Happy Easter

My planter this spring.  It's what's to come to those of you up north and what's about to be burnt to an inch of it's life in a few weeks down here.  How did it get to be April already?  All work and no play makes Denise ......

Oh well, we'll just sit here and enjoy the flowers for short time.  It's all I have then I need to get ready for another work week.

We're taking bets how long the bunny and the gnome lasts before someone steals it.

Last time, I had promised to tell you about the new furniture and the bunnies.  This is the new sectional.  It's about twice the size as the one we saw in the store. Takes up the whole living room.

I had to straighten and move things to make room for it.  Which made alley's and tunnels for bunnies to run and hide.  Dammit and Betty had a fine time making plans that first night.

All sorts of alleys in that area.  Yes, I know it's a mess. See the vacuum?  I got half done then sort of tired out.  Have a mentioned I'm gone twelve hours a day, five days a week.

That first morning, Duane said Dammit and Betty ran around the cage, and the table, then the chair, and under the secretary in the corner.  It took him over an hour to chase them home.  At one point, Duane pushed the chair against the wall and Dammit jumped back and forth over the chair.

It reminded us of when Dammit was just a little Dammit.  The first time he was let out of his cage after his neuter surgery.  He led the two of us on a merry chase.  Then he dove onto the couch.  Duane shouts, "I've got him now."  Just Duane dove to grab the rabbit, Dammit jumped over the back of the couch, over the table behind it and ran under the couch.  That's when we said to hell with it and just let the little bugger stay out.  If he's that determined.

We can't do that now, as Nippit needs her turn out.  If let Nippit out when Dammit is out she goes right for hind quarters.  Just like the furious little Nippit she is.

I've been spinning again, since there is shuttle now and I don't have to walk two miles twice a day.  This is the second bobbin and it's almost since I took this picture.  It's the fiber my friend bought me for Christmas.  One more bobbin then I will ply it.  I'm anxious to see what the finished yarn will be like.  Also, I have 8 oz of CMF Walpurgis in BFL that Duane bought me for Christmas.  I'm dying to spin that.

I finished the socks, but they are too small for me.  That's what I get for not taking a minute out of my busy day to try them on as I'm knitting.  It's in the 90's F now anyway.  Too hot to wear.  I'll have to reknit them and hope they are finished by November when it's cool enough for wool.

Every thing that has been sucking for awhile, still sucks.  But, we won't talk about that.

Butterscotch walked by my sandals and noticed they smelled like me.  He made a pillow out them.  He misses his mom.

Hoppy Easter Everybunny

We wish you all a happy Easter here from the nursing center.  Dammit and Nippit came together for a visit.

A man and his bunny.

A man and his Dammit.

He's able to hold and snuggle with his little friends now.  Both allowed two long sessions of snuggle time. He was afraid our pets wouldn't remember him.  However, both rubbed his face and groomed his beard.

While he still isn't able sit up for very long needing to rebuild his diaphragm and lung muscles. He can flatten the bed and scooch himself up.  No more lifting. The past two nights he was able to sleep on his side.  We're getting there slowly.

Friday, I was up all night.  Water pouring down from the ceiling fan and coming through the light switch.  Called the manager every few hours to get his answering machine.  I was tempted to pound on his door.  There was no sleeping to be had with the constant sound of drip, drip, into the buckets three feet from my bed.  I tried to put a towel in there, but after they were soaked it was the sound of splat, splat, drip, drip.  I was scared of either the ceiling falling down or an electric fire.  Both have happened to me in the past, so it wasn't paranoia.  Yep, I've survived a fire and ceiling falling down my head.  Thankfully, not at the same time.

Every time I heard someone walk around up there, I would go and knock, but they wouldn't answer the door. Six am the manager woke and came rushing over.  He took one look at the mess and went upstairs.  Had to pound and shout for about ten minutes.  My neighbor said they finally opened the door when he threatened to call the police for a welfare check.  Her toilet had stopped and she went to bed and left the thing running all night, water pouring.  My neighbor said, how do you not just reach in the back and turn the water off the toilet.  How do you not call someone to come fix it?  The manager said the carpet was soaked all the way out to the middle of the bedroom.

