Sponsored Post - Event Tickets

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Yup, with all the various ticket resellers out there, you just need to know who to look to for them tickets. I wish that I had known who to look to for them Keith Urban concert tickets in Atlanta. I may have got a seat a little closer to my friends than the other side of the Fox Theater.

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This has been a paid posting sponsored by Premium Seats USA

It's time for New Year's resolutions

Have you thought about your New Year's resolutions yet? I’ve not put much thought into mine. I know I want to loose 12 to 14 pounds by February 14th and from there loose weight back down to at least 165 preferably 135 pounds by next New Year’s. That would put me back to where I was before I began stress induced munching. So… lets see, preliminary list that I shall refine through today…

1. Loose 14 pounds by February 14th
2. Loose weight until I am back down to 135 pounds
3. Be a better caregiver to my dad and not get so stressed
4. Make time for me
5. Banish food and munchies from the office, water only in here
6. Get in at least 30 minutes of exercise 5 times a week
7. Find time to relax and take up meditation or something to reduce stress

Okay, 7 is my lucky number so there are my preliminary resolutions. I’ll refine them later.

Off topic commentary - Counrty meets Celtic Music

I have found this cute little deal on my new computer called the WMP Dancers. I, of course, went out and downloaded Josh, the cowboy country dancer. O;-)

I now have my little Josh dancer down in the corner of my screen doing his country line dancing... to the music of a Celtic CD. It's so kewl, I swear that the dude is keeping up with the music. ::snerk::

I just wish they had more cute men dancers. The cowboy is the best one I saw. I'm a bit partial to cowboys anyway, so it works I suppose. I just can't stand them ones in the baggy pants.

Orlando Florida Vacations - Paid Ad

OrlandoVacation wants to recommend Orlando Florida for your nect family vacation. While staying at Kissimmee hotels you and your family can enjoy 52 theme parks - including Disney World, scenic beaches, and more top rated golf courses than anywhere else in Florida.

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This has been a paid posting for OrlandoVacation.com

Got my new computer - well it was used, but not abused

I got my desktop. :-D It's a little HP Pavilion Slimline. Has been previously owned, but is a nice enough little computer that I think will do everything I want it to do.

And when I say little I mean it. This thing's CPU is about 4.5" wide x 10" tall and around 13" long. Not much worse than a good sized dictionary sitting on the desk.

And the monitor... ohhh... I have about a 17" flatpanel monitor now. I really like it.

Going to get GIMP and Thunderbird and Firefox downloaded on here, but not going to be doing too much toward personalizations until I have this pretty baby paid for. Should be able to get it paid off fairly soon though.

Why you should never have your computer save your eBay password

According to Paul Harvey on teh radio this afternoon, and confirmed through a September 26, 2006 report on ABC News Online that cites Reuters as it's source - Jack Neal, age three, was playing with his mother’s computer when he tapped the right series of keys and used his mother’s saved eBay password and the “Buy it Now” option to win a pink convertible for $17,000 US from a second-hand car, a dealer from Worcestershire, England. Thankfully the car dealer found humor in the story behind the sale and agreed not to make the boy’s mother buy the car, instead mutually canceling the auction and re-listing it.

Hayfield Dental Care - Paid post for hellodenver.com

Going to the dentist is bad enough, you don't want to go there and spend hours waiting, then be put through a variety of things such as cleaning and whatever else only to have the dentist sigh and lean back and tell you that you need to go to another office for such and such work because they do not do that procedure at the office you went to.

That is when it is nice to have a dental care office like Hayfield Dental Care. The dentists at Hayfield Dental Care have all received advanced or specialist training in dental care procedures, allowing Hayfield Dental Care to perform almost any procedure without a need to refer the patient to another office. If you are in the Alexandria look up charles brown dds pc at Hayfield Dental Care.

The preceeding Post is a paid advertisement for Charles Brown DDS PC
Although I have no idea why he sent the post to a site I can't find him
or Hayfield Dental Care listed on

Gettting a desktop computer tomorrow

Well, I went to Rent to Own and talked to them and they got things squared away to get me a desktop computer that I didn't wait to get from them tonight (sister had to be somewhere and they had to disconnect the one I wanted) so I am going in tomorrow to pick it up. That works - gives me all night to get the space for it ready and set things up. :-D


My brother, of course, threw a conniption when I told him. He was swearing that he could have got me a better one cheaper. But I pointed out to him I have been waiting on that promise for more than a month and ain't seen it yet, so I went and got my own computer.

Took dad for blood test

Me and one of my sisters took my dad in for his coumadin level check today - he is supposed to be between a 2.0 and a 3.0 - he is sitting right on 2.0 so that's good. I'm going to let the nurse know if there is any change in medications when dad sees his regular doctor in a week or so, but so far it looks good. She said that she wants to get it rechecked in two weeks, but he's fine until then. Unless I start feeding him a LOT of greenery - that tends to play heck with the level counts because of the vitamin K in it.

Timeless investing in gold with the Monex Deposit Company

It can be difficult to save for the future when you are a caregiver, but when you can manage to put something aside how do you invest it? The Monex Deposit Company would like for you to take a moment to consider the investment potential of gold. The hard asset professionals at the Monex Deposit Company can help you make precious metals investments such as the purchase of gold bullion or gold coins.

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The Monex Deposit Company has hard asset professionals that are ready to help you pick the right investment for your needs, professionals that can arrange for either immediate personal delivery or, if you prefer, for your investment to be safely and conveniently stored in an independent bank or depository.

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The preceding Post is a paid advertisement for the Monex Deposit Company

Medicine records

What would you do if you had an emergency and you had to tell the EMTs what your care recipient last had from their medications? Would you be able to recall the doses and medications off the top of your head or would you have to fumble for what the information was?

I have a print out that shows exactly what my dad gets at which times of the day and how much the dose is. This is good not just in case of emergency, but also if I am not there to get his medications and someone else has to sort through the bottles to find the proper medicine for him.

You could even take things a step further and print out sheets on your computer for each day of the month that lists the pills and when they are taken so that when your care recipient is given a medication it can be marked off the chart for the day.

PayDayLoans - cash advance: good or bad? [sponsored post]

Have you considered them Online Payday Loan sites for possible sources of quick cash when you need it? They are kind of like little pawn shops that lend you money based on your verifiable income. You can get an Online Cash Advance Payday Loan from them and pay it back when you get your check.

I want to hear what you think of these sites. Are you for them? Against them? Have you tried them? Considered trying them? Let me know, good or bad, what you think.

