Parkinson's and a Chainsaw plus One Dead Dog.

My mother phones me up in the middle of my night shift sleep to tell me that my brother's dog died up at my sister's farm.

I had asked "What happened?"   in response to her cryptic "Poor Boz" that  she posted to her Facebook Wall. (Yes, my mother at age 81 has a Facebook account!)

Not a good thing to post without explanation especially when the grand kids who actually own the dog are up late at night - see it  - and  post the exact same thing I did.  

She replied with an even more cryptic "Phone your sister and ask her".....

Apparently he was hit by a car. 

Sad story. 

You really don't want to know the details - but here it goes anyway. 

My idiot brother had bought this Leonberger dog with the intention to breed him because he had this wild idea that he could make some quick money (first mistake) and paid an exorbitant price for the dog that he could ill afford (second mistake).

Of course, it was like flushing the money down the loo because no one had time to spend with him (third mistake), and he became an unruly big untrained bear of a dog - albeit harmless. 

It got so no one could handle him, and after a disastrous spill from the back of my brother's truck while driving down the highway (yes, I know. Stupid, stupid.  Like I said...and fourth mistake.) and a broken hip later that he allowed to heal on it's own because a vet was too expensive (fifth mistake), Boz was put on my Sister's farm up in northern Alberta to live out his life.  

As it so happens, his life he lived out was cut short when he was hit by what was probably the only vehicle to drive by during a huge electrical storm.

Thus the cryptic "Poor Boz" on my mother's FB page.

But that isn't the end of it.  In my foggy haze of half asleep/half awake state that we as nurses experience when we get a phone call mid-sleep in mid-day..... I offhandedly asked mom what dad was up to.

"Oh your Uncle is here (Dad's brother, husband of the nearly-drowned aunt) and he and your dad are out cutting wood for the winter."

"You mean.....trees? Those big trees out front??"

 "Your dad couldn't get the chainsaw started. They are using a small saw..."

"Wait....what??? Well thank goodness for that, mom.   He's got Parkinson's!"

"Don't you worry," mom says casually - honestly believing what she is saying.  "He knows what he's doing."

"MOM. I know that he knows what he's doing! But - a chainsaw??? He's got - Parkinson's!! Think about it!  Don't you think that's slightly dangerous??"

I have to admit, the nurse in me had to be amused just a teensy bit at the vision that just flashed through my mind.  I couldn't help it. 

Admit it.  You did too!

Parkinson's and a chainsaw. 

That's a casualty waiting to happen.

Holy Mackerel.  It gives me nightmares thinking about the possibilities.

The bad thing is....it isn't like I could even stop it.

Sometimes we as adult children, have to just stop and take a breath, and let parents be parents.... there is nothing to do but pray they don't harm themselves along the way.

What a reversal.

Wait a minute.  I think I posted about that before......

*sigh*

IF KIDS MADE MOVIES:

If movies were made by your children, this what it would look like: MOVIE

I wish I could just embed it.

It sure gave me a good laugh, though -  especially since I was kept up half the night by the local hooligans, cursing and generally being a nuisance on our street corner.

To think that those teens that threw a huge rock through our window just around midnight were once cute innocent kids at one time, just like the ones in the "movie".

*sigh*

Why did they ever grow up?

High School Moms - TLC

My husband's good friend Richard "Ricardo" Esparza was the principal of a high school in Colorado that supported young moms going back to school to graduate.

The show "High School Moms" is on tonight, August 19 - on the TLC channel.

Try to catch it if you can.



I met Richard in Yakima when I was down there visiting my father-in-law in the hospital a few years back... and at that time he was pioneering a successful program in the school he was teaching at in Washington state - where he made it manditory that parents participate in the schooling of their own children - and thus brought the rate of graduation/level of education in that school from "abysmal" to the highest in the nation.

This is what got him in the Colorado school he is featured in on TLC.

Since then, he has moved on to Oregon state, principal of another highschool, continuing with his excellence in teaching.

The system needs more Richard Esparzas.....

Be Careful What You post! Breastfeeding

I have previously posted a caution on what you should not post on the Internet.

I use Google and various other methods/sources online to vet my renters for my two apartments - successfully I might add.

My lawyer nephew continually admonishes his younger cousins to watch what they post on Facebook because anything you post may as well be published on the front page of a newspaper.

Still, people don't seem to "get it".

There are sickos in this world who will use innocuous video/photos for their own ends.

Take the poor mom who, after successfully breastfeeding, decided that - when approached by a legitimate company: Parent TV - she would participate in the production of a "how to" video for other mothers who were having difficulty breastfeeding.

No matter what the intentions, the video was used in a porn video with her full name attached.

She only discovered this after googling her name. ( I recommend this: do it often!)

She is now attempting, through expensive legal channels to have all video removed and to have the production company held liable for it's alternative use in porn.

Is there nothing that is sacred?



[as you can see, a lot of these videos allow embedding and also downloading]

Head Injuries in Sports

I have posted before on violence in sports - specifically head injuries - and how much I hate the deliberateness of some of these injuries in a game.

Usually I am talking about Hockey. Or Football.

Today it's soccer.




I was as upset as anyone else in Canada with the refereeing during the USA/CAN game the other day.

HOWEVER.

After all was over and done with, I went to youtube and found this:



Melissa Tencredi (Canada) stomping on the head of the USA player Carli Lloyd during that same game. It appears to be deliberate, but who knows? Maybe it was accidental.

If it was deliberate, it certainly tarnishes their Bronze medal win for me.

Mittens and Flip Flops.

Didn't you just love those 2010 Olympic Mittens?



Well, I have myself a really nice pair of Summer Olympic Flip flops!!





So Cool!

Accidental Nursing: It could have been worse I guess.

You may have read my previous posts on "Accidental Nursing" where I have ended up using my nursing skills as a "Good Samaritan".

Here is another "Accidental Nursing" story from this past month.

I was busy working in my office and my husband slips a note under my door.



