Wouldn't you know

Wouldn’t you know…? I told Dad (granddad) months ago that he had to diversify his money because the bank is only liable for up to 100,000.00 each depositor know they are talking about changing it to 250,000.00… it seems that the World just seems to change to suit Dad. It is crazy! I heard on the radio that “everyone in the US should get 1.2 million… they used it to pay off mortgages and credit card that in turn goes back into the economy more taxed are paid… rather than given the CEO 700 Billion dollars”… I love the idea. It will never happen but I like the idea. The problem is that a lb. of sugar would just to 500 so the little people would still get screwed.

THE DOW DOWN 777

This is so frustrating... the DOW dropped 777+ points todays. What things this could do to our economy… people could lose. Brian ran into Mrs. Kriner at Giant store and she was fired from her job. New owners came in and they wanted their people so after at least 20 years she worked she was let go. What is going to happen to people that have their money in the stock market. Gary and I tried that for a while and I tired of it, worrying about the up and down. You can get caught up with all the excitement!

Great Job Gary

The grass is growing gang busters... it is slow but it is so nice to go out and see the lawn from one day to the next.


Liz wrote to me about her day last week... I am so sorry.
P.S. My string of bad luck continues, I got a traffic ticket today for failing to obey a posted sign, I apparently didn't stop at a Stop sign for long enough and the undercover cop was sitting right there. I was cooking salmon and rice for my friends for dinner tonight and didn't realize until it was too late that my rice cooker was broken so all I had to serve was uncooked rice and fish. Then I put my dish towel down on the stove and it caught on fire and I was lucky to get it into the sink in time. What a week, bad luck!!!!!

A Reckless Life

Bringgggggggggggggggg… hello this is John Steal’s phone, may I take a message? No he is not in… I know you have been calling for days. I am sorry he isn’t in but I can take a message. I know Mr. Sapp, I have told him that you want to talk to him- yes I can leave another message… I am sorry, I know, yes I know, I will tell him how important it is … yes, thank you, hope you have a better day, ok … thank you.
My God if Mr. Steal doesn’t start answering… or at least calling these people back Karen I am going to go to Human Resources and demand to be moved to another department … I can’t take this much longer. You know when he first started here I thought he would be someone nice to work for.
He was 24, straight out of Harvard Business school … nicely dressed and a smile… but he always looked like he knew something no one else knew. He laid low … you could see him watching everybody… joined in just enough but really said nothing. No one knew anything about him or his family life. No pictures of the family or mementos- it was nothing I could complain about …but, I knew something wasn’t quite “kosher”.
But Marge, the first few months he was here he was a …very …considerate man… lately… over the last 6 months, he has been involved in something unethical and possibly criminal. He has changed since he first came to “The Company”. The upfront problem is not if we like him, the problem is what should be done now. No one at the firm has an inkling of what he is doing. He has been coming in at night to do paper work that he doesn’t want anyone to see but… I found something he meant to shred.
Karen… what were you doing in his office? “I just had papers I needed to put on his desk. But, while I was in there …I found these papers wedged between the file cabinets. It was a preliminary bid for a home right outside of King’s Court. The dilemma is that the city is bidding on the contracts to buy all of King’s Court Housing and converting the property into ‘Luxury’ apartments, to revitalize the area. Well, Mr. Steal has been going to the surrounding home owners and buying up the property so he can flip them and make a mint. The King’s Court deal is hush-hush, we know about it because we have to file papers but how he found out I don’t know. Many of the people have been trying to sell for years; they are willing to sell for rock bottom prices to get out of the area”.
Several weeks pass… Mr. Steal is becoming more and more erratic. Marge, your phone is ringing… do you want me to get it … no Karen I’ve got it…“Yes, Mr. Steal I will cancel all your appointments … but you know that the head of the firm has a 4 o’clock meeting scheduled with the entire senior staff. Yes, I will tell him you will try to make it”.
Karen I think that Mr. Steal may finally be called onto the carpet. The Senior V.P. met with the corporate lawyers yesterday… most times you can hear them chatting about their golf games… you know small talk but, not this time. They looked very uneasy… I heard that during the meeting they made several calls to the Housing Authority and even to the Mayor’s office.
Marge I still say that Mr. Steal’s personality has changed over the past year, first he bought a 15’ Schooner, and then … a vintage 1958 Red Aston-Martin and he had been driving in a 1995 Mini-Van. How does he afford these things… it is just so different from the conservative man he was when he first came here. He comes in at all different hours and he’s not eating … he’s lost at least 20 pounds. It is just very strange… I feel sorry for him, something is just weird.
“Excuse me ladies, but have either of you seen or heard from Mr. Steal today”? “Oh, Mr. Herd- Mr. Steal said he will try to make it to the meeting at 4pm”. “Well, send him to my office Karen, as soon as he gets in… I have something of great consequence to discuss with him”. Mr. Herd was anxiously wringing his hands while looking around the office…“Do you know where he is because… this really can’t wait”.
Just as we were talking… the elevator door “pings” then opens…. John Steal walks onto the floor. He moves to greet Mr. Herd with a grim face. I notice he has a bandage on his left arm… like he had blood drawn at a hospital. The men walked out of the area toward the President’s Office. There was a quietness that came over the entire office…. I found myself holding my breath, what is happening… I looked at Marge and shook my head.
Moments later there was a voluble thud… the stillness was replaced by chaos. “Call 911 someone… call 911… oh my God he’s having a seizure… its Mr. Steal…. give him room to breathe… he’s having a seizure”. Only seconds later we heard the ambulance sirens resonate through the streets and stop at our building… we would usually jump up to see what was happening to some nameless person down the street but it was our turn now and people are looking at us… I feel violated. Why do people have to know our business!
That day was certainly a day I will remember…it has been about two months since the entire commotion occurred. The ambulance arrived in time Mr. Steal did have a Grand-Mal Seizure… he had been to a Neurologist earlier in the day. The doctor found shadows on the X-ray preformed several days before… and they felt that he would be able to go to the executives of the company and explain…unfortunately the tumor was more serious and caused him to seizure. He was admitted to an area hospital and received immediate surgery.
After the surgery Mr. Steal awakened as a completely different man. It seems that the tumor had been growing for some time, possibly several years and just before he came to the company the tumor had caused amnesia. He had wandered away from his life, in Colorado, he did graduate from college just not Harvard- somehow he fabricated all his credentials because he was ashamed to tell anyone he didn’t know his past. Then when the tumor began to grow rapidly…. that is when his personality changed radically. He cheated home owners, he violated laws by defrauding the people when he knew about the deal our firm had with the city to turn King’s Court into luxury apartments. He also started living a more reckless life… buying boats, cars and doing drugs along with parties on the weekends. I did finally discover that Mr. Sapp was a private investigator hired to find Mr. Steal … who for some reason thought he was after him and did everything he could to hide himself from the one man who knew at least a part of his past. Also Mr. Steal’s real name was John Smith.
The authorities are working out settlements with the home owners… he has sold the expensive toys and has been reunited with his wife and two children.

