So, I haven't blogged in awhile, but it's not from lack of topics -- it's that so many came up at once that I couldn't process them all. As most of this is old news, I'm just gonna hit on the highlights.
Thanksgiving was extra special this year. One week before Mama had been taken to the ER by ambulance, where she was diagnosed with two large kidneystones. Ow, but not life-threatening, right?
Wrong. By Friday, words like, "this could end badly" were being uttered by her physicians. She'd developed a raging infection, and it was threatening to shut down things you just don't want to shut down when you are 80. Add to that the fact that she was severely -- and I mean severely -- dehydrated, out of her mind talkin' nonsense, and her blood pressure was totally out of control, and we were on the verge of calling grandchildren to come home if they wanted to see her.
Her infection was identified -- it was one of a gazillion E-Coli variants -- and it was a sort that can spread (and kill) quickly, but which responds to antibiotics rapidly IF treatment is begun soon enough. Well, thank God (and I've never meant that more literally) that her treatment DID begin on time. A couple more days in intensive care, a lake-full of fluids administered via compression IVs, and she was home on Monday afternoon.
Yep -- Thanksgiving was special.
2) This past Friday night we went to the Mystic Order of Minerva ball, not the sort of thing we generally attend, but heck -- everybody likes to dress up sometimes. I pulled an 11-year old dress out of the closet, threw on some 10 year old shoes over my one indulgence (drugstore brand black stockings), and Henry wowed me in his tuxedo, and we had a great time.
3) Saturday I woke up sick as I'd ever been in recent years, but had to work since my bosses were out of town. I honestly do not know how I made it through the day, but the Upchurch work ethic probably had something to do with it. After work I kicked Henry and Thomas out of the house to go watch The Ballgame with the Hails, and I laid down on the sofa for the entire game. Never a peep out of my mouth, either foul nor fair.
I think that's (a) why the game was just incredibly boring, and (b) my fault.
Yep. I let my team down because I didn't have the energy to throw anything across the room.
There is a special place in my WHAT WERE YOU THINKIN' file for the bonehead Bama player (I don't EVEN want to research his name) who committed a late hit against Brandon Cox late in the game which directly led to the game being put out of our reach.
I hope Saban has him whitewashin' fences or something. Honestly. I'd have yanked him up and boxed his ears if I'd (a) felt better or (b) gotten a job as the WHAT WERE YOU THINKIN' coach.
They really could use one of those.
And speakin' of what people could use, I've been trying to figure out how to parlay my customer service expertise into a consulting job for other retailers. Customer service is a dying art, and there are days I just wish I could go to a manager of a store and offer my help as a coach for the sales staffs. There is one counterperson at my little neighborhood drugstore who gets it -- she's a peach -- but I'm really hard pressed to think of too many other places I visit on a routine basis where it's not just apathy I encounter, but often, downright rudeness.
And speaking of rudeness, for the love of humanity -- when you are a customer in a retail establishment and approach the checkout counter -- HANG UP YOUR FRICKIN' PHONE.
There. I feel better.
A place for me to get out of my head the Marbles that run through it on occasion.
3 comments:
no no no, you see people who continually use their cell phones, whether it be traversing the interstate at 95mph, or eating, or at the checkout counter MUST remain on their phones at all times. it establishes their importance in society.
and that's what makes the world go 'round.
:p
Ah yes.. but they also keep that cell phone firmly affixed to their ear because they realize we have all figured out how truly ignorant they are, and at least some luckless soul is speaking to them, albeit on a cell phone.
No scratch that.. they're stupid (particularly the morons on I-5 here in Seattle who you see changing lanes at 95 mph while talking on their cell phones.) Who knew multi-tasking could potentially *kill* you!
Good post Ms El and so good to read the story about Mama U *after* the actual event. Sending her continued recovery from this end of the country!
Great to see you back!
Carrie
After having several conversations recently with students (under 25) and my niece (30) - I think they realio and trulio DON'T GET IT. They think it is perfectly acceptable behavior to talk non-stop on the phone.
Customer service went by they way of the superstore. Niece and I had that conversation last week, as well. Foster was reading every second - just gabbing about his new book. I said, "That's the reason I go to locally owned places and pay value-added retail prices - you get what you pay for. What are the chances of us walking in the the evil empire and finding a book that captured his attention like that?" Not sure she got it.
I miss Surly Bookseller. See you soon.
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