We had just lost our wonderful BC Ambulance renter to a house purchase, and now a temporary immigrant farm worker (Male, American caucasian with a Master's degree in Organic Farming in case you were jumping to conclusions) making big bucks in Canada was renting our Carriage house.

I put my work on hold and ran upstairs to check it out.

The dog greeted me at the door. "Hey there, pups!" I rub his ears.

Our renter's girlfriend swung the door wide open. "I can't believe it - I fainted!!!!"

Me: "Did you hit your head?"
GF: "No...."
Me: "OK then, where's the patient??"

She pointed to our renter, sitting with legs spread-eagled, slumped over a chair seat and the cupboards - pale as my morning latte. He's holding his thumb.

At this point I am thinking "OMG, he has sliced his finger off!!!"

The offending knife is lying on the counter with a host of veggies.

"Let me see it." I take charge. I need to - they are both near hysterical.

He takes the wad of toilet paper off to reveal this:



Well, OK. This isn't his thumb. He's a big guy.

I drew on my own thumb to illustrate - and re-enact it for my husband and this blog.

My husband went into hysterics when I retold the story. He has had 3 finger injuries, the first where he burned off all his skin with hot 500 degree wax, the second where he had a crush injury with starburst fracture of all fingers and the last where he eventually lost his fingernails.

A tiny superficial cut like our renters was small potatoes in my husband's books....and mine for that matter.

Of course I reacted in the way any nurse would do.

"Of COURSE you don't need to go to ED and get stitches," I laughed. "Steri-strips won't even hold that flap closed - it's only a tiny cut!"

But, like a good nurse, I got out my supply of steri-strips and a knuckle bandage and taped him up, giving instructions to see an MD if it looked infected down the road.

I was trusting his information that he was able to clean it well. Seeing how it was an injury with a knife and not one of his dirty farm implements, I told him he would be OK if he had had his tetanus immunization in the last 10 years.

Within 10 minutes....I was back to work....leaving the patient still slumped on the floor in his apartment, GF helicoptering around him.

Can you imagine this guy showing up at the local Emergency Department? (I'll bet you can!)

They should thank me.

Oh.

And our renter now?

When we had them over the other night for dinner (wound beautifully healed I must say!) and he offered to make a salad, I declined with sincere thanks.

I didn't want him going anywhere near a knife that was going to cut veggies I was going to eat!

PESTO RECIPE: for those allergic to nuts

When I go over to my cousin's house for their wonderful Christmas and Easter celebrations, I always admire her culinary skills.

My cousin's step son is anaphylactically allergic to nuts. Fortunately, he can have sunflower seeds, which is technically not a nut. Plus (added bonus!) sunflower seeds are much cheaper than pine nuts - by a long shot!! (the same amount of seeds would have cost at least $20!)

Here is the recipe she gave to me - since I was just handed a huge bag of organic basil leaves and and recently bought a bag of already peeled garlic cloves for $1 at the local farmers market!

PESTO

2 cups of fresh basil leaves: Packed
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2/3 cup roasted unsalted sunflower seeds
2 garlic cloves (I used 4 because I have so many and I love garlic!)

Place all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped and well combined. Do not puree. To store pesto : place in a jar, top with a skim of olive oil, tightly seal and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.


I put mine in small snack size zip lock baggies - approximately 3 tbsp in each and then put into a large freezer bag or container. You can also put them into ice cube trays and freeze and throw into a glass storage container for the freezer.

When you thaw to use, just add a touch more olive oil. A little pesto goes a long way. It's great added to pasta, or spread on french or Italian bread, and even instead of a tomato paste on a pizza!

It only took me a 1/2 hour (on my work break at home!) to make it!! Easy!!






I always keep shredded Parmesan handy: $6
Sunflower seeds $3
I keep the extra cloves of garlic in the freezer. $1

Free bag of fresh basil leaves!

I bought the mini food processor for only $6. Good investment!


I still have to add the parmesan....oops! forgot it!

It tastes sooooo good! Best of all, it only cost me $10 for the whole batch! If I were to have bought it......it would have definitely come to at least $40 pre-made. And I definitely wouldn't be able to feed the store-bought pesto to anyone with a nut allergy!


Bon Appetit!

Miracles rise out of little things: On Birth Defects

Defects are something one sees every once in a while in Labor and Delivery.
It's part of the territory.

Every parent wants a "perfect" baby, and there is often a sadness that is palpable in the room when one of those special little ones is born.

But what if that "imperfection" was actually a godsend??

You just have to go over to this blog and read this story that is quite incredible.

I know, I know...it's all you have been hearing in the news....

Aurora, Colorado.


But - believe me, it's worth the read.

You will never look at an "imperfection" in the same way again.

Love Letters

I can remember a boyfriend of mine that went away on vacation and was going to be gone for several weeks.....I did the same thing - writing a card or letter for every day he was gone....but it had quite the opposite effect!

What I didn't realize, he was seeing someone else - a married woman - on the sly. I can only imagine that he chucked them all in the garbage, unopened.

It was heartwarming to realize that a guy could actually do this for his wife.

What a wonderful thing - to be able to read those letters decades from now! Truly there is something so very personal and romantic about an *actual* handwritten letter, as opposed to a quickie email.

The couple is from Ontario originally, now based out of Victoria on Vancouver Island, B.C. Her husband has been deployed to the Persian Gulf for the next 8 months. See her original posting here.

I've got Nothing....

oh.

Except - it's your last chance to see the baby eagles before they fly away from their nest for good--------------------->

The Best Things about Being Blind

Almost 30 years ago, I had surgery - radial keratotomy (no, not laser! This was prior to that advance in vision care!) - for poor eyesight.

I was *almost* blind.

You know those letters on the wall that they use for checking vision? I couldn't even see the poster (or the wall, for that matter) - my vision was so poor.

I can remember at work, my glasses broke - as they would so often do because they were so heavy and thick - and I couldn't see to give out medications to my patients. I couldn't even see to drive home.

