HAPPY HALL-IDAYS
This LTAC is one floor of the old McKeesport hospital. The psych ward is above it, I believe. They were doing something in his room so I took a walk down the other hall and turned the corner. This is what I saw -an unused section of the floor…

…and this is all I could think about.

I know those girls are down there somewhere.

COLORLESS FRIDAY
No black friday shopping for me this year… I slept in and went to the hospital and met the Murphy Family in the Strip District at Kaya to celebrate Lizzie's birthday.
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I will usually get Cuban sandwiches when they are offered wherever I go. This one was very, very good.

THANKSGIVING
Well this was certainly a weird thanksgiving… I made manicotti for the Dad.  I got there and one of the doctors was in to give him an injection in his knee. Really good looking, older, Argentinian guy with a heavy accent. He saw my badge and he said you work for UPMC?  I was like yeah… he said good can you stay here and watch this and make sure he doesn't move while I go get a hemostat. Then he just walked out - for what seemed like forever!

I made it to The Knapp's - LATE, of course. I couldn't find my way and didn't trust the GPS so I backtracked pretty bad to get there.  There were empty place settings for The Dad and for Glo. ;-)

…and turkey butter.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

PIE IN THE SKY
Cara sent the dad her luscious pumpkin pie...

Things are still not that great - can't walk… but can talk. I'm hoping he doesn't spill something on that phone and get electrocuted.

He's been sitting up in this "chair" and that's his own personal dialysis machine… it's nice they do it right in the room.

I brought him one of his favorite things… all packed in ice.

A red, white and blue popsicle.

MEALS ON WHEELS
I have brought food every night (and some times day) to The Dad.  To say I'm exhausted is an understatement. He has a roommate and we somehow started talking about Lucci's.  There's a patient across the hall - old guy who got his one leg amputated.  He showed me a pic of when it got chopped off and wouldn't heal. He's a rough and tumble old veteran but he checks in on my dad and the roommate and his roommate is really nice to him.  I surprised them today and brought the three of them spaghetti from Lucci's.  They were thrilled.

This town is a little shady. I'm kind of scared every night driving down here and parking…  Cindy told me about Minerva's Bakery though so Cara and I stopped for some treats.

You know her and her donuts...

…and me and my cupcakes.

YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO HOME BUT YOU HAVE TO GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE
So, he moved to an LTAC… which is a long term acute care facility… there aren't very many and this one is in McKeesport. Yay me for having to drive down here now. FML.  Anyway, you know when you watch a disaster movie and they have a make shift hospital - that is what this place looks like. It's like we had a zombie apocalypse and they gathered all the machinery and equipment and put it all here. He got transferred in the evening and the lights were low and I swear the hall was smokey and foggy and, seriously, this is his phone.

I couldn't make this up if I tried! ;-)

A STITCH IN TIME
Chrissy is crazy for these primitive bowls… she's been obsessing about a bowl from End of The Road that she didn't get so we went specifically to see if it was still there. It was!
Apparently these little stitches make this thing $125.00

PS - you know how I don't need another tree  - she does not need another bowl.

TALKING TURKEY
Gobberlito from last night.

OH, CHURCHILL

Every time I pass the old Churchill Valley Country Club my heart sinks. I feel bad for it. Like Dixon House. It's abandoned and the grass is overgrown and windows are smashed out.  One of the first groups of pictures on this computer in iPhoto is one of my birthdays there. I think it might be from 2002. Every time it opens I see them.

How many times and events… from Dina's wedding, my mom's and mum's after prom/funeral lunch, Kerr Xmas parties, tuna melts at the pool, countless get togethers and showers and brunches and dinners… I think we might have even taken Matt and Laina there when they got engaged.

There was a nice, sad article posted today that is worth a read.

Thanks for the memories, CVCC.

SIZE MATTERS
Work trip to Millers in Irwin… then we went to the Big Mac Museum again… I had a Mac Jr. today. I regret that decision even though the concept is darling.

FOOD (NOT SO) GLORIOUS FOOD
I always talk about this - there was a place in the strip district that sold furniture.  You could ride a little cart - it was a big warehouse. No one remembers the name of it. My parents and I would go done there for fun some times. They had appliances with fake food in it. My dad would always steal me some food. I have a tin somewhere downstairs with the food in there. His trays the last week have been looking like the plastic food in my tin!

Though this one was damn cute with the corn stamp…

CENTAUR OF ATTENTION
Lily's birthday is in September…

We just got around to opening her presents.

