SPEAKING of Christmas, go over to Cat House Chat for this year’s Christmas Carnival My wonderful blog sister Kat has spent hours working on this, and it’s full of Christmas blogging at it’s best!

Kat alerts me to this:

The Gratitude Campaign. Just do it…simple, honest and effective. And powerful.

Easy. Roller Coasters. All of them- the faster and scarier, the better. When I go to these places, I often ride them 5 or 6 times.

Usually I don’t fit in with stuffy useless gatherings and the like. So I either don’t go or I bail.

1. It’s a waste of time. And so totally boring.

Yes I got it. Having had the real flu once, it was enough to convince me I need the shot. I haven’t had the flu since.

3. I hate TV. The quality of modern programs sucks; there is little original talent and idea. The news is almost always negative. SO I tune it all out. And keep the boob tube OFF 90% of the time.

Have a wonderful and safe holiday.

Cranberry Upside Down Cake

8 tablespoons butter
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1 3/4 cups cranberries
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8 inch round cake pan with 2 tbsp of butter.
(Or, use a #8 *Griswold* cast iron skillet lined with tin foil, as I did)
2. In a small bowl, whisk 1/2 cup sugar with the cinnamon and allspice.
3. Sprinkle mixture evenly over bottom of pan, arrange cranberries in a single layer on top.
4. Cream remaining 6 tbsp of butter and 1/2 cup of sugar until light and fluffy.
5. Add egg and vanilla, beat until well mixed.
6. In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture to butter mixture, alternating with the milk.
7. Spoon batter over cranberries in pan and smooth the top.
8. Place pan on baking sheet and cook until toothpick comes out clean, about 30 to 35 minutes.
9. Cool on wire rack for 20 minutes. Run a knife around edge and invert onto a rimmed platter.
10. Enjoy!

Friday Feast is a weekly meme brought to us by Susan. The idea of this meme is to answer 5 questions about yourself, which Susan sends out each week. You leave a comment at the main site announcing your blog’s URL and participation, go visit AT LEAST 5 other Feasters and hopefully they will come by and read your feast and leave you a comment. It’s fun and a lot of people participate. Why don’t YOU??

Surprised? This past week: Last week on Thursday I had my tonsils and adenoids removed. (Yea I’m a little OLD for that but…) Less than three days later I was eating, drinking and getting back to my normal self. I expected to be out of normalcy for a lot longer than that.

Blue green- many call them GRAY. I wish they were just one color!

A beanie BABY?? Oh come on!! I would be a little black bird. Named Raven.

I work out 5 days a week. And not just any ole work out; I use machines and free weights; I do the elliptical for 45 minutes and then the stepper for another 45 minutes; I work hard and my muscles prove it. I’m stronger and have more endurance than most men. I also run just about every day too. Or roller blade. 10 miles or so.
The other thing I do is drink. Lots. Of. Water. Gallons. It really helps keep me balanced.

I use Aquafresh. Always have and always will. I just like it and never get cavities.

SniperOne got tagged with the Christmas Meme…heh..I haven’t done one of these in a LONG time…the idea is to answer 6 simple questions and TAG 5 others in the comments of their blog. So here we go:

Things I would like for Christmas
1) A couple cases of Blueberry Ale from this place

2) One of these.

3) To spend a couple weeks here, surrounded by my favorite people in the world.

Things I don’t want for Christmas:
1) Money

2) Clothes

3) ANOTHER COOKBOOK!!

TAG!
Michael
Ogre
Kat
Always On Watch
GM

Michael sent this to some friends via email, and as I read these things, I was reminded that sometimes I think I should have been a man. SOMETIMES. Then I think- for all the delicate and intricate things that make women who we are, NO, I am happy to be a woman and…in spite of all our faults, I think most men appreciate us for who we are.

In response to Michael’s list, I have my thoughts in BOLD.

Why it is good to be a man?

1. Your ass is never a factor in a job interview.
If I were interviewing, you better think twice about this. YES, your ass would be a factor.

2. Your orgasms are real. Always.
I don’t fake them, ever. If they suck or don’t happen, HE hears about it. It’s his fault. And he has to fix that.

3. Your last name stays put.
I think I am going to change my last name back to it’s maiden form.

4. The garage is all yours.
When we had a house my garage was MINE. With all my junk too.

5. Wedding plans take care of themselves.
Weddings are a huge waste of money. All the planning and expenses are just symbols of something. I wouldn’t plan my own wedding..hell I’m never getting married again.

6. You never feel compelled to stop a friend from getting laid.
Hell no.

7. Car mechanics tell you the truth.
They know better than to try and con me.

8. You don’t give a rat’s ass if someone notices your new haircut.
I don’t give a rats ass what my hair looks like. I don’t even brush it half the time.

9. Hot wax never comes near your pubic area.
(!), uugh. No. Natural is best.

10. Same work .. more pay.
I get paid more than any guy who does the same thing I do. In fairness, sort of, not to many men could do what I do for a living.

