We'll rise to the occasion

I was on call for the long holiday weekend, including the holiday. It's a fallacy that the cath lab on call team is on call for emergencies. We are on call for whatever a doctor wants to do, whenever he wants to do it. Frankly, I have no problem with that. The patients and their families are so grateful and the doctors are so accommodating and cordial, that it's hard not to say to God during my nightly prayers, "Please God, let me be called in to work!" There was a short period when I went into panic mode when I realized my pager no longer worked. It's all good. I simply called the operator and told him he needs to contact me by cell or house phone. He made a note of it and all the call ins went very smoothly.

Due to the rainy weather and all the on call time, I haven't been riding. September 1 was the last time I had an opportunity to go. This week, it was raining on the two days I wasn't on call, and by the time the rain stopped and it dried up a bit, my get up and go got up and went. Oh, such is life!

I customized my wheels. When I got the bike back from the Village Bike Shop, the rear tire was missing a valve cap. I could have purchased a valve cap for a few dollars, but I did a net search to find something fun. And I sure enough did indeed find something fun. The set cost about as much as dinner for two plus a tip and possibly dessert at Carmella's Casa Italiana, you know, my restaurant. They will last forever, so what's a little splurging?

How could I resist?!?!

Speaking of dessert, I bought this new flavor of ice cream from Blue Bell called "Dessert Trio." I have to tell you, my main motivation for going grocery shopping this past Saturday was because ice cream was on sale at Albertson's. Tried to get Ralph to go with me, but he wasn't into in. I could have forced the issue, but I just ran in after I left MMH on Saturday when I was on my way home. 

In any event, I don't eat ice cream every night, so as it went, Ralph got to try the "Dessert Trio" first. Around the beginning of the week, he said, "Oh, that new ice cream is my favorite, wait until you try it!" I bought three half gallons, so I asked him which one. He easily responded, "Three deserts." My mouth dropped open and I asked him to repeat it.  He repeated, "Three deserts." So I said, "Three deserts? Hmmm, like the Mohave Desert and two other deserts I can't think of? Maybe like my desert roses?" I laughed and teased him, "You are soooooo retarded! That's three desserts, not three deserts! What is wrong with you??" 

Ralph doesn't talk much or initiate many conversations, but once in a while he's a real hoot. I must say, though, that ice cream is too good to be true. If I wasn't watching my cholesterol, I would eat it every night. As it is, I ate it for dinner last night!

Thank you for the tons of supportive and reassuring emails telling me that I'm not crazy. Everyone agreed that taking tons of call doesn't make me crazy. Nor does talking to myself. Or getting attached to my clothes which makes it hard for me to donate them to charity. Or giving blood when it makes me have near syncopal episodes. Or thinking I must be invisible when drivers cut in front of me and then drive slow. Or imagining that I can fly under the radar in the cath lab. Or taking hot showers in the summer time. Or wearing three shirts to the hospital. Or eating Finnish pancakes with whipped cream everyday for breakfast. Or eating cereal or Greek yogurt everyday for lunch. Or sleeping with a loaded 9mm under my pillow. Thanks again! Suddenly my heart sings, and I feel sane. Now, if that devil who makes me curse would just get the heck off my shoulder, I'd be good to go.

We survived that horrible storm the other night. I was huddled, I mean cuddled, in my bed, watching and listening to the loudest thunder and brightest lightening that I have ever seen or heard. I kept thinking, "This must be what my sister felt like during Hurricane Irene." I swear, I felt the earth move under my feet. Wait, I'm getting mixed up; that happened when I met my ex-husband. What I actually felt was my whole entire house rumble and  shake. It was like something out of a Stephen King novel. Glad it didn't last very long. I wondered if Ralph and my cats and birds were OK. I didn't hear any noise coming through my bedroom door from them, so I assumed they were fine. 

Look, wild horses don't drag me out of bed in the middle of the night. And all that crap about if you are in bed and can't sleep, get out of bed and go read a book elsewhere, is just that: crap. I refuse to get out of bed and will lie there all night until the sun comes up, or the alarm goes off, which ever happens first. I'll watch TV, read a book, files my nails, plan my day, devise creative tortures for horrible bosses, imagine what it's like to be a billionaire, day dream of my perfect vacation, and on and on. No wonder I can't sleep. Maybe I am crazy.......

My Connecticut sister is staying safe and strong in the aftermath of Irene.  We are in contact on a daily basis. In fact, I told her about my experience with our storm. We agreed, life is good; and when it's not, we'll rise to the occasion.

Before sunrise, September 7