Bad dog...

Mom says I've been bad. She wants to ship me to my friend Piper in Australia. So maybe I haven't been the best dog in the world lately. I know she liked that pair of shoes that was way up high where she didn't think I could reach them but the butter caper...that could happen to anyone. She shouldn't leave things on the counter especially something so tasty like whole sticks of butter!

Aussie Piper is a very cute puppy and I know she and I would be great friends. I could also visit Chelsea and Shiloh while I am there.

Hmm...maybe a trip to Australia wouldn't be so bad.........

It's here...

It's here. It's snowing. I know that it won't stay around but it does remind me of what is to come. It was actually quite beautiful this morning. The trees were coated with white. Sure, there is more yardwork we could have gotten done (isn't there always?) but we didn't. The first snow of the year means that the fall chores end. We turn our attention to hockey and hanging in front of the fireplace. At least that is what the dogs think is true.

I also noticed a significant number of deer in the yard today. I suspect they have always been there but today with the snow, they became more evident. Of course that resulted in significant barking.

Friday Foto Challenge: Irreplaceable!

A Day in the Life of Piper

A while ago I received a lovely book entitled "A Day in the Life of America". For this book several photographers were asked to take pictures of their world on one particular date. The photos were compiled into the book. It is a wonderful snapshot of live on day in our country. There was a day last week that I was working at home, grading papers. I was planning to spend the entire day at my desk and decided to conduct my own "A Day in the Life of..." photo shoot. At 2 hour intervals I grabbed the camera and took Piper's picture...wherever she was and whatever she was doing. I chose 9 photographs to present. The first one was taken at 8 am and the last one was taken right about midnight. You will notice a significant lack of action. For some she didn't even pick her head up to see what I was doing.

Ah...it truly is a dog's life.

Fall in Minnesota

Yesterday we were both off and decided to embark on an adventure. We put the dogs in the truck and headed to the north shore. We drove through Duluth and up to Silver Bay where we found our friend Marsha at the cabin. We paid her a visit, enjoying a stop at Split Rock Lighthouse on the way. We headed home after dinner at the Scenic Cafe (excellent!) with two very tired dogs! Enjoy the photos.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month!

It's always something...October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Please~check yourself, schedule your mammogram, support a breast cancer group with a donation, buy Amy's Blend at Caribou or just hug a woman who has dealt with the disease.

Thank you for the support and compassion you all have shown me as I have learned to live with breast cancer.

I Knit...

In addition to my work in the Emergency Department, I teach nursing for a couple of differnt colleges. For one college, I teach in the graduate programs, working with master's and doctoral students in mostly an online format. For the other college, I teach exclusively online. Consequently, I spend literally hours in front of my computer. The majority of my work (curriculum, papers, etc.) is all done electronically and I don't have tangible things to show others.

One of the assignments my graduate students have is to create a personal blog. One of my students did her blog on her love of knitting. Knitting is something I have a passion for myself. Lately I find myself almost craving time to knit. I started thinking about this desire to knit. It was more than just a desire to sit and do something I find relaxing. I think it is related to the amount of time I spend online.

Interacting with a screen and a keyboard doesn't always feel good. Not in an emotional way, but in a physical way. I miss using my hands to interact with something besides a keyboard. I know...it sounds weird. I also miss creating something that is not a word document. I think that is why I knit.

I'm not crazy (or at least I don't think so...) It keeps me sane.

She did it!

She did it...walked every single step of the 60 mile Breast Cancer 3-Day walk. I am so proud of her! I was there as a medical provider and got to see her periodicallly during the walk. She looked great every time I saw her. The event was so powerful with so many women involved, both with and without cancer. But all 3,000 walkers and 400 crew members had some connection to breast cancer. Since pictures speak louder than words, take a few minutes and watch the slide show of the event. (Hover your mouse over the picture to read the caption.)

Flat Mary

I went to Yosemite.

At least Flat Mary went...

For my birthday, my hockey friends created Flat Mary on a stick. One of our friends, Shelly took me (Flat Mary) to Yosemite on a hiking trip. Check out my adventures...

Back to School

Today is Labor Day and to me, a more significant day than the New Year's Holiday. Today is a change day, a turning point. While the calendar says we have another 3 weeks of summer, to many of us, summer ends today.

With the end of summer comes the beginning of school. For as long as I can remember, I have loved the first day of school. It is the first day of the next step, a new beginning, a new year. The possibilities lie before us. As a student, I was so excited to begin. I loved the new notebooks and pencils. I couldn't wait to see the syllabus and to meet those who I would spend the next several months with. As a teacher, I am equally excited but for different reasons. I enjoy the excitement the students bring with them. I look forward to the challenge of presenting the information in new and unique ways. I can't wait to witness the 'aha' moments that my students will hopefully have.

