Last night I went to Susie's house: friend and former co-worker. She had a Pampered Chef party and had a really good turn out. There were about 5 of us that used to work together but two left before I took the picture. In the picture is me, Susie and Marilyn. I see Marilyn every once in a while where I work now and occasionally for lunches too. I admit, I miss the group of people I used to work with. "Years" ago we were such a tight knit group of nurses that worked well together under Henri...and now, it's just different. Anyway, the party was fun and of course I didn't need anything but ordered another stone (love mine to back cookies on), a pizza cutter and some kind of little sandwhich cutter.......figured it would be fun to make for Matthew. Still not sure if any new gadget will motivate me into cooking!!!

The painter guy is finally here (45 min late) and I've got to point out the places he missed yesterday. Hope you all have a great day!

Progress....

Finally some paint on the walls! Yeah!! And best of all, I love the color. I worried it might be too dark but now that some of it is on the walls and it has dried, I can't wait to put my stuff back on the walls and see it all done. So far my only complaint of this process is that this guy has been late everyday. I can understand their laid back schedule and they probably don't usually have someone at home. But I am home...waiting! And obviously getting very annoyed. Note to self: It's rude to be late.

Life is too short and YAZ

I know...I don't blog for a while and now I can't stop. I've been inspired by a couple of people but mostly being stuck home with the painter guy (who was an hour late) has given me way too much time alone with my thoughts....or maybe it is the paint fumes! First, what is the deal with the whole Anna Nicole saga? I certainly hope they have embalmbed her or restoring her body is going to be a nightmare. Yes, I think I may have watched too much of the show Six Feet Under! I think this should be a wake up call for everyone "our" age.....make a will, decide who you want to watch your children, get life insurance and set up a health care DPOA. Have I done any of this, well do have life insurance. My great high school friend Renee posted a link to a relatives blog about a local woman named Jennifer Ireland. By the time I knew about the blog, Jennifer only lived for a few days more. She had been diagnosed with cancer and died at the age of 27. Her story was mentioned several times on Mix 93.3 here, the Kansas City Star and after readingy EVERY post Jennifer and her husband Chris, wrote, I've been changed. Probably why I'm motivated more to make out a will etc. If you have a chance, check out the blog at http://jenniferireland.blogs.com/weblog I will warn you....grab the kleenex if you read a lot of it. Their little girls are so young and so cute. Such an inspiring story.

Secondly, I want to talk about my new med YAZ. If you don't want to read about girl problems, then skip this paragraph and yes, I will eventually delete it as I know this isn't something for Matthew to have to read later! So, I started YAZ about 2.5 weeks ago and I don't remember having so much problems when I started Yasmin 2 years ago. I have cramps almost 24 hours a day, (okay, how many readers did I loose there) and my right side hurts like it did before I had to have surgery for my endometriosis. So, I guess I'll just be patient and let my body get used to things and hope things get better. Anything to avoid the knife again! I know......I'm a whimpy nurse I know! Hopefully the inconvience and pain will all be worth it in the end.

I think that is it for now. Still NO paint on the wall but I think it's getting close. Looks like there is a lot of mud on the damaged walls at least and it is almost 50 outside.

The Repairs Started

The repair and restoration process started today. There is some tape on the floor boards and some mud on the walls. Pictures are down and nail holes filled. I can't wait to see how the paint looks on the walls! It's the same color at a close friend's house and it looks great there....so, I'm hoping it will look just as clean and classy here. You might have noticed the big white patch over the fireplace mantle. Actually, there are TWO. Yep.....I tried to hang the picture myself....and hammered in a dry wall anchor into a stud. Twice. If you understand how stupid that was.....you can stop laughing now! Well, it is out now and I won't make that same mistake again. We got the piano moved this morning and I finally got the border all off in the basement and the walls cleared. The house just looks so weird.......bare and like I just moved in. The old curtain holders are off the walls too.....and those massive holes are filled too. Basically I was busy the whole day but did manage to get caught up on the last 2 episodes of ER I had taped. I can't believe that show is in it's 13th year. With the addition of John Stamos it has markedly improved this year. Speaking of tv....I'm STILL hooked on General Hospital. I joke that this is why I became a nurse but seriously, I've never seen a nurse on there do any real "work".

Tomorrow should bring paint on the walls and warmish weather again! Today was in the low 60's....I had the front door open and it was so nice to let the fresh air in! I can feel Spring on the horizon.

