Life and Time

I can not believe that it has been a month or more since I have written. This last 6 weeks has been but a blur. My Dad has in the last 6 weeks been handed a cancer diagnosis, had scans, and finally surgery. He is recouping now at home. Vacationers at work made for 2 weeks of extend hours, which probably for me could not have come at a better time as it kept my brain busy. Also during this time 4 cats have delivered kittens, 13 in all. And last but not least I have been given the ok to go off my coumadin.

My Dads surgery was done at Robert packer Hospital in Sayer, PA. When the surgeon came out to talk with us immediately after the surgery I addressed pain management, and the surgeon said they would work with him and keep him comfortable. I have to say that somehow this did not happen on Thursday and Thursday night into Friday following the surgery. I am disappointed in this event as I was under the impression Robert Packer was a first rate hospital. The surgeons did an excellent job, however, Dad waited in holding by himself for over 3 hours. If it were me I would have had a heart attack from anxiety before I ever got in there. After the surgery the recovery nursing was excellent. It would have been nice if the hospital had rooms for the immediate family so my Mother could have gotten a decent place to stay near him without having to leave the hospital as Dad's surgery was serious and could have turned out very differently, and we live so far from there and some one needed to be near. Having her roaming around Sayer, totally stressed out, and not familiar with the area would have been totally unacceptable. Once on the floor it was as if he was planted in a room and left there to emerge on his own ready to go home. This is were the pain management went out the window. I also found it interesting that they were keeping an I&O (input and output), but no one seemed to be concerned that his output was far exceeding his input. In other words he was not eating and drinking as he should. He had no IV for hydration and that place was so dry my dentures started to warp after the first 3 hours I sat with him. Unless the oxygen coming into the room was moisturized from the spicket that was not on a bubbler in his room to add moisture either. It is my understanding that the nursing staff commented on their inadequate staffing issues when Dad waited for his pain meds, which lead to the pain getting a hold of him, making it harder to manage later.

I have my own view of "nursing shortages". As a RN myself, and having worked in both the hospital setting as well as the office setting "nursing shortages" do not always revolve around a nurse shortage in numbers. All I will say is that you can't treat your employees like crap and expect them to stick around very long. There are a few that can put up with being mis-used and it rolls right over them. I think there are many more that worked their tails off for the nursing degree and expect to be treated like professional adults. Employer policies sometime conflict with common sense and smarts. This is very frustrating. I am done with it. I had been told throughout my career that I was an excellent nurse, that my patients' appreciated my ability to empathize with them and appreciated the extra feet I went to make sure they were comfortable. My employers however did not see those extra steps as profitable I guess because they were constantly running my butt over #10 sand paper about it. So hats off to the new nurses out there, and god speed.

I got my Tracfone- finally!

Well, the Tracfone has finally arrived. They sent it "next day" after I called the Headquarters in Florida. Next day turned out to take 4 days, but hey it is finally here. It took 4 calls to get it activated and the second tie I tried to call they had me o hold for over an hour and a half. The third call "hold" status only lasted 45 minutes. I resent the fact that I had to fight to get the phone and the service. Had I not harassed this company week after week for 2 months I would have ever t the phone at all. Had I not called the headquarters I do not think I would have the phone yet either. And why would they sell product in an area that they knew it would not work in? There were a lot of those types of phones hanging there on the display, I can't help to think how everybody that bought one is in the same boat.

For my trouble I got 30 more minutes (big deal because for $20.00 you can buy 200 minutes), and the service to keep the number alive for a year. The phone I bought cost $64.00, the one I got costs $19.99. Guess who got screwed here? So the lesson learned here is Tracfone is a company out for the almighty buck at your expense.

Have a good one-
Deb

All right - enough snow already!

For crying out loud, enough snow already. Yes, I know it is still February, but my brain and joints are screaming April. When I had the house in Norfolk, Virginia it snowed about 4 inches one day. The place closed up tighter than a drum. When my ex-husband (on is motorcycle) and I got to the Naval Station there was a sign on the gate that said they were closed and to call in to your command. I being raised in upstate NY, and he in New Hampshire, both were somewhat puzzled by the whole thing. All we could do was turn around and go home and call in. What was scary was all the other people on the road. A military town has people from all over the world. A considerate number of these people have never seen snow let alone driven in it. The roads are not snow friendly down south. They can't use tar like we do up here. The temperatures that are normal for that area would peel up tar based roads on tires 10 months out of the year. Their roads (or at least they used to be) made of concrete, crushed glass and sand, hence the gold, glittering appearance. And as for snow removal equipment...what snow removal equipment? I suspect after watching the news since I left there about 20 years ago they have invested in some because it seems like they are getting more and more every year.

