| 1 - | Do you know what our firm is and what we do? (Circle one answer) | ||||||||
| Yes | |||||||||
| No | |||||||||
| If your answer is "Yes", then explain below what our firm is and does. | |||||||||
| If your answer is "No", then explain why you were too lazy to look it up. | |||||||||
| 2 - | Do you know what the positions you applied for entails? (Circle one answer) | ||||||||
| Yes | |||||||||
| No | |||||||||
| If your answer is "Yes", then give description below. | |||||||||
| If your answer is "No", then explain why you are bothering to apply. | |||||||||
| 3 - | Why would we chose you over the other applicants? (Circle one answer) | ||||||||
| A - | Snappy dresser. | ||||||||
| B - | You deserve it. | ||||||||
| C - | You don't know. | ||||||||
| D - | You feel that you're very qualified. | ||||||||
| If your answer is "D", then give description of qualifications. | |||||||||
| If your answer is other than "D", then give an explanation of favorable trait. | |||||||||
| 4 - | Tell me how you handled a stressful situation that occurred on your last job. | ||||||||
| (Circle one answer) | |||||||||
| A - | I cried a lot. | ||||||||
| B - | I don't feel stress. | ||||||||
| C - | I went home. | ||||||||
| D - | None of the above. | ||||||||
| If your answer is "D", then give description of what you did. | |||||||||
| If your answer is other than "D", then give an explanation of actions. | |||||||||
| 5 - | I see you program in MS Access. How would you link an indexed field variable | ||||||||
| to display on mouseover? | |||||||||
| (Circle one answer) | |||||||||
| A - | I don't have mice. | ||||||||
| B - | I don't like mice. | ||||||||
| C - | This is a trick question as a mouseover is like getting a perm. | ||||||||
| D - | None of the above. | ||||||||
| If your answer is "D", then give a brief description of how to do it. | |||||||||
| If your answer is other than "D", give some explanation that might amuse us. | |||||||||
| 6 - | Which co-worker at your last job did you get along with least well? | ||||||||
| (Circle one answer) | |||||||||
| A - | Supervisor | ||||||||
| B - | Co-Worker | ||||||||
| C - | Father | ||||||||
| D - | None of the above. | ||||||||
| Give explanation of why you did not get along. | |||||||||
| 7 - | What did you do about the person you did not get along with? | ||||||||
| (Circle one answer) | |||||||||
| A - | Swore and spat | ||||||||
| B - | Cried a lot | ||||||||
| C - | Told my father | ||||||||
| D - | None of the above. | ||||||||
| If your answer is "D", then give a brief description of how you alleviated the situation. | |||||||||
| If your answer is other than "D", explain how this helped. | |||||||||
| 8 - | What best describes your sense of humor? | ||||||||
| (Circle one answer) | |||||||||
| A - | Good. | ||||||||
| B - | I laugh all the time. | ||||||||
| C - | Warped | ||||||||
| D - | I have none, it was surgically removed. | ||||||||
| If your answer is "D", then no explanation is required. | |||||||||
| If your answer is other than "D", give examples. | |||||||||
| 9 - | Do you know what the meaning of the following acronyms are? | ||||||||
| USPSA; IDPA; ACTS; ICORE; IPSC | |||||||||
| (Circle one answer) | |||||||||
| Yes | |||||||||
| No | |||||||||
| If your answer is "No", then no explanation is required. | |||||||||
| If your answer is "Yes", explain which is your favorite and why. | |||||||||
| 10 - | Are you familiar with the cartoon "Dilbert"? | ||||||||
| (Circle one answer) | |||||||||
| Yes | |||||||||
| No | |||||||||
| How would you define the cartoon "Dilbert"? | |||||||||
| (Circle one answer) | |||||||||
| A - | I don't find it funny. | ||||||||
| B - | I like it. | ||||||||
| C - | It is just a cartoon and most are not funny. | ||||||||
| D - | It is an inspirational insight to the engineering world. | ||||||||
| If your answer is "No", then no explanation is required. | |||||||||
| If your answer is "Yes", further explain your answer. | |||||||||
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Interview Questionaire
I get bored with the usual interview process so I decided to try a few different questions. Suggestions for addition or improvements are welcome!