I almost forgot a cute thing that Matthew said last week on one of our snow days: He told me how thankful he was that I was his mom. Yes, I totally teared up! He said he was glad I was looking out for his safety (making sure he wears his seatbelt.....it is a rule if you're going to ride with me!) and that I was his favorite. He has such a good heart and is so sweet and sensative....a total Miller trait!

I'm BACK!

Okay, first off, I am fine, the family is fine, I've just been busy. I know...totally no excuse! What on earth have I been so busy doing? Well, getting ready for the painters and dry wall guys to come tomorrow. I've been taking off the border in the basement, vacumming, packing up all of the belongings in the china hutch and getting everything down from above the kitchen cabinets and off the walls. I'm litterally exhausted and glad for an excuse to sit down and finally blog. I wish I had a before picture of the basement to show all of the hard work I really did taking off the Americana border. I'm so glad to be getting rid of the themed room. Did I mention we had two snow days in all of this mess too? Matthew was a big help in picking up all of the border off the floor after I pulled it off the wall. He loved being a special helper. So the painters show up at 9:30 in the morning and are here until Friday and maybe Saturday then the hard wood floor repair and restoration starts on Monday. It should be a fun two weeks.

So, since the kitchen, family room and down into the basement (and hopefully basement) is going to be painted, I've decided to change colors and curtains and of course curtain rods. I found some super cute ones at.......where else? TARGET! I looked at JC Penney, Pottery Barn, Linens and Things, Bed Bath and Beyond and ended up liking the stuff at Target the best. Well, truth be told, I LOVED the Pottery Barn the best, but I am on a budget. I'll see how the paint looks first before I make a final decision. I found a new black and white print for the basement too but it remains on my wish list for now. I ended up going to a different Target today and found a little bit of STL......a Chick Fil-A. It really hit the spot too.

So is everyone watching American Idol? Speaking of reality shows, I was watching Rachael Ray this morning and she had Colby from Survivor and OMG it was so good to see him again! He is such a gentleman too. I seriously still love it when a man treats a woman like a woman. Not that I don't like the occasional whistle or two (been a while though!) but I do like it when a guy opens the door for me. Chivarly is not dead......at least I hope. I must bring up QT again. People always open the door for each other there.

Thanks for hanging in there with this long post. Since I'll be "trapped" at home with the painters here, I'll try and blog more.

Time to GO!!

Today was a day of cleaning . I guess the 60 degree weather yesterday finally motivated me to start this massive project. I started with Matthew's closet. I don't think we have seen the floor in 6 or so years. My friend from work Lindsey came over and went through some of Matthew's clothes and shoes. It was fun to look at the tiny baby shoes and then send them to their new home. She also took the crib as well. I will admit there was a little bit of sadness and some closure today but I am ready to move on. I see a lot of Lindsey in myself and she has been one of the people I've bonded quickly with at the new hospital. She told me yesterday the doctor doesn't want her working anymore. To say I'm crushed is putting it lightly. She is a great clerk and really keeps things running smoothly. She is about 24 weeks and has pre-eclampsia.......right about the same time that I went on light duty. See......lots in common. Hopefully the crib and clothes will help out. Please pray for the rest of Lindsey's pregnancy and her husband, as has just been laid off! Matthew totally thought Lindsey was here to see him and he even threw in a couple of toys for the baby.

A Blast from the Past

I often ponder if in my job do I really make a difference in anyone's life. I assume I do in some way but I just never really know.....well, until today. I had heard we were getting an admit this evening.....and she had an unique last name and one that I had heard before.......but YEARS ago.....like back in 1993 or 1994. I was a young new nurse who was very green....quiet and painfully shy too. I know....hard to believe. While we were sitting at the desk, I told my co workers about this patient I remembered: He was a prominent police officer, was off duty and in the wrong place at the wrong time. He was punched in the left eye by a guy who had spent some time in prision, where he had learned how to box. It was a huge hit to the eye and he ended up finding out he would loose his sight in his eye and thus his job in the homicide area of law enforcement. It was that day, that I caught him smoking in the bathroom. And boy did I make a big deal about it. He felt bad for breaking the rules and I felt bad that he was going to loose his eye sight. He had a ton of visitors and one that sticks out in my memory. Again......remember then, I was really shy! The patient told his friends that I caught him smoking so they sent a rokie cop to find me......who pulled out his handcuffs and asked me if I wanted to use them. Oh I'm sure I turned 10,000 shades of red. Long story short......it was my former patients mom that was admitted today. So, I went up and asked him if he had been a patient where I used to work and HE REMMEBERED ME as vividly as I remembered him. He said he had often wondered if I had stayed in health care and I had always wondered what he ended up doing for a living etc. He said I made such a difference in his hospital stay with my positive attitude, skilled nursing and my humor. Yes, I've been on cloud nine ever since!

