2004 Story Set
| Date: June 28, 2004 It was a sunny day. I ran in and out was watering the lawn. No - the dirt where the lawn used to be before dog got to it. I called the groomer - Scooter has left. Yikes. Now I have to find a new groomer. I hooked up my son's IV line. I did dishes and laundry (typical morning) and emailed the contractor about the river of water on the floor of the bedroom. Yes - we have a leak someplace. Seems tied to hot water. ???? He said to call my insurance to see if they cover this. I have a slab. We may have to dig it up. $$$$$$$ Money pit! So there I was - frustrated because the vacuum blew up (with a POW!), the groomer is gone, I had already washed the kitchen floor (in a bathing suit) with a mop (quick) and was watering everything in sight. In between I could type but I am in the type a little - get up a little mode to keep my wrists happy. I decided to pick plums for jam. It was a sunny day. It was warm. I was in a bathing suit leftover from washing the floor earlier. They are about ripe. The plums. They are good. They are many and little. I started - I was pruning off the branches - taking them to the sidewalk and shaking them off. The hose was on low and the cement has a dip so I was "washing" the plums. I was on my hands and knees for drops. I even just shook the whole damn tree (faster that way). I had quickly worked around to the front of the tree with the pruning shears, which are ratchet shears and need adjustment ---- . This is going well and quickly. I was near the sidewalk. The pruning shears occasionally snap - ratchet shears - 3' handles ---- since I said they need this fix. And today they snapped. Right into my face. Spring loaded assault with the handle. WHAM! I dropped them and ran - holding my eye shut - and pounded on my son's window to get his attention. He's deaf so I needed to get his attention this way. He could see the edge of my hand on the glass. He opened his towel cum drape and saw his mother bouncing around in a bathing suit holding her eye. Well, holding my hand over my eye. He came and got me in for ice. He went and got the shears in (I like those shears). We called my doctor referral # (he's not in on Sunday) The doc said I needed to be seen ------- After the first 15 minutes, my nerves stopped jangling. I used ice until it melted and took a shower since I was muddy. Chuck ran up and drove my NICE CLEAN TRUCK and John and me - I had my eye open and they could see burst capillaries - it hit the eyebrow ridge and the side of my cheek - blunt force trauma. I had used an ice pack and then a hot shower - then I could open my eye. DEAR LORD! The waiting room was a veritable zoo. Although more than half was people accompanying people. My two sons and a friend of one of them was with me. I saw people doubled over peering into the door trying to get seen. My headache got worse while I was waiting. (This was the concern.) John kept his mask firmly in place. After 1 1/2 hours, we were brought in. I was already about to walk out! I WANTED JOHN OUT OF THERE. I WANTED OUT OF THERE. I am a bad patient. I am also damn sick of hospitals. I watched staff wander around dazed. I watched nurse and doctors roam back and forth - sometimes without anything in their hands. Then we had a shift change. You're next became 20 more minutes three times. After four hours I had decided that - if I were internally bleeding - it would have shown up by now. I have no blurred vision. I do have a headache. I am not bleeding from eye, nose or mouth. I can move my eyeball - but it gets mad at me when I do. My sons made me stay. I wanted to go. Said so. Anyway - FIVE hours after we had arrived (3-8 in the ER at Stanford) I was sent home - checked out as OK. It's their "busy day". OK - no more gardening tools on Sunday. Now I still have plums to pick (the boys put the ones I had picked so far in the kitchen wastebasket that I had outside to air - 1/2 full so far!!!!) I have more on the tree. Chuck wants a jar of jam. John said he'd eat some. I am the only one eating them fresh. John cannot have vegetables or fruit that is not cooked to death. I have a lot of shook off plums on the ground I need to rescue. I had been severely pruning the damn tree - several branches actually BROKE under the weight of the fruit. I have a green thumb - the front yard is overgrown. My head hurts. What a lousy Sunday!!!!! But the jam tastes good. |
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