I'm trying to soak up the mess still with towels and hanging them to dry on the fence over night.  The lady who has been taking me back and forth all this time, asked tonight.  So what are they going to do about your carpet?  Nothing.  I'll soak it up with towels.  But it will go up the walls and mildew and they will have to replace the walls.  Nope.  Since the manager isn't hassling me about the rent during all this, I can't really hassle about the slum.  Sadly.  I'm just grateful to have a ceiling over my head, be that as it may.  I'm sitting here at ten o'clock on Sunday night with all sorts of pounding above me.  Happens quite often.  Sounds like they are building a house up there. (rolls eyes)

Di had told me to go up and talk to her about the noise.  I said, it would do no good.  She said, maybe she's up there blissfully unaware she's disturbing anyone.  I said, anyone who vacuums at three am isn't blissfully unaware, they just don't give a damn or are too stupid.  Di finally realized after the toilet episode and said, You're right, she just doesn't give a damn about anyone else.

I'm just hopeful for the day when both of us are working again and save up for a nice house on a quiet street. Unless, my pipe dream happens and when he gets a lottery ticket for the mega-millions, and wins the thing.  He never buys lottery tickets, but I think after all the rare bad stuff that has happened to him, karma should swing around and let a rare good thing happen.  Then we'll buy a ranch and start a stitcher's retreat.  You'll all will be invited to come down and escape the winter snow.  After that, we'll find people who have fallen on hard times and anonymously make their lives a little better.  Might as well, dream big for that dollar.

We hope you all had a happy and healthy holiday where ever you are.  I want to thank everyone who sent donations to help me through. I'm eventually going to send you all a little something made by me as a thank you.  I really can't thank you enough.

Someone Had A Special Visitor

I went on a very important, special bunny mission.

What a riot.  I took Nippit up to the ICU this morning.  No pictures of the visit as I tell him, he has more lines running than AT&T.  Nobody would want their picture taken like that.

Saturday, I mentioned to his nurse that when he got to rehab, I hoped to bring Nippit up to see him.  She said why wait, I could bring her up to the ICU and got the paperwork.  I wish I would have known sooner.

It did wonders for his mood, though he was a bit overwhelmed with emotion at first.  Nippit did very well as a therapy bunny.  She sat very still on the bed next to hand and I helped him to pet her. She cheered up all the nurses as well.  Even Dr. M came in to visit with Nippit. A great boost to the spirits all around.  I'm still laughing to myself at the thought of bringing a bunny to the ICU.

Update:  Thursday, the thoracic surgeon removed Tuesday's chest tube and put in a full size, quite painful chest tube.  They watching it over the next few days to decide if he will need the surgery.

It's taking some time for him to get used to the talking valve, it makes him feel short of breath at first.  He's doing better starting Friday when we had a patient respiratory tech work with him to figure out the problem.  He's still a bit hard to understand as he whispers and loses his voice.

This afternoon they transfered him to the floor a telemetry unit.  He's in a private room twice the size of his ICU room, with a couch.  The view sucks, it's of a building.  I told him he should feel like a rock star with that room.

Though I know that Dr. M wouldn't have transfered him unless she was absolutely sure he is stable enough, I can't help but feel a bit apprehensive.  She said, if it wasn't for the pneumo (hole) and the chest tube, he would be headed to a rehab hospital now.  After almost 45 days, the ICU was beginning to feel like home.  Now there is a whole floor and team of people for me to get used to.

I just called up to the hospital to check on him before I go to bed.  My nightly ritual.  The nurse was in his room with a cordless phone and had him talking to me.  Wow!!!!

Guess who he requested to come up to visit?  I must be a lunatic, because I'm going to try it in the next couple days, depending on how things go with the chest tube situation.

Yes, it's me Dammit headed on a bunny mission to wreak havoc on a hospital unit.


God help us all.

Happy Birthday Nippit

Happy Birthday, Miss Nippit.  She is two years old today.  I posted three on FB, but I sat and thought about it, she's two.  We got her in May 2009 before we moved down here in October.  My mind is in a fog, I swear.  She's upset that I don't have time to bake her a carrot cake for her birthday and that her Pop hasn't been here for weeks.  I did finally open the package Suzy sent and found some fruitcake in there.  So tonight, we will celebrate with a little bite of fruit cake.  Just a little bite each.  I will save the rest for when D gets home.

