Kather-tini

A little bit of this and a little bit of that.
I'll be serving up Kather-tini's at the Hyatt tonight!
Hope you all have a wonderful and safe New Year's Eve!

The Recipe For Kathy-rine

3 parts Grace 2 parts Enchantment 1 part Energy Splash of Beauty Sip slowly on the beach

What's the Recipe for Your Personality?

81/365 Gramma Marcy

Crocheted blankets on our beds. Melting Moments in the oven. Rocking in the chair. You were there before we went to sleep and when we woke up. Winters always seemed so warm with you around.





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Peace On Earth

Peace, originally uploaded by scoobers.

Peace On Earth

by U2

Heaven on earth
We need it now
Im sick of all of this
Hanging around

Sick of sorrow
Im sick of the pain
Im sick of hearing
Again and again
That theres gonna be
Peace on earth

Where I grew up
There werent many trees
Where there was wed tear them down
And use them on our enemies

They say that what you mark
Will surely overtake you
And you become a monster
So the monster will not break you

And its already gone too far
You said that if you go in hard
You wont get hurt

Jesus can you take the time
To throw a drowning man a line
Peace on earth

Tell the ones who hear no sound
Whose sons are living in the ground
Peace on earth

No whos or whys
No one cries like a mother cries
For peace on earth

She never got to say goodbye
To see the color in his eyes
Now hes in the dirt
Peace on earth

Theyre reading names out
Over the radio
All the folks the rest of us
Wont get to know

Sean and julia
Gareth anne and peter
Their lives are bigger than
Any bigger

Jesus can you take the time
To throw a drowning man a line
Peace on earth

To tell the ones who hear no sound
Whose sons are living in the ground
Peace on earth

Jesus in the song you wrote
The words are sticking in my throat
Peace on earth

Hear it every christmas time
But hope and history wont rhyme
So whats it worth

This peace on earth
Peace on earth
Peace on earth
Peace on earth

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Wish Upon a Star

Gold dipped lucky star from Dogeared

My necklace I got from a friend on my birthday in July has finally broken!
I'm waiting for my wish to be granted.

Thanks JP!

Merry Winter Solstice to all and to all a warm night!

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Animal Cruelty

Emulating Max, The Grinch's Dog

It's all in the name of Christmas, I tell you!

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Which Are You?

Smart or Stoopid?
Take the test.

Queen's song "Under Pressure" was playing in my head while answering the questions. How silly that this simple test stressed me out.
I was 2% stoopider than the average of 10,000 people who took the test with a score of 17.3. However, I am also a fast learner. The second time I took it I scored 19 and was 9.5% smarter. Let's go with that.

"I'm killin' your brain like a poisonous mushroom. DEADLY..." Wait. Wrong song.

My Sides Hurt

... because I could not.stop.laughing at this:

















by ScotiaMade

Unconscious Mutterings

Luna says ... and I think ...

1. Interview:: Anxiety
   
2. Army :: Flag
   
3. Unwrap :: Presents
   
4. Evolve :: Mudskipper
   
5. Bus :: The movie "Speed"
   
6. The real thing :: Coke
   
7. Streak :: Park
   
8. Gorge :: Earthquake
   
9. Spicy :: Jalapenos
   
10. Course :: Chemo
    

Did You Know...

"...the human head weighs EIGHT POUNDS!"
Johnathan Lipnicki in Jerry Maguire

Also, the average length of the human intestine is approximately 25 feet long.



Setting: In my patient's room a few hours after giving him a pretty potent concoction of stool softeners.

Him: What ever that was that you gave me sure did the trick!

Me: Oh good! I'm glad to hear that. That's what I'm here for!

Him: By the way. How long ARE a person's intenstines?

Me: (thinking this is going somewhere I don't necessarily want to go) I'm not sure. Maybe 20 feet. That would be my best guess but I can go look it up if you want. Why? (Why I asked why was purely habitual and impulsive. Ok. Maybe I was a tad curious.)

Him: Because I think I pooped about eight feet.

Me: (laughing) And lost about eight pounds.




My job is done here.

