Thursday, January 27, 2011

Moonlighting

I'm tired.  I even slept when I got home.  I'm still sleepy and frazzled.  I have proof.
First, it was noon and I'm making a breakfast shake...at noon.


Second, I got my lids mixed up.
it doesn't quite fit.




Why?...
Last night I took a gig moonlighting at the ER hospital in town...

and no he wasn't there...you know who I'm talking about...
george



"I'd be a lot cooler if he was"...
slight adaptation of a quote from this movie...plus he coulda been there too.  that would have been fine.



Nope, it was at our new local veterinary ER hospital...a few of us local vets are filling in until the full-time veterinarian begins...

hubby filled in Monday night, the other associate at our regular veterinary clinic filled in Tuesday night and I took last night.
Now this isn't a tough gig...for the average man (or woman), assuming you are in fact a veterinarian of course.
However, I'll admit I'm not average.
I'm not being conceited here...
I have a phobia of emergencies...something I vaguely remember from my time in veterinary school.  I
I had apparently forgotten this, probably because even though I went to a wonderful veterinary college where we were well trained to be able to "hit the ground running" when our graduation caps and gowns were stripped from us and we were cast out into the cold hard world after approximate 20 years of schooling (counting kindergarten), there is just no way to practice being the only doctor in the house when the "really scary s**t" comes in.
Plus, I'm unfortunately not a glass half empty or half full type of person
but I'm more of a "oh my!  what if somebody with mono drank half of the milk and left their germs on it, or what if somebody slipped a roofie in that glass, what if the milk is not pasteurized and has Listeriosis????- there are so many reasons I should be afraid to drink it-
but if I don't drink it and put it safely in the dishwasher what if I knock it to the ground and it shatters into 5-million pieces and then I step on it and it slices a major artery (in my foot?) and I bleed to death?" type of person.
Really this is how I think...my cortisol levels are thorough the roof.

Now the past two nights it had been dead.  Ok poor choice of wording there. But there had been few calls and no admitted patients which I'll admit is not good for the bottom line which is not good for the hope of a life without having to be on call for my clinic.
However out of selfishness I was hoping for nothing serious to walk through the door.
Ok I was praying. I was praying hard.


So last night I found myself wrapped up in a blanket in the big kooshy red recliner in the back of the hospital reviewing the highlights of one of the emergency veterinary medicine books-just in case- asking myself..."what the heck Jennifer?"
I could feel the sweat on my palms...I can feel it now just thinking about it.
My head began pounding, my gut had a sharp pain and I was pretty sure a good case of stress colitis was brewing in there.
Plus, I missed my baby.
3 3/4 month pictures!


But while I was praying, a common saying popped into my head "If He brings you to it, He'll bring you through it"
Apparently God took my plea for a slow night to heart and decided, "I need to teach this lady a lesson about fear."

So then it happened...it began.
First was a kitten with respiratory distress...but luckily she was fine...upper respiratory tract infection...no biggie.  The worst part about this was just getting everything into the computer system which was acting up.
Then they came pouring in...well three anyway but that seems like a lot when you are in the middle of it!
There was a geriatric pekingese who was in a dog fight and had a broken jaw, a daschund who had been sick since the weekend (3-4 days...HUGE pet peeve of mine) who had very vague signs and no permission to do bloodwork or radiographs, and finally a very sweet, very large stature man in worn blue jeans and a flannel shirt and salt and pepper hair in a ponytail with a very sweet, very puffy faced chihuahua also with salt and pepper hair who was having a mild vaccine reaction.

Now looking back this is not such a big deal...add in working in an unfamiliar building, unfamiliar drug closet, unfamiliar computer/record system, quite a bit of paperwork and two new techs who did great (!) but were also a little unfamiliar with all of the above....and you have a slightly stressful, slightly time consuming situation on your hands.