It was like a miracle when I finally had the surgery to correct my vision. I am now still almost 20/20 - even 30 years later.

So, it amazed me when I watched this video - this Blind guy who took a positive spin on his Blindness.

I don't know if I could be so positive. I at least could see a blurry blobby world - with light!

Watch this: (and feel gratitude that you can)

Happy Canada Day! National Anthem with Beer Bottles

Besides Hockey and Lacrosse, beer has to be one of this country's Icons.

I don't like beer, but I have to admit, these people are very inventive and it has to be the second best National Anthem rendition, after the Wilderness Call one.

"Obamacare" 101. A Simple Explanation

This has surfaced on the internet - on Reddit - and is a great explanation of what is going on in the USA. Please visit the link for Edits , links and other commentaries:

What exactly is Obamacare and what did it change?

"Okay, explained like you're a five year-old (well, okay, maybe a bit older), without too much oversimplification, and (hopefully) without sounding too biased:

What people call "Obamacare" is actually the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. However, people were calling it "Obamacare" before everyone even hammered out what it would be. It's a term mostly used by people who don't like the PPACA, and it's become popularized in part because PPACA is a really long and awkward name, even when you turn it into an acronym like that.

Anyway, the PPACA made a bunch of new rules regarding health care, with the purpose of making health care more affordable for everyone. Opponents of the PPACA, on the other hand, feel that the rules it makes take away too many freedoms and force people (both individuals and businesses) to do things they shouldn't have to.

So what does it do? Well, here is everything, in the order of when it goes into effect (because some of it happens later than other parts of it):

(Note: Page numbers listed in citations are the page numbers within the actual document, not the page numbers of the PDF file)

Already in effect:
•
It allows the Food and Drug Administration to approve more generic drugs (making for more competition in the market to drive down prices) ( Citation: An entire section of the bill, called Title VII, is devoted to this, starting on page 747 )

•
It increases the rebates on drugs people get through Medicare (so drugs cost less) ( Citation: Page 216, sec. 2501 )

•
It establishes a non-profit group, that the government doesn't directly control, PCORI, to study different kinds of treatments to see what works better and is the best use of money. ( Citation: Page 665, sec. 1181 )

•
It makes chain restaurants like McDonalds display how many calories are in all of their foods, so people can have an easier time making choices to eat healthy. ( Citation: Page 499, sec. 4205 )

•
It makes a "high-risk pool" for people with pre-existing conditions. Basically, this is a way to slowly ease into getting rid of "pre-existing conditions" altogether. For now, people who already have health issues that would be considered "pre-existing conditions" can still get insurance, but at different rates than people without them. ( Citation: Page 30, sec. 1101, Page 45, sec. 2704, and Page 46, sec. 2702 )

•
It forbids insurance companies from discriminating based on a disability, or because they were the victim of domestic abuse in the past (yes, insurers really did deny coverage for that) ( Citation: Page 47, sec. 2705 )

•
It renews some old policies, and calls for the appointment of various positions.

•
It creates a new 10% tax on indoor tanning booths. ( Citation: Page 923, sec. 5000B )

•
It says that health insurance companies can no longer tell customers that they won't get any more coverage because they have hit a "lifetime limit". Basically, if someone has paid for health insurance, that company can't tell that person that he's used that insurance too much throughout his life so they won't cover him any more. They can't do this for lifetime spending, and they're limited in how much they can do this for yearly spending. ( Citation: Page 14, sec. 2711 )

•
Kids can continue to be covered by their parents' health insurance until they're 26. ( Citation: Page 15, sec. 2714 )

•
No more "pre-existing conditions" for kids under the age of 19. ( Citation: Page 45, sec. 2704 and Page 57, sec. 1255 )

•
Insurers have less ability to change the amount customers have to pay for their plans. ( Citation: Page 47, sec. 2794 )

•
People in a "Medicare Gap" get a rebate to make up for the extra money they would otherwise have to spend. ( Citation: Page 379, sec. 3301 )

•
Insurers can't just drop customers once they get sick. ( Citation: Page 14, sec. 2712 )

•
Insurers have to tell customers what they're spending money on. (Instead of just "administrative fee", they have to be more specific).

•
Insurers need to have an appeals process for when they turn down a claim, so customers have some manner of recourse other than a lawsuit when they're turned down. ( Citation: Page 42, sec. 2719 )

•
Anti-fraud funding is increased and new ways to stop fraud are created. ( Citation: Page 699, sec. 6402 )

•
Medicare extends to smaller hospitals. ( Citation: Starting on page 344, the entire section "Part II" seems to deal with this )

•
Medicare patients with chronic illnesses must be monitored more thoroughly.

•
Reduces the costs for some companies that handle benefits for the elderly. ( Citation: Page 492, sec. 4202 )

•
A new website is made to give people insurance and health information. (I think this is it: http://www.healthcare.gov/ ). ( Citation: Page 36, sec. 1103 )

•
A credit program is made that will make it easier for business to invest in new ways to treat illness by paying half the cost of the investment. (Note - this program was temporary. It already ended) ( Citation: Page 830, sec. 9023 )

•
A limit is placed on just how much of a percentage of the money an insurer makes can be profit, to make sure they're not price-gouging customers. ( Citation: Page 22, sec. 1101 )

•
A limit is placed on what type of insurance accounts can be used to pay for over-the-counter drugs without a prescription. Basically, your insurer isn't paying for the Aspirin you bought for that hangover. ( Citation: Page 800, sec. 9003 )

•
Employers need to list the benefits they provided to employees on their tax forms. ( Citation: Page 800, sec. 9002 )

•
Any new health plans must provide preventative care (mammograms, colonoscopies, etc.) without requiring any sort of co-pay or charge. ( Citation: Page 14, sec. 2713 )


