Black Friday?

I am not one who gives into the idea of rising at 2am (or earlier) to shop on the day after Thanksgiving. I have worked the day multiple times. I enjoyed getting up early, going into the store, redding up (yes, that's a word, PA people will get it) the place, and opening the doors at 4am for the insane customers who PATIENTLY waited (I emphasize the patient part because my customers actually behaved themselves. Other stores were less than lucky with that). It was a piece of my part-time job as a cashier that I actually truly enjoyed. This was a day that flew by, was never boring, and still lent me time to get my Christmas stuff up before dark.

That said, I have never entered a store or left the house on Black Friday with the purpose of spending a singe red cent. I'm not crazy enough to brave the insane crowds, and I tend to be one who is done with her shopping by September. It's just easier. There might be a little thing here and there, but the overall "stuff" is taken care of early.

So why did I leave a question mark in the title? Afterall, it IS Black Friday. Well, not for us! We received our first snowfall of the season overnight. I realize it isn't much, but it's the first we've seen. No laughing by our counterparts in the Salt Lake and Pennsylvania areas. Salt Lake always receives more, and PA? Well, that's obvious, and we all know you're being pounded this year. Complete with lake effect from Erie. Believe it, or not, I'm actually homesick for that area! Not Buffington, really, because our little house there was so awful in the winter weather (and I don't really miss the oil fuel smell or residue on the furniture), but even into Morgantown near Cheat Lake is on my mind. So, this little bit of snow is a very, very nice change of pace.

Enjoy your day, everyone. Stay safe in the crazy crowds, keep warm and snug, and keep yourselves sane! I'm off to get my Christmas stuff up now.....

Happy Thanksgiving!

(Tristan, I haven't forgotten about the tag...just haven't accomplished it, yet)

We ventured to the historic district again yesterday since it was a lovely afternoon and a good place to walk. It's amazing how much has changed in the past couple of weeks, and Union Avenue has sincerely been hit by tragedy over the past little bit. No need for details, but there are a lot of people in the area who are hurting....emotionally...due to various circumstances. Not just because of the explosion. Especially given the time of year, it's heartbreaking.

We had a lovely walk, though. Lots of windows to look in, some perusing of shops, good smells, and plenty of giggling at my boy. He was happy to be out & about.

Today is baking day. Since tomorrow is Thanksgiving and the turkey will be using the oven for the duration, I am getting the cheesecakes (pumpkin and chocolate), green bean casserole (a cliche staple), cornbread for the stuffing, and a few other things baked today. It should prove to be a full day!

I conclude by sending everyone Thanksgiving wishes. I am eternally grateful for my little family; my husband of 10 years who can drive me up the wall but also takes very, very good care of me and lets me know he loves me (seriously, I drive him further up the wall), my sweet little son who amazes me each and every day. My almost 12-yr old cat who has traveled the distance with me and still manages to know when I'm even remotely sad and works to cheer me up. My almost 9-yr old dog who has visited every battlefield, nearly every trail, saved my butt from certain situations with farm animals, and is the ever-faithful companion. And my parents, who have selflessly given time to help out during this interesting fall season.

I am thankful to have a warm and comfortable home, food on the table, a faith that keeps me somewhat sane, and true friends who remain close to my heart.

And I edit into this post, at 10:27pm Weds night, that I am thankful friends Jeff and Brittany back in Salt Lake are safe and sound at home here in the United States with their new daughter from Mumbai.

I pray this is a wonderful time for everyone else!

The Branch Inn

It's been nearly a week since the trip into the historic district. It was a trip that was unlike any other I'd taken into that part of the city. It wasn't just the fact it smelled funny because of the explosion, or that there were two buildings no longer there, but the fact we had to backtrack and walk behind the buildings to get around.