Friday, December 16, 2011
Turkey Will Never Be the Same
Our lodge had its installation of officers and Christmas dinner on Thursday. My task was to provide dinner for about thirty people. I went down to the Basha’s Deli and ordered a veggie tray, and antipasto tray, and one Holiday Feast. The Holiday Feast consists of a turkey, a ham, various sides and two pies. I will have to confess my ignorance here as when I was ordering this, I actually thought that the Feast came hot. I arrived promptly at 5 PM to pick up my goodies for the 6 PM meal. Whoops! This all comes cooked but cold. Apparently all is cooked ahead of time, frozen, and thawed for your convenience. I am screwed as it takes about 1 ½ hour to heat everything up. Dinner will be late. It would be nice if they let people know that little fact when ordering it. Oh well, live and learn.
While racing down to lodge, I am thinking fine thoughts about how I have just screwed up the Christmas dinner. I decided that we could get everything in the ovens as there is a kitchen there, snack on the veggie and antipasto trays, go do our installation, and then come back down for the main dinner.
It! Could! Work! Relief, at least there is a plan. A couple of the brothers were waiting for someone to unlock when I arrived. I even have willing (or drafted) volunteers! Things are looking better. We hauled everything to the kitchen and started our preparations. We slid the ham out of the packaging, put it into a pan and slid put it in the oven. We then opened the package the turkey was in. The stench that filled the entire kitchen was impressive. This baby was really, really rank.I remember one year dove hunting that I did not clean the birds in the field. The dove came home and were cleaned in the backyard. I deposited the carcasses and entrails in the garbage can. A couple of days later, I came around the corner to the fragrance of dead birds. Now this is Arizona, so a little heat and time to do magical things to raw flesh that will provide some of the most memorable olfactory experiences. The turkey was worse. The bird was so strong that it must have been very ripe prior to being frozen. There is no way that the bird gained the elevated status of “exceptional olfactory revulsion” during the thawing period. So much for plan “B”. I am screwed as we don’t have enough food. I hate having two stressful moments in less than an hour.
The turkey got put in a metal pan and covered with tin foil to keep the aroma from escaping any further. Exhaust fans went on and we continued with prepping the side dishes into the oven. I explained to people what had occurred as they arrived. Our event was not a failure as it turned out we had enough food with the ham, sides, veggie/antipasto platters, pies and cookies. My better half brought a huge plate of Christmas cookies. We actually had a nice evening.The remaining food was packed up and the dishes were taken care of. Our chores were not too bad as we used the “good china”. This is our reference to paper plates and plastic utensils. Now we go back to that nasty turkey. It was carefully placed in a garbage bag as you really did not want this thing to leak in your vehicle. I decided to put the whole thing in a metal serving pan just in case it did leak and off to Basha’s I went. You could smell that thing right through the bag so I traveled with the windows open regardless of the outside temperature.
I carefully carried the precious cargo into Bashsa’s about 10 PM and asked for the manager. She arrived and looked with suspicion at my cargo resting on the service counter. I still had a jacket and tie on which does tend to help in these situations. She inquired how she could help me and what was in the bag that smelled so bad. I politely informed her that it was the turkey from the “feast” picked up that day and asked if she wanted me to untie the bag so she could get a peek at it. She firmly answered “No! I can smell it through the bag”. I had saved my receipt for her perusal. She actually called the deli manage at home as she was unsure what to refund as it was a package deal. There was an irritated manner about her after she returned from talking to the deli manager that did not seem pointed in my direction. The deli manager thought that only the price of the turkey should be refunded and the night manager thought that was inadequate. We settled on half the cost of everything. I can’t say how many times the night manager apologized to me and said how embarrassing this was. She was very professional. I told her that she need not apologize anymore and asked her a question that I already know the answer to. Don’t you just hate having to apologize for someone else’s actions that you had no control over? She finally smiled.Some mischievous person said that it would only be proper to place the turkey on the deli manager’s desk and close the door. The deli manager should not be deprived of appreciating some of the department’s handy-work. The night manager laughed, took the bag, and told me she would be right back.
I feel that the refund was adequate but that this could not be let slide. I felt that the deli manager’s attitude might need further adjustment. Thanks heavens the turkey smelled as bad as it did. If it had just been a bit tainted, we probably would not have known and eaten it. There would have been one group of sick people and some of the group is elderly. My complaint is that the food handling procedures are so poor that this even happened. This turkey had to be rank before it was ever frozen and thawed for me. Basha’s should be ashamed that their employees find this type of process acceptable. A strong note was sent to the store’s general manager through corporate and a health department complaint has been lodged.