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This post was sponsored by NeedSpeedyCash.com to get a neutral POV on the subject

Of blood tests and pills

We're taking dad in for another blood test tomorrow afternoon. His regular check on the coumadin levels in his blood stream. I'm not sure if I mentioned it before or not, but when he went in to see the doctor at the hospital the guys said to pull dad off the coumadin for three days and then restart him at a significantly lower dose than he was taking.

The next morning the Alaska Heart Institute was on the phone to us saying they had got the daily report on patients from the hospital and saw dad's name on it and wanted to be dang sure that we did not do what that guy at the hospital said because the coumadin level was exactly where it should be and we was to keep him on the pill schedule that the Alaska Heart Institute had prescribed.

Kind of makes me even more leery of the medications that the guy had said dad should be taking. Can't wait to get dad in to see his regular doctor and see what she has to say about all of it.

Postie Patrol in Chicago with HP

Tis the season, and HP joined PayPerPost and the Postie Patrol in Chicago to bring a special Holiday scavenger hunt to one lucky Postie. HP sponsored this post. Jack Frost sponsored the frigid Chicago weather.

Sure looked cold there, don't think I can expect them to be tackling Alaska's -60° F weather any time soon. ;-)

I loved her reaction when she was told that she needs to get a picture of "I love HP" written on her forehead - in black marker. So calm and accepting of that request. :snerk:: That was *nothing* compared to how she got her first picture. Have to love it! I'm not sure how cold it was in Chicago that day Ted, but man, you're a real sport!

Check out the video below for all the fun and coldness, and check out HP for Digital Photography Tips and great cameras!

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This post was brought to you by HP

Actually managed 1 hour of sleep

After staying up all night last night so mom could sleep, I went to take a nap at about 12:30 this morning. I figured I could get away with sleeping until about 3 p.m. and then get back up. I was up by 1:15 p.m., so I actually only managed about 45 minutes sleep, or thirty minutes if you count the length of time from laying down to getting to fall asleep.

At 1:15 dad hit the doorbell buzzer to have me help him back to bed from the chair he had been watching TV in. I decided to not even bother trying to get more sleep and instead fiddled around a little bit, got some food, and watched Alias Smith and Jones (one with Pete Duel - yay!) on Encore Westerns.

Now I am back at the computer with coffee determined to stay awake and sleep at an early hour tonight.

DebitHelp - assistance with debt (paid ad)

Being in debit is a common problem that most American's face, family caregivers more so than most others. In 2004 USA today columnist Barbara Hagenbaugh estimated that the average American carries $4,663 in credit card debt, a figure that many believe has nearly doubled today. DebtHelp.com seeks to help eliminate debit concerns by focusing on five distinct areas: mortgage refinance, debt management, student loan consolidation, tax debt relief, and credit reporting.

The president of DebitHelp, John Turner, feels that his Internet-based collection of financial professionals can help by connecting individuals directly with financial institutions that can help them eliminate personal debt.

Many Web sites offer consumers free information, but DebtHelp.com is the first of its kind to actually offer consumers direct solutions to their financial problems at no charge.

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This post is a paid advertisement for DebitHelp.com

Christmas is both a time of happiness and sadness for the family caregiver

For the family caregiver, Christmas can be a time of both happiness and sadness. This year is quite likely the last time my father will be around for Christmas, which makes it a time of tempered joy for me and my mother. After the doctors had finished scaring the hell out of her the other night when she took him to the hospital she had been convinced he might not live to see Christmas. Now we're going day by day ahead and holding on to what hope we can.

It's hard, knowing that something might happen at any moment and we might loose him. My mom just sits and cries at times. I realized today that I am in the 'take charge' mode that I kick into when crisis hits. My mind is refusing to process the fears and worries and instead intently focused on the matter of importance and on making sure that those around me are eased of any fears they might be feeling. I know that it is a bad thing, I've never his this mode for so long and have never hit it that I did not come out of it a total mess.

Nothing else to be done, though, so I'll just take things slowly and keep an eye on mom and make sure that she's okay and has what strength from me she needs.

Enzymecorrect - FaithMeds ad for detoxification remedy

Enzymecorrect, an all-natural detoxification remedy from FaithMeds, is said by FaithMeds to be a pharmaceutical-grade product that has undergone clinical studies indicating it can help reduce toxins in 2 to 3 days. (This claim has not been checked into by me).

FaithMeds, a Christian doctor site by Dr. Don VerHulst, M.D., has paid for this post to suggest the use of Enzymecorrect to Detoxify. They claim Enzymecorrect is an all-natural detoxification remedy that is free of the normal pharmaceutical drugs.

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Please note this is a PAID ADVERTISEMENT - I do not necessarily endorse this product and advise anyone interested in it to research it thoroughly and consult their doctor before they consider trying it.

More on my dad - sortta

Talked to one of the nurses at the Alaska Heart Institute today and she said that it sounded like dad was in the last stages of congestive heart failure. :-/

She also said that I was to leave him on his regular medication dosages and get his coumadin level checked after Christmas.

Hopefully we'll find out more about things in January when he can see his regular doctor. Right now we're just doing what we can but it's tiring. (I'm falling asleep at the moment and keep having to wander around to try to stay awake.)

Hyperestol - FaithMeds advertisement

Hyperestol is an all-natural remedy product from FaithMeds that they claim will lower high blood pressure within two to four weeks. FaithMeds says that you can Reduce High Blood Pressure with Hyperestol. (This claim has not been checked into by me).

Hyperestol is listed as a pharmaceutical-grade product that has undergone clinical studies.

FaithMeds, a Christian doctor site by Dr. Don VerHulst, M.D., claims that Hyperestol is an all-natural remedy for high blood pressure that is free of the normal pharmaceutical drugs.

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Please note this is a PAID ADVERTISEMENT - I do not necessarily endorse this product and advise anyone interested in it to research it thoroughly and consult their doctor before they consider trying it.

Got some pressies for dad tonight - gave him one already

Mom and me went present shopping earlier and mom found a bunch of things for dad such as a full body massaging pad and some little pillow things. He's been having headaches because of the hardness of the back of the chair he sits in, so one of the things she got him she gave him a little while ago. It's a Simply Basic Battery Operated Massage Cushion. It's soft and filled with tiny soft foam beads. We took the vibrating massager out of the pillow and he's just using it as a pillow. So far it seems to be working to get rid of the headaches.

Gift Baskets from Delightful Deliveries

Still looking for some great gift ideas? There is still time to get a Delightful Deliveries gift basket for your hard to shop for friends and family.

