If you have been reading my blogs for a while, you may remember this. In recounting what God did for us at Silverado, I omitted a VIP. In fact, she was a very, very important person.
Her name is Lizeth. Many good caregivers came and went, but Lizeth was there for Jack from the day he arrived until the day he departed. She developed an amazingly special relationship with Jack. She was tiny compared to him, and I can still see her looking up at him adoringly. She kept Jack looking so handsome. I could always tell the minute I saw him whether or not Lizeth was working that day. If she was, his hair would be combed just right, and his clothes would match perfectly. As the community grew, the side on which Jack's room was located filled up, and another wing was opened. Lizeth was transferred to the "other side," but because of her special relationship with Jack, she was most graciously allowed to keep caring for him.
In March of 2010 I was called in to meet with Silverado hospice. Jack was being placed under their care. It seemed like extra attention would be given to him, and I was very excited. What slipped by me was that the hospice nurse was going to be giving Jack his showers, etc. That lasted exactly one day. That's how long it took us (by mutual agreement) to realize that Lizeth had built a relationship with Jack for 16 months that was irreplaceable.
Lizeth came to Jack's funeral but, being unfamiliar with Arlington, got lost and missed much of the tribute to him. This is my tribute to her. I will never, ever forget her love, patience, and kindness toward Jack in spite of the fact that he was unable to reciprocate.
Monday, October 17, 2011
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Just Run Me Over to Newark, Please
It's rather painful to admit what a dum-dum mistake I made on my flight arrangements for my cruise. I got all wild when I was making the reservation and decided to give up 50,000 of my precious Aadvantage miles in order to fly first class. Now this in itself was not a mistake. Nothing makes me feel as luxurious as a first class flight!
I began to look at the flights with one main requirement: they must include a meal. For that many miles a snack just wouldn't do. I knew that Newark, LaGuardia, and JFK airports are not very far apart. Just like Miami and Ft. Lauderdale, I assumed. So...I found a perfect pair of flights in and out of LaGuardia. No problem. I got my hotel in Newark and called the car service Royal Caribbean recommended to "meet and greet" me and drive me to the hotel.
We have used lots of car services very satisfactorily through the years, but this one didn't work out very well. There was no driver holding up my name when I got to baggage claim. I had to pull my two big bags off the carousel myself, then schlep them behind me while I looked for my guy. Oh...there he was. The one in the turban!
Here we are going through the Holland Tunnel. He immediately told me pictures are not allowed. I expected to have authorities waiting for me at the end.
We fought our way slowly and agonizingly through 5:00 traffic and finally arrived at the Hilton, Penn Station, Newark. This guy just dumped me out to pull my two big bags inside myself. I had already paid my full bill by phone, but I gave him an extra $10! I know. Don't ask me why!
I assumed the ship would have a bus going back to LaGuardia after the cruise. Wrong. Only to Newark. So I called my faithful car company to come get me. When they started quoting prices to me, I got suspicious and asked just how much they had charged my credit card for the first trip. It was almost twice as much as I had been quoted! I don't even know what it all was--except for tolls and 14 minutes of waiting time! This guy claimed to have waited 14 minutes on me!
I left the ship planning to take a taxi back to LaGuardia, but the nice young porter who helped me get through customs with the two monster bags, introduced me to LouAnn, my new best friend. She works for a transportation service, and she told me I could go in a private cab for way less than what the car company had charged me or in a shuttle for $27! I opted for the shuttle. And LouAnn was pleased to tell me I had Bob, one of her best drivers.
If Bob was the best, I'm glad I didn't get with the worst. Bob wouldn't leave until the van was packed sardine-style full. Then he grabbed the wheel, leaned forward, and floored it. He had the windows in the front wide open, which was giving my expensive ship hairdo a real challenge! At one point when Bob wasn't looking, I leaned up and put the passenger front window up. He immediately had it back down when I wasn't looking! And thank goodness I had plenty of time before my flight. We went to JFK first, then took a couple to their home, then to LaGuardia--the arrival level rather than the departure!
All this for two meals. The first one was very good. The second was so bad I couldn't even eat it. Not that I was hungry anyway after 9 days of pigging out.
The car company finally agreed as a "one time courtesy" (as if there would ever be a second time!) to refund most of the overcharge. I learned a lesson. It may not be very far from New York to Newark, but it's complicated!
