TALES FROM THE BRAT FARM

My sinuses were giving me fits and the OTC med wasn't doing a thing for them.  They kept draining down my throat and making me cough.  When I tried blowing my nose, I got very little.  Of course, they were draining the wrong direction!  My leg was also bothering me....A LOT!  So I gave in and went to lay down on the guest bed.  I didn't want to wake up the Beast and Baron.  It took a while but, once I covered myself up nice and warm, I finally fell asleep.  The only thing that woke me was the need to use the bathroom.  I took care of that and fell back asleep until Chewlee was dropped off by the school bus.  They are having what they call a *Fall Break* so today was a half day for her and there's no school the rest of the week.  That means a couple full days for me with Chewlee.  I just need to hone my patience gene a bit since there's no one else but Baron for her to play with.  I get elected. 

If the day is nice, I think I will encourage her to ride her bike outside while I sit on the stairs and watch her.   That way Baron can be outside with us and the two of them can race and tire each other out.  Hopefully.  Lord willing.  If they are both in the mood.

I had to remind the Beast...AGAIN....that our property taxes are due by the end of December.  He tried to say NO at first but he was remembering the insurance...AGAIN.  Seems his memories are very selective about certain things.  He's finally admitting defeat and is selling the ATV.  It's a really good one and would be great for a hunter....a REAL one.  When the Beast buys something for himself, it's always the best possible.  But he's actually not ridden it very much.  I think the kids have used it more (the Princess and Johnnycakes) when they have gone out with their friends. 

I've been seriously considering stopping smoking but am not QUITE ready yet.  I just hate how the house smells when it's closed up during the winter, which is almost upon us.  What I've been doing, since I make my cigarettes with one of those machines and pre-made tubes, is to cut down the number I make up each time.  I time myself between cigarettes and even make myself wait to make up more.  I'll get there.    Eventually.  Mainly because I don't like the stale smell on my clothes.  As a smoker, you wouldn't think I could smell it but I do...for whatever reason.  When I was dressing to go to the doctor's the other day, I ended up spraying my clothes with Febreze. 

Well, we are enjoying this short Indian Summer.  I hope you are having similar weather wherever you are.  Nice warm days and cold nights.  Fantastic!  Love you all.  Have a great week! 

TALES FROM THE BRAT FARM

I hate the days when the Beast feels the need to spend more time with me or to give me a running commentary on whatever the hell he's watching on TV or reading on the Internet.  I close my door; he opens it but when he leaves, he leaves it wide open which makes me have to close it again.  He's become so hard of hearing that his TV drowns out my TV which is only about five feet from me.  I don't want to have to compete with it so I close the door and that muffles it enough. 

Today was one of those days.  I finally took to pretending to be napping when he looked in (actually, I had my head turned away from the door on my recliner and I let him assume I was asleep).  That's the only way he will at least halfway close my door and leave me alone.  I am NOT interested in what he is watching (he watches mostly political talk shows).  For someone who is a member of the church he attends, that just floors me.  Things must really be different these days there.  Or else he has nothing to discuss with people other than religion.  Sorry.  I don't do that, tyvm!

I DID, unintentionally, fall asleep a couple times today and that is why I didn't get this blog up in a timely manner.  The day wasn't a bad one.  In fact, it was downright balmy today...at least until the sun started setting.  Then the temperature started dropping drastically.  I ended up having to close my window because the breeze actually made my hand hurt.  I have arthritis in my little finger, of all places, and it REALLY hurts when it gets cold.

I spent most of today just trying to get the swelling down in my right leg.  I'm not sure what brought that on but it might have been that Chewlee and I ate more (salty) chips than *I* should have and I am paying for it now.  I was just getting used to the fact that the restored blood flow in that leg was keeping my two legs kind of matched up now.    We shall see.  I watched what I ate today and didn't do too much walking until I tired since we didn't have Chewlee to take care of.  I even sat at my computer with my leg on my computer cabinet.  I just can't do it for long.  The pressure points are wrong.  But I tried.

I did do some clothes folding and sock matching.  Tomorrow I will finish putting my folded clothes away in my drawers.  I got lazy and annoyed with the Beast's constant intrusions into my domain.  I wasn't about to walk into his view and give him additional opportunities to bend my ears.