Find the perfect Gift Baskets online, from the Ghirardelli's Greatest Hits Gift Basket (you can never go wrong with a gift of Ghirardelli Chocolate to a chocoholic), to the Under the California Sun Gift Basket that includes a bottle of Napa Valley wine (recipient must be at least 21 years of age, shipping restrictions apply).

Snacks, nuts, candies, cookies, and adorable plush bears are just a few of the goodies to be found at the Delightful Deliveries website.

Also take a look at their monthly clubs. Cookie, chocolate, wine, beer, and even... coffee (Hehehehe... I'll be good and stay out of there until I have finished buying things for others for Christmas... although..... my dad does like coffee too.... O:-)) A monthly club is a great way to remind them that you are thinking of them all through the year.

Already have your shopping done for this year, not looking for last minute gifts? Request a catalog and enjoy comfortable browsing as you plan for the New Year and the 2007 holiday season.

Sugar free and Kosher goodies are also available.


Buy More & Save!! Use coupon code "buymore" get save 5% on your order.

Safe Storage of Prescription Medications

When you are in charge of the medications, it is important to be able to store them safely. I have a locking medicine cabinet that allows me to store away the medications safely out of reach of the small nieces and nephews that scurry around the house from time to time. In addition I have a second storage cabinet that I can lock up that holds the medications that are either temporarily pulled from what my dad takes or that he no longer is taking for one reason or another but may restart. This keeps the medications from being mixed up and accidentally given to him. The second cabinet is also where I put things that I'm not sure if he should be taking right now or not (like the sleep pill the hospital doctor gave him).

Anything that I know he is not going to be needing or that is out dated is dropped in the toilet for a proper burial at sea. By sending it to the septic system I eliminate the risk that the dog might get into the trash and thereby get into the disposed of medications.

If you have medications that require refrigeration, then my first recommendation would be keeping them in a small locking bar style refrigerator. I'm assuming you don't have one of those, however, (I know I don't) so my second suggestion is to get a small box like you would keep index cards in. Buy a small hasp and padlock and install them on the file box and tuck it away in the back of the refrigerator with the medicine locked inside it. You could even, if you wanted to, bolt it to the shelf or something to make sure it's not misplaced somehow.

Whatever you do, be safe and keep the medicine out of reach of children. Also be sure to read the storage information or talk to your pharmacist about how to properly store the medicine at home.

Cholestycare - Paid ad for FaithMeds

FaithMeds has another all-natural remedy product that they think you should hear about. Cholestycare High Cholesterol Remedy. They say that within two to four weeks cholestycare can reduce cholesterol levels. (This claim has not been checked into by me).

They list cholestycare as a pharmaceutical-grade product that has undergone clinical studies.

FaithMeds, a Christian doctor site by Dr. Don VerHulst, M.D., claims that cholestycare is 99% effective in reducing cholesterol levels without pharmaceutical drugs.

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Please note this is a PAID ADVERTISEMENT - I do not necessarily endorse this product and advise anyone interested in it to research it thoroughly and consult their doctor before they consider trying it.

Sleeping pill that causes irregular heart beat........ for someone with congestive heart failure???

I'm not too sure about the doctor that saw my dad the other day. My dad has a odd sleep pattern, always has had an odd sleep pattern it goes back to when he programmed computers for a living and would be called in at all hours of the day and night to fix a messed up program (back before they had the fancy restore features and boot disks).

Well, this doctor prescribed dad Ambien, which is a sleep aid. This is good, no problem, until you look at the instructions that came with it and see that a major side effect is an unsteady heart beat.

Wait... Unsteady heart beat? You have a man in his 70's that you just said has congestive heart failure and you want to give him a sleeping pill that causes unsteady heart rates?

Needless to say I am waiting to see what my dad's regular doctor says about it before I follow any such advice from the doctor that wanted my mom to sign paperwork saying she wanted them to sit on their thumbs if dad had a heart attack. The same guy that told her to not call 911 and just let it happen if dad had a heart attack.

Still grrrring at what I was told about that doctor's idea of helping patients.

Revivol - Paid Advertisement by FaithMeds

Now here's something that I should probably find out more about. A remedy for chronic fatigue. Faithmeds.com claims that Revivol has been clinically proven to soothe the symptoms of CFS and Fibromyalgia.

FaithMeds claims that the all-natural Revivol works within five to seven days and when used over 3 to 6 months can reverse CFS and Fibromyalgia. (This claim has not been checked into by me).

FaithMeds, a Christian doctor site by Dr. Don VerHulst, M.D., says that Revivol is a powerful CFS and Fibromyalgia remedy. The medication is advertised on their site as "God's natural design for nutrition and developed supplements that make it possible for you to nourish yourself as He intended."

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Please note this is a PAID ADVERTISEMENT - I do not necessarily endorse this product and advise anyone interested in it to research it thoroughly and consult their doctor before they consider trying it.

News about my father

Well, it's not good, but I wasn't expecting it to be. :-/ Mom brought dad home and said that the doctors said he's having congestive heart failure and that there's nothing they can do. Doctor told her he might live four hours might live four weeks. He asked what she would do if he needed help and she said she'd dial 911 and the doctor told her to not even bother. Then he started pushing for her to sign a piece of paper saying not to try to save him if he has a heart attack. Good thing I didn't go, I've threatened to break nurses arms for a hell of a lot less than that. :-/ Mom refused to sign the paper.

So, mom and I have dad home now, the doctor gave mom a order for hospice to come out and take care of dad, but she refused it so apparently the doctor plans to get a-hold of dad's regular doctor and tell her to force mom to accept hospice assistance and care and to sign the paper. I may end up punching the ER doc in the nose after all. We'll see.

Guess it would be a nice little circle of life kind of thing - when I was a little baby a doctor told my parents that I was not going to make it after a bad fever and if I did survive I'd be a vegetable so it would be better to just let me die. Dad apparently punched that doctor in the nose and landed him on his butt in the hall as dad strode in and got me and took me to a military hospital instead. It'd be kind'a fitting if I should end up punching out a doctor on my dad's behalf.

Capella University

Capella University would like for you to consider how easy it is to pursue an online college degree while you remain at home with your loved one. As a full-time family caregiver myself, I know how difficult it can be to get out and work or attend college courses.



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The preceding post has been

a paid advertisement for

Capella University

Took my dad to see doctor at hospital

My mom and oldest sister left a while ago to take my dad out to the hospital to see a doctor about the pain and headaches that he's been having since his doctor's office can't get him in to be seen before some time in January.

I'm still waiting to find out just what the result of the visit was. Hopefully they're at least going to give him something stronger than the pain medicine he has - since that's not helping any more.

