AnneLyze

Another photo collage by Smilebox

Today is Thanksgiving. The boys are with their Dad and we are leaving for NH in the morning. I volunteered to work at my second job for the day. I would be on call. In my mind that meant wearing PJs all day, watching the parade, reading, and baking all while wearing the beeper, sure that no one would need me. In reality, it meant two nursing visits. My first visit was in Stillwater, NY at 9:30am to disconnect a chemotherapy infusion. I set my GPS and off I went. Did you know there is more than one Stillwater, NY and all three have a similarly named road? Well I visited two out of three today. The first one was on a dirt road in the middle of f.... nowhere and there were scary dudes with rifles. The second one was 5 hours away. I didn't go to that one. The third one was correct. I was an hour late. I called to let him know I was coming. The patient thought I was stupid, I know I'm stupid and in the privacy of my own car, I said bad words. Because I was an hour late for that visi...

Dad died 19 years ago last Tuesday. I remembered it a couple days later. It was the second year in a row that I had forgotten. Time has a way of doing that. I try not to enhance my memories of my father. He was not perfect. These are a few of the things I treasured the most about him. I remember him every year on Election Day. He always voted and was proud that NH voted first in the Presidential Primary. On Election night, you would find him sitting at the kitchen table with the radio on, tallying the votes on a yellow pad of paper. Sometimes he stayed up all night. His favorite president was Harry Truman. Sunday afternoons were some of my favorite times with him. Mom would be at Play rehearsal with the Pittsfield Players Theatre Group and we would be with Dad. We would watch Curt Gowdy's Wild Kingdom. Later we would take our baths and have sandwiches, milk and popcorn for dinner. Then if we were lucky we would get to watch The Wonderful World of Disney. I can still see him during ...

I am not one for planning my day around a TV show, but Tuesday nights at 10pm are the exception. It is my time and I don’t want to be disturbed. It’s my time with The Sons……..of Anarchy, that is. The Sons of Anarchy is a modern day, motorcycle gang version of The Godfather. The prince, next in line, however you want to characterize it, is trying to make things right based on a manifest written by his long dead father, John Teller. He is full of angst, anger, and raw emotion. The star is Charlie Hunnam, who plays Jax Teller. You are first drawn in by his incredible looks, but soon realize that he plays the role with both intensity and vulnerability. The supporting cast is equally talented. Ron Perlman plays Clay Morrow, the leader of the club, with his “Queen” played by Katey Sagal. Yes, the Married with Children, Katey Sagal. She is amazing, regal, and fierce in her role as Clay’s wife and Jax’s mother, Gemma. Season Two was so mesmerizing in large part because of her acting. The rest ...

November is Lung Cancer Awareness month. It is the second most common type of cancer in this country and more Americans die of Lung Cancer than any other type of cancer. So where are the walks, races, research dollars, ribbons and legions of supporters? According to the National Cancer Institute, the estimated new cases of Lung Cancer in 2010 are 222,520 and the estimated number of deaths is 157,300. The known risk factors for Lung Cancer include tobacco use, second hand smoke, and exposure to Radon gas, Asbestos, and air pollution. But like all cancers, the reason some people get it and others don’t, remains in many cases a mystery. 15% of people diagnosed with Lung Cancer have never smoked. After over 17 years as an Oncology Nurse, what I know about cancer comes down to this; cancer is unfair, inconvenient, expensive and cruel. I believe with all my heart and every single brain cell that cigarettes should be illegal. If the State of New York can make a law enforcing the use ...

Last night a car alarm went off in the neighborhood. After 5 minutes I decided to get up and see what car it was. I opened the door and my cat Izzy ran in followed by a flash of yellow fur. It was a hissing, growling, clawing, fierce,feral cat. My tubby cat Ash was lying on the chair prior to this, sound asleep on his back with his feet up in the air. Now all three cats were in the kitchen growling and hissing. My two very smartly retreated and ran outside. I grabbed a broom and tried to get him out. I called Ben and his friend Jah-eem to help. Jah-eem stood on a chair and Ben grabbed a mop. The wild thing ran into my study,tearing up everything in sight. He was not leaving and he's was one scary creature. Cleaned up he might have been pretty, but he was crazed and filthy. I called 911. Twenty minutes later, Albany's Finest arrived. He was 6'4, if not taller, and looked like he was strong. He took one look at the crazy cat, scratched his head and looked like he wanted to ru...