How I Spent My Summer Vacation ...

hey y'all,

thanks to all of you for the comments on my new blog site (here and via email). i appreciate y'all making the switch with me and for your patience as i continue to figure out what the heck i'm doing.

as promised (and i know each of you has been holding her baited breath for this post), here's the scoop (or poop, if you prefer) on our (hubs and mine) "summer vacation".

i'm not one to overuse quotation marks (however, i do seem to have an affinity for the parenthetical), in fact, i take issue a great deal of the time when they're overused (here's a great blog if you feel the same: blog of unnecessary quotes).

but.

i.

digress.

as.

usual.


i used quotation marks for "summer vacation" because it really wasn't. summer, yes. vacation no. we missed out on our annual summer adventure this year because my dearest needed surgery.

i won't go into all the gory details (and believe me, i could) since he doesn't want me writing anything too personal about him. suffice it to say, it was an ordeal for my dear hubby.

since we'd all much rather read/write about moi (hahahaha), i thought i'd share a few items of interest, "travel tips" if you will, from my perspective as the S.O. (significant other) of a surgical patient at chateau de la scott & white (otherwise known as scott & white memorial hospital, temple, texas for those of you not familiar with healthcare facilities in central texas).

keep in mind that said S.O. stayed with said surgical patient for 5 days and 4 nights, never leaving his side except to find nourishment for S.O. or something for the patient:


1. don't have surgery unless whatever they're taking out is killing you. it's traumatic and dramatic and it could kill you. and i'm not even talking about the patient here.

2. if you have a 3:00pm surgical report time, you are sooo screwed.

3. if the surgical unit calls you at home and requests that you come into surgery early, don't think you're going into surgery early. it's just a ploy to get you and the patient there early so you can wait longer.

4. take your laptop. chateau de la scott & white offers "free" (don't kid yourself, your insurance premiums are paying for this too) wireless internet in the surgical family waiting area. however, unlike hotels, they filter your access. don't expect to update your facebook/myspace pages, or check the yard sale listings on craigslist while your loved one is under the knife ... not that you'd want to anyway, right?!?! of course not. don't be silly.

5. make friends with the lady behind the desk. she makes the coffee.

6. when they finally wheel your loved one to you and his first words are, "these people are trying to kill me!!", he's probably not having as much fun as you are.

7. after settling into your suite (room 824, north tower), you realize that hospital pillows are nothing more than floppy pieces of plastic stuffed into a 50 thread count sort-of-white pillow case. word to the wise: pack your own pillows. your neck will thank you.

8. but it really doesn't matter what kind of pillow you have because your head won't be on it very much. night-time at chateau de la scott & white is a constant cacophony of beeps and buzzes, knocks and noises, pokes and prods by the vampires with needles, the med students with questions (who aren't sure which end of the stethoscope goes in their ears) and the never-ending parade of what i affectionately call "baby doctors".

and by "baby doctors", i don't mean doctors who take care of babies. i mean the fetuses in scrubs who are allegedly old enough to have finished college AND med school and are now pretending to know how to treat your loved one ... despite the fact that they can't possibly be a day over 12.

9. make friends with your RN. she can make things happen. she can also make things not happen. like when it's discharge time. you want a proactive nurse. esp. if your patient is somewhat IMpatient. if you know what i mean.

10. take pictures of your "vacation". it'll make it last longer. AND you can share them with others on your blog. haha!


dear hubby's vacation bed ... v. fancy and smart, too!


my nest on the north tower. tara did a mercy run mid-week and brought me my own pillow!


our lovely view from the north tower ... the old circular towers of S&W, back in the good ol' days


if you get bored, you can always watch the window washers outside ... don't forget your camera!


hubby swore they were gawking inside the windows ... peeping tom window washers!! whaa??!?!


a gorgeous sunrise from the north tower. who says this isn't a vacation?!


ahh yes. the patient says this isn't a vacation. poor baby. oh well, at least he was watching golf ...


okay, this has nothing to do with our "vacation". but the day after we got home (saturday), i hit a couple of yard sales. isn't this the CUTEST, sweetest bird?! love the designs and colors on her cracked body! perfect on my patio!


sweet cup and plate ... thanks sue!


tiny, old, chippy framed picture from paris. !!!!!!! yard sale find!!!


and i'll leave you with a close-up of my mailbox pinkies. so lovely!

love and hugs,
terry lee