How The Other Half Lives.

 We bought this hardtop gazebo back in September, it was a floor model and marked down a lot - less than half price. I thought it was so swanky looking with it's little curlicues and draped curtains all around - and it matches the fancy outdoor dining set we bought to boot. It's a year round hard top and I'm hoping we can use it that way. So the store disassembled and David brought it home - and there it sat. It came with no instructions was the main problem, peering at the picture I'd taken at the store did little. So a couple of weeks ago I hit Google and- if you know how to look and I do- found the instructions online and printed them out. Today we got it put together and it's finally done. It came very nice, we're putting the curtains away til spring but it will protect the furniture at least. Molly and I took a stroll around Friendship Park this morning, it's pretty chilly but very sunshiny and Molly really loves her walks now. We're past the worst of it, she most likely will never get to the point that strangers can pet her, but that's ok with me. She's able to walk by other people and dogs without getting upset and enjoys hiking just as much (more) than I do. While I was out walking I  strolled into cell service and my phone announced it had voice mail - from work. Arrgh said my Pirate Heart. I have to talk to them about this on call nonsense before I blow a gasket. It is beyond me that I can be assigned an "afterhours" visit at NINE IN THE MORNING - REALLY?? Apparently I am just being given the option of doing it during my day off instead of after four.. Given the fact that the 70 mile round trip involved would have sucked up most of my day "off" I was a little annoyed to say the least. I suppose it's a little better than it just being sprung on you after four, but really? If I'd been called and asked to do it I would have grumbled of course but I think it would have been easier to swallow. Acck. They managed to cover the visit so I didn't end up having to go but it was more than enough to get me ranting in the car after having left the park early to get home to go out and do the visit and it convinced Molly she will never want to work in home care. Actually, Molly is quite happy in her position of Favored Pet and Chief Couch Occupant so I doubt she's ever entertained the idea of going into home care.  Enough of that.  I went to my knitting group last night and my one finished sock was widely admired - a lot of people showed up, so many we had to get more chairs! The room was filled and it was so nice sitting and chatting while knitting. The group encompasses a variety of women so there's never any lull in the conversation. We discussed Sons Of Anarchy (I'm not the only fan!), Dr. Who, the school system, Christmas, out of state drillers, etc.. We're having a Christmas party on the 17th which should be fun. I'm so glad Dolly invited me to join and my Tuesday nights are looked forward to. Since I have time between work and the group I've started doing the grocery shopping after work and that way on my day off we're not always spending it at the grocery store, what a great deal.

Our Daily Bread

 I had fasting blood work yesterday - and I really really hate that. A Lot. I woke up and announced to David that life was no longer worth living, what was the point of getting out of bed? He felt this was the lack of coffee talking and ignored me. My doctor's office has it's own walk in and is open 7 days a week which is wonderful. Dr. Mitchell had told me if you show up about 8:50 they open at 9 and you can be pretty much in and out. I left in good time despite being on call and some one calling at 7:40 am and wanting to have a conversation, but I wrapped it up and  got there before 9 bu still had to hustle to beat out all the senior citizens that know this too. Even though my Ninja Skills have diminished over the years I  managed to be first on the list and only had to wait 10 minutes. The person doing the blood work was very nice and appreciative of my big, blood spurting veins - I have the type of veins that you could dart from across the room and be successful. I've been practiced on by new nurses over the years because they have a success rate of 100%, you would have to be blind and drunk to miss. I also had to give a pee sample which I thought was a bit nervy since I was told not to eat or drink anything - humph! As soon as I was done I bunny hopped over to Books A Million that makes the BEST coffee in the universe. I didn't know if I should drink it or hold it whispering "I missed you". I drank it. I did my shopping, forgetting the requisite two items (no matter how hard we try we ALWAYS forget something!) and came home to drink more coffee. Yes, I am addicted and I super do not care. While doing everything short of infusing my coffee  I watched another gazillion episodes of Sons Of Anarchy, my latest obsession - David says he can only watch it so much due to the extraordinarily high body count per episode.  They are constantly shanking, stabbing, shooting, exploding, hacking, biting, slapping, kicking, running over and pushing people off of buildings. One of the characters is a pediatric surgeon and I wish I had her schedule since she has more than enough time to run around with the bikers when she's not being kidnapped or accidentally offing people herself. I sit and knit while I watch all of this, I've got one sock finished and started the other. I've pretty much given up the dress idea for now and will revisit it if I ever find a yarn that would work well. The yarn I had bought for that project I've found is just not practical. The weight and material (raw silk) are right but in order for it to be a tight enough knit I would have to use size 1 or 0 and it would take a million years to do it. But I can use the yarn for shawls so it's not a waste. I'm still  clearing paths in the woods, Molly and I will not be walking today as the weather is too iffy - we've already been rained out once today so I think this Wednesday will be our walking day.

Being Old Takes A Lot Of Time.