Bratfink was online earlier but she went for a nap, having slept badly, and I hope her not coming back online means she is finally getting some good sleep and not that she's gotten knocked off the internet.  She was worried about that since $$ has become a problem with their tenant having had an on-the-job accident (and you know that means no income or damn little for quite a while) until he can return to work.  He's a single father of two little girls so they (Bratfink and Sheldon) are working with him to help out but it means sacrifices on THEIR part, too.  I'm just not sure if the Internet was one of those they would have to make or not.  Time will tell.

Love you all.  Hope your work week started out good and continues that way.  Either that or improves.  Whatever.  Our weather is supposed to be great during the day, colder at night.  Yuk to the colder part! 

TALES FROM THE BRAT FARM

When Chewlee was dropped off today, she had on a Princess tiara AND a ballerina tu-tu.  After we did her toast and milk snack, she decided I had to see her dance company performances.  She became different people for each performance (well, she introduced herself with a different name) then sang a song as she danced for me.  I clapped at the proper times and remembered doing that kind of thing with my sisters.  My poor parents had to be the captive audience back then and I figured I was passing it forward, so-to-speak.  It was really kind of cute and she tried very hard to make her songs different but it always seemed to come back to how she loved flowers, butterflies, birds, bees and trees.  Her *sad* song involved things she didn't like...like spiders and ants (that bite), ghosts and monsters, men that stab women in the head (what in the world does the Princess let her watch?) and icky dead things.  She told me that her mommy laughed at the movie where the lady got stabbed in the head but that SHE didn't think it was funny.  I told her that she knows all those things are just pretend and she quickly told me, *Oh, *I* know that, Grandma!*  But she made me wonder.....

I had to sit through what turned out to be an hour and a half of Chewlee's dance companies performances until I told her that I really thought it was long enough for one time or her audience would get tired of it all and start leaving.  She shook her head in agreement and brought it to a close.  I clapped long and loud for that, trust me and she just beamed.  It all made her happy and that was all I was aiming for.

Then I had to take pictures of each of the performers for her (since she introduced them all to me... as her grandmother that she gave a big hug to when the show was done).  I obliged with an old phone that took pictures (wink, wink) and then had to ^5 each one for the good job they did.  It was quite an event.    I told Bratfink that I was watching her song and dance group perform but didn't go into detail on it.  I left it up to HER imagination to figure out what was happening but I know she will read this later so she will have more details.

It took me a while to get her into her bath later on because she got into a teasing match with Baron.  She had his favorite squeaky toy and was making him chase her around trying to get it.  As big and heavy as he is compared to her, I was amazed at how gentle he can be when they play like that.  It would be easy for him to get so excited that he forgets and hurts her without meaning to do so.  The Beast joined in and was telling Baron, *Bite her butt, Baron!*  And she would cover her butt and yell, *No, Baron!  Don't bite it!  Don't bite it!* and then run into my computer room and hide.  It was enough noise and excitement to give a person a headache, trust me.

When I finally got her into the tub, I had to tell her she couldn't play like she normally does because it was so close to the time her mother would be there to pick her up.  She wasn't happy about that part but she agreed not to give me a hard time about getting out once we did her hair.  I usually leave that for last.  She loves to slowly wash her arms, legs, face and neck with my scrunchie and then she washes her own back with one of the back brushes.  She's VERY independent that way most of the time and insists on doing everything herself.  After watching her a few times, I now know she does a good job the majority of times.  If not, I always have the opportunity to get any missed spots while we do her hair.

She's always so worried about grandpa, the Beast, walking in while she's naked.  Tonight she went to the door and yelled at him not to come in while she's naked.  He, of course, yelled, *I'll be right there!*  She got all excited and immediately locked the door then yelled through the door, *Ha, ha!  I locked the door so you can't get in here!*  He rattled the door handle and she ran over to me and said, *Quick, quick, get my top on!*  Since she already had her underwear on and some shorts over that, she would be fully dressed.  Then the stinker went to the door, unlocked it and opened it just a bit and yelled out, *Papa, you can't come in here!* and came back to me, laughing all the way.  He didn't fall for it.

