Grumpy !!!

Well, let's see. My day yesterday was a mess. No one had ordered Jonnie's meds last week, and no one seemed to know who was seeing who. The only saving grace was I was able to save a moth and move it to outdoors. I found out I had an appointment with my endocrinologist at 0930 today. My evening yesterday ended with the "new" innards of the $500 toilet breaking like the cheap-ass plastic they were and so now the toilet does not flush again, unless you mechanically plug the hole leading to the bowl, then uncover it after the water builds up so it will flush.This morning started with me trying to go online only to find our cable co has screwed up the internet connections again. I then called my boss to let her know I was going to be late. As I get in the car I find Alice has blown a fuse again. I went to the doctor's a bit early hoping to get in and out quickly. They told me the appointment had been canceled since the 10th of May!(and yes they had record the May 23 rd appointment was cancelled.) So I now have one for August. Right.So I go into work. The usual confusion, again. Today I had a CM bring in a guy who was due for his IM Haldol, but has none as he does not have his Medicaid right now. We had to scrounge up some. Then I had a family call and tell me they we were bringing in a guy who was also due, and his patient assistance med was not here Just dandy. His application had expired. The drug company folk are to fax me one. So then I try to call family back. Line disconnected. So they come in. Meanwhile all day R has been hovering about offering to help but mainly just being irritating and literally at one point standing in front of me telling me not to run down the hall. Now Iam in no shape to run, but I was moving about as quick as I can for me today as I have the client her, his 84 year old mom waiting, and no med. I also got a call that my next appointment was her for her IM too. Needless to say when I had repeatedly answered that there was nothing R could do to help I was really ticked when she asked one more time. I turned and said "You want to help? Magically pull some Risperdal Consta 37.5 mg(actually needed 50 mg) out of your butt! That would help." This quieted her down for a fraction of a second. Damn, I was hoping to make her go away totally.Then I get a call that I have a cardiology appointment tomorrow at 1430. Now that was an artifact, generated when they were setting up the cardioversion 3 weeks ago, and at first it looked as if tomorrow was going to be the day it took place. When I called to correct this I was given some nonsense about setting it up to have an EKG etc post conversion, but since it had been set up way back 3 weeks ago I knew better. The change to the 21st was done after this date. So I canceled and rescheduled for the 5th. The saving grace today: A 3 year old or so loudly proclaimed to all in the lobby that I was Santa Claus. If I hadn't been so busy I would have said "Ho!Ho! Ho!' but I just was able to wave. Oh well, made his day any way.Today is damn near over. I guess tomorrow awaits.

Read, every day, something no one else is reading.

Read, every day, something no one else is reading. Think, every day, something no one else is thinking. Do, every day, something no one else would be silly enough to do. It is bad for the mind to be always part of unanimity.
Christopher MorleyUS author & journalist (1890 - 1957)

Zapped Take 2- Cardioversion on 06-21-06

The marks left from the cardioversion electrode patches, taken on Thursday.

Elementary, My Dear Watson !

http://www.privatehand.com/flash/elements.html

J. Robert Crouse Sr.

Who is J. Robert Crouse you might ask? Well, I didn't know either. But one of the used books I bought 3 weeks ago was one of his. So I did some research. Here is what I found. http://crouse.cromaine.org/crouse.asp

PS I know the painting is of Jesus among the Rabbis, but who painted it. I have been unable to find that out yet. Anyone know?

Lots of Small Odds n' Ends

Want to get this up and get some rest soon so i'll be as brief as I can be.
Fist I added a few links to Charles Fort related material. More on him in another post, but lets say i have been reading him since I was 10 or 11, understanding him at age 16 or so, more so now than even then. "One measures a circle beginning anywhere."

"All My Life's A Circle" Harry Chapin.
Hmm. i was just told tonight about Leonard Cohen film "Leonard Cohen I'm Your Man"http://www.leonardcohenimyourman.com/ Gotta see this one.

"Oh Brother Where Art Thou?" was on tonight but i was ill and couldn't watch more than a few minutes.

