my 2009 list

Okay, much like cat pictures [which I admit I love], the last thing the internet needs is another Top 10 list at the end of the year, or really at any time of the year. This year the lists are particularly rampant, because it's the end of the decade. If I sat down to write a Top 10 list, odds are I wouldn't be able to do it. It's like writing a paper with a minimum word or page count: you just end up bullshitting to meet the minimum [trust me, I've got enough experience between AP classes, university honors classes, and nursing school care plans to know].

So what do you do to combat this? Simply write, with no inhibitions, no quotas, no worries about editing. Without further ado, things I've learned and loved this year. Some are serious, some are silly.

• Don't put things off. Make no bones about it, I am a procrastinator, and it's come to bite me in the ass this year, whether it's having to write my RN staging narratives with a splint on my hand, or racing around Casa de Megan cleaning up evidence [of sloth, naturally] when Mama Z springs a surprise visit on me. Now, will 2010 show that I have learned from this? Most likely not, but maybe I'll start doing the dishes and laundry a little more often :)
• A kittycat can be very expensive, especially when he has recurrent urethral obstructions [special needs kittycat!], but the cost of the surgery is quickly outweighed by the unconditional love, the entertainment, and the sheer adorableness that is Mr. Tux. I don't regret one cent of the money I spent on my little furball!
• Beat poetry, and poetry in general.
• Family can be embarrassing, uncouth, and country, but when everything is stripped away, they're still family. {Missing you and loving you Uncle Wolf}
• Don't let other people control you physically or emotionally. I've spent over a year rebuilding my ability to trust and to love. Love does not do that. Love does not strip you of those abilities, physical and emotional control does. Love does not create fear, or make you do things you don't want to, or fly into rages.
• A true friend is someone who appreciates the stupid things about you--like old man laughs, "trick or trout," the movie Babe, and a slight obsession with the color PINK! Time can go by, but the foundation of a true friendship won't crack. [love you JOB]
• It's okay to take a day off!
• AAA is a good thing to have [obviously I mean the roadside assistance, not the medical emergency. Just thought I should clarify. Abdominal aortic aneurysms are very, very bad. Very.]
• We really take our opposable thumbs for granted. I spent 2 weeks in a splint because of a sprained thumb on my dominant hand, and still have residual pain and limited function. You use your thumbs for everything, from brushing your teeth to tying your shoes to typing and writing! And forget nursing, I was stuck on light duty...and even then you need your thumb!

peace and love,

m

penne with Brie, mushrooms, and arugula

Don't be scared off by the ingredients--this is another very simple recipe!

Ingredients

• 12 oz penne pasta
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 lb button mushrooms, quartered
• 1 small red onion, sliced
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• salt and pepper
• 8 oz Brie, cut into 1 inch pieces
• about 2 large handfuls of arugula

Steps

• Cook the pasta according to the package directions. When draining pasta, reserve 1/2 cup of the water. Return pasta to the pot.
• Heat the oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and onions, tossing occasionally, and cook 2-3 minutes.
• Add wine, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper to the mushroom mixture. Cook until mushrooms begin to brown, about 5-6 minutes.
• Toss pasta with the Brie and reserved pasta water until the pasta is coated. Stir in mushroom mixture and arugula.
• Enjoy with leftover wine from cooking!

This is a tasty way to try arugula--the nutty sweetness of the Brie is a nice balance to the peppery bite of the arugula. It's good to have a large bowl on hand so you can easily toss the pasta with the Brie. It would have been difficult for me to do it in the pot I used to boil the pasta.

peace and love,

m

merry christmas, i made it home!

The weather cooperated enough for me to make my short trip home on Christmas Eve. Thank goodness I did not ruin Christmas! It actually rained the entire way on Thursday...now I know what Christmas in Seattle is like ;) The trip back to MKE was a little slippery as the rain started to freeze, but it wasn't too bad. I made it back in plenty of time to be on call but not be called in, hooray. Other members of the clan were not as lucky, as Dani in Iowa and Grandma Z in Norwalk were both snowbound for the holiday. Boo.

It was a very nice Christmas. Continuing our tradition stemming from the time the priest blamed the world's trouble on women, we did not attend Mass; instead, we enjoyed a tasty pepper pork roast, cheesy hashbrowns, crudites and hummus, homemade bread, and dessert. The boys made oyster stew [Mom and I shuddered in disgust]. Dinner was followed by the opening of one gift [a jewelry stand for me] and then we watched Inglorious Basterds. Eh. We'll just say Quentin Tarantino continued his tradition of gratuitous violence and lack of character development. I went to bed after that, the boys stayed up and watched Terminator 3. Seriously, who let Dad pick out the movies this year? The other ones were The Hangover and something equally as silly.

Christmas Day brought more presents, the coveting of Dad's new camera by Mom, and the ever-popular family portrait complete with obscene gestures and forced smiles by the 11th take. Lunch was a tasty honey-glazed ham and garlic-cheese mashed garden potatoes. We played Scrabble after lunch, and then I headed back to MKE, where I reclined on the couch with a silly Mr. Tux for the rest of the evening.

Yesterday, I cleaned the entire apartment...you know, when the bug bites, there's no stopping it! Today I'm going to pick something to do for New Year's that does not involve Water Street, Jo Cat's, or Sheryl Crow [those are the only stipulations], and look up flights to NYC. <--my vacation to San Francisco is probably going to be changed to NYC because Grandma Z wants to go to Ellis Island, and who can deny the coolest 80 year old woman that opportunity?

peace and love,

m

greek pizza

While I was home in good old Monroe for a 24 hour Christmas, I perused Mama Z's magazines for new recipes to try. I came back to the 414 with a nice selection of future meals, completely full of strange, ridiculous things that I knew she would never try...one, because you can't buy some of the ingredients in a Swiss town of 10000 people and two, my Paw would never even think of trying them :)

After a grocery shopping excursion to Trader Joe's [can I just say how much I love this store and how willing I am to drive to Glendale to go there?], I made a few alterations to a recipe for Greek pizzas from Taste of Home, and the result was pure deliciosity.

Ingredients

• 3 pieces of Garlic naan [Yes, I'm using Indian bread for a Greek pizza--it's Indian-Mediterranean fusion!]
• 1 tbsp Trader Joe's feta dressing
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup sliced Kalamata olives
• 1/2 cup drained, rinsed, and chopped artichoke hearts
• 1 chicken breast [I chopped, then tossed with salt, pepper, onion powder, and dill, then sauted in vegetable oil]
• sprinkle of dried oregano [the recipe called for 1/8 tsp, but I don't really like oregano]
• fresh basil leaves
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Steps

• Spread naan with dressing, layer with remaining ingredients.
• Bake at 400 degrees F until cheese is melted, about 8-10 minutes.
• Enjoy!

i'm a sucker for sweet stories...

...like this one! Can you believe that this sweet kittycat made it home 3 years later? You bet Mr. Tuxedo has a microchip...not that he'd ever go outside the comforts and safety of his [yes, his] apartment, let alone 2800 miles and an ocean away!

peace and love,

m

dan's birthday and other things

This past weekend was Uncle Dan's birthday, so he, Aunt Chris, Casey, and the parents came to MKE to celebrate. We went to the Old German Beer Hall where we listened to a polka band, drank beer, and made Uncle Dan stand in the other room to smoke his cigars! It was a fun night, even though I was on call until 11 pm and couldn't imbibe like a true Z family member should on a birthday...and by the time I was off call, I was so tired that I could barely keep my eyes open! I'm just not a person who can get up early and keep going all day long.

