Bowling

 

Cat or bowling ball?  He's very short bodied, and picking him up is a bit like picking up a fur covered bowling ball.  Seems to be just his cobby shape, the vet expressed no concerns about his weight.  He likes the laundry room, and this spot on the folding table. 

He does not like the vacuuming that has been happening the last few days, and has been keeping his distance. Did not come out to visit when friends appeared yesterday, which is not terribly surprising for him. 

Luxury

 Eleanor knows what she's thankful for. In this case, who. And he's the same one I'm most thankful for. 

Vacuums

There will be photos here later. 

I wake on this day of gratitude in thankfulness. 

With a job, enough income, puzzles to solve and people to help. 

Tomorrow we make it a another day, because there is more to be thankful for.  Our 31 years together and the friends we have gathered. I got yesterday off because Thursday is my usual day, so I get the day before. Friday I get off because my surgeon cancelled that clinic, and my colleague agreed, which is how these things work in this job. 

Before I left on Tuesday, I made a point to tell her how grateful I am, for the time off, and for this job. She expressed similar sentiments, glad that I do still like it, after all the frustrations, and that I am there doing this work. Apparently there really wasn't anyone covering hands/shoulders/Foot & Ankle/oddball, as a dedicated employee. 

We got a new vacuum, since the old one has a tear in the electrical cord that makes it unsafe, and we don't know how to fix it. We will pass it on to someone who does. Yesterday, I got up the past two years of dust and grime that had accumulated as a result of my despondency and lack of vitamin D, and the general lack of anyone to notice coming to visit. The last time this place got a proper scrub was when we hired a cleaner after I broke my wrist. 

I am thankful for the vacuum. Yes, I am thankful for nothing as well. Actually, nothing - especially. Letting my brain rest a bit, this work really does push me to think in different ways, and work a lot harder. 

Today, we will have frozen Thanksgiving Dinner inna Box from Trader Joe's, for the sake of form. Tomorrow, chili. Today I will send messages to everyone we know and love, making sure they know we appreciate them. Tomorrow we will see some of them here - all the vaccinated with decent immune systems. Not as much hugging as once was, but presence. 

 Electile Disfunction. 

There is a video at the bottom of the page. It's very much to the point. 

Boosted

 Yesterday I got my booster at work, which was a nice break. Sitting down waiting for the shot, another 15 mins in a recliner (!!!) after to make sure I didn't have a bad reaction. Shot so smooth I did not feel the needle at all, only her hand on my arm.  Brought my paper card and the app to show I'd already gotten the first two. It was reassuringly busy.  We have to remember we are the majority.  We really are.

My arm was so sore overnight, and I had a headache. Today I ache in every joint, but I'm not feeling ill at all.  I have today off because the official day off on Veteran's Day is my usual Thursday off, so I get this as my comp day. Two days off, in case the booster decided to play rough with me. So far, so good. 

The Utah Pork Producers provided free lunch for Vets and Staff yesterday, so T and I went down to get ours and enough for the residents. Three slabs of pork loin each, a small bun, decent BBQ sauce, chips and cookie, with bottled water. I ate one of the meat slices in the bun, with the sauce, and the cookie. Our residents ate far less of the protein than expected, and a lot of it wound up in the trash. I hate wasting food, but no one was going to eat it. And today I feel like mostly being vegetarian for a while.  It didn't taste bad, as such, but there was something too heavy about it, too dry, too... something. It will be a very long time before I even eat crispy bacon again, possibly never. 

Espresso

 I had to try it. And, with cream, it's oddly appealing. Won't be my favorite go-to tea, but I'm happy to have it as an addition and occasional tea. 

When I first started in the OR, a traveling scrub tech, at the sterile field, once very seriously asked me for some... sterile (tap the table) espresso. Ha. 

So when I was asked a few years later by a surgeon for an espresso at the field I said, "Yeah, pull the other one."  But. There actually is a tool called an Expres-sew.  Can't win. 

The compost piles are high and rather light with leaves from neighbors on both sides. Winter rain and snow will tamp them down in time. 