Finally, around 11 everybody was taken care of and sent home and I again cuddled into my designated recliner, ER book safely stowed away...far away from me.  I call my husband to tell him goodnight and tell him what went down.  He tells me "well it sounds like everything went well, you were busy but if you have to have four emergencies all at once those are the four to have...at least it wasn't a bloat or a dystocia"
my good sweet hubby!
Relieved, I drift off to sleep when...
the phone rings...


Unless you are ever on call, you probably don't know the feeling of dread that rushes through you when you hear that horrid sound ...""bbbbrrrriiinnnnng,  bbbbbbrrrrriiiiinnnnnngggg"

A dystocia is on the way.
Really?
A you frigging kidding me?

I make sure I know where all the drugs I may possibly need are...
and I go sit back in my recliner...
The next thing I know Jane is waking me up because it's almost 7 am.
What? Where?  When?
The dystocia had her puppies on the way in!

So I think my prayers worked!

And look at who my hubby brought me on the way to work!


Check ya later!



Friday, January 21, 2011

we'll be coming 'round the mountain!

As you can see, I'm not good at training my husband.  Never have been.
May 9, 2009

In fact, I think with most things after marriage he has gotten worse...
money OCD
time OCD
etc...

However, I was successful at one thing,
and this is something that is very important to me you see...
because I want to spend as much time fully clothed and not in a bikini as possible.
As a matter of fact, the more clothes required the better.
I'm talking hats, scarves, gloves and goggles oriented activities.
I'm talking about the conversion of my husband from a beach destination vacationer...
to...
a...
MOUNTAIN MAN!!!

Yay! 
because I love snow skiing
Durango, Colorado sometime around 2004


I love mountains and lakes
Cruise to Alaska with my Daddy sometime around 2003.  Follow that mountain on the right all the way down to the water...that small dark square thing is a much much smaller cruise ship!  Gives you some perspective- gotta love Alaska!
Alaska


I hate sand
and I'm terrified of alligators and sharks...and jellyfish.
I don't get in the water unless it has chlorine.

Of course I forgot about this when we bought our ski boat...
oh well.
Boogie REALLY likes it!


This conversion all began before we were married...
engagement pictures

when we spent Thanksgiving in Wisconsin with my sister's family...
it snowed a fresh layer of 8" while we were there!

Bud got to go "for-real" sledding!
And we played lets be pack horses and drag the kids in the sled though the woods...still fun!

It's all good when there is snow involved!

Next, our honeymoon destination.
We opted out of the Sandals type tropical, beachy honeymoon
Instead...Jackson Hole, Wyoming!!!
One word:
AWESOME!
Although we were there in between seasons (no skiing, no fishing or rafting), we found plenty to do.
Eating...
Horseback riding...
I'll be honest...don't remember the horses' names

Eating...
Hiking...
Grand Teton National Park

Eating...
Sight-seeing (although half of Yellowstone was closed)
Yellowstone May 2009

Eating...
and of course...

the Hootenanny!
not the Hootenanny but the sign says "Bud" so I made him smile!
this is the Hootenanny at Dornan's- he's playing a harpsichord!



Best. Honey. Moon. EVER.

I even saw this moose...
not in Moose...
the Hootenanny was in Moose to be precise.
a moose (and me)!

I'll be honest...
it helped that we stayed at the Four Seasons in a suite almost the size of our entire house.
Four Seasons Jackson Hole, Wyoming
He can't wait to go back!


And then last February, we took a long weekend to Gatlinburg, Tennessee with a few friends and Bud tried his hand at snow skiing!

He LOVED it!  YAY!
<by the way, its a little offensive how quickly he picked it up with very minimal instruction!>
He told me later that he would "definitely" be okay with being a snow skiing vacationing family instead of a beach vacationing family!
I don't know what the waterslide looking thing behind me is...maybe a waterslide???

You can imagine my relief.
You see my thighs...they hate me
and I hate them.
You'd hate them to if you saw them.
Honest.

But, anyway, the point of this story is that we are headed to Snowshoe, West Virginia in a few weeks for skiing, skiing and more skiing!
Caleb is ready too!
I'll have to take the camera...
the hubby is a good beginner skier...which means there should be plenty of photo-ops of him face down, butt down and rolling down in the snow!