I also saw this wonderful Santa sheep that made my day. He has a goatee. hehehe.

I am slowly but surely getting my Christmas shopping done. I still have to find something for Mom, Grandma D, Sara, and Teresa. It's actually pretty amazing that I have a decent stack of gifts under my tree at this point in time. I'm usually the person running to the mall before leaving town for the holidays! I think I've just been in need of retail therapy this year ;)

In other news, I scheduled my first real vacation in over 2 years! This summer, my Mom and I will be headed to San Francisco for a week. I'm half-tempted to start planning it all tonight, but I'm absolutely exhausted. Plus, I'm on call yet again tonight...I'll be even more exhausted tomorrow!

My awesome TOMS shoes arrived today. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like I'll get to wear them tomorrow, as it appears that it will be boot weather. They are uber-cute and the idea behind TOMS is wonderful--for each pair that is bought, they send a pair to a child in need. Plus, they say "make art, not war" on them...perfect for the cute, socialist, coffee snob that I am ;)

Time to hit the hay early, and hopefully not get called in overnight.

Peace and love,

m

BRRR

It's officially cold, as the snot freezes in your nose the moment you step outside.

peace and love,

m

joyeux

Something, something lovely, something sweet,

found me dancing in the shower.

Singing let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.

Sonrío,

A shy smile,

Thinking of a habitual smirk.

peace and love, m

december?!

It's December already?!!!!eleventy!11!!! Oh my goodness. I have no idea where the time went. Wasn't it just Halloween?

The exciting news is that I am officially out of the splint and back to work with no limitations. There are still some motions that hurt my thumb, like putting on my seatbelt, and I'm not supposed to use an open palm to push things...my doctor said no slapping, but punching is okay ;) I keep a large supply of ibuprofen at work so I can keep a steady dose of painkillers coursing through my bloodstream during the day.

The winter weather is finally here. It is chilly with a chance of snow today.

peace and love,

m

a mathematical equation for you

Gin + pine scented candle =

Did you get the answer? Need some help?

It's a Christmas tree, of course! Well, what I mean is, it makes my fake tree seem a little more real. That's one sad thing [besides essentially throwing away money] about living in an apartment--no real Christmas trees allowed here.

Here's the finished product. Just like last year, Tuxedo is [so far] well-behaved around it. He likes to sit underneath it like

a present. Or maybe he's pretending to be a ferocious mountain lion in the forest...that's probably more like it ;)

I have some gifts to wrap for under it, but I still have the majority of my shopping to do. Jenn's is almost complete, and I have Dad's [new digital camera, shh!] but have to do some manual reading so I can do the Christmas morning tutorial! That leaves: Mom, Eric, the Grandmas, Nicholas, Sara, Preston, Teresa, and anyone else I'm forgetting at the moment. And Tuxedo, but I know what I'm getting that monster--a new catnip cigar and some licks of ice cream on Christmas. What a spoiled kittycat!

I'm excited for Christmas, except for the onslaught of Christmas music that we're going to suffer through. As of today, these are the 5 stations at work: talk, Christmas, Christmas, country, and classical. UGH!!

Just like last year, Mr. Tux thought the box was the best thing! So silly. He managed to get one of his mice into the box, and in the process of attacking it, tipped the whole box over! Ahh, that's my boy ;)

peace, love, and happy holidays,

m

thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving! My aunt and uncle were kind enough to take in <> for Packers + bloody marys as well as Thanksgiving dinner today. I am so full of delicious food! Tomorrow I go to work, and then up to the farm for the weekend. I'll most likely go Saturday morning, unless I get out of work super early. It's possible; when I left yesterday there were no general cases scheduled...but I'm sure that has changed. Surgeons, they don't know how to not work.

So what am I thankful for?

• My wonderful, amazing family. I don't know what I would do without them.
• Mr. Tuxedo Cat, who I am willing to spend lots of monies on so he doesn't get sick. I would be so sad without my little monster.
• Having a job. Even though it kills me to work for THE MAN every day, I know having a job in this economy is a blessing.
• The Parking Diva, who almost always helps me find a sweet parking spot for little Shrek.
• The new people I have met this year.
• My health, sprained thumb and all :)
• Coffee, without which I would not make it through the day.

peace and love,

m

lovely weekend

Sometimes, having a surprise Mama Z visit is just what the doctor ordered. I got the phone call "Wash your dishes, I'm coming over!" at 10 am on Saturday morning, and by noon, she was here. We did some Christmas shopping, had delicious Thai food at EE Sane, and went to the "fancy movie theatre," aka iPic at Bayshore, where we had beer and popcorn and watched the incredibly corny 2012. John Cusack is puppy-dog adorable, but even that and apocalyptic special effects can't save a made-for-TV movie. This morning we walked to Alterra for brunch, where I had a tasty Louisiana spicy tofu hash breakfast burrito and good, strong coffee [tm]. Then we walked down by Lake Michigan and out on the breakwater. It's crazy that it's nearly Thanksgiving and I only had to wear my corduroy blazer. We came back to Casa de Meg and watched some Discovery Channel [yeah, the dork comes from both Mama and Papa Z] and played with Mr. Tux. She headed home around 1 pm, and I took a little nap.

I'm on call until 11 pm, so I decided to finally watch Capote, which has been sitting in my DVR list since last December. It was very good.

My thumb is doing pretty well. I have a new splint that is more flexible so I can actually work instead of laminating things and other BS work like that. I never thought I would be excited to go back to work, but that week of pushing papers was like torture for someone who is used to running around 8 hours a day! It still hurts to bend it in, but I am confident that it will be fully functional in a couple of weeks...the doctor mentioned physio, which makes me wonder what kind of PT do you do for a sprained thumb...little pushups?! hehe :)

peace and love,

m

workplace injury

I filed my 1st worker's comp today, after spraining my left thumb tightening a retractor clamp. I tore my ulnar collateral ligament. I'm in a splint for a week, during which I'm not allowed to use my left hand [eek!], and then I have a checkup with a hand surgeon. Hopefully the ligament will be filling in nicely with scar tissue, otherwise he will put me in a cast for 6 weeks...and trust me, I cannot be on light duty for 6 weeks. I barely handled 7 hours of it today! Honestly, I'm a nurse, I can't do sitting at a desk!

peace and love, your cranky nurse,

m

dr. nancy snyderman...

...she gets it right:

Snyderman: "A white man deciding a woman's…… a woman's responsibility in her own procreation. I mean I ... I find it infuriating. I mean, I really think it doesn't matter what side of the abortion issue or pro-choice issue you're on, the fact that they are now making health care harder and harder for women to navigate the system. I think it's outrageous—just outrageous. Kelly O'Donnell, thank you so much. And folks it's not about abortion. It really is about one more burden for women navigating the health care system."

peace and love,

m

oh brother...

I was on the phone with Mama Z tonight, when Eric called. After I helped Mama Z with the concept of call-waiting, this is what Eric needed:

Eric: "Mom, I'm cooking pasta salad. What's canola oil?"

peace and love,

m

new rules

Taking a page from Bill Maher's book, here are my New Rules.