1/1/2013
•If you make over $200,000 a year, your taxes go up a tiny bit (0.9%). Edit: To address those who take issue with the word "tiny", a change of 0.9% is relatively tiny. Any look at how taxes have fluctuated over the years will reveal that a change of less than one percent is miniscule, especially when we're talking about people in the top 5% of earners. ( Citation: Page 818, sec. 9015 )

1/1/2014

This is when a lot of the really big changes happen.
•
No more "pre-existing conditions". At all. People will be charged the same regardless of their medical history. ( Citation: Page 45, sec. 2704, Page 46, sec. 2701, and Page 57, sec. 1255 )

•
If you can afford insurance but do not get it, you will be charged a fee. This is the "mandate" that people are talking about. Basically, it's a trade-off for the "pre-existing conditions" bit, saying that since insurers now have to cover you regardless of what you have, you can't just wait to buy insurance until you get sick. Otherwise no one would buy insurance until they needed it. You can opt not to get insurance, but you'll have to pay the fee instead, unless of course you're not buying insurance because you just can't afford it. (Note: On 6/28/12, the Supreme Court ruled that this is Constitutional, as long as it's considered a tax on the uninsured and not a penalty for not buying insurance... nitpicking about wording, mostly, but the long and short of it is, it looks like this is accepted by the courts) ( Citation: Page 145, sec. 5000A, and here is the actual court ruling for those who wish to read it. )


Question: What determines whether or not I can afford the mandate? Will I be forced to pay for insurance I can't afford?

Answer: There are all kinds of checks in place to keep you from getting screwed. Kaiser actually has a webpage with a pretty good rundown on it, if you're worried about it. You can see it here.

Okay, have we got that settled? Okay, moving on...
•
Small businesses get some tax credits for two years. (It looks like this is specifically for businesses with 25 or fewer employees) ( Citation: Page 138, sec. 1421 )

•
Businesses with over 50 employees must offer health insurance to full-time employees, or pay a penalty.

•
Insurers now can't do annual spending caps. Their customers can get as much health care in a given year as they need. ( Citation: Page 14, sec. 2711 )

•
Limits how high of an annual deductible insurers can charge customers. ( Citation: Page 62, sec. 1302 )

•
Cut some Medicare spending

•
Place a $2500 limit on tax-free spending on FSAs (accounts for medical spending). Basically, people using these accounts now have to pay taxes on any money over $2500 they put into them. ( Citation: Page 801, sec. 9005 )

•
Establish health insurance exchanges and rebates for the lower and middle-class, basically making it so they have an easier time getting affordable medical coverage.

•
Congress and Congressional staff will only be offered the same insurance offered to people in the insurance exchanges, rather than Federal Insurance. Basically, we won't be footing their health care bills any more than any other American citizen. ( Citation: Page 81, sec. 1312 )

•
A new tax on pharmaceutical companies.

•
A new tax on the purchase of medical devices.

•
A new tax on insurance companies based on their market share. Basically, the more of the market they control, the more they'll get taxed.

•
The amount you can deduct from your taxes for medical expenses increases.


1/1/2015
•Doctors' pay will be determined by the quality of their care, not how many people they treat. Edit: a_real_MD addresses questions regarding this one in far more detail and with far more expertise than I can offer in this post. If you're looking for a more in-depth explanation of this one (as many of you are), I highly recommend you give his post a read.

1/1/2017
•If any state can come up with their own plan, one which gives citizens the same level of care at the same price as the PPACA, they can ask the Secretary of Health and Human Resources for permission to do their plan instead of the PPACA. So if they can get the same results without, say, the mandate, they can be allowed to do so. Vermont, for example, has expressed a desire to just go straight to single-payer (in simple terms, everyone is covered, and medical expenses are paid by taxpayers). ( Citation: Page 98, sec. 1332 )

2018
•
All health care plans must now cover preventative care (not just the new ones).

•
A new tax on "Cadillac" health care plans (more expensive plans for rich people who want fancier coverage).


2020
•The elimination of the "Medicare gap"

.

Aaaaand that's it right there.

The biggest thing opponents of the bill have against it is the mandate. They claim that it forces people to buy insurance, and forcing people to buy something is unconstitutional. Personally, I take the opposite view, as it's not telling people to buy a specific thing, just to have a specific type of thing, just like a part of the money we pay in taxes pays for the police and firemen who protect us, this would have us paying to ensure doctors can treat us for illness and injury.

Plus, as previously mentioned, it's necessary if you're doing away with "pre-existing conditions" because otherwise no one would get insurance until they needed to use it, which defeats the purpose of insurance.

Whew! Hope that answers the question!"

I just had to: What to do when your kids are just starting school

OH MY. Here is the text that goes with it. You will cry:

"I graduated High School this week. When my Dad said he had a present for me I thought I was getting some cheesy graduation card. But what I received was something truly priceless. Following the ceremony he handed me a bag with a copy of "Oh the Places You'll Go," by Doctor Seuss inside. At first I just smiled and said that it meant a lot and that I loved that book.

But then he told me "No, open it up." ...On the first page I see a short paragraph written by none other than my kindergarten teacher. I start tearing up but I'm still confused. He tells me "Every year, for the past 13 years, since the day you started kindergarten I've gotten every teacher, coach, and principal to write a little something about you inside this book."

He managed to keep this book a secret for 13 years, and apparently everyone else in my life knew about it! Yes the intended effect occured... I burst out in tears. Sitting there reading through this book there are encouraging and sweet words from every teacher I love and remember through my years in this small town. My early teachers mention my "Pigtails and giggles," while my high school teachers mention my "Wit and sharp thinking.." But they all mention my humor and love for life. It is astounding to receive something this moving, touching, nostalgic, and thoughtful.

I can't express how much I love my Dad for this labor of love."

It's been a Vernus Horribilis

Sorry - I have been missing in action for a while.

I have been in the middle of a very wet Spring....no summer in sight and I am in need of a little Sunshine.

I have a few things I want to write about - in particular - a continuation of my Grandmother (the RN) and the family's life circa 1940 or so in Vancouver.....