Turkey anyone? I know where you can get a Holiday Feast but don't use my name as a reference!Sunday, December 04, 2011
OK - I Will Join the 1st Car Meme - Very Late
The meme is on for what is/was your first car. I am inspired by In Jennifer's Head and The Smallest Minority.
It does take me a while to get inspired but nonetheless here we go! When I was growing up we were very poor. How poor you ask? Toys were almost non-existent, you had zucchini for three meals a day when it was in season, you were happy you got three meals in the same day, and the dog got nervous every year at Thanksgiving. Heck, mom cut the pockets out of our pants so that we would have something to play with. We used to sing songs to amuse ourselves as only the rich folks had radios and TVs. Rain water was stored to serve for plant watering and washing kids on Saturday night. Sing along - you know the tune!
Oh, it ain't gonna rain no more, no more
It ain't gonna rain no more
How in the heck can I wash around my neck
if it ain't gonna rain no more
Rich man drives a Cadillac
poor man drives a Ford
but my old man is satisfied
with fours wheels on a board
Oh, it ain't gonna rain no more, no more
It ain't gonna rain no more
How in the heck can I wash around my neck
if it ain't gonna rain no more
Well, you get the idea. My first car was a Rolls Canardly. It rolls down one side of the hill and canardly get up the other side!
Your date's father would typically say, "You the mailman's boy aren't you?" Everyone knew the vehicle so you couldn't get away with anything in this small town. Then I was lucky enough to get to drive a right hand drive Scout. What a chick magnet that was!
The 1st car I actually owned was a 67 Ford Custom I bought in 70. Dad helped me pick it out as he knew the previous owner. It was a base edition with a 240CID six, 3 on the tree, manual brakes/steering. You were not going racing in a full size vehicle with a six banger although it did OK when you were getting on the expressway and all. In many ways, I wish that I still own it as it was roomy, drove well, and decent on gas. It was a great car to double date in. I believe that my best friend got his wife-to-be pregnant in the back. You could disappear in the back seat and they did one evening or two while we were out "parking". You could also disappear in the front seat as the three on the tree did not get in the way. Gives a new meaning to the term, double dipping.
It does take me a while to get inspired but nonetheless here we go! When I was growing up we were very poor. How poor you ask? Toys were almost non-existent, you had zucchini for three meals a day when it was in season, you were happy you got three meals in the same day, and the dog got nervous every year at Thanksgiving. Heck, mom cut the pockets out of our pants so that we would have something to play with. We used to sing songs to amuse ourselves as only the rich folks had radios and TVs. Rain water was stored to serve for plant watering and washing kids on Saturday night. Sing along - you know the tune!
Oh, it ain't gonna rain no more, no more
It ain't gonna rain no more
How in the heck can I wash around my neck
if it ain't gonna rain no more
Rich man drives a Cadillac
poor man drives a Ford
but my old man is satisfied
with fours wheels on a board
Oh, it ain't gonna rain no more, no more
It ain't gonna rain no more
How in the heck can I wash around my neck
if it ain't gonna rain no more
Well, you get the idea. My first car was a Rolls Canardly. It rolls down one side of the hill and canardly get up the other side!
Just kidding. It was a 21 Olds and boy it was rough. Eventually we got her fixed up a bit so that the neighbors would quit singing the theme song to the Beverly Hillbillies every time we went by.
The neighbors still hooped an hollered when we went by. I even heard a few cat calls that sounded like someone was yelling, "Wheee doggies!." You probably think that I am just pulling your lariat about now.
I guess I am stretching the truth a touch so below is a photo of my first car.
Still kidding, I never had one of these. Anyone who knows me is aware that I would need two of these, one for each foot. Perhaps I will eventually get around to posting my actual 1st car. I drove a few of dad's before I ever had enough money to get one of my own. I think that the 64 Studebaker Lark was one of the most memorable. Dad was a rural route carrier for the Postal Service and his cars always looked like they sat outside with the windows left open during the great dust bowl. His route was almost all dirt roads. He would laugh when I asked to use it to go on a date. There was usually a full day event to shovel out the dirt and get it even semi-presentable for a date. That was the only time it got cleaned. You remember these wonderful vehicles don't you? Yessirree! It really impressed your date when you rolled up in this. It looked like this one replace the remaining paint with dusty black.
OK, I will give it up.