• No construction before 9 am on Saturday mornings. It's bad enough that you wake me up at 6:30 am every weekday, and now you think you can do it on the weekends too? Show some common courtesy and wait until the sun is actually up before you start unloading dump trucks on the one day of the week I have no responsibilities.
• No matter what the letter is behind your name, if you're obstructing health care reform, you are failing America. Yes, I'm talking to you, Bart Stupak! Furthermore, if you can't observe the simplest of Robert's Rules of Order, you don't have the right to be called a Representative.
• Don't mess with my nursing license. I won't put myself on the line for you, whether you are a colleague or a surgeon.
• My name is Megan, not: sweetie, hon [unless you're someone special], or missy. I will tolerate: Meg, Megs, and even Megsters if I like you. Don't ever call me Meggie. Easy enough!
• Twilight is ridiculous, poorly written, and recycles ideas from better authors. Robert Pattinson isn't that attractive, and the fact that Volvo is now running Twilight-related ads makes them a pawn in the tween world of vapidity.

peace and love,

m

2 kinds of people in the world...

...or at least Milwaukee:

• People who think I'm younger than 21 [although I suppose it doesn't help that I went to buy beer wearing a hat with pom-poms and ear flaps].
• People who think I'm in my late 20s/early 30s...must be that mature vibe I give off [which leads me to believe that these people haven't seen my at my worst].

In other news, IT'S FRIDAY!!!!

peace and love,

m

november.

Things I have learned so far, in November:

• My coffee pot does not have an automatic off switch. Oops.
• UPS trucks have white tops.
• Tux does not like people of the XY chromosome persuasion [except, for some odd reason, Papa Z].

peace and love,

m

quick observations

1. Dear Comprehensive Breast Health: When I return calls for my surgeons, I'm not surprised to be put on hold as I'm transferred around the office. However, I must tell you that it is too early to be playing Christmas muzak as your "on hold" music. Please go back to the Yanni-inspired soft rock you normally play. It's the end of October, for pete's sake. Don't sneak the holidays up any more than the commercial industry giants do.
2. I'm finding that my refusal to buy hair spray makes it difficult to curl my hair into a Lucille Ball worthy pile of curls. However, I will make due with my 1980s-era curling iron and no hair spray, because I have principles: no hairspray.
3. Loved Slumdog Millionaire.
4. Carmen is moving to Iowa...which is tons better than Illinois. Moving up in the Midwest!
5. I'm really looking forward to Thanksgiving.

peace and love,

m

dear verizon/alltel:

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

thank you.

peace and love,

m

weird back thing

After I convinced myself that it would be much better if I got up and showered in case I got called in this morning, rather than stay in bed and risk having to go to work with bedhead, I discovered this very strange thing on my back:

I have been wracking my brain trying to figure out what would cause this approximately 3 inch, heart-shaped, waffle-print pattern of petechiae on my back, but have come up with nothing. It doesn't hurt, isn't raised, and wasn't there yesterday. I don't sleep on my back, I don't remember running into anything or getting pinched, and IT'S DRIVING ME TRUCKNUTZ! So if anyone knows what it is, like I've been inhabited by a demon for the Halloween week, please let me know so I can stop freaking out. Not that I think I'm dying or anything [Lindsey has the hypochondriac gene in this family], but it's bothering me because I can't explain it!

In other news, my Papa Z turns 58 tomorrow!!

peace and love [and weird dots],

m

time gets away

Another week down and another one coming. So goes life :)

Work is work. I took care of a woman the other day who told me I reminded her of her sister-in-law. I cautiously asked if this was a good thing or not! She laughed and said it was definitely a good thing. Yesterday I had a lady with tattooed eyeliner, lips, and brows. I dunno, I guess it would be nice to not have to do your makeup each day, but for me, the fun part about makeup is changing it up!

Sam's new house is coming along well. She's picked out cabinets, flooring, a new couch, all sorts of things. She's very excited and rightly so. I'm so happy that she's finally getting something NEW. The house is going to be beautiful and easy for one person to maintain; plus, the view from the hill is amazing. I am surprised that she's going with a more modern look for everything. I would have put money on a North Woods theme...but she really liked the look Mama Z created. I know I've said it before, but I'm so proud of her for taking charge of her life like this after being dealt a raw deal. I loved my uncle, but he was definitely holding her back.

In other news, Papa Z had a bit of a scare when he passed out in the bathroom a week ago, which resulted in a trip to the ER in the ambulance! Mom had to call the neighbors to assure them everything was okay. She also made the paramedics leave for the hospital without the siren. He made Mama Z promise not to call me that night, as it would have resulted in me leaving MKE immediately for home to hound the ER staff. They ran all sorts of tests, couldn't find anything wrong, and sent him home with future appointments with the cardiologist and neurologist. The cardiologist has him wearing a Holter monitor to record his heart activity. Needless to say, Papa Z is not pleased. It is difficult to sleep in, and we all know how much sleep the Z family requires :) He also has had a couple of ECHOs done, which showed a slightly enlarged ventricle, but the cardiologist doesn't see any cause for alarm. I'm pretty sure all the Holter monitor results are going to show are 1) sinus bradycardia [slow heartrate], and 2) a crabbypants Papa Z for having to wear it while hunting, teaching, and sleeping!

Shrek needed a new muffler. Yikes, that is expensive. However, I have noticed an immediate improvement in gas mileage with the tuneup!

Kiona had a Halloween birthday party last weekend. One other kid showed up to the 4 year old's party. No matter though, she loves adults and being the center of attention. She was also the cutest Jedi you've ever seen :) Jeanette and Sylvia go all out for Halloween and we had a blast. I actually lost their address, but it didn't matter because you can practically see their house from space! Now I need a dead celebrity costume for Dan's party on Halloween. I'm leaning towards being Tallulah Bankhead, although it will probably require a lot of explaining...but it does give the excuse for dressing fabulously, always having a cocktail in hand, and calling everyone 'dahling.' And besides, after 11 pm, no one is going to care ;)

Tux is doing well. Wednesday night I woke up in a panic because I couldn't breathe...because the cat was curled up, snoring away on my chest. What a silly rawr!

peace and love,

m

i wish gibbs...

...would just come out and say what he wants to: "You're a fucking idiot, Chip." You can tell how much he's struggling to maintain a sense of decency when he's being asked such stupid questions. I love the man. Rock on Gibbs!!

peace and love,

m

strike out

I guess I can't say shopping was a complete strike out, as I did come home with 2 books, but I didn't find anything I was looking for. The only thing I was tempted to buy was a cute pair of pin-striped pants, but ultimately decided that they were too wide at the bottom. Additionally, I didn't feel like finding a tailor to hem the supposedly "ankle-length" pants to my actual ankle. Seriously, whose ankle are they using for measurement--Lebron James?

In adorable Mr. Tux news, he is being my brave bug catcher. We'll be snuggled on the sofa at night and he'll be half-asleep when suddenly he leaps off and races to wherever the bug he's spotted is, where I grab the nearest hard object and smash it! He's always disappointed that he doesn't get the bug, but I reward him with crunchies :) I find it amazing how he sees them. It's like x-ray vision!

peace and love,

m

brr!

Well, apparently it snowed in my old university town overnight, and it's only 38 degrees here in MKE; and the apartment building's heat turned on last weekend [came home from the farm to wilted plants and am currently trying to resuscitate], I took my long underwear to work...yep, it's turning into winter quite quickly here in good old WI! I do like winter...I could deal without the subzero days, especially here on the lake, but I'll take 4 distinct seasons over 12 months of muggy heat anytime. I love snow and sledding and hot cocoa and all that jazz. Oh, and Christmas :D

However, with winter fast approaching, it means that I have to begin the search for sweaters, and I really struggle with that. I need the fashion industry to stop with the wool/cashmere/animal product obsession and go back to good, old-fashioned, heavy cotton sweaters so I don't break out in hives the moment I even think about putting on a sweater :) Mmkay? Is that too much to ask? I think Old Navy has some nice cotton sweaters, so I'll check there. Any other suggestions? Hmm, I feel as though I wrote almost the same post last year, haha!