I have to admit I am the biggest coward when it comes to driving in snow. When I was 19 I had a go-a-round with a tractor-trailer on interstate 81 in PA driving back to Philadelphia one night after a winter weekend up here. I lost. Since that wild ride and a clip off the 9 lives totum pole I have come to look at very oncoming vehicle in winter weather as a potential weapon. They no doubt think of me as the same when they pass by me and realize my eyes are bugging out of my head and the death grip I have on the steering wheel has just about bent it.

I got a call from the VA today. They are concerned about my triglycerides and cholesterol. A little background is needed here. Last spring I found myself on Coumadin (a chip number 3 on the 9 lives totum pole, leaving me with 6 lives left now). When you take this medication you need to eliminate, or be very careful about the foods that contain Vitamin K. Foods that contain Vitamin K are the ones that are good for you (greens, veggies, fruits). This change in diet left me with a new diet of basically fats and sugars. So today they call and tell me my cholesterol and triglycerides are too high and I need to adjust my diet. And to this I ask: to what? You now have eliminated all 4 food groups. Thank god Chesapeake energy pulled their application to dump the waste water in that well just up the road, at least I will be allowed water, and can still drink it from my tap.

Hang in there - we are all in this together-
Deb

Chesapeake Energy Pulls DEC/EPA Application

Well, Chesapeake Energy has pulled their app to the DEC for the waste water well in Pulteney. I'd like to say it was the end of the subject, but really it is not. As a town we need to make sure that we are not a target in the future. I guess one lesson learned here is that you can't run over a country hick with out getting a flat tire no matter how big your truck is. I do thank Chesapeake for seeing the light and doing the right thing for our area.

So Governor Patterson is trying to hold back our tax refunds now. I guess I will change my withholding status this year. I do not think next years tax season will be any better will you? What has this guy got against the citizens of the state of New York? Why does he lay in bed at night thinking on how to burn the taxpayers? We did not get the state in this situation. I depend on that refund as seed money to help get the bait business off the ground his spring. Hell, we do not need business here in New York, do we Mr. Patterson? You can just keep bleeding the taxpayers. I have $46.00 to last me two weeks for food. Can you live on that because that is what you leave me with every two weeks. I think somebody ought to strip you of everything but the clothes on your back and drop you off in the middle of nowhere, and hopefully we can fix this mess before you find your way back. And you can take all your "aids" with you. Since you are blind it occurs to me that you have no idea what you are signing....only what they tell you that you are signing. I could not trust my ex-husband when we were married to be honest about what I was signing, and we could both see the paper to read it.

I spoke with the DEC yesterday about selling fish again out of the bait machine. Since the fish tracking laws went into effect a receipt is needed for the angler when they buy fish to certify they are healthy. Since the bait machine does not give a receipt they were very helpful in how I can sell the fish without the receipt. I was considering this option until I got word on the news we can about kiss our refunds good-by. Keeping up with staying behind is getting to be more and more work every day.

Have a good one.
Deb

P.S. I am still waiting for my phone from TracFone.

Worms on the move

Fishing season will soon be upon us. After searching the world over I have secured a light bulb for the bait machine in Hammondsport. When I first put that machine in front of the car wash I think every drunk in a 20 mile radius tried to get a soda out of it. I can only imagine the mind bender it must have been for them in their state to punch a couple of bucks in the coin slot and open the cup to find night crawlers in it. Maybe for a few it was a moment of enlightenment as to whether they wanted another drink.

So many of us depend on the clean water we have here, whether it be in the lake or the run-off. I have a wonderful supplier for my bait, but a lot of the worms come out of my yard. If you go buy I am out there with my flashlight picking the crawlers just like Grama Egresi taught me to do so many years ago, (almost 40 now) so we could go fishing up in the pond, (which is no longer accessible to