Friday, October 28, 2011
Friday, October 21, 2011
Woman allegedly beaten with frozen armadillo
Good thing it wasn't a frozen javalina or she could have been killed!Below is my favorite resipe for this tasty critter in case you happen to "run" across one either at the grocery store or on the highway. Just be sure to keep those rubber gloves on while cleaning them and don't forget to cook the daylights out of them to avoid mycobacterial leprosy. Mmmm, mmmm, mmmm, yummy!
Directions:
Mix all ingredients of marinade and add armadillo. Marinate about 8 hrs., turning meat occasionally. Remove armadillo and reserve marinade.
Melt butter in deep skillet and brown armadillo pieces. Pour in marinade and bring to a boil. Stir in seasoning, cover and simmer until tender (about 1 - 1 1/4 hours.) Remove skillet from the fire and place armadillo pieces on a warmed platter.
Mix mustard and cornstarch, then mix in cream. Return skillet to low heat and stir in this mixture a little at a time. Stir sauce until hot, but not boiling, and thickened. Pour sauce over armadillo. Serve with steamed rice.
ARMADILLO IN MUSTARD SAUCE INGREDIENTS:
1 1/4 cups dry white wine
1/2 cup oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed (optional)
1/4 cup butter
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. rosemary
1 med. onion, sliced thin
1 armadillo, cleaned and cut into serving pieces
1 1/4 cups light cream
1 tbsp. brown mustard (e.g. Gulden's) or Poupon Dijon
1 tbsp. cornstarch
1/2 cup oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed (optional)
1/4 cup butter
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. rosemary
1 med. onion, sliced thin
1 armadillo, cleaned and cut into serving pieces
1 1/4 cups light cream
1 tbsp. brown mustard (e.g. Gulden's) or Poupon Dijon
1 tbsp. cornstarch
Directions:
Mix all ingredients of marinade and add armadillo. Marinate about 8 hrs., turning meat occasionally. Remove armadillo and reserve marinade.
Melt butter in deep skillet and brown armadillo pieces. Pour in marinade and bring to a boil. Stir in seasoning, cover and simmer until tender (about 1 - 1 1/4 hours.) Remove skillet from the fire and place armadillo pieces on a warmed platter.
Mix mustard and cornstarch, then mix in cream. Return skillet to low heat and stir in this mixture a little at a time. Stir sauce until hot, but not boiling, and thickened. Pour sauce over armadillo. Serve with steamed rice.
Monday, October 17, 2011
Firebird Raceway NHRA Nationals 2011
I have made my annual pilgrimage to Firebird for the drag races. I was surprised that it was switched this year to October. It hit 100 degrees so there were no really fast runs due to track temperatures but there were a lot of completed runs. It was a great, if hot, day! I like to roam the pits for a little it in the morning. No telling who might be around.
A few videos are here for your viewing entertainment. The little camera does not do justice on the sound portion. I think that the camera shake is just the ground pounding vibration of top fuel. It couldn't be me.
One must get the morning wafting of nitro-methane to energize the day!
Yes ladies, there are pink dragsters.
Self explanatory.
Wonder if those heads will fit the Bronco?
We counted 8 trailers for Force Racing.
The Sarge.
And they're off!
A few videos are here for your viewing entertainment. The little camera does not do justice on the sound portion. I think that the camera shake is just the ground pounding vibration of top fuel. It couldn't be me.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Has It Really Been a Year Already?
Dad passed away a year ago today. I can hardly believe that it has been that long as I was so busy with taking care of stuff for mom. We were fortunate enough one year to get drawn for deer in Unit 27 (Blue River). I hope he still gets to visit. Darn it, I miss him.
Monday, September 19, 2011
Air Surge Phenomenon
The other day at work a PA announcement was made that the Lunch & Learn for a certain valve company was about to start. The presentation this time was by a company that deals in pressure/vacuum relief valves. The announced topic was Air Surge Phenomenon and How to Solve Them.
Some of us starting laughing which caused others less jaded to inquire as to what we thought was funny. A new description for a body function had just presented itself. The first thought was that the alternate meaning for air surge phenomenon was "fart". I wonder if they would need any guidance in how to rate this phenomenon as we already have a system. Three categories that are worth 10 points each are rated with the highest overall score being awarded the win. Our categories are volume, duration, and olfactory quality.
Hahahahaha. Sorry - it's an engineer thing as we must amuse ourselves whenever possible.