Solitaire

That is one of the things on my bedroom door. Solitaire. It is a cardboard cut-out of the word, white letters with a black outline, that was part of the packaging of a hand-held game one of my nephews bought my mom for Christmas a few years ago. It is part of a collection of things on my door that kind of define my life.





Being a caregiver is a lot like a game of solitaire. You can sit in a room full of others, but ultimately it is you who needs to make the choices about what is done next and there is no one else that can be turned to to take the hand you were dealt away and play it out for you. You might have someone sit and watch you play for a little while, but they will get up and move away when they determine they don't know how to play the game. There are the occasional ones that will tell you you're going about it all wrong then hold up their hands and back away when you offer to let them take over. I'm not sure what can be done other than to get up each morning and do my best.



There are a lot of times when I want to cry, a few points where just walking out the door and never coming back seems like the easier road to take, and even times, like now, when I am trying my best but it's not good enough and all I can do it sit and stress out and feel my stomach twisting and knotting as the thought replays on a loop in my head that my best is not good enough.

Damage calculator? How about a care calculator instead?

Have you picked up a copy of the new HD DVD "The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift"?

Progressive Direct has done the math on just how much it cost to bust up all them cars in the Universal Studios Home Entertainment movie. You have to choose to turn the calculator labeled "Progressive Direct: Insurance Damage Estimates," but once you do you will be treated to a running total of damage estimates such as: "Roof repair: $209, taillights: $451, fender: $618."

This is the first in what Universal and other studios hope is a stream of branded interactive features on their new DVDs. The technology is possible because the new HD DVD formats have about six times as much data capacity as standard DVDs, giving extra space to the studios for not only high-definition video and enhanced audio, but also interactive features such as games, picture-in-picture commentaries and Web links. I'd like to see a movie that totals up what the value of care provided by a family caregiver is based on nurse wages: "Pill dispensing $350, late night bedding change $725, urinal empty and sanitation $1,526, unconditional love.... priceless." Oh wait, I got into MasterCard slogans there at the end, but you get the idea.

Fred Khoury, the marketing manager at Progressive Direct who worked on the project gets the idea, he said of the damage calculator: "This is meant to be fun. It provides us an opportunity to reach people in other ways. You can't run the same ads over and over."

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Caregiver Burnout

It is absolutely amazing to me that with all the stress I am currently undergoing I am not suffering from another bout of caregiver burnout - it's something I would have expected to be facing, but I am doing okay in that regard.

If you've ever had caregiver burnout you know just how bad it can be and make you feel. I went through it and was forced to make myself get better because my mom was suffering it at the same time and I had to take on the responsibility of getting over it and taking care of dad so that she could recover from her own burnout. That was several years back and although I have hit a few low points I have not truly burned out again. I know the threat is always there though, so I just try to take things one day at a time.

Medical Records

Do you have a medical records file for your care recipient? I'm not talking about a copy of their hospital records, just a small file that you can access in case you have to leave in an emergency and leave someone else in charge of their care. Something that will let the temporary caregiver know, in brief, what they need to know about the care recipient and their needs.

Things such as a brief medical history that may be required by EMTs, medication schedule, possible allergies to watch out for, etc...

By having a file that can be used to brief a caregiver you can feel much more relaxed about needing to leave to take care of unexpected emergency situations or about letting someone else take over your duties for a night or three (good luck on that - volunteers to take over caregiving duties even temporarily are about 4 years apart in my experience).

Family CARE blog & Page Rank

I've been looking a lot into search engine optimization lately and what results from getting good Page Rank and having link popularity - having other websites that are talking about your website.

When I did a search for the Family Caregiver Security Act of 2005 (H.R. 175) the other day my blog here came up in the number two slot at Google - night before last it was still at number three on their search, so I'm happy. Anything in the top five is amazing to me.

I know a little about how link popularity and Page Ranking works. I know that Google has codes that examine a page that contains a link to another page, that the code reads through the page searching for keywords and compares that list to a second list of keywords compiled from the linked to page to determine just how interrelated the words from the linking page are to the page that is linked to. The better the two lists of keywords match up, the more value the system gives to the Page Ranking of the linked to page. It's always evolving, but that's the gist of it.

Caregiver's journal

One of the most healing things is a journal, a place where you can write about your feelings and what is happening in your life and either hide it away or put it out there for all the world to see and read.



I've been keeping the Family C.A.R.E. journal here for a while now, and there are times when it can be as helpful to me in keeping my sanity as my personal writing that only my closest friends have seen.



There is something about reaching out and touching another and knowing that they understand what you are talking about - that they have been there themselves and can sympathize with you on your troubles. To that end I have decided to create a caregiver's journal on my website FamilyCaregiver.info



It is my hope to have this up by the end of the weekend for all caregivers to make use of and share as either private journals, journals between friends, or public journals about what they are going through.

Stress and no treadmill

Today was a VERY stressful day. I don't think I have sat down for more than a few moments all day and to top it all off my number one plan for how to deal with stress has been yanked out from under me. The treadmill that I was supposed to be getting from a guy that sold it to me over eBay is no longer going to be a possibility. :-( I can't afford to have it shipped up here.



He had advertised it as he would ship it anywhere for $54 - then today he sent me a email saying that he had not planned on Alaska being one of them "Anywhere" places (even though he said "Worldwide" in the ad -- He wants another $88 to ship it to me and I just flat can not afford that so I am going to have to give up my treadmill. :'(

Alaska means fish

My family may not make our living through fishing, as many Alaskan families do, but like many more Alaskans fishing is a part of our life. Whether it is seeking the granddaddy of all Kings in the salmon season, or flicking a fly rod across the sparkling surface of a cool mountain trout stream, we love fishing.

It is not very easy for my dad to cast a rod and reel it back in with one arm, to hook a salmon demands someone fishing for him on a proxy. He still enjoys a chance to go out and fish, though, more now even than before he had his stroke in fact. We bought a boat for the lakes since it is no longer safe to take him out in he canoe. The next step is going to be Boating equipment such as a fish finder to help assure that what little time he is able to be out fishing in a boat he has the best chance possible of catching a fish.

Longer work hours and less sleep

It seems like I am working around the house longer as the holidays approach and getting less sleep. I tend to be in bed around midnight or 1 a.m. and up at five or six a.m.. So far I have not yet managed to get the tree put up, although I have got a lot of other things done. I would have liked to have decorated the outside of the house, but I am focused more on the inside where my dad can enjoy the way the place looks for the holidays. Definitely have to get the tree up and decorated for him though. Will try to get that done before I sleep tonight.