Stupid People

I'm totally covinceded that some people just should NOT be parents. I know it sounds pretty harsh, but read on. I paid bills today and only had one lonely stamp, so in the midst of it SNOWING...I decide to trek out to the post office down the street. If it had been far away, I totally would have stayed home. Anyway, I go in, immediately stop at their new machine that is open 24/7 that you can use your credit/atm card in and buy a book of stamps. I put my 10 stamps on my bills........and I'm pretty thrilled that I made it to the post office before the next "pick up" and maybe my bills will go out today. So, I zip up my coat and get ready to walk to the car. I hear......excuse me ...can you help me out? I look over and there is this guy getting out of his white pick up truck and is now talking towards me. I'm not too uncomfortable as there are other people going in and out of the post office. He quickly asks me to watch his son in his truck while he goes in to get his mail. Well......okay. So, it's cold and snowing and here I am, standing outside playing 'peak a boo' with this guys kid....hoping he comes back. Pretty quickly he comes back and now it's my turn to give him my lecture. HOW DID HE KNOW I WASN'T CRAZY???? I could have stollen his truck with his kid in it and be gone. Was he insane???? He said he didn't want to get his kid out in the cold weather as he had forgotten his hat. My response.......what if you had had car trouble? or been in an accident?? In this weather, one should always be prepared for the worst!! I'm sure he was wishing he had asked someone else after I was done spewing my "what if's" to him. Can you believe it? I would have NEVER left Matthew with a total stranger......for any reason! While, I'm glad he asked me.......since I'm NORMAL. Gosh, this could have been another kidnapping story for this state! This is why people don't leave kids unattended while they go in and pay for gas either!! Now, I'm not a perfect mom, but I do have some common sense. UGH...stupid people make me so mad!!

The President

Yesterday President Bush came to town. He was visiting a local hospital (no, not the one I work at)....but it is very close to my house....discussed his new health care plan and took a tour of the all digital facility. I knew there was a possibility of me being "inconvienced" by roads being closed but thought I had left the house plenty early. NOPE! I head down the street and see a helicopter hovering and two highway patrol cars and local police. So, here I am, stopped on the bridge overlooking.......the Presidental motorcade. Oh it was so exciting. I know it sounds kinda silly to be so thrilled about something......but really, it doesn't happen everyday and it was really quite spectacular. I've seen it on tv but until you see it with your own eyes......well, it was just too cool. I saw the police motorcycles then numerous black cars and then a black limo with flags on it. They were going at a pretty fast pace so no time for a picture. The one I'm using came from the local tv station and it is of the hospital he toured.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

As I'm writing this I am still in awe that my son is 7 years old today. I just can't believe it. Somedays I just look at him and can't believe how big he has gotten this last year. I know someday he will of course be taller than me too. Here I've got a son that is reading, doing math, is sensative and so loving and out going. He's such a fun kid right now. He was SO excited this morning about his birthday that he got up at 5:45 ( I was getting ready for work).....to tell me good morning and play with his CARS truck from his Uncle Blaine in California. Oh it was a huge hit last night. Since I had to work today we had Joe's sisters family and my mom over for a simple pizza and cake party. I wasn't about to cook with my kitchen mess and seriously, we all love pizza.

Around 3 this afternoon the snow started to fall. I love to watch it snow but I'm not fond of having to drive in it. It was an easy snow to clear off the suv and off I went. I was highly motivated to not horse around as I was STUPID enough to wear my Crocks today and not bring my tennis shoes for walking out in the parking lot. By the time I got home, my feet we wet and cold. DUH! We have at least 3 inches but I think we are forcasted to get another 3 before I have to go back to work in the morning. FUN FUN!!!

OH LUCY.......

This morning I watched my friend Cherie's little girl Lucy. She was mesmorized by a Dora DVD! I just had to take a picture. Very cute and again, so well behaved. Off to my favorite store....Target....to get supplies for a little birthday party for Matthew tonight. I really can't believe he will be 7 tomorrow. Wow, has my life changed since then and this ice storm......isn't in my very big 2007 plan!!

