Friday, October 28, 2005

Three Strikes & A Grand Slam



After three times coming close to a Bon Jovi concert, location-wise, but having the timing not work out I've finally hit paydirt!

My co-workers thought I'd completely lost it when I got the e-mail last night announcing the latest stops added to Bon Jovi's Have a Nice Day! tour. I just sat there cackling like an idiot!

Nothing could ruin that for me. Not getting to my exit for home only to realize I had one of the Assignment Desk phones in my purse and had to turn around and take it back. Not realizing we'd forgotten to return our rented movies, due by midnight which it was now after. Not realizing I'd forgotten to fuel up and it had to be done tonight!

First thing this morning I bought m tickets. Not without some headache, of course! I was able to take part in a special pre-sale of tickets, before they're released to the general public.

I thought I could just call in and buy them. No go. I had to get them online. Of course, I don't have the internet at home. So, I had to call my mother at work and talk her through the purchase.

Doesn't matter. Nothing can ruin my happiness. This is the only band Der Deutscher and I agree on. He likes Metal. I prefer Gospel and Country. We've been torturing each other with concerts for years now. Finally, a concert we'll both enjoy! =)

We're going to get a hotel room, make a weekend out of it. What a concept, an entirely adult mini-vacation. Can't remember the last time we did that!

Nimitz' Lady

Wednesday, October 26, 2005

Traveler Beware

From NBC Newschannel:

NEXT TIME YOU GET A PASSPORT.. IT'LL COME WITH A LITTLE SOMETHING EXTRA.

THE STATE DEPARTMENT HAS RELEASED IT'S FINAL RULES FOR PUTTING "RADIO FREQUENCY IDENTIFICATION CHIPS" INTO ALL U.S. PASSPORTS.

THE CHIPS HOLD DIGITAL PHOTOS AND OTHER INFORMATION... WHICH IS TRANSMITTED ELECTRONICALLY.

THEY WILL BE REQUIRED IN ALL NEW AND RENEWED PASSPORTS STARTING NEXT OCTOBER.

A PILOT PROGRAM STARTS LATER THIS YEAR.

THE CHIPS ARE DESIGNED TO INCREASE SECURITY... BUT CRITICS SAY THE INFORMATION IN THE CHIPS CAN BE INTERCEPTED ELECTRONICALLY.

THERE ARE ALSO CONCERNS ABOUT PROTECTING PERSONAL PRIVACY.


Needless to say I'll be renewing my passport before next October and for as long as possible.
Nimitz' Lady

Sullivan VS Keller

Announcer: Filling the role of Annie Sullivan today is Nimitz' Lady while JBP protrays Helen Keller.
--------

Today I know how Annie Sullivan must have felt when she told Mrs. Keller Helen had folded her napkin.

If you aren't familiar with the movie or stage play "The Miracle Worker", this announcement comes after a protracted physical battle between the 20-something Sullivan and the 6 year old Helen.

The battle between the two lasted through the morning and into the early afternoon. By the time it was done the dining room was a disaster. But Annie Sullivan had succeeded in her mission to get Helen to eat from her own plate and fold her napkin.

Why this retreat into a historic moment? I recreated it today with my son, JBP.

Things started out well enough. He greeted me with a smile and a hug and was excited that today we would be going to Bible Study. It wasn't until it was time to leave that *the meltdown* began.

I sent him to find his shoes and put them on. He searched the upstairs by standing in the doorway of each room and proclaiming, "They're not in here." So I sent him downstairs to look.

Approximately two seconds later (could be a slight exaggeration, but not much) I heard him playing with the cars he'd planned to take to Bible Study to share with the other boys.

I called him upstairs with the intention of confiscating the cars until he found his shoes. He yelled up, "They're not down here, Stupid!". At which point I confiscated the cars for good.

He started to hoooowwwwllll! His horrendous, you can hear it almost to the Rockies type fake sobbing. I subsequently warned him he was headed for greater trouble. He howled louder. I told him he'd have to go in his socks then and to get to the car, now!

