Monday, November 28, 2005

Thanksgiving in Review

After four days off work, I guess I should be rested and ready to go, but instead, I SO don't feel like working today! At least it's a short week for me: I'll be going to Houston Wednesday night for Stephanie's annual Christmas tea on Thursday.

Thanksgiving was very fun and very filling. My niece and nephew, Paige and Graham, are very entertaining. They kept us all laughing and smiling throughout the weekend. It's so amazing to see each of my sisters as mothers. Steph is a great mom, very loving but also firm with the twins, and as a result, they are very well-behaved.

Our menu included:
A smoked Greenberg turkey (delicious as always, but now I'm getting sick of it)
Stuffing or Dressing recipe ala Jenn
Roast vegetables recipe ala Jenn
My great aunt Chachie's recipe for Cranberry relish
Spinach caserole
Seeduction roles
Wine from Steph and Al's collection
Pumpkin pie
Daddy's pecan pie

Last night, Steve (finally) got home from visiting his kids in New Mexico, and I made a Turkey Pot Pie with some of my leftovers. It turned out pretty good, but I really am running out of ways to convince myself to keep eating turkey!

Nana and Paige loving on Patchy Posted by Picasa

Helping mom finish her turkey Posted by Picasa

Daddy, me and Daniel Posted by Picasa

Helping Grandad play guitar Posted by Picasa

Waving goodbye to the ducks Posted by Picasa

Feeding the ducks near my house Posted by Picasa

Tuesday, November 22, 2005

Turkey and More Turkey

I guess some people like turkey more than I do. I don't dislike it, but I don't crave it either. It always mystifies me why my company has a turkey feast for us (with everyone bringing the side dishes) two days before we are all to eat pretty much the same thing with our families. Can't we do something a little different? Every year (this is my sixth Thanksgiving here), I suggest we do an Italian day, or a Mexican day, but no...it's turkey again.

My family is arriving in Dallas tomorrow. Stephanie, Al and the twins are coming from Houston, and my parents are driving in from El Paso. My friend Daniel will also be joining us. Since he's from Mexico, this is his first American Thanksgiving, and he's so very excited.

My only regret is that Steve won't be there. His plans changed, and he is now going out to New Mexico to see his kids instead of them coming here.

But it's the holiday to be thankful, and I have many things and people to be thankful for. My favorite part of Thanksgiving is being with family, although the dressing is a close second.

Friday, November 18, 2005

As Soft As...

Yesterday, as I was recounting my trip to one of my colleagues, she asked if I was going to move to England. I told her that my Auntie Norma whispered in my ear as I was hugging her goodbye, "Move here!" It was so sweet, but I have built such a great life for myself here, and I can't imagine leaving it all right now.

Besides, I don't know how successful I would be in the marketing/advertising business in England. As most Americans know, the Brits have a slightly different sense of humor than we do. I also noticed their advertising campaigns refer to things that don't exactly translate to me.

As my dad and I were driving to London from Chester, we passed a big truck (lorrie) covered in advertisements for the toilet paper it was transporting. It said "Like a Roll of Puppies" and featured several golden retriever puppies. I laughed until I almost cried.

Wednesday, November 16, 2005

Home at Last

I didn't have a chance to write while I was in England because although most of my relatives have computers, they would rather I visit with them then get absorbed into the screen. So, this will be a long post to cover the past week.

Ooh, there's so much to tell. I started off by meeting my dad at the London Gatwick Airport. We picked up my rental car and drove west to Bristol. I did pretty well driving on the other side of the road. My only frustration was that the Hyundai had switched the positions of the windshield wipers and the blinkers, so I often signaled my intent to change lanes by wiping the windshield.

After a pub lunch of fish & chips, I dropped Daddy at the train station where he took a train up to Chester to see his friend Keith. I then drove to Dursley, a small town in an area called the Cotswolds. My cousins Phil and Sonya live there, and Sonya's directions were perfect. Sonya took a couple days off work to play with me, and when she opened the front door, we both exclaimed at the same time: "I/You made it!"

We shopped in Gloucester that afternoon and saw the old cathedral. Sonya pointed out a tower that had been damaged in the civil war and laughed when I asked, "what civil war?" (It was in the 1600's)

We had a drink at the pub to meet some of her friends, and Phil met us there. The three of us then had an Indian feast at their local restaurant, Dil Raj. It was incredibly delicious.

On Friday, Sonya took me shopping in Cardiff, the capital of Wales. It was cold and rainy that day, but we stayed out of most of the weather by staying in the shops! We had a lovely home-cooked meal that night, and the next day, Phil rode with me up to Wellington to see his dad, my Uncle Ken.

It was like coming home. Uncle Ken is just the same as ever, and he gave me a great big hug. He then announced how glad he was that I was there and that as I'm such a good cook, I could cook him dinner! We had some of his son Chris' lamb along with the Californian wine I brought him. He regaled me with stories of his past, telling me how he had met Auntie Olive and the early years of their marriage. I could have stayed a week.

The next morning, I picked up my dad from his friend's house and drove to Runcorn. We saw Uncle Colin and Auntie Dot and their daughter Paula, a frequent commenter on my and my sisters' blogs. And I got to meet Paula's son Luke! What a sweetie. He's so adorable, and although he was wary of me at the beginning, he did give me a hug goodbye. Paula and I chatted in the kitchen, and again, I felt my time was too short. I could have visited with her for days.