Robert Nathan went to Phillips Exeter Academy at some point; yes, the same one that Dan Brown went to! " One measures a circle beginning anywhere."

See What Hapens When You Don't Keep Up 2

My cardioversion went off well yesterday and I am back in normal rhythm. Betsy and I and Troy went out to see "Hoot" at the cheap seats. http://www.hootmovie.com/
Cute well done movie, too bad it was not well viewed.

See What Happens When You Don't Keep Up 1

Photo of Betsy Andy and I taken two years ago. Andy has a new website and I didn't know it. I've added a link to it. http://www.nakedhappygirls.com/

It is mainly to sell his two books. Andy is Spencer's videographer("What the Hell are you doing here?") but is a photographer as well.

Angel Asphodel

Finding the Sacred Feminine in PHC and Alchemy In Robert Nathan

It's been a quiet day here in Cleveland Heights. My illness prevented me from going out to the many festivals so I read and, later, Betsy, Troy and I went to see the Prairie Home Companion movie(my second time). In Robert Nathan's "The Devil With Love" I came across a demon, who does alchemy, and an alchemical prescription. Then in "The Bishop's Wife" an angel in love with a woman. And in PHC an angel, Asphodel, who is at least sometimes an angel of death, but she also comforts the sad-and put the face of God in oatmeal at least once. Asphodel when I researched, is a plant from the Mediterranean, associated with the dead. It also happened to be the first name of Asphodel Long, a person steeped in the Sacred Feminine. http://www.asphodel-long.com/ So as my old friend Charles Fort said, everything is a circle.

ROBERT NATHAN AGAIN

"The devil had too good a time of it on earth;still, he would suffer for it later. It was a comfort to think that folks couldn't carry their good times with them into eternity. Why should the godly, in a free country, be obliged to watch the ungodly amusing themselves right under their noses? In a free country, mind you . . . What sort of freedom was that?It made him feel oppressed to think of it.

Was this a quote from "W"?

Pat Robertson?
Nope! Reverend Flood, a character in Robert Nathan's book "Fiddler in Barley" written in 1926.

Eighty years and we still have the Rev. Floods, alas.

57 YEARS AGO !

http://www.paulsadowski.com/birthday.asp

Garden

Eisenman Fountain 

Ore Specimen 

Overhead view. 

Fountain At Metals Dome 

Metals Dome 2 

Metals Dome 1 

Mike Lenz 

Belly Dancer 3 

Belly Dancers 1 

Parade dancer 

Dragon Eats Lady's Head at Parade the Circle Cleveland 10 Jun 06 

Canada geese crossing Mayfield Rd 1130 Saturday 10 Jun 06 

Long Week-With Bellydancers and Movies

Where should I start? it has been a long week, starting out badly and getting some better in a few ways. First I was wrong about the atrial flutter being gone. Still have it. Drat!Lindy went out on Monday and was gone 3 days, coming back Thursday. Tuesday I went to see "Inside Man" Very good movie. Found a certified letter slip in mail box. Wednesday picked up letter-bad finanical news, which I may get to later. I didn't go see the movie "Call of Cthulhu" http://www.cthulhulives.org/cocmovie/index.html

John had given me a DVD copy for my birthday but I had planned to see it at the Strosacker. I may be able to see it next Wednesday, but I was too down, due to financial, health, and missing cat woes.
Thursday I had already bought an advance ticket to see "Prairie Home Companion" combining two of my favorites- Robert Altman directing a movie about Garrison Keilor's radio program. http://www.aprairiehomecompanionmovie.com/