Looking forward to my short week, I get Wednesday for Thursday when I'm off anyway. First time getting Veteran's Day off in many years. I can certainly use a bit of time off.  Then over Thanksgiving, when I get five days in a row. Let my overheated brain cool off a bit. 

Mouser

Eleanor happily cuddles with both of us pretty much all the time.  Zeppo does as well - when he's in the mood.  He must get his hind haunches and tail rubbed as I eat breakfast.  Cats are so individual,  tail tugs and belly-rubs are this skittish cat's favorite things ever. 

Our neighbor lost his cat Sebastian last month.  Sebastian adopted Mike when he moved in, with the condition that he would always have the option to go outside. He was a mouser of great skill. So when he died, the mice, or possibly rats, moved in. For a few weeks we both noticed them, I put out snap traps in places where cats and squirrels wouldn't accidentally get caught. But I needn't have bothered. Over the past week and a half, I have been gifted no less than four very large mice, or smallish rats. I do not know how to tell them apart. Two on the front porch near the door, two in the back on the walkway. 

I thanked our new Mouser, in abstentia.  I do wonder if it is Mr. Kenny, the black kitten my other neighbor and I fed several years ago during his first winter. None of the rodent gifts were eaten, except for one front leg, so the Mouser is, presumably,  being fed by someone in the neighborhood. 

 

Cancelling

 I found out Monday morning that my hand surgeons were going on a medical mission. This month. And it is my job to cancel and shift clinics and OR schedules. Leaving over 20 people who thought they were going to be seen for their hand pain left back in limbo.  And another four people who thought they were going to have surgery, now back on the waitlist. 

Most were annoyed, but patient with me. A few were angry, and I let them blow off steam at me, as I validated their frustration. Some told me they were going to report this, which I agreed was appropriate. 

This is all made worse by the fact that with the holidays, we had even fewer clinics and OR days. And referrals for care in the community - outside the VA system, is very regulated and there is a big backlog. Some of the regulations were eased during the worst of Covid, but were re-instated and re-enforced in the past few months. So, to get their care covered by non-VA providers, they have to be pre-authorized to have it paid for. 

Of course, a lot of people don't have insurance, or it's expensive, or will leave them with a massive bill, and insurance loves to disallow paying if they can. ACA has improved care for a lot of people, but it's still part of an insurance system that is out to make money, not provide care.  And this is for those who don't have access to the VA at all. 

When we got back from Gulf War I, we were covered as Vets while we were still in the national guard. Since I had no other access to medical care, and barely enough income to cover rent and ramen, that's where I went. Walked in, took a number, and waited. It always took at least 4 hours no matter how early I got there. About 2 hours to be seen, and another 2 to get a Rx or tests. Antibiotics for URIs & UTIs, steroids and an MRI for my sinuses, a lump taken off my shoulder, I paid in time that I had rather than money that I didn't. I was grateful as hell, even knowing it was not exactly ideal. 

So yesterday, in the midst of a busy hand clinic, with a computer access issue that meant our MDs didn't have access to charts and x-rays, and we got behind 60-90 minutes, and two or three patients who lost their shit at us because they didn't get what they wanted, my old hand surgeon came in after the OR was done, rubbed my shoulders and apologized for the mess he had me clean up. 

Well, cleaning up after surgeons has been my job for over 25 years now, so, here I am. This is what I'm paid to do. Best do it cheerfully.  I managed, I dealt with the minority of crabby and mentally ill vets, I deescalated and sorted and worked the problems until it was all done. And even working 40 hours a week at this, I'm not in pain as I was working 30 hours a week in the OR. This is my last hard climb to a decent retirement. 

I can do this. I can. 

Dylan had a procedure this week, and got his booster, so he's feeling more than a little ragged. I got to see him a bit disinhibited with drugs, so that's my consolation prize for being his nurse as well. I'm still not getting much energy improvement from the vitamin D supplement, but that can take several months to be noticeable. 

Later this weekend, I'll write about the cats and the compost and some new tea.