My neighbor Miss Di came over and helped me clean up a really bad case of gunky butt that Nippit had. (Probably TMI) It's a chronic problem, no matter how much I try to regulate her diet.  Then Miss Di snuggled her for a long time and groomed her fluffs she's been trying to shed.  It was good sized pile and I saved it to mix with some merino for spinning.  I forgot last night that today was her birthday.  She probably would have gotten an even longer snuggle time.

Last night went fairly smoothly.  The day nurse turned his sedation way down to get his bp back up and we had a bit of a frustration issue.  Fairly calm other than that.  Dialysis came just before I left and they were able to take another 4 liters off.  He's still fairly bloated.  They are coming tonight because they won't/don't come on Sundays.

New attending showed up today.  He didn't seem to want me around during rounds, but you know I don't care.  He'll be gone soon and another will take his place.  They were discussing that the trach might be hard to do because of the type of ventilation he is on, bi-level.

The resident said, "He's becoming ventilator dependent....."

So I asked for clarification, "Are you saying this is a permanent condition?"

The attending said to me, "What we are saying is, if he wasn't on a ventilator in his current condition he would need to be.  It's medical jargon. That's what happens when you listen in on rounds, you will hear medical jargon you don't understand."  Harumph.

He had a yet another new nurse that he hasn't had before.  He looked better when I came in the room.  Though his glasses were off and his eyes were open.  I'm thinking about taping a note on his monitor that he needs his glasses to see!!!

She was ok.  One of the perky, cool kids.  It's just because I'm a cranky, old school broad that I would have a complaint.  The other nurses kept coming over to her station to gossip and they were what D and I would consider kinda loud.  One would laugh out loud and wake him up.

Things are so different on ICU's now.  One patient, has a ton of family.  They bring this small child, about 3 or 4 right into their room.  When they walk by with the small child she is pretty loud talking or a scream.  They have cowgirl boots on her and she sounds like a horse clomping down the hall.  What ever happened to the days when they kept ICU's really quiet?

I thought the way the morning was going today would be really uneventful and I could post about Nippit, a short update, my knitting progress.  D had other plans. Seriously.

As I was leaving for lunch, I told him I going to home to eat and check on the pets and that I would be back in a few hours.  He nodded yes.  Everything fine.  When I walked around the bed to get my purse, he suddenly began shaking his head back and forth, the motion pulled his vent tube off of his et tube.  His nurse was at lunch.  I re-connected the tubes and put on the call light. When nobody showed up right away, I went out in the hall and shouted for help.

I didn't want to just leave him, he was still quite agitated and I didn't want it to pop off again.  The nurse who came in, reminded me of a younger version of me.  When I told her what happened she asked if I had put the tube back on. Yes.  She said, that was the right thing to do.  Um yes, I used to be a nurse and did at home ventilator care.  I just don't want to leave and the thing pop off again.

Just then he blew out really hard and popped the suction tube off.  We got that reconnected.  She turned up both his meds to settle him down so we could figure out the problem.  It was what I thought it was and we repositioned him more comfortably.  The anal nurse was working charge and she came to the door.  Told me next time to just sneak out and not say anything to him.  Yeah, whatever (fill in the blank) that wasn't the problem.  The first nurse said she would stay with him til his regular nurse came back in five minutes.  I asked him if was alright for me to leave and he nodded yes.

Whew, give me a heart attack and a stroke and I'll just be in the bed next door.

I really think his condition yesterday was mostly the day nurse, reason being she had been for two hours at that point.  She had been in to increase his sedation to lower his bp, that was why the sedation rate was so high. Also, when she repositioned him later, she had his head hanging back over the top of the mattress. I had to say, "Hey, his head is hanging backward over top of the mattress.  Doesn't that look awfully uncomfortable?"

I've asked him if he wanted me to read these past couple days and he shakes his head no.  So I'm getting a lot of progress made on the sweater.  Will post a picture tomorrow.  At this rate, I might have an fo on Friday.

I'm going to go clean cages and do some dishes.  Pray for an uneventful 24 hrs for me.

