November 25, 2007 7:15pm

Back in WV :-(

But now, for what you have all been waiting for....

My Big Fat Thanksgiving Dinner 2007 Edition!!

Arrived at my uncle Ray's house around noon. Unlike most dysfunctional family gatherings on Thanksgiving, there is no blaring television here. There is no football to distract us from our bitterness. No children to direct our aggression at. Worst of all, there are no pets to take for a walk when one just *must* escape.

Basically, once you walk in the door, you're trapped. It's just you, the low-carb cheese tray, and the family.

This year's cast of characters included a friend of my uncle's named Rich, who has been unemployed for as long as I've known him, does not drive, has no television, and is extremely eccentric (cough: crazy). Ray's wife invited her cousin, Barbara, who lives alone, has no visible source of income and is prone to moments of extreme emotion directed at people or events with which she has no personal connection.

There was also my aunt Joanne and uncle Marty, my mom, and me.

Marty was on Jamesons on ice #2 by the time we arrived. Joanne was engrossed in a dramatic telling of the tragedy of the denim skirt she tried to sew in high school, bu was too fearful to make the first stitch. This went on for nearly 30 minutes. The anxiety she had. What would have happened if she did something wrong? The feeling of failure for never having finished the skirt.

I remarked that it sounded like she was suffering from PTSD- Post Traumatic Sewing Disorder.

nobody laughed

Except my mom, who nearly spewed her Ginger Ale.

After the skirt story, it was just about time for dinner/lunch/breakfast. We sit down at the table (after the yearly discussion of where should everyone sit...only for us to sit in the EXACT SAME PLACES we have all sat for the last 15 years). Marty and Rich get into a heated discussion about 9/11 and the firefighters/policemen not wearing proper respiratory protection and how Marty worked oh so hard for 30 days with no days off with the EPA. And now the EPA is being blamed for their respiratory problems blah blah blah fucking blah.

I kept trying to change the subject. After all, the mashed potatoes hadn't even been put on the table yet! For Chrissakes! Save the conspiracy theories for the pumpkin pie!

Jamesons #3 also helped this along.

Poor Ray didn't speak at all through dinner. Every second of the conversation was either absurd, surreal, or angry.

Here are some of the topics we covered:
- the 2008 election and our mutual dislike of Hilary (a rare moment of agreement)
- the 2008 election and my family's dislike of Guiliani, while my mom and I say he's the only one who can beat Hilary and everyone else refusing to admit that and, thusly, getting upset with my mom and I
- Anger over one's father abandoning them when they were 5.....45 years ago.
-why all people with mental illness (of any kind) should be locked up in an "asylum". This happened because I mentioned I was on my psych rotation. I seriously wanted to pull out my Prozac bottle at that point and ask if that meant I should go find the nearest "asylum".
-why it isn't polite to call people with down's syndrome "Mongoloid" and why they should or should not be locked up in the aforementioned "asylum".
-"colored people" and their negative effect on the world
-joanne and marty's recent trip to a fancy shmancy restaurant and their very poor review of it- everything they hated about it made it sound more and more appealing to me. seasonal menu, great wine list, "tiny portions" ie really great quality food in normal human serving sizes, but not big enough for the fat asses of my family who prefer the biggie size value meal size dinners.

I think I'm going to try to talk more at christmas eve dinner. This might keep the conversation on a better track.

Poor ray didn't even speak at all until everyone except my mom and I left. Then he talked to us for about an hour. That was a nice, normal visit.

On a sad note, my great uncle Stanley's dog, Duke, died. He wasn't eating for a few days, so my mom took him to the vet yesterday. He was breathing fast and the vet hospital ran some tests. They found lots of fluid in his abdomen and they suspected cancer. I'm not a big advocate of putting these animals through all sorts of wild surgeries and chemo treatments only to extend their life by a month or two. $1500 just for the "tests" was enough to convince us it was time to let him go. Stanley is okay with it (Stan is 80 and has a home health aid because he is quite elderly), but now he wants another dog. Mom's mission now is to find him another golden retriever...preferably one who likes to watch Hockey and Football and doesn't expect too much activity. Duke seemed to fit that role perfectly.

I'm back down in WV and another week of fun starts tomorrow!

