A curmudgeon's reputation for malevolence is undeserved. They're neither warped nor evil at heart. They don't hate mankind, just mankind's absurdities. They're just as sensitive and soft-hearted as the next guy, but they hide their vulnerability beneath a crust of misanthropy. They ease the pain by turning hurt into humor. . . . . . They attack maudlinism because it devalues genuine sentiment. . . . . . Nature, having failed to equip them with a servicable denial mechanism, has endowed them with astute perception and sly wit.
Curmudgeons are mockers and debunkers whose bitterness is a symptom rather than a disease. They can't compromise their standards and can't manage the suspension of disbelief necessary for feigned cheerfulness. Their awareness is a curse.
Perhaps curmudgeons have gotten a bad rap in the same way that the messenger is blamed for the message: They have the temerity to comment on the human condition without apology. They not only refuse to applaud mediocrity, they howl it down with morose glee. Their versions of the truth unsettle us, and we hold it against them, even though they soften it with humor.
- JON WINOKUR
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
On The Third Day
We brought Jamie home. It was very sunny and very cold ( -2 ˚ at 9 am and 10˚ by 1 pm) on February 2nd, 1978 but warming up. The sun was brilliantly bright that day. The sun seemed so bright after being in that hospital that I had to really squint my eyes. I could HARDLY WAIT to get home. The fresh air felt so good, even if it was cold!
We put Jamie in her car seat that was secured between us in a 1977 Toyota pickup. The small type. Red. I'll have to ask Dan the specifics on the truck. But boy was I glad to get out of the hospital.
At that time you couldn't have your baby with you in the room when visitors came. Babies were kept in the nursery & if people wanted to see your baby, they would go to a big window, hold up a card with the name of your baby ( blue for a boy, pink for a girl) and a nurse would wheel your baby close to the window for all to see.
They had very specific visiting hours too. My Mom drove from Eden Valley after school and had to wait for an hour or so before she could come up. She called the room several times and I can only imagine how many cigarettes she smoked before being allowed up!
Later on Dan's Dad & his mother ( remember, Dan's own Mom died at 34 yrs. old..cancer) , THE Grandma Meyer came to see us. I remeber it like it was yesterday. I was in a waiting room at the end of a long hallway & Grandma Meyer, a robust woman with a German accent picked up the pace of her steps & gave me the biggest bear hug I think I've ever had. Jamie was her first Great Grandchild & she was born on Grand ma's own Birthday!!!
I never saw Grandma display affection before that nor after that. And, coincidently, she had one more great grand daughter born on her birthday! Lucky lady.
Flash.
We put Jamie in her car seat that was secured between us in a 1977 Toyota pickup. The small type. Red. I'll have to ask Dan the specifics on the truck. But boy was I glad to get out of the hospital.
At that time you couldn't have your baby with you in the room when visitors came. Babies were kept in the nursery & if people wanted to see your baby, they would go to a big window, hold up a card with the name of your baby ( blue for a boy, pink for a girl) and a nurse would wheel your baby close to the window for all to see.
They had very specific visiting hours too. My Mom drove from Eden Valley after school and had to wait for an hour or so before she could come up. She called the room several times and I can only imagine how many cigarettes she smoked before being allowed up!
Later on Dan's Dad & his mother ( remember, Dan's own Mom died at 34 yrs. old..cancer) , THE Grandma Meyer came to see us. I remeber it like it was yesterday. I was in a waiting room at the end of a long hallway & Grandma Meyer, a robust woman with a German accent picked up the pace of her steps & gave me the biggest bear hug I think I've ever had. Jamie was her first Great Grandchild & she was born on Grand ma's own Birthday!!!
I never saw Grandma display affection before that nor after that. And, coincidently, she had one more great grand daughter born on her birthday! Lucky lady.
Flash.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Oddly related tidbits.....
Jamie got her first bath in a 13 X 9" aluminum cake pan.
My Dad flew in from North Carolina to see Jamie quite soon after she was born. I left Jamie with our neighbor ( who eventually did daycare for us) & drove down to pick him up. His flight was delayed because of weather. I was paged in the airport. I was told to call Cigdem. I called her and she said "Daaaaaaaaaling. Your faaaaathaa is in
Chicaaaaago & won't get in for 4 - 5 hours". My breasts were engorged. I drove all the way back home, breast fed Jamie & drove all the way back to the cities just in time to pick Dad up.
We didn't have a dresser for Jamie's clothes so I folded them neatly and put them in neat little rows on the floor. It wasn't long & Dan's Dad brought one over for us to use. It was missing a handle and had some Christmas ribbon threaded through it for a pull handle. I think it was green.
I used cloth diapers ( disposable diapers were just coming out) but didn't have a washer and drier. Laundry mats definitely are on my suckage list.
It was in a laundry mat that I learned that sterile - izable glass baby bottles were way over rated. Jamie threw hers one time in one & it shattered into a million pieces.It was quite embarrassing. Plastic bottles after that.
