save the fetus, shoot the child...

 

all those kids get gunned down in the school. the GOP does the usual crap.  thoughts and prayers, it's too soon to talk politics. then maybe there will finally be some compromise, some action and then the door again slams shut as they blame everything but the guns and circle the wagons around their true idol, the guns.  they would watch Jesus reincarnate die of bullet wounds before they would give up their guns. 

i am off sick tonight.  the sore throat and congestion got worse.  two home covid tests were negative.  i did get fevers and all the trappings of a cold bug. for me that usually means it quickly drops into my lungs.

i am coughing and was short of breath.  tonight, knock on wood, i am feeling a bit  better. so perhaps another perk to all this covid these past few years was that i haven't had so much as a cold bug and perhaps that gave my bronchitis and lungs some quality healing time. fingers crossed that this bout is shorter than the usual.  before covid, any virus would turn into a multiweek coughing hell. maybe, post covid, a cold will just be a cold. 

me at the iditarod this year. 

and a mix of the snow sculptures as well. 

felt bad as they were short staffed tonight, there was a wedding for a pair from the night shift. i had no idea that was happening.  i felt pretty crappy today still so i was calling out anyway, but you just feel worse when you learn that they were probably more short than the usual

only one day i skipped the walks due to feeling lousy. i do terrible with any fever. this one never got over 100.6F, but i notice a 99f.  

my Tusker hat. 

when i was a kid i had hallucinations when i had fevers i think now. at the time i just recall that anytime i was sick i was visited by a Laurel and Hardy type pair, one tall and skinny, the other short and stout. they would taunt me and say i was lying and i wasn't really sick, i was faking it...seemed pretty real as a kid but i suspect that it was probably fever induced hallucinations. that hasn't happened since i was a kid though. 

just a few of the snow sculptures. 

always some good ones out there. 

so after tonight i'll have a few nights off then i should be back to work Tuesday. not sure where i got this bug.  i did work picu 5/6 shifts my last run and those kids had everything but covid.  there was also a rather snot nosed toddler on the boat on Saturday, that timing probably checks out more. at work i was wearing masks. on the boat the germs were free flowing. so it's probably another birthday gift for this year. 

it's been hot as heck here these past weeks. our fire risk is increasing like crazy by the hot day.  it does feel hotter here as we have a different angle of the sun.  it hits us not from above but full force horizontal. 

it's a rare Alaska building that has actual air conditioning.  we do have fans...probably sold out at this point.  i have several small fans that seem to help.  i put batteries in one of my small ones downstairs and Sunny is very nervous of the thing.  go figure.

Sunny is enjoying splashing in his puddle pool, then joining me on the bed.  so i have that to cool me off as well. 

i did do some light garden work this afternoon.  when i had influenza for weeks i managed to paint the fence and deck. i can cough and puke inside as easy as outside.  i felt close to puking a few times with this little bug but never did. when i had influenza i did that for well over a week or two. 

haven't arranged any sort of yard clean up and haven't bought a new lawn mower yet. need to get on it though. the yard is a mess already.  gotta mow up the weeds to give the lawn a chance to grow...what little lawn i have with dogs. 

have an appointment with fidelity about my retirement...want to stop the hemorrhage before i lose my millionaire status. 

haven't gotten much else accomplished.  lots of naps with little bits of tasks done between naps.  

the last two days i did manage leash walks with the dogs.  nice to feel comfortable walking dogs up and down Patterson again. Tusker and Ivy were pullers and weren't keen on the special no pull harness i bought.  Ivy seems to have slowed and Sunny is manageable. 

we are adapting to life without Tusker, though i still miss him and hope to have him magically return to us 

ordered some new collars for Covi Cat, hopefully one that is not as quick release.  i found his in the puddle pool this afternoon...how did that get there. 

i planted some of those peat pods and set it on the deck.  something told me to check on it and Sunny had one in his mouth and was very please with himself.  i did get the outer casing out of his mouth before he swallowed it and moved the peat pods to the front.  i still need to get to the garden shop and get the back planters potted. usually done by now. 

i think the rest of these are from a trek to Valdez. 

where to wander this summer. gas prices are high so that may limit travel a bit. 

it can be hot as hell in a tent as well. keep expecting fires to start in this heat, lucky so far.  that can determine where i travel as well. 

russia continues to bomb the hell out of Ukraine. they have taken land, destroying all in their wake, torturing/killing the citizens that remain.  don't think anyone, even the russian speaking are thrilled with this torch and murder plan of taking over. which i guess just means displace or kill every single person if they want to maintain any sort of power there. haven't been following much having felt crappy this week. 

the wildflowers of Alaska.  this is on the Denali Highway. it was a mostly wet drive across. 

it was the CR-V's maiden voyage across. don't think i had the full spare yet. 

luckily it did fit in the back tire space. the elements full spare doesn't fit i have just been using that car very local for dog walks though.

haven't driving either car these last few days though. 

my sats have stayed up as well. sure sign that it's not covid.  those tests can be wrong. no taste changes either. 

cool shot of Covi Cat getting too brave with tree climbing

the Matanuska Glacier.  

left a walrus out there on the road.  haven't done any painting for a few weeks. have collected rocks though. 

pretty wildflowers.

probably going crazy right now up north as well.

the sun has set for today. i'll probably crash soon.  have had a few snotty/coughing conversations with friends this week. in the past the extra chatting needed at work and the dryness of the hospital has brought on coughing spasms. 

highly doubt many patients or their family would be thrilled by that in their care giver.  i got away with it before covid but doubtful i can post covid.

do i dare say post covid..?  

just a short and sweet blog today. feeling much better than the last post. i do just let myself write what i am feeling because i know that others have those days and those feelings as well.  we are not perfect, we haven't had perfect lives and we are not all as mentally fit as we what others to believe. we all have our moments of difficulty and depression.  times when we feel sorry for ourselves or our situations. 

i do know that overall, my life is good.  i am happy in the simplicity of it all.  there is a lack of drama to my every day...perhaps our minds need to feel some drama at times so we create it. even if that drama only resides in our heads. 

got my neighbor to witness my ballot.  so i'll brave the big world tomorrow hopefully and get that sent off and perhaps let these dogs off leash.  we have also done back yard time. they are both pretty easy to please. 

enjoyed some grooming time with Sunny.  

kitty and puppy paws together...so sweet

well, i guess i shall attempt to sleep and hope to wake up feeling more normal tomorrow. 

grateful for A. the hope of a short cold bug this time.  B. the pets, who keep me company and are very patient with me.  C. those who check in on me.  thanks.