I'm so excited!!!




and you know, I'm beginning to think I picked a good one!



Thursday, January 20, 2011

a dilemma: seeking advise

I have a dilemma...
I have some cash...its mine all mine...no budget...nothing it has to be used for...
well...some of it has gone to hay...which is for horses.

Now I have thought long and hard about many many things I could spend money on...
it's a hobby of mine.
I'm afraid my husband is beginning to wear off on me.
I admit this may be a good thing in this one instance.

However, there are two things I am torn between...
and I need input.
Which should I buy?
I may not buy either...if I can't make a decision.
Putting of decisions is another of my hobbies you see.

Prospect #1:
Uggs.

Pros:
They are Uggs... Uggs = comfortable
They are so ugly they are cute
I have three pairs of boots now...two pairs of cowboy boots (for riding the horse...not for a fashion statement) and one pair of approx four year old knee high black leather high heel boots...(I know...meoooow!)  (...oh wait...five pairs of boots if you count the brown, rubber muck boots for going to the barn and the camouflage rubber boots also used for the barn.)
My feet freeze in the winter time...I'm a southern girl...I don't have many (also known as any) winter shoes.
I have wanted a pair for a few years now.
They look great with leggings.

Uggs/Cons:
I may never take them off.
I heard they can start to stink???
I'm terrible at avoiding puddles.
I spend approximately seven to eight months out of the year in flip-flops which are the antethesis of big wooly boots.
I have wanted a pair for years now so once I get them everybody will probably stop wearing them.
They look great with leggings...if you have leggings (which I don't) and great legs (which I don't).
Which color to buy... <see above statement concerning decisions...>


Now to most women making a pros and cons list about buying a pair of shoes you have wanted for a few years now is a little silly...but...
ok, yes its silly.
However, I'm very good at buying accessories that I really want and really like only to find out later that ...
1) I have nothing to wear them with
2)  I'm just not the kind of person that can pull that kind of thing off.
3)  They are actually really, really ugly shoes, bag, belt etc.
Here is a sampling of my shoe collection...
my highly organized shoe shelf...love my purple Lucchesse boots!
Please note the adorable BCBG floral satin heels- the second of two pair of shoes I have that I love!!!

and of course...my house shoes


I actually LOVE high heels- just have nothing to wear them with anymore...and no where to where them either anymore...


Accessorizing is not my thing.
Come to think of it...dressing myself in general is not my thing...but you'll be glad to know that I do it anyway!

I'm obsessed with the tv show What Not To Wear...
I want to be on it!
Without the tv cameras...
showing everybody in America just how lame my fashion sense is does not sound like a good time to me.
But I would certainly consider it if they would dress me
 (not literally, physically dress me of course...if they pick the clothes I can do the dressing part myself)


I heart Stacy & Clinton!



Prospect #2:
Photoshop Elements 9

Pros:
I kinda like taking good pictures and would love to do all the fancy schmancy stuff to them!
I could better document Calebs childhood with good pictures rather than crummy ones.
I could take pictures of other stuff too...including but not limited to:
Old man "Sue"

"Kane"-ster the Gangster

"Boogie" with the alias of- Spawn of Satan

I could do all kinds of cool stuff to my blog...maybe even make it supercute like this lovely lady has- (but don't hold your breath...she seems pretty creative!)
I could make my own greeting cards and stuff like that... ones that don't look like I made them myself!
I could get rid of my pimples and maybe give myself a more svelte figure?  -When Caleb looks back at his baby pictures he would think he had a beautiful mommy!

Cons:
Learning curve.
I'm not the most technically inclined person...see previous post...
I'll have to study...books and stuff to learn how to use this.
I may spend a fortune in framing and printing fees.
I may decide I need a couple hundred dollar lens...which I don't want to decide...and neither does the hubby.
Thats all I can think of here.

But you know big empty spaces like this could certainly use some adornment...
our master "suite"- (using this term loosely)

Please note the shams...my mommy & I made these!