In other Megan news, I had a wonderful time at the farm with the fam last weekend. Everyone was there except the MN Zieglers [Jim made an appearance], Hannah, and the WA family. It was a lot of fun. We played games, ate a ton of delicious food [mmm, Mama Phyl's soup and dessert], and sat around the fire. We burned a giant chimney from the new water pump the guys put in, and it was spectacular. Flames nearly to the power lines. Is that a little redneck? Oh well :) It's tradition!

Aunt Sam is moving forward with her plans to...move on. She is having an auction for most of the stuff from the farm. The fire department is going to do a practice burn on her old house, and she showed us where she's building her new house. It's going to be really nice, with a spectacular view of the valley. Over the winter, she is going to study for her GED, and then take First Responder and eventually CNA classes. I'm so proud of her for doing it and I know she will be really good at what she does. The thing that frustrates me is the lack of support from Wolf's family. They aren't talking to her because they think she should keep farming because "it's what Wolf would do." Sorry people, a person cannot sustain a living on a hobby farm, while living in a home with a condemned sewage system, and working a job [Walmart stocker] that is wreaking havoc on her body. She is taking steps to better her situation, herself, and her community. Honestly, it doesn't surprise me that they aren't being supportive of a strong woman, but it still pisses me off. I've always thought that Sam is a hardcore feminist. I think she'll start to realize it too :)

Funnies from work:

"Hi, my name is Megan and I'm going to take care of you in surgery tonight."

"No you're not, you shit!" --exchange with lady with severe Alzheimer's

"Meg, you made that cake?! Oh my god! It was like an orgasm--better than sex!" --Zena

"I need a BIS in room 7."

"You're going to take a piss in room 7?!" --Dr. Martinez misunderstanding Dr. Warsh

After another anesthesiologist comes into the room, jabbers excitedly, and leaves: "Whoa, I think he got into the cocaine..." said in a thick Russian accent by Dr. Milshteyn.

peace and love,

m

congratulations

President Obama,

Big things are expected of you. Please don't disappoint us.

peace and love,

m

lindsay lohan needs to read this.

http://tightsarenotpants.com/manifesto

Seriously. I saw a girl in Target the other night that just made me cringe. What intelligent adult thinks that something that encompasses the entire lower half of the body in skin-tight lycra is acceptable to wear out of the dance studio [eh, or renaissance fair or tribute band rehearsal]?

Tights are for the following: ballet, wearing under pants to keep warm, 80s hair metal, and little girls.

Tights [and their illegitimate spawn leggings] are not a substitute for pants. No one over the age of 10 should be wearing them, unless said person is a ballet dancer, ren fair participant, or Jon Bon Jovi in 1984.

peace and love,

m

Still alive

Still alive, still kicking, just incredibly busy and exhausted. But looking forward to the weekend at the farm with the fam!

Tuxie Cat is doing very well. He's back to all of his naughty behaviors, like begging for treats, racing around the house in the middle of the night, and trying to sleep in the exact middle of the bed. The vet said his incision looked great and that he has one of the best PU results that they've seen. When I have more time, I'll share the adventure we had going to the vet last time. Suffice to say, he was a brat :)

I can't believe that it's October. That means I have to find a birthday gift for Dad. Crikey. He's hard to shop for. I can't buy him anything for hunting, as I know nothing about it and would probably end up getting the wrong shade of camo or something like that. <--yes, there is such a thing as shades of camo. You need white/grey for winter, and stuff like that. It's all very deep.

October also means it's been a year since losing Grandpa Z. I miss him so much, but I know that he's in a much better place. He's probably enjoying an Old Style right now :)

peace and love,

m

there's no one better than family...

To embarrass yourself with! Behold, Christmas 1998:

I'm going to put these around 2001-ish:

And finally, for the 2nd Harry Potter movie, "Draco Malfoy is my boyfriend!" The fronts said "Harry Pocket"...yes, on the pocket :D I'm not sure why I got the villain as my boyfriend...I think it involves being the last one to arrive at the farm though!

peace and love,

m

grass green etsy finds

My favorite color in the whole world is grass green. It's fresh, bright, and reminds me of new beginnings and I love the smell of freshly cut grass. Here's my own little etsy treasury.

There are so many beautiful yarns, like this one from Yarmee, on etsy that I wish I knew how to knit. The only bad thing [well, besides the fact that I can't knit] is that it's wool, and if I even think about wool, I start itching. Oh boo you, you sensitive Ziegler skin! Seriously though, you don't even know how hard it's been the past couple of

winters to find sweaters that keep me warm without turning me into a 5-foot bundle of hives.

Next, I absolutely adore this Zebra keyboard shirt from boygirlparty. It's the perfect mix of clever and geek that tickles me.

One of my biggest regrets from my college days is that I had no time for "fun" classes. Finishing a baccalaureate nursing degree and university honors program in 4 years didn't leave a lot of room for classes that didn't fit into the requirements for my major. I wish I had another 4 years to take all the classes I wanted to, like pottery, painting, piano, languages, religion, politics...and I wish they didn't have to count towards a GPA ;) Alas, you can only take so many credits "pass/fail," and be assured, I would definitely be taking all those art classes pass/fail [for those of you who do not know my artistic talents, consider yourself lucky]! But I would love to know how to make something like this pretty littly bowl from lurearts. I love the free-flowing, organic edges to it.

These pretty little earrings from juneshin are delicate and vibrant all at once. I personally like wearing green next to my red hair, as they complement each other perfectly :) And besides, being the transplant geek that I am, I also like the fact that these wires are called "kidney wires."

peace and love,

m

this amuses me greatly

Kegel? As in...Dr. Arnold Kegel? As in exercises for urinary incontinence/pregnant women/uterine prolapse?

Or Harley Davidson motorcycles?

peace and love,

m

to my fellow XXers:

Oh, thank Maude! I was losing sight of what it means to be a lady, but fortunately feministing found this delightful little article [don't click if you don't give traffic to right-wing batshittery] that reminds us all how to behave properly in this dirty, nasty, corrupt world. I particularly like Molina's description of a proper lady:

"A lady does not tell dirty jokes along with men and she does not tolerate men telling dirty jokes in her presence. She does not swear, and she is not considered "one of the guys." In spite of new fashion trends, a lady always dresses appropriately, leaving a lot to the imagination. When at a social gathering, a lady does not do things she will regret the next day. Above all, a lady is well-mannered, dignified, gracious, and kind."

Shoot. I guess I'm not a lady, despite all of biology's efforts, and all other evidence to the contrary. Let's dissect, point by point, shall we?