A Cardinal Rule of Radiation Oncology

This room had not been cleared for use
by nuclear medicine at the time these photos were taken.
Somebody should have notified the bird.

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72/365 Lois Lane

We gave you directions to the Michael Landon's Celebrity Tennis Classic. You paid for your Dairy Queen dipped cone and tipped us twenty dollars. Then, you rode off in your convertible. Not on Superman's back.

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The Sound of Baaaaaaad. . .

. . . is the crunching under your shoes that you hear when you walk in the front door.

BEFORE

Dookie decided to take it upon herself
to redecorate for the holidays
while I was at work lastnight.

AFTER

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*Update: 12/17/07- Dook picked a fight with the ornaments again and is being put on time out while I work from now on. When she decides that she can peacefully co-exist with the holidays, she will regain her house privileges.

A Dookie In My Bed

When Dook first came to stay, I was pretty adamant about not having her on the furniture. The trainer told me I was to use repetitive, positive reinforcement to get her follow commands and redirection to discourage bad behavior. My own voice rang in my ears while I slept, "Speak. Speak. Speak. Speak!", in every possible intonation. Eventually, she did learn to speak, sit, stay, wait and walk. We're still working on the walking because it's really more of a "How many times can I twirl and wrap the leash around 'Two Legs' so that she falls and makes a fool of herself in the park" type of maneuver. The other problem was laying down. She doesn't seem to get the concept of immediacy. Lay down. Do it now and do it there. She stares blankly, yawns and moves on.
Also, she lays where ever she wants to. I admit that I, after no help from others who, because Dookie is simply irresistible, continued to let her jump up into comfy laps and couches, have become lax in that area. First, I allotted her the hassock which was covered with a stylish Mexican blanket. Before you say "The what?" The hassock. Ottoman. Foot stool. All the same thing. And no, I do not use 'davenport' in place of couch. Sofa, yes. Not davenport. Way too forties. Anyway, first there was the hassock. Then it was the big chair but only if it was covered properly. Next, came the couch but only if I am there to cuddle with.
The beds, however, and anywhere there is carpeting was a 'No Privilege Area'. She had peed and pooed one too many times, in the presence of me even, that there was no way in hell she would be allowed in there anymore.

Recently, I was carrying a load of laundry into my room and found this:

A Dookie on my bed.

Too cute for words. Yes, she is aware. She is also big enough to get up there by herself. And get down by herself. And get up there herself. And get down by herself. And... you get the picture.




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70/365 Debbie

You have been there my whole life, guiding, nurturing and
giving me love from behind the scenes
with your sense of family, faith and dedication.

Such a thoughtful, wonderful person.
I love you.

Happy Birthday

Tucson, 1978

Family Reunion, 2006

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Peace. Love.

Peace and Love, originally uploaded by scoobers.

... a pair of scissors and little bit of glue.

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Carols

Ohhhhhhhhhh!

The weather outside is frightful
But in here it's so delightful
And since I've no place to go
Let me Oh, Let me Oh, Let me Ohhhhh Ohhh Owww!

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68/365 CA

A great nurse, wonderful mother and best kind of friend someone could ask for. If ever you need anything I'll be here for you, like you've been there for me. My door is always open.




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House Arrest and Punishments

Every year I have the same ritual. With good intentions, the thoughts and ideas of what to get or make for Christmas gifts start early, around late September. Then I sit on it, and wait. Procrastinate. Then I put it off some more . The actual production portion of the process does not begin until it's almost too late. I didn't start until last night. It is great fun for me to make homemade gifts for my friends and family but I end up procrastinating to the point that I stress about the number of full days left to complete them. So, for the next couple of weeks I will be on house arrest frantically trying to get my act together in time for the big day. The good news is that I have a made a small dent tonight.
The bad news is that I am stuck at home without a phone right now. I use my cell phone as a primary line because to pay for a house phone would be a waste of money. About now, I am wishing I had one as a back up. While I was at work Dookie found the charger, like she finds all the vital items in my house that are unintentionally left exposed, and destroyed it.
During a break from cards, glitter and glue, I was cleaning the kitchen and Dookie, wanting to make up for cutting me off from the rest of the world, decided to help by licking the dishes in the dishwasher clean. Dirty or not, that's gross. Several people have offered suggestions on how to keep her from doing the things she should not be doing. The most effective method so far is to drop a metal cookie sheet on the floor. The sound scares her and I don't have to do any spanking, yelling and crying from guilt. The least effective method to date? The spray bottle.