Thursday November 22, 2007 10:29am

Got in from Buckhannon about 6:00pm last night.

Despite having already suffered through the flu and mono, someone has decided to bless me with a cold.

Snotfest!

Did you know that if you unknowingly swallow enough mucus, you stomach will reject it and make you want to vomit?

Did you also know that if you are on a diet and eat really well for a long time, and then eat a massive portion of Japanese food and assorted sushi rolls, you stomach will save you from spoiling the diet by just sending it all right on through without being fully digested?

Yay for explosive diarrhea!

On that note, it's Thanksgiving!

Roger just left to go back up to his parents' place. I am dressed and ready to go to my uncle's house in a bit.

As many of you recall, it is time for the fabulous Big Fat Thanksgiving Dinner!

Over the years, my family has shrunk. Surprisingly enough, it is not due to divorce or family feuds, but the old ones just keep dying off. It's the natural process of things, so I don't mind too terribly much.

That being said, our gathering this year will be approximately 8 or maybe 9 people.

My uncle invited Roger to come, but Roger is going up to his own family's dinner. Besides, I'd rather invite Roger to that part of my family for Christmas when it's at my house and under my control. (and yes, I fully admit that I am a control freak)

I will pay close attention to the events of today and will give you my full report when I return...complete with humorous inserts.

Happy Thanksgiving Friends!

November 16, 2007 5:06pm

Comfort bliss.

that's where I am right now.

Let me explain...

It doesn't take much to make me happy. A day off here and there is a good start. Some comfortable clothes, warm socks, a fluffy bed, and QVC is really all I need to be absolutely happy.

And today I have that. all of it.

I had today off, which meant I got to sleep in late and on clean sheets. Sigh. Simple pleasures.

And after a lovely day of cooking and baking, I am now relaxing in bed with my cookbooks, the internet, my bed, and, of course, my beloved QVC.

Some visuals for you....

Beef vegetable soup in the crock pot (I swear it smells a lot better than it looks right here)

A coconut-sweet potato cheesecake cooling in the fridge. Come over any time for dinner! And if anyone knows how to keep cheesecakes from cracking in the middle, please let me know.


My super fluffy warm bed with the extra pillows and blankets.


Of course, the socks.

Told ya I was happy!

November 15, 2007 10:10pm

So I'm sitting on my couch now, on the phone with Roger, watching the Democratic Debate on CNN.

I didn't start blogging until now because it has taken me a bit of time to glue the pieces of my head together after I had to slam it up against the wall. I also had some blood shooting out of my eyes in anger.

Some favorite moments...

Obama saying that we need to close Gitmo. And just leaves it at all. Um. Okay. And then do what? In his next breath, he said that we need to open schools in the middle east that don't teach hate, but instead teach math and science. As Roger pointed out, we couldn't stop a school in NYC from teaching Islamic fundamentalism, not to mention the fact that we have enough trouble with our own schools in this country...how are we going to open schools in the middle east and control what they teach?

I know! We'll take the people out of gitmo and have them teach at the new schools! Roger called it Gitmo U!

I also really liked the UNLV student who has the chance of a lifetime to ask a US Senator running for president one question. Just one question. What does this college student ask? "Senator Clinton, do you prefer diamonds or pearls?"

I want this bimbo's voter registration card revoked. Stupid people should not be allowed to make decisions like who becomes the next president.

The words "Universal" and "Healthcare" put together in the same sentence, when not followed by "is really really bad" make me nauseous.

Joe Biden said that if he is president, his Supreme Court nominee "would be" a woman. Really? Not the most qualified individual you can find? Not the person who would be best in the position? A woman. that's the big requirement? What if there's a man who is more qualified. You will sacrifice a position on the supreme court to someone who is less qualified just to have a vagina on the bench?

Wonderful.

And let's stop with the absurdity of calling illegals "undocumented workers". That's like calling a used car a "previously enjoyed" car.

Oh geez, now my head is starting to ooze apart again. I will write more another time.

November 9, 2007 6:14pm

Sorry I have not been updating.

I have been ill.

Really nasty ill.

About 2 1/2 weeks ago (though it feels like a month at least) I started feeling a little more tired than usual. Friday night I left the office with a mild sore throat, but didn't think too much of it. Saturday morning, I woke up bright and early to go to the hospital and check on patients and I could swear someone had killed me during the night, buried me, and the dug me up without my knowing.

