Ky Girl. Oh boy, can you imagine what your grandson is going to get into when he CAN walk?! Haha! He sounds pretty determined, and he will get there soon enough.

Talk to you all later.
August 10, 2016 - Msg 105495: Good 1 am Thursday gang..Hey Romeena how old is Toy Star? was trying to figure it out..hello Boo,possum,Ky girl,Tom,Boo,MDC I had nothing to do with crash ! ha ha..well got a week booked at lake camping end of month !..Mrs SPOT and I don't even think we will tell the kids :) just retire for a week ..grill and fish and boat...well let me get some reports ran prayers to all...Boo will be buying breakfast at waffle house ..eat up !.. SPOT
August 11, 2016 - Msg 105496: Sterling, do you ever take family vacations?
Just curious, because when i was growing up, a
roadtrip (even a short one)really helped us grow as a family. Prayers that something like that could be done for family cohesiveness.
Games together in the car, etc. Just sayin'.
KY Girl!! Well I'll be darned! :) I was just thinking of you the other day! (Should clarify...just was thinking how you were doing! ha)
SPOT...yup, u better run to the woods. Georgia power all over USA Today paper! haha Have fun.
My wife and i are heading to the cool pines of Northern AZ next week!
BOO--Prayers continue for Erin! Jesus is SO needed for today's teens.
ROMEENa--you could sure write a book about your
nursing experiences! The best I got is kids throwin' up in class! lol
Heading to bed,
MDC