At which point he walked over to the glass coffee table, sat down, grabbed the edge and sobbed, "I'm not going and you can't make me!"

I looked at him, said, "I don't have time for this," pried his hands loose, dragged him away from the table (turning it upside down in the process) and out to the car where I tossed him into his car seat and told him he'd have to sit with me during Bible Study instead of playing with the other kids.

The good news, I didn't break the glass coffee table while doing all this.

He calmed down on the drive to pick up Auntie and to the church. But then things got worse.

He couldn't sit still or be quiet to save any of our lives. I ended up making him sit in my lap. He still couldn't sits still or be quiet. I told him to be quiet.

He started punching and pinching me. So I grabbed each of his little wrists with the opposite hand (so his arms were crossed over his chest). He started kicking me. I wrapped my legs around his. He howled! I told him he'd lost *all* his toys for the rest of today. Then added tomorrow.

We repeated this process several times throughout most of Bible Study. Finally, the last 15 minutes or so, he calmed down and I eventually let him sit at my feet.

He was a little better behaved when we got home (I made him find his shoes before he could have lunch) but remained sullenly defiant, as opposed to openly defiant.

The good news, in an effort to remove his toys from his reach I ended up cleaning out his room this afternoon. It's needed a good cleaning for several weeks now. I tossed three bags full of trash!

The bad news, by the time I got to work I was ready to rip my own hair out by its roots! Partially in frustration at his actions, mostly because I can't figure out what's causing it.

Usually I can figure out the root problem for his trouble behaviors. Once we get that taken care of the behavior almost magically corrects itself.

But this time I can't seem to figure out what's going on. Unless it's just that Der Deutscher and I have been sick for so long and he's tired of waiting for Mama and Dada to pay attention to him again. But that's just not like my little boy.

Tired, Frustrated and Confused...
Nimitz' Lady

Tuesday, October 25, 2005

Healthy or Crazy?

That's what I'm trying to figure out. AmI healthy or crazy?

See, I've had the *crud* for more than a week now. It does appear to be slowly improving at this point but has not yet relinquished its grip on me.

In an effort to get healthy I've continued going to the gym and/or working out at home. My workouts have been half strength so as not to stress myself out.

But, I've heard doctor after doctor say mild exercise is good when you're sick. It helps get the blood flowing and that spreads the invader fighting white blood cells throughout your body, helping them get to the danger zone faster.

Only problem, I feel like something the cat dragged in after even a mild workout! I mean, not just dragged in, but dragged in and hacked up! I'm a cat furball! Or I've got one and am trying to hack it up. I'm not quite sure on that point.

What can I say, the cough medicine is warping my brain. =)

Nimitz' Lady

Nursing Home

Mi Abuela called today to let me know my Dad has been moved to a nursing home about 10 minutes from his home. Evidently his legs are too weak for him to walk and he needs some special rehab to fix that.

The time may have come when he'll have to truly retire. He retired years ago from the Navy but has continued to work elsewhere to supplement his Navy pension. Unfortunately, it's always been manual labor or security jobs. He doesn't have any training for anything else.

Without his health, he'll pretty much *have* to retire for good. At least that means I'll be able to visit him and see him, not his car leaving for work. =)

I'll try to call him tomorrow, to see how things are going.

Nimitz' Lady

Monday, October 24, 2005

Going.... ???

After another round of phone tag, I finally found someone who could tell me my dad was discharged from the hospital a couple days ago.

That's the good news. The bad news, I don't know where he is.

The last time I spoke with the nurses they said the doctors were considering sending him to a nursing home for rehab and recovery. So I don't know if he went home home or to a nursing home.

And, I'll admit, I'm scared to call and have my step-mother hang up on me again.

Guess I'll make the rounds of the rest of the family tomorrow, to see if they know anything. Pray me luck.

Nimitz' Lady

Passing of a Legend


From the Associated Press:

Rosa Parks, civil rights pioneer, dies at 92
DETROIT (AP) - Civil rights icon Rosa Parks has died of natural causes at her Michigan home. That's according to a spokeswoman for Michigan Congressman John Conyers.