• Dirty jokes. I work in surgery. It's a field that often leaves me as the sole female or 1 of 2 women in a room. It's also a high-stress environment where gallows and dirty humour abounds. I'm relatively comfortable with dirty jokes and innuendo [although I still blush like mad]. Here's what I won't tolerate in my presence: sexist, racist, homophobic, ablist jokes. These are the kind of jokes that cause harm. They spread misinformation, stereotypes, and hate. A joke about asking a genie for a 12-inch penis and instead receiving a miniature piano player may be crass [and my favorite surgeon's favorite joke], but it doesn't tear down another human being for his or her differences from what society [and who exactly is society?] deems as 'normal.'
• Cursing. Shiiiiiiitttttttt, that's strike 2 for me. I agree that there are much more eloquent ways of expressing one's displeasure with something, but honestly, there are situations that simply require an organic, primal, emphatic curse. Swear words have become such a part of vocabulary today that most people don't bat an eye when the f-bomb is dropped, or a cuss-laden tirade is delivered in the heat of the moment, or the fact that swear words pepper everyday conversation. One thing that will stick with me forever about my evangelical roommates is the church service I went to with them where the pastor let out a "Fuck you!" to prove some point or another. I was struggling to control my laughter over the great vacuum that swept over the room as everyone gasped at his audacity to curse, and of all curses, the mother of them all. To me, it's simply a word, no different than lamp.It's only what it is because someone decided it was taboo, like everything else that is considered deviant. So my thoughts on this one? Cuss all you want if you like. I'll certainly continue, unless another word comes along that I like better!
• "One of the guys." What on earth does this even mean? That a woman has male friends [omg, u can be freindz with teh menfolkz]? Working in a male-dominated workplace and being comfortable? Playing a game of football in the park with a group of guys? Sitting next to men in church? Seriously, are we working backwards for gender segregation again?
• Dressing "appropriately." To me, "appropriate" is such a subjective term; I prefer to think of dressing in terms of "age-appropriate." Personally, I have eclectic taste. I love vintage style; I love comfortable style. In a day, I'll go from t-shirt and jeans to scrubs to little black dress. I love spicing it up with a little skin, and alternatively, creating that element of mystery with covering up. I feel the author is giving credence to the myth that women "dressing provocatively" is justification for sexual assault, which is one of my biggest frustrations. Why on earth would a woman be to blame for a man's sociopathic behavior? I hate that the sexual assault prevention focus is on what women should not do. Everybody been to it--it's one of the first days of college, you go with your freshman experience class. It's the standard "Ladies, don't drink at parties. Ladies, don't go anywhere alone. Ladies, if you have to walk alone, fashion your keys into brass knuckles. Ladies, don't wear short skirts and heels, it will turn the menfolk into sex-crazed animals." What about the men--why are they getting a free pass at this? Sure, there is the attempt to make it 2-dimensional, but that starts and stops with the "no means no" schtick, and goes right back to what women should not do.
• "...a lady will not do things she will regret the next day." And men get a free pass at this as well? Women can't get shit-faced and spend the next day on the couch, bemoaning what an idiot they made themselves out as in front of their huge crush [whaaaa, recent personal experience, haha?!]? I think for the vast majority of this generation, this is a sort of rite of passage. We all do it. We all make BLCs, whether we are XX/XY, he/she/xe, black/white/brown/polka dot...no one is exempt, and we can all commiserate together.
• "Above all, a lady is well-mannered, dignified, gracious, and kind." I couldn't help but picture a Victorian lady when I read this--eyes down, dressed in layers of lace, parasol protecting her fair skin as she strolls through the park with her protective auntie, then going home for afternoon tea. I feel like the author is exalting this silly purity notion under the guise of "true femininity." Furthermore, things like good manners and kindness are not traits that should be exclusive to the female gender!

This article is virtual treasure trove of everything that is wrong with conservative thought in regards to gender. It dreams of the days when women were objects, passed from father to husband, when a woman's worth was solely dependent on what a man could provide for her. It celebrates the perversity in regards to sexual ownership when it comes to purity rings and purity balls. It puts the blame on women and gives men a free pass when it comes to sexual assault. It assigns antiquated gender roles and allows for continued backwards thinking when it comes to being human versus male/female.

Now it's my turn to define women, and men:

Reject definition. Reject what people want you to be, and be yourself without regrets. Men, if you hate football and prefer opera, celebrate it. Women, if you would prefer to be a deep-water welder rather than a teacher, go for it. Love what you want, who you want, how you want. Why accept limitations based on someone else's ideas?

I'm a nurse who loves to bake and cook, who can fix things around the house better than a lot of guys, who can dish it out and take it, who passionately takes on life. I love the colour pink and wearing dresses, but I'll join you on your 3-day hike without a shower. I fight for what I believe in, I curse, I make bad choices. I can be the perfect host, but I can also tell you that you're an asshole. I will not be content to be a man's object, but I still love romantic comedies and the idea of Mr. Darcy. I like baseball and a good game of football. I also like ballet, theatre, and art museums. I love children and plan to get married and have kids, but that's not my sole purpose or goal in life. I believe in karma and organized religion frustrates me. I spent 8 years in a leotard being judged, yet I am still self-conscious. I just may turn out to be the crazy cat lady. My apartment is littered with books ranging from Harry Potter to Manifesta to The Rastafarians to Love in the Time of Cholera. I'm complex, and beautifully simple all at once.

Gender does not define me, I am human.

peace and love,

m

cooking spree!

This weekend, I planned out a whole menu and went grocery shopping in anticipation of a week's worth of good cooking. It started last night with my single person pot roast [the butcher was quite sure I wanted 8 pounds, not a pound, but I quickly corrected that...what would I be doing with 8 pound of chuck roast?]. Tonight I made sun-dried tomato and broccoli alfredo. Mmm. The best part? It only takes as long as the noodles take to boil, about 10 minutes.

Quick and easy alfredo

8 oz linguine

1/4 cup chopped oil soaked sun-dried tomatoes

1 cup whipping cream

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

salt and pepper to taste

In one pot, bring water to a boil and cook pasta according to directions. In the meantime, saute tomatoes [and whatever other veggies you want] for one minute. Add cream and cheese. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 5-7 minutes until sauce begins to thicken.

Drain pasta, add to sauce. Toss and serve topped with fresh pepper and Parmesan cheese. Delicious with a mixed green salad and Balsamic vinegarette.

I also made Lemon Mousse pie for coworkers. Tomorrow night, vegetable tortellini soup!

peace and love,

m

what it takes to raise a stink...

...for some people. H/T to C&L.

You didn't get mad when the Supreme Court stopped a legal recount and appointed a President.

You didn't get mad when Cheney allowed Energy company officials to dictate energy policy.

You didn't get mad when a covert CIA operative got outed by the Bush administration.

You didn't get mad when the Patriot Act got passed and took away many of our Constitutionally mandated rights.

You didn't get mad when we illegally invaded a country that posed no threat to us.

You didn't get mad when we spent over 600 billion(and counting) on said illegal war and didn't include that cost in the Bush budgets.

You didn't get mad when over 10 billion dollars just disappeared in Iraq.

You didn't get mad when you saw the Abu Grahib photos.

You didn't get mad when you found out we were torturing people.

You didn't get mad when the government was illegally wiretapping Americans.

You didn't get mad when we didn't catch Bin Laden.

You didn't get mad when you saw the horrible conditions at Walter Reed.

You didn't get mad when we let a major US city drown.

You didn't get mad when the deficit hit the trillion dollar mark.

You finally got mad when.. when... wait for it... when the government decided that people in America deserved the right to see a doctor if they are sick.

Seems like illegal wars, lies, corruption, torture, stealing your tax dollars to make the rich richer, are all ok with you but helping other Americans... well fuck that.

peace and love,

m

oh my god, shoes!

Tuxie Cat loves shoes. And yes, the internets did need another cat picture, thank you very much!

peace and love,

m

sweet project

The Yellow Bird Project is a collection of indie musicians who design t-shirts and the proceeds go to various deserving charities--for example, Bon Iver designed this shirt and the proceeds go to Interval House, a women's shelter in Toronto. Other charities include Amnesty International, Greenpeace, and St. Jude's.

I always appreciate celebrities using their celebrity status in a way to give back. It doesn't surprise me that it's indie musicians spearheading this project. Unfortunately, those with the most fame seem content to focus on only themselves [there are some exceptions, i.e. Brad and Angelina].