Another Friday

Dad came to dinner today for pizza; he had some sad news… Brian McKernan is getting a divorce. Uncle Bob came to visit Dad and he caught him up on family matters. Brian and his wife built a house on Martha’s Vineyard and they had a dispute over a Country Club they were to join… they fought and that ended the marriage. Then Aunt Jean… well Mike’s daughter is getting married at the Williamsport Country Club… Uncle Bob is sponsoring them and he is the only one invited to the wedding. We have all the problems that every family has.

Think Snow

An interesting video to get ready for the coming winter.

Someone that Loves Me

Mary Ann send me such nice pictures I thought I would use them in my blog! Update - Jenni's team came in 2nd- one point defeat.

Another Beautiful Day

Brian did another art piece and I want to put the link to his Blog page:http://khingkobra.blogspot.com/2008/09/ill-be-your-mirror.html
so go an check it out. The picture does not unfortunately show how beautiful it is... you need to see it in person. Like so many works of art they are better seen in a museum with the correct lighting so maybe someday this will come to pass.
A shout out to Liz... she had a quart of paint fall off a shelve in the garage and she ran over it with her car......EXPLOSION.... a big mess to clean up and she still has to paint the front door.
So sorry Liz.

My lost post

Sorry I didn't blog, I thought I did but didn't so I will get on with today's post.
The weather is colder, the leaves are changing and Gary is very, very busy trying to get the yard to grow. Here is Farmer Gary doing hard work!

Crouse Arrested... not close relative

I hope I did not give the wrong impression... the Crouse I am referring to is Grand-pa Crouse's brother John. So it is our family, a sadly to say a little strange side... I did a video interview... I will have to put some on my blog soon. Unfortunately he didn't know his Grand-dad had been public enemy no. 1 but he does now

Dad's tale

I was talking with Dad (Grand-dad at dinner) about the depression... how it seemed to affect Mom (Grammy) so much more than Dad. He said that the boot-legging did help. Grandpa Crouse was willing to try many different things. He was a house painter, he did many of the local schools and he bought the Funeral Home then renovated it into a women's boarding house. Also it seems that the bank was going to foreclose on 133 East so they sold the back lot for $5,000 and at that time that was a lot of money.
I was also told they first lived where the Red Cross Headquarter is located on East 3rd St. and if I remember right...Gary lived in the same building in college before it became the Red Cross Headquarter.

snoreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Gary put the manure on, then lye, fertilizer .... the seeds come next.