It was shortly after that when her mother showed up to get her and off they went.  Chewlee with her tiara (crown to her) on and her tutu.  She has her Halloween outfit (she says it's a Rapunzel dress) but I have to wait to see it on her.  Oh well.  That's something to look forward to.

Bratfink just yelled at me for not blogging on Saturday (I went from Thursday to Saturday but the Saturday post was really Friday's).  I have to say it was because I didn't get Chewlee and I wasn't feeling all that great due to not sleeping well at all Friday night.  I apologize for that. 

Love you all.  Hope you enjoyed your weekend.  I enjoyed most of mine but still have a cough from my sinuses draining down my throat on me.  Which tells you why I didn't sleep well on Friday night.  I have a decongestant but I forgot to take them so it's my own fault.  I'll try not to let that happen again. 

TALES FROM THE BRAT FARM

I knew by her face when she walked in the door that she didn't make it with a smiley face today.  No getting a prize from the teacher's treasure chest.  No doing something fun with mommy tomorrow morning.  She was really depressed.  Plus, I think the substitute teacher did something I think was just awful.  She told Chewlee that her regular teacher was going to send a letter home to her mommy when she got back and she (Chewlee) wouldn't be able to go out trick or treating.     I mean....How could a teacher tell a kid who isn't a BAD kid (it said she was out of her chair a lot today) that they wouldn't be able to go trick or treating because of ONE squiggly face or one sad face each week?  I'm sorry but that is ANY kid.  Chewlee told me that her class had one day when everyone in the class was good and no one got a frowning face so they all got a special treat from the teacher.

It's tough when you are just five to sit still and listen and do all the things they need to learn in what is actually a short time each day.  I think kindergarten and first grade teachers are very brave and underpaid for the tasks they take on.  They should get medals each year just for surviving and for not killing any of their pupils.    Just think of all the times you wanted to strangle your kid or kids at that age just because they drove you nuts with their quirks and demands.  And that was just ONE child.  Not a herd of them. 

I'm just trying to clean up this computer room of mine and finish cleaning the carpet so we can move a few things around in here and I can (possibly) get a new desk and chair.  Right at the moment, I am totally pissed at the Beast.  After asking me what I needed because (as he put it) the economy is going to hell so we might as well get the things we want and need NOW.  I gave it some thought and told him all I wanted was a new desk and chair with a seat on it that was really padded well.  I told him it might be expensive because I think they are truly executive chairs for a fancy office that are built that way.  BUT....all he was doing was setting me up for his buying himself a mangle.  Remember what they are?  This is one you can use dry or with steam.  It's not a heavy one like those used in dry cleaners or professional laundries.  It's almost lightweight.  I could have killed him when I saw it.  He tried to fox me and said, *It's been here for ages!*  When I got mad and told him to NOT even try to go there that we didn't need him to spend $200 on something so stupid for OUR house, his reply was that he got it on sale.  Like that justified it when our property taxes on two houses and a piece of land are due before the end of the year.  Which means MY desk and chair are out the window now for a while, if ever. 

He wants to move the double bed and dresser out into the cottage since the Princess took her king size bed out of there.  Then we will buy a twin bed (along with all the bedding required) and set it up in the guest room for when Chewlee stays overnight.  That's when he says we can move the table he made for my crafting and sewing into that room and we will have a kind of all purpose room for ironing, sewing, crafting and steaming his clothes (he already bought one of those things a few months ago).  He may not be trying to keep up with the Joneses but I'm sure the Smiths are envious.  That's not me, folks.  Not me at all.

Love you all.  Keep me in your prayers that I don't choke him if he keeps this up.  I may be writing my blog from the poorhouse...or jail. 

TALES FROM THE BRAT FARM

I forgot to mention yesterday that Chewlee had gotten another smiley face for the day from her teacher.  She got one today, too, so that means she's gone four whole days without a frowney face or a squiggly face.  She announced that her whole class had gotten smiley faces today.  I guess that must be either a first or unusual for her to mention it.  If she goes tomorrow and gets a smiley face again, she will finally get to pick a prize out of her teacher's treasure chest.

