Sequential Vortex

So, the bed is made. We'll be climbing in soon -- I wanted to relate this tale first.

This morning when I arose, late and sleeping in after a long week of late night computer work and assignments, I decided not to make the bed. I needed to strip it and wash/change the sheets. Not a problem. However, I was not looking forward to having to shake out all of the cat hair before washing and again before drying. We have a long-hair and she nervously, constantly sheds.

As I walked past the spare room, I saw the set of sheets that I'd removed the last time. Uh-oh! I'd set them aside, wanting to delay the whole shaking endeavor. They weren't in anyone's way, but it bothered me that they had been overlooked.

Here's where the whole vortex could have been avoided: I could have opted to NOT address those sheets today. They could go into the hamper. But no ...

First, before laundry I needed to eat. Before eating, I had to fix myself something, which had to be preceded by doing yesterday's dishes. Dishes done -- time to fix a sandwich. Wilted spinach, tomato, havarti cheese and avocado on a low-carb wrap. Pretty good.

But I didn't eat it right then and there. Off to the restroom (obvious reasons) and I decided that I needed to change out the cat litter. That's something best done before a shower, so in order I cleared the litterbox, the rest of the bathroom, and then myself.

Back to the kitchen, dried off and dressed, I stepped out onto the porch to shake out the sheets. We've had several windy rains lately and there was lots of pine straw on the porch. I didn't want to get that onto the sheets as I shook then, so, sheets down, broom up. The old porch mat hadn't dried well since the last rain, and I had a better one to use, so into the trash it goes. There's a wet spot there where it was, which I needed to clean up before i could finish sweeping the porch. I completed a brief sweep of the steps area, shook out the sheets, and placed them into the washer.

I then remembers to eat(!) and sat down to hear my favorite radio show. It's now 1 PM. I'm having breakfast. Not good.

2 PM: Back to the porch. The wet area is dry, but there's lots of pine straw blown all over the place, and things look a bit grungy. By 4:30 PM, I'd managed to scrub off/semi-power wash the porch, sweeping repeatedly, clean several years worth of flora off of an old chemical containing meat crate, shake the wet sheets out before transferring them to the drying, and start over with the sheets I'd actually taken off of the bed this morning. Lots of stuff has been thrown away; lots of stuff is cleaner than it's been for a while.

Time to make the porch more livable: the recycling and chemical storage containers were moved around, and two of the yard chairs were placed onto the back porch. Neither was in the way when it was time to shake out the 2nd set of wet sheets.

5 PM. Time for a PM snack, but first, I really needed to make the bed. Of course, looking into the mirror right by the bed, I realized that I'd not done a thing with my hair (long since dried into whatever shape it wanted to assume after a shower.) Time to use the curling iron. I then opened the hope chest to pull out new sheets, and finally got the bed made around 5:30 PM.

After a snack of middle eastern salads (tabbouleh, labni, tomatoes and baba ghanoush (homemade by Izzy!), and a nice call from Gashwin (sometime dureing the afternoon), it was finally time to do what I'd been (unconsciously?) avoiding all day. I listened to the three week-one stats lectures for my on-line nursing research course. There is an assignment on rates and ratios and risks that I'll do tomorrow.

Where did I sit to hear those lectures? Why, in a nice rocking chair on the mighty clean back porch! I stayed out until the mosquitoes found me.

Back inside, I've been working on things for my two other classes. The sheets are all folded (plus the towels - if you're in a laundry mode, you might was well do those, too) and the rugs (also washed) are drying on the porch furniture. Supper dishes are done, and it's time to climb back into that bed.

Making the bed tomorrow will probably take less time.

Spam subject line

Taking a break from work (and from not blogging, but we had naught but dial-up last weekend.)

Best subject line in my spam inbox today:

Paris Hilton Lectures On Dickens And Dostoevsky

She's already shown she's ready to discuss energy policy. Perhaps we need to re-think... nah...

Twit-Pic: Anniversary cake

Izzy took this at my Mom's today, where a bunch of the relatives got together to celebrate our anniversary with us.



The little niece is in motion (thus a bit blurred). I liked the cake and the pics Mom chose to put up. (clikc on the picture to see full size.) On the left is one taken this past May by Gashwin, and on the right is one taken the night of my nursing school pinning ceremony 23 years ago. We sure were young then.

