Tag: Personal Musings

Around The Neighborhood And At The Park

 

As a child, after disconnecting the makeshift basket I created to transport my furry friend around with me for a day- I would hold Brandie while she was still small inside the comfort of my left arm while I steered the handlebars to my bike with my right arm on other days.

Brandie loved to run in the street beside me while I rode my bike. I had her on her leash, grasping the head of the strap against the grip of the left handlebar to my bike.

Brandie also loved to run beside me in the street while I rolled on my roller-skates. I loved the way she pulled me as I held onto her leash supervising every moment to make sure the both of us never got hit by any car within our neighborhood block.

As an adult-years later- I took Brandie to the park without her leash. She was a well- behaved dog familiar within the area and did not need to be restrained. I let her walk and run around free- she never bothered anybody- people liked and loved Brandie.

I stopped off at the park to take a quick breeze upon a swing.

Brandie followed me inside the playground stood a few seconds to watch me then she must have said to herself “This may take a few minutes. Let me chill” because she sat down at a distance to patiently wait.

Two female youngsters entered the section of the playground we were in while I swung and realized my dog was no threat as they also hopped upon the swings.

One of the girls said to the other, “I want a dog just like that- who will sit and wait for me”.

 

 

 

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Along For The Ride: Me And My Baby

 

I awoke bright and early, still excited over having adopted a brand new seven to eight-week-old puppy from North Shore Animal League during the summer of 1986.

The sun shined, the air was crisp, the day clear and I wanted to go bike riding.

Yet, I did not want to go alone.

I wanted the company of my new furry friend-just me and her, no one else for that moment in time.

I was the type of child who often played with other neighborhood kids but took out time to enjoy being alone when I preferred to.

There was one problem surrounding this event.

I needed a basket that I did not have to place Brandie in while I freely rode her on my bike.

So, I creatively made one.

I went to find a crate that I fastened to the handlebars of my bike with rope then securely placed Brandie inside.

A neighborhood guy laughed at the situation when he saw me in action because he thought the effort and determination was cute. My mother had informed this information to me about the neighbor’s reaction later

Off I went through the streets of my neighborhood steering out of the way when cars drove up from behind and up ahead.

Brandie enjoyed her first bike ride in the comforts of the crate with the warm summer breeze enhancing her mood.

I will never forget that wonderful day of bonding sweetly with my baby.

 

 

A Lovely Dream I Once Had

 

 

I remember a great dream I had years ago.

In the dream, I lived in a spacious home that was shared with relatives of mine that I had not met yet in the awake state.

The home had so much room and was built off in a section way where my relatives and I would only run into each other occasionally or not so often inside the large-sized kitchen we also shared.

We all got along and went about our business in parts of the house that we resided and occupied.

The only person I told this dream to was my mother after I had it.

So, it was coincidental or suspicious when someone mentioned in a comment on one of my blog posts (Symptoms of Voodoo Black Magic by Mony Singh) years after I had the dream that they lived in a big house with the same or similar circumstances. I do not recall every detail within the person’s comment (and there are far too many comments to search through to look for it).

However, it was too close.

Of course, I do know that whatever we can think can happen or exist. And that whatever we may experience, someone else somewhere around the world will or may experience it too.

It is not that my dream and her claim of reality seemed impossible, it was just uncanny of her to mention the instance.

 

 

 

Another Gift Of Appreciation

 

I work with a variety of people along with regular clients that I report to duty with.

As I was absent from work this past Christmas Eve- last Saturday- due to canceling my shift a day before, I returned to schedule this past Tuesday.

At the end of my shift my client handed me a large gift bag with two belated Christmas gifts inside from his wife. They had planned to give me the present prior on the Eve.

This was the second of gifts I had received from two of my clients that I see on a regular basis.

 

 

Two Holiday Reflections: Fond Christmas Memories

 

On Christmas morning, after opening presents, I washed and got dressed to accompany my mother to a department store.

She went to purchase some accessories for the home.

Along the way in one of the aisles I came across a pink colored toy Cadillac that could entirely sit barbie dolls inside the two front seats.

Even though I had already received Christmas presents at home my mother kindly bought me the car to take home to play with along with my other toys when I asked If I could get the item.

My mother was so kind and sweet to me.

A few years before, during the late 1970’s around Christmas, my mother’s childhood friend from high school took me to FAO Schwarz toy store located in Manhattan, New York.

There, we stood outside with a crowd of onlookers, gazing through the window of FAO Schwarz, admiring the beauty of the lit-up Christmas village toy community that had a running trainset and/or Santa Claus riding amid the town.

It was a gorgeously cute showcase displayed for the attraction.

My Abode

 

Isn’t it wonderful to have the perfect getaway to get away from it all

That escape into the luxury of comfort and unconventionality in a place of convenience?

A home away from home unknown to the zone of commonality.

I want to go for that ride, ready to take that drive.

 

Do Not Disturb

 

I am not one who likes to get up early in the morning to attend somewhere.

I prefer an afternoon, evening, or overnight shift when working.

However, the benefits of working a morning shift are to arrive home early.

Nevertheless, the later the start of a shift the more hours available to sleep before preparing to head out.

What is even crazier is sometimes on my off days I wake up early while on the days I must go to work I barely want to get up out of bed.

 

Toward The End Of September

 

Sunday night it thundered, lightened, then poured down with heavy rain.