Parks earned the title of "mother of the civil rights movement" in 1955 when she refused to give up her bus seat to a white man in Montgomery, Alabama. The act of defiance launched the modern civil rights movement and was to change the course of American history.

Her arrest triggered a 381-day boycott of the bus system organized by a then little-known Baptist minister, the Reverend Martin Luther King Junior, who later earned the Nobel Peace Prize for his work.

Parks and her husband were forced to move to Michigan because of threats, harassment and because they couldn't find work. She worked as an aide in Congressman Conyers office from 1965 to 1988. Parks was 92.

Friday, October 21, 2005

Ten Fingers

As soon as I published my last post, I remembered something I'd meant to write about on Monday but never got the time to write.

JBP has been grounded all week for throwing rocks at cars on the road in front of our church last Sabbath. The grounding ends after we get home from church tomorrow.

That's the set-up, here's the "story".

One of the other mothers had told me what had happened and that a passing motorist had stopped and wanted to "talk" to us. I was furious as this was the first time I'd trusted JBP to play outside without adult supervision.

As soon as I got out the front door I yelled, "J..... S.... B.... P...., How many times have I told you not to throw rocks?!"

He looked at me, hunched his shoulders up around his ears, looked down at the ground and slowly raised both hands all ten fingers spread. "10?" he nearly whispered.

If I hadn't been so furious, I'd've rolled on the ground laughing until I cried.

The good news, the passerby settled for apologies from and a few acerbic comments to us parents and left.

God was so watching over all of us to keep those kids from hitting any of the cars and damaging them, or causing an accident and hurting or killing someone. It's happened. I work in a TV newsroom and see/report stories like that all the time.

Needless to say, he won't be going out to play unsupervised again for quite some time.

Nimitz' Lady

Ugh!

I haven't been able to think of much to say the last couple of days because I've felt like something the cat dragged in, chewed up and dead!

All of us, JBP, Der Deutscher, Grammy and myself have been feeling not so peachy-keen and it's getting worse for the adults. I just hope it's all over before we head for Europe (28 days and counting!).

Mostly, it's a persistent cough and sinus drainage (which in my case is starting to clog up my lungs). I haven't been able to sleep well all week and am really starting to show my sleep deprivation.

At the same time, I've not been able to get much information out of my Dad's new nurses. They're just not as forthcoming as the ICU nurses were. Not that I'd wish him back there. I'd just wish the ICU nurses had moved with him. I'm going to try again on my way home from work tonight. Pray I keep my patience.

JBP's been up to all sorts of things... but I sure can't remember them.

Here's an interesting item I found on the Associated Press Wires. Enjoy and have a Happy Sabbath.

Nimitz' Lady
-----------------
Poll has Hillary Clinton leading Condoleezza Rice in 2008 presidential race

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton leads Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in a hypothetical presidential matchup, according to an independent poll.

The survey was conducted by Marist College's Institute for Public Opinion in conjunction with New York City television station WNBC. It gives the former first lady 50% to 41% for Rice.

But while Clinton tops Rice, Republicans John McCain and Rudolph Giuliani both top Clinton.
Clinton, McCain and Giuliani are all considered potential 2008 presidential candidates. Rice has said she will not run.


The poll, mirroring other recent national surveys, had Clinton as the clear front-runner for the 2008 Democratic nomination, favored by 41% of her party's voters to 17% for John Kerry and 14% for John Edwards, who was Kerry's running mate in 2004.

Marist's telephone poll of 827 registered voters has a margin of error of 3.5 percentage points.
(Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Wednesday, October 19, 2005

Beaned!

I just almost beaned one of my bosses in the head with a soft-baseball like toy ball. He was wandering around the newsroom muttering, "I lost my ball!"

As I was pretty sure I was the guilty party who'd taken it, I checked my desk, and sure enough, found it. I turned to my boss, who was now about three desks away from me, yelled "Heads up!" waited until he looked at me then tossed the ball to him.