The pictures are pretty standard of what anyone would take. The ATF was here to help with the investigation. There were clothing racks, pumpkins, and stools appearing to be untouched while chaos ruled the rest of the place. Glass was thick and shattered all over the sidewalks. It was an eery feeling to know my usual parking place was currently buried under rubble. But the fact that only one young woman died and 7 others were injured and survived was heavy in the air. We left a message on the makeshift memorial for Ashley Johnson and just marveled at the fact more people weren't killed or hurt.





The official cause has been ruled a natural gas leak with the buildup storing itself in the basement of Branch Inn. Gino, the 74-yr old pulled last from the rubble, was in the basement when the blast occurred. Nobody smelled anything except what they thought was sewage. It was explained, but I can't remember how. Essentially it came down to that sewer smell being the gas and not recognized due to how it traveled, etc. Nobody's fault, just an accident.




I am slowly healing. Things are just not going as fast as I would like, but that's the way the body works. I'm just not patient. It's going to take a long time, despite having had good tone. That annoys me, but it's better than getting into trouble. This is the reason I waited until summer was over...something I am very happy to have done.

Dad came into town last night for Thanksgiving. It's great to have a full house for the holiday, and it makes cooking a feast so much more fun. There are a few times in the year I like to go crazy in the kitchen, Thanksgiving being one. It's just difficult when the normal thing results in so many leftovers that we can't get through them all! But it's going to be a fun one.

Suffice to say, it's been a strange November, but I'll appreciate it for a long time....

Mid-November?

I realize it's been a few days since I last wrote. I have discovered that I am on a little bit of an emotional rollercoaster. It's not a surprise, but it was still a little unexpected for me. No big deal, though.
My mom being here to help has been a godsend, though I feel guilty. It's hard enough for me to sit back and do next to nothing, but when I am watching another doing my work, it's horribly difficult. I'm trying to be good and just give over control, though. Difficult, again....to say the least. But, I'm trying.
Lucas is being wonderful. He has his moments, of course. He IS only 2, so he can't just get the drift of what's going on, but he's being a good boy. He's playing, walking the miles with me through the neighborhood (what a sight we must be....little boy accompanying his momma who's constantly in pj's or yoga pants), not fighting with the dog, making us laugh (which is still a little mean to do to me), and spending plenty of time with Gramma. I do think, though, that he'll be happy to have other little kiddos to play with come Monday when I return to school. I'm sure he'll argue the fact when he's dropped off, but Mondays are also the 1-hour day for him, so it'll be a fairly easy transition back.
I'll be seeing what's left from the explosion tomorrow, as well. There are many places damaged, some of which won't be opening again for a while because of that fact, and the ATF will be here for a number of days while trying to piece together what happened. It's been thought it was natural gas, but nobody knows for sure. Weird. Anyway, I'll be seeing the remains because I have to go that way to return a very overdue library book. It came from the branch right here by our house, but since that's being expanded and is currently gutted, coupled with the fact we can't find the drop-box, I'll be taking it to the main campus just up the street from the explosion. The bad thing? Union Avenue is shut down in that part of town, so I get to direct mom through the streets (since I'm still banned from driving). It could turn out to be an experience. I'm still taking my camera, though. She's less than amused because of the possible threat of asbestos (also still not confirmed), but I've always been this way.
Despite the fact I've been taking walks almost each day, I am stir crazy. I want to get up into the mountains. I want to play with the ponies. I am glad I'm returning to school. I feel good, but have little reminders that my body is healing. It's hard to take this long to get past something! Still, it's worth it, especially since I already feel better than I have for a very, very long time.
It's obvious I'm extremely bored since my writing is so rambling. As such, I am going to go find some shoes and the dog's leash so we can enjoy a lengthy walk in the 65 degree weather. Seriously, is it really mid-November? Then I can come home and see about starting to put some thoughts together in an attempt to get this paper on cloning equine geldings for breeding purposes written. Yippee....

The Explosion....

