~ Not Me Monday ~

This is not the first ~ Not Me Monday ~ post that I have actually gotten done on Monday.

I am not totally disgusted with myself right now. I did not just spend months planning the coolest 40th birthday party surprise for my husband, only to find out that I accidentally sent a copy of the e-mail about the party dates and times to his new work e-mail address. I am way too attentive to detail to have done such a careless thing. I am not fighting tears as I sit here looking at all of the cake sketches, invitation lists, and catering information. I am not a complete and total screw-up! Not me!

I am not sitting here trying to deliberate how I can still make this occasion as special as it would have been as a surprise. I have always been able to keep a secret from my husband, NOT! I am not guilty of always doing something to blow the lid off of great ideas like this. My husband and I do not tell each other everything so it is very easy to keep a secret from him in the first place. I absolutely never have the urge to blurt out about party because I knew he would love it! I haven't caught myself several times just before I divulged party details to my husband just because I was so excited about the details and I want him to be excited with me. No Way!

It was not my bright idea to sell my scrap gold and loose stones from old jewelry to pay for the now not so surprise party! I never would have done this as to keep from using money from our account and to keep the party a surprise.

I certainly did not venture to teach my eager 11 year old son to crochet this week. It was a breeze to teach him since he is very left-handed and I am equally right-handed. This has not been an issue most of his life. I had no trouble teaching him to tie his shoe, hold a spoon, or color with a crayon.

This night shift weekend has not been very exhausting. I am not totally ready for a few days off! It is not almost time for me to go home... I am not finished with this post.

~ Happy Hour ~

I am into the last hour of the 2nd night of the 3 day weekend shift. This hour is affectionately termed "Happy Hour". It is indeed a happy hour! Twelve hours seems like eternity when we are in a dark room, surrounded by computer monitors, and waiting (mostly not waiting, mostly trying to keep up) for the citizens to reach for the phone in need of our skills and expertise. The phones start to quiet in the span of time between 0230 and 0530. You may think that it makes the job easier. It does not! We must be at the "top of our game" at all times. It is easy to get tired when we are waiting on the 0630 bell. Ok, there is no bell. I know you get the picture. Oh, but when 0530 comes around there is a rush of hope. We see the light at the end of the tunnel. Maybe it is really the sun rising and not the light at the end of the tunnel at all. ;)

This is where is am right now. I am in the bubble of the "Happy Hour". It really does make me happy!

I will save a few more lives while waiting for the final countdown. All the while I will know that I am in the "Happy Hour" and all is well!

~ Thoughtful Thursday ~ (ok it is Friday, but I am posting this anyway!)

This week I had plenty of good intentions!

I watched my Nanner Puddin & Little Muffin(aka; my granddaughters) so my daughter could go to work. Anyone who knows me is aware that I rarely volunteer to babysit. I feel that I have been a mother for all of my life. I was a very young mother. I still have three boys at home between the ages of 5 & 15 and I work full-time. Any alone time that I acquire is sacred.

My daughter (Pumpkin Pie) is a CNA for a home~health company and has a varied work schedule. She had picked up the care of a new patient this week and needed "spur~of~ the~moment" child care. I have to admit it was great to spend time with the girls. The difference in the relationship dynamic between a parent/child and a grandparent/grandchild is interesting to me. There is a degree of freedom as a grandparent that I have never allowed myself as a parent. There is almost a sense that as a "Nina" I have to spoil them rotten!

Ok, This is not exactly a Thoughtful Thursday post. I do have a few cool things in the works that I will post in the future.

Everyone go over to the Freeman's blog and show them some love. Participate in ~Thoughtful Thursdays~! As one blogger said, "Pray it forward!"

~ Not Me Monday ~

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.



Last week I did not enjoy all of the fluffy white snow that fell here in the Charlotte area. It was not absolutely the perfect end to the mild winter that we have had this year.

I am not an employee at a busy 911 center and did not work the fire console during the last snow and ice storm in our area. I was not rendered exhausted by all of the traffic accidents, trauma, and drama. By midnight I did not have a pounding headache and still had to endure the remaining 6 hours of the shift.

I did not procrastinate going to the grocery store the week prior to the snow storm with intentions to get groceries on Monday. Surely there would not be much snow and it would be business as usual.

I am not guilty of leaving the communications center at 0645 am, after defrosting my minivan, with my hands frozen and a nose like Rudolph. I would never have headed straight for the grocery store with the goal of rushing in to get enough food to supply my three boys and husband who would most assuredly not be famished from playing in the snow and watching tv.

There was not one ounce of irony in the conversation I had with the cashier about the marked number of patients who slip and fall on black ice. I did not stress how important it was that elderly people be extra careful when walking outside as to avoid being stranded in the cold after a fall and then suffer from cold related injuries.

I would never be accused of carefully and deliberately making my way to my vehicle to place my purchased items safely within. The previously mentioned irony did not come into light as I dutifully returned my grocery cart to the designated area with maybe a bit more confidence in my footing than I should have had. I did not lose all of my "cool points" as I found myself flat on my back in the middle of the grocery store parking lot. I was not totally stunned as my not~so~petite frame landed with a thud onto the cold icy pavement. I was not quickly aware of my precarious situation as I was shuddered back to reality by the intense throbbing in my left hand and wrist.

I am not the worst patient ever! I would never just place my injured wrist on ice and "sleep off the pain" in hopes that it would feel better when I woke up. I have not procrastinated going to the doctor for a full week. I most assuredly am not entertaining the idea of finally going to the doctor tomorrow because the pain is not getting too much to deal with.

~Thought of the Day~

"You treat a patient, you win, you lose.
You treat a person, I guarantee you win."

Robin Williams, (Patch Adams the movie 1998)