Unfortunately, he wears bifocals and didn't focus on the right spot at the right time. Plus, he didn't want to drop the remains of the cookie he was munching. So, he just barely avoided getting beaned in the head!

Luckily, he's a nice guy and just laughed it off.

------

That scene followed one earlier, where one of our female reporters was tossing the same ball around. She then tossed it to the Asst. News Director (who I later almost beaned). He tossed it back to her. She almost, but not quite, caught it one handed.

She commented how tough it was to catch one handed. The News Director, who was also standing nearby (and has limited use of one hand due to a severe burn years ago) told her to toss it to him and neatly caught it one handed.

She responded, "Well, it's easy for a guy!"

mutter, mutter, mutter

Then she compounded the matter with, "I'd like to see you handle a shoe sale!"

mutter, mutter, mutter

I'm seriously considering getting her expelled from the ranks of liberated women. She doesn't deserve the honor!

Nimitz' Lady

Tuesday, October 18, 2005

Basketball Practice

Well, JBP has begun his own mini-basketball season. It's a YMCA team. He's been excited about it for months. Der Deutscher has been worried for months.

We tried signing JBP up for this same league a couple years ago, but he was just too young and couldn't handle the team aspect. Der Deutscher was afraid this would be a repeat.

While I was at the gym over my supper break, my cell phone rang. Which is unusual in itself. Ninety percent of my calls are outgoing. It was Der Deutscher to tell me tonight's first practice had been a huge success. JBP behaved exemplarly.

Of course, Der Deutscher wouldn't be Der Deutscher if he didn't have something to worry about. So, now he's worried that JBP is the clear best player on the team!

I told him it'll be good for JBP, cause he always does well when he has to lead/teach. But, Der Deutscher just must worry.

My worry is the time of the games. I thought they'd be 8 a.m. like last time. But found out today, they'll be 10 and 11 a.m. That's right in the middle of church. Which means for the next seven or eight weeks JBP will only get Sabbath School, if anything. But I feel like I can't pull him out of the league after all the anticipation.

I'll just have to find something else to do, I guess. Suggestions are welcome.

Nimitz' Lady

Sabbath Music

Recently my Mom asked, "Is that really Sabbath music?"

I was listening to a cd I'd just made (and has since been destroyed!) with several of my favorite songs. To her it sounded like secular music. To me, it was a series of love songs to God/Jesus/The Holy Spirit.

What she, and probably few others, realize is that many modern "love" songs can be turned into worship songs by just changing a few words. And I do this almost unconciously by now with many of my favorite songs.

For example, my re-writing of Jim Brickman's "The Gift".

(Me)
Winter snow is falling down
Children laughing all around
Lights are turning on
like a fairy tale come true.

Sitting by the fire we made
You're the answer when I prayed
I would find someone
And Jesus I found you.

All I want is to hold you forever
All I need is you more every day
You saved my heart from being broken apart
You gave your love away
And I'm thankful every day
For the gift.

(Jesus/God/Holy Spirit)
Watching as you softly sleep
What I've given so I can keep
Just this moment
'Til the end of time.

Still, now the colors fade away
And the years will make you grey
But baby in my eyes
You'll still be beautiful.

(G/J/THS)
All I want is to hold you forever
(Me)
All I need is you more every day
(G/J/THS)
You saved my heart from being broken apart
(Me)
You gave your Son away
(Both)
And I'm thankful every day for the gift.

(Me)
All I want is to hold you forever
(G/J/THS)
All I need is you more every day
You saved my heart from being broken apart
(Me)
You gave your Life away
(Both)
I can't find the words to say
That I'm thankful every day
For the gift.


The words in red are my changes to the lyrics. Not many.

Nimitz' Lady

My Father

Please continue to pray for my father. I spoke with his nurses again today. They couldn't/didn't say much about his condition, except that he's recovering very slowly. His doctors are looking for a nursing home for him to make a more long term recovery in. He'd hate that.