I'm not sure how many of you out in Bloggerland have heard the big news out of Pueblo this afternoon and early evening. It's pretty horrible, yet miraculous. First, and foremost, we are fine. We are approximately 10 miles West, though I know the area well and am a little emotionally shook up.
You see, about the time mom and I left for my doctor's appointment just after 2pm, a landmark restaurant in the historic district of downtown Pueblo blew up. Leveled to the ground. Is no longer in existence. I knew something was going on as we got about 20 miles up the freeway and I saw 2 different local news vans within seconds of each other heading South. I, of course, didn't know where or what (in helping mom find her way, the car radio was off), just that it was an unusual sight. It was about 2 hours later that I heard the news.
It hit me pretty hard simply because I am intimate with the area. The store across the street from the explosion is one of my favorites. I'm sure it's not completely unscathed, but the occupants and patrons are fine. Luke and I walk this part of the historic district and window shop very often. The people are fantastic. The sights are great. As much as I dislike this desert spot, I actually like Pueblo. Had I actually been in the house instead of the car, I would've been able to feel and hear the explosion. For whatever reason, this hit hard.
Now for the gritty details. There were 8 people inside. The devastating part is that one person has died. The miracle is that the other 7 are alive and seemingly alright. Not perfect, mind you, but alive. The last survivor, an elderly gentleman known as Gino, was pulled out of the rubble on live television, conscious, speaking, moving, and battered after 4 hours of waiting. Amazing!
I hope to be able to gain access within the next couple of days. I don't know if that will be feasible because of the closed streets, but I am anxious to see how the landscape there has changed once the public is again allowed on that thoroughfare. I have to drive right by to visit the museum I hope to take mom to. There is a decent slideshow on http://www.krdo.com/global/Category.asp?c=153408&image=14, and at http://www.koaa.com/external_content_wide?url=http://superviewer.koaa.com/News&title=SuperViewer, if anyone is interested.
So it's been a little bit of a difficult day, but one that is worthy of giving thanks. Appropriate for this time of year.....

Hawaiian Memories....

We finally have some......mist. Hey, it's making the ground wet, which is more than we've had in a long while.

Robyn commented that sitting on the beach with the waves crashing while lounging in pajamas sounded wonderful. You know, it does! The only problem is that I'd choose Shark's Cove or Hale'iwa to lounge and one can't play with the turtles who beg for attention when they're in lounge pants! I guess I'd choose shorts.....but can I still get away with a tank top?

Who cares? The amount of tourists wearing things they really shouldn't means I wouldn't stand out too much....so, yes. I can't get over the thought of relishing the salt-smelling air, watching the sharks on the reefs (which I also miss because they'd check out my toes when I'd venture onto the reefs), the turtles bobbing in the surf, the ships and subs heading to sea (except on the North Shore they aren't exactly seen...but then, those are also still hard memories, so watching them come back into Pearl Harbor would be better), and loving the sound of the waves crashing and kids playing.

Speaking of the sea-going vessels, I do miss having the opportunity to meet all the interesting sailors from all over the world. I moved back to the Mainland shortly after RimPac '98 concluded. Granted, I came back here in '99, but it was only a few months after the conclusion of this event. The variety of ships & subs, the multitude of flags flying from the vessels, the different uniforms, and the interesting people were fantastic! There was also one ship that I came within hours of taking a deployment on. I would've been at sea and cruising the world for 3-months. At the last moment (literally, it was hours before we were to shove off) someone decided that a co-worker of mine was to go. We were both livid. He went before and hated it, I was dying to go. I'll always regret missing that deployment, but it also turned out okay. I ended up with a 3-day TDY to another location that was WONDERFUL. Just short. It just wasn't that one particular ship. The one I can name, but won't.

