Hi all.

Jaz---Oh, you are so good at what you do. I can actually see your liquid brown and empathetic eyes as you told this fellow it was time to find his mother a peaceful passing. 100 years old and he's wondering?!

Actually, from what I've seen, no it's not the doctor's job to place patients where they belong post hospital treatment. It is the job of---well, someone like you. And to be honest, I kind of understand that. Doctors get a bad rap and some deserve it, but many don't. They are not schooled in the best rehab, hospice, assisted living places. To know these things is a job in itself, as you are finding out. And a very important one.

When my mom was in and out of the hospital for all kinds of reasons and so many times over so many years, it was people doing your job that I just wanted to hug and DID. Multiply her times hundreds at every hospital, and no Docs can't take this on too.

I say this because I hope you feel how very important what you're doing is, and in fact, might be an area of specialty for you as a traveling nurse. Much needed I'm sure, and I think you have what it takes to do it. Not easy BUT SO NEEDED.

(((((Nic))))))---Man, there is nothing worse than feeling you were somehow a "bad mom" for a minute. Just pinches my heart to hear you feeling that way, but in your shoes, I know I would have too, to be honest. Hard when a kid's B'day is so very close to Xmas. One tries to make it all even, but fact is it's very hard to fight the aftermath of the Tsunami of the holidays!

I'm sure you had gifts for him etc., and I'm also sure he doesn't doubt the love of his fierce mama. Not even for a cake-less moment. And he DID get his cake, thanx to the fierce love of his papa.

All in all, I'd say your son is one lucky kid, but I can understand his disappointment and your blues that you missed one ball out of so many pitched to moms day in and day out...even when they've grown up. Hope you are close to letting it go as I type. Good lesson for T. Mom's aren't perfect, Dad's aren't perfect. Good for him to know this, as some day he'll be doing the job himself.

Lori---So happy to hear the Chiro sees so much improvement. You have done a bravo job of seeking every possible way to get that improvement. I am very impressed by the multiple ways you've sought to overcome your shoulder injury, and seems you've mostly done it on your own steam and research.

Trig---Know you're off to the beach and won't see this. Still, thinking of you and your family and wishing you a totally fab couple of days and a very happy, very fun New Year's.

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Oh my, winter has been a bad old buzzard today. We had very mild weather up till today, in fact, raining all day yesterday. Rain is not a good thing in the winter up here. At all. Minute the temp drops, it all turns to ice. Which is what happened, and then a blizzard today to boot. I'm on the second day of being pretty cooped up here between the ice and the snow. Can't tell you how much I fear a fall, so I just strap myself down and don't go out for the better part.

Worked on my work promotional projects today. Have been gathering the parts for weeks, and now I'm starting to put it all together, which is scary because it's all in the execution w/this king of thing. But, finished my first one today, and I'm very happy to say it really came together and I didn't screw it up in the execution. 2 more to go for my first round of targets.

Feeling nervous to not have any work on the horizon, so that's really motivated me to get going, and I'm glad to have the industry of my projects to keep me from going nuts w/cabin fever!

Oh man, I am getting SO READY to be back on plan. I'm actually just sick of food, not even that I've been a glutton day in and day out, but after awhile you just want that lean and lighter feeling back. I'm hoping that I've had my fun and this need to be back on plan---less rich stuff, less food oriented, less, less less---sticks w/me as we enter the new year.