please fix my @%*@*^ knee!

Melody playing... Crystal, her sister, smiles for me

Okay folks, it’s Sunday again! Tomorrow is the big day for my surgery and honest to goodness, I thought I’d never say this but I can’t wait for it!  I called Friday to get my surgery time and they told me it’s at 1 p.m.  I can’t have anything to eat or drink after midnight tonight.  I’m not sure how I’m going to survive that, to tell you the truth. I have a serious coffee addiction and since I usually rise around 4 a.m., I have a long time to wait! I asked the nurse if I could have anything when I wake up tomorrow since I have to wait so long to come in and she told me I could have “a sip of water!” Please, lady, do you know how many medications I’m on that cause dry mouth? Luckily, being an RN myself, I know they are just covering their butts in case I aspirate under anesthesia so I plan on having a cup of coffee or two when I arise at the dreaded 4 a.m.

You see, if I had been scheduled for an 8 a.m. surgery, like I was before they rescheduled me, and followed their directions of having nothing after midnight, that would mean I could have stuff 8 hours before surgery.  Since I’m going in at 1 p.m., I figure I can sneak in some liquid, at least until 5 a.m., right? I don’t need a lot, just something to wet my whistle and get a little of that wonderful caffeine in me.

We are taking Miss Thistle along to Sheridan with us tomorrow, too.  The weather gurus are calling for a pretty big snowstorm to hit sometime tomorrow afternoon and we don’t want to get caught not being able to get back to the dear baby girl.  This way, if we get stuck over there, at least we have the whole family together. It will give Rob something to do while I’m in surgery, too. Thistle has become quite the traveler in our truck and prefers to be sitting in the backseat waiting on us any day instead of home locked up in her kennel. We got one of those pet seat covers for the back seat that comes up into a sling so she supposedly can’t get in the front. It’s very comfy for her and she has toys and rawhide back there. Unfortunately, she’s getting so large, we are investing in one of those wire barriers to keep her from coming over the sling, which right now she just likes to hang over, like a back seat driver talking in your ear.

Yesterday was really fun.  We went to Sheridan for a Dragon Wall buffet cure after Rob’s big party.  Nothing like unlimited Chinese food to cure a hangover! I’m pretty boring in my selection there, I really like super spicy stuff so I go for the veggies and the Jalapeno chicken (um, don’t think that’s even really Chinese) mostly.  Rob piles on just about everything! 

Rob at his surprise party I threw for him

When we returned to Buffalo, we stopped down at the Moose Lodge to hear our friend, Melody, serenade everyone with her beautiful voice and guitar.  She does an amazing rendition of Janis Joplin, if I do say so.  There was quite a crowd gathered for a Saturday afternoon to listen to her. It was the first time she had played in public since her Mom fell ill. Melody's mom did not win her battle with cancer and left us just a couple of months ago.There's a hole in the sunshine in Johnson County because Taffy Garro no longer graces our lives. Melody said it felt good to be back and I know we were all very glad she graced us with her talent!

While we were at the Moose, I got a text message from Breean, the new Planner’s wife, saying they finally made it over the mountain with their moving van.  They battled 30-50 mph winds coming over in the biggest moving van you can drive yourself. She said it was wicked nasty with blowing snow and the moving van was whipping all over the place.  We went over and Rob helped them get the last of the boxes and furniture out.  I made Breean stop and we went & got the standard subs & beer. Funny how people forget to eat when they are so busy moving! The color returned to her face after we got some calories in her.

Rob and I are both excited about Jim and Breean being here. Rob is happy because he will have someone to share the burden of the Planning Office with. Jim has done amazing things with his GIS skills in Big Horn Co., where he came from. We are looking forward to him getting everything mapped and such here so the zoning maps can be completed. Right now, all zoning progress is at a standstill until the maps are correct.  Eventually, when zoning is in place, I think Rob is going to be the Zoning Administrator and Jim will take over Rob’s duties.  Rob is also hoping to have Jim take over for him completely if we ever get to retire. You have to hand it to my husband….not many people would actively seek out their own replacement for the good of the community.  Rob is like that, though.  Everything he does for the County, he does with the best interest of the community in mind and not himself.  He just wants to make sure Johnson County doesn’t end up like the mess we left back east. I wish more government employees followed his example of community first.

I’m happy about Breean being here, myself.  She and I hit it off instantly, as we have many of the same philosophies about life.  I already feel like I’ve known her forever! I have a feeling we’ll be spending a lot of time together.  I also just adore their children. They have a 6 year old daughter and 4 year old son. I’m thinking that they will quench my ache for grandkids that I’ll never get from my own daughter as she doesn’t want kids. I very much respect my daughter’s decision but there’s still that emptiness of not having little ones to interact with and watch grow. Having worked with children most of my working life, this is going to be a treat! I’m one of those women who really never got out of the make believe world of children, I just love being around to see the world through their amazed and fresh eyes. I also really like playing with toys! I even have my own here in the house, including Legos and a Lil Tyke guitar I rock out with on occasion.

One of my other girlfriends, Rebecca C., also has little kids. She has three boys and one little daughter, Ashley, who is 3.  Ashley has been my little princess since they moved into our neighborhood. I really enjoy knocking around with the boys, too. They walk by every morning on their way to the bus stop and I’m usually out with Thistle and we have grand, exotic conversations! I just love hitting the toy aisles, looking for some of my favorite old toys to share with the kids.

All this talk of children is really making me miss my old nursing days. It was almost like I was "mom" to 15-25 kids at a time. You can really get hooked on that, let me tell you. I always tried to make them as comfortable as they could be, considering they were hospitalized, some of them for life.  I always dressed up in funny, colorful outfits and had tiny stuffed animals attached to my stethoscope. I also was always very honest with them about when something was going to hurt or taste bad. I tasted any medication I gave the kids so I could tell them exactly what they were in for.  There’s no better way to lose a child’s trust than to tell them that something’s not going to hurt and then hurt them. It’s better to tell them it will be a quick “ouch” and over with and gain their trust. I never could get that concept through some other nurse’s heads! I used to devise all kinds of games to distract them.  Like I said, I really miss those days!

Breean has a lot of work ahead of her unpacking into a 5 bedroom 1898 home!

Well, time to find out what Sunday has in store for the Yinglings. We’re having Jim and Breean and Jim’s brother (who is from Laurel, MT & here helping with the move) over for a nice big breakfast of my famous stuffed French toast. I’m topping it off with my homemade Chokecherry syrup that comes from right here on our property.  It is wicked good! I couldn’t see them running out for breakfast or trying to rummage through their boxes on their first morning in their new home! The wind is howling something fierce out there right now. I could have sworn I just saw a flying cow go by or maybe it was just a big piece of tumbleweed?  I think the weather gurus may have goofed once again & that storm may hit today instead of tomorrow.  With our mountains, you can never tell what the weather is going to decide to do.  Being the spontaneous person that I am, that’s one of the things I just love about Wyoming.

Have a fabulous Sunday!  Rest up and arm yourself for an even better week.  Don’t let the nasty news of the nation and world bring you down, we’re all going to be just fine, especially if we start tolerating each other a little better and realizing that we all have hopes and dreams.  Instead of looking at what’s wrong with your life, look at what’s right with it.  I think you’ll be amazed if you actually sit down and start counting your blessings instead of your lack!