This weekend is the official start of the festival season here in Milwaukee. The first event at the Summerfest grounds is PrideFest. This is a festival that celebrates and promotes the gay and lesbian lifestyles. From the PrideFest website: "Each year, PrideFest energizes the shores of Milwaukee’s lakefront with Wisconsin’s largest celebration of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) culture and community."
A quote from two women partners who attended: "Pride means being proud of who we are, and PrideFest is a place for people to be proud of what's most important to them. We take our family to PrideFest because we want to teach our kids to be proud of themselves and to be proud of our family."
I guess I'm confused. Is this event to teach us (us meaning straights/heterosexuals) awareness and diversity? Can we attend to learn about the transgendered, gay, lesbian, and bisexuals so as we can become more culturally aware? Which should help us learn tolerance and acceptance, right? Or is this something that just promotes families and how to raise children properly? In that case where's the single parent fest? Or the people who never want to have children fest? Aren't they families too?
So why not just call it family fest? I do agree that families come in many shapes and sizes. What is the LGBT community trying to prove? Everyone should be proud of who they are so what makes these people think they are so special? Why do they need an event? I understand the ethnic fests where we learn the cultural differences of other heritages and other countries. ut what am I supposed to learn from this fest?
Don't get me wrong, I don't care about people's sexual orientation. To each his or her own. I have gay friends. Some of them don't like the attention this kind of thing brings. They are proud of who they are and outside of the issue of gay marriage, they find this kind of thing in some ways a little insulting. Not to mention calling too much attention to their sexual orientation and not enough attention to all the other attributes people have. It's like saying, look at me, I am just like you. I can have a successful family just like you. Yes, you can have that. But, no you're not just like me. We're all different. That's what makes us all more interesting.
You don't need a fest to prove you are a good person, a successful person, or part of a happy family. None of us do. We should all celebrate our individuality, even if we're not gay or bisexual.
Today Jeff had a cardiac cath. It all started with an abnormal stress test. The abnormal test results were traumatic enough. Especially since the news came the moment we got home from work at the very beginning of our vacation. As we should have been excited about packing and preparing to head out of town in the morning we were now concerned with can we even go on vacation? Since we were taking the motorcycle, the question in the back of our minds was can we safely travel without harm to Jeff's health?
After Jeff's cardiologist called back we were a little relieved, he could travel on the bike, just make sure we stay on main highways, know where all the hospital signs are and do not hesitate if there are any sort of sensations in his chest to head to one. He was also told to only do light exercise like walking until the cath. He mentioned that he just did a 50K bike ride with no complications so this seems a little weird. We had a serious talk and I told him that only he could make me safe and if he felt he could, I was fine with going. He said he wanted to forget all about having the cardiac cath until after vacation was over and go. No stress, no worries, just travels and new experiences. So we went.
The cardiac cath was scheduled for 8:3o but we had to be at the hospital at 6 am. The staff was friendly and on time. Wendy, the cardiologist's physician-assistant was wonderful. She filled us in with the results of the stress test and the findings. Jeff had a constricted artery in his heart. If all goes as suspected, he would have angioplasty and a stent installed. This meant an overnight stay and he would go home tomorrow. The other alternative would be scheduling bypass surgery if things looked worse than anticipated. The procedure should last about and hour and a half and if the stent is in, he would go up to a regular room, if he needed bypass he would come back to this room as soon as the procedure is over. I was obviously hoping I wouldn't see him come back because that would mean all is fixed and we can get this over with.
By 9:50 he was back. The surgeon was standing in front of me before Jeff's bed was even settled back in its original spot. "What went wrong?," I asked. He explained that his original bypasses were as perfect as the day they were originally installed. Since this is 5 years later, that's wonderful. He went on to explain that he is 70% blocked in one artery. Unfortunately, the blockage is right under the original bypass, and the grafted mammary vein makes too many twists and turns in order to get the stent into place. So he decided to take a different course of action, treat the blockage with medication.