Monday, it was beautiful out, a pleasant change from the last few past days. I didn’t have to wear anything on my arms- no jacket, no sweater.

Today, on Tuesday, was another nice day, not as warm as yesterday but nice enough to go without a jacket while lingering in the sun otherwise one may have needed a sweater or long-sleeved shirt if preferred.

Regardless, it was still a very lovely day. It would be nice if the weather could stay beautiful all year around yet we need snow days and the rain for many vital reasons also, and so on.

All climates serve their beneficial purpose.

 

 

 

 

Autumn Day

 

Yesterday was the official day for Autumn to begin.

It was also the apparent end to the sequence of beautiful weather. The day before, along the other prior days it was nothing but a constant streak of warm, sunny gorgeous weather.

Since yesterday it has been cold.

Today it was cold and windy, making the day even worse. Most of the people I seen out wore jackets or sweaters- some with hats or hoods over their heads.

I had gotten caught in a little of the rain yesterday as clouds dominated the sky the majority of the fall day.

It rained hard during certain periods of the day yesterday as I was out in Great Neck, NY.

 

 

 

Riding The Waters

 

The first time I remember riding on a boat I was very young, about seven or eight years of age.

It was on the Manhattan Circle-Liner I rode with a group of family members.

They had come up to visit from Virginia. They wanted to tour around the New York City waters to see the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State building, and other attractions.

During childhood I also visited Hershey Park in Hershey, Pennsylvania where I rode numerous water-rides all day. The fun I had! I loved water-rides back then.

I have been on boats a few times as an adult. There is no excitement to it unless I feel myself moving on the vessel.

At the age of sixteen I was bored as can be down inside the Staten Island Ferry as I rode with friends while we hung out in Manhattan on Independence Day.

My friends at the time and I were chaperoned by an adult.

We all came to see the fireworks that year in the early nineties. We walked the streets of Manhattan enjoying ourselves until one or two in the morning.

It was not until I came up to the top outside of the Staten Island Ferry that I was able to feel the boat as it swiftly moved upon the waters.

We rode the Ferry just for entertainment that night. Years later, the guy who chaperoned us (a longtime family friend) took me into Staten Island by driving on the Verrazano Bridge when I was in my early twenties.

There was a CruiseShip planned for a family reunion years ago, I did not attend that gathering, though.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Doing My Duty

 

I prepared medication today for one of my clients in the facility that I work at.

For one person, he takes a load of daily medicine to keep his health regulated.

I set up his two-week supply as he directed me to.

I remember when I worked in Rockland County, New York at a facility where another lady and I both took care of thirteen patients by ourselves.

We had to administer their proper medications every night.

It was an important duty.

We also checked on them every hour on the hour.

I have worked in quite a few residential facilities as well as at a few hospitals.

The facility that I currently work at now I worked within years ago and this place has changed completely, they even have an entirely different staff working there.

 

A Matter Of Life And Death

 

In the health care field, I work with multiple clients/patients.

One guy I recently had for about a month and a half.

When I began working for him, I was the very first sent from my agency along with another woman who took on the day shift.

Aside from us two, there were other female health care professionals from another agency back and forth to attend to him.

He needed his catheter inserted at times. So, we were always there to do whatever we were assigned there to do.

One nurse had come to his home to fill in for the regular RN that would come during a routine visit. She happened to insert a catheter one day and made some type of error.

When I came in for the overnight shift there was blood running down the tube into my clients Foley bag.

The room he laid in bed at smelled terribly of excrement. The day health care worker filled me in on what took place earlier (the nurse stopping by and the patient bleeding afterwards) yet did not take heed to the blood, the odor of the room, or the clients appearance.

Maybe she was not experienced enough or did not know what to look out for in certain situations.

To me, it was an instant observation. He did not look good at all. The tint of his skin alerted me that something was wrong along with his lethargy.

I suggested he go to the hospital but he refused. I called late at night to report the incident to my supervisor who is a physician.

The next night I was supposed to go in for work I received a call from my agency that my client was in the hospital.

When he came out a week and a half later, he apologized to me for not going to the hospital when I told him to. He almost died as he had septic shock.

 

 

September Morning

 

Today was the first day I shut my window since the summer heatwave began.

The humidity dropped a month ago, allowing for a hot to warm- yet comfortable atmosphere.

I first noticed the change within the air when I got up during the wee hours to go to the bathroom while it was still dark out.

I felt a cool breeze come through.

It is starting to actually feel like September. The weather is not as nice as it was yesterday and the days before.

Fall is officially approaching. It will soon be time to wear jackets again.

 

Don’t Touch Me!

Years before Covid arrived on the scene (ever since the early 90’s) I was one who had already adopted a natural habit to frequently wash my hands.

Years after (In 2006 on up) I constantly wore gloves at work in retail department stores.

I was careful where I sat down at in public areas also. Sometimes I wouldn’t even sit down if I didn’t have something to cover a seat with.

In a way, I guess I was a germaphobe. It was all for good reason.

One day I was at work with a client.

She took her bare hand dug down inside her pants to vigorously scratch her pubic area then touched the landline telephone that I had to clock out with.

She didn’t even wash her hands before she used the phone.

This lady had the nerve to get offended because I wore gloves whenever I worked around her.

It is just a fact; everyone is not hygienic. One never knows where someone’s mouth has been (I was never one to let people kiss me either).

And, as I have already mentioned, one never knows where one’s hands have been, and so on.