Please note the fancy-schmancy pleats!  Those were kinda a pain!
Please don't  note that they need to be pressed.
Please don't note that my duvet cover doesn't really match my homemade shams...

Apparently interior decorating ain't my bag either baby.

At least I have my youth!...or do I?

He certainly does!
Good morning Sunshine!


So...what's your opinion?

Uggs or Photoshop????????????

Monday, January 17, 2011

hay is for horses

My husband is glad we have only one horse...why?
Moby

The little things like...
stacking hay...this time only 20 bales...
it is hard work...but its fun...
it makes me miss the days of putting up 100-200 bales for the winter...
picking fresh bales up in the field, desperately trying to keep up with the truck and trailer, hurling bales to whoever is stacking on the moving mountain of hay in the middle of 90 degree weather.
I don't know why I miss days like this but I do!
7 months pregnant and Moby kisses!

Although I don't want to do it today. 
Not today...or tormorrow even.
Caleb seemed to enjoy it!


Maybe we'll make a country boy out of him yet!
10 days old and Mommy's saddle


Then again, maybe not...
You see I've become one of those moms.
I was determined not to...
so I bought him little big boy pants that were complete miniature replicas of big man pants.
and I bought him little flannel shirts in manly colors.
I bought him boots...John Deere boots...

and I said NO pastel on my little miniature man.
but then it happened...
he was born a baby...my baby
Caleb Robert Fisher- Day One 

and its all going by so quickly!
He is almost four months old. 
Which means...
he is almost nearly on his way to being a practically grown-up man!

I can't take it.

This is going to be difficult for me.

Very difficult.

So I've decided to take advantage of the only means I have to keep him my little, bitty, sweet baby boy...
...his wardrobe.
He will still wear the miniature man clothes...but...
ready for church

I've mixed in some pastel...and puppies...and little white rounded collars.
That was him yesterday going to church!
He is so cute in his little smocked outfit!
I've got to get more of these...
more little, sweet, pastel baby clothes.

I've got to do this while I still can.

My little baby boy is already becoming a little man...

A little man who frowned this morning when I kissed him
and laughed when he pooted
and is determined not to go to bed on time.
He is developing a mind of his own.

...and I don't think he'll be wearing little blue gingham outfits with smocked puppies when he's fifteen and has all of his teeth.


Oh my...!

Thursday, January 13, 2011

as contagious as the flu

me & my baby...we're sick.  Possibly the flu, probably just a cold but its no fun. 
especially considering the timing.
we had a real honest to goodness snow here in Alabama!
He just wants his hay...not too excited about snow.

the best snow since 1993 I'm told
and I'm stuck inside sick...with my sick baby.

I should be outside sledding, building snowmen, falling face down in the snow and of course, pelting hubby in the face with snowballs.
The Fisher snow family, courtesy of my hubby!

but I just can't because I feel like crud
<and this is coming from somebody who once went on a ski trip with mono (suspected) and still went skiing...
I'm not sure how I did this but I'm pretty sure the booze helped...>
but this time I don't want booze I want a blanket and socks and soup.
my baby...he just wants the boob...but that is a good thing
we did venture outside for a quick photo-op
Hubbs and baby Caleb
"Not so sure about this!"

"I can't move my arms!"

but the babe was not pleased so we resumed our spot on the couch under the blankets.
poor little, tiny fellow...

although it is kinda his fault that we're in this pickle...
he never remembers to cover his mouth when he coughs or sneezes.

and he never washes his hands before or after sucking on them...


oh well...who can stay mad at a guy with a face like this?

because as contagious as his cough is...
this is just as contagious:
Christmas photo shoot with Momma!

this little toothless grin!
he looks like a little old man with his teeth out!
It makes me melt...
and it happens...I catch his smile!

I'm convinced that germs aren't the only things that are contagious...
emotions are contagious...
for the happy or the sad
the sad...(first vaccinations) 


attitudes are contagious...
for the good or the bad
the bad...(first bath)

motivation is contagious
or the lack of it...


so be careful! 
and for heaven's sake, only spread the good!