But it is the end of the summer. I left the marina today with a melancholy feeling. It was such a great summer. The weather was phenomenal (I know, we need rain) and none of our plans were washed out. We have great tans and I am truly relaxed. We spent time with family and friends alike and enjoyed every moment of the season. But somehow, I feel like the fun times are over and it is back to business only.

The Dog Days of Summer

Ahh....the dog days of summer. When there is nothing to do but lounge in the water with your favorite people and canines. Yesterday was quite warm so we took to the beach for an afternoon of relaxation. Last summer Piper was terrified of the water. She would run from waves as they hit the beach. She never got her paws yet except for the one time in which she fell off the dock. Most of this summer it has been the same although she would walk in the water, getting just her paws yet. Yesterday we had a breakthrough. We weren't able to get the 'Mother Ship' all the way up the beach and the water was about 6 inches deep at the end of the ladder. When torn with the need to go through water to go potty or stay on the boat, she opted to get off. OK...she needed some encouragement. But then she discovered how much fun it was and spent the rest of the afternoon splashing through the water and playing with Kaja. I don't think she will ever be a recreational swimmer like our Kaja is but she did discover the water is an enjoyable place to be on a warm afternoon.

50+

I am now closer to 100 than I am to the day I was born. That was pointed out to me by one of my ED co-workers...thanks.

I have receovered from my birthday angst and the melanoly feelings I had. It was a wonderfully quiet day...quite unlike what you would expect a Leo-woman would want. We spent the day on the boat, went up to Stillwater and had dinner at a great resturant~Nacho Mama's. I would have linked their webpage but I can't seem to find one for them. They have an interesting menu, good drinks and a pretty good beer list. Their patio is nice even though it is bordered by a street. It ws fun.

Since my birthday, well...actually all summer I have been thinking about the concept of normal. How many times I have said "when my life gets back to normal" I do whatever. So what is normal?

There are definately normals in healthcare: normal vital signs, normal x-rays, normal mammograms. While some of these things are absolutes (either positive or negative) most are still a range of what we consider usual or consistent for a given situation. When it comes to people and life situations, I am not sure there is a normal. Sure there are things that we do in the same way every single time we do them...I would suppose that is the closest thing we have to normal. When I look at my life, I am struck by how un-normal I am! I work unusual hours, live in Woodbury, have a giant dog. play hockey and don't generally, act like a 50-year-old.

So what is normal? Whatever we think it is on a given day. Ever changing and evolving...we redefine ourselves and our situations in light of what is going on in our world.

Normal. It is what I am...perhaps.

50

Today is my 50th Birthday.

I have never experienced sadness with a birthday before but today is difficult. 50 is a turning point. I cannot deny that I am now, middle-aged. I have to check a different box on forms. I am no longer "in my 40's". While women today are different than our mothers were when they turned 50, it still represents a half of a century. And I am not sure that I am "aged to perfection" but I liked the picture. In fact, I am no where close to perfection and thankfully, will never be.

I did some checking online to see if I could come up with an idea of how long I might live. I found this life expectancy calculator online and did it. According to my results, I can expect to live 88.62 years. This calculator is published by the University of Pennsylvania (a reputable agency) and asked questions about my family health history and some about mine but did not ask if I had a history of cancer...hmmmmm. Since this one did not ask very many questions about my personal health, I looked for another one and found a site call "Living to 100" and did theirs. According to them, my life expectancy is 85. According to the Centers for Disease Control (2007), my life expectancy is 77.8 years.

So, based on this information I have somewhere between 27.8 and 38.62 years of my life left. That doesn't seem like enough. What should I do with it?

I want to lose 12 pounds, engage in regular physical activity, drink less and eat better, and live debt-free. This sounds a bit like making New Year's resolutions and we all know how that goes. Perhaps my effort should be aimed at just being myself for another 27.8-38.62 years. I will try to be a bit nicer and I would like to travel more and retire. But aside from that...

I think I will head to the back deck of the boat to sit in the sun (without sunscreen) with a plate of chips and cheese and an icy cold beer...Happy Birthday to me.

References

Centers for Disease Control (2007). Life expectancy. Retrieved August 5, 2008 from http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/lifexpec.htm

Foster, D., Chua, C. and Ungar, L. (n.d.) How long will I live? Retrieved August 5, 2008 from http://gosset.wharton.upenn.edu/mortality/

The Breast Cancer 3-Day

The slogan for the Breast Cancer 3-Day walk is...everyone deserves a lifetime. When I was diagnosed with breast cancer I began to reconsider how long a lifetime was. Was it only 48 years? Fortunately for me, I believe it will be much longer. But for many women diagnosed with breast cancer, a lifetime is not that long. The Breast Cancer 3-Day walk is a fundraiser. Thousands of people, across the country will be walking 60 miles over the course of 3 days to raise money for breast cancer research, treatment and awareness. My sister Pat is one of those walkers. She has surprised me. She is a quiet sole who keeps most things to herself. She has never really shared with me what it was like for her to have her sister diagnosed with cancer. I sometimes worry about her silence but she does seem to manage it all pretty well.