11. Wrinkles-add character.
I am proud of my wrinkles, and I have earned them.

12. You don’t have to leave the room to make emergency crotch adjustments.
I do adjustments no matter WHO is around!!

13. Wedding Dress $2000; Tux rental $100.
I never had a wedding dress- my wedding was something I didn’t plan and would have not gone through with had I been sober. Wedding gowns and all that mean nothing to me- just symbols of wasted money.

14. If you retain water, it’s in a canteen.
I look healthier when I have a few more pounds on.

15. People never glance at your chest when you’re talking to them.
I ALWAYS look at a mans chest when he’s talking. ALWAYS. I stare. And ponder. And sometimes drool.

16. New shoes don’t cut, blister, or mangle your feet.
I don’t wear the shoes that cause blisters and ouchies- IOW, I wear the right size. Most women don’t- they go for the next size down so their feet LOOK smaller. DORKS. Some don’t even know they are wearing the wrong size!

17. One mood, ALL the damn time.
True enough. I have never met a man who had any moods. At all. Who knows a man who gets grouchy? Or cranky? Or who turns into a sour puss when he doesn’t get his way? Or who gets pissed off at work? Or who is happy the weekend is here?

18. Phone conversations are over in 30 seconds.
I don’t speak A LOT when I’m on the phone. Not like my friends anyway.

19. A five-day vacation requires only 1 suitcase.
Men are so into themselves. I don’t own a suitcase. A backpack, a small one, is ALL I take when I am on a vacay- & thats only when I’m gone for more than a week.

20. You can open all your own jars.
I open all my own jars. I use my teeth!

26. You can quietly watch a game with your buddy for hours without ever thinking “He must be mad at me.”.
The quieter the better. Anytime I have ever watched the games with the guys, they don’t shut up.

27. No maxi-pads.
I don’t use maxi pads.

28. If another guy shows up at the party in the same outfit, you just might become lifelong friends.
No one ever wears what I wear to parties and I never dress up.

29. You are not expected to know the names of more than five colors.
NOW this is probably more true than false.

30. You don’t have to stop and think of which way to turn a nut on a bolt.
I have never had to stop and think. Duh.

31. You are unable to see wrinkles in clothes.
I do see wrinkles in clothes and I say SO WHAT. I never iron.

32. The same hairstyle lasts for years, maybe decades.
I haven’t purposely changed my hair -ever. EVER. Only when I do something stupid to it, like cut it while drunk, have I had to change it.

33. Your belly usually hides your big hips.
The only time my belly was bigger than my hips was when I was pregnant. Actually even then this wasn’t so- my bellly popped out and my hips stayed the same as they have always been.

I’m on a break at work; it’s been a rough couple days here. I’m bitchy and moody and well, let’s just say-I’m not very personable right now. Everyone is staying away and that is a good thing.

We worked short yesterday. When I say “WE”- I mean me and the nurse. And no one else. From 2 pm on. It was Labor Day after all; a nice sunny warm day and you know- I guess they all just felt they deserved THE day off and the hell with work. The hell with the patients and their needs and wants. And who cares about the staff who have a little bit of moral and ethical responsibility- the little inner voices that tell us– work calls. Go in. Do your job. Do it well.

There were supposed to be 7 of us working, which is challenging in itself…BUT TWO?????? Was totally unsafe and it just can’t happen again. We have 20 high acuity, medically fragile patients. Many have heart conditions. Many have seizure conditions. 10 require ventilator support for breathing; they all have trachs which require constant care. I can say without much doubt it was one of the very worst days I have ever had at work. I called the bosses. Most of them were not home…but, of all the big whigs and nurses and aides who I called, I managed to get a message to one of the doctors. Who shows up at 5:30pm to HELP ME GET MY SHIT DONE. A doctor. MD. Took his Labor Day evening and spent it at work, helping me. Bet not too many folks can say they have seen this sort of thing occur.

He got a good first hand look at how hard this work is- made even more difficult by the endless round of tasks that have to be performed. Nevermind spending quality time with your patients. Just keeping them safe- comfortable, medicated, suctioned, fed, range-of-motioned, bathed, toileted, repositioned (every hour or so)…the constant monitoring of machines and pumps; the checking of valves and lines and tubes and collection bags…the Doc was good natured about it all and he was a BIG help. He called a couple of his friends up to work- they cleaned the kitchen and dining areas and took out the trash (one set of tasks that are usually done by nursing staff)…And they were a set of eyes on those patients who are able to be out of their beds.

Kim and Channy showed up a little while ago…they brought me some Dunkies coffee and Taz- who is staying at work with me tonight. He’s in the back room with me right now…and when I get back out to the unit he hangs out in the living room area with the patients who are up and about. They love him as he is so entertaining. I have permission to let him stay here with me; he had to pass several state physicals as well as specific work rules before he was allowed to roam the premises. He cannot enter any of the actual medical units though. But it’s great to have him here- he makes me smile with his endless licks and happiness.

There are enough of US here today and into tonight. We’re hoping to get in a break later where we can go out to the front field and play a game of touch football. We do that to blow off some steam. The long day is more than half over and it’s much better than yesterday!