My New Kitchen

Make a Smilebox photobook

WATCHING GRASS GROW

Now that dad is done with the kitchen... those pictures are coming but Gary is working hard now on the backyard. Carmel peed and pooped all over the back yard and Gary has been trying for several years to clean up those spots so I will be putting on going pics of the backyard as we WATCH THE GRASS GROW ha ahahahahahah! But so true.
Jenni's team won again... the Dewey decimators had enough player for a Junior and Senior team and Jenni's team beat them both. So Jenni doesn't have to pay for drink again. Everyone is happy.

Wilbur Ross: Possibly a Thousand Banks Will Close

entire information at:http://www.cnbc.com/id/26710362

How do we keep doing this- in the article they say this is like the 1990's... how do we not learn. Is it that a new group of men (but it is men that get to the top) that need to get rich they build their empires on the backs of the working class, then hide their money or make so much that if they lose a few million it won't bother them then they put the screws to the rest of us. Why don't we stop this!

I know I sound like a nut... but why can't we as a species just work, I don't care if some people make lots of money... I don't like to Jet all over and go to parties nite and day. But we should be civilized enough to be less greedy. If the lenders were not so greedy to get commissions... oh I don't know, maybe I'll just try to run for Vice President!

A Short Story by Me

Her Mourning Eyes


Code blue…code blue…room 305… code blue, room 305 … was announced over the hospital loudspeaker… it was 6am, I was coming to the end of a night shift in CCU, it was my turn to be a first responder. “I’m going, I’m going” I yelled to the charge nurse as I was jumping out of my seat. I ran out the doors and turned left to the stairs, it was just down one floor. The hall was dimly lit and deserted until I reached room 305.
On entering the room- I saw the floor nurse standing by the bedside with a hopeful look on her face, and the crash cart was at the end of the bed. “How can I help”? “Mrs. Karr was having difficulty breathing, so I called her Doctor… he ordered oxygen…and we put the head of the bed up but it didn’t seem to help… she was becoming more and more cyanotic… she said she was having chest pain… so I called a code”. The floor nurse answered, with panic in her voice. Mrs. Karr was having a difficult time sitting up. The bed was at its’ highest level… she was holding onto the side rails… but she was still wheezing and gasping for air. She was trying to find that perfect spot where she would be able to breathe easier and stop the chest pains. What I noticed were her enormous eyes filled with panic and fear. It is frightening to watch someone who is looking at death.
I realized at that moment that I had met Mrs. Karr several days before this episode, I was on day shift. As a CCU nurse you are sometimes called upon to put IV lines in patients that have difficult veins. When I walked into her room I saw a middle age woman with a very pretty face, dark black curly hair and a china white complexion. She was wearing a very stylish pink night gown… no ugly hospital gown. I checked her name band and her birthday with the order sheet.
“My name is Karen Miller and I need to restart your IV line”- her left arm was wrapped in a warm towel covered with a blue pad. “I see your last IV line must have infiltrated…well… let me see your right arm”. Trying to distract her I asked “do you feel up to a few questions”?
While we talked she became more comfortable and I was able to put in her IV line.
“I just returned from California, I had been visiting my daughter and her children … oh, we had such a wonderful time. Unfortunately, while I was at my daughters’ I hit my leg; I didn’t pay it any attention until after the plane ride home. Then I noticed my right leg was swollen, warm to the touch and it seemed inflamed. It scared the hell out of me- so I went to the ER and I was admitted immediately. I was put on bed rest and Heparin… I have compresses on my right leg to help the embolism… that is what it’s called, right? I nodded yes. “Now I will only have one free limb…I hate being sick and laid up, I do wish… I could see my family”!
You have every right to be upset… it stinks to be sick and in bed. Is there any family that could come and visit? “Yes” she hesitated, “I just don’t want to bother them”.
At the end of our conversation I asked her if I could call Social Services to come and talk with her… Mary Ann is on call … she is a good friend of mine; I know she would be delighted to come, sit and talk with you. You are sick, you deserve some TLC- let us take care of you!
I was brought back to the present… looking into her eyes, so full of happiness when she was talking about her daughter and now so full of dread. She did not want to die. By then the ER doc and respiratory care personnel had arrived. Suddenly, the light left her eyes… her body slumped back into the pillows.
I got the code board out; all in one movement we lifted her up and slid the board under her back we started CPR. Respiratory care was assisting the doctor to intubate the patient.
The arms that had been fighting for life just seconds ago were lying flaccidly on the bed; her skin was ashen and covered with sweat. The entire team was working urgently. New IV lines had been started to increase her blood volume, she was connected to a portable heart monitor which showed ventricular fibrillation, someone had taken up the mantle of keeping records of the medication and procedures, and I was getting the defibrillator paddles ready to shock her heart back into rhythm.
Out in the hall I could hear the breakfast cart, the smells- coffee and bacon with eggs… another day was starting.
Mary Ann had been told of the code and she poked her head in to the room, she saw frustration and sadness on everyone’s face. Mrs. Karr… died that morning… we were told later that it was a pulmonary embolism and there was nothing we could have done.
Mary Ann asked if I wanted to get a cup of coffee after my shift was over. We met in the coffee shop. You could smell the coffee brewing, hear the chatter of dishes, …everyone getting on with their work, talking about errands they had to run and reading newspapers… life going on… the world doesn’t stop. Mary Ann told me that she did meet with Mrs. Karr, was able to contact the family… and her spirit seemed much improved. Her family had been coming and going… visiting… and recalling cherished memories. Karen you should have seen her… her eyes just lit up the room.
I sipped my coffee and closed my eyes…