She also started to tell me about her sister and her little brother.  I said, *Oh, your imaginary ones?*  She said, in a very impatient voice (like I should have known better than to ask!), *Yes.  Know what my sister does?  She locks the doors in MY house and gets me into trouble!  My little brother does it, too, but he does it EVERYWHERE he goes!*  I laughed, thinking that she's locking doors and trying to blame her imaginary siblings and she got very upset with me.  She said, (loudly), *Grandma, this is NOT funny!  It's SERIOUS!  I don't know what to do to stop them.*

I told her that being a good example is the best way.  If SHE doesn't lock the doors, then they can see that and learn it's not nice to do.  She shook her head and said, *I don't think that's gonna work, Grandma.  They just don't listen.*  Her voice was so sad and I just hugged her and told her that all she could do was try.  After all, SHE didn't think she could keep quiet in school but look at how good she was now!  It was just about then that her mother showed up, much earlier than expected since this IS normally a work night for her.  However, she's been so sick all week that she took tonight off and I think her boss agreed that she needed to stay home and take care of herself.  She dragged herself to school because she had two tests and a Power Point presentation to make.  The day of the two tests was one of her worst days.  I felt so bad for her but I was just home from the hospital myself.  I was mad at the Beast, however, because he DIDN'T give her any of the matzo ball soup.  He threw it out because HE was done with it and it was still good.  Chewlee and I made it Sunday evening and he threw it out on Tuesday.  I could choke him at times.

When I told Bratfink about Chewlee's imaginary little brother and sister, she IM'd me back with *Oh great, just what we need...more damn relatives!*  I about pee'd in my pants, I laughed so hard.  The dog came rushing into my computer room because my laugh startled him and he came to make sure I was okay. 

I have to get on the phone tomorrow and do some doctor's appointment cancelling and changing.  I'm going to make an appointment for the Beast with a new urologist.  The group the nurse recommended to us a couple months back.  I'll cancel the appointment with the one that is so brutal.  I also have to call the hematologist and apologize to him but he should understand about my surgery coming before my iron content in my blood.  My appointment was for Tuesday but I was in the hospital until Wednesday so......  Then I have to make sure the Beast's appointment for his eye surgery is put on the calendar and that I don't have any appointments for anything that are conflicting (he has one eye that bags badly and is causing his lashes to scrape his eye).  That has to be corrected.  I told him, *Oh great!  Half an eyelift!  That's going to make you look both old and weird.* 

I love you all.  Have a great Friday and an even better weekend! 

TALES FROM THE BRAT FARM

I'm home and feeling really great.  I know my leg is finally working INTERNALLY the way it should have.  My skin is not tight like it was before and my toes don't look like bloated sausages.  I can also FEEL more in my feet than I could.  I know that sounds weird but I thought my neuropathy was worse than it actually IS.  You don't realize how much you depend on the feeling in the bottom of your feet until you start to lose that.  BIG things are more painful than they would be if your feet were reacting normally.  Some small items you don't feel at all.  It's what makes neuropathy so dangerous.  You can injure your feet and not feel it at all.  It's how I got the wound in my heel that took so long to heal.  That was from stepping on a piece of metal on the floor of the garage while I had no shoes on.  I never felt it due to neuropathy in that foot AND the fact that it was on my heel at a strange angle.  It was very bad by the time I discovered it (and had gotten larger I believe).  I tried treating that myself but it was beyond my ability to treat successfully.  But I digress.....

The doctor told me that my surgery ended up being more complex than he believed it would be due to a couple facts.  #1-the area that needed clearing out was directly above my bypass.  #2-when he clamped off the area, the clamp caused something they call clamp sickness and I have a feeling that meant something like it started to die off due to the lack of a blood supply.  #3-my artery was in a very delicate condition overall but they ballooned the area and then used a stent to strengthen it all.  It was it being located directly above the bypass that created the biggest problem but he said they did get it all back together and it is probably in better shape than it was before this surgery.  All I know is that I feel GREAT!  The improvement in the way that leg feels is incredible.

I got my flu shot while I was in the hospital but.....get this!  They were OUT of the pneumonia shots.    I have to make an appointment with my family doctor to get that once I figured out that my last pneumonia shot was six years ago.  They only last five years.  I'm covering all my bases here. 

Well, although I was told to take things easy for the next two weeks while this incision heals, I want to vacuum my room and then use the rug cleaner on it.  I'll do it a little at a time since the doctor used that skin glue on the incision.  It feels strange but, judging by the way my neck healed, it's got a lot of things going for it.  The scar it leaves is amazingly small (thin?) and the doctor says it will start to shrink, little-by-little.  We shall see.