WIP Wednesday

I don't know why, but this feels like it has been a long week, eons ago since last Wednesday.

(Obligatory knitting with a cat picture) (Bright Eyes has chosen to be the cat this time.)

I've made more progress on the merino/angora/silk handspun sweater this week.  It feels like it should have a name, but as we know, I'm not good at naming stuff.

I used a half ribbing stitch for a bit of the waist.  Basically, I knit and purled one row on the back side and one  row of just knit on the front.  It makes an interesting pattern.  Then I choose an eyelet pattern for the body.  This is one of those sweaters I'm going to be sad to finish.  As a process knitter, I'm really enjoying the process of this.  The yarn is so soft and the fabric is drapey.  The angora makes a nice fuzzy halo.

The BFL/silk has had a bath and is drying in the shower.  For factory processed fiber, it was pretty dirty and sheepy.  Even with a bit of my Cherry Blossom bath wash, it still smelled sheepy, or rather sheep in the meadow.  D and J said it smelled like dirty mop.  Of course, only a spinner can appreciate the strong smell of sheep in the morning.  Still have a few more ounces left to spin and ply for the second 8 oz skein.

This sweater will probably make an appearance next week.  I have the ribbing picked out, just need to decide on the cables for the body.

Now, a word from Dammit.

Us bunnies have been upset about those darn birds taking over the blog last month.  We've been really well behaved and went to bed when we are told to.  Mom said we weren't doing anything blog worthy.  What does she want, we are bunnies.  We eat, poop, hop and gaze.  There's no I'm crapping any Cadbury Eggs like that stupid bunny on tv that clucks like a chicken. This is the year of the rabbit and we deserve our respect.

Yesterday, I did a very rare exceptionally good thing.  My name is Dammit for a reason and when I'm good, it's rare and exceptional.  When Mom went in the bedroom to get her cane to prod us back home, I was already there, in my cage.  I was just hungry, not trying to be good or anything.  So when it was my turn to come back out last night, Momma put my Zeppelin DVD on for me.  A Jimmy Page solo is worth Momma thinking I can be a good bunny.

Just a few hours left to enter Mom's Name Her Birds contest.  Pop will pick the winners tonight.

Welcome To The Funny Farm

When I was very young, my mother used to sing, "They're coming to take me away, ha ha, ho ho, he, he. To the funny farm, where life is happy, weird and free."  (Yes, I swapped weird for gay.  She said gay back then.) Except, the funny farm kind of grew up around me.

I thought of the title of today's post as I was going to bed last night, because the pets were being weird, well, weirder than usual.  Then tonight as I sat down to upload pictures and started typing the first paragraph, the people right above me had their quarterly (I guess quarterly, as it's the third one since last February when we moved in) episode.  The irony wasn't lost on me. I thought funny farm, this is the freaking loony bin.  Cristi from Turtle Girl will know what I'm talking about.

J and D were playing video games in the back room when it started so we went out to join the block party forming in front of our patio.  It wasn't really a party, but most of the neighbors came out to see what the hell. I actually feel safer here than I did in the really nice suburbs back in NY, because when crap happens many of the neighbors come out to do something, or at least be witnesses to the crap. It's a pretty tight knit community here.  So that was our excitement for the night.

Last night, I found an egg in Myrtle and Emily's cage last night.  We knew it was coming.  D took my Kleenex   box and fitted in the cage for a makeshift nesting box.  Myrtle promptly kicked out all the wood shavings and tonight I found the egg broken in the food dish.  That takes care of that for now, I guess.

While looking for bird supplies I found the bag that had the Christmas presents for the animals.  D gave the cats their mice, catnip and Feline Greenies 3 oz. Package Salmon.  The Puttins as we called the two tuxedo cats were first to the pile.

From Knitting Kitties

Bootsie is on the left.  Tennessee aka bedroom cat aka catnip hog on the right.

From Knitting Kitties

You can't see the mice because Tennessee has all six of them under her.

Butterscotch sat by my chair looking on longingly.  I think Bright Eyes was still sleeping in the closet.  I felt bad for Butterscotch so, I gave him a small pile, which Tennessee ran over grabbed up.  So, I gave him another small pile.  Finally, the girls tired out and Butterscotch got his chance with the goodies.