I began to look at the flights with one main requirement: they must include a meal. For that many miles a snack just wouldn't do. I knew that Newark, LaGuardia, and JFK airports are not very far apart. Just like Miami and Ft. Lauderdale, I assumed. So...I found a perfect pair of flights in and out of LaGuardia. No problem. I got my hotel in Newark and called the car service Royal Caribbean recommended to "meet and greet" me and drive me to the hotel.
We have used lots of car services very satisfactorily through the years, but this one didn't work out very well. There was no driver holding up my name when I got to baggage claim. I had to pull my two big bags off the carousel myself, then schlep them behind me while I looked for my guy. Oh...there he was. The one in the turban!
Here we are going through the Holland Tunnel. He immediately told me pictures are not allowed. I expected to have authorities waiting for me at the end.
We fought our way slowly and agonizingly through 5:00 traffic and finally arrived at the Hilton, Penn Station, Newark. This guy just dumped me out to pull my two big bags inside myself. I had already paid my full bill by phone, but I gave him an extra $10! I know. Don't ask me why!
I assumed the ship would have a bus going back to LaGuardia after the cruise. Wrong. Only to Newark. So I called my faithful car company to come get me. When they started quoting prices to me, I got suspicious and asked just how much they had charged my credit card for the first trip. It was almost twice as much as I had been quoted! I don't even know what it all was--except for tolls and 14 minutes of waiting time! This guy claimed to have waited 14 minutes on me!
I left the ship planning to take a taxi back to LaGuardia, but the nice young porter who helped me get through customs with the two monster bags, introduced me to LouAnn, my new best friend. She works for a transportation service, and she told me I could go in a private cab for way less than what the car company had charged me or in a shuttle for $27! I opted for the shuttle. And LouAnn was pleased to tell me I had Bob, one of her best drivers.
If Bob was the best, I'm glad I didn't get with the worst. Bob wouldn't leave until the van was packed sardine-style full. Then he grabbed the wheel, leaned forward, and floored it. He had the windows in the front wide open, which was giving my expensive ship hairdo a real challenge! At one point when Bob wasn't looking, I leaned up and put the passenger front window up. He immediately had it back down when I wasn't looking! And thank goodness I had plenty of time before my flight. We went to JFK first, then took a couple to their home, then to LaGuardia--the arrival level rather than the departure!
All this for two meals. The first one was very good. The second was so bad I couldn't even eat it. Not that I was hungry anyway after 9 days of pigging out.
The car company finally agreed as a "one time courtesy" (as if there would ever be a second time!) to refund most of the overcharge. I learned a lesson. It may not be very far from New York to Newark, but it's complicated!
Friday, October 14, 2011
The Skunk Saga Continues
As I left you in my last post, Charleigh-Girl was getting her second shampoo with the special potion to remove her skunk odor. I told you how good I was getting with this. WRONG. My massaging of her hair left her with dreadlock type twists in her undercoat. Of course, I had to pay for having those combed out while she was boarded during my trip. I did get the odor out, though! And it wasn't as expensive as when I trotted her stinky self into the emergency animal clinic!
I called a company which shall remain nameless and which specializes in trapping wild animals. Their charge was: $399 (!) for setting the trap and catching one (1) (and only one (1)) animal. Each additional animal they caught would be $149!!! So...I called my "Sam of all trades." He bought the exact same trap the nameless company uses for $70. He set it with cat food. Voila! We've now caught 4 or 5 possums.
But...today I called him to tell him we had another possum. This is a picture of the "possum."
For those of you who know as little about wild animals as I do, this is a raccoon, not a possum. What's more, when Sam approached the trap, this was one very angry raccoon. I have had to call animal control (a lengthy process in itself) to come take charge of this angry critter.
Sam and I are thinking we need to put a sign on the trap, "Only skunks allowed!"
I called a company which shall remain nameless and which specializes in trapping wild animals. Their charge was: $399 (!) for setting the trap and catching one (1) (and only one (1)) animal. Each additional animal they caught would be $149!!! So...I called my "Sam of all trades." He bought the exact same trap the nameless company uses for $70. He set it with cat food. Voila! We've now caught 4 or 5 possums.
But...today I called him to tell him we had another possum. This is a picture of the "possum."
For those of you who know as little about wild animals as I do, this is a raccoon, not a possum. What's more, when Sam approached the trap, this was one very angry raccoon. I have had to call animal control (a lengthy process in itself) to come take charge of this angry critter.
Sam and I are thinking we need to put a sign on the trap, "Only skunks allowed!"
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