Alright, so mom has moved in with us and brought her sweetheart of a nervous frustrating bitch with her, Lucy. Lucy has decided to piss in our basement and yes, we are talking carpet. Our basement is basically divided into two areas (one in which we hang out in and one we usually don’t.) I can’t tell if she’s continuing to piss down here or if it’s just the old stuff I’m smelling. But we currently don’t really invite people over because that’s the first thing you smell when you come downstairs even though we don’t really smell it where we hang out because it’s sectioned off. Of course I bought the pet stain remover stuff in the store and at the time I thought it may have helped (a lot) but I was never convinced and now I think the smell is worse again. So……

Is this something I can get out with off the shelf stuff and if the smell comes back I know we’re having a more serious issue; or is it something that will never be resolved unless we replace the carpeting on that side of the basement all together? (can’t spend the $ if we don’t have to.)

I AM Wondering; Who stole my lake and just where did you put it? And do you realize this means I no longer have any excuses for foot tall grass, or private wildlife shows!?

For quite awhile there my back yard was a jungle, (that is nearly literal.) The grass is (several) inches tall but my understanding is that the current guidelines are against running the mower through water that is 2in deep. So there hadn’t been much I could do for the wading pool that was serving as a local wildlife watering hole with the birds chirping and swooping and bathing and feeding or the occasional squirrel sneaking into the yard to steal a few sips of the oddly placed bounty. And with all the mud I can’t describe how many worms found plenty of places that where comfy and cozy, assuming they could escape the constant patrols. And speaking of water and mud and small animals you know my mom’s dog was in absolute heaven!! (and towels needed to be washed several times over.)

The pool that was my yard actually shallowed up by almost 1 whole inch over a period of a few days, and then the monsoon whipped into another torrent and in about 8 hrs my back yard was over 2 inches deep again. Now it seems to have all disappeared in a mere day and a half and though I am thrilled that we are not having the issues that our neighbors closer to the river have had these past several months I am puzzled; who snapped their fingers and where did they put my backyard lake?

It used to be said that cigarettes weren’t really harmful, butter and eggs would most certainly quicken you to your graveside dance and drilling a hole in your head is a good way to purge the ravenous demons squatting in your soul. And though we still love our smokes and our Egg Beaters the facts are forcing us to realize smoking can be VERY harmful and in fact eggs are good for us.

It seems as though many people have made up their minds that Obama is either our Savior or he’s the Devil in a suit before all the results are in. Our new president has done some things that I seriously question the wisdom of and he has also done some things that present positive improvements.  All the man promised was change, he did not promise he’d achieve these changes in  such a manner that nobody would disagree with.

I do know that we, as a country, really need some adjustment of our international behaviors/policies/attitudes. I also feel that there are dire adjustments that need to be made to how we handle national matters.

I am not the only one who feels this way.

Unfortunately it seems as though many people who see the need for some changes are going about trying to affect change by stereotyping, fear mongering, and selfishly relying upon incomplete, and sometimes completely unfounded, rhetoric.

To these people I say; I understand the need that propels us to be quick in our decisions, and to personally not be a fool, and also to not be dismissed out of hand. Most of us are only trying to improve our personal situations.

But the best way to achieve that is to improve what we have to work with, not try to sabotage what we have to work with.

Encouraging some process or idea or event to fail because it differs from a personal norm, or does not perfectly fit a personal construct of comfort, only serves to steal the potential for improvement from every body (and yes, you and your friends are a part of everybody.) Something may not immediately fit a personal, well worn, construct but that doesn’t mean it’s faulty, or that anyone is being neglected/overlooked.

Seriously people, if we are going to have a direction of positve movement then isn’t it up to each of us to be responsible?

Ex: Let’s keep the “Tea Parties” as something that is a voice for all, regardless of skin color, religion, sexual preference and etc…etc… and: Let’s not report that these events of peaceful public speech as anything other than. Another example is; let’s realize that doing away with some of the old policies, and the implementation of some new policies, won’t sound right to everyone and there will be valid dissent which should be examined to improve the change. And on the other hand, even those who voted for Obama, have to realize he is human, will make mistakes, and it’s up to all of us to let our Government know when they’re screwing up by being united countrymen and not by trying to pour acid into those cracks which keep us divided. We are individuals who should not be as each other, nor suffocated because of such difference.

Signed,

Still waiting for the change.

I walk along the empty street
sunrise dripping on slapping feet
at the corner, a gleaming post
and it doesn't matter which way I go;
the roadside fields with their winding creeks
so much for this run down street
away from the world I've found my beat.
On the bank, my feet dangle
and gone, is the jangle,
here in my dirt I realize
there is a beauty to this Earth;
my heart beats,
strange and alive
I've finally found some sense;
Now I choose to spend my days under my open sky,
at that sun glinted post I chose,
and it always matters
which way we go.

Many of you know and many of you don’t know that I’m currently doing my clinicals (apprenticeship of sorts) on my way towards a physical therapists assistant degree. It’s making me appreciate the human mind, body and spirit even more. It’s also been a fantastic reminder that just because some professional declares something does NOT mean that’s it and that’s that. Many things are really up to each individual and just because the Dr. says so doesn’t mean it is so.

We had a patient come in who had been in an accident 2 yrs. ago. It put the patient (pt.) in a coma for a couple of months. The pt. did come out of the coma but was totally unresponsive. The Dr. told the spouse to just put the pt. into a nursing home because they would be an invalid for their remaining days; there was no movement, or speech and the brain had been traumatized.

A few days later, out of the blue this person spoke their own name several times. Fast forward one year and the pt. is at home. They had to be literally pulled out of bed everyday but they did it. Fast forward one more year and here comes the pt. strolling (with a cane) into physical therapy with no assistance, quite happy to hold a conversation and do the exercises!

AWESOME!!

This is where I’m gonna jam with my thoughts, pose quiries and have fun.

A little of the upbeat and a little of the challenges we face with something to make you smile and something to make you think, a way to tap into the human beat.