It's all great fun to her.







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Baby's First Christmas

Baby's First Christmas, originally uploaded by scoobers.

It's the tenth of December and I have officially kicked off the gift making season with a batch of ornaments. Fifteen days to spare. Not bad. The first one completed was made for my friend CA who gave birth to a healthy baby boy on December first.

Best wishes to all of you who welcomed new additions to your families this holiday.

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It Gives Gift Return a Whole New Meaning

Laura and I were sitting around reading and I could not decide what to get people for Christmas. She said that a book was always a good idea so we went out to go look. We ended up at a library and the smell inside immediately brought me back to when I was a little girl and I realized that I had not been to a library since then. As we stood waiting in line amongst a maze of people and velvet ropes I noticed that we two were the only people who were not elderly. I told Laura that we should probably go to a book store for presents because the books from the library would have to be returned and would not make practical gifts. We ended up checking out a few books anyway and headed back home. Mommy and Daddy were doing stuff around the house. I think Gramma Mary was there too. Mommy came in and said that the kids had thrown eggs and hit the trees out front. I could not imagine why anyone would ever target my parent's house until my she told me that Daddy would pull over and chastise the kids of the neighborhood for being rambunctious. It all made sense.
Later, my mom wanted to go out to get a mister/humidifier for the porch where we could sit and stay cool and hydrated. It seemed that the heat was drying us all out and we needed a little relief. When we got back from the store we packed up a lunch for picnic. I went into the bathroom with my newly borrowed book and sat down. All of a sudden, I was in my Gramma's old bathroom. The toilet seat was freezing cold and I could hear people right outside the window, talking and laughing. It sounded like they were watering the plants. I was a little worried that if I could hear them, they could hear me, so I tried to be as quiet as possible. The smell of baby powder was in the air and I could see the soap on a rope dangling against the pink wall off to my left. It seemed that I was in there forever and I heard Mommy walk past the door and tell me she was ready to go. When I came out she was walking down the hall wearing giant, dark sunglasses, baggy, white shorts and a t-shirt.

I woke up parched and with a gurgly stomach.






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64/365 Joe

When you guys sang it made Christmas Eve mass so moving. Although, the hand gestures to each note was a little annoying, each time you sang "On Eagle's Wings" or "Ave Maria", I would cry.




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Bark. Bark. Bark.

Got that?

Dookie the Christmas Pooch
(not to be confused with Mr. Hankey, The Christmas Poo)

Bekah! Dookie and I were just talking and she wanted me to pass a message along to you. She says to tell you Merry Christmas and that she can't wait to terrorize you and your brother again. She also says to tell Bear that she's getting bigger, especially after Thanksgiving leftovers, and that she had better watch out. She'll be kickin' butt and takin' names. She might have to tell her herself since you do not speak 'bark' yet. She says she loves you.

I love you too!




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The Cutest, Saddest Girl

You guessed it! That's me!

I try so hard to keep up with my daily blog reading obsession hobby because if I miss a day there's a whole lotta catching up to do. Plus, I feel so empty inside and, well, I love you guys! (no, I am not drunk.) Recently, I fessed up to the number of blogs I subscribe to (see blog roll and then some) and was told that I am the cutest (aw!), saddest (whuh?) girl she ever knew.

Excuse me, Ingrid, but shall I don my Bloggers Anonymous 'WTF?' t-shirt now?

Not in the least bit fazed and undeterred in my never ending blogathoning, I have one more site to add to the list that I will faithfully read. The Daily Coyote.

Feathergrass by Shreve Stockton

This site is so wonderful that I just have to share it!