So, check out the site, buy a shirt, get involved! Bon Iver is going to be in Milwaukee for the AIDS Walk Wisconsin!

peace and love,

m

offensive?

Does anyone else find those Super Modelquins or whatever the eff they're called in the ads for Old Navy highly insulting to female intelligence? I think I just lost a dozen brain cells in that ad spot.

peace and love,

m

mr. tux update #6

Well, Tux has been home since Tuesday night, and he is a very happy kittycat. The little monster has barely left my side since returning home. He sits on my lap when I'm at the computer, sits on my feet while I'm washing dishes, and snuggles his cold plastic cone on my legs while I'm sleeping! His surgery went very well and he is peeing like a rockstar ;) You might not believe that someone can be overjoyed about his/her cat going to the bathroom, but let me tell you, it's a major relief and a definite cause for celebration!

You can see his shaved front leg where the IV was, the spot they shaved for the echocardiogram, and his shaved Hostein belly. You can also see that he was very happy to be home!

Tomorrow I take his fentanyl patch off. I think his pain level will be okay though. I'm sure he'll let me know if it's not :) YOWL! I'm more worried about actually pulling the patch off rather than his surgical site being painful. Think about it--taking tape off yourself hurts; now imagine pulling something sticky off a cat! At least his nails got trimmed at the hospital :D

Tuxie's shaved behind and fent patch.

Stitches will come out in 1-1.5 weeks from now, and until then, he has to wear the cone. I laugh at him on a daily basis as he tries to lick himself [he's got some contortionist moves but just.can't.reach!], runs into the walls, eat and drink with it on, and tries to fit into places [i.e. futon sling] that he can't.

Here he is , looking a little groggy, but adorable as always! And you can see the cute little heart they made with Coban on his IV site...yeah, he got that dressing off in about 2 seconds flat! It took him until the middle of the night to get the cone off, but he woke me up in the process so the attempt to get to the stitches was foiled. Now, the cone is secured with a ribbon and a collar.

peace and love,

m

quick comment

I think it's absolutely hilarious that Sarah Palin has a facebook page where she is spewing her chronically misinformed observations. The thing about technology is that it makes your intellectual shortcomings so much more obvious :)

Updates on Mr. Tux's homecoming will be posted tonight. He is very happy though and doesn't want to leave my side!

peace and love,

m

mr. tux update #5

Tux made it through surgery with no complications. He is now anatomically...not male ;) Hopefully he will be able to come home tomorrow night. He'll have to wear a cone so he doesn't pull his stitches out...I'll have to grumpy-kittyproof the house! I can't wait to have him home again. I miss everything about not having him here, from the thump and race to the door when he hears me turn the key at night, to the snugglebug hogging the bed, to him hiding in the laundry when there's a storm.

peace and love,

m

mr. tux update #4

The Tuxie Cat does not, repeat, does not, like his NG tube. Well, if the little monster would eat, he wouldn't have to have it! He does this little cough-sneeze-snort thing because it tickles the back of his throat when he moves around. Poor dear. Hopefully, he'll start eating on his own and it can come out.

When I visited today, he stumbled out of his cage and promptly climbed in my lap for a 45 minute snuggle-bellyrub-love fest. I say "stumble" because an excited cat on painkillers with 3 lines [NG tube, catheter, and IV] and a cone does not move very well!

More news to come tomorrow after I talk with the surgeon.

peace and love,

m

mr. tux update #3

I got a call from the vet a couple of hours ago and they had to put an NG tube in Tuxie Cat. He was still refusing to eat [brat!] and has lost an 1/8 of a pound in 2 days...which is a lot when you're only 11 pounds to begin with! He needs the calories and protein though, because he's going to surgery and needs to heal.

Sad panda :(

mr. tux update #2

Tuxie Cat is doing very well but is still in the hospital. He's going to be there another couple of days, as he's going to have surgery early in the week. They are leaving his catheter in until then too, because he still has some sandy sediment in his bladder and is a high risk for re-obstructing--and Dr. Tarrasov said that it was very difficult to get the catheter in the first time so it would be even more challenging to do again. What can I say, he's a special [needs] cat!

Here he is being all active. I was trying to get a shot of his shaved belly so you could see all of his "Holstein spots" but he was too interested in trying to lick his catheter with the cone on :)

They took his cone off for a while during my visit today, but then he tried to get his catheter and IV out so we had to put it back on. Needless to say, he wasn't pleased. I did however, get him to eat some food. He still isn't eating too much for them and I don't want them to put a nasogastric tube in--what a pain to put in people, I can't imagine in a cat! Obviously, there is sedation involved; I don't think you would have much of a face left if you tried it without :)

My sweet, painkiller-addled kittycat, additionally blissed out by a bellyrub! Also looking rather resigned and defeated in his "party hat."

peace and love,

m

mr. tux update #1

The monster known as Tux has been in the kittycat ICU for almost 24 hours now. His catheter was placed last night around midnight and he had a lot of bloody urine, so they increased his IV fluids to try to flush it out, which worked as he now has clear urine. He's not eating for them, but I think that's because he can't figure out how to eat while wearing a cone :) I visited him tonight and he was very excited to see me--he ran [as best he could] out of the cage and tried to flop for a bellyrub...didn't work so well! Tuxie is a very grumpy cat because of the catheter, IV, and cone he has to wear, and gets really frustrated trying to move around. Dr. Tarrasov, who, incidently, is NOT easy to understand, especially while trying to talk on a cell phone in an elevator, said that he thinks they will pull the catheter tomorrow morning. Yay!

Here is the promised picture of very grumpy Tux and his cone! The catheter is taped around his tail, which he hates, and the IV is in his left front leg.

peace and love,

m

breaking mr. tux news

Last night around 10 pm, I had to take Mr. Tux to the kittycat ER because he wasn't peeing...again. Turns out, he had a completely obstructed urethra...again. He is spending the next couple of days in the kittycat ICU with a foley catheter [I've gotta find humor in this somehow, hehe] and some IVs. He'll probably be having surgery next week sometime to fix the problem, hopefully for good. This cat's medical care costs more than mine, but I'm so damn attached to him that I didn't even think twice :)

I miss my little monster already, but I'm planning to go visit him tonight. I'll remember my camera so you can all see the monster in his cone collar, hehe.

peace and love,

m

josh groban...

...is amazing and makes me cry.

My migraine is gone after leaving work after 2 hours, stopping at Target for medicine and chicken soup, and an Advil PM-induced sleep that lasted all afternoon.

That is all.

peace and love,

m

kitchen sink catch-all

Books I've finished recently:

-Twilight. Delightfully insipid, mindless reading. I finished it in 3 one-hour segments. Of course, it doesn't hurt that the print belongs in the large print aisle of the library. Thoughts: I can't stand whiny, weak heroines. Bella shows some flashes of strength, but then quickly folds under what tweens will call Edward's "love" but we all know is his desire for complete control. He doesn't tell her what they're doing 99% of the time, and everything in the relationship is on his terms. I'm torn on this one--I'm glad that it has gotten more high school age girls reading, but I wish that it had healthy relationships and strong female characters for girls to look up to. I guess I have to accept it for what it is and simply hope that it will lead these former non-readers to more meaty literature.

-Eleanor's Story: An American Girl in Hitler's Germany. Now this is what a strong girl looks like! This memoir is written for young adults, but everyone should read it. For so long, we've been taught a singular view of history--the old white man with a PhD. This book gives us a glimpse of Hitler's Germany through an unlikely source: an American girl trying to find her identity in a country devastated by war. The author draws you in with her compelling story--a young American family returns to Germany just as WWII breaks out--and keeps you hooked with her easy prose and unique experience.