http://prairiehome.publicradio.org/

Lindy came home just before I left, so I was happy. They had a nice snack buffet as part of the special preview price($15) and while there I ran into someone from work.She had a nurse friend with her who knew two of our nurses. We sat together for the movie, and since I wore my Spencer shirt, we talked briefly about him. I ran into a woman in the lobby who had a friend pose btw.
Both of my friends liked the movie, and I won a tote bag, due to sitting in a chair that had a "Tote Bag" sticker on it's bottom.
The movie was very good, with only a couple of what I would call minor flaws. I felt cheated in that the songs were not shown whole but cut away from, and then back. And Kevin Kline kept trying to turn Guy Noir into Inspector Clouseau. Drat. Virginia Madsen as the Dangerous Woman was fantastic, as were Lilly Tomlin and Meryl Streep. What a fun movie.
Friday was ok, my INR was 4.5! Yeay!
Saturday I read, went to bank, photographed geese, went to the Parade the Circle, was visited by belly dancers http://www.geocities.com/troupehareemshareem/, saw Jay, took an hour to walk back to the parking garage d/t flutter-would have been only 15 min or so normally. Went out ot the Raccoon County Music Festival, got there about 1645, much later than I would have liked but it was fun. Had some nice comments on my festival hat, from a couple there, and from a guy who'd seen me at Hessler. Saw Mike Lenz
http://www.mikelenz.com/ and then stopped off at the American Society of Metals Headquaters to take some photos of one of my favorite places in the world, the Metals Dome.
Whew! So I did next to nothing today. I will have to go out late to pick up Betsy.

I Want to Go Home

“There is no distance on this earth as far away as yesterday.”

Robert Nathan

The Two Dollar Book Store 

Summary of My Week

It has been another unusual week. Monday was Memorial Day, and early on I won tickets on WRUW for two to a movie on either Friday, Saturday or Sunday at the Cinematech. Last Tuesday, coming back after Memorial Day weekend was the start. I was to cover for three nurses; Sandy, my boss, Yvonne, and Linda. I woke up feeling a bit odd, and when I got to work I took my pulse which was 120. YIKES!! I called my cardiologist, who said come in for an emergency EKG. So before my boss left I called her and told her, and went to the doc's office. He confirmed what I thought- I was back in atrial flutter. Damn! and my INR when they did it was only 1.8- so it was wait till the 13th and we'll see what happens. Most likely I'll need another cardioversion-if it does not convert back on its own.I was back to work by 2pm and Sandy left about 3:30 pm. Wednesday and Thursday were typically busy and crazy, Friday was worse-and at one point Iwas covering for four nurses, as Michelle was on vacation too, and I had one of her's I had to deal with. I got everything done-but the paperwork! That may never get finished.

Friday I ended my work day waiting for Betsy who was over an hour late to pick me up because she forgot to check her watch. And thenI ran some meds out to a patient. betsy and I went outo dinner after that.

Saturday Betsy packed for a visit to her Mom's. She left today, Sunday. More on that later.
Later on Saturday Betsy and I saw a beautiful rainbow as we went down to the Cinematech http://www.cia.edu/academicResources/cinematheque/cinematheque.php for the movie "Gille's Wife" http://www.cinemaguild.com/gilleswife/ Good, but very sad movie.Take tissues.

Today Betsy left for her one week visit with her family, for her sister's birthday and Red Hat party. This has become an annual thing, as it has been three years now I think. She called a few minutes ago, saying she had arrived safely. She takes the bus to Dayton, and her sister picks her up there. Today the Greyhound went by way of Toledo!

The most interesting thing about today for me personally however may have talen place during the night. I think I cardioverted back! My pulse felt lower and both Betsy and I got it in the 70's and so far 80 seems to be the highest it has been. I hope we are right and that it holds.