I questioned the danger of walking around with this blockage and the fact that less blood was pumping through that section of artery. The cardiologist went on to explain that since the new blockage is located in the part of Jeff's heart that has previous damage from his heart attack, it required less blood in the first place so the stress should be minimal. Damaged heart muscle never repairs itself so I was still worried about the risks that something bad might happen making things worse. He assured me that with the help of the medication and close monitoring, Jeff would be ok. And if it doesn't work he can schedule the angioplasty and stent procedure again, but it would be complicated and take a long time.
Jeff had to lay still for 6 hours without moving. They fed him lunch and we spent the afternoon watching the National Spelling Bee on ESPN. It was the best thing on TV. The young people who qualify are amazing, the words they have to spell are so tough. The femoral artery was coagulating all afternoon, the doctor ordered an echocardiogram late in the day and after the test was done, we were close to going home.
At 4:30 the nurse got Jeff up to a standing position and took him for a stroll around the ward. He was amazingly stable, which in unusual for him. He's not consistently steady on his feet just from his normal regimen of medication. Speaking of medication, we were handed four new prescriptions. After some post-operative instruction, paperwork, and a handful of bandages, we were headed out the door.
Now that we're home we're thinking about all the things we didn't get answered. What are the results of the echocardiogram? When can Jeff resume normal activities, like his workouts at the gym? How will he know of the drugs are working? How long will he have to go before they stent him if the drugs don't work? Tomorrow is another day. Thank God for that.
After Jeff's cardiologist called back we were a little relieved, he could travel on the bike, just make sure we stay on main highways, know where all the hospital signs are and do not hesitate if there are any sort of sensations in his chest to head to one. He was also told to only do light exercise like walking until the cath. He mentioned that he just did a 50K bike ride with no complications so this seems a little weird. We had a serious talk and I told him that only he could make me safe and if he felt he could, I was fine with going. He said he wanted to forget all about having the cardiac cath until after vacation was over and go. No stress, no worries, just travels and new experiences. So we went.
The cardiac cath was scheduled for 8:3o but we had to be at the hospital at 6 am. The staff was friendly and on time. Wendy, the cardiologist's physician-assistant was wonderful. She filled us in with the results of the stress test and the findings. Jeff had a constricted artery in his heart. If all goes as suspected, he would have angioplasty and a stent installed. This meant an overnight stay and he would go home tomorrow. The other alternative would be scheduling bypass surgery if things looked worse than anticipated. The procedure should last about and hour and a half and if the stent is in, he would go up to a regular room, if he needed bypass he would come back to this room as soon as the procedure is over. I was obviously hoping I wouldn't see him come back because that would mean all is fixed and we can get this over with.
By 9:50 he was back. The surgeon was standing in front of me before Jeff's bed was even settled back in its original spot. "What went wrong?," I asked. He explained that his original bypasses were as perfect as the day they were originally installed. Since this is 5 years later, that's wonderful. He went on to explain that he is 70% blocked in one artery. Unfortunately, the blockage is right under the original bypass, and the grafted mammary vein makes too many twists and turns in order to get the stent into place. So he decided to take a different course of action, treat the blockage with medication.
I questioned the danger of walking around with this blockage and the fact that less blood was pumping through that section of artery. The cardiologist went on to explain that since the new blockage is located in the part of Jeff's heart that has previous damage from his heart attack, it required less blood in the first place so the stress should be minimal. Damaged heart muscle never repairs itself so I was still worried about the risks that something bad might happen making things worse. He assured me that with the help of the medication and close monitoring, Jeff would be ok. And if it doesn't work he can schedule the angioplasty and stent procedure again, but it would be complicated and take a long time.
Jeff had to lay still for 6 hours without moving. They fed him lunch and we spent the afternoon watching the National Spelling Bee on ESPN. It was the best thing on TV. The young people who qualify are amazing, the words they have to spell are so tough. The femoral artery was coagulating all afternoon, the doctor ordered an echocardiogram late in the day and after the test was done, we were close to going home.