Stay tuned.

It might take me a little bit to get going again.

Thank you for your patience.

Meanwhile, all the rain has allowed beautiful flowers to grow in our garden:

Happy Victoria Day!

When I was very young, I had a stamp collection.

I would buy stamps from any missionary that would visit the church back in the 1960's.   I would also collect stamps from here and there, whatever envelope someone had saved for me,  and soon had quite a collection going.

As I transitioned into my teen years, I realized that collecting stamps was a monumental job and there was no way I would be able to collect all of the stamps I wanted.   I just didn't have the resources.

My OCD wouldn't let me continue.  ( If I couldn't collect them all, I wouldn't collect any!)

I gave my stamps to my cousin, who, through the years accumulated quite the array of Canadian stamps.

He is a computer techie that invented something that is used every day in the workings of the computerized New York stock exchange....and he makes a couple cents on every transaction. 

 It's not only stamps he is accumulating.   He can afford to buy whatever stamps he pleases.

Here are a few of his stamps he has collected:

Just in time for today:  Victoria Day holiday!

The entire collection of Jubilee stamps

Very old.....and very interesting!

This was the series of stamps issued for Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee in 1897.

Besides Queen Victoria, there is only one other British Monarch to celebrate 60 years on the throne.... Queen Elizabeth.

 2012 is the year of Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee.

Volcano... 1980

There are very few Historical Events that you can remember Where You Were When It Happened.

For me they were:

1.  John F Kennedy's assassination
2.  The eruption of Mount St Helen's*
3.  The great Earthquake in San Francisco*
4.  Princess Diana dying in a car crash
5.  9/11*

Three out of these five instances,* I just happened to be at work in a hospital. 

Three different hospitals.

Two different countries.

Today is the 32nd anniversary of Mount St Helen's eruption.

Photo Credit: Jim Nieland, US Forest service
1980 before the eruption

Photo Credit: Lyn Topinka, US Geological Survey
1982 post eruption

I remember how smoky the sky was - the red sun and the haze over the valley.   At first I didn't know what was going on....then someone mentioned that they had heard the radio announcement that people with respiratory illnesses should stay indoors because of the eruption of a volcano in Washington, just over the border. 

By the end of the day, a fine coating of ash settled all over everything.

Living  more directly in the path of the plume of ash, my husband has a much more interesting story.

My husband said that there were ashes settling like snow all over their cars and in the streets one hour after the eruption at approximately 8:30 am.  By 3 in the afternoon the sky was dark.  Thunder boomed in the dark - and sometimes the only light was from the streetlights and the lightning.

Photo Credit: Herb Hackenburg, THG file photo
Ash fallout from Mt St Helen's

People had to shovel off their roofs because of the heavy load all the ash created.   Heavy equipment was sent into the street and plowed the ash to the center of the road then loaded onto dump trucks.  It took 10 weeks to complete the cleanup of the 20 thousand tons of ash from the streets and the tops of houses.

The airport was closed for seven days.

Credit: NOAA's Air Resources library.
The path of the Ash from Mt St Helen's in 1980

Paths traveled over North America by 18 May 1980 Mt. St. Helen's ash at 3, 9, 16, and 18 km altitudes. Tick marks along each line show position of ash cloud front at that altitude every 24 hours, at noon GMT (0550 local time at Mt. St. Helen's). The date at each tick mark is indicated. For clarity, the 18 km path is shown as a dashed line. The 21 May cloud from at 9 km altitude is just off the map to the E. Data provided by NOAA's Air Resources Laboratory.

Were you were affected by the volcano??  Certainly the path of the ash followed a wide swath of countryside across the nation.

The only  visible remains from the volcano in my husband's home town is the lush green parks from the fertilizer the ash provided.

If you have the time, click on the link  just above the photo of the mountain.  It's a great pictorial of the history of that time.

You think YOU have Tax problems??

One of Facebook's founders is giving up his US citizenship.

Not surprising -  after what we have gone through with my American husband.

Any American moving out of the country to live anywhere else on the planet is in for a rude surprise.

If you are a holder of an American citizenship or have one parent that is USA born ("Accidental" citizens) or are a Green Card holder living outside the country  you are doomed to file your 1040s and FBAR plus other documents for the rest of your life - even if you don't go back to the USA - ever. 

The tax breaks that are available in another country don't exempt you from paying the taxes in the USA.  You may even be double taxed on some income - by the home country and the USA.

Any lottery ticket I may buy (which isn't often) I tell my husband - his name doesn't go on it.   Lottery winnings - any winnings - are not taxable in Canada, yet, because he is an American - he would be subject to USA tax if his name were attached to any winnings.  

Already he has closed down his Retirement savings and Tax Free Savings account.  Plus, any money he makes is removed out of his account and put into mine to prevent the FBAR trigger.

Hey! Don't judge me!

He does get a credit card on which he can charge anything his heart desires! He is very spoiled!

Understandably, my husband is upset at his home country because of this liability - and how it strips him of the pride of ownership and the opportunity to save for his own retirement. 

After shopping around for an accountant to sort out the cross-border tax mess that is my husband's, I finally found H&R block would do the last 4 years of taxes (and 6 years of FBARs which I basically did myself and just gave them to check over)  for only $1500, which doesn't include what we already paid for our Canadian taxes!   (It was going to cost over $5K minimum with a regular Accounting company) 

If I could have understood the complicated forms, I would have done them myself since I am quite capable of filling out my own Canadian tax forms (however, I do get a local accountant to do it).

My dual citizen nephew who just moved here last year from the USA (born in the USA - Canadian mom/American dad), will be stuck with a huge bill every year, and as a poor newly-graduated student - he can't afford to hire someone to prepare his US taxes as required by law.

He isn't stupid.

He has a University degree (math major - masters level) and is very intelligent and yet he struggled for a month with the US tax forms until finally, I decided to shell out the $500 he couldn't afford for having H&R Block file his taxes this year. (he claims he should be able to copy it for next year, good luck!)