Love you all.  Thank you for any prayers you may have said for me.  I hope your week has gone well and you are enjoying this crazy weather. 

Hi everyone!  Just got a text message from Tara:

[Bratsis] JUST LEFT A MESSAGE ON MY PHONE.  TO CALL U AND FOR YOU TO GET ON HER BLOG AND LET EVERYONE KNOW SHE WILL HAVE TO STAY ONE MORE DAY IN THE HOSPITAL.  THE SURGERY WENT WELL AND SHE FEELS GOOD. 

So, there you have it folks!

Now that I know she won't be online anytime soon I'm going to take a nap!

*

TALES FROM THE BRAT FARM

Ya know, I was thinking today that when I started this blog it would contain much more about the *farm* than it has ended up having.  Of course, who knew that we would be hit by a pervasive fungus in the ground that not only killed the fruit on all of the trees the Beast planted, but also ended up killing quite a few of the trees.  The only good year we had for any of the fruit was the first year we had planted the trees only because there had been a five or six year drought and the soil we had planted around the trees had not been infected by the fungus yet.  The best laid plans and all that.....

Today was an interesting day with Chewlee.  She came in and woke me up sort-of.  At least so I could turn on her cartoons for her.  The Beast got her breakfast, thankfully, because I was just miserable with this sinus cold I've been plagued with for the past few days.  I managed to sleep until 10am and then had to get myself upright since the Beast was starting to get ready to go to his church meeting.  I was kind of surprised that Chewlee didn't whine because she wasn't going.  She didn't feel good so she didn't want to go.  She was doing a lot of coughing and actually wanted me to hold her more than she usually does.  We sat quietly for a while in my recliner with my arms wrapped around her and her blankey covering her and watched cartoons.

I wanted to give her something to look forward to so I told her about making the matzo ball soup.  That's one activity we do together and she really enjoys it.  She's helping to cook in a way that requires her to wash her hands afterward so it's *really* helping in her mind.  She rolls a mean ball, too.    She told me today that mine are pretty and I told her when she had as much practice as I have had, she will be able to roll pretty matzo balls, too.

Once I got the broth on and had the matzo setting up in the fridge, she decided she was going to be a teacher.  Of course, I am automatically in the game whether I like it or not.  Today she had a bad class and came in to complain to me (I was the principal) and she said, *I can't believe it!  I don't know what's wrong with them but everyone is being bad, even Ashley who is usually the best one in the class!*  I try not to smile too big or she thinks I am making fun of her *problems*.  I told her, *Well, you know what to do.  Line them up along the wall with their noses to the wall.*  She told me that she had put one of her students in the closet (which kind of blew me away) because they had been so bad that having their nose to the wall wasn't good enough.

At one point, she brought several of her (imaginary) students into MY room because I had the closet with the monster in it.  She put them in by name and then even blocked the door so they couldn't get out.  She called the parents of one boy because he had broken the glasses of one of the girls in her class and his parents would have to pay to have them fixed.  I mean, can you believe the imagination of this kid???  Besides the monster thing, I mean.  When she got tired of playing, she brought her whole class in to join *my* class and then announced they would stay with my class until she got back because she had to go to the doctors and needed to have her foot get fixed.  She said *I will be in the hospital for four days and will be back here in five days.*  She then looked at me and said, *I will leave you my checklist and you WILL tell me who was bad when I get back in FIVE days, right?*  I tried to keep a straight face as she went around the circle of her students, gave a couple of them a hug and then said goodbye at my door.

When I went out to refill my coffee, she was laying in the Beast's recliner WITH HER FOOT UP!  I almost lost it then.  She said in this pitiful voice, *Nurse, could you get me some hot tea please?  I'll dip the teabag though, thank you.*    When I asked her if she really wanted tea, she told me yes and sat up to let me know she really DID want to dip her own teabag.  I made her some herbal tea and that was her beverage of choice for the next couple of hours.  Just the one cup that she spent almost two hours drinking. 