Cabin fever and the care recipient

Have you heard of cabin fever? It is well known in Alaska, it is the condition where the weather is lousy enough to keep people inside to the point that they are starting to go stir crazy. It can cause you to feel depressed, sick, sleepy all the time, grouchy, uncomfortable... it is not nice.

I've come to the conclusion that cabin fever is a large part of the problems my dad has been having. He has been inside because of the weather so much that he is just going stir-crazy.

Hopefully soon my older sister will be here with a 4x4 truck that will let her get him and mom out for drives that the poor old Cadillac with its non-working heater can't manage.

Heart rate monitors for home health care

Whether you have been providing care for years, or are just starting to set up to provide care for your loved one, you should take a moment to look at what kind of home health monitoring equipment, such as Heart Rate Monitors, you have for seeing to your loved one's home health care needs.

A heart rate monitor is an important tool for anyone providing care to someone with a heart condition or for people that need to maintain a walking program and must closely monitor their heart rate as they go.

Everything Fitness has heart rate monitors from companies such as CardioSport, Polar, EKHO and Reebok, and a buying guide to help you pick the heart rate monitor that is perfect for your needs.

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The preceding post is a paid post

Ir's STILL in subcommittee on Helath ::sigh::

H.R.175
Title: To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for the use of qualified family caregivers in the provision of home health aide services under the Medicare Program.
Sponsor: Rep Millender-McDonald, Juanita [CA-37] (introduced 1/4/2005) Cosponsors (4)
Latest Major Action: 2/4/2005 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Chairman.

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All Information (except text)	Text of Legislation	CRS Summary	Major Congressional Actions All Congressional Actions All Congressional Actions with Amendments With links to Congressional Record pages, votes,reports
Titles	Cosponsors (4)	Committees
Related Bills	Amendments	Related Committee Documents
CBO Cost Estimates	Subjects

We REALLY do need to prod them people and find out just why that bill is bogged down so badly. It would not be so bad if there was at least something somewhere on *why* it's still sitting where it is.

How to Measure Your Own Blood Pressure Accurately

By Michael Russell
(Note - the owner of this blog makes no promises on teh accuracy of this information, I have no idea how to take blood pressure in this manner. This article was reprinted with permission)
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When measuring your own blood pressure, first get yourself comfortable with your measurement arm supported by a table. Make sure that the sphygmomanometer is placed so that you can see the scale easily and put your stethoscope around your neck. The most convenient kind of stethoscope to use has a diaphragm at the end, not a "bell".

Wrap the inflatable cuff around your upper arm. If it has a Velcro fastening, make sure that this isn't full or fluff or it won't anchor properly (you can clean it with an old brush). If it's the older cloth type of cuff without Velcro, tuck in the end. Fit the earpiece of the stethoscope into both your ears and jiggle them around a bit to have a good fit. Find your brachial artery pulse, the main artery in your arm with the stethoscope and place the diaphragm of the stethoscope over it, particularly in the crook of your arm. If you tuck half the diaphragm under the cuff, it will leave your right hand free to operate the bulb that inflates the cuff. Your left hand will need to be free if you are left-handed - as usual, left-handed people are asked to imagine mirror images of instructions.

Turn your left hand palm upwards. With the fingers of your right hand, find the wrist pulse on your left hand. This is just so you know how to find it later.

Now take the inflating bulb in your right hand. With your left hand, tighten up the knurled screw clockwise until the valve is closed. After a bit of practice you'll find you can do this easily with you right hand while you hold the bulb in your palm. By repeatedly squeezing the bulb with the valve closed, pump up the pressure to about 90 mmHg on the glass column and then feel again for the pulse in your left wrist. It will still be there. Now resume pumping up the pressure, now and then checking your pulse in your left wrist. You may be slow and clumsy at first and if your left arm is beginning to feel as through it might burst or drop off, release the valve by turning the knurled nut counter clockwise, stop for a while and start again when your arm feels comfortable.

The reason you have to keep checking the pulse in your left wrist is that when it disappears, it's a signal that you've pushed the pressure in the cuff above your systolic pressure. As blood varies so much, different people need to start measuring if from different levels. Of course, it could be suggested that everyone start from 350 mmHg or more, higher than any systolic pressure even in people with severe high blood pressure, but this would inflict a lot of unnecessary pain on the enormous majority of people whose systolic pressures lies at 150 mmHg or lower than this - so tailor the procedure to 20 mmHg or so above your own systolic blood pressure. After a while, you'll be able to do this without checking your wrist pulse, because you'll have a rough idea of what to expect.

For example, if your wrist pulse disappears at around 150 mmHg, keep on squeezing the bulb another 20 mmHg or so and then stop. Now very slowly and cautiously, start turning the knurled nut counter clockwise (this is easily done using the thumb and forefinger of your right hand, while the bulb remains the in the palm) until you see the top of the column of mercury falling. With a normal heartbeat of around 75 beats per minute, that means roughly 2 mmHg (one division on the glass column) for each pulse beat, which you can see easily because the top of the mercury bobs up and down in time with the pulse. This part of the process is very slow, usually very uncomfortable and occasionally painful, but there is no alternative if you want to make accurate measurements of your own blood pressure. If you zip down the pressure to make a quick, comfortable reading, you will record a false low systolic pressure and a false high diastolic pressure. This is the commonest mistake made in measuring blood pressure.

Listen through your stethoscope as you continue to deflate the cuff very slowly. You may hear occasional clicks but after 10 mmHg or so, you'll start to hear a regular tapping sound. This is your systolic pressure. Look at the level of the mercury column, measure it against the scale on the glass tube and read off the measurement to the nearest 2 mmHg. Write it down before you forget it.

Keep on dropping the pressure. While you're learning, keep dropping the pressure at the same very slow rate. Eventually, as you get used to the procedure, you'll be able to drop the pressure faster until you're about 20 mmHg above your expected diastolic pressure and you'll find this much less uncomfortable. Probably somewhere around 50 mmHg to 60 mmHg below your systolic pressure, the regular tapping sounds will first become much softer and then disappear. When it disappears, this is your diastolic pressure. Look again at the column of mercury and again measure its height against the scale on the glass tube. Write it down, under the first figure.

After you've recorded both systolic and diastolic pressure, turn the knurled knob fully counter clockwise to open the valve completely and release all the pressure on your left arm. It may ache for as long as half an hour afterwards, but the discomfort will get less as you get used to the procedure and do it more quickly.