From Knitting Kitties

More than anything, he loves to play with mice.

From Knitting Kitties

(action shot)

From Knitting Kitties

I got you now, little mousie.

From Knitting Kitties

You will be my minion.

From Knitting Kitties

The bunnies were given yogurt drops.  Then Betty and Dammit came out and gave me a show of leap bunny.

From Knitting Kitties

Then some bunny tag.

From Knitting Kitties

All four eggs have hatched.  I took this picture this morning.  As you can see the oldest one is starting to get some downy feathers.  He looks so big compared to the others.  Funny too, with his bald head.

From Knitting Kitties

I know, this is supposed to be a needlework blog.  For now I'll show you the Guy Next Door Cowl.  It's almost finished.  I think I going to do one more pattern repeat then bind it off. It's a pain to knit on the way it's rolling up like a jelly roll on both top and bottom.  I'm going to try to do Jeny's Stretchy Bind Off  only for stockinette stitch.

I've been feeling better for the most part and been busy trying to clean most of the things.  There is something about the New Year that always puts me in the mood to clean and organize.  We'll see how far I get.  Other stitchy things I've been working on, I'll reveal on WIP Wednesday.

Because, I am lazy, I still haven't sent an e-mail to Intense Debate Support.  If you came to the main page and would like to comment, just click on the title of this post and the place to comment will show up under this post.  I will respond to all comments, eventually.

Bunday - Special

From Knitting Kitties

Chapter 3 is postponed for this special episode.  The fact is Momma can't get her act together today, and it's Pop's fault.  He had off today, yet he still woke her up early banging pots and pans.  If you know anything about Momma she's not a wake-up person.  We don't even look in her direction before that first cup of coffee, lest she cast her firery lasers of death upon us.  She begins to be approachable after the second cup.

After Pop had his pancakes and bacon, he then proceeded to go back to sleep on the futons with those football talkings on the TV.  Yes, he did offer Mom some, but she doesn't partake in the solids much before noon.  That's when Mom found a post on FB of a Christmas Flash Mob.  Momma loves Flash Mob, it makes her smile.  We were all hopeful of a joyful mood would occur during that second cuppa.  However, the music wakes Pop and he says, "Is that really necessary?"  

Momma clicked it off, said "Fine." and gave him this look. 

The poor dear is just frazzled now.  She's flitting from one thing to the next like a butterfly on meth. She knit a bit on a hat. Then she pulled out an old Christmas tree skirt cross stitch but couldn't figure where she left off on the five dozen charts. She showed quite the restraint and rather than throw it across the room, she calmly folded it back up.  Then she went to look for the yarn to dye, couldn't find it.  Started to knit a mini stocking, but was missing two dpns. Onto the spinning wheel to do some plying.  Back to the searching, found the prize for the contest, then found the yarn in the bottom. Whew, I'm exhausted just in the retelling of it. Who knows what she will be onto next.  Can you tell her hip feels much better? Pop and J are watching the Bears game in Momma's lair, so we don't want to go there.

So without further ado:



Hey, Nippit, we need to write our letters to Santa Claus.



I sent mine out weeks ago.  Your behind schedule.

From Knitting Kitties

I need new ear plugs for my Dpod.  Betty chewed the wires.



That's because you used them as mini speakers and kept blasting your Zeppelin all day.  I want my own cardboard box.  An empty one, just big enough for me.  Some of those yogurt drops would be yummy too.

From Knitting Kitties

I really don't know what I'm going to do with those two. 

Remember to come back tomorrow.  Momma will be posting a contest to win some yummy yarn.  I saw what it is, and I think you will like it.  It's open to everyone, international. 

Bunday- Our Story Part Two

From Knitting Kitties

Momma said, Teresa picked us for The Beautiful Blogger Award.  First of all, I would like to thank my fans for noticing my potential of becoming Miss Buniverse.  What?  She meant Momma?   Noo, no, Momma says I'm the bootiful one.  Momma needs to write a post and pick 10 others and she will do that tomorrow.

