2nd year mammogram is fine!

I celebrated by watching Penn and Teller's Bullshit show on "Breasts"

reading Mrs. Gaskell

The Kindle has changed my reading habits. I cannot resist the brand new $9.99 "hardcovers". But all the great Victorians are available for free or a few dollars. So I've downloaded all of the Brontes and Mrs. Gaskell, big hunks of Dickens and Trollope, and good old Wilkie Collins. I read some of this treasure trove every day.

Right now I'm thinking Mrs. Gaskel is the best of the lot. None of her characters are carictatures. She is so respectful of the people, servants and masters and tradesmen alike, while plying her wicked humor everywhere. She does food even better than Dickens and has pelnty to say about clothes and furniture.

Carol Shields was writing about Jane Austen when she said, "the true subject of serious fictin is not 'current events', on-going wars or polictical issues, but the search of an individual for his or her own true home". I'm fond of Jane, but I prefer Elizabeth.

And Cranford is everyone's own true home. I think of Brendan Behan reading this "very comfortable class of a book" in his borstal cell at the age of sixteen. Lingering over the description of the cherry brandy.

nothing good can possible come of this

I haven't seen "Nurse Jackie" yet but all the reviews make this show sound like the best thing that ever happened to nursing. There is the problem that the lead character is addicted to prescription drugs, takes them a work every day, and trades sex for drugs with a pharmacist. And I should be grateful to Showtime for having a nurse in a feature role?

Then there is another new nursing show (I've forgotten the title already) starring Jada Pinkett Smith. I see from the promos that she is a "chief nurse executive". The promo, of course, features her doing CPR in the ER. I hate to bring this up, but it doesn't take eight years of college to learn CPR. It is taught to anyone off the street in three hours. I would like to see this character do something really hard, like face a federal inspector, negotiate with the nurses union, or approach the medical staff about an abusive and dangerous physician.

vacation and broken ankle

Despite the injury, the vacation was great. I slowed everything down, seeing fewer people and going fewer places, spending more time in decent hotels with my leg elevated.

Lorraine and I had a great time in Albany - who knew what a fine and historic downtown they have. We had an awesome dinner at Captain Jack's Oyster House.

And Bruce. Our cheap seats were wonderful -close to the stage and behind it . And, in all the years I have followed Bruce and the band (or his other bands). they have never been better. Bruce relaxed, not talking much, but warm and affectionate with us. About to turn 60 and at the peak of his power. On my feet and dancing (despite cast) for 3 and 1/2 hours.

Then a pleasant drive to Rochester. I spent three days in a recliner at Aunt Margaret's place. She brought me glasses of water and snacks and a cocktail every day at five, She called the relatives and they came to see me. Uncle Jim and Aunt Bonnie took me out to lunch in a place overlooking Lake Ontario, then out for frozen custard and a burger at places he must have taken me to as a child. Uncle Bill and Aunt Gari came to dinner, and we talked about how much we miss my father. Lunch with Aunt Jeannie and her sons Randy and Scott, and Scott's three remarkably gracious kids (2-4-6). Two year old Zak said, after visiting the water garden, "I love waterfalls". I spent an hour with my cousin Mary Alice and her granddaughter Addy.

How can I live so far away from such great people?

Patrick Henry's quilt

His big brother Jack has a Funky Monkey quilt with a different pattern. I forgot to photograph that one, though. Working with all that bright orange is a real treat.

Congratulations

Handsome nephew #1 graduates from high school today.

further adventures in healthcare

I've been working on pandemic flu plans for eight years or so in various jobs. Now its here. I have to confess to a little thrill initially but now its like the volcano - no good will come out of this. And 2009 H1N1 is complicating my vacation plans and plans to see Springsteen back east and to add to everything

I had a dog walking accident Tuesday night and fell and broke my ankle. (You should have seen the little guys run for their lives.)

So far this doesn't look like a big medical expedition. I dragged myself to bed (whimpering) and called the orthopedic office the next morning. (Never go to the emergency room with a fracture unless its sticking out of the skin. They don't consider it an emergency.) At the office they had me in, x-rayed, and casted in about 20 minutes.

This is a walking cast, but my ankle hurts and moving hurts and I spend part of the work day lying on the office floor with my foot up on the desk trying to get the swelling down.

In ten days I'm supposed to be a plane to New York. If the volcano doesn't blow again. I wonder how this ankle will feel after 12 hours flying time scrunched in that little seat. And I can't drive, so I will have to plot complex train, bus, and plane routes to get where I'm going. And what if Albany is in the throes of influenza and Bruce's show is cancelled and there I am in Albany...

I know, I'm whining.