We watched the Jeff Durham *Minding the Monsters* special on the comedy channel tonight.  She wanted to see the *puppets* as she calls them, dressed up for Halloween.  She likes Walter and Bubba J. and she likes Achmed when he's just his bones.  She doesn't understand the jokes but she laughs at some of the things SHE thinks are funny.  I think sometimes she laughs at ME laughing.  He made several kind of nasty ex-wife jokes that I thought were really NOT funny (and Chewlee wanted to know what an ex-wife was).  A lot of his humor was a bit on the raw side but Chewlee was talking more than listening and she wouldn't have understood it anyway (thankfully!).  I will watch his future programs before I ever let her watch another new show of his, however.  Just in case.  She's really just a bit too smart to underestimate what she just might *pick up* inadvertently. 

Well, I have to take my special shower to prepare for my surgery tomorrow.  I'll have to do it all again in the morning.  **Sigh**  Love you all.  Have a great week.  Think about me and send up a little prayer for everything going right some time between 11am and noon tomorrow (Monday) Central time.  I'd appreciate it.  Hugs to all. 

TALES FROM THE BRAT FARM

Chewlee is finally down for the night even though it's just a little past nine o'clock.  That's late for her this week but she's on the guest bed with her ladybug nightlight on, Blue's Clue's next to her and her blankey in her arms.  Oh, and she has a soft rag to cough into and wipe her nose if she needs it because she (and me, too) has a cold.  I tucked her in nice and snug and she was almost asleep when I last checked.  I'm tired.  I need her rest.

We had our required picnic and we played our new games plus the find the hidden object episode I bought for her on Pogo.  She liked that one (wouldn't let me click at all but I could help).  She lost interest in the others quickly.  So she wrote *letters* to her Uncle Brother and to me, then she showed me her games on her Leap Pad2 and did a video on it of me (ack!  was awful!)  She finally had to plug it in since she had brought her charger with her so that it would be recharged by morning.

When she had taken her bath and put on her pajamas, she sat in my lap so that I could brush her hair.  I let her watch one last Dora episode on TV then it was time for bed.  She didn't really give me a problem about it but we had a problem with her ladybug nightlight.  The damn batteries were shot!  Worse, to get to them, it takes a very small star shaped screwdriver.  Luckily, the Beast found one, opened the compartment, put new AA batteries in it then complained it still wouldn't work.  Of course, once he gave it to me and I hit the right button, he was like *How did you do that?*  I showed him how you turned it on with the proper buttons and the ones he was pushing changed the colors but wouldn't start it.  He thought it was pretty neat when he saw it displayed.

I'm just sitting here blowing my nose and feeling like crap.  I don't want to fall asleep in case my grandson calls me back (he's home on leave right now before being sent over to Afghanistan next week).  If he doesn't, I'll call tomorrow.  He has to be back on base on Tuesday by dinnertime I believe.  His dad will see him off at the airport.  Oh hell, they probably all will that can.  Meaning his maternal grandfather and adopted (step) grandmother plus his sister or sisters and new brother in law as well as Mom and Dad.  If the Beast ever dies off, I'm going to be a lot more mobile grandmother, I can tell you that.  His religion may keep him locked in place and away from (non-believing-the-same-thing) family and friends but MY God goes with me wherever I travel.  I know he's everywhere and that he loves us all, good and bad.

Love you all.  Have a great Sunday.  Enjoy some of this cooler weather since it looks like summer is over (insert sad face here). 

TALES FROM THE BRAT FARM

Chewlee was overjoyed today because she got to pick something from the Treasure Chest, which contains various little special gifts for kids that have gotten smiley faces all week.  Her two days off sick didn't count so she got to pick a treat for the first time since school started.  She picked what looks to be a My Little Pony that attaches to a zipper, which is where it was when she showed it (proudly) to me.

She was acting a bit on the quiet side when she got here but her appetite seemed just fine and she was happy to plan our menu tomorrow for our *picnic*.  By planning, I mean she TOLD me what we were having and she's decided we will have soup instead of sandwiches.  Of course, she means we will have matzo ball soup which she will help make.  She saw we had some soda in the house so *I* am allowed to have soda and/or my coffee and we will eat apples with caramel dip and peeled oranges.  Oh...and she wants toast instead of crackers to go with her soup.  Since she has never had either with matzo ball soup, that kind of surprised me but it's a little thing.  She likes her toast cut into either squares or triangles (fun, fun!).  She can be soooooo specific about just how she wants that done and will watch me doing it to make sure I am doing it right.  She says Papa has to go to the store and buy her some apple juice and she said, *Now you tell him that it has to be apple juice, okay?*  I had to assure her that he would get apple juice just for her.

