Why "2K Why?" ?

I have read a number of dissenting opinions both on making an issue of the 2000th service person's death in Iraq and on the wisdom of posting a cryptic sign to mark that death via the Freeway Blogger.

The obvious answer to why we should mark this death versus say the 1957th is that we have a base 10 numbering system. We also tend to like and instill significance in round numbers. Why bring this milestone to people's attention? Well I don't know about you - but other than my friend whose son is leaving for Iraq in a couple of weeks - I 'm not hearing people mention the death toll. I haven't heard anyone say "Wow - it's up to 1800 or 1921." Or "Look, today October 31st we lost 6 soldiers." Or "The total for October is 93."

{UPDATE - On October 31st we lost 7 soldiers and the total for October was 94 Americans, 2 British and 1 Dane}

People don't seem to be as affected by numbers that aren't round and that aren't a multiple of 10. That's just the way it is. I feel a need to bring the deaths to people's attentions - but I know that if I brought the running numbers to everyone's attention every day, or every week - they would soon get used to it and ignore me. The count wouldn't mean as much. But pick "2000" as a number to show everyone and it means so much more. It hits them in the gut on so many levels. Think of how the year 2000 was such a milestone in people's minds.

On the opinion that putting up signs that say "2K Why?" is too cryptic - I have to disagree. It is short and sweet. It is a play on "Y2K". It makes people think - maybe not everyone will get it - but some will and they will mention it to others. It may last longer as a sign than something more obvious and is easier to read than more wordy slogans.

And so I give you this:

 
 

2K Why?

2K Why?

2K Why?

2K Why?

2K Why?

2K Why?

2K Why?

2K Why?

2K Why?

What did the old lady do today?

Well - it all started out so nicely. She slept well last night although I didn't ( I made the mistake of giving Tulip the left over oatmeal from the old lady at dinner time - so yes about 5 hours later she has to go out and poop. So I was awake from about 1 till sometime after 3. When she came up stairs I said to her - if it's not one of you ruining my sleep it's the other).

Anyway the old lady slept well and had a pretty good morning . I talked to her at 10:30 and she sounded good - pretty chipper in fact. Nurse was coming in the afternoon - PT was also coming. Life was good.

Then about 11:30 one of the women in the office comes over and says - Call your house - Deb is at home and heard them mention your house on the scanner. Oh here we go I thought. So I call and here's the poop. Lifeline called to have her test the button. And she wasn't going to until I came home - but then decided - why not? And so she pushes the button while she is 2 rooms away from the base - and with a door closed between her and the base. So of course they can't hear her - even though she yelled. and by the time she got to the thing it was too late. The call went out - the EMTs came as well as the fire chief. And then when she gets rid of them Lifeline called twice more . And then the PT had heard the scanner and told the visiting nurse who was in town so she came over.

So all in all the old thing is now all worn out. But not worn out enough to stop asking for things! And the nurse and the PT are still coming later in the afternoon. Oh well - that's what happens when you are old and crazy.

Oh and because Tulip pooped in the middle of the night she did not poop at lunch time which probably means she is now on a totally different poop schedule and I certainly am not going to put up with getting up to let her out in the wee hours. Bad dog.

back and forth and down and up

So I have been back and forth to Boston. I picked up the old lady after her hydrocephalus operation. I fly like a jet down there - arrived at 3:20 and guess what time we left Boston? 6:20. 3 goddamn hours later. So many many reasons why that I cannot mention.

Oh well - long drive home with the old lady doing her "stream of consciousness" chatter on and off. But we made it home.

Now I have eaten 4 White Castle cheeseburger ( frozen of course – we don’t have White Castle here) and drunk a half bottle of wine and am slightly drunk on that and the rumor that Cheney may be indicted – Oh lord that gives me joy. Schadenfreude isn’t even a long enough word for it. Shall I buy a bottle of champagne – why not!?!

Anyway I think it is time to haul myself up stairs and hope that I wake up if the old lady calls. Going to take most (if not all of the day off tomorrow) – got nurse and physical therapists coming – and OH NO she has awoken and now is talking again. I better go to bed.


11:26 pm - ok so now she is talking about what kind of oatmeal she wants tomorrow- "get that instant oatmeal out for me . I want the apple kind" and asking me to put a banana out on the counter - like she is going to be up and trotting around tomorrow morning all by herself! So I get that settled and am just sitting here waiting for my tea water to boil and she says - "What's this piece of music playing on the radio - it sounds like something old fashioned." So I had to go and threaten her to make her be quiet and go to sleep! lord!

11:35 - have I said? - it's a good thing I am patient and good humored!

Quiet Joy

On the way home from Boston today I saw a double rainbow. It was, of course, in Vermont and led straight home. I wish I had my camera with me to take a picture - but honestly with the headache I had I probably wouldn't have stopped.

I also passed a turtle on his back in the middle of the road near the Vt Country Store. He was being jostled by the wind of passing cars. I turned around and went back and he was alive. I walked him down to the pond and let him go and told him he was both mighty stupid and mighty lucky. He was important enough to stop for.

I have taken a nap now and also some sinus medication and my headache is somewhat under control - so I am heading to the Stone Hearth Inn to watch Ken play.

Workin' on a Sunday

Well - much as I hate going into work on a weekend I have to admit - I get way way WAY more done than I do in a week. I got caught up on a number of projects; including reading up on upgrading SalesLogix - well really for us it would be like a new install since we'll be jumping 3 versions. The more I read the better version 6.2 sounds.

I also managed to clean up a bunch of drives, cleaned up files and zipped them for archiving. Pulled and organized the emails for tomorrow's mailings. OH and did some research on getting the email from SLX to work with Outlook 2003. I found that not only does SLX have a problem on SOME of the new machines - but Word 2003 does also. And although I found a fix - it only holds for that computer session - as soon as you reboot - you are back to square one. I am going to pass that along to the computer hardware guys and let them delve into it with Dell.

So even though I missed my Kenny VERY VERY much (you may all stop making the gagging sounds now) - his absence did allow me to work an entire 8 hours today. Plus I managed to finish almost all of his first sock yesterday. – pictures to follow once both socks are done.

Sleepy Bee 3 

Sleepy Bee 2 

Sleepy Bees

Yesterday evening I decided to cut some flowers to bring inside. After all this 70 to 80 degree weather in OCTOBER isn't going to last forever.

As I cut I suddenly noticed something inside the flowers and immediately thought of some kind of yucky bugs. But on closer examination I found sleeping bees! So I have taken some pictures of them - I am thinking that the cooler evenngs are making them sleepy and as they are bumble bees they don't have a big hive to go home to, so they just sleep where they are. The poor things are going to die with the frosts any way, so I suppose this also saves them flying time in the morning from the queen's home where she will hibernate the winter with the store of food they have helped her build up.

oh dear

Well - we have been ever so busy.

The Old lady's shunt surgery is coming up next week, there is tons of fall clean up stuff to do and the house is a mess. And I don't feel like doing a thing.

I DID put away a big pile of clothing that was obscuring one of the guest beds. And I plan ( HA!) this weekend to do some more.

The Apple Festival is also on this weekend and I am going to give them a few hours on Saturday. Then Sunday I am going to come into work for a number of hours - we'll have to see how energetic I feel.