'Courage in women is often mistaken for insanity.'

Jenni sent me a wonder article about women getting the vote... I wish I had talked with Nanny or even Mom about this topic. I watch "Mad Man" and see how men treated women before the 1970's. When I worked at the hospital I would get remarks about how I looked in my uniform and one doctor would put his hand up my shirt and feel my leg... I just ignored it because that is what men did and I didn't know any better... they were authority figures.

Remember 9/11

We think we have all the time in the world... I know that I have so many questions that I wish I had asked. I don't remember asking Maddy what it was like for her on 9/11 or Glenn, then Jeff who was in the city at the time. Last week I asked Dad where he was on Pearl Harbor Day, if you have a question you should ask it and remember our history before it fades away.

Baguettes are done

Jenni's team was only 3 strong so they came in tied for second. That is the word from Milwaukee. I have posted two pictures of the bread I made enjoy...

Something Funny

The following post is from an email that Gary sent to me... he said it was funny and he was right.... just read and let me know what you think. I must add that our daughter the Lawyer is nothing like the people mentioned in this post. We love our Lawyer

These are from a book called Disorder in the American Courts, and are things people actually said in court, word for word, taken down and now published by court reporters that had the torment of staying calm while these exchanges were actually taking place.
______________________________________

ATTORNEY: Are you sexually active?
WITNESS: No, I just lie there.
______________________________________

ATTORNEY: What gear were you in at the moment of the impact?
WITNESS: Gucci sweats and Reeboks.
______________________________________

ATTORNEY: This myasthenia gravis, does it affect your memory at all?
WITNESS: Yes.
ATTORNEY: And in what ways does it affect your memory?
WITNESS: I forget.
ATTORNEY: You forget? Can you give us an example of something you forgot?
_____________________________________

ATTORNEY: What was the first thing your husband said to you that morning?
WITNESS: He said, "Where am I, Cathy?"
ATTORNEY: And why did that upset you?
WITNESS: My name is Susan!
_____________________________________

ATTORNEY: Do you know if your daughter has ever been involved in voodoo?
WITNESS: We both do.
ATTORNEY: Voodoo?
WITNESS: We do.
ATTORNEY: You do?
WITNESS: Yes, voodoo.
_____________________________________

ATTORNEY: Now doctor, isn't it true that when a person dies in his sleep, he doesn't know about it until the next morning?
WITNESS: Did you actually pass the bar exam?
_____________________________________

ATTORNEY: The youngest son, the twenty-one-year-old, how old is he?
WITNESS: Uh, he's twenty-one.
______________________________________

ATTORNEY: Were you present when your picture was taken?
WITNESS: Are you shitt'in me?
______________________________________

ATTORNEY: So the date of conception (of the baby) was August 8th?
WITNESS: Yes.
ATTORNEY: And what were you doing at that time?
WITNESS: Uh.... I was gett'in laid!
_____________________________________

ATTORNEY: She had three children, right?
WITNESS: Yes.
ATTORNEY: How many were boys?
WITNESS: None.
ATTORNEY: Were there any girls?
WITNESS: Your Honor, I think I need a different attorney. Can I get a new attorney?
______________________________________