So, I can see why one would want to give up their US Citizenship.

My husband would do it in a minute if it would at all help him.

However:  It's not that easy to give up your citizenship if you don't happen to have a high-priced lawyer in your back pocket. 

-If you are suspected of giving up your citizenship for tax evasion purposes - they will deny your application.  

-If you are allowed to give up your US citizenship - you are still liable for past years filing and  for another 10 years anyway - just so the IRS can keep an eye on you just in case the above is true.  

Mexican citizens coming across the border to have their babies have no idea what a complicated tax mess they are setting their children up for.

   

There are a lot of these "Americans" living south of the US border that are now subject to US taxes - and with the present IRS - they will now be held liable to pay - even on their Mexican income. 

Parents are held responsible for filing on behalf of their US-born children whether there is any income or not.  If they don't - the penalties are severe ($10K per year !) - and border guards are now starting to ask questions on behalf of the IRS/Treasury.  In recent years, the US government is beginning to agressively pursue these individuals.  

What's so scary about an anchor baby?
THE US TAX OBLIGATION!!

Someone should tell them - in the long run, it isn't worth it.*

I am just thankful everything is finally filed, and it's all behind us

......until next year!

_____________________________________________________

* -a USA citizen (accidental, reluctant & naturalized - whatever) has to pay Inheritance taxes on any money inherited, even from foreign parents outside USA - even if you no longer live in the USA (or have NEVER lived in the USA) and don't intend on going back.

   -Spouses who are not US Citizens face a discriminatory set of rules for US purposes - if "giving" their partner any gift - taxes must be paid (so much for that new mercedes as a gift!).

   -Retirement planning is impossibly taxed.  USA doesn't recognize a lot of the pensions that belong to other countries and will tax this....causing double taxation in some cases.

  -If you DON'T file, you are still liable years later for taxes due.  The time clock for the statute of limiations only start once forms are filed.  Non-filing penalty is $10K per year and up.

  -If you get lucky and find wealth over $10K - this now triggers an obligation to declare ALL your bank accounts details to the Treasury (filing the FBAR).  Penalties are severe.  If you KNOW you should file and don't - it's 5 years in prison and the greater of $100,000 or 50% of the total balance of the account at the time of violation.  If you DON'T KNOW you should have filed and plead ignorance - you get a little break - only $10K fine per violation. (hopefully you can convince the Treasury of a reasonable cause for not filing - for example: you don't have an education )

  -Completely severing ties doesn't eliminate your obligation.  You still have to file.  Because of the long lineups of people now wanting to relinquish their US citizenship - the wait list can be several months long.

  -NON AMERICANS with Greencards:  If you retain your Greencard after moving out of the USA - unless you file a form 8854 - you will STILL be liable to pay taxes.  (I didn't even have a greencard when working in the USA - I had a temporary yearly permit - and I was sent a bill of $25K 5 years after moving back to Canada!!!!! I wrote the IRS a letter and haven't heard back, but still not sure if they think I owe them!)

  -Tax laws are complicated - you WILL need an expensive professional experienced in cross-border tax laws to not only interpret but to file any and all forms.  You may also require an attorney.

  -Don't think that living outside the USA will allow you to avoid collection of taxes or fines.  The USA will file in their own courts and apply for application in another country in order to collect.

  - You may be considered a "US PERSON" and be required to file taxes/FBAR if you are NOT a citizen but reside (aka vacation) in the USA for more than 180 days or more even if you are a citizen and file and pay taxes elsewhere (this has implications for vacationing Snowbirds).  It's 30 days, if you don't have any clear tax home base.  With the recent "sharing of border data" laws, it's easy for the USA to determine your coming and going if you are from Canada.

  - If you file your taxes in another country, then file in the USA - you are liable to pay taxes if deemed by the USA.  However, if you are shown to be "owed" in the USA upon filing - you won't be gettiing any refunds! It only works out to the benefit of the IRS...not a two-way street!

If you are interested, you can read about the atrocities of the American tax/FBAR laws here. (written by American Citizens Abroad = ACA)

Yearly Flu Vaccines may be Obsolete ... eventually

"Have you got your flu shot this year??"  might soon be a question of the past.

The latest research at UBC (Vancouver) suggests that the testing they are now doing may eliminate the need for the yearly flu immunization.



Read their media release in it's entirety:

Led by Prof. John Schrader, Canada Research Chair in Immunology and director of UBC’s Biomedical Research Centre, the research team found that the 2009 H1N1 “swine flu” vaccine triggers antibodies that protect against many influenza viruses, including the lethal avian H5N1 “bird flu” strain.

As it says in their commentary - this research can "potentially make influenza pandemics and seasonal influenza a thing of the past".

Yay.  I can't wait.  

Although there is a whole lot worse than a needle stick -  in my opinion - - - -

The fewer, the better.

The Eagle caught a Stuffed Toy Chipmunk!

You know that the Eaglets have hatched:



But guess what else has happened!

The poor eagle thought he was bringing a really nice furry feast home for it's little ones,,,

....but unfortunately....

It's caught a fake animal....someone's stuffed toy! Here is the video of mom picking apart the stuffed toy trying to get to the real meat to feed her patient chicks! She throws the stuffing all over her kids and her nest!:




Look at the stuffed rabbit in the nest live - if you click on the right hand Eagle Icon. You can actually see the labelling on the stuffed animal.

Here is the Mom moving the stuffed toy around in the nest - she seems rather annoyed with it - but doesn't throw it over the edge just yet. Maybe it might keep the babies amused when they get a little bigger:



Here is one of the pair bringing a real food to the nest - look at approximately the 8 minute mark for the real rabbit:



And in case you haven't been following the eagles, here is a video put together that shows the progression of building the nest:

Nurses' Week Coming Up

It's Nurse's week - that time of the year when all the nurses will bring in baking and potluck to work - which is eaten by everyone else BUT nurses, because there is not enough time and too many patients.....

photo credit

Ironic.