-Diary of a Wombat. What an adorable book. This fuzzy little wombat has quite the adventure with the new human neighbors. The pictures are great, the deadpan humor is wonderful, and the wombat will steal your heart.

Manifesta. Anyone, but especially teen girls, reading Twilight should pick this and Full Frontal Feminism up for a primer in Third Wave Feminism. It explains where we are, how we got here, and how to keep moving forward in a world that is still not equal.

Music I've been loving:

Davy Knowles and Back Door Slam. Amazing guitar licks and soulful blues from a twentysomething from the Isle of Man. I envision a tour with Fedora ;) <--but seriously, that would be awesome.

Fleet Foxes. I can't get enough of the harmonies and lush sound of Mykonos.

Bon Iver. Indie rock from Eau Claire, now hitting the big time. What's not to love? I still remember the day that the video from his duet with Lykke Li popped up on my "most popular" youtube box--I was so excited and surprised!

What I've been up to:

-Uncle Jimmy Z's 50th birthday party in Lewiston last weekend--which involved grilling out, free beer, a DJ who played waayyyyyyy too much country, and yes, a performance of The Worm.

-Sylvia's long-awaited return to Milwaukee, celebrated with a night at La Cage and lots of hugs. I'm so happy that she and Jeanette are finally reunited after 6 long months apart.

-Finding studs. Hahaha, but not what you think--I was decorating my apartment and turned 4 nails into right angles :) The end result is lovely albeit slightly off center :P You can't tell unless you really stare at it though.

Agenda for today:

-Drink more coffee, shower and get dressed, do laundry and dishes. Maybe cook something.

peace and love,

m

the first one

Exactly 1 year, 11 months to the date of being hired, I lost my first patient. I'm not sure how I feel right now, except pretty surreal. We were doing a crazy, complex case involving putting the woman on heart bypass, taking her liver out, perfusing the liver while resecting a huge tumor, and putting the liver back in her. We actually had the liver back in, the anastomoses made, and the organ reperfused, but then things went south. I could go all clinical and tell you what happened, but I think her son-in-law said it best when he said that she didn't want to live with the tumor any more, and when we put her tumor-free liver back in, she was ready to go.

rest in peace.

peace and love,

m

birthday week!

Yes, that is right, this is my birthday week! I'm going to be the big 2 dozen on the 12th--I'm thinking of it as my double golden birthday ;) I mean, come on, nothing exciting comes with 24 [still can't rent a car without the dumb underage fee, and AARP benefits are many years away--not that I'm counting down the days to those anyhoo], so I decided that I will make it exciting by having a birthday week and a double golden celebration!

Now I'm sure you're asking, what does a birthday week and double golden celebration entail? I admit, I'm not quite sure of all the details yet, but I do know that it means not feeling bad about buying 2 pints of Ben and Jerry's! And it also means going out on Friday night with the cool people from work, and it may or may not lead to dancing on bar tops :)

peace and love,

m

girls' weekend had me a blast!

This past weekend, Grandma Z; Aunts Chris, Nancy, Kay, and Lynn; cousins Tracy, Andrea, Danielle, Lindsey, and Jaime; Mom; and I traveled to Madison for our annual Ziegler Girls' Weekend. <--yes, that's 12 women under 5'5", watch out! I had such a wonderful time! We packed a lot into 48 hours--mostly on Saturday.

Before I arrived Friday night [after a very speedy trip from Milwaukee, hehe], they went to Olbrich Gardens. My aunts are very good at gardening and love flowers...and my Mom is trying very hard to join their Green Thumb Club. I'd say her black thumb is halfway on its way to being green :) We relaxed in our hotel rooms [yay adjoining rooms!] with the Brewers game and beers...and trying to get the damn widget out of the Guinness bottle, and calling Uncle Mark at home to see if he could get it out! Lynn: "Put it in a paper bag, and smash it in the basement. You have a hammer!"

On Saturday, we got up early, grabbed continental breakfast [I still think my Cheerios tasted like sausage, but at least there was coffee], and headed to the Farmer's Market. Half of the group didn't grasp Farmer's Market walking pace and speedwalked around the Capitol. The other half of us had a lovely time sampling goat cheese, pesto, fresh strawberries, etc. Then we headed down State Street, hit up the Irish Pub for drinks before noon [5 o'clock somewhere], and lots of interesting people watching. We had lunch on the rooftop of Monona Terrace, where we also saw 2 weddings...one of which had like 7 couples, yikes! The view of the lake was beautiful. After lunch, we headed to the Zoo, where the animals were very...frisky. Summer lovin'!!!! Following the Zoo, we returned to the hotel for swimming/napping/reading and showers before going to dinner at the Great Dane. Hooray big beers! Then we went to hear Fedora at the Hody Bar, and got a song dedicated to Grandma :)

On Sunday morning, we packed up and said our goodbyes. Mom and I went shopping and to Parade of Homes. I picked out some birthday presentsl--I mean, what birthday presents?!! hehe. I got back to Milwaukee around 8 pm to a very happy to see me kittycat.

Unfortunately, I have no pictures of the weekend because my camera batteries died, and the replacement batteries Mom gave me were also dead, but I didn't know that at the time and thought my camera was completely toast. Of course when I got home and tried fresh batteries in it, it worked. Grr. Oh well. I'll have to get copies from people!

Off to work!

peace and love,

m

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

Happy Summer!

I totally forgot yesterday's Solstice, and henceforth, the first day of summer!

This week also brings Girls' Weekend in Madison. I'm so excited! It's going to be intimidating for anyone meeting us--10 or so ladies all under 5'5" :) Grandma Z is even coming!! I'm just sad that all the girls aren't going to be there [we'll miss you Casey and Hannah]. We're going to do all the fun Madison things: Olbrich Gardens, the Farmer's Market, ice cream at the Union, State Street, brunch, hopefully a pontoon boat ride, and of course, hearing Fedora at The Hody Bar on Saturday night!

peace and love,

m

beautiful weekend

I was so happy to have Mom visit this weekend. It's always good to see family, and I love havingthem in Milwaukee. Mom came Friday night, during the thunderstorms. When I came out of work, I expected to find a message in my voicemail that she was hiding in a ditch somewhere on I-43, but fortunately, the tornado was south of Milwaukee in Kenosha. We braved the downpour and went out for Friday fish fry...I've been craving one for a couple of weeks now! The beer batter was crispy, slightly sweet, and perfectly artery-clogging :)

On Saturday, we slathered on the SPF 55 sunscreen and walked to the Lakefront Festival of Arts, where we spent the rest of the morning and part of the afternoon checking out all the talented artists who were showcasing their work. I really liked the concept behind the piece called One by Matthew Adelman. It is a singular work of art made of 1 million tiny squares. There were, of course, many artists whose art was beyond two laypersons' understanding--like the paintings of 2 chili peppers on a porch swing--but it was a lot of fun. Mom found the perfect picture for Uncle Jim's birthday present.

After getting some much needed food [and gelato--pink grapefruit and mixed berry, yum], we walked down to Lakeshore State Park and listened to the polka music from Polish

Fest as we hiked the loop trail. We headed back home by way of Veterans Park to check out the millions of dollars sitting in the marina. Some of those boats are huge--and they all make my Dad's rowboat look like a toy!