My Dad flew in from North Carolina to see Jamie quite soon after she was born. I left Jamie with our neighbor ( who eventually did daycare for us) & drove down to pick him up. His flight was delayed because of weather. I was paged in the airport. I was told to call Cigdem. I called her and she said "Daaaaaaaaaling. Your faaaaathaa is in
Chicaaaaago & won't get in for 4 - 5 hours". My breasts were engorged. I drove all the way back home, breast fed Jamie & drove all the way back to the cities just in time to pick Dad up.
We didn't have a dresser for Jamie's clothes so I folded them neatly and put them in neat little rows on the floor. It wasn't long & Dan's Dad brought one over for us to use. It was missing a handle and had some Christmas ribbon threaded through it for a pull handle. I think it was green.
I used cloth diapers ( disposable diapers were just coming out) but didn't have a washer and drier. Laundry mats definitely are on my suckage list.
It was in a laundry mat that I learned that sterile - izable glass baby bottles were way over rated. Jamie threw hers one time in one & it shattered into a million pieces.It was quite embarrassing. Plastic bottles after that.
The baby.
Jaime. No. Jamie. Why, Dan? Because " Jaime " isn't spelled correctly. If it is going to be Jamie, then it should be spelled like Jamie...J A M I E. OK. Jamie.
Dan had called his Dad at about 9 am on January 30, 1978 and told him that we were at the hospital & that I was in labor. At the time his Dad was sure that it was false labor & that I would be back home soon. Of course he had had 9 children himself & my due date (last he heard) was end of March so of course that was a logical conclusion.
My labor was, well, labor. There are certain things that I remember about each of my children's births (and one miscarriage) that distinguish one from the other, but in all honesty, the HARD part, the part they call LABOR is all the same for me & there is no memory for it. For Jamie's birth, I remember the end so I'll START there:
When they wheeled me into the delivery room they asked if I wanted the mirrors adjusted so that I could watch her birth. I said "No" because at that point I just wanted her OUT. It was about 2 pm. I pushed once & the doctor told me to push again & I did, with all my might which at 21 years old and in excellent physical condition was substantial. Her head POPPED out & I tore pretty badly. I didn't FEEL that until later. It hurt.
There was commotion down there. The nurses had their masks on but there was lots of eye language between them. The doctor had to stand up and he chastised them for the stool that was behind him. A second later & Jamie was out. I remember I picked up my head, looked at the doctor and said, "April 1st, ehhh doc.?"
Between the nurses attitude & my questioning the whole when I was due up to two weeks before she was born ( and he pushed her due date AHEAD a week because I DARED to question his estimated March date) I pretty much was done with this guy. I took Jamie to her 6 week appt. ( because it was paid for) and never went back.
She was a beautiful baby. Perfect. Dan & I marveled at the wonder of it all for a few hours alone before we called his Dad back.
The third installment in a few days : includes bringing her home and a very special moment when we found out that she was born on someone else's very special birthday.
Dan had called his Dad at about 9 am on January 30, 1978 and told him that we were at the hospital & that I was in labor. At the time his Dad was sure that it was false labor & that I would be back home soon. Of course he had had 9 children himself & my due date (last he heard) was end of March so of course that was a logical conclusion.
My labor was, well, labor. There are certain things that I remember about each of my children's births (and one miscarriage) that distinguish one from the other, but in all honesty, the HARD part, the part they call LABOR is all the same for me & there is no memory for it. For Jamie's birth, I remember the end so I'll START there:
When they wheeled me into the delivery room they asked if I wanted the mirrors adjusted so that I could watch her birth. I said "No" because at that point I just wanted her OUT. It was about 2 pm. I pushed once & the doctor told me to push again & I did, with all my might which at 21 years old and in excellent physical condition was substantial. Her head POPPED out & I tore pretty badly. I didn't FEEL that until later. It hurt.
There was commotion down there. The nurses had their masks on but there was lots of eye language between them. The doctor had to stand up and he chastised them for the stool that was behind him. A second later & Jamie was out. I remember I picked up my head, looked at the doctor and said, "April 1st, ehhh doc.?"
Between the nurses attitude & my questioning the whole when I was due up to two weeks before she was born ( and he pushed her due date AHEAD a week because I DARED to question his estimated March date) I pretty much was done with this guy. I took Jamie to her 6 week appt. ( because it was paid for) and never went back.
She was a beautiful baby. Perfect. Dan & I marveled at the wonder of it all for a few hours alone before we called his Dad back.
The third installment in a few days : includes bringing her home and a very special moment when we found out that she was born on someone else's very special birthday.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
33 years ago today
I chiseled out my own hole for ice fishing on Pearl Lake. I was pregnant with Jamie but according to the doctor I had months to go before she was due. My water broke the following morning at 2 am after I had gone to the bathroom and returned to bed.