Some of us starting laughing which caused others less jaded to inquire as to what we thought was funny. A new description for a body function had just presented itself. The first thought was that the alternate meaning for air surge phenomenon was "fart". I wonder if they would need any guidance in how to rate this phenomenon as we already have a system. Three categories that are worth 10 points each are rated with the highest overall score being awarded the win. Our categories are volume, duration, and olfactory quality.
Hahahahaha. Sorry - it's an engineer thing as we must amuse ourselves whenever possible.
Friday, September 09, 2011
Orifice Onslaught
It was THAT time again. I was a bit late for my old guy check-up, you know colonoscopy. My doctor does have a sense of humor but this must be expected in his profession. How else could you survive the day talking about and looking at bungholes. His comment at the end of the prelim was, "Well you've got the orifice and I've got a tube. See you Monday."
I think that there may be an opportunity to make money here. How can you make the colon blow solution taste tolerable? The cherry flavoring provided does imbibe some vague sense of smelling the additive but it doesn't taste like cherry.
First drink it's alright
Second drink I lean right
Third drink hang on tight (go faster faster)
Fourth drink - this stuff really tastes bad. I think you could really make some money if this stuff didn't taste like bear piss diluted with swamp water. Don't ask how I know what that taste like.
Man, I could squirt through a keyhole at thirty paces and hit the wall on the other side. It is good that after you are halfway through that you are to start drinking some water as you are definitely expelling more than you are taking in.
The following morning I looked up every joke I could find on the internet on this topic so that I could be prepared to entertain the nurses and doctors. I dressed in my best clothes as I wanted them to think well of me. The lasting impression should not be that of my big hairy behind sticking out from the oh so fashionable smock provided. I put on tie dye shorts which my wife has dubbed the "clown shorts". She actually made me change my shirt as it did not match the shorts. Come on, everything goes with tie dye. I am kidding, I had to change my shirt as it had the usual array of food stains from previous days. She did not care if I looked like a clown as long as it wasn't a sloppy one.
I finally got to the room so that I could start with the jokes. They patiently smiled at me and informed me that they had heard these jokes. I was to finish up the comedy act as I was about to be sedated. I did get a chuckle when I asked for a note to take home stating that my head was not firmly planted up there.
The new drugs they use are pretty smooth. You come out of sedation slowly but fully. No drifting in and out of awareness like before. I am unsure why you shouldn't be able to drive yourself home at this point. I may or may not have driven more impaired than this in my youth. Regardless, you must have your designated driver with you. They assigned a nice little old lady that must have been all of about 5 feet tall and weighing in at 90 pounds as my guide to the vehicle. I told her that if she thought I was about to fall, that the sensible thing to do would be to get out of the way!
Well, they took one polyp but it was benign so I don't have to go back for five years. Yeah! I told the doctor that I would miss him and to call if he was missing seeing me. I also received some great color photographs. Let me know if you need to know what an a*****e, hemorrhoid, or polyp looks like and I would be glad to scan and post them up. I doubt that the doctor cares about copyrights.
I think that there may be an opportunity to make money here. How can you make the colon blow solution taste tolerable? The cherry flavoring provided does imbibe some vague sense of smelling the additive but it doesn't taste like cherry.
First drink it's alright
Second drink I lean right
Third drink hang on tight (go faster faster)
Fourth drink - this stuff really tastes bad. I think you could really make some money if this stuff didn't taste like bear piss diluted with swamp water. Don't ask how I know what that taste like.
Man, I could squirt through a keyhole at thirty paces and hit the wall on the other side. It is good that after you are halfway through that you are to start drinking some water as you are definitely expelling more than you are taking in.
The following morning I looked up every joke I could find on the internet on this topic so that I could be prepared to entertain the nurses and doctors. I dressed in my best clothes as I wanted them to think well of me. The lasting impression should not be that of my big hairy behind sticking out from the oh so fashionable smock provided. I put on tie dye shorts which my wife has dubbed the "clown shorts". She actually made me change my shirt as it did not match the shorts. Come on, everything goes with tie dye. I am kidding, I had to change my shirt as it had the usual array of food stains from previous days. She did not care if I looked like a clown as long as it wasn't a sloppy one.
I finally got to the room so that I could start with the jokes. They patiently smiled at me and informed me that they had heard these jokes. I was to finish up the comedy act as I was about to be sedated. I did get a chuckle when I asked for a note to take home stating that my head was not firmly planted up there.