Storm Damage

Ah......can you hear it? I call it blessed silence. No more fans and dehumidifer running 24/7. I can hear myself think at least. The ice is melting but must be down far enough that it is no longer coming into the kitchen or basement. YEAH. It has been the best diet as I've really been too nervous to eat. Yes, I know.....it's shocking! I've been making phone calls almost non stop since Tuesday and I've gotten some results. The roofing company has been here but can't 'decide what to do' until the ice is gone.....an insurance adjuster was here who's initial estimate is about $4,000....but that doesn't include anything outside. Monday the contractor is scheduled to come to give me his estimate of repairs. It will take 4-6+ weeks for my hardwood floors in the kitchen to dry......and they are already buckling. I've heard getting that fixed/repaired is going to be a nightmare. The picture is from yesterday and just shows how the ice had melted some and no longer dripping through the ceiling. We are supposed to get 1-3 inches of snow possibly this weekend so I guess the saga continues!

Ice Dam

Well, actually it's more like damn ice. I was about to make a grocery store run for my mom when I noticed water running down my wall in the kitchen. Basically, we had pretty big storm this past weekend. We had a combination of sleet, freezing rain and snow. Today, with a high of only 20 and lots of sun, the ice started melting. I'm not sure the whole logistics of the problem but I never had any problems with my prior roof and I've had snow/ice melt and refreeze before. I placed numerous calls this afternoon to the roofing company and shocking, no one has called me back. So, after a call to the insurance company.....an adjuster is due to call tomorrow....I also called a drying company.....at the reccomendation of the insurance company. So, they came and poked some holes in the ceiling area in the kitchen to get air in there.......so I don't have mold growing. Well, the water also somehow dripped into the basement. So, I've got a bucket down there and I'm just waiting for the sun to come out tomorrow and the melting and mess will begin again. There are 2 industrial floor fans pointed to the walls in the kitchen and a dehumidifier.........and it totally wreaks of wet dry wall. The paint is buckeling and the dry wall is soft and mushy in places. There is a fan in the basement pointed to the ceiling. So my house is loud and stinks. I've got candles burning but I'm still gagging when I walk out into the kitchen/family room. I'm sure there will be more pics to post tomorrow. Did I mention there is no school AGAIN tomorrow? I will say Matthew was overall really good today. I had just gotten off the phone with a co-worker........who was so nice to come by and make sure my sanity was in check.....anyway, I was trying to hold it all together in front of Matthew but I finally just couldn't and started crying. Matthew gave me the biggest hug and I could see the tears in his eyes too. That is a moment I won't soon forget.

KU Squeaker

It was an AWESOME game tonight. I only wish I had been at Allen Fieldhouse to witness such a fun, close game. ROCK CHALK JAYHAWK.............KU!!!!!!! Yes, we beat Mizzou again! It was way too close but a win is a win.

On to other news. It is COLD. Oh my gosh is it cold! The weather over the weekend was terrible. We have had freezing rain, sleet and finally today we had snow. They have already closed the schools for tomorrow. Last night it took me 30 minutes to let my suv warm up, melt and scrape about half an inch of ice off the front windshield! After a really stressfull weekend at work, the scraping was actually pretty therapeutic. It was flying off and I was having such a good time I forgot it was sleeting again and I was mega cold. I did have the radio pretty loud too. My hair was wet by the time I got in to go home. Of course I wore my Crock shoes to work and forgot to wear/bring my workout shoes so my toes were freezing! I know....totally stupid and I've learned my lesson. And yes, my Crocks have the little holes in them!

Another work issue: our new uniforms. OH THEY ARE HORRIBLE. First, I despise being told what to wear so it's doubtful I would be happy with anything on this subject. We can wear all white, all navy blue or a combination. There was a committe and everything that choose the company we used. Turns out they were cheap and have given everyone rashes! I washed mine at least 5 times and my legs by Sunday night were itching so bad and beat red where the seams were. No, I'm not wearing them again. I'm guessing it's the dye and the polyester in them. The hospital had trouble with the whole process from ordering to shipping. Yes, there is a smile on my face and I've heard this whole fiasco has cost them about $30K. (they bought the nurses each a pair and the techs 2 pairs) Now, if we are a small community hospital, why didn't we go to the LOCAL uniform store...I'm 100% sure she would have given us a deal.

I guess I'm done complaining. Yes, this is SUPPOSED to be a blog about Matthew....but there are just some days when it's going to be more about me.