At 4:30 the nurse got Jeff up to a standing position and took him for a stroll around the ward. He was amazingly stable, which in unusual for him. He's not consistently steady on his feet just from his normal regimen of medication. Speaking of medication, we were handed four new prescriptions. After some post-operative instruction, paperwork, and a handful of bandages, we were headed out the door.
Now that we're home we're thinking about all the things we didn't get answered. What are the results of the echocardiogram? When can Jeff resume normal activities, like his workouts at the gym? How will he know of the drugs are working? How long will he have to go before they stent him if the drugs don't work? Tomorrow is another day. Thank God for that.
Today I quit my job. I'm going to a different department. Even though the different department has a different company name I'm not sure what I should call it, quitting, transferring, whatever. Either way I am out of here.
It's bittersweet. I really like so many of my co-workers. I made Midge cry. I reminded her I will only be one floor down. I will miss the fun conversations of my lunchtime group and the camaraderie I've developed from working with the accounting staff. But then again, there are a few I won't miss at all.
It's the management that I have problems with. They are all nice people but they aren't leaders that deserve respect and admiration. They lack communication skills, micro-manage their professional staff unnecessarily, and have terrible decision making skills.
They say you don't quit a company you quit a manager. But for the most part, my manager was very good to me. She always made certain I was taken care of. Unfortunately the work lacks challenge so it's time to move on.
The amazing thing is I feel like I'm appreciated for the first time in a long time. I've never felt the need for attention but it sure is strange how all the well wishes from some managers and people I do respect have given me such feelings of mixed emotion. And I was so certain that I wanted this job more than anything since the moment I applied for it. Now these second thoughts are getting to me. But I know I just have to get through the next few weeks and get a fresh new start and I will feel good about my decision again.
New beginnings are so exciting. I can redefine myself, develop new relationships and learn new skills.
It's bittersweet. I really like so many of my co-workers. I made Midge cry. I reminded her I will only be one floor down. I will miss the fun conversations of my lunchtime group and the camaraderie I've developed from working with the accounting staff. But then again, there are a few I won't miss at all.
It's the management that I have problems with. They are all nice people but they aren't leaders that deserve respect and admiration. They lack communication skills, micro-manage their professional staff unnecessarily, and have terrible decision making skills.
They say you don't quit a company you quit a manager. But for the most part, my manager was very good to me. She always made certain I was taken care of. Unfortunately the work lacks challenge so it's time to move on.
The amazing thing is I feel like I'm appreciated for the first time in a long time. I've never felt the need for attention but it sure is strange how all the well wishes from some managers and people I do respect have given me such feelings of mixed emotion. And I was so certain that I wanted this job more than anything since the moment I applied for it. Now these second thoughts are getting to me. But I know I just have to get through the next few weeks and get a fresh new start and I will feel good about my decision again.
New beginnings are so exciting. I can redefine myself, develop new relationships and learn new skills.
Jeff loves to feed the birds. We have corn for the ducks, niger seed for the finches, and regular bird seed for the rest of the general bird population. He religiously keeps the feeders full for them. This year we even had a bird family living in one of the bird houses he built years ago. Watching them flutter about the backyard is soothing. We follow the seasonal duck ritual as the males and females pair off in late winter/early spring. Then there's just the males chowing down the corn, a sure sign the babies are soon to come since the mamas are most likely off sitting on their eggs. Before we know it, the females are back with the little ones in tow. Mother Nature provides better entertainment than anything on television.
While we were on vacation Toby caught a mouse in the house. BJ removed the mouse by taking it out to the field where it could live happily ever after, or at least until he got back into the house which would be taking a chance. Toby usually toys with the mice he finds for a little while then eventually kills them. This one got a reprieve. I'm guessing BJ caught up with Toby before he had a chance to kill it. So we proudly call him our little mouse killer for keeping the house free of the little rodents.
Toby loves to be outside. He spends his days staring out the windows with hopes of getting out into the grass. We try to oblige him as often as we can. Today was no exception and after being gone for a week, I missed him as much as he missed us so I wanted him near me so I took him outside. He's gotten used to the idea that he has to wear a harness outside so I can keep him somewhat tethered. After my last kitty got hit by a car, I am bound and determined not to let that happen to this one. He gets a long leash so he has a 12-foot diameter to work with and that seems to be just enough most of the time.