I also got to speak to him for a few minutes. He was not only lucid, but could speak relatively easily and keep track of the conversation. He did still tire easily though. But I felt much better after talking with him.

Nimitz' Lady

Failure

If you google the word "failure" or phrase "miserable failure" the top response is currently the Official White House biography of Pres. George W. Bush. Google is blaming the practice of "googlebombing" for the results.

They say, "Google's search results are generated by computer programs that rank web pages in large part by examining the number and relative popularity of the sites that link to them.

By using a practice called googlebombing, however, determined pranksters can occasionally produce odd results. In this case, a number of webmasters use the phrases [failure] and [miserable failure] to describe and link to President Bush's website, thus pushing it to the top of searches for those phrases.

We don't condone the practice of googlebombing, or any other action that seeks to affect the integrity of our search results, but we're also reluctant to alter our results by hand in order to prevent such items from showing up."

Friday, October 14, 2005

Father Update

Just spoke with the nurse again. The doctor was with him as we spoke. He's had an elevated temperature, a minor issue she assured me. He's also been tracking a bit better today. She wasn't sure what the results of yesterday's CT scan were. Said I'd have to speak with the regular doctor who wasn't in.

He never called me back after the page yesterday. Government workers!

Nimitz' Lady

Dogs, Cats & Kids

Dogs:

Did you know dogs could get allergies? I didn't either. But it looks like Ja, our younger lab mix, has them in spades.

Last summer, she started itching and scratching like crazy. I mean non-stop. It went away after we gave her an industrial strength flea treatment so we thought it was just a reaction to the fleas.

But, she's been at it again this summer and driving us up the wall while she's at it. And, she's got no fleas that we've been able to find.

We used the extra-special, uber-strength flea treatment at the beginning of the summer and it seems to have held. (Although in the last couple of weeks our other dog Se has started scratching a lot too, and my Mom says she's seen a flea in the house. Eeek!) So, that leaves allergies. Well, she fits in with the rest of the family, I guess.

Cats:

Our two cats don't really get along. We've had Nimitz since 1994 and just added Chicken Cat January of last year. While Nimitz is overall a friendly cat, with lots of cat buddies throughout the neighborhood, he hasn't adjusted well to having another feline in his home. Worse yet, in his mommy's lap and in his bed!

Chicken Cat meanwhile just wants Nimitz to play. Since he won't join of his own volition, she ambushes him into playing with her. Makes for some interesting evenings when they get going.

Last weekend, Nimitz came home from his rounds to find Chicken Cat stretched out in the sunshine spot on our bed. He was not amused.

Rather than take it out on her, he's punishing those he blames for her presence, namely us! He's doing this by going where he knows he's not allowed. Such as on the Kitchen Counter and the Dinner Table. Preferably when there's food on them. He doesn't eat, just contaminates. And if caught out, just stares at us defiantly.

Kids:

Kids say the darndest things. Did I spell that right?

Anyway, this morning, JBP and I were on our way to the grocery store for our weekly shopping expedition. Our conversation went something like this:

JBP: While we're there why don't we buy something.

Nimitz' Lady: We're going grocery shopping. We're going to be buying lots of things.

JBP: No, I mean for me! Like a toy.

Nimitz' Lady: No, I'm not buying you any toys today.

JBP: But I want one!

Nimitz' Lady: Look at that cool car. (appeared to be a Model T to my untrained eyes) It's one of the first types of cars ever made, back in the olden days.

JBP: I'm not looking.

Nimitz' Lady: If you want to cut off your nose to spite your face, that's your choice.

JBP: I 'pite my face. I'm very angry.

Nimitz' Lady

Thursday, October 13, 2005

Mandarin

You are a Mandarin!


You're an intellectual, and you've worked hard to get where you are now. You're a strong believer in education, and you think many of the world's problems could be solved if people were more informed and more rational. You have no tolerance for sloppy or lazy thinking. It frustrates you when people who are ignorant or dishonest rise to positions of power. You believe that people can make a difference in the world, and you're determined to try.


Your scores:


Talent: 56%
Lifer: 41%
Mandarin: 63%

Take the "Success Test" yourself...