A giant octopus makes a quick meal of a seagull

A little nature break here.

You would expect this type of a thing elsewhere....but in Victoria, British Columbia??

At breakwater's edge, a giant octopus makes a quick meal of a seagull

Unbelievable!

Check it out!

Secrets to a Long and Happy Marriage

Grandparents Send Awesome And Awkward Wedding Toasts - Watch More Funny Videos

In a way it's cute. But in another way....it's tragic.
As time goes on, I can understand where they are coming from.....

The Magic Button — Make Everything OK

 As an RN, I am often asked to get out that Magic Wand and Make Everything OK.

Sadly, it's impossible.

Sometimes, aches and pains are going to persist, people will die no matter what lengths we go to keep you alive and no matter what we do.....things will not be OK.

Just in case you still believe in that Magic Wand:  Here you go - - - - - - 

The Magic Button — Make Everything OK

It's the closest you will get to it.

Having a Bird....

You know how I am about the eagles.   Click on that "Eagle" picture in the column to the right and take a look at the little babies!  Yes, the eggs have hatched! 

I haven't been as vocal about them on my blog as last year, but I have been watching them just as closely! You can watch the mom and dad feeding the babies! They are approximately 10 days old now.

Last year's chickadee

On another note ...   Remember the chickadees we had last year in our little decorative birdhouse outside our back door?

They didn't come back.  :(

So sad.  They were so cute!!!

However - we do have some Robins that have decided to build their nest on top of the birdhouse!!!   They are quite the decorators, using shiny plastic and matching ribbon for their nest!

A Robin "Condo"

Notice the blue matching ribbon! This is an
iPhone photo my husband took

Fish Can't Say NO to Drugs....

Tomorrow is national "Take your Drugs back" day in the USA.

If you have any expired/unused medications - it would be a great time to dispose of them. (By the way, this includes herbal medication and non prescription too!) Some medications can become less effective once past it's due date.

Unfortunately, in the USA, the DEA says that it's OK to put them in your garbage if there is no disposal plan in place in your community.

Problem: Factories & Pharmaceutical companies have released TONS of drugs into the US waterways!

I have an issue with that.   It's no surprise the DEA suggests people flush certain drugs (notice that the list includes only narcotics!) down the toilet.  

Why can't pharmacies in the USA help with the disposal, as we do in Canada?? (You might find the answer to that question here)

Here, we advise NOT to flush medications down the toilet or throw in the garbage any old medications.  This is because it can get into our water and soil. 

I know that the USA DEA gives the excuse that more medication goes into our water system via urine in our sewage - but why increase that amount by throwing more in??   ( And no - craigslist is not an appropriate place for your drugs!!!)

It doesn't make sense!!  The last thing our water and landfill needs is more contamination, no matter how small the perceived threat.

A staggering 40% of all 4 billion RX'd meds in the USA are NOT USED
Where are they all going?

Not only is it increasing the chance of long term exposure to traces of dangerous drugs to the vulnerable - pregnant women, children and newborns....but when antibiotics enter our waterways - it increases the chance of increased antibiotic resistance. 

Why would we want more Super-bugs?!

Another problem  - what happens to those old medications in Granny's cupboard?  A new study out shows that 25% of seniors do not store their medications safely and 36% of all medication poisonings involving children and prescriptions - are with their grandparent's medications.  

Would you put your child at risk whenever they go to visit Grandma and Grandpa??

In Canada, most communities direct people to their local pharmacy for disposal.   You can check here for return of old/expired/unused medications in your province. 90% of pharmacies in Canada will take old medications.   A non profit spearheaded this push for proper disposal.

In 2009, more than 50 thousand kilograms of unused medications were returned!!  So, yes, each one of those "small amounts" can add up to a LOT of medications!!!

Please! Do the right thing because......Fish Can't Say No to Drugs!

Check out this article.  It's from 2009, but is still applicable to today

by NatGeo. Browse more Environment infographics.

And just because I can.....

Thank you, buzzfeed.

Nothing like a smug, down-and-out- Canuck........ follow the link to check out the other fan's signs. 

They are amusing....

Food Bank Donation...

Help Fill the Food Banks just by watching this video and sharing it on Facebook and Twitter.



For every YouTube view, before May 11, 2012, Shaw (Cable)  will donate $1 to the food bank drive and Campbell Canada will donate 1 pound of food up to $250,000 and 250,000 pounds of food respectively.

 Please share and help us fill local food banks. Find out how you can donate at http://togetherisamazing.com

We have Satellite TV and I already buy Campell's soups for my husband's lunches (unless he makes his own homemade soup!) so watching it won't change how I interact with the products of Campbell and Shaw.....but I certainly would like to see them give to the foodbanks.

Sewing and Zippers.

Well, well. Just talk about zippers and look what happens!!! (the letters are machine stitching!)

Go to Google today and grab ahold of the zipper with your cursor and zip it up and down.

Apparently it's the 132nd birthday of the man that invented the zipper as we know today.




Thank goodness, because the one thing I really hated to sew were buttonholes - and if it weren't for Mr. Gideon Sundback....I would have had no choice but make a million of those little suckers.

Thank you, and Happy Birthday!

Hockey Love Hurts....

Vancouver, as of tonight, is out of the playoffs.

Sad, but true.

The hype never got as feverish as last season....however, the diehard fans are still reeling from the elimination.

So, true to form, here comes the Hockey ads:



And Vancouver feels the pain.
(hey, wait a minute! Isn't the narrator on that video - Morgan Freeman????)
I am glad it's over with.

I might have to cheer on Ottawa....or Washington.    Anyone but Boston -  our nemesis from last year.

If I watch.

Sew Unlike Nursing...

In High school we had the best Sewing/Textiles teacher in the world.

I learned more in that class than any other class I took - ever.