Now for a couple of other good news things. I finally stopped at the Two Dollar Rare Book Store. At 69th and Euclid, I have seen it there for years, but was always going someplace in a hurry. But today the sun was coming out after morning showers, and Betsy had just been dropped off, so i stopped and went in. I must have stopped with a bemused look on my face because the owner came up from my right , having been outside, and said as I stood in the door"He's wondering 'What the hell kind of place is this?' "
But I was entranced by a smell that took me back 40 years or so. There was a store in my home town called "The Past Time Book Store". It was shadowy and dark, dusty and, musty, and had old paperbacks, some hardbacks, and loads of comics all laid out on old tables. And you could trade new comics in good condition for old ones. I loved that place :-) When I entered the smell of the musty old books was a time machine, taking the Daft Old Wizard back to his much younger days.
The owner pointed to the left and said "The books over there are a dollar each," and indicating the right "those are two dollars each." I peerd up and down narrow ailes of tall mismatched shelves into not so shadowiy places, but old. I was reminded once again of my love for the printed page, the written word-BOOKS. Thousands of old books. Damn, almost mademy heart beat faster than it should , again ;-0. The I thought,"What if..." and i looked up and down, finding the "N" section of the somewhat alphabetical fiction. YES!!! Two identical books, "The Barley Field" by Robert Nathan. Wow! Five of his novels, at least four I had not read. http://s1.amazon.com/exec/varzea/ts/exchange-glance/Y01Y0877056Y5407927/002-6320704-2600041 I have read "The Bishop's Wife"long ago, the one made into tthe movie, and remade later as "The Preacher's Wife" Note on Amazon the book sells for nearly $14 dollars, and I have 2 for $2.00. I also bought "Novels and Stories" by De Maupassant, "The Unicorn" by V. Moore, about W. B. Yeats, and "Roundup" stories by Ring Lardner. Also goofed and bought a history that may or not be as interesting as I thought. Still I spent only $6.00 and I'm in heaven.

I then topped off a near perfect afternoon with a trip to the cheap seats to see "V For Vendetta" again. Still think it is a terrific movie. Any movie that has the protagonist say"A revolution without dancing is a revolution not worth having." and has Julie London singing "Cry Me A River" ,well I've said all that before.

HILLEL

If I am not for myself, who will be for me?
If I am not for others, what am I?
And if not now, when?

Rabbi Hillel

Jewish scholar & theologian (30 BC - 9 AD)

Opus Dei - Another Viewpoint

From my blog friend Estefania "Sofiesverden" http://sofiesverden.livejournal.com/

Once upon a time.. actually almost six years ago, I graduated from a all-girls school (Colegio Los Campitos - where religious formation was entrusted to the Opus Dei. So ideas like"santification of the daily work" -Opus Dei`s principle- and I cared about those teachings andmet great people, some of whom I´m still in touch with.Was I just trying to "fit" with the group I was in? Or was I seeking a closer relationship with God? Right after starting classes, sign I took part in a "circle", or prayer group at an Opus Dei youth house (where young female numeraries live), under the direction of a numerary. I quit itafter some months, not because of a sudden rebellious bout, but theflow of new ideas brought by the beginning of college life andwillingness of believing by my own choice, not by the teaching of others.Almost two years ago, that I finally took up that path again, now through one of my university´s (a Jesuit one) youth groups.To write it shortly, through the Ignatian spirituality opportunities we have received, I have been able to think and ask greater questions about God, life, society, religion and other subjects, more joyful and fonderof prayer on the way. So the second question posted in the firstparagraph has become: Do I want to seek a deeper relationship with God?Yes, and gladly so.Now, in DVC times, I have felt the necessity of telling many around me thatthe Opus Dei I met is [not] anything like the book portrayed. In doingso, I am thinking again what part did my Los Campitos past play in the person I am now? Of course, I do have lots of questions to be asked: For example, why didn´t we talk more about the Church´s take on social justice, having an afternoon school attended by girls born in lower income families in the very same building we studied in?. Such questions should be answered, since a greater degree of fairness is desired while talking about the Opus Dei (or any other groups inside the Catholic Church), so prejudices can be, at least, confronted rightly.At any rate, I realise I have been blessed for having been able to live and watch the diversity of the Church´s works and how, at the same time, they seem to collide. How similar is to affirm "Ad Maiorem Dei Gloriam" and "Seeking sanctity in everyday´s life" .. He seems to be the final answer to it all.Glossary: Numeraries: Members of Opus Dei who live in comunity and take a vow of celibacy. They work or study just like all of us.