Sorry, puppy.  I've been a little distracted.

GUESS WHO'S BACK?

A TREE IN EVERY POT
I forgot to mention this… one of the antique stores just past Ligonier had an open house last week. It was late and I worked that day and had to go in early the next day but I'm a glutton for punishment so what did Chrissy and I do??? Late night road trip. Wasn't really worth it and I felt guilty because of everything that is going on and how busy I am and how much stuff I already have. I have no business buying anything. I'm so good at it, though. It's just so hard to stop.  Got a few things. Houses and some other items.  Lovely stuff there.

Oh, trees. You make me so happy. And so sad.

DON'T VENT ME IN
Guess who came off the ventilator this week?

16 days. As long as you could go. In fact - longer. Way longer than Norfolk.

Jesus.

LIGHT THE WAY
Aunt Joyce and I went to the Simple Gatherings open house in Freeport tonight. They always have the lights down real low and it's so dramatic entering the store…

Hello, mason jars. I love you.

Yeah - did not need these… but that bucket.

ROCK THE VOTE
Back at the same spot where I voted for the first time.

We made corsages! It really is an honor to bring 80-90 year old people to vote for the President of the United States...

… even though, for some, this day was tragic...

…it was even more tragic for others. ;-)

THIS GUY

This guy has been at the hospital for awhile… over a week - at least. I've been thinking about him and others. Some spouses that come to where I work to visit their loved ones… some daughters and sons that come every night…  I remember a time when (life coach) Pat wanted me to charge my Dad for writing out his checks to pay his bills… or for taking Glo shopping. This was way back when. I still think of the stupidity of that. I shouldn't anymore - but I do. I shouldn't let her cross my mind - but I do. Some others cross my mind as well.

I'm going to start sending some thoughts of people out into the universe - getting my words out and gone. I feel like I need to give them a proper send off. This should be fun, don't you think? Wait… is it don't ya think? I think it was. Anyway, the words are right there on the tip of my tongue... I just have to make the time to stick my tongue out and let them fall off. I'm hoping things calm down soon to do that - in the meantime… let's get back to this guy at the hospital.

I remember a time when David had to point out that I spun too many plates… that I took care of too many people. I question if he (and Pat) would say that to this guy - coming to the hospital to visit his wife in ICU all day or would they say it to a single mom taking care of her children or to a husband coming to the nursing home every night after work to have dinner with his wife that he can't (actually) take care of at home by himself anymore. I wonder what makes a person think they can dictate how someone else cares for others.

Who does that?

I was on my way back to the house tonight and my friend, Dave Matthews, came on. I flip back and forth and, I swear, every trip back this last week I've been greeted by a song…  Funny how things come full circle, huh?

Today would have been our 19th wedding anniversary… I don't feel like talking about it now. I will. Later.

… I can't believe that we would lie in graves
wondering if we had spent our living days well...

SOUPER GIRL
It was the soup hike this weekend in Greensburg…Aunt Joyce and Debbie came this year.

After, we went to Rivertowne for the only thing I like there - a Pacino.

and back to Cara's for birthday cake...
.

OF HOSPITALS AND SHOPPING (story of my life)
I took Chrissy in the meditation room at the hospital. It's over near the cancer center where I got radiation.

Then we went to HomeGoods. I wanted to get this snowman head but I didn't.

I didn't get this either…

Then we went to the "burnt pizza" place as she calls it. I actually can't think of the name right now.

My poor pup didn't get to get dressed up this year - even though I made a special trip to storage to get some of her costumes.

I have a hard time passing up the halloween stuff. It was on sale at Target for basically nothing.

Oh how I love the holidays. I think. Do I still? Things have come and gone - since June when Glo died… on Father's Day… We kind of missed that and his birthday and halloween and my birthday and now Thanksgiving is coming. What's going on with that?  This is getting ridiculous now.  Ridiculous.  People go in the hospital and go home or die… we're just dragging along.

FALL BEHIND

LITTLE PAPER HOUSES FOR YOU AND ME
Chrissy and I went to the end of the road antiques in Vandergrift… I think this has to be a long lost relation of my Paul.

We went to G&G - and I drove around to say hello to my favorite house at the moment. I do love this house - so much.

I did buy a little real estate while I was out - $2 each… 
Oh how I love my paper houses. I would like to build a giant replica and live in one. Or maybe a little she shed… How cute would that be? It would be super cute.