Daddy and I next stopped in Weaverham to see Auntie Norma (another frequent blog commenter) and Uncle Noel. Auntie Norma was a little more subdued than her usual effervescent self as she's been having heart problems. She's scheduled for a stent on Friday, so everyone keep her in your thoughts! She looked the same as the last time I saw her and had made us a lovely cake.

We spent the night in Kelsall with Daddy's friends before heading back to London. There, we had dinner with my friends Alan and Hurriyet and their lovely children before going to a hotel near Gatwick for our last evening.

It WAS a quick trip, but I still enjoyed it so much. The English countryside is so picturesque, and we had three days in a row of sunshine! The weather was unusually mild for November, but I enjoyed the briskness of the air and the cold, cold water from the taps. I feel very loved after seeing everyone in England. I was so warmly received by them all. I also received a warm welcome home from Steve and my cat Sabrina. They were happy to see me again. And I'm happy to be home, but I won't wait 3 years again before going back.

Uncle Colin and Auntie Dot Posted by Picasa

the view from Uncle Colin's of the bridge in Runcorn Posted by Picasa

Paula's son Luke Posted by Picasa

Uncle Ken Posted by Picasa

Uncle Noel and Auntie Norma Posted by Picasa

Tuesday, November 08, 2005

The reason I haven't posted in awhile...

...is because I've been "worshipping the porcelain" -- very ill for the past two days. The doctor says several viruses have been going around with my symptoms, so I don't really know if it was food poisoning or a virus. Either way, I'm happy to be on the mend.

The only really nice part about being sick was how wonderful Steve was. He brought me a baked potato and cottage cheese (he had to make two separate stops for that) on Sunday, and on Monday, he picked up my prescription and brought it to me over his lunch hour. The worst part of living alone is when you're sick and don't even want to go to the grocery store or pharmacy. Steve was such a life-saver. Plus, he told me today I didn't even look bad as a sick person.

Tomorrow I leave for England!!! I don't know which is more exciting: being away from my demanding job for a week or seeing all my loved ones and travelling through the beautiful countryside of England. I'll try to write from the road as much as I can.

Wednesday, November 02, 2005

My Passion

(Now, get your mind out of the gutter...)

I've written before about my volunteering at the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) and working with premies. This Monday was especially busy. When I arrived, Lily, the nurse I usually work with, said, "I REALLY need you tonight."

It's nice to feel like what you're doing really helps someone - both the nurses and the patients. Sometimes the nurses feel bad asking me to retrieve blankets or other supplies for them, but I really don't mind. It allows them to focus on their patients. Of course, my favorite thing to do is hold the babies.

I fed four babies this week and also got to help with a couple others. I talk to each of them and encourage them to eat and burp. I also got to speak a little Spanish to two new dads. My time there just flies by. I guess that's what happens when you're doing what you love.

In all my Mondays at Parkland, I've only witnessed one death. It was a new patient that had just been admitted into the unit. I was feeding another one in the same room. There were several nurses around this little boy, and a couple doctors were walking in and out. One of the doctors was watching the monitors and first noticed the breathing changing slightly. The baby was born at 27 weeks, very young when a normal term pregnancy is 40 weeks. Lungs are one of the last organs to develop, and most premies have some difficulty with their respiration. The doctor alerted the nurses who immediately started supplementing the child's breathing with a CPR bag, but unfortunately he kept crashing. They called a code blue and several more staff members rushed into the room, although the space around his little bed was already full. They brought the father in, along with a translator and a minister. The minister gave last rites as the translator repeated the words in Spanish. I felt for the father. His face was in total shock. They escorted him out and then stopped the CPR. One of the nurses was crying, and the charge nurse reassured her that she and everyone else on the team had done everything possible.

It was very surreal. I wasn't sad for the baby, because I believe he went to a better place, a peaceful, loving, painless place. But my heart hurt for the parents, who had been awaiting the birth of their child and now had to bury him.

I admire the nurses and doctors who do this miniature work so much. But wow, the responsibility. If I mess up at work, or if the project just doesn't work out because of unavoidable factors, I feel badly, but it's not like life and death. It would be hard to let go and not question every action you took.

Tuesday, November 01, 2005

Good Times

Steve and I had such a great weekend last weekend. It began early with my company's Halloween carnival. Steve attended and got to meet several of my coworkers. On Friday, we both took off work for the afternoon and drove to Waco. He met my grandma and great aunt Sudie, my aunt Cinda and her kids, Robert and Beverly. We taught him to play the domino game chicken foot, and we all had fun.

Robert's basketball team was playing a game in Waco that evening, and it was really exciting to watch! Unfortunately, they lost by 5 points. I really enjoyed Bevie's cheering and heckling of the players and referees. I wish we all lived closer so I could see more games.

On Saturday, Steve took me to a mountain biking trail not far from my house that I was unaware of. We had a brisk 5-mile ride through the woods. It was beautiful with the leaves turning fall colors. He gave me his "old" heart monitor because he got a new one from his boss. (I put old in quotes because it's only a few months old.) So, throughout the ride, he would ask if I was ok and what my heart rate was.

Later, I cooked him dinner and then we went to a costume party at a local club. I resurrected my Marilyn Monroe costume and won 3rd place ($50 gift certificate)! Steve was proud of me but thought I deserved 1st or 2nd.

Robert is the tallest on his team. And so handsome! Posted by Picasa

Me, Cinda, Bev and Rob at the game Posted by Picasa