After a few months of wishy washing it, I finally picked a new GP. or PCP. Or MD - pick your poison. One thing about being in home care is you do get the lowdown on who's naughty, who's nice and who you shouldn't sent your cat to, let alone a human being. I had three doctors that got the big raves but one was out of the running because you can never get in to see him. I requested the other two and let the girl up front pick (well, technically, I said I'd like either Dixon or Mitchell and she said "ok, you have an appointment at 2:45 on the 13th and did not tell me who so it was sort of like a Game Show Like Atmosphere). Anyhoo, it was Dr. Mitchell and he was just as nice as all his patients think he is. I did well except for the bit where I Have To Lose Weight, that lovely 30 pounds just likes to sneak back on when I'm not looking. My vitals were good but we did do an EKG which I have NEVER had - you will be pleased to know my Zombie Heart is still beating away, more or less. I've been a member of the Brady(cardia) Bunch since I can remember so I hang out in the 50s while I'm awake.  When I'm asleep it probably beats once a minute but I figure at the very least I'll never wear it out - I'm sure there are certain people that would claim it's because I never use it - la la. He signed me up for a mammogram (sigh) and I have finally been forced to stop evading the Dreaded Colonoscopy where we didn't even entertain comments or excuses. My reflexes are not as good as he would like so there goes the Ninja Moves and he thinks my thyroid needs a blood test, along with a fasting glucose so that would be no coffee tomorrow morning, sucks to be me some days. As I get older I feel like a walking house of cards - my family history has breast, colon skin cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, hypothyroidism, high blood pressure, gout, glaucoma, macular degeneration, cataracts - it's a wonder I get out of bed each day. But I do and my diet starts on a daily basis, I exercise every morning and I try to eat right. They're supposed to call me with appointments for the further testing, I'm trying to not let my Wednesdays off turn into Medical Mayhem Day - I mean it's easier to schedule things then so I don't miss out on work but it kind of ruins the whole day. I had scheduled it in the afternoon so I could take Miss Molly for her Wednesday Walk. Reuben went hunting - or at least his version of it where he runs around like his hair is on fire and and David yells at him. Yes, he needs a little bit more training, since Pearl is not around to teach and keep him in line he's been a wild thing and David is not appreciating his Mad Scooting Skills. Molly and I went to the park nearby, the next time we'll drive the extra 10 miles as I found the Warrior Trail is actually Walking On The Road and that is super NOT fun. Waste of my time as I spent the whole time thinking it would lead to the actual trail and I had to keep hauling Molly up short to keep her out of the road. A fun time was had by no one, the next time we spend the extra time so it can be fun.

Buried In Clothes

 Like everyone that lives in an area with all four seasons I'm faced twice a year with the switching out of the clothes routine. I put it off as long as possible, hoping perhaps that it will stay warm enough for tank tops and Capri's, completely  bypassing the entire fiasco. And it is a bit of a fiasco because I have no idea what possesses me to buy enough summer clothes to outfit an entire camp. Really. You figure you actually wear summer clothes for 3 months. Then reduce that by the amount of time you work - I should be able to get by with a couple pairs of shorts, skirts, etc. and with them being lighter and smaller be able to contain it to a couple of drawers. You would think that. The bed was piled high with two weeks worth of shorts - and out of those  the ones I wear the most are two very tattered, comfortable pairs a hobo would cast shame on. The rest were still sparkly new with the creases from the store still intact.  A rainbow of skirts, about 30 shirts and then a few dresses. Enough shoes for a chorus line - dresses I love and do not wear, dresses I want to wear, all stuffed tightly into two very large containers to spend the winter in the attic. In the spring I'll haul them back out and wonder why I have so much. The circle of life and all of that I suppose. We turned back the clocks early last night - fifty two years old and I've finally figured out if you turn the clocks right after dinner and go to bed later (or earlier) according to the time change it's not nearly as big a pain in the ass it is when you turn the clocks the next morning. The dogs stayed asleep too since I adjusted the coffee pot. Ours goes off automatically and the dogs consider the little beep something like the noise that means you need to come shooting out of the gate. The second it goes off they start jumping and dancing around frantic since they're awake they must have to pee RIGHT NOW. It's a very nice day out today and they've been out a million times already, Reuben is being retrained to come and sit, again and again until we get it down pat. We've been very lax with that lately and now we pay the price as he will come unless there is something more interesting, then he comes when he is good and ready to. David will be getting a tracking collar - it's all well and fine to say if the dog doesn't come back when called then you don't want it back - unless it actually doesn't come back. That's a whole other can of worms, isn't it?

Call Of Duty

 I am on call the third Saturday in a row, arrgh says my pirate heart. I was on call the first Saturday because one of my co-worker's spouse had an accident (he's OK) and they needed someone to work it. . Then I was on call. When we did the on call schedule last week  I accidentally scheduled myself for this weekend because I forgot October ended on a Thursday - I thought I would have a week in between. Which I don't. So I did an admit this morning  and was home by noon. I could have been home sooner but I was noodling about on the back roads which I cannot help. I honestly feel like I need to drive down every back road I see, that there might be something extraordinary and I'll just drive right by it in my hurry to get nowhere faster. And I do usually end up finding something  David and his friend Rich were getting ready to leave with Rueben for pheasant hunting. They got one, Reuben scared up a half dozen and then wandered off. David found him with a couple of farmers - so someone will be wearing a tracking collar from now on until he's old enough to know better. I have no doubt if he got lost someone would take him as he's obviously a purebred hunting dog, but he's likely to find himself staked out behind the farm house as opposed to his cushy little bed next to Molly so you think he'd have better sense. Since I'm tied to the house this weekend Molly and I headed out to the woods where I've been making paths and fighting the stinking briers, some of the vines are almost as thick as a snakes and pretty lethal. We're making pretty good progress and it gives me something to do when I'm outside with the dogs.  In knitting news I frogged my sock!! Yes I stinking did!! I've been trying to do a new type of heel and it was not working at all, it was rather lopsided but instead of just pulling the heel needle and frogging that back I pulled all the needles and lost my place completely. That will teach me not to frog and watch Will and Grace at the same time.