The Four C's

So, the last couple of days have been all about the 4 C's. What is that?? Well, I wish it had to do with diamonds! :-) But it was all about my day and attitude. Actually, one of the C's is from Wednesday.......CHASING! and CRANKY! I had to chase the darned trash can 6 houses down the street. Wouldn't you think it would have been the lid? But no, it was horribly windy and that lid was just sitting in my lawn. I was in the beginning stages of another migraine with the flashing lights in my vision.......and here I was, chasing that stupid trash can! I was reminded of about 7 years ago when I was 9 months pregnant and doing the same thing........just wadeling then! Oh I must have been a sight.
The next 2 C's are for CUTE and COLD. This morning I baby sat for my friend Cheri's two CUTE and so amazingly well behaved little girls. They are Lilly and Lucy, ages 4 and 2. Let me tell you how good they were! Of course I only had them for about an hour and I managed to take a shower and they didn't escape or break anything .....or get hurt. It's been a long while since I've had to worry about any kind of baby proofing. Then after Cheri's doctors appointment, we went to brunch at IHOP. So we could get some girl chit chat time in, the kiddos watched a dvd. Are we good or what? Cheri and I worked at Baptist years ago and have known each other for at least 13 years now. She has been trying to get me to go to Children's hospital for years now.....but I'm not ready to take care of sick kids just yet. She does dialysis and that just isn't my calling right now!
The 4th C: COLD. The weather is changing and we are expecting ice and maybe some snow soon.
Lastly, sorry it's been so long since I've posted......I'm still here

I Love Weather

Tonight I went to the first ever weather bloggers meeting tonight at our local NBC TV station...KSHB41. Oh my gosh I had so much fun. The whole meterology team was there but the head meterologist, Gary Lezak is really the main reason I went. He has this amazing enthusiasm for the weather that is really quite contageous. I've been a huge fan for years and was thrilled to finally get to meet him. His dogs are just as famous in Kansas City as he is! Stormy was there tonight as well. We got a station t-shirt, water bottle, and a copy of Gary's book called "Our Spacious Skies"....autographed. Okay, I was a smidge star struck! LOL. Now, I'm not ready to go chase storms just quite yet but watching a storm unfold on radar is pretty cool........just as long as it's not right over my house! In the picture is Gary and one of his dogs, Stormy. If you are wondering where the pic is of myself and Gary? Well, there is one.....but my eyes are closed! Oh well. I had a great time. They taped a little bit of the meeting tonight so maybe I'll be on the news soon!!!

Back to School

So, it was back to school today and guess who was super excited. So excited he ended up missing the bus! I just had to laugh. He could hardly wait to get his coat and new back pack on and head out the door....only to see the bus, come inside and tell me he had to use the bathroom. WHAT??? "Are you kidding me" was my response. So, today he was a car rider. Actually it was rather traumatic and he couldn't get out of the car at school fast enough. Now, maybe that was because I had my hair up in a towel. Gosh, think he was embarrased to be seen with his mom?? Oh I hope not this early!!

Happy New Year!!!!

My Artist?

Matthew has litterally bugged me ALL day to open and use his new water colors. They were a gift from my mom to Matthew for finally stopping bitting his nails and sucking his thumb. So, after dinner I got out the newspaper, water and let him paint. I took some pictures and before I even got around to downloading the pictures, he was DONE! How could this be??? All I can do is laugh. I bet he is back at it before bedtime.

So today I was home addressing Christmas cards.....yes, i know it's after Christmas but in typical MILLER tradition they are still going out...just late as usual. Anyway, my co-worker friend called inviting Matthew over to see her pets. She has a talking bird, numerous fish, a little dog and turtles. Her bird, Fidget is a riot. He talks non-stop like a 3 or 4 year old. He asks for treats, does tricks......for the treats....preferibly orange tic tacs! Matthew fed the fish and turtles and came home asking for a dog. Again with more Miller tradition and he thinks I'm allergic to both dogs and cats! Thanks mom for the idea. I really am allergic to cats but not dogs........I just don't want them for my own pet. I hate the thought of the upkeep, the barking, the maintence, the BARKIN etc. So, the answer will forever be NO!!

Christmas Night

On Christmas night we went to Joe's sisters house for dinner and fun. The boys mostly played Xbox....and yes, I vetoed that gift this year at our house. Matthew played with his cousin Andrea basically non stop and had so much fun. I gave Andrea a 1000 piece bead set.......she can make bracelets and necklaces. I have always threatened to buy her the 1000 piece Barbie accessory set....if they even make it...........so when I found a 1000 piece craft set, I just couldn't resist. I am hoping to get a bracelet with my name on it :-) A good time was had by all.