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Friday, January 27, 2012

Oranges and Lemons

Two orange-sized preemie IV caps and one lemon-sized preemie IV cap were delivered today.  Only a few of the babies need an IV, so this supply should suffice for the time being.  I actually delivered two oranges and two lemons today, but the 2nd lemon is a conventional cap.
The plan was to go into the NICU, but I drove up to the front of the hospital - which turned out to be a mistake - and could not leave my car there long enough to go into the NICU.  Had to leave everything with the Volunteer Office.  Next time, I will park in the parking garage so that I can take my time!

Now I am going to try a pair of socks.  I made my initial foray into sockdom about two years ago, and it did not go well.  The directions that I was following left out a crucial little step that I did not have the experience to notice.  This time, I am better armed with lots of knitting behind me, and more information to make those directions work as intended.

Following a lull after the holidays, my work days are starting to come up on my calendar again.  That feels good, too, as I am beginning to feel pretty refreshed after the hectic pace that I kept in the fall months and the holidays.  Working on an on-call basis is pretty nice because it keeps me from rusting, but not wearing out.  

By the way, we received 5 inches of rain at our house early this week.  Pretty nice after last summer's record-breaking drought. 



Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Storms and Preemie IVs


We were again called in to dogsit for Jemma and Kingston because their humans went to the Florida panhandle for a long weekend.  As such things happen, their return flight was canceled due to the terrible storms that went through the mid-section of the country from Louisiana to the upper midwest.  As you have seen on the news, Alabama was especially hard-hit.  The kids did not get home until Monday.  I returned home on Sunday late afternoon, but Husker was still cuddling and playing with the granddogs until late morning on Monday. 

It is kinda amusing -- when we are with the dogs, they mow us down with their charm, and we let them take advantage of our affection for them.  When Mama got home, she ordered them about and they actually did as they were told.   Hmmmm . . .

Meanwhile, back to the needles . . . I have a friend who is a nurse.  I questioned her about the preemie caps and things I might need to know.  I was specifically needing her input about designing the caps for preemies with IVs in their little heads.  She volunteered that she would be working in the NICU in a few days.  She is going to work with me on fitting a cap designed for IVs.  I went to Ravelry and found one design for that purpose by Moon Torbett.  I am almost finished with my prototype.   The ribbing will fold over, and the flap coming over the top will button close, leaving openings at each end for IV tubing.  The flap also gives the attending nurse a way to access the IV without removing the cap. 


Saturday, January 14, 2012

Once a Year

The Fort Worth Stock Show began today with the parade downtown this morning.  Husker and I were guests at Grace, sitting on the curbside patio overlooking Main Street.  We were treated to our choice of coffee or hot chocolate, plus breakfast burritos like only a top tier restaurant would make.  Thank you, Adam. 

This is the time of the year that -- if you got 'em, wear 'em -- your boots, of course.  And jeans, hats, fringe, bling.  It all comes out of the closet for the Stock Show and Rodeo and the parade.  The parade is as much about the horses, wagons, bands coming down Main Street as it is about the folks wearing their western finery.  Except me.  I am a native Texan and don't have any boots!

The parade is the world's largest unmechanized/unmotorized parade in existence.  Wheels are okay as long as the power is four-legged.  There was a lot of that ranging from miniature horses pulling small single seat buggies up to teams of horses pulling restored trolleys, wagons, and buggies.  Plenty of cowboys and vaqueros, marching bands, riding clubs, and one-offs just wanting to be in the parade on their horse.  There were a few donkeys, and there is usually a longhorn steer or two.  Yes, you can ride a steer.   260 official entries in the parade. 

May I brag about the Parks and Recreation Department?  Always, always -- they follow behind the last parade participant and scoop the manure and sweep the street so that -- literally -- you can't tell that anything has happened.  They are finished within minutes of the parade's end.  They are so well organized!

I wore my blue Tuva hat and Just Enough Ruffles scarf to ward off the morning chill (40's), but had to lose the fleece jacket by mid-parade (low 60's).  Sunny, no wind.  Perfect parade day to sit on the patio on comfy sofas with our feet up, hot coffee and burritos in hand and watch the parade pass us by.