Back at home, we took turns taking cat naps while the other one showered off the layers of sunscreen and sand, and then headed to the mall for some quick interior decorating shopping...instead, we both walked away with pairs of shoes! Haha, like mother, like daughter! We also got Eric some nice clothes for his birthday. We're going to turn him into a respectable young man yet :)

Mom left around 7:30 pm, and I spent the rest of the evening watching August Rush and reading Pride and Prejudice. I enjoyed the movie. It has lovely music in it, and I've been a Freddie Highmore and Jonathan Rhys Meyers fan since Finding Neverland and Bend it Like Beckham, respectively.

Today I am just relaxing and doing some decorating around the apartment. And perhaps taking a nap...just as soon as I finish this :)

peace and love,

m

toygers

So I had never heard of such a things as a "toyger" until today when one of my anesthesiologists was excitedly talking about the new cat he's getting this weekend. He is getting a toyger--a completely domestic cat that has been bred to look like a miniature tiger. I have to agree that they are absolutely adorable, and am kind of crushing on said anesthesiologist because he was so excited about his new kitten that is "so cute!" <--his words...okay, yes, I'm partially partial to guys who get excited about the sweetie pie things in life ;) But the other part of me is sad because there are SO MANY good kittycats waiting to be adopted at the Humane Society, and there are all these people paying thousands of dollars for designer cats. I wouldn't give up Mr. Tux for any designer cat, no matter how adorable that cat is. Besides, Mr. Tux thinks he's a lion, and we all know that's what matters :)

In other news, not much. Cute boy at work is still cute boy at work. Work is still work. I've had a couple of earlier starts this past week, including today. I'm going in early tomorrow to do a big GYN oncology case too. I tell ya, these people should erect monuments in my honor. I can't tell you how many times I've saved their butts by coming in early, staying late, doing neuro and ortho cases, coming in even when I'm not on call, and so on. When the economy rebounds and the hiring freezes are unfroze and I leave, they are going to miss me!

Mama Z is visiting tomorrow and Saturday. We're probably going to the art festival. Maybe Polish Fest for beer :) But since Mama Z is visiting, that means I have to do dishes, and since I'm working early tomorrow, I have no other time to do those dishes except for now...so adios!

peace and love,

m

i sat here trying to think of a title...

^^but that's all I came up with. It will have to do!

Today was beautiful out and it finally felt like June is supposed to--but it's not going to stay this warm. What is going on, weather? Can we please stick with one weather pattern for more than 24 hours? You're going hot-cold-rainy-frosty-and back again, and it's really wreaking havoc on my internal thermostat. I don't know whether to sleep with the window open, or if I need to bring extra blankets in! And really, it's June. I should be able to put away the sweaters without a second thought!

I have a confession. I have been bitten and sucked in by the vampire bug [ohhhhhhh, snap, that's 2 vampire puns in one!]. True Blood on HBO. I blame my 2nd shift coworkers! But don't fret, I will never, ever, ever read Twilight. I prefer strong heroines!

[Isn't that a strange word, heroine? I always thought it was...how one little "e" makes a nasty drug into a strong, brave woman.]

Along with my slightly embarrassing infatuation with True Blood, I have also discovered how much I like Kings of Leon. This is, obviously, much easier to admit to than liking a vampire show :)

Time for bed. They moved me up to the 9-5:30 shift tomorrow. I still don't get why they can't get it through their thick skulls that losing nurses means you have to hire new ones if you want to run the same number of rooms. GAH! And to think, our CEO makes over 2 million dollars a year. I should run the place.

peace and love,

m

to the brink of insanity, and back

Work nearly drove me off the cliff this week. It has been pushing and pushing me for the past 2.5 weeks and just about succeeded on Thursday. I very nearly called in a sick day for yesterday after an awful Tuesday-Thursday, but I didn't. Catholic guilt, I suppose. I am in a much better mood now, back to my happy self :)

And since I am back to my happy self, I'm going to share some things that make me even happier :)

-Just now, outside my apartment, a girl on rollerblades being pulled by her dog. Hahaha!!
-Tux chasing a string.
-Sailboats on Lake Michigan. Lots and lots of them.
-Chai tea.
-[hopefully] not being called in. Of course, now that I wrote it...
-Seeing the rainbow flags flying with the Wisconsin and US flags down at the Pridefest grounds. It gives me the hope that we're going to move past [again] having 2nd-class citizens.
-This boy at work... :) It's like a goddamn schoolgirl crush.
-Girls' Weekend in T minus 13 days!

peace and love,
m

harrumph.

Well, I didn't win the lottery yesterday [but that would have been pretty difficult, as I didn't buy a ticket]. Nor did I even get to see the cute guy at work. So now I'm wondering, what was so lucky and memorable about it? It seemed like a pretty standard day at work...however, I'll look at it this way: I got to eat lunch. My patient made it through a tough surgery. My surgeon was pretty chill the entire time. I guess those are all pretty lucky things :)

Today is my Mama's birthday! No telling how old she is though. I'm a good daughter! A lot of my dear friends have birthdays this week--yesterday was Jenn, today is Mom and Katie, tomorrow is Jeanette. Happy happy! Mmm, cake :)

I have to get out and take some new pictures. For now though, you'll have to be satisfied with this one of sleepy, hungover Eric, and Mr. Tux finding a comfy place to rest from Easter!

peace and love,
m

i can live with that

I didn't feel like cooking tonight so I ordered Chinese...mmm, chicken fried rice! The fortune cookie said: "Tomorrow will be lucky and memorable for you."

peace and love,
m

breasts

"Oh god, there are too many breasts in this room." --Dr. L, as he looks up and realizes that everyone in the room is female except for him.

"Dr. L, breasts keep you in business!" --Jeanette and my response [he's a plastic surgeon].


And yes, I knew that title would be...titillating :)

saturday already?

And 11 on Saturday night at that?

Long, crazy week. Doesn't even feel like I had a day off [but I did, I did!].

• Took care of a schizophrenic lady with a neck abscess who said she got it from a "man who is obsessed with her and bit her." Oh goodness.
• Helped with a total femur replacement. Yes, you read that correctly...the patient now has metal from her hip to her knee in her left leg: hip replacement, metal rod as femur, knee replacement. Stay away from magnets!
• Was told that my Spanish was pretty good. Accepted the compliment and kept a straight face! My Spanish? Good? AHAHAHAHAAHAHAAA!!
• Asked who sung a certain song on the Top 40 station at work. When I asked why they expected me to know, was told, "You're the youngest in the room, you should know!" I'm the youngest in the whole damn OR, but that doesn't mean I can tell you who is singing the shit on the radio!
• Was called "strong like bull.

And now it's time for that long missing segment, Saturday Picks! I've been baaaaaaaad about blogging on even a semi-regular basis. Oops. Here's to trying!

Book: On my day off, I started reading Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Jenn gave it to me for Christmas and I'm finally getting around to reading it. For those well-versed in romantic comedies, yes, it is the book in Serendipity. It tells the story of a man who pledged his undying love to a woman who eventually married someone else. Through all the years, the man kept his love for her, and returns to her life when her husband dies. The book has humor, history, love, and social commentary. I have a feeling that it will become a book that I reread often.

Music Obsession: my Bright Eyes station on Pandora. Last 3 songs: Masterfade by Andrew Bird, President of What? by Death Cab for Cutie, and The Sound of Silence by Simon and Garfunkel.

Picture: http://www.flickr.com/photos/illonahaus/3012074849/ Absolutely adorable.

Covet: A new dresser. I can't post a link or pic, because I haven't found it yet. Needs to be: sleek, dark, modern, easy to clean.

peace and love,

m