Growing up.

I've never been a huge fan of growing up. It seems so wasteful to lose one's imagination and childish perspectives.
I mean I know I have to be a grown up, I've done grown up things ...like be a mom and work at jobs, but there is always that little kid in my saying...
Let's go play.
If I put many hard hours in at a job or school, I have to literally take a break from it and do something fun and creative. Sometimes just taking a walk in the woods to me is play time.
Sometimes creating something is play time.

Ah, and we all know that when I ride, it is definitely play time.

Last Monday my orthopedic surgeon patted me on the leg after giving me a very painful frontal cortisone shot in the shoulder. I grinned up at him and said, *Hey Doc, I didn't even cuss at you this time!* [yes I did the last time and it wasn't pretty]
He quipped, *I'm so proud of you, you're growing up.*
My husband let out a huge belly laugh and said, *Oh Geeze Doc, she ain't never growin' up.*

The story got repeated to my physical therapist who has to review my progress weekly with Dr. L. She told me today that last week she told Dr. L. that she was impressed with my rapid progress and that I was a good compliant patient who worked hard and I seemed to be 'growing up'.

Dr. L. was completely amused [I guess normally he is a pretty straight forward and serious fellow]. He told my PT to give me a gold star if I was good this week.

Gosh, am I really growing up?
[I hope not!]
But I think I earned a gold star!

Grandma Let's Live Outside.

*Grandma, let's go outside for a walk.* This from my Grandaughter Ariel who will be 4 years old in October. She has a lot of energy to burn and if she stays in the house 'visiting' and playing she just gets bored. She is a lot like me, she can only sit around so long before she has to move...even though biologically she is not my grand daughter...in my heart she is!
She loves being outside.
So off we went into the rather muggy humid Sunday afternoon. We walked down the road and discussed the important things in life.
Butterflies
Bugs
Colors of flowers
Mud
Gravel
Corn
Getting Lost
More bugs...

We eventually made it back to the house after looking at field corn and its roots and the pretty beetle that was on the corn stalk that towered above us. She wanted to go into the field and walk in between the rows but she had pink tennis shoes on...not exactly 'mudding' shoes.
I walked up towards the door intending to go inside to get some relief from the heat when Ariel sighed and sat down on the front step.

*Grandma? Let's just live outside. We don't want to go in the house anymore.* [I was game for this conversation!]
*Okay Ariel, we just live outside then forever?*
*Yeah, no going in the house okay? We just live outside. I don't like houses* [I think that meant she didn't want to go back inside and listen to adults talk.]

*Okay honey, if we live outside-- we sleep outside, where do we go potty?*
She thought a moment and then stood up to where her dog, Sammy, had gone in the yard and pointed. *Right here, we potty where Sammy potties.*

*In the front yard?*
*Yep, right there,* she pulled my hand and took me to show the exact spot she had in mind.

I said, *Golly, would people see?* She shrugged.
*They won't look.*
*What do we wipe with?*
Shrug...as if to say, it doesn't matter because in a 3 yr old's world, these are not important things.

I smiled. *So what do we eat, crickets?*
*Oh ... not the Jiminey kind, but we can eat bugs. I like hotdogs better.*

So we decided that we would live outside at least until it got dark or we got hungry for hotdogs. She was happy, I was happy, and we lay back on the cool concrete porch and discussed the world as a 3 [almost 4 yr old] would see it.

To tell you the truth, this was probably the best part of my weekend. [I can see those reading and saying...uh huh, she has the mentality of a 4 yr old?...No, it is refreshing to be with a child who can have great imaginations!]

Maybe, just maybe, I'll go live outside and eat crickets...but not the Jiminey Cricket kind.

The Driveway is nearly done....

The bulldozer has finished, the road tubes are in, the work soon will begin in the area along the line fence to control water drainage at the bottom of the driveway.
The difference is remarkable, and during a day long rain yesterday...the tubes did indeed direct water! However, our driveway is mush now and presents a new problem until it dries out and we can pack the drive down more. Oh the joys of country living! We hope to get the Cav out and park it on the top and leave it there until things dry out. Rich said the 4 wheel drive might be too heavy and sink in...
I think mud is worse than snow!
Always a new adventure here.

The Tubes are HERE and more...

