General Articles

Thu 3rd Jun '10 - My memory is legendary in my family. Well, actually it’s my lack of memory that is legendary in my family. I truly have trouble remembering things. It’s frustrating. I recently turned forty. I would like to point the finger at that, but it’s been an issue for a long while now. So age isn’t the culprit. I would like to blame it on the fact...

Wed 1st Sep '10 - Sitting in a cozy restaurant with my family and celebrating my Uncle Rick's 90th birthday is a day I won't soon forget. The atmosphere was happy, casual and relaxing - several emotions I'm not accustomed to experiencing often these days. My petite and pretty cousin, the hostess of the event, and Uncle Rick's only daughter treated about ten of us,...

Mon 30th Aug '10 - I wasn’t in New Orleans for the hurricane, and this isn’t a story about ME. But it’s a good story nonetheless, so I’ll tell it again. Mamita had always been loud, dramatic and self-centered and when dementia started it’s onslaught, it was masked by Mamita’s history of obnoxiousness and attention-seeking behavior. It’s difficult to tell if...

Sat 28th Aug '10 - I never saw it coming. I knew I was in trouble when that murky greenish slime coated marsh "water" started rushing in, but that rustic, low level kayak suddenly tipped way too far to the right, and the next thing I knew I was doing the fifty year old "flip!" Never in a million years would I have guessed "Mom" would be found under the local...

Thu 3rd Jun '10 - Felines are a superior species; there’s no doubt about that. We are intelligent, independent and resourceful, not to mention near-perfect physical specimens. We’ve been around for many thousands of years and now outnumber canines as animal companions in human households in the United States. This is quite an accomplishment considering that dogs...

Tue 8th Jun '10 - I casually pull into the fire station one day after work to see who was around. As I pull my Hyundai into the lot, the large white bay doors open, almost as if my presence alone had somehow summoned them. "Get your gear!" John yells to me as he pulls the truck onto the ramp. "There's an accident and car fire. I think someone's trapped!" ...

Wed 31st Mar '10 - I don’t like chicken -- at least, not if it tastes like chicken. Cover it with breading and deep fry it, I can maybe tolerate it -- if it’s absolutely fresh. Chicken tikka masala doesn’t really taste like chicken, so I can deal with it -- usually. But really, I don’t like chicken. People think I’m batty to not like chicken -- what is there...

Sat 24th Jul '10 - Childhood heroes are thought to be invincible. Superman could stop a speeding bullet. The Lone Ranger could take on scores of villans. My father is my hero. Nevertheless, when I was young, I experienced a brief moment of horrifying clarity after I realized my hero wasn't immortal. As a child, I felt both fear and admiration for my...

Thu 18th Mar '10 - Daughter, mother, grandmother, college student and part time lowly grocery store clerk, at 53 years old. This is pretty interesting. Wasn’t I supposed to be rich by now? Didn’t I have big plans? How did I end up in this financial mess? Can’t blame it on the stock market, never bought any - not even IBM. Didn’t gamble away any fortunes, not even on...

Tue 15th Jun '10 - Those who are not direct caregivers are often amazed with the professional caregivers' abilities. They are amazed at the fact that we seem to effortlessly perform certain procedures in difficult situations. I've often heard statements like, "I'm glad you can do that, because I couldn't!" Often commented on is the ability to perform our duties...

Mon 14th Jun '10 - Rrecently, I was required to attend a 3 hour afternoon insevice. It was given by the hospital on the specifics of dealing with the patients and paperwork in the Adolescent Behavioral Health program. This program treats males and females between the ages of 13 and 18 who have mental health issues. I work straight midnights. I keep a midnight...

Wed 2nd Jun '10 - It never ceases to amaze me how certain low-carb lifestyles choices, such as the Atkins plan, can still be so ridiculously misrepresented by both individuals and some main stream media. Invariably there are references made that are completely erroneous and would lead people to believe that such low-carb options are unhealthy. Thankfully that's...

Mon 7th Jun '10 - Conversations With My Mother I just got off the phone with my mother, and I’m thrilled. This was a good day, and a good conversation. The good days and good conversations are dwindling now; they’re fewer and farther between. Mom has Alzheimer’s, and her disease is advancing. Worse, she knows it. Dad’s 80th birthday would have been...

Thu 3rd Jun '10 - Oh my gosh, Jackie, it was the most embarrassing thing ever. First of all they had me drink 2 20oz drinks to fill my bladder. Now, my bladder muscles are already weakened from the prostatectomy procedure. So I had to pee really, really bad. They of course say they will hurry through the procedure. But..........they let me sit in the...

Thu 3rd Jun '10 - Groping for the right words to start a new topic seems to exhaust me. What a way to spend a day off from work. Well, I feel I needed it to jumpstart my sagging and worsening ego with the aftermath of my life changing decision to switch time zones. Equating the words success and self-actualization gives me quite a challenge to boot. But I...