Aches and Pains

When I was a teenager my mother was in a car accident that left her with a broken back.  After three back surgeries and one neck surgery she was never quite the same.  Years later, we would roll our eyes every time she complained about her back.  Now, I am older and after a car accident years ago, my back has never been the same.  I used to have a back ache at night.  That is how I knew when it was time to wake up.  Earlier this week something felt different.  It feels like the vertebra in my lower back are being compressed.  I told my husband that I would just love to be placed on one of those medieval racks and be stretched.  Moral of today's story - don't make fun of your mother...it will come back to get you as you get older...

Sorry, Mom.

Father's Day

This is a belated Father's Day post because I spent all day making this

and homemade Chicken Parmesan for dinner.  The German Chocolate cake is my husband's favorite, but the icing only turned out so-so for me.  He thought it was delicious so that is all that counts. 

Here's a bit of internet therapy for me, however.  I grew up without my father.  My parents divorced when I was just a year old.  I never really knew him.  He remarried and had two step children and one child with his new wife.  I saw my brother once when he was an infant.  Recently my father made an attempt to contact us.  I was so excited.  Funny, even when you are grown with children of your own you still crave a connection with where you came from.  Well, sad to report, I apparently came from a pretty jerky guy.  We emailed back and forth for a bit.  He told me some basic information from his past, things he enjoyed, that kind of stuff.  Then I asked about my half brother.  His response was rather rude and cold.  He basically said that I should never try to contact my half brother and maybe we should end our correspondence.  I was devastated.  I wrote him a prompt, but scathing, reply about how children don't get to chose their parents or what happens to them as children.  We are just left with the scars that they inflict.  I also informed him that he really missed out knowing me and my sisters.  We were great girls growing up and we are terrific women now.  I told him that this was the end of our correspondence and not to ever allow his guilty conscience to contact me again.  He made the mistakes, not me. 

I did have some pretty terrific male role models growing up.  My grandfather, uncles and my stepdad all showed me different attributes of men that would later guide me to choosing my husband.  I am so grateful for that. 

My husband is a great father, even if he doesn't think so.  He always feels like he doesn't do enough, but he always has their best interests at heart and wants so much for them.  He loves them more than himself.  That is the way it should be.  So here's to Dads, whether they are single dads, stepdads, grandfathers stepping in to take the place of dad - hats off to you guys.  Setting that positive male remodel for your daughters and sons is the greatest accomplishment of your lives! 

New Computer Charting Go Live

I've worked the past three nights that we have done our 'go live' for our new computer charting system.  I'm not really a drinker, but I just want to partake in some mind numbing refreshments for my night off tonight.  My brain is a bowl of pudding oozing out of my ears.  I'm pretty sure the program was designed by someone with ADD.  Nothing seems like it is in a logical place for L&D charting and every time I tried to chart something there seemed to be a glitch.  OMG.  But it is what it is and this is the new way.  The first night our central monitors went out at the nurse's station and the power went out in the patient rooms...so yeah.  In a week I hope that the bug infestation is worked out and our educator can get us a bit more streamlined.  For tonight, I am just glad not to have 5 to 10 extra computer IT type people hovering around while I am trying to provide patient care!  I wish my coworkers good luck!

IRS = What a Mess!

My head hurts just trying to wrap around the scandal that has become the IRS.  Officials are being called in to testify this week and I am sure that will lead to more questions and more hearings as the slow, creaky wheels of government try to make sense of the tyrannical actions of one of the most feared organizations in America.

Anyone who pays any attention to the news should remember hearing complaints by organizations that felt the IRS was unfairly targeting them.  The stories quickly subsided or got brushed aside.  They had to go away because a re-election campaign was underway!  This is all just a bunch of sneaky political game playing, well it would be a game if it weren't illegal.  So the IRS targets the Tea Party or pretty much any organization that sounds like it is pro freedom and liberty?  So they start targeting churches?  So they start targeting citizens?  It's not like its tyranny.  I mean, Obama just spoke at a graduation commencement and stated that college graduates should ignore the voices that said tyranny is around the corner, right?

Hello graduates - tyranny isn't around the corner.  It's here.  Right here.  Its 'in your face' kind of here.  This IRS scandal stinks of it.  It wreaks.

Sad thing is...I mentioned this to some people that I know.  People I know are educated, intelligent people.  They weren't even aware of it.  Just too much going on to watch the news.

This is what happens while America sleeps...ugh.