Today we tied the end of the leash to the deck which lets him stretch out to the outdoor fireplace. He likes to sit under it and watch the birds in the feeder. As the sun approached the backyard I chose to move him over so he could be shaded by the lilac bushes. After all, he is a bundle of fur and it's a warm and sunny day. So I tied the end of his leash to the bottom of the bird feeder and he rested under the lilac bush just as I had intended. As soon as I turned away I heard the strange thrashing sound. And I knew before I even turned back to look. He got a bird. There he was, joyfully holding it in his mouth with that look of success and pride. I could smell the testosterone in the air. Doing exactly what Mother Nature had trained him to do, he held his prey proudly in his mouth.
Jeff was not happy. I felt so stupid. How could I do something so dumb as tether the cat to the feeder. It's like going fishing in a fish tank. And now I worried that the birds would not come back after that carnage. Even though he didn't say anything, I'm certain Jeff was mad at me and he should be. I was thinking about keeping the cat out of the sun without any regard to the birds. Stupid, stupid, stupid. I will kick myself over this for a long time.
And poor Toby went from mouse killer to bird murderer.
While we were on vacation Toby caught a mouse in the house. BJ removed the mouse by taking it out to the field where it could live happily ever after, or at least until he got back into the house which would be taking a chance. Toby usually toys with the mice he finds for a little while then eventually kills them. This one got a reprieve. I'm guessing BJ caught up with Toby before he had a chance to kill it. So we proudly call him our little mouse killer for keeping the house free of the little rodents.
Toby loves to be outside. He spends his days staring out the windows with hopes of getting out into the grass. We try to oblige him as often as we can. Today was no exception and after being gone for a week, I missed him as much as he missed us so I wanted him near me so I took him outside. He's gotten used to the idea that he has to wear a harness outside so I can keep him somewhat tethered. After my last kitty got hit by a car, I am bound and determined not to let that happen to this one. He gets a long leash so he has a 12-foot diameter to work with and that seems to be just enough most of the time.
Today we tied the end of the leash to the deck which lets him stretch out to the outdoor fireplace. He likes to sit under it and watch the birds in the feeder. As the sun approached the backyard I chose to move him over so he could be shaded by the lilac bushes. After all, he is a bundle of fur and it's a warm and sunny day. So I tied the end of his leash to the bottom of the bird feeder and he rested under the lilac bush just as I had intended. As soon as I turned away I heard the strange thrashing sound. And I knew before I even turned back to look. He got a bird. There he was, joyfully holding it in his mouth with that look of success and pride. I could smell the testosterone in the air. Doing exactly what Mother Nature had trained him to do, he held his prey proudly in his mouth.
Jeff was not happy. I felt so stupid. How could I do something so dumb as tether the cat to the feeder. It's like going fishing in a fish tank. And now I worried that the birds would not come back after that carnage. Even though he didn't say anything, I'm certain Jeff was mad at me and he should be. I was thinking about keeping the cat out of the sun without any regard to the birds. Stupid, stupid, stupid. I will kick myself over this for a long time.
And poor Toby went from mouse killer to bird murderer.
Today is our 27th wedding anniversary. We spent the morning driving through Chicago rush-hour traffic to get home from Indiana, the last leg of our vacation. We spent the day unpacking, reminding the kitty that we didn't leave him for good, taking the Harley in to the repair shop, scheduling a cardiac cath, and making a trip to the grocery store to restock.
The evening was spent with dinner at home, it was great to have a home-cooked meal. And it feels so good to be home.
The evening was spent with dinner at home, it was great to have a home-cooked meal. And it feels so good to be home.
We spent Day 6 taking more tours. We decided that we would head out of town at the end of the day and we got our congressman to hold our things while we did the tours. It was a bit stressful finding our way through the city but we made it through fine. We were so used to taking the Metro, we were starting to feel like regulars instead of tourists, that is until we had to actually drive to the White House.