Michael Russell

our Independent guide to Blood Pressure

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Russell

A caregiver's online business does not just need traffic, it needs repeat customers

Being a family caregiver usually means a limitation on the ability to work outside of the home. This makes running a business on the Internet the perfect option for many family caregivers seeking to earn a little extra money to help pay the bills (and there are a lot of bills).

A business is not a business unless it can draw in not just customers, but repeat customers. That is the goal if Internet marketing. Whether you choose to handle your marketing for yourself, or you hire an internet marketing firm, your primary goal should be to draw in quality traffic that will be repeat traffic to your website.

Caregiver Gift Guide for Every Budget

Okay, you want to know what the caregiver in your life could REALLY use from you this holiday season? Here are some ideas:

1) The number one gift that you can give to a caregiver will cost you little. In fact, it only takes a few minutes and a postage stamp. Write to your local congressman and ask them what is happening with the Family Caregiver Security Act of 2005 (H.R. 175) - this is a bill that is before congress that would allow for family caregivers to be paid as nurses and is the very best gift that anyone could give to a family caregiver.

2) A collection of DVDs that the caregiver can enjoy when they are able to get some quiet time to themselves to help them relax and unwind.

3) eBay gift certificates. This lets the caregiver select from a world of possible things they might want or need to buy for themselves. Or if you know they are booklovers you could give certificates to something like Barnes & Nobel (the only major bookstore I know of that accepts PayPal), or maybe to Target (another one that has an online store that accepts PayPal).

4) An MP3 player and downloads for their favorite songs from a music provider. This allows the caregiver to relax and enjoy their favorite music, and everyone knows that the right music can be a true spirit lifter.

5) DSL. Okay, this is a selfish gift idea for me, but I would love it if someone paid to get DSL installed here for me and left it to me to pay it each month after that. DSL ain't a lot more than dial-up, but costs a bit to get set up. The Internet is a wonderful resource of information, entertainment and escape (never underestimate the power of FanFiction). Dial-up can be.... slow. So, if you want to be really nice maybe do some prodding to see if they want DSL but can't afford the set-up costs for it.

6) Sit and talk to the care recipient. You would not BELIEVE how much of a gift this can be for the caregiver. Yes, you aging parent may be difficult to sit and talk to, you may have nothing to say or they may just ignore you for most of the time, but they want to know that you care and by coming by and just sitting with them - even with the caregiver there to still do everything needed - you can cheer up the care recipient more than you could ever imagine and in doing so make life soooo much easier on the caregiver.

7) A gift basket. I've been posting advertisements for gift baskets for a reason, I genuinely think that they are a very nice thing to give someone when you are uncertain what else might be appreciated. If you don't want to go for an extravagant basket then maybe just a little basket that can serve as an escape treat with select coffees or teas and a DVD or something tucked into it work. Or flowers. Everyone loves flowers and in the middle of winter they can really brighten up a home and make it feel less dreary.

So, there you have it. Those are for the most part very inexpensive so you could even do more than one, and I can assure you, as a caregiver myself, they are things that a caregiver would appreciate more than many very costly gifts.

What if your doctor fell asleep?

Would you want to have a doctor that spent the past 27 hours working in the hospital examine you? As caregivers we're all used to being put through insane hours and suffering the high stress that it demands, but what about the doctors that treat us and our loved ones?

I saw something on FOX News the other day about doctors that work such long shifts they're falling asleep on the job (not something I want the E.R. doctor doing when I need him most), so I did a little looking and discovered that there is a PDF document showing an article from 1997 where hospitals in Canada had a "28 hour rule", this is where the doctors work in the hospital for 28 straight hours and then can go home and sleep. (“I certainly wouldn’t want my patients to have my job”). I'm, quite honestly, kind of afraid to research this more - particularly given the hours I know that my dad's primary doctor keeps. A member of the woman's own family was working as a trainee under her and saying that if it was ANY other doctor they would have quit because of the insanely long hours she keeps.

Say Thank You this holiday season with a gift basket

Do you know a family caregiver? Have you been looking for the perfect gift for both them and the care recipient? How about a decorative bouquet of field fresh flowers? www.dotflowers.com offers a wide selection of flower displays that can be sent same day delivery on flower arrangements designed in your local florist shop to anywhere in the United States, or field fresh flower delivery straight from their growers' farms. Flowers are a lovely way to not only brighten a home for the holidays, but to also say "Thank you for all you do."



The Alastroemeria bouquet is a beautiful flower in a lovely arrangement that would brighten any room in the caregiver's home. Or how about the Blushing Beauty Basket - an eye catching display of soft colored roses and decorative foliage in a lovely hand basket. Combine it with the Sweetheart Medley Bouquet and you have a perfect collection of roses to brighten the bedroom of your loved one.

The preceding is a paid posting

Computer monitoring software to help keep kids safe

While I am talking about easier to deal with things - you already know that computer safety for your family goes beyond installing anti-virus software. There are predators out there that wait in regional chat rooms to prey upon children (check out pervertedjustice.com if you don't think so). It is easy to let the kids play on the computer while you are busy dealing with the responsibilities of being a caregiver, but you should still be aware of what is going on.

Programs like Spector Pro 6.0 and particularly eBlaster 5.0 are ideal ways to keep in the know about your children's online activities. eBlaster will email you chat conversations that have taken place on the monitored computer, allowing you to see just what people are saying to your children when they are online.

Don't leave your children's safety to chance, there are too many scary people out there that are looking to hurt them. By using computer monitoring software you can help stay a step ahead of the danger and better safeguard your children.

Fake trees are easier to care for

We considered getting a real tree this year, my older brother even offered to get it for us, but after thinking about the hassle and trouble that comes along with the keeping it watered and cleaning up pine needles well into February, we decided that we're going to stick with the pre-lit fake tree that we've been using the past few years. It's a really nice tree and does not require us to go out and get the tree stand from the shed or vacuum pine needles out of the carpeting or anything and I can move the branches to fit the ornaments perfectly rather than fir the things where they can find a place to go on a real tree.

With everything else that has to be done, a fake tree is just easier to deal with.

Shop Smart - shop online and get cash back

What do Buy.com, Target, Nordstrom, Blockbuster Online, and Old Navy have in common? - they are just a few of the stores that you can shop and earn cash back. DealKing has stores that cover everything from apparel to weddings where you can shop and earn cash back.



For example, dealking.com has "hot offers" that currently include: shop Buy.com and use Google Checkout and you can get $20 off a purchase of $50 or more. Want to stuff someone's stocking with gift certificates to their favorite restaurant? DealKing has a great deal with Restaurant.com: $25 dining certificates as low as $5 with their additional 50% off instant savings.