The new drugs they use are pretty smooth. You come out of sedation slowly but fully. No drifting in and out of awareness like before. I am unsure why you shouldn't be able to drive yourself home at this point. I may or may not have driven more impaired than this in my youth. Regardless, you must have your designated driver with you. They assigned a nice little old lady that must have been all of about 5 feet tall and weighing in at 90 pounds as my guide to the vehicle. I told her that if she thought I was about to fall, that the sensible thing to do would be to get out of the way!
Well, they took one polyp but it was benign so I don't have to go back for five years. Yeah! I told the doctor that I would miss him and to call if he was missing seeing me. I also received some great color photographs. Let me know if you need to know what an a*****e, hemorrhoid, or polyp looks like and I would be glad to scan and post them up. I doubt that the doctor cares about copyrights.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
I Find Myself Smiling Less
It has been a hard year and a half. Dad's health was failing last year while he was trying to take care of mom. She had the misfortune of having a stroke during hip replacement surgery. She never was able to come back to any semi-normal semblance of life. There was substantial damage from the stroke to the speech center, physical instability, incontinence, and vascular damage that brought progressive dementia. I had hired in-home care to assist for four hours in the morning and evening. Dad died 9/27/10 at 87 years old. Mom could not be home alone so the in-home care went to 24/7. This brought fees of $14,400.00 plus per month. It was not sustainable so mom went to an elder care facility that ran about $4,000.00 per month.
I took over all finances, got a financial advisor, got an attorney, took care of all dad's death requirements for mom, moved mom to eldercare, held an estate sale, donated what was left, created a trust, moved funds into in the trust, moved the house into the trust, and applied for survivor VA benefits for mom. It was what seemed to be never ending chores.
I swear that with mom's dementia, she would forget dad passed and then rediscover the event. Not good. She hated the care facility. Every time I would visit started with about a half hour of I hate it here, you can take care of me, dad took care of me, and on. I would tell her that she needed to stop this so that we could visit. The damage to the brain's speech center was enough that there was never more that a word a two that might or might not be the correct words. You were always try to guess what she was trying to say often to find out that it was nonsensical.
As the dementia progressed, she always called me by her deceased brother's name and insisted that I could not be her son as I was too old. Her memory was going off in strange directions but she most certainly did remember who was responsible for putting her in elder care.
Mom started to refuse medications in July including her blood thinner. She had a very mild heart attack toward the end of July. Her doctor did not seem to be too concerned about it and was going to release later in the week. The doctor asked about bringing in hospice at the elder care facility. OK - explain to me why you aren't concerned about the heart attack but you are talking about hospice now? I never did get her doctor to return calls after that. I have gotten to hate the medical profession. It seems that it is some great favor being bequeathed to you for them to tell you anything. No wonder doctors make the worst patients as they know how they have treated people all along.
The social worker from the hospital called me and wanted to know which hospice I wanted to use. I told here that I was unaware of why we are talking about hospice. The social worker can't tell you anything medical as it is not their place to do so. This is understandable. I know enough about hospice that there is no harm in start/stopping it there are only restrictions on the continuous length of care so I told them to set up with a hospice group.
Finally, hospice calls and want to know if I want them to get to work or send mom for treatment. Treatment for what? Endocarditus, as mom has a systemic bacterial infection that has hit the membrane of the heart. Why the heck couldn't mom's doctor have communicated this? The chances of success for the treatment were very low. I told the hospice to start their care as it seemed the least damaging to mom at the time. That evening we agonized over the decision of treatment or not. I felt like I was signing mom's death warrant if I said no to treatment. I decided that the discussion should be based on our own desires if you or I were in the same situation. Both my wife and I decided that if either of us were in the same position to go to hospice and let go. I did not have to make the final decision for mom. She died quietly in her sleep that night on 8/2/2011. I was the baby of the family and now I am it. My brother passed in 2000, dad in 2010 and now mom is gone.
I am still trying to sell the house from within the trust and things are not moving. there is a mortgage on the house. It is not upside down but it is a drain on what little money is left in the trust. I still have some of mom's accounts etc to close out. The chores still continue. I would not say I am depressed just that I don't smile as much.