I...hurt...everywhere. My hair hurt. My fingernails hurt. My liver! My liver! I was shaking, but I was hot, then cold, then hot, then cold. My throat hurt like I had razor blades in it.

But being the dedicated medical student that I am, I got myself dressed and went to the hospital to meet the doc. I rounded on the patients and waited for him in the Dr's Lounge (which is actually slightly larger than a walk-in closet, has a desk, 2 chairs, and a window in it....oooh, livin the high life!). He sees me and says, "You don't look so good."

Well, I don't feel so good. I told him about my strange illness. He said it sounded like I was getting the flu, but the F-word is a dirty word around hospitals. Nobody wants to be the first hospital in the area to have documented cases of the flu. Fine with me. I'm happy to be in denial.

We saw a few patients and then went to the critical care unit. There, I almost passed out when examining a patient. I had to sit down and get my balance again. Doc saw I was fading fast, so he didn't ask much of me. I was mainly his scribe. I took notes on patients and wrote down what he said. Then, standing by the nurses' station, he began shooting the breeze about the good old days and I was about to puke. I got that prickly heat feeling you get in your forehead and face just before you start the Lamaze breathing to keep from puking.

Yeah. And I turned pasty white. Well, more pasty white than I normally am.

Without even asking for permission, I just turned around and said, "I need to leave. I'm very sick." I swear if I had any friends up here I would have called them to come get me from the hospital because I was very unsure of driving the 6 blocks home.

But I did.

and I got into bed.

And didn't think I would ever leave.

I also did what ever 26 year old woman with almost 3 years of medical training, 6 years of EMT experience, and who lives within earshot of a hospital would do.

I called my mom who lives 500 miles away and begged her to come down to take care of me. She was planning to come down on Monday when she was on her way to Louisville to visit a friend. Unfortunately, she was on call and could not come down until Monday. Then I called Roger, who felt horrible and wanted to help, but couldn't from so far away.

I shivered and sweated and ached for two days. On Monday, I called out sick from the office but asked if I could come in to be checked. My throat hurt and I was sure my ear was going to explode from the amount of pressure behind it. I dragged myself into doc's office in my pajamas. He looked at my tonsils and decided I had strep. Much to his surprise, my strep test was negative, but he gave me an antibiotic anyway. He told me to take as much time as I needed off and "don't be a hero. come back when you're really ready."

considering this is the same doc who had a problem with my boobage, he was being very caring and understanding. I found a new respect for him.

Monday was a wash. Tuesday was lost. Wednesday I slowly began to recover. By Thursday I came in for a half day of work.

Mom returned to my house from Louisville by Friday and I had a nice weekend with her.

And then I got sick again by Monday. Monday night I wanted to die. I called Roger at 4am to tell him my throat hurt so bad and I could hardly speak. I communicated mostly in grunts and I couldn't swallow..only drool and spit. He was so upset I think he was nearly crying on the phone. He felt completely helpless being so far away from me.

Gross.

Tuesday morning I met doc in the hospital and told him what was going on. He even enlisted the help of another doc on the foor and then he walked me down to the lab to get some blood work. He suspected Mono and gave me an Rx for some steroid (yay for Prednisone!) and told me to go home and rest.

Within an hour I was even sicker. I was dizzy from the pain in my throat and couldn't move my tongue at all. I got my drugs and headed home. Called Roger to tell him what I was doing. He told me he was leaving work soon and would be on his way down. He couldn't stand to hear me being so sick and all alone, so he was leaving work for the rest of the week and coming down to me.

Sigh. I loved him so much in that moment.

He got here Tuesday night and will be leaving on Sunday. I've been able to get back to the office for half days the past three days. Doc has been very understanding about me being so tired and in pain. The official diagnosis seems to be Mono of unknown viral cause. I wake up every morning about 4:30 in excruciating pain. Roger gets my pills for me and holds me until I fall asleep. He runs errands for me and takes excellent care of me. Waits on me hand and foot when I'm in bed resting. Gets me water, pills, M&M's or whatever else I may want.

I am very blessed.

And it seems that I am slowly recovering.

I don't ever want to be sick like this again, though.