Everyone can use a little extra money this time of year, and DealKing promises they are free with no strings attached. They also promise, "no annoying email offers".

So, you REALLY think you could be a family caregiver? Read this first.

There are days when you just want to scream and run down the street in your pajamas waiting for the loony bin van to pull up along side you and scoop you up. Then there are weeks that are one day after another of that.

Sometimes it can actually be understood why someone would take their loved one to one of the, in my opinion, vile nursing homes. I swear, I'm getting close to that at this point. It's some kind of test to see just how much pressure I can take before I crack and go completely stark raving mad.

Okay, I suppose a little information on just what it is that is doing this might help, huh? Well, my dad is in a "I'm uncomfortable and have a pain that is irritating me and you're not doing enough - take me to the emergency room" mood and has been there off and on for a few days now. Every time he has even a small hangnail or bumps his arm on something or lays wrong to stress the shoulder it turns into a need to visit the ER. My trouble is, and what is driving me and my mom insane, is, with his current mood how the hell do you tell when it is just cabin fever (the condition that hits Alaskans after months of being locked in the house in the winter), or when it is something that requires being taken to the ER? We obviously are not going to refuse to take him if he needs to go, but how do you define a line between needs to go to the ER and just can't think of anything else to do so decides that he wants to go there?

And I know how that sounds - no, it's not just a matter of taking him for a drive. The car is freezing, yes, but we've offered to take him on drives to the store or whatever and he is not interested in that. It's just a mood of some kind and I'm not sure what caused it, but am determined not to let drive me insane. ::faint nervous twitching laughter::

Gift Guide at OpticsPlanet: Telescopes, digital camera scopes, night vision

Great holiday gifts and free UPS shipping*.

What's on your holiday shopping list this year? Have someone that is into telescopes? A hunter that needs a new rifle scope? How about a pair of pocket monocluars? OpticsPlanet.net has everything from digital camera scopes to radar guns and everything in between and beyond for your holiday needs and offers free UPS shipping on orders over $29.95



*on orders over $29.95

Magnesium deficiency

Dad has been having trouble with his shoulder on his paralyzed arm aching the past few days, which we had a bit of trouble getting to stop aching for him - it's starting to look like it and the headaches he had been having was due to a magnesium deficiency. Apparently up to 75% of Americans don't get anough magnesium in their diets and a deficiency can cause leg cramps, migraines and fatigue. It helps to maintain normal muscle and nerve function - so when he got deficient in it the result was nerve and muscle aches. He seems to be doing a LOT better now - which is good since I was about ready to beat my head into a wall.

Sleep all day? Of course you won't sleep at night. ::sigh:: Tell him that.

After two cups of strong coffee I am starting to feel semi-conscious this morning. Of course, this morning for me started at arounf 10 p.m. last night.

Then around midnight... and around 1:30, and... you get the idea by now. Another night where dad was not sleeping well (because he slept all day, but he don't admit that could be the cause). I swear I am going to put that man back on sleeping pills so I can get a few hours of sleep. He sleeps kicked back in his recliner all through the day when I have to be awake to do stuff. Then when I got to sleep he wakes up and complains that he wants to sleep since it's bed time but he can't get to sleep.

Being winter, and having no heater in the car, we can't take him to town or for a drive or even into the yard during the day. So about all there is to do is watch the news and a person can only take so much of repeated news articles before they fall asleep listening to them.

So.. yeah. I'm ready for winter to go bye bye so I can get dad out of the house and keep him awake during the day and he'll sleep at night so I can get some sleep. I really hate to stick him back on the dang sleeping pills, but starting to wonder what choice me and mom have if we're to get sleep and avoid being screamed at because he's unable to sleep at night.

The National Geographic Online Store - more than you would expect

Got someone that loves National Geographic? Check out the online coupons that include a free National Geographic 2007 American Landscapes Calendar with purchase of $75 or more at the National Geographic Online Store. Or how about one that lets you save up to 40% on sale items.

The National Geographic Society is one of the world's largest nonprofit scientific and educational organizations and is best known for the long running magazine that helps it to promote the conservation of the world's cultures through articles and pictures. I know my mom is always looking for Geographic magazines that she has not read yet, and I'm betting that you know someone that is as well.

Even if you don't have a fan of the magazine in the family, which I find hard to believe, you can still shop for Christmas at the National Geographic Online Store and find everything you need for your list: clothes, software and music, DVDs, globes, gifts for the home, telescopes and much much more. In fact, there is a lot more than you would expect at the National Geographic Online Store. How about a Kashmir Paisley Matelasse cover and shams for the bedroom? Maybe that classic Lionel Pennsylvania Flyer starter set that your dad talks about having cherished when he was a boy? How about the soundtrack from March of the Penguins?

The great gift ideas are everywhere and I could easily cover everyone on my list in just one stop. Shoot, I even found my dream briefcase there - the Bolivian Leather Travel Briefcase.

Oh, and while you are checking out the National Geographic Online Store deals, don't forget the remote-controlled tarantulas for the children. They can be found in the Kids shop. These are 7" spiders that move in a realistic manner as each of the eight legs move separately to send them hunting for screams from the unsuspecting arachnophobics in the house. A great way for kid sisters to get revenge on older brothers for assorted things, or for your parent to chase around the cat.

How to wake early - coffee, radio, and arm your care recipient with a buzzer

It is not easy to wake up early in the mornings, but I've found that it helps to have a cup of coffee, do some excercise, and listen to the radio - oh, and to have my dad armed with a remote button for the doorbell. ::shakes head::

So far he has managed to beat my alarm clock by anywhere from five minutes to a few hours every morning for the past week. Today I was up three times for various reasons from he wanted his electric blanket hooked up, to heard something on the radio he wanted to share, to just accidental hits of the button on the nightstand.

After sleeping through my 6 a.m. alarm (I had reset it at just before 5 from 5 to 6), I was woken up by my dad at 6:20. I gave up, decided that if I set the clock for 8 that I would just be messing up my hard worked for early wake time, and got up.

I'm still tired, and seriously thinking to go to sleep at 7 p.m. instead of around 10, but I'm at least getting some work done, so that's good.

Crash course in anger management

One of the things that I have discovered about being a full-time caregiver is that you need to be able to manage anger. You have to be able to defuse a volatile outburst in the care recipient that is angry at not being able to do the things that they once could and you need to be able to temper your own anger when frustration reaches a point somewhere well beyond boiling.

You also have to be able to weather the storm when something annoys or discomforts the care recipient and they want someone to take things out on.