Book Dreams II

Here's my latest reading/buying wishlist. Of course, I still haven't gotten my hands on any of the books in my first wishlist. But, that doesn't stop me from wishing.

Reminder: I have not read any of these books and do not take responsibility for their content. I am only interested in them based on what I have read about them. Don't blame me if they're duds. I'll be just as disappointed as you!
----------------
"Nobody's Child: Who Are You When You Don't Know Your Past?" by Kate Adie

"Osama Bin Laden: America's Enemy In His Own Words" by Randy Hamud

"The Privileged Planet: How Our Place in the Cosmos is Designed for Discovery" by Guillermo Gonzalez

"The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay" by Michael Chabon, 2001 Pulitzer Prize for fiction

"In Every Tongue" by Gary Tobin, Diane Tobin & Scott Rubin

"Harem" by Dora Levy Mossanen

"Courtesan" by Dora Levy Mossanen

"The Bill of Rights: Creation and Reconstruction" by Akhil Reed Amar

"America's Constitution" by Akhil Reed Amar

"1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus" by Charles C. Mann

"24/7: Reality TV with a Killer Twist" by Jim Brown

"What Would Buffy Do? The Vampire Slayer as Spiritual Guide" by Jana Riess

"Adopting the Hurt Child" by Greg Keck

"Parenting the Hurt Child" by Greg Keck

"A Quilt of Wishes" by Teresa Werner

Lucy Kaplansky's CD "Red Thread"

"How to Rent a Negro" by Damali Ayo

"Twenty Things Adopted Kids Wish Their Adoptive Parents Knew" by Sherrie Eldridge

"Beyond Good Intentions" by Cheri Register

**** I need this one two years ago!!!****
"Raising Your Spirited Child" by Mary Sheedy Kurcinka

Finally!

After two days of playing phone hide and seek with the VA hospital, I finally know my father's new room number. That's the good news.

Unfortunately, I talked to the nurse just as they were bringing him back from yet another CT scan. Apparently he's been on and off confused, his mental status occasionally altered, pulling out his IV and catheter, etc. They're not sure why.

So, all my bouyant hopes from learning he was out of ICU have gone back down the drain! Again!

I am now waiting for his doctor to call me back (the nurse paged him) and wishing I were on speaking terms with my step-mom. I'd call her, but I know she'll just hang up on me seeing as how she's done that before.

Back to living on prayer I guess.

Nimitz' Lady

Food Fight

Here's a fascinating Associated Press article I found today.
----------------
Chinese scientists unearth four-thousand-year-old noodle dish

BEIJING (AP) - Who invented noodles first? A discovery in western China could bolster the argument that the Chinese came up with pasta before the the Italians.

Researchers have found a 4,000 year old clump of yellow noodles inside an overturned bowl in China. The noodles had been made from a dough of two local varieties of millet. The bowl had become sealed with clay, so the noodles were preserved.

A Chinese researcher says they're definitely the earliest noodles ever found.

The researcher says the Chinese and Italians have always been at odds over who invented noodles, but says the disagreements were always based on personal accounts and menus -- not actual material like this.

Wednesday, October 12, 2005

The Smallest Sparrow

Matthew 6:26
Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

First: My father is out of ICU. I don't know much else at this point, hope to learn more later tonight, but am living off the joy that he is obviously no longer in a life-threatening condition. Now to begin planning our visit to him next summer.

Second: This week I've had unfailing and slightly painful proof of this. Tuesday I took my car in for a long overdue oil change. I expected to pay $60 when all was said and done. Two days later, I've shelled out nearly $800.

Now, partly this is my fault for delaying car maintenance so long. I should've had my last oil change about 3,000 or three months ago. But, I also see God's will in this. If I had gone in last month, the problems would've still been there, still needed the work but I wouldn't have had the money to pay for it.

See, I've been stashing away money for the last two or three months to finance a shopping spree when we go to Europe in November. So, instead of needing to get a loan or use a high interest credit card I was able to pay cash (actually check) for hundreds of dollars of car repairs.

