Bedside Manner(s)

My dear mom still has a five week stay in the hospital. Being on an IV of antibiotics for osteomyelitis is no fun thing, but she/we do the best we can. And in the meantime, I meet a few characters that give me food for a few blogposts.

Speaking of food, that is how the weekend doctor literally burst into Mom's hospital room yesterday afternoon. He didn't introduce himself to me, but he began asking my mom what her favorite meal would be. As Mom also has mouth thrush and finds fried tater tots and spicy red beans and rice quite disagreeable, she told him a nice plate of black-eyed peas with okra and a wedge of cornbread would be delicious. In fact, she said anything with veggies would be better than some of the fried crunchy morsels the cafeteria was serving.

As we had asked for a chicken noodle soup replacement for the tater tots at lunch, I initially thought this "clown" was the hospital chef/cook coming to get suggestions from Mom. Then I noticed the stethescope and realized this was the Dr. F. Mom had met on Friday. Nevertheless, he gave a whole spiel that restaurants in southern Louisiana traditionally do not serve too many country type meals with vegetables. Unless, of course, you go to the Piccadilly Cafeteria or Cracker Barrel restaurant. Blablablabla.....

Then Dr. F. recommended a probiotic that we could purchase at GNC that he was sure would cure most of my mom's ailments and gave his opinion of pain meds (narcotics) and was on his merry way.

As he said goodbye, he shouted, "Have a Blessed Day!"

And I said, "Sorry, but that is pronounced 'bless-id day.' Once an English teacher, always an English teacher." (smile)

This was his response: "If I go home and tell my wife who is a doctor that, she will hit me." 

Then he actually jumped out of the room.

Interesting bedside manner(s)!

16C is 61F

I just can't wait to walk this morning with a light sweater. 

Is cooler weather really just around the corner? 

Or is this the big tease?

Who cares? 

I will enjoy every step and then rush to the hospital to be with my mom today.

She has moved to the "Honeymoon Suite" for a six week stay. 

She and Daddy went on my Honeymoon, so I'm sharing hers.

Hospital Visits Can Actually Be Amusing

Just use your imagination as you read the signs on these doors at our local hospital: 

Time for a good room cleaning?

I can only imagine the bumper/demolition cars stashed behind this door.

Lockdown!

No Eating in the Disney Room

My mom is sick. 

Last evening my youngest brother brought her to the ER for fever, chills, and general disorientation. I came over to the hospital to sit with her and give him a break and a chance to get some sleep. 

As Mom tries to sleep, I crunch through the cereal and yoghurt  that I brought along from my home.

Then I notice Minnie Mouse on the bathroom door, with Mickey peeking above her.

Next I see Mickey and Goofy keeping watch on the monitor. 

And Pluto over my head checking out what I am eating for breakfast.

They have put our Mom in the Disney Room!!! For family members who knew my dad who passed away 17 years ago, he always called the room with the television the "Disney Room." 

And no one was allowed to eat in the "Disney Room"!

Somehow my granola and Greek yoghurt did not taste so great after I remembered his Disney room rule.

(Mom/Memaw is finally sleeping!)

Does this mean I have to watch Disney movies today?

Let's Play Tagg!

Some of you have asked about the GPS device that our son bought for us to put on our Flip. 

All three of us were concerned that Flip and his girlfriend Cara were going a little bit too far. Away from home, that is! So we have been trying to keep track of where they "hang out."

Our TomTom GPS for our vehicles lets us know where we are driving and where to turn to get to our destination. 

Flip's Tagg gives him nothing but a pain in the neck attached to his collar, and he rarely knows where he is, where he is going, and how to get there the quickest. But we can monitor the general area where he is and where he has been in case he decides to camp out there or stay out too late for our comfort (or for his).

No need for a GPS at the moment. This dog is "dead" tired after only about one hour out in this heat and with a few extra pounds from taking meds (Prednisone) to reduce the ear hematoma. After two weeks of meds, the vet said he can stop taking the pills. 

It is time to get this guy back into his svelte shape! 

Floor Manager

The last two days I have been "managing" the floors in our house. 

Nismo the dog has gone to his "real" owner.

Flip is coping with meds for his ear hematoma (which has been cured by the Prednisone in less than two weeks!!) and the rainy weather.

And so I have attacked the hard floors downstairs.

Time for a foot soak.

Still a few more rooms tomorrow. 

Anyone interested in becoming my "floor manager"?

Today's step count inside the house:

3,000 (which is about 1.3 miles).

Amazing! 

I can sweat in my veggie garden for four hours and not walk that much!

Awwww! Dog Gone!

Left: Nismo at 2 months old.  Right: Nismo at 5 months old.

This last weekend we took Nismo home to live with his "real" boss in the Big City. 

On the left, you see a sweet boy. 

On the right, you see a bigggg sweet boy. 

Not all the good manners (he jumps on you to say hello!!!) I thought we would have been able to accomplish, but he "takes care of business" outside and sits on command. 

He knows the names and retrieves most of his toys on command. 

He is a big boy and has lost some important baby teeth. 

But his boss has lots more things to teach this guy while enjoying such a sweety that is excited and eager to get along in the Big City.

And as for our Flip, he was back in huntin' business today. With a GPS to keep us informed as to his whereabouts while huntin'. After 5 hours in the rain and mud, he was worn out, as well as filthy.