And, oh the stories of the boat! Actually, as much as I miss my duty in Hawaii, and the sweet smell of the pineapple field after a long night underground, I don't miss the boat. There were parts of being a submarine girl that were awesome, but the fact my Dear was gone for days, weeks, months at a time with zero contact (beyond piles of letters that would appear after they surfaced long enough to drop off mail) were hell. I'd go each night (or morning, depending on shift) to Aloha A'ina Park, sit on the wall, peer out past the harbor and into the ocean to shed a few tears and whisper sweet nothings to the sky. Every single day. I'd be happy for the families that would "join" me when their boat would come in as they'd wave to the crew members on the mast or on the deck, cheer, and run the length of the park with their loved ones, then dash to their cars to meet the boat at the pier. But I'd hate them, too. At least until it was my turn.

Those days are long gone. I still search for aquariums when we move to a new place and long for the smell of salt in the air. I relish the warmth of summer because of the memories of Hawaii. But I still am a mountain girl. When I had the opportunity to fly with a now famous General to Haleakala on Maui, I was more excited over having the grapple snow fall on us than the reason we were there. Bless his heart, he was a real sport about it. I have to wonder what this 4-star General had running through his mind when the 22-year old Senior Airman he was traveling with squealed like a little girl over pellet snow. He did laugh, so I give him credit. In all fairness, the facilities we toured that day were awesome. They stick in my mind. But that snow, and the low aerial views of the volcanoes on the Big Island were my highlight. Seriously, I don't think many people get the opportunity to do that in a Blackhawk helicopter, and I know it was special! Anyway, that should have been a clue. As much as I long for the simmering days of summer, I still have need for a little bit of snow and cold.

So, I am a little happy today. I am still bored out of my mind, but I am happy because it's a sweltering 40-degrees outside with a little mist falling. It finally feels a bit like November. So, I am happy....

Boredom....

I am so bored. I am pretty well useless right now. I offered to help look for the missing car keys that Luke apparently hid well, and I offered to take care of the cat litter. Both mundane, easy, and at least something besides sitting my butt in bed or the recliner. No dice. I got in trouble for even thinking about it. *sigh*

At this point I kind of wish we were in Hawaii. At least there I could plant my butt on the beach and rest. I loved living there. It was never boring, always beautiful, always warm, and the sweet smell of salt water is soothing. I am glad to not be living there any longer, but right now I am deeply missing it. But when I think of it, who in their right mind would want to sit on the beach with all those people who have beautiful bodies while my tummy is no longer flat but squishy, has holes in it, and I'd be stuck in pajama pants and t-shirts? Oh, wait, I have never really had a right mind, so that takes care of that.

Actually, I am anxious for snow. The storms all hit the mountains, snow themselves out, blow over us as gusts of wind, and become weather making monsters again about 100 miles East of here. That gets boring. It's the biggest reason I can't wait to get out of Pueblo. Not that it's a big deal, but it gets old quick. Dad might come for Thanksgiving, which would be really nice, but it would kind of be icing if we'd get some snow. On the plus side, I did get to see a few flurries from my hospital room on Wednesday morning. Literally about 3 minutes of light flurries, then all done. Still, better than nothing.

I have a sort of renewed vigor to become a nurse. Why? Because of the way we were treated. We had a wonderful nurse at night, and the charge nurse at night was beyond belief. They are what nurses should be! Beyond that? Well, I'll just say they were lacking in bedside manner. I realize they are busy, work long hours, and see a lot of people each week, but to me it isn't an option to make the patient and families feel like they're royalty. It's kind of hard to explain, but it's why I was the one assigned to brief the mass amounts of Senators, Congressmen, various military officials, etc. It's why I was always assigned to be the cashier because I made sure the customers left the store with a smile, no matter how the rest of the visit went. Among other things.

The big problem is that enough people have shown interest in the nursing field now that the idea is to weed out those who aren't the best students. They want academic nurses, people like me aren't so academic. I'm practical. But, sadly, that's not what's really wanted. So we trade practical talent and personal care for book talent and snappiness toward people. I have a few options, but it's definitely going to take me a lot, a LOT longer to get my nursing degree.