It is fortunate that I have an outstanding wife and daughters. Both girls are in college and doing well. I am looking forward to the Masonic Lodge to start in September (we take a couple of months off in the summer), dove season is coming, there are a variety of pistol shoots, and I did get drawn for white tail deer in November. There is a lot to look forward to but it is still difficult at times.
I took over all finances, got a financial advisor, got an attorney, took care of all dad's death requirements for mom, moved mom to eldercare, held an estate sale, donated what was left, created a trust, moved funds into in the trust, moved the house into the trust, and applied for survivor VA benefits for mom. It was what seemed to be never ending chores.
I swear that with mom's dementia, she would forget dad passed and then rediscover the event. Not good. She hated the care facility. Every time I would visit started with about a half hour of I hate it here, you can take care of me, dad took care of me, and on. I would tell her that she needed to stop this so that we could visit. The damage to the brain's speech center was enough that there was never more that a word a two that might or might not be the correct words. You were always try to guess what she was trying to say often to find out that it was nonsensical.
As the dementia progressed, she always called me by her deceased brother's name and insisted that I could not be her son as I was too old. Her memory was going off in strange directions but she most certainly did remember who was responsible for putting her in elder care.
Mom started to refuse medications in July including her blood thinner. She had a very mild heart attack toward the end of July. Her doctor did not seem to be too concerned about it and was going to release later in the week. The doctor asked about bringing in hospice at the elder care facility. OK - explain to me why you aren't concerned about the heart attack but you are talking about hospice now? I never did get her doctor to return calls after that. I have gotten to hate the medical profession. It seems that it is some great favor being bequeathed to you for them to tell you anything. No wonder doctors make the worst patients as they know how they have treated people all along.
The social worker from the hospital called me and wanted to know which hospice I wanted to use. I told here that I was unaware of why we are talking about hospice. The social worker can't tell you anything medical as it is not their place to do so. This is understandable. I know enough about hospice that there is no harm in start/stopping it there are only restrictions on the continuous length of care so I told them to set up with a hospice group.
Finally, hospice calls and want to know if I want them to get to work or send mom for treatment. Treatment for what? Endocarditus, as mom has a systemic bacterial infection that has hit the membrane of the heart. Why the heck couldn't mom's doctor have communicated this? The chances of success for the treatment were very low. I told the hospice to start their care as it seemed the least damaging to mom at the time. That evening we agonized over the decision of treatment or not. I felt like I was signing mom's death warrant if I said no to treatment. I decided that the discussion should be based on our own desires if you or I were in the same situation. Both my wife and I decided that if either of us were in the same position to go to hospice and let go. I did not have to make the final decision for mom. She died quietly in her sleep that night on 8/2/2011. I was the baby of the family and now I am it. My brother passed in 2000, dad in 2010 and now mom is gone.
I am still trying to sell the house from within the trust and things are not moving. there is a mortgage on the house. It is not upside down but it is a drain on what little money is left in the trust. I still have some of mom's accounts etc to close out. The chores still continue. I would not say I am depressed just that I don't smile as much.
It is fortunate that I have an outstanding wife and daughters. Both girls are in college and doing well. I am looking forward to the Masonic Lodge to start in September (we take a couple of months off in the summer), dove season is coming, there are a variety of pistol shoots, and I did get drawn for white tail deer in November. There is a lot to look forward to but it is still difficult at times.
Monday, August 22, 2011
Sunday Morning Blues
Some days just don't go as planned. One AM Sunday morning daughter number two wakes me up because a sound was heard in the garage. Well that sound was the shelf unit holding reloading goodies partially collapsing. Two bottom legs had given way and my shelf was a leaning tower of Pisa. There was little loaded ammo but plenty of brass, bullets, dies, and other sundry pieces had been loaded on the shelf. It was not overloaded by the shelf specifications but plastic shelving in the AZ heat apparently does not even retain half of its load capacity.
We moved the reloading table and moved brass and bullets out of the way to get to the shelf. I did not want to step on any brass and ruin it. I needed about four hands to try to keep things that were still on the shelf in place so they could be relocated to the living room. I have always thought that reloading equipment and supplies make perfect living room decorations. Other have different ideas concerning decor.
Thank goodness only 3-4 boxes opened up when hitting the floor. Most boxes have 500 each of this and that. We pulled the shelf out to the porch and decided the rest could wait until the morning. I set my alarm for 6 AM so I could be at Lowes at 7 to buy a heavier duty metal frame shelf. Oh well, I figured four hours sleep and then maybe a nap later in the day.
