The Magic Of The Face

This is neither Magical Face nor a tale of 'Rent woe. This is how the spouse and I caught and killed a mouse. Let me preface this by also stating that we have 4 CATS. In spite of the mouse being in the house for what I NOW realize as being a week. A week, of a mouse in MY HOUSE with 4 cats that did nothing but sit and stare at inanimate objects for all of that time. They were on alert but did nothing to let the two legged house inhabitants know that something was not as it should be. Last Thursday night the cats went from staring at the fridge to staring at the vacuum. And staring. And staring. And staring. I moved the vacuum and saw nothing amiss. My spouse moved the vacuum and saw nothing amiss. Apparently the spouse is more determined than I am to figure out the feline mind as he moved the vacuum again and low and behold there was the live and scared to immobility, mouse. I will add that the felines have a bad time of losing their catnip mice under furniture that they ca...

I innocently leave my work area to go get a glass of water. At the same time a person who also works in the building is also wandering in the building common areas. We happen to meet in the elevator on the same floor at the same time, post me getting my water. Me: "How's your day going?' Co-worker: "I have been on three floors and can't find an open stall." This would be the time to insert the completely blank staring face combined with the total look of horror. Seriously. I don't generally discuss bathroom needs with ANYONE let alone a relative stranger. JUST WOW.

The 'Rent has been sick. And before I go any further in this tale, let me state for the record that this entire thing is due to a doctor not doing their due diligence when the patient has C.O.P.D. We have been back and forth to her doctor for over two months now over all where she has not been feeling "right". The doctor did blood work, a urine test, and "listened" to her lungs and said she sounds clear. Let me be perfectly blunt here, if you are a doctor and have a patient with C.O.P.D. who is on oxygen 24/7, LISTENING to their lungs for anything is POINTLESS. A chest ex-ray is necessary to see if anything is going on in those lungs. And how do I know this you ask? BECAUSE THE CRAZY OLD BAT HAS HAD PNEUMONIA FOR A MONTH AND HER PRIMARY DOCTOR MISSED IT because all he did was LISTEN to her poor lungs. What he DID find was a U.T.I., which took two courses of Antibiotics to get cleared up. Once it was gone she still had blood in her urine so off we go to a Urolo...

We are Human. What does that mean to me? The reality is, we are frail little creatures, emotionally, physically, spiritually, mentally. However you want to look at it, any and all of those states of being, we are frail at some point in life in that category. We all crave love, affection, attention, appreciation. The list goes on and on. If you are a person that craves none of those things then I am sorry to tell you but you are missing out. Those “things” when directed at us as a person make life worth living I don’t care who you are. My perspective is that of the kid that was always on the outside looking in. Due to circumstances beyond my control as a child, I never felt normal. I didn’t know how to act normal, speak normal, talk to other children, and it was obvious I didn’t fit in or wasn’t accepted. I was fortunate enough to have a couple of really good friends who could handle the awkward and stuck by me and helped ease the ache of being “not normal”. As an adult I still wan...

I joined a gym two weeks ago. I can't afford it, and I am 30 pounds over looking like anyone that actually may benefit from a regular work out, but I am doing it anyway. FOR ME. So the first night I get home from work approximately one hour later than usual, I am greeted by the Poor, Pitiful, 'Rent looking at me with tears in her eyes, and quivering lip to be told. "I think I have cancer." Me, "Really? You went right to cancer? You feel bad for a week so you go right to CANCER?" 'Rent, "Well something is wrong, I can tell I just don't feel right." Me, "OK so can we go ask the doctor rather than jumping right to CANCER?" 'Rent, "Well I guess so, but I know he is going to tell me it is cancer." At this point I leave her abode. I really have no words. I know she is now feeling neglected because I dare to take an extra 30 minutes out of my day and do for me rather than come home to sit and stare at her. But CAN...

So the 'Rent had a doctor's appointment recently and the spousal unit was kind enough to take her for me to this appointment. It was with her lung doctor, to get a reading on IF and if so HOW BAD her breathing as gotten. Apparently this involves being put in a chamber without the aid of her Oxygen Concentrator. What is in this chamber is still up for debate, as is the actual testing they did. From the spouse's description I get the feeling the chamber is so that they have an exact reading on the oxygen content in the air she is breathing without the machine, so they can test A) how much O2 her lungs are getting out of regular breathing, and B) how much air her lungs can actually push. So I called her, and the conversation went like this: Me, "Hi Mom, how did the doctor's office visit go? What did they say?" 'Rent, "My breathing hasn't really gotten any worse." Me, "Well that is great news!" 'Rent, "The test was hor...

OK, so yes I know I made that word up. But some days there are so many I just lose track. The 'Rent is a very smart woman who we have all underestimated for most of our lives. The main reason being, she blurts out things from time to time that leave you scratching your head trying to play catch up, only to find out you will NEVER get on that same playing field with her. This week was my 44th birthday, and I got to have dinner with the 'Rent, my sibling and one of the nieces. While at dinner, one of the subjects discussed was music and concerts. I am a HUGE music fan. Probably my second greatest love besides books. So my niece offers up that The Backstreet Boys will be coming to a local venue soon as we were discussing recent shows and upcoming shows. I was never a big fan but I appreciate the information just the same, and I am the appropriate age where she would think this was someone I would want to see. They were HUGE when we were her age. With that statement the 'Re...