I poked Dan & said, "Dan, my water broke, we have to go to the hospital" to which he replied "ugh, blah, sigh " and proceeded to roll over ( away from the wet spot) and fall back asleep.
Adrenalin set in. I called the hospital, explained that I was early but that my water had broken. The nurses said, "Yes, you need to get your things ready and come to the hospital now". But wait, I thought, after I had hung up. I don't have ANYTHING ready!!!
While Dan lay blissfully sleeping and I let him because I knew I would need his support while having what I thought might be a premature baby, I frantically proceeded to rummage through every cubbard, closet, door, trunk, pie safe, dresser that we had , emptying each of its contents across the floor of the top story of a small house we rented on Pearl Lake. I was in a frenzie doing God knows what trying to make an assemblage of a kit to take to the hospital I guess. And in between I would stop, try to get in touch with my body & count contractions. I don't think I ever really got through a whole set, I was too damn restless.
Finally at about 5 am I woke Dan up and said, "Dan, we need to go to the hospital. My water broke". He near jumped out of his skin this time. There was no hesitation, just a wipe his eyes, scramble to the garage and get in the car and lets get going.
When we got to the hospital, the nurses on that shift were waiting and quite relieved to see us. They were about to go off shift I think and remember, I had called at 2 am. It was about 5:30 now. There was no such thing as caller ID so they had no way of seeing what was happening ( crazy woman dumping contents of all storage areas on floor).
When I told them that my doctor had said that my due date was April 1st, they went to get a different nurse. When she came in she took one look at me, measured my belly from pubic bone to breast & said, "this looks like a full term baby to me!!". Dan breathed a sigh of relief & so did I, but in reality I think that I knew all along that I was pregnant. Sure, there were two false urine tests early on but especially toward the end of my pregnancy I was convinced I had been pregnant all along. When I went off the pill in April and got pregnant, I weighed all of a whopping 115 pounds. When Jamie was born she was 6 pounds 13 ounces. There wasn't much more room left, man.
More later on her birth, the doctor, the reaction of the nurses to this doctor & the elation of having a brand spanking knew baby girl all to ourselves for a few hours.
Flash!
I poked Dan & said, "Dan, my water broke, we have to go to the hospital" to which he replied "ugh, blah, sigh " and proceeded to roll over ( away from the wet spot) and fall back asleep.
Adrenalin set in. I called the hospital, explained that I was early but that my water had broken. The nurses said, "Yes, you need to get your things ready and come to the hospital now". But wait, I thought, after I had hung up. I don't have ANYTHING ready!!!
While Dan lay blissfully sleeping and I let him because I knew I would need his support while having what I thought might be a premature baby, I frantically proceeded to rummage through every cubbard, closet, door, trunk, pie safe, dresser that we had , emptying each of its contents across the floor of the top story of a small house we rented on Pearl Lake. I was in a frenzie doing God knows what trying to make an assemblage of a kit to take to the hospital I guess. And in between I would stop, try to get in touch with my body & count contractions. I don't think I ever really got through a whole set, I was too damn restless.
Finally at about 5 am I woke Dan up and said, "Dan, we need to go to the hospital. My water broke". He near jumped out of his skin this time. There was no hesitation, just a wipe his eyes, scramble to the garage and get in the car and lets get going.
When we got to the hospital, the nurses on that shift were waiting and quite relieved to see us. They were about to go off shift I think and remember, I had called at 2 am. It was about 5:30 now. There was no such thing as caller ID so they had no way of seeing what was happening ( crazy woman dumping contents of all storage areas on floor).
When I told them that my doctor had said that my due date was April 1st, they went to get a different nurse. When she came in she took one look at me, measured my belly from pubic bone to breast & said, "this looks like a full term baby to me!!". Dan breathed a sigh of relief & so did I, but in reality I think that I knew all along that I was pregnant. Sure, there were two false urine tests early on but especially toward the end of my pregnancy I was convinced I had been pregnant all along. When I went off the pill in April and got pregnant, I weighed all of a whopping 115 pounds. When Jamie was born she was 6 pounds 13 ounces. There wasn't much more room left, man.
More later on her birth, the doctor, the reaction of the nurses to this doctor & the elation of having a brand spanking knew baby girl all to ourselves for a few hours.
Flash!
Sunday, January 16, 2011
I really miss my motorcycles.
Ever since the daylight hours have been getting longer I have had the itch to ride. When I drive into the garage I glance at both rides every day now. I think that this year I will walk the baby ..the 250, through the snow & ice to the pavement. Last year I had to wait close to an extra week waiting for our driveway to melt.
I'm finished with winter. Phoenix in March!
Flash
I'm finished with winter. Phoenix in March!
Flash
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
About Me
- Mary
- I'm a real princess of a gal:) Want to know more about who I am? Check out my Amazon.com "I Heart You" wish list above. Feel free to feed my fetishes.