I got up and perused the garage again while getting ready. It was pretty impressive. I had not seen anything as scattered as this since the time I dumped #9 shot all over the living room while reloading shotshell. That previous event involved getting a clean paper bag put into my shop vac and sucking up shot out of the carpet. Wouldn't want to waste it. Later on my wife commented that there must be something wrong with the vacuum as every so often it would really make some rattling noises. I guess that I did not get all the #9 up and it was still working its way to the surface. It was hard not to laugh and I went ahead and confessed - but I am getting off track.
I was ready to venture outside and get that shelf except I noticed that the van seemed to be lacking a spare tire. There were pieces of broken lock and a lug nut on the ground but no tire. I had parked in the street to leave driveway space for daughter #1 and neglected to set the alarm. Gee, I wonder how long it will take for the police to arrive so that I can get an incident number. It was only about 20 minutes since it was 7 AM Sunday morning with little going on. The morning was disappearing.
I did get to Lowes and get the shelf. The loose parts on the floor were gathered into boxes for later sorting. Now I could go about sweeping the floor, setting the new shelf, empty the living room, sorting part/pieces back into their original containers, and finishing organizing it all. I never did get that nap.
We moved the reloading table and moved brass and bullets out of the way to get to the shelf. I did not want to step on any brass and ruin it. I needed about four hands to try to keep things that were still on the shelf in place so they could be relocated to the living room. I have always thought that reloading equipment and supplies make perfect living room decorations. Other have different ideas concerning decor.
Thank goodness only 3-4 boxes opened up when hitting the floor. Most boxes have 500 each of this and that. We pulled the shelf out to the porch and decided the rest could wait until the morning. I set my alarm for 6 AM so I could be at Lowes at 7 to buy a heavier duty metal frame shelf. Oh well, I figured four hours sleep and then maybe a nap later in the day.
I got up and perused the garage again while getting ready. It was pretty impressive. I had not seen anything as scattered as this since the time I dumped #9 shot all over the living room while reloading shotshell. That previous event involved getting a clean paper bag put into my shop vac and sucking up shot out of the carpet. Wouldn't want to waste it. Later on my wife commented that there must be something wrong with the vacuum as every so often it would really make some rattling noises. I guess that I did not get all the #9 up and it was still working its way to the surface. It was hard not to laugh and I went ahead and confessed - but I am getting off track.
I was ready to venture outside and get that shelf except I noticed that the van seemed to be lacking a spare tire. There were pieces of broken lock and a lug nut on the ground but no tire. I had parked in the street to leave driveway space for daughter #1 and neglected to set the alarm. Gee, I wonder how long it will take for the police to arrive so that I can get an incident number. It was only about 20 minutes since it was 7 AM Sunday morning with little going on. The morning was disappearing.
I did get to Lowes and get the shelf. The loose parts on the floor were gathered into boxes for later sorting. Now I could go about sweeping the floor, setting the new shelf, empty the living room, sorting part/pieces back into their original containers, and finishing organizing it all. I never did get that nap.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
It Isn't Charity if Payment is Forced
Quote of the day from Mrs wizardpc at Guns, Cars, and Tech
It is worth the read and to follow some of the links.
I would like politicians and bureaucrats to acknowledge this: Every law,rule,and regulation made by the government ends in puppy killing SWAT Teams. Every dime that is spent in our name was taken at gunpoint.
I want them to understand that every action they take has this statement as a footnote:“This is important enough that my grandmother should be killed if she does not abide.”
It is worth the read and to follow some of the links.
I would like politicians and bureaucrats to acknowledge this: Every law,rule,and regulation made by the government ends in puppy killing SWAT Teams. Every dime that is spent in our name was taken at gunpoint.
I want them to understand that every action they take has this statement as a footnote:“This is important enough that my grandmother should be killed if she does not abide.”
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Lambertville, MI Makes The Drudge Report via Fox!
Lambertville vandalism turns life-threatening
Figures it would be some union thug attacking a non-union employer. It appears that the union harassment has been going on for years. I would say that occurrences like this give unions a bad name but that is really redundant. Unions have always been violent when they don't get their way regardless of the topic.
Figures it would be some union thug attacking a non-union employer. It appears that the union harassment has been going on for years. I would say that occurrences like this give unions a bad name but that is really redundant. Unions have always been violent when they don't get their way regardless of the topic.
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