We didn't get our special tweat today. Poppa gave me a couple extra carrots and I got indigestion.  You don't want to know, it's sooo embarassing.  Dammit and Betty are upset, they have to wait too.  They're a couple of goats and don't have a delicate system like moi.



So, last week we ended with me on my way to my first big show.  When these two old ladies hi-jacked our car at a truck stop.  The red head lady stuffed me in a box.  As they were racing away, she brought me out and snuggled me.  The getaway driver kept glancing at me and said I was cutey.  When they got to the hideout the red head showed me to an old hippie guy.  Then the driver patted me on the head and told me to be good.  Then she left me there.


I was stuck in a really big luxury cage.  My whole family could fit in this cage and it was all mine.  While I was checking out the space, this big goofy looking rabbit hopped up. He hopped circles around my cage all excited.  "Hi, hi, hi. I'm Dammit."  Those goofy long ears and that silly lopsided mustache, he was so excited he started to drool. I went up to the side of my cage where he was.  When stuck that big snout up to the bars, I took my little paws and I punched him in the nose. I kept punching him in the nose, but that big dumbie just sat there with that goofy look.  Then he flopped down in what must be his bed and just gazed at me.

Then he told me the red head was Momma and the hippie dude was Poppa.  I was here to be his new wife. I tried to explain to him about the show I needed to get to, but he wouldn't listen.  I was getting very angwy.



I'm so in love with her.

Yeah, yeah, dumbie.  After a few days, the humans decided we should have a face to face meeting.  Dammit came up and ran his chin all over me.  I put my head down so he could groom me.  When he refused, I went around to back end and bit out a big chunk of fur.  That scared him good.  He ran to hide under the dresser and I took after him, biting chunks as I went.  Momma grabbed me up and said I turned into a Gremlin.  Poppa said I was furious little thing.  My name became Nippit The Furious.

Momma went on her laptop and typed away.  Then they both chased that goofy around the room.  Poppa caught him up, then Momma got me and they put us on the big bed. They said they were going to do this until we got along.  I wasn't happy with this.  I mostly snuggled against Mom and chewed her fleece blanket. Sometimes I got carried away and bit her leg. Dammit hopped around and pounced everything that moved.  This went on a few times a day for a couple more days.  Then while Poppa was napping Momma went for a walk.  When she came back she had a couple of vests.  She stuck one on me and we went outside.  The clover was yummy.  Momma said I could eat the clover because the owners were to cheap to spray, not that they were worried about the environment.



When Poppa got up, they put a vest on Dammit too.  Then we both went outside for our bunny dates.



Dammit liked to sneak up behind me and goose my bottom.  He binkied when I jumped in the air, startled.



Oooo, I'm weally gonna get him good.

There's no pictures of what happened next.  Our leashes had elastic and Momma said they were like bungie cords.  I ran up to Dammit and jumped in air, he jumped in air, we bumped chests and I went to chewing on him.  They jerked us back and we went swinging through the air. We ran at each other and jumped in air, chest bump, swing backwards on our cords.  This was getting fun.  Poppa called us Chinese Kite Fighters.



She's a wild woman.



Come on big guy, give me a wash.



Let's go for a hop Mom.



I can wash my own face, see.



Will she ever love me?



I tried to figure him out.  When he spent 6 hours flopped on the bed watching Led Zeppelin videos on his birthday, I watched for a bit too.  He could have hopped off the bed anytime he wanted.  He just stayed there until Mom forgot to come and change the second Dvd.  Then he hopped off to go get her.



I love Zeppelin.



After a week of bed and outside dates, I gave in and tried harder.  "Come on Dammit, give me a wash."
"My foot, it's pretty tasty."


"Please?!"
"My paws are pretty tasty, too."



"Ok, I guess your kinda tasty too."



I guess that big dumbie isn't all that bad.



I got to stay out of the cage and hang out on his pad.

It was a good thing we got along when we did.  A week later this happened, and we had to live in the big cage together for a week.



I'll end here.  Thank you for coming and reading.  Thank for leaving comments on our last post, Momma read them to us.   Come back next week for the final chapter.  You'll find out why I'm so angwy at Dammit again.



Plus, I might get a turn to, when I show up in the story.  Oh, I'm not so sure about this blogging thing.  I'm pretty timid and shy.