Seems everyone becomes an expert or an inspector. Badger took a walk with me to inspect the driveway tubes. He seemed not afraid of them, but rather curious. He was however put off by the fact that someone 'moved' the woods on him! He stood quite perplexed and stared at the dozer job.

Okay the guys are working on the driveway with their very manly machinery and I just got back from town.

While at therapy, I turned in a job application for VMH. Two therapists told me to run out to the veterinarian's office to see Dr. Lenay who would be opening her new facility soon. I'd used Dr. Lenay for years so she knows me well as a client until she got out of large animals.
So after driving over and shooting the breeze, Dr. Lenay handed me a job application and asked me to fill it out. No promises of course, she casually told me all the things they wanted in each of the positions that she had open.

Are wonders never ceasing?

Hope Floats...I heard that

After having three nights in a row that I have slept soundly, things have begun to make some sort of turn around. I got a call from my student counselor today and we had a pep talk...or rather she gave me a pep talk. She wants to know exactly what my situation in after I see Dr. L on the 27th. I assured her though, that I felt I was getting remarkably better.

I found a job listing of where I want to work and spent the day working with my professor polishing my cover letter and resume. Can you believe a college prof would do that?

Last week sure had some bleak moments and I can feel the movement of an upswing now. I've heard the saying that *Hope Floats*. Well hope sure does help float me up.

That's my boring report for now.
Tomorrow the road tubes go into the driveway. Oh what fascination!

Driveway Saga after one day...

The first picture is of the big bad dozer. I call it that, but it isn't the biggest one I've seen. I've seen one as big as our house come through the woods when Mike was still living and liked to take the 'D-9' out and clear trails with it. Trees rumbled and fell before the big D9 and Mike. But that is another story...

There is a marked difference in the first day. The road tubes were brought in today and should be put in place Thursday or perhaps Friday depending on what our expert's schedule is. He also works for the county and has a beef farm. We've had some of our ridge neighbors drive over to admire Jeff's handy work. That is how this fella gets his jobs, word of mouth. Pretty impressive isn't it?

I'm excited at the work, of course all I can do is observe. I'll get some pictures of the road tubes laying next to the driveway so you all can get an idea of what they look like before they go in.

Side Note:
Monday I saw the ortho surgeon who has added one more diagnosis to my right arm problems. In fact it is glaringly painful and I start PT for it today...It was painful before but the shoulder pain was confusing issues. The cortisone shot allowed me to sleep yet another whole night!
It is called Lateral Epicondylitis, you can read about it or not. Every time I lift my wrist to *mouse*, it feels as though someone is striking the funny bone...One month of PT for that and then he is hinting at elbow surgery.
This bums me out because it will effect my school and job situation. But Lateral Epicondylitis is also caused by poor ergonomics in the computer workplace...soooo

Well I am not going to let this ruin my perfectly good mood today. Happy day to all fellow bloggers!

We interrupt this saga...

To continue with another. I had PT yesterday and then a follow up with Dr L., the surgeon who worked on my shoulder. The long or short of it is, I got a cortisone shot through the front of the shoulder AND Dr. L. said I was NOT to go back to work for at least two more weeks, and at that time we'd address that issue.

He says keyboarding and mousing are not friends to my right shoulder.

My boss had a holy rolling hissy fit when hubby gave him the paperwork. He even went as far as to tell hubby that I did not keyboard or type...I just put stuff in the computer. Hubby reached over the desk and showed boss the keyboard and asked as he shoved he papers into the monitor...so she just shoves papers into this?

He then wanted me to come in and show his wife how to 'do it'. He was mad and was belligerent in front of hubby and two patients! Hmmm, I hear that voice of mine about 6 months ago saying to boss:
Boss you really ought to have a back up to me, someone should learn what I do in case something happens to me.

In reality, the database is not difficult.
Last name:
First name:
DOB:
and so forth. Each portion is filled in and you hit tab to get to the next piece of info to put in.
Most patients are already entered and need only to check the DX and the billing...then push the key that says 'print'.

Of course there is more to it than that. But I rest my case.

Maybe I'll go fishing.
The cortisone shot was not fun. I was in major pain all day yesterday.

But last night, I slept from 9PM to 5AM! No pain meds at all last night after 8PM.
Today makes me feel human again for the first time in sooooo long!