A brief summary: This girl adopted a coyote after it's parents had been shot by a rancher. It lives with her and her cat, Eli. She takes pictures and gives updates on Charlie daily. If you're an animal lover, this site is definitely for you.

You're going to want to start at the beginning because it's just. that. great.

Conversations

According to the Local on the 8's
Currently In My Area

Rain Showers
60°F

Feels Like
60°F

Updated: Dec 7 05:45 p.m. MT

Setting: Talking on the phone with my friend KB, who just nailed her job interview, about those who view nursing as 'just a job'.

Her: It's more than that. It's not just something you do for a paycheck. Something you sit at home and complain about having to go do.

Me: It is when it's cold and raining outside and you're laying on your couch covered by a comforter and a warm puppy!


(I jest. Kind of.)

k911

Dinner, uploaded by scoobers

Dookie gets so excited over little things, sometimes I think she might spin out of control and spontaneously combust. Even before I pour the food into her bowl she jumps and twirls, snorts and kicks her paws against my back as I make my way across the kitchen. Who knew dog food could be the cause of such a display of enthusiasm? She does well in that she waits for me to finish pouring but when she hears the words, "Ok, go ahead", she attacks the food like the kibbles are making a run for it and doesn't bother to swallow but literally inhales them. Literally. First, there was this deep coughing noise, following by choking and then nothing. I watched her for a few seconds (i.e. an eternity) to see if she was going to clear the kibble but nary a bit. My instinct kicked in so I gave her a quick thump to her back. It never occurred to me how a back-blow might be construed by a dog. Totally taken by surprise, she scurried to to opposite end of the kitchen and looked up at me over her shoulder with huge eyes, full of shock and disbelief. I think she thought I was trying to kill her. She started coughing again and slimy chunks of food flew onto the floor.

Apparently, I need to take some doggie CPR classes in case something similar, or worse, happens again. Thanks, D for the idea because it never crossed my mind that something like that existed.

Photo taken from Ad Camp Creative

63/365 Aaron

We met in Spanish class when you beat boxed and scratched on a 33" vinyl of "Feliz Navidad". You had me in stitches. To this day, I think of you when I hear it.




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62/365 Santi

Santi-Claus! Jackson Avenue. Walks in Winterhaven. Hysteria. The Jetson's. Father Figure. Cid. True Blue the Malibu. Earth Day. Daddy Droop. #10. Iggy. Blacky. December 21, 1988.
Semper Fi?



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Letter to Tony

Dear Tony,

It's been almost three years since you passed away. I think about you when people speak of you and when little things happen that remind me of you. I especially think of your mom at Christmas time. I hope that she's doing alright and that you are watching over her because I'm sure she misses you a lot.
This week, I cleaned the house and unpacked my Christmas decorations and came across your old friend, the penguin, who used to adorn your IV pole, which looked more like a Christmas tree this time of year. Just so you know, he is doing fine and we are happy to have him around. I wanted to share some photos and let you know what he's been up to.

It's Nice to See You

It was a little challenging when Dookie came to stay because, well, the destruction of animals filled with stuffing is her favorite past time. Needless to say, your penguin was a bit hesitant to meet her.

Where is that dog?
Which way did she go?

In the end, it all turned out ok.

Meeting Dookie

He does all sorts of things to keep busy and stay out of trouble during the holidays. Occasionally though, he gets a wild feather up his tail and I need to intervene.

Cutting Loose

Most of the time, he's on his best behavior. You would be so proud.

Watching good quality, family programming.

Reading "Santa Claus: The World's Number One Toy Expert" by Marla Frazee

When he's good, he gets rewarded with his favorite holiday beverage.

Everybody loves a cup of hot coco.

He loves to help me write my posts for Holidailies and read my favorite blogs.

Writing this post.

Reading Jenni's blog.

I have just tucked him into bed for the night. He says for me to tell you that he misses you and he hopes you have a Merry Christmas.

Nighty Night.

Thank you for entrusting him to me. He has become an integral part of the holidays.
Merry Christmas, Tony.