Now I am debt free and have a car that should safely carry my family through our basketball season travels. What I don't have is the money to pick up a lot of material possessions I didn't really need to begin with. Though I'm not denying the shopping would've been fun.

What a double whammy. A reminder God is always looking out for me by making sure I had the cash on hand and a reminder I don't need a bunch of things in this world because I have a fortune laid up for me in heaven.

Amen.
Nimitz' Lady

Monday, October 10, 2005

Singing

I don't know where he gets it, neither Der Deutscher or I have any noticeable singing talent, but JBP is extremely musical.

He's always loved music and sung along to cd's in the car, etc.

But this last week he's taken it to new heights. He's started singing all the time, making up rhymes and songs about everything under the sun. Usually about what he's doing at the time.

For example, Sunday he helped us walk the dogs. He wandered along behind holding onto Se's leash singing, "Tick Tock, Tick Tock, The boy is walking the dog."

Sabbath afternoon we went to an open house and Der Deutscher's office. He's an aerospace engineer. All the planes were out on the tarmac and the kids got to check them out. JBP particularly liked the mock ups in the showroom. In those he got to hop in the pilot's seat and "fly" the plane. Needless to say he was singing multiple variations about "flying" and "Dada's work" all afternoon and evening.

I love to see his imagination working so hard. Let's just hope he keeps it up.

Nimitz' Lady

Signs of the Times

I tell you, this year is bringing new life to the Scriptures for me. All the natural and man-made disasters and wars.

Do you realize that between natural disasters and war... more than 200,000 people have already died. 100,000 alone in the January Tsunami, hundreds more in Iraq, Afghanistan and other parts of the world in terror attacks, who knows how many in genocidal attacks in the Darfur region of the Sudan, more than a thousand all told in Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, at least 30,000 already in Pakistan, Afghanistan and India in this latest Earthquake.

It's scary and exhilarating at the same time. Scary because the Bible tell sme this is just the beginning. Exhilarating because it means we're a step closer to living with Christ and His Father in Heaven. Haleluia.

Mark 13:7-8
When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. (9/11, Iraq, Afghanistan, Terror threats, The Sudan, etc.) Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes (January Tsunami, Katrina, Rita, Bangladeshi Floods, Pakistan Earthquake, Deadly Floods in New England) in various places, and famines (Darfur/The Sudan, most of Africa). These are the beginning of birth pains.

Mark 13:24-25
"But in those days, following that distress, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken."

Mark 13:29-30
Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that it is near, right at the door. I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.

Latest on Dad....

Isn't much.

I couldn't get any info over the weekend. Today (Monday) I got to talk to my Dad again. He sounded 100% better, but that doesn't mean much considering where he came from.

He still had the hiccups but was able to speak intelligbly for the first time. But he still sounded groggy, like he'd just woken up from a very deep sleep. Which, when you consider the drugs he's been on, is kind of accurate for his mental state.

He also had a little trouble following me. I had to slow down and speak very distinctly. But then he was able to interact well.

Unfortunately, he's still in ICU. So much for my hope he'd get out over the weekend. I also was unable to speak to his nurse about his condition. So, I'm not sure where he's at medically.

It all comes down to I just have to keep praying.

Nimitz' Lady

Friday, October 07, 2005

Progress

Well, it seems NOT going to visit my father may have been the right choice. He's doing much better now.

I just spoke with his nurse and she says they removed his drain today (Friday). The last time they were talking about removing the drain they expected to move him out of ICU the next day. So, by extrapolation, that means he could be out of ICU tomorrow.

I also got to speak with him for a couple minutes. He responds pretty well to yes/no questions. But still has trouble articulating. It didn't help that he had the hiccups when I called. I can barely talk through the hiccups.

One thing I've learned from all this (assuming, hoping and praying that the bad stuff is behind us) is that life is just too short.

I live halfway across the country from my father. The last time I saw him was at a cousin's wedding three years ago.