ATTORNEY: How was your first marriage terminated?
WITNESS: By death.
ATTORNEY: And by whose death was it terminated?
WITNESS: Now whose death do you suppose terminated it?
______________________________________

ATTORNEY: Can you describe the individual?
WITNESS: He was about medium height and had a beard.
ATTORNEY: Was this a male or a female?
WITNESS: Guess.
_____________________________________

ATTORNEY: Is your appearance here this morning pursuant to a deposition notice which I sent to your attorney?
WITNESS: No, this is how I dress when I go to work.
_____________________________________

ATTORNEY: Doctor, how many of your autopsies have you performed on dead people?
WITNESS: All my autopsies are performed on dead people. Would you like to rephrase that?
_____________________________________

ATTORNEY: ALL your responses MUST be oral, OK? What school did you go to?
WITNESS: Oral.
______________________________________

ATTORNEY: Do you recall the time that you examined the body?
WITNESS: The autopsy started around 8:30 p.m.
ATTORNEY: And Mr. Denton was dead at the time?
WITNESS: No, he was sitting on the table wondering why I was doing an autopsy on him!
____________________________________________

ATTORNEY: Are you qualified to give a urine sample?
WITNESS: Huh....are you qualified to ask that question?
____________________________________________

--- And the best for last: ---

ATTORNEY: Doctor, before you performed the autopsy, did you check for a pulse?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: Did you check for blood pressure?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: Did you check for breathing?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: So, then it is possible that the patient was alive when you began the autopsy?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: How can you be so sure, Doctor?
WITNESS: Because his brain was sitting on my desk in a jar.
ATTORNEY: I see, but could the patient have still been alive, nevertheless?
WITNESS: Yes, it is possible that he could have been alive and practicing law.

Sharon's Husband's Interview

When we got together on Dad's birthday at least I think it was then, we were talking about Sharon Mckernan and I told people about the interview I saw on Tech TV in 2004 with her husband as an "inventor" so I thought I would put it on my blog.

Fanny Mae

It makes me so mad... someone made money on the this situation. Did all these people borrow money and then default on the loan but someone got money out of it. Now the tax payer has to pay back the money somehow... I do not want to sound like a Republican but the middle and lower class seem to get forgotten. It is so hard... I found a diary I had written when the kids were young and times were very tough. No one person or situation was at fault back then or now. Things are very happy, involving my own immediate family relationships they are wonderful and I am so lucky so why do I have this discontentment inside me.

I long day

I made the "starter" on Saturday, then as soon as I got up this morning- I started working on the bread. The book said that if you buy the bread it would cost $2.75 to buy but .43 cent to make... that doesn't count the time & energy it took me to make this bread. I don't know why I do these crazy baking projects.... it does give me a feeling of satisfaction. I spend so much time resting in my chair. I do feel sad at times because I am so limited in what I can do on a daily basis.

Gary's Trip

Gary took a trip to Ithaca to see Lycoming play Ithaca in football. Unfortunately Lycoming lost, but he was able to meet up with Metta and his friends. I am spending today to get caught up on the “Tudors”. I have also attempted to make French Baguettes from scratch; it is a two day process so I will put a photo in the blog

Happy Birthday James

You get one special day that you can call your own (unless you are lucky like me to share it with a wonderful niece Annica) so today is James' day. Happy Birthday...love you.

Monogamy and Commitment

Brian was talking to me about an interesting article “Monogamy gene found in people”; you can find the article at… http://www.abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=5702390&page=1

Our bodies are extraordinary; it gives me pause to think:
What if you don’t have the genes to make you a monogamist but you remarry over and over. Are you trying to emulate what you had when you were growing up? Are you hoping upon hope that you can change the outcome if you just find the right girl… that is a lot of pressure to put on one person? To make a man or a woman that is not genetically predisposed to commitment … what if our genes also can tell who has the commitment gene?
What do you think, leave me a comment.

I spent all day getting the kitchen ready for it's debut on my Blog. I have pictures from Dad 88th Birthday! Enjoy... and remember James Birthday is coming on the 4th... happy day. Two birthdays to celebrate... I have no memories of James coming home from the hospital... I just remember that he was born while we were living on East Third Street. Late Edition.... Jenni came in 2nd...3 way tie for 1st in triva.

Kathryn's Academy Award

Kathryn gave us a practice of the speech she is going to make to a the Academy after she win the Emmy or Toni for the best Actress in a film or on stage.