dead skunk (in the middle of the road)

It all started innocently enough with one strong personality instructing the other that the Mom situation will be precarious for some time and there will be lotso' people running to and fro to help her. Personality #2 exploded in anger at #1 because he doesn't take well to being told what to do. I heard all about it when I picked him up at church. I played the calm rational one to his hothead all the way to eggs and doughnuts where I steered the conversation toward SEC football instead. Hail State! All was well until we got to the rehab and mama started trying to tell him what to do again. That opened up the whole brawl again and after playing referee for about five minutes I took my leave for them to hash things out. Without compromise on both of their parts, this going home thing will never work. Period.

As we were passing back through town I pulled over in front of the church and got a quick phone shot of the dead skunk I had seen on the way in. I didn't smell him the first time but PeWWWWW! My mind immediately went to theBeatles Louden Wainwright song and so I had to do it. Stinky roadkill and dueling parents are my Sunday gifts from Big Ernie. Precious Mark came out to pick through the piles and took a few pics of my stuff yesterday. It was a rainy gloomy one good for staying indoors and piddling. There is a distinct path now lined with stacks and boxes of memories and treasures some of which have been recycled two or three times during the great Pecan Lane de-clutter binge. There are piles of college textbooks from three degrees at the University of Tennessee spanning 60 years. All of Daddy's books are ag related and quite fascinating.

My shoulder still hurts and now my back and hip do too. Arthritis, even of the osteo variety, is no fun and everybody eventually gets it..some just sooner than others. Daddy used to get gold shots during the 70s for achy joints. At 82 he still gets me to do an allergy shot weekly. Because we all know that I'm "almost a nurse." I look at the ones I work with in awe for what they endure yet they continue to champion the patient because "do no harm." There are times in everyone's career that the stress of always caring can be too much and you blow. Just don't do it on a patient is all I'm saying. I remember one time during my hormone filled 30s when I snapped at an older guy who dared to say I hurt him. I felt so bad I later went to his room and apologized! Universal precautions is something that has long been mandated yet poorly practiced in all areas of healthcare. Disease can be spread in a lot of different ways but blood and body fluid precautions are easily prevented with appropriate safety in high risk settings yet it is a concept that must be embraced at every level of emergency response right down to the fat cop with no suit watching a patient transport. Dude...seriously?

I was betrayed again and the bad thing is I saw this one coming and fell right into it. Sometimes you just want so badly to believe in miracles but, mostly? People don't change. They are who they are and it is what it is. Tolerance for diverse belief systems has been one of the greatest gifts ever from Big Ernie and I'm thankful. I'm incredibly surprised (and grateful) to still have parents at almost 60 and even amused at the fact that they still fight. They never did when we were growing up and the first time I saw it live I thought I'd have to go on Dr. Phil. Their 60th anniversary was on Valentine's Day, 2014.

Be brave and make a difference. One life at a time ^j^