After his shower, he crashed on the clean kitchen floor, since he couldn't find where I had moved his bed. 

Silly boy! 

It is in the same place it was 3 months ago before Nismo came to visit!

Being Pushed Out of Aldi

Aldi (weekly ad)

When I visited the American food store A&P in a city shopping mall in Delft, The Netherlands back in the 1980's, I expected to find at least a few of my favorite yummy American foods. That was definitely not the case. Literally everything was Dutch, just as the locals would have expected. (Not to say that Dutch food isn't yummy. Why else do you think I gained over 40 pounds in 28 years?)

Well, today my Dutch hubby wanted to visit one of the many German Aldi grocery stores that have sprung up recently in the US. (Yes, we are spending the weekend in the Big City with the nice neighborhood, friendly neighbors, and shaded paths for black rescue dog Nismo to walk with his "real" owner, our son.)

But back to Aldi--

First, you need to deposit a quarter in the shopping cart slot/lock if you plan to buy more than a couple of items. (That has been standard procedure while shopping in The Netherlands for years. Works as an incentive for folks to return the cart after use, since you get your money back. Plus you rarely see carts scattered throughout the parking lot. "Opgeruimed staat netjes!"/Straightened up looks tidy [Linda'a translation!!!!]) 

Next, almost everything is displayed in the cardboard boxes used for shipping. Not so appealing, but it looks "netjes"/tidy.

This particular Aldi was a bit disorganized with jars of peanut butter next to rice and more such strange shelf mates, but we found what we needed (or really did not need, but wanted to give it a try).

To say that there were lots of German-type foods in Aldi would be stretching the truth. I saw lots of off named brands that looked and sounded like some American names. And I believe that as well as the products being even cheaper than items from Walmart, they are probably about as good. I even picked up their Friendly Farms Nonfat Greek Yogurt (32 oz.) for $3.69. That is a deal, but I just hope a few tablespoons help start my new homemade Greek yoghurt when we get back home on Monday.

Besides expecting Aldi to have good bottled mineral water (which they did NOT), my hub expected their non-food items (read: all that stuff in the middle aisle that no one wants or really needs) to be more interesting (read: cheap!). I think he did find at least one handy "stanley-type" knife. I didn't even look at the stuff, since I definitely don't need clothes, kitchen utensils, etc. from Aldi. Or anywhere else!

Then we arrived at the check-out. Not a cashier in sight! When a lady in front of us asked if they were open (Saturday afternoon at 12:30 pm!), a young woman literally jumped into the seat behind the cash register and started punching in numbers and throwing food items around. My dutiful European husband with our own trusty freezer and economical grocery bags unloaded our goods for check-out and then scurried down to receive the checked items as they were actually tossed into another cart. The cashier rudely let him know that Hub could not bag up his goods there since his purchases were being placed in another cart. He was instructed that he was to use the long wooden packaging table provided across from the check-out counters. In other words, "here is your stuff, pay for it, pack it any way you like over there, and get out of here!"

Hmmm! 

Boy, does that sound familiar! I think that is the way I always bought groceries from 1979 thru 2006 when I lived in The Netherlands. And we still do that when we return there each Spring and Fall.

So I can't say that Aldi shows American Service with a Smile (:>€

Not Today!

There are some days that you just "don't feel like it." Well, today is one of those. But the pups and I did "it" anyway! We walked a bit this morning. 

And here is the results:

A new walking badge for me! 

I have covered a total 720 km ( or about 450 miles--distance from Houston, Texas to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma)  since I started this step counting last fall. 

I could have used some of that Siberian coolness on our trek this morning. 

We will be up to 100F in a couple of hours!

Snake Skin, Watermelon Poo, and Ear Hematoma

The joys of living in the sticks. Literally! 

Snake skin ( 6 feet long). Trophy of visiting lab-mix Nismo. Not bad for a 5 month old pup!

Watermelon Poo ( from deer). [You won't find me publishing such dirty photos, although this would have been the prettiest red poo photo ever!]

And Flip has a hematoma on his ear flap. More news about that after we visit the Vet on Friday afternoon. He is sleeping right now, and I don't want to disturb him. 

We have had Flip in "quarantine" since we discovered this huge swelling. Flip is not a happy camper. If you don't watch his every move, he will sneak to the other side of the pond and roll in something disgustingly smelly.

Back to important stuff like cooking noodles for my spaghetti/veggie sauce.

This is what my stovetop looked like yesterday at this time.

Bring on the 100 F temps! 

We are ready!

Dogs' Days of Summer!

Flip and Nismo are cooler in a hot kitchen than they would be outside in 100 degree F. 

How many more days of hot and drought? 

Think I was the one complaining about a wet Spring. 

Now we are hot and dry!

And It All Came Tumbling Down

If you wonder why Humpty Dumpty was so scared while sitting on the wall, just watch what just this morning happened near where we used to live in The Netherlands. 

http://youtu.be/8_nTLIuk6Hk

Keep It Up!

I am still here.

I am still walking.

I am keeping UP the walking.

In the last seven months I have walked the altitude of almost 2 miles. And to think that I could accomplish that in a part of the US that is just 30 meters (100 feet) above sea level.

Things are looking up!