Anyway. Last year I worked on the medical crew for the Twin Cities 3-Day event. I was just past chemo and didn't have the energy so I worked instead. It was a powerful experience for me and I met some incredible women along the way. As I was sharing my experiences with Pat after the event, she told me she was going to walk this year. Okay. We'll see...she can be kind of procrastinator. I told her if she did the walk, I would be her fund raising manager (she has to raise $2200). Much to my surprise, she registered. She printed out the suggested training schedule and has been walking since early this year, training for the event. Even though we have had a rather cold, wet spring, she has been out there with her training walks. And now the pressure is on me...to help her to raise the funds.



And that's where you all come in. If you have ever been affected by breast cancer in any way, please consider a donation to my sister's walk. You can click on the link to the right and it will take you directly to a donation page. You can use plastic online to donate or print a donation form and send your donation in. We've also planned a couple of fun events for the summer which you might be interested in. Sunday, August 24 we are having a wine tasting cruise aboard our boat. Join us for an evening cruise (6-10 pm). Bring a bottle of wine to share and we'll do the rest. Hopefully you'll have such a great time, you will want to throw some cash at my sister too.

Here are some links to the Breast Cancer 3-Day Site and to my sister, Pat Eggert's 3-Day webpage. Check them out. It is a wonderful cause because we all deserve a lifetime.

Summer?

Sun, cool temperatures, tornadoes...quite a variety for the Memorial Day weekend. It is our official beginning of summer though and we did spend it on the water. Judy and Steph were our first guests and cruisers. Check out the photos. It was a fun weekend, despite the weather!

Difficult Decisions

I had a difficult case last night while working in the ED. It was a school-age child who was depressed. He was there with his Mom who discussed a long family history of mental health concerns. She also revealed her husband was deployed with the military, still in the US but readying for service abroad. From there, our crisis social worker took over to assess the child's and family needs. In the meantime, I got a call from the American Red Cross stating they had a request for emergency medical leave for the father of this child. It was up to me to approve or deny this request. I told them I would contact them when I had more information.



When the social worker was finished she updated me. The happy, smiling boy and mother were heading home. The social worker thought things were fine so I called the Red Cross back and denied the request for emergency leave. About an hour later I got a phone call from a very angry, threatening mother who challenged my decision. Words like 'audacity', 'dying', and 'kill' were included. The phrase 'how dare you' was also mentioned. I got a bit uncomfortable with this and informed her I would call them back and change my decision. When the Red Cross worker asked me why I had changed my mind, I just said there was a change in the situation.

Did I do the right thing?
What would you have done in my situation?

I looked over my should as I walked out to my car after work...

Friday Photo Challenge: Numbers

Two.

And I know...it's Saturday.

Ron...Ron Burgandy

For those of you who have seen the Will Ferrell movie, Anchor Man you will recognize the name Ron Burgundy. That was the name of Will Ferrell's character, a womanizing TV news anchor. Last year when we bought our old houseboat, our niece Alvin named it Ron...Ron Burgundy because of the color. The name has since been shortened to Ron. Are you going to Ron today? Are we staying on Ron this weekend? Is there beer in Ron's refrigerator. You get the idea.

While at work last Saturday, we were talking about our plans for Sunday. I said that I would be laying under Ron for a few hours. The people I work with knew we have been sanding and prepping to paint Ron so they all understood what I meant...except our pharmacist. She pulled me aside and suggested that I should watch what I say in a children's hospital! Made me giggle.

I did spend several hours under Ron and he's looking good. His bottom is now painted black and most of his hull dings are repaired. Mary has been working on Ron everyday, all day regardless of the weather. I guess those 4 days off every week are kind of handy. We are painting the rest of Ron blue. A lovely marine blue. I can't wait to see him done. But then he won't be Ron anymore.

Here's Ron, sanded and ready for some new paint! At least down below. We have to finish the hull work before he can go back into the water. That should be in the next few days! We will still have the sanding and painting above the waterline to finish but that we can take our time with. For some perspective on Ron's size, you can see our Lexus just behind Ron's bow. Sanding and painting Ron is no small task!

Ron...Ron Burgundy.

Stay Classy!

Friday Photo Challenge: Angles

Here's my skinny dog.

She is composed of many angles.

Do dogs get spring fever?

Yes.

They do.

Just like we do.

The last few days have actually been nice. Kaja and Piper have been going crazy outside. Running like maniacs, sniffing, rolling in the grass...smiling the entire time they are out there. Going until they flop down in the yard in the sun.

They embody the way I feel.

Why don't humans take a few lessons from our pets. Run! Sniff the spring air and roll in the grass.

Happy Spring.