With Love,
Kathy




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61/365 Ashley

My first next door neighbor when I moved out. You with your oxygen tank, a constant companion. After you moved to assisted living, I wanted to bring you Christmas cookies but I was too late.




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Loss... and Found

I was overcome with a sense of loss and grief yesterday. I went to visit my friends, three of them, and they were gone. Like gone-gone. No longer there. Poof! Forever. The place was empty. I peered in the windows trying to find a trace of them but there was none. So, I did what any loyal person would do. I tried to track them down. I called 411 to get the scoop. They gave me a new street location (oh, thank God!) and a phone number. I called it. I felt a little like Columbo. When the call connected, this is what I heard, "All circuits are busy. Please try your call again later. Announcement. Eight switch four eight dash four." Excuse me but WTF? I drove around in a haze. What do I do now? My plans were crushed. All the dreams that could have been made a reality were no longer possible. "It could have been so beautiful. It could have been so right..." Yes. I am quoting Tiffany but I should be quoting Enrique. "You can run you can hide but you can't escape my love!"

I sent an email to them this morning, hoping for a reply and I got one. They are alive and well but have moved out of town, to Tucson. They said I am welcome to visit them whenever I want to!
Oh, my friends. I love you!

The best furniture and nick-knack store EVER!*

*That's my slogan. Not theirs. But they can use it if they want to because they are good to me and I love them!

Elved

I've been 'elved'. I hope the Fug Girls don't ever get hold of it. The outfits are hideous and my T-Zone could use a puff of de-greaser.

Go see my niece, my sisters and I dance like elvin buffoons.

This is too funny! Thanks Christine!

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60/365 Tony

Tony's Penguin

Two Christmas's are two too many to spend in the hospital. Your family did their best to make your room like home. You were a special person to us and each year I remember you.




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59/365 Andra

A Pile of Leaves, 1978

"Andra did it!" That's what we used to say when our mom was mad about something gone awry, someone hurt or crying, something broken or lost. I'm not sure why but we always blamed you.

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Holiday Colors

Art by Benjamen, originally uploaded by scoobers.

Ben was busy honing his artistic skills at my mom and dad's house over Thanksgiving. I took the liberty of putting a couple of his drawings together and adding a few sparkly holiday elements. Enjoy!

My Nephew, The Budding Artist

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Conversations At Work

"Who's the doctor on call tonight?"

"Dr. Halliday."

"Haliday-ee! Celebraeeete!"

"You are so 34 years old."


(ooh yah... ooh yah! Holiday!)

7 More Things

Seven Reasons Why Working Weekend-Night Shift Does Not Suck

1. No rush hour. There is hardly any traffic on the freeways or service streets. This means I can take another ten minutes to get ready, laze around and goof off.
2. Parking is a breeze since the closest parking lot is usually not occupied by the weekday-ers.
3. No waiting. You are almost certain to catch the elevator immediately. Also, the awesome, weekender elevator crew are more likely to offer you a ride when you need it.
4. No fuss. No muss. Ancillary staff are at a minimum. Procedures, scans and treatments (unless STAT or ASAP) are usually held until Monday morning. Doctors round later. This means blood draws, weights, vital signs and other unpleasantries that wake my patients can wait until later so I can blog chart longer.
   
5. Ativan, Benadryl, Restoril, Xanax are the patients' drugs of choice at this hour.
6. I get to work with the bestest, craziest and funnest people during these shifts.
7. Aside from being named the newest possible carcinogen, while working the weekend-night shift you have access to the best holiday store hours with the least number of shoppers during the week and a legitimate excuse to sleep all day. Hallelujah!
   

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58/365 Scotty

Your mom brought you and your brother over for Christmas dinner. We all opened presents and played with our new toys. Later, I showed you mine and you showed me yours in my parents bathroom.


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Happy Holidays, Everyone!

Tis the Season, originally uploaded by scoobers.

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57/365 Santa 1978

Katherine, Christine and Santa, 1978

Santa Claus! I couldn't believe it! I was actually meeting you in person! Christine and I sat, excited, awestruck, and rattled off our lists. You on the other hand... a picture says a thousand words.





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