It's not that we don't love each other. Or that there's some sort of feud going on, mostly. It's just that "life" tends to get in the way.

We get too busy keeping up with the daily tasks and fail to plan "special" events like visiting relatives out of state.

Often my family's excuse has been, "we can't afford it" and "it's cheaper for him/her to come to us than for all three of us to visit him/her". Well, that just doesn't seem adequate in the face of the last few days.

Six weeks from today, we'll be heading to Europe to visit Der Deutscher's relatives, some of whom we haven't seen in 9 years. And now we're starting to plan a trip to the west coast to visit my father next summer.

I challenge you to visit, or at least call, a relative you love but haven't spoken with in a long time. Don't go through the misery I've gone through in the last few days.

God gave us families to support each other. With our modern lifestyle that's spread families across several states and countries that's not always easy. But, I've learned it's always necessary.

Nimitz' Lady

Thursday, October 06, 2005

Ups, Downs and Small Blessings

This last week has been filled with emotional ups and downs. First the surprise of finding out my father's been in ICU for more than a week and have a second surgery.

Then, the news the surgery went well and the doctors are positive about his recovery.

Then, getting to speak with my father on the phone for a few minutes. He was groggy and tough to understand but knew what he was saying.

Then, finding out he's sleeping too much and too heavily and his ventricular drain isn't draining.

Then, finding out he's going back in for a third surgery.

Then, finding out that surgery went well and doctors are positive about his recovery.

Needless to say, with every piece of bad news I've immediately hit the internet looking for cheap airfares so I can go be with him.

With every piece of improving news, I won't call it good, I've postponed plans to visit until he's well enough to appreciate the company. I'm sure my bosses are sick of my constant changing my mind by now. But, I don't know what else to do.

Blessings:

1) Having to produce the 10pm newscast all week since our regular producer is in Europe. It's given me a lot of work to stay busy with.

2) A phone with free long-distance so I can stay in contact with relatives across the country and with the nurses at the hospital.

3) Nurses who are wonderful, loving and kind, willing to take my incessant calls and answer my questions without complaint.

4) A college friend who called and chattered away at me for an hour this evening, keeping me from counting the seconds until I could call the hospital to find out how my father's third surgery went.

5) A semblance of peace and acceptance of, and even sympathy for, my step-mother who failed to tell anyone in the family my father was sick until we called them.

6) The wonderful ladies in my Wed. Bible Study and their incredible loving support and understanding.

Nimitz' Lady

Monday, October 03, 2005

Pray, Pray, Pray

Pray for me, pray for my father, pray for my brother, pray for my step-mother.

I came in to work today, to find an e-mail letting me know my father's been in the hospital since September 24th.

He had a tumor removed from his brain years ago. Turns out one of the shunts they put in had gotten blocked. He went in to have it replaced. But it didn't work. And he had to have it replaced again today (Monday).

I just spoke with the nurses on my father's floor. He's in Surgical ICU but doing well. The surgery went well and he's alert and talking to the nurses. He's still got one drain left in his brain. They'll probably take that out tomorrow. He'll spend one more night in ICU before they move him to another floor.

Please, pray he continues to improve, that I'll get to see him again soon and that I'll find the money to visit him.

My brother and I are trying to decide if we need to visit him NOW. While I can swing that, barely, it would be financially difficult for my brother. Please pray things work out for him.

My step-mother hadn't told anyone! The only reason the family found out was my Aunt was calling to confirm plans to visit my Dad next month. At which point my step-mother said, "He's not here. He's in the hospital."

Without going into details, my family and my step-mother do NOT get along. Most of us deal with her only when we have no other choice. Her petty jealousies have driven all of us away. Please pray for her that she can get over them.

And that the family can get over her insults and prejudices. Right now I think if I left my Abuela and/or my brother alone with her right now, someone would walk out dead. I'm not even half kidding. That's how upset the family is.

And pray for me as I struggle myself right now not to hate her. I generally don't use that term. At most I say I don't get along with someone. But right now I am desperately trying not to hate.

Nimitz' Lady