Some of my high school friends with our Sewing Teacher circa 1973

By the end of Grade 12, we could design and sew any outfit we wanted - without a pattern.  We also learned invisible mending, alterations, replacing zippers in pants and other garments, general mending and creating new projects from old clothing.

In Grade 12 my final two projects were a reversible winter coat for my mother and my own Graduation dress....all done without a purchased pattern.

If you are interested in how it's done, you can get an idea from this website.

It wasn't surprising to anyone that the first thing I bought when I graduated from high school wasn't a car.....it was my own sewing machine: A Bernina 830!  It is presently 39 years old and still runs as perfectly as the day I bought it!

Here is the exact same one I have, also purchased in 1973, for sale on Craigslist
Can you believe the asking price is $700 firm? I bought mine in 1973 brand new for $350

I really enjoyed sewing and had I thought of it as an option at the time, I should have gone into fashion design.

In the years after high school I designed and sewed two wedding dresses - one for my sister and one for my best friend.  I  created nursing uniforms for my co-workers that were different than what was available back then 30 years ago.  Designing hats, drapes, stuffed toys - you name it - I made it!

Whatever you wished, I could sew.  Pattern or not.  Anything.

Several of my later projects were new outfits made from reclaimed leather coats from the thrift store.  My girlfriend brought me a red leather jacket that I made into a vest for her motorcycle ride with her husband to Sturgis.  

My brother's wife who was a BC Lions Cheerleader needed an outfit for travelling with the team to Edmonton - so I took an old leather trench coat and made her a leather dress - using the different bits and pieces on different areas of the garment. 

I had to laugh because all her cheerleading friends were asking her where she got it.  It was a running joke about my "NU2U Designs".....

Here is my sister in law with the dress made
from the leather trench coat

The only "money" I made from all that sewing was a little design that made it to a CeBIT technology convention in Hanover, Germany - the world's largest and international computer exhibition:

Here is the little guy, now hanging in my closet

One of the instruction manuals to explain how it works

Here is the CeBIT newspaper that was given out at the exhibition in the year 2000

Here we are featured on the 2nd page of the CeBIT news!
The writeup explains how the puppy would work

I designed the little guy not ever seeing "Blues Clues"....but I can see how they are fairly similar.
Unfortunately, their child-phone/GPS business stalled due to infighting in the company, and then, of course the technology boom at that time left them in the dust.....and it became obsolete as other companies came up with similar inventions.

Notice the number of phones sold....very small numbers back then....!!!

It was a great run though and I got to tour Switzerland, France and Italy from a Jaguar Convertible.

Nowadays, I hardly ever take out my sewing machine.   Both my serger and my Bernina are stored under the stairs....mostly forgotten.

I truly believe that Nursing killed Creativity for me.

Originally, I considered my Nursing career to be "temporary" and a way to make a living on my journey to something else....art, music, creating fashion..... 

Somehow, without me realizing, it instead became my journey.

For some people, their dream is Nursing.  For me, it was anything but Nursing.

Tired of those old memes??

Well, here is another.

Sorry. I just couldn't resist!

My apologies if you have seen it before.

But - it is too close to the truth!

Visiting the Twins....or How to Be Helpful...

My RN girlfriend who worked with me in Labor and Delivery had twins.

She has been at home for several weeks so I thought perhaps the dust had settled enough with the her family so I could visit.

It was with excited anticipation that I decided to make the trip into the city to see the little things, but I didn't just want to visit....I also wanted to be useful. 

She had told me how wonderful it was to have other nursing friends of ours come over to help fold the laundry and so on. 

She claimed she was a little starved for a little socialization, having been off work already - for 3 1/2 months.

Adorableness personified

I just wanted to do my part and help out.  After all, one baby is work enough, never mind two! 

My husband and I had gone shopping on the weekend for little outfits and since we couldn't decide which outfits to get......we got four!  So cute!

So I packed up the gifts and a dozen muffins for mom and headed out.

Mom was clearly exhausted.  Right away, I offered to do whatever to help.   She had mentioned that the babies wet all over their bed and so I told her I could launder them for her.   She tried to object, but I just wouldn't hear of it. 

"You just relax and continue with your feeds! I will look after this, and anything else you would like me to do!" I announced.

Beautiful tiny baby feet.....

Stripping the bed and carefully retrieving the phone from the duvet folds,  I bundled up the sheets and threw them in the laundry.   While waiting for the wash, I held one babe while mom fed the other, and for several hours we kept swapping babies back and forth.

More than likely a bit of a growth spurt they were going through.

Midway through the wash cycle I heard some strange banging sounds. 

I asked my friend...."Uhh...is that normal???" 

"Oh yeah" she waved a hand in the general direction of the machines. "It always makes weird sounds every now and then!"

Kitty hiding from the noise - crying babies and laundry sounds....

So we relaxed back into the couch with the two little angels.

I got up several times, throwing the laundry in the dryer, checking on things.....

At one point in the afternoon,  my girlfriend's  husband arrived home and put his own work laundry in the washer.

"What's this doing in here?" he queried, holding up a very wet Blackberry.

Thoroughly horrified, I sunk into the sofa.  "I knew there was a noise that wasn't normal!!! So SORRY!!!!" 

I couldn't apologise enough.

The sorry blackberry......but not as sorry as me...

My friend kept trying to tell me "It's OK.  It'll dry out - I am sure it will be OK".   I couldn't be comforted.

I noticed that, instead of being upset,  her husband kept saying to my friend...."Do you want me to upgrade you an iPhone ????"

Apparently he had been trying to convince her to switch for a week now, but my friend - being the type of person to not care about keeping up with  "the latest" - kept refusing.

Now she has no excuse.  You're welcome!!

*cringe*

Thanks to her well-meaning friend...... the issue had been forced. 

The rest of my visit was spent apologising profusely.

As I left, I asked her if there was anything I could do for her.....any floors to wash?  Dishes to do?

.....................Any more electronic devices that need washing????

Embarrassment plus.

*sigh*