Pics are going up

Short post on Izzy's Mac, which he's loaned me while my laptop busily uploads the scads of pics we took on the Latin-speaking, filial piety, 25th anniversary summer tour.  Izzy has been overseeing the upload today and yesterday, which takes a while when pics are taken at highest resolution. 

If you'd like the unguided tour, sans descriptions, which we'll add once the sets are all up, feel free to surf to this spot on Flickr.

Once those are up, we'll upload the rest of his trip pics to the same collection, then Zoobrew and G visit shots.  Lots of blog fodder for weekend writing.

Schedule for the rest of the week:

• I have new student orientation tomorrow (9-5!) and then sticker shock check-writing.  Izzy will be hanging out at the bike shop while service gets done.  Having just traveled 8400+ miles, I think he missed a couple of oil changes.
  
• Thursday: work (on call), dr. appt (having trouble with some blood sugar levels), and a 3-year-old's birthday party.
  
• Saturday: work party.
  
• Sunday: Lunch @ Mom's (I think it's a surprise anniversary party for us.)
  

Full social calendar -- so glad Izzy's back to join me at these events.  Actually, I'm glad he's back in any event!

For now, I've done about as much typing as I can whilst avoiding smearing the nail polish.  I knew I'd not be doing much after the blood donation, so decided to pamper myself.

More this weekend.  Keep cool out there!

He's back!

Izzy got home yesterday evening! He was 1-2 days ahead of when he thought he'd return -- sound like he really missed me (or the cat, or some combo of the two.)

Thanks to those who've asked about our trip. We've started uploading to Flickr and will doubtless each put up some posts on the trip and about how neat it was to celebrate 25 years of marriage.

I'm looking forward to Izzy's comments on his long ride, which ended up being 8443 miles.


We've all been siting on the horseshoe and are quite sweaty.

For today, there was time with friends, and for tonight, there was blueberry pie to make and a long talk with Mr. O'Cayce. I'm back to work tomorrow and Izzy has to get in a blood donation and some serious relaxing before teacher work days start.

Family Shock

We've just learned full details from Izzy's dad and stepmom about the recent death of one of stepmom's grandkids (so step-nephew of Izzy's.)

Jamie, whose mom was divorced/estranged from stepmom's eldest son and so whom we hadn't seen in a number of years, was a 29 year old young man with cerebral palsy. In the early hours of Sunday, July 13, he was at a party at his younger sister's home in San Angelo, TX, where a long-time family friend challenged him to arm wrestle. This was a frequent competition between these young men, and Jamie had defeated his friend on a number of occasions. According to the sister (and as passed along through several relatives before we got the story), the friend told Jamie that "this time I'm going to really clean your clock." Well, Jamie apparently got the better of the friend, in what would be his last competition. The friend, upset and not a little intoxicated, cold-cocked Jamie in the jaw.

From what we can gather, it appears that infection set in fairly quickly in his broken jaw. Jamie was taken to a hospital and had a fever over 103 by the time reconstructive surgery began. After surgery, per the Abilene paper's interview with his doctors, "he never woke up." He was removed from life support and died Wednesday, July 16.

Minimal obit here; he is the only Jamie on the page. (I've not copied his obit here, since we don't b.u.r.n.* here at the House of Chez Casa.)

The other young man involved in the incident has been arrested and charged with injuring a disabled person.

In a further insult, the girlfriend mentioned in the obituary is also in jail now for taking Jamie's checkbook and trying to clean out his bank account. Bad move in a small town like San Angelo, where bank tellers read the death notices.

Years ago, Izzy's stepmom lost a teenaged son to drowning. This is another tragedy for which no one can be prepared, and prayers for her and Izzy's dad would be appreciated.

One other thing: When googling for more news on Jamie, I found a blog whose owner posted Jamie's obit and the arrest story. I poked a bit and found a photo (the one above) and her tribute to Jamie. I also found her record of a brief chat with another female that just shows how horribly cruel some people can be when they think they have anonymity on their side. You would never write anything as cruel as what I found if you had to take responsibility for what you said.

Don't feel the need to poke ... and I'll not dignify the remarks with a re-post. It made me and the young lady to whom the remarks were directed both mad, which doubtless gives someone a bit of glee. To stay angry would be to give that person more time in my life than she deserves.

Rest in peace, Jamie.

*b.u.r.n. = blog under real names.