My dad has a small sore inside his mouth and it has had him irritable for the past day and a half. Today the shoulder of his paralyzed arm was uncomfortable. Since I was the only one that was home, I naturally became the chosen target of his irritability.

I won't go into details, but trust me when I say that by the time it was over I just wanted to lock myself in my bedroom and cry and he was still growling about everything he could think of.

I'm not sure just how to deal with things like that other than to just do my best to provide assistance in easing the pain without getting my head taken off and without losing my own temper.

Chat rooms can save your sanity - they did mine

-paid ad-

I spend a fair amount of time in on-line chat rooms chatting with my friends. In fact, being a full-time caregiver it is not easy to get out and make friends locally since I can not spend time with them after I meet them. It is a little difficult to go over to someone's house to hang out for a little while and play RPGs when it is -20 degrees F, your only transportation is an ATV 4-wheeler, and you have to be ready to run back home on a moment's notice in case of an emergency.

Chat rooms became a lifeline for my sanity. By making a few close friends that I can turn to whenever life gets too chaotic I have managed to survive some serious ups and downs in my life including the day my father had the stroke that left him in medical need of full-time care and the days, weeks, months, and now years that followed.

And, as a writer, I am always looking for possible alternatives on chat rooms that might better serve my needs. So when a new chat room service such as Pictari comes along it is a good bet I will get around to at least taking a look at what they offer.

Pictari is a JAVA based chat site that lets you create profiles and chat with others. There is not really much more information on the site so if it sounds like something you would like to know more about you'll need to check them out.

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The link to Pictari in the preceding is
a paid posting link - the remainder
of the post is my own viewpoint

We're number two! (and rabling into a brief rant, sorry)

Okay, I did a Google search for "Family Caregiver Security Act of 2005", and discovered that Google sees this blog as being number two in information and usefullness on looking for information on the Family Caregiver Security Act of 2005 (H.R. 175), with GovTrack.us being in the number one slot. Not too shabby with no longer than my blog has been discussing H.R. 175.

When I look for "Family Caregiver", this blog is not even in the top twenty pages, but GovTrack drops to the 20th page, so I don't feel too bad.

I deffinately need to start working on "family caregiver" referances and get this blog pushed up some on that search - people need to be motivated to kick Congress in the butt and get them to pass the Family Caregiver Security Act of 2005 so the family caregiver can be given a fair break. I mean, heck, when I started looking into this a few years ago I was flat out told by folks that if I wanted to take care of the stranger down the road I could be paid, but not paid to take care of my father when he does not want a stranger taking care of him. We've experienced the care strangers give - is scares him and he prefers to be cared for by someone that loves him and is not going to treat him like shit when no one's looking.

After spending over 20 years in the Army, and being MORE than ready to go right back to serving his country right now if they would take him, I think he deserves to be able to ask for his daughter to care for him rather than some candy stripper dropout that barely passes the IQ score and would steal his medications for selling to her boyfriend. Don't you?

Sleepless nights

Excuse me while I go beat my head against the wall for a little while.

................

Okay, much better.

I went to bed early lasy night, actually made it to bed by midnight, and was woke around 2 a.m. by mom saying that dad wanted me to make him coffee and get him something for his headache. I informed her that I couldn't do that because Sunday is Fosomax day and he can't have anything before he takes his Fosomax in the morning. Okay, off she went to tell him that and I fell back asleep - for about an hour and a half I think. Then the doorbell went off. Up I got and in to see what dad needed. The headache is a small sore on his gums that hurts and he wants some coffee to make it stop hurting.

I explained the Fosomax situation and asked if he wanted to mess that up and have to go through it tomorrow because the pill was set off by a day or ignore the irritant level pain and wait to take his pill in a few more hours? He elected to wait on coffee and take the pill on schedule. Good, I went back to bed. Just almost made it to sleep too, I could see the little dreams waving hello to my tired brain when - doorbell.

Back to dad to see what was wrong. He wanted coffee. I asked if he was sure he wanted the pain medicine and coffee since it would mean he could not take the Fosomax today and would have to take it Monday morning. He pondered that a moment, apparently weighing how long he had already waited, and said he'd wait.

The dreams sure looked nice, wish I had seen what they were before that doorbell went off again and I was traipsing back in to see what dad needed again - this was around I think 6 a.m. ? He had called it quits, the irritation was too much he wanted coffee. By then my fogged brain had caught up with things and I asked if maybe just warm water might have the same effect as coffee? Was it just the warmth that did it? He decided to try that so, not seeing the harm in a little plain water before he took the Fosomax I got the water and gave it to him and went back off to try and catch a little sleep - I knew I wouldn't be able to so I just laid and waited for the bell.

I was back in there a little before 7 and decided to heck with it, I would get him up and sitting upright and give him his pill early and hope that enough time had passed since he had last had munchies and coffee at midnight. After he was settled in his recliner watching the morning news on FOX We decided to try cold water instead. I went and got him cold water and he tried to sip it and I went back to my bedroom to fold up my bed and turn on the computer.

At 8 a.m. I gave him the pill that he has always taken at 10 a.m. and... he was sleeping, in a sitting up posistion, by the time I went back through to start the coffee maker so he could have coffee at 8:30. ::pounds head on wall:: He's been sleeping soundly since with no complaints about the sore on his gums.

And there you have a average morning of a sleep deprived Family caregiver. Any more questions on why the Family Caregiver Security Act of 2005 (H.R. 175) should be passed and us Family Caregivers be allowed to be paid as nurses?

Language123 Translation Services

Language123, the translation marketplace, allows you to either look for translators for a project, or offer your language skills to another for translation of material. Language123 is free to use, with no hidden fees or commissions. Clients pay translators directly for their work. Launched in September 2004, Language123 allows translators to work worldwide and therefore provides those in need of translation a fast and easy way to find the right Translation Services for their project. Much of the work can be done over the Internet, making this a potential resource for bilingual caregivers to find work.

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The preceding is a paid posting

Snowed

Snowed last night, about 8" of it dropping on the yard. My brother and nephew are out there now with the plow truck from the shop plowing out the driveway. I went out earlier and shoveled it a bunch and intend to shovel more later just for the exercise. It's a good workout and I certainly need something to do to help me work out some more.

Sun's going down quickly here now 4:30 and it's already setting. At least it warmed up, it's 20 degreed F out there now, which is nice, a lot nicer than the -20 that it had been the other night. Radio news was saying hopefully that was our January-February cold snap came early and we'll be in for a nice warm winter now. Hope hope hope.