The White House tour came first. What an amazing place. After getting through security twice, we headed down the halls of this magnificent home. The secret service were so nice, I thought they would be intimidating but they weren't. They seemed interested in talking about Harleys, Milwaukee, and our travels. I was interested in moving on through the house, but I tried to contain my excitement and be as polite as one of the First Ladies of this fine home. The furniture is from many presidents and it has a history all of its own. I loved seeing every room and I still can't believe I was in the White House.
We walked across the street to the Washington Hotel for a sophisticated, healthy lunch. We basked in the sunlight on the patio while the servers brought us our food. It was exquisite. The view of the White House landscape across the street felt surreal. It was a perfect day.
As we headed out towards the Capitol building for our final tour, I took some shots of the views from the bike. The Capitol was straight ahead which made the view amazing. It was the final good-bye to the bustling city. So much energy is such an important place.
The Capitol tour was good. It wasn't my favorite, the Library of Congress was. The intern, Chris was a wonderfully polite young man. He was personable but he needed to work on his presentation skills. He knew the Capitol building very well, but he needed to get his spiel in better order. There were some good points about an informal tour, you could stop and ask anything at anytime.
Some of the really cool points of the Capitol that I didn't know was that the very center of the Capitol was built on the very center of Washington, DC. It is marked by a star in the center of the magnificent floor. George Washington was supposed to be buried there, but he chose his home of Mt. Vernon as his final resting place. There were many statues occupying the building, each form a character from history chosen to represent their state of residence. There were some statues representing specific groups through history and my favorite was the women's statue. It had three women from the suffragette movement along with a large uncarved chunk of stone towards the back. This unfinished part was reserved for the first woman president. I will have to go back and see it finished. Hopefully it will happen during my lifetime.
We ended our tour back at our congressman, Paul Ryan's office and thanked Chris for his time. We asked for directions and headed on our way. Getting out of town was a little stressful, the traffic moves at a very fast pace but we made it. Time to head home.
The White House tour came first. What an amazing place. After getting through security twice, we headed down the halls of this magnificent home. The secret service were so nice, I thought they would be intimidating but they weren't. They seemed interested in talking about Harleys, Milwaukee, and our travels. I was interested in moving on through the house, but I tried to contain my excitement and be as polite as one of the First Ladies of this fine home. The furniture is from many presidents and it has a history all of its own. I loved seeing every room and I still can't believe I was in the White House.
We walked across the street to the Washington Hotel for a sophisticated, healthy lunch. We basked in the sunlight on the patio while the servers brought us our food. It was exquisite. The view of the White House landscape across the street felt surreal. It was a perfect day.
As we headed out towards the Capitol building for our final tour, I took some shots of the views from the bike. The Capitol was straight ahead which made the view amazing. It was the final good-bye to the bustling city. So much energy is such an important place.
The Capitol tour was good. It wasn't my favorite, the Library of Congress was. The intern, Chris was a wonderfully polite young man. He was personable but he needed to work on his presentation skills. He knew the Capitol building very well, but he needed to get his spiel in better order. There were some good points about an informal tour, you could stop and ask anything at anytime.
Some of the really cool points of the Capitol that I didn't know was that the very center of the Capitol was built on the very center of Washington, DC. It is marked by a star in the center of the magnificent floor. George Washington was supposed to be buried there, but he chose his home of Mt. Vernon as his final resting place. There were many statues occupying the building, each form a character from history chosen to represent their state of residence. There were some statues representing specific groups through history and my favorite was the women's statue. It had three women from the suffragette movement along with a large uncarved chunk of stone towards the back. This unfinished part was reserved for the first woman president. I will have to go back and see it finished. Hopefully it will happen during my lifetime.
We ended our tour back at our congressman, Paul Ryan's office and thanked Chris for his time. We asked for directions and headed on our way. Getting out of town was a little stressful, the traffic moves at a very fast pace but we made it. Time to head home.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
- Follow Us on Twitter!
- "Join Us on Facebook!
- RSS
Contact