This morning, my doctor's nurse called to find out if I was still having the pain in my leg like I had yesterday.  I told her that I wasn't although when I touched the area, it was tender so I think it was a deep muscle cramp or some such thing.  I told her I had taken a pain pill for it and put the leg up until it kicked in and it had been better after that.  This morning, very gingerly, I had tested the leg and was surprised to find it wasn't painful like it had been yesterday.  She sounded relieved and said the doctor thought it might have been something like that.  Smart doctor or else I'm not the first of his patients to have an angiogram that suffered with that the day afterward.  Whatever it was, I'm just glad it was gone.  It was really kind of scary.

When I went in to take the preop tests, the Beast didn't want to just leave me there and have me waiting around for him in case it went quickly like it did last week.  So he waited a half hour before leaving for home so he would be here when Chewlee got dropped off.  I just knew he hadn't been gone long when I was done so I hurried downstairs hoping to catch him before he got far away.  I called on the cell phone and asked him where he was and he said, *Not far* so I told him if so, come back to get me.  He told me, *Be outside* and he laughed when I told him that's where I was already.  Sure enough, it couldn't have been more than two minutes before he came and picked me up.  We got home before the bus got here with Chewlee and the Beast said, *Talk about perfect timing!* when the bus pulled up in front just as I walked out the front door to watch for it.

I actually fell asleep in my recliner while Chewlee and I were watching her cartoons.  I never felt her get out of my chair but she went out, got some chips and sat in my computer chair playing one of the new slot games I found online.  When she got tired of that, she went out in the living room to draw and spend time with Papa.  When I woke up and looked around and didn't see her, I walked out into the living room and looked around and didn't see or hear her.  I asked the Beast where she was and he said as he pointed over to where the paper and markers were, *She's over....  Well, hell, she WAS over there just a minute ago.*  I called out her name and hoped she wasn't outside because it was dark out and that's a BIG no-no here.  As I took a step towards the door, I spotted her, sound asleep, on the floor near the foot of the recliner just where the Beast couldn't see her.  I knew I couldn't pick her up so I told the Beast to please pick her up and put her on the love seat where she would be more comfortable unless she woke up.  He got up shortly thereafter because he said he just couldn't stand the idea of her being on that hard floor and put her in his recliner.  She tried to sit up and slowly fell over onto the arm of his recliner and was asleep there when the Princess got here.

The Princess knew she was sound asleep because she never twitched when she came in and quietly walked over and called her name.  She said she started putting her in bed early this week because of her being sick (around 6 or so since her bedroom gets dark early) and she was going right to sleep.  Even when the Princess picked her up to carry her out to the car, she never woke up.

The Princess told us that Johnnycakes came home early from work yesterday running a 102 temperature.  He's got the flu now and she had told him he had to sleep on the couch because she can't afford to get sick.  She's got a power point presentation to get ready plus a mid-term paper and a few other things on her plate this upcoming week.  He whined that he would die on the couch and she would never know...typical man....and she relented but she said she kept her distance as much as she could.  I know she knows that breathing the same air, she can STILL get it but I didn't mention that because it was TOO obvious and I know she knew that.

Chewlee felt bad still about not making the Fall Festival at school yesterday because she told me all the other kids got to see it but it was over now.  Her face was so sad, it broke my heart.  But I told her that Mommy always took her to see the Haunted House every year and maybe she would be able to see it with Aunt Michelle and Chance this year.  Then she could hold Chance's hand so he wouldn't get scared.  That made her feel better and her face brightened up and she made me make a pinky promise to tell that to her mommy ALONG WITH telling her she had to help her finish up her homework so she could get another Dougie Buck (don't ask!).  So I have TWO things to tell the Princess tomorrow when she drops off Chewlee.

Love you all.  Surgery is at 11am on Monday (this time the instructions say nothing to eat, drink or smoke after 5am ).  At least that's more reasonable.