For liberals only....

So, Rob and I have been invited to a Halloween party on Saturday night. The guest list is made up almost entirely of teachers and the host is a retired teacher whom I absolutely love. Her retirement gift was a beer pong table if that helps you set the scene. Elementary teachers are very into themes and last year her Halloween party theme was Ancient Egypt and guests were attired in the appropriate costumes. I have seen pictures...it was quite a hoot. Alas, Rob and I missed the event due to the Cornell Parent Weekend conflict.

This year her theme is MonsterQuest. Apparently, Carole's husband, Carmen is a devoted follower of this show on the History channel. The show's creators try to prove or disprove the sightings of legendary monsters and other creatures using eyewitness accounts, scientists and the latest technology. Think Lochness Monster, Sasquatch, Jaws and of course, UFO's. (Didn't Uncle Tom once have the yearning to move to Roswell? Perhaps after Prague?)

I just couldn't get into the theme and my mind went elsewhere when I thought of monsters. Of course, politics and the edginess I crave always crept into my mind. I could embrace the monster theme...but I needed something more.

So I spent a lot of energy and time trying to talk Rob into going as a priest. Thought that would be a hoot...he didn't. He could rationalize the monster, but 12 years of catholic school would not allow him to dress as a priest. I could have done it without losing any sleep, but a woman priest would have opened up a whole new can of worms. and some devout guest would have misinterpreted the meaning.

This being an election year and year 9 of a war we should never have been fighting, we decided to go as Bush and Cheney.

Monsters? Yes.

Pictures to follow.

Hotel room feel....

I love staying in hotels because of the non-offensive decorating color scheme, the comfort and of course, the cleanliness (or should I say, perceived cleanliness.) When redecorating the guest room, I was going for that feel. Hard to accomplish without purchasing a new 24" thick mattress and furniture but I am happy with the results.Amazing what can be accomplished with a gallon of paint and new bedding. Rob did a great job painting the space (apparently long before the doctor wanted him to but who knew...since the doctor NEVER gave him any direction.....)

Not Much Fun Going On....

Rob is feeling much better. He has been de-catheterized and now he can drive, so he is in a much better place. The doctor said the cancer was confined to the prostate so that is the best news. He is well on the way to recovery.

I was not happy with the care in the hospital at all. It was nonexistent. Those nurses were so overworked, you needed to be coding for attention. Although his stay was only overnight, he was sent home without eating anything, (midnight Monday to Thursday at 1) and the nurses didn't get him up to walk until shortly before we left. Are all hospitals like this or just St. Joes?

In all honesty, the doctor's office is not much better. At the urologist's last week, after catheter removal, the nurse was letting us go with an appointment to come back next week for bladder strengthening exercises (Rob....not me) and I said, "Can he drive? Can he lift anything? What signs should we be looking for if the infection worsens? Is anyone going to look at the 6 incisions he has on his stomach?" Good grief.

I am busy and decided that I need to let go of some of my outside volunteer activities. In addition to being President of Parents for Public Schools and on the board of the Ted Grace Reading Grove, I am the union building rep at work and spend a lot of time working closely with the union president, Joe. Not because I want to have this added work load but because I owe him big time. For 8 years we have had the most self serving, arrogant man possible as president. His agenda included making sure he was seen as important not seeing to the needs of his constituents. The guy ran unopposed for 8 years because the job pays almost nothing and is a ton of work. Nobody wants it. Joe has a social conscience and believes strongly in democracy. He ran as a favor to me, agreeing that the ballot results would send a strong message to the president. I never thought he would win but boy did it send a message! I am seen as the instigator in the district and hated by all the supporters of the past president. And it's a negotiating year and I find myself on a committee that is creating language that merges our contract language with the FMLA laws and is it summer yet?