Can you tell I'm bored? I'm blabbering on about a bunch of stupid stuff. Maybe I'm entertaining someone somewhere. At least that's a little bit of usefulness. And as long as someone gets a chuckle, or at least a smile, then that's good enough for me....

The Healing Time...

I am amazed that I am feeling as well as I am! Honestly, I keep waiting for a crash. My body just doesn't react this way! Now, that's not to say that I'm not sore, not hobbling around like an old lady, or able to do much of anything, but I'm in better shape than I expected at this point.

I am so thankful for my dear, sweet, wonderfully patient husband and my mother who has seemingly endless energy. If it weren't for them, I would already be trying to do way too much. Not to mention that my perfect little boy is so intuitive and pretty well leaving me alone. He sat with me for a bit this evening and took a nap, but he's rather in the mood to just look at me from a distance. What a great kid!

I am still amazed, though, that I, the patient, am the one who knew what was wrong. I, the patient, am the one who told the doctors in this area that my gallbladder was shot. I am seriously considering giving my family practitioner and the idiot G.I. doctor a rude awakening, and firing the practitioner. It makes me angry. I am glad that I had the summer to play around, though. It was a great summer!

I am disappointed in the election results, but I spoke my mind and that's what matters. It's not just the General Election stuff, there's some things in this state that have me shaking my head. That is part of living in this country, though. We have the freedom to choose what we want. It's a great thing! Only time will tell how things pan out.

Now I will continue staying quiet and healing. It is going to be wonderful to take a run, to ride a pony, to walk further than the living room, but for now it's just wonderful to be home....

I'm Home....

I am home! Thank you to everyone who has passed on such kind words, cards, flowers, and stuff. They have done me a world of good! I need to rest quite a bit (obviously), but will check in from time-to-time.

Quick Thanks...

I just wanted to convey a very quick thank you to everyone who has passed on such kind and loving words! Tomorrow is the big day, mom is here, Luke is happy to have her, and I'm ready. There are a couple of people I need to email back, I just haven't had a chance. I will very soon.

Have a Happy Election Day, and I'll be in touch again soon!

Happy Halloween!

What a busy day for my Little Bug and me! But a wonderful one. Given it was unusually warm, it worked out very well, too.

The day started with a trip to Colorado Spings for my pre-surgical appointment. I say that loosely because there were no actual appointments available, so I was told to do a walk-in that day. Apparently nobody knew walk-ins were still happening because I was told more than once that it would've been nice if I had made an appointment. Someone finally listened when I stated I had tried, nothing was available Thursday, Friday, or Monday, so I followed instructions. She seemed overjoyed to go tell the higher-ups since they insisted nobody walked-in an they didn't need so many appointment times. Nice.

Anyway, that took about an hour. Not bad! I had promised Luke a trip to the zoo to see the exhibit that opened this spring. He'd had yet to see wolves, grizzly bears, and moose. Aside from that, a few of the animals had moved into new enclosures over the past week. So, off to Cheyenne Mountain we went.

The first thing we did was help move 2 giraffes to their outside paddock. I thought it would be kind of fun for him since it involved pushing a button to lift a hydrolic bridge. I was right, he thought that was cool. He thanked the keeper and wandered to take a look at the creatures he just released. One was a baby, and apparently not as scary as the adults. Luke finally reached out to touch a giraffe! She licked him in appreciation, which he giggled at.

We worked our way to the Rocky Mountain Wild exhibit and enjoyed every step of the way. Smart boy that he is, Luke opted for his stroller and preserved his energy while I huffed & puffed up the mountainside. Hey, I don't mind the workout! We passed the wallabees, elephants, big cats (except lions), and ventured up the fire tower to see the grizzly bears.

What a great exhibit! It was hard to get pictures through the glass, but they turned out alright. Luke was up at the glass when one of the bears climbed into the water. While my boy had his face up to the window, the bear came over and pushed his nose into Luke's face! It was adorable, and hilarious! Little Man was all smiles as he kind of stumbled back with a small amount of shock (since everyone in the vicinity exclaimed, laughed, and made the appropriate noises), but he still loved it. I wasn't able to get that on film...err, memory card...because of the angle I was at, but I'll always remember it. Then we were off again, back down the fire tower.

This is where we had the pleasure of hearing the snarls and growls of the cougars. It was lunch time, and they weren't about to share with the humans watching....or each other. This exhibit includes a tunnel with a glass ceiling and wall so you can be "inside" with the cats. It was exciting! Luke liked the growling and growled back. Little does he know....

The moose was below us at this point, and he's still young. About 1 1/2, so his rack is small. But he was still pretty. It amazes me how something that big, content, and moves with a slight degree of clumsiness at slow speed can become so agile and chase my butt into a tree! Even in waist-deep snow! Then again, I'm still pretty impressed I was able to move as fast as I did in that snow....but I was a lot younger. Anyway, Luke wasn't so impressed with this guy because he was just laying down and lazily chewing his cud. But the wolves?

They were Mexican Grey Wolves, and they were ACTIVE! Luke kept saying "Momma, dog! Momma, dog!" Of course a 2-yr old isn't going to understand there's a difference (he said the same thing about the fox the other night), but he loved them. It took a little coaxing to move from that exhibit. Now I definitely have to take him to the wolf sanctuary, if only to see his expression when they start howling.

On our way out we passed the monkey house. To my surprise, the little face in the medium outside enclosure was definitely not a monkey, but she sure got me excited! The little face belonged to the lone tiger cub born at the zoo in June! She was just relaxing, but she was so interested in us and what we had to say. Absolutely the cutest baby I've seen in quite some time! Her name was "Zoya," and she was rejected by her mom. Zoo staff have been raising her and she is now learning some independence. Stupid me, I didn't get a picture of her.

Last, we cruised by the lion den. The pride was out, half awake, half asleep. One lioness was locked on something, though. She didn't exactly appreciate Luke sticking his face in hers (after he got out of the stroller), would sit up to look over him, move to each side to see around him, and finally gave up and joined the rest of the pride. I felt kind of bad, but it did take about 10 minutes to get to that point. The thing about this encounter that will stand out for me is her yawn. Before she moved, and while Luke was in her face, she gave a giant yawn. She was still young and not as big as the lionesses here in Pueblo, but Luke's entire head would easily fit in her mouth. Wowza!

Many times I told Luke that this would probably be the closest he'd ever come to animals such as this, and that it's a good thing. The bear's head was as big as Luke's body, the lioness' mouth size, and the snapping of the cougars make me happy about that. Granted, if he were to become a rehabber, zoologist, wildlife biologist, or something along those lines, then he'll obviously be closer, but that wasn't the point. It was just one of those days of great experiences for him (and me!).

We came home and put our costumes on. Luke was an astronaut, I was akin to Nicole Kidman's character in "Cold Mountain," just at the beginning of the Civil War. My school was having a little shin-dig for the kiddos, my favorite instructor was taking her 8-yr old son, and I thought it would be fun. What a let-down! A few tables to get candy from. Thank goodness for the neighborhood!

So, home again, we ate some pizza and took off for a walk around the block. I have such great memories of trick-or-treating through our neighborhood as a kid (complete with being teased by my brother and friends one year to the point I ran home in tears, leaving my brother sure I'd been kidnapped) that I want to help Luke have equally great memories. It was a lovely night, and we didn't need to be bundled up. Luke made out like a bandit, absolutely loved the noisy flashlight his grandparents gave him, made the neighbors laugh, and decided he could live solely on candy. Too bad his parents had something else to say about that! It was after 10pm before we could convince him to take his costume off and put his jammies on. After that it took about 20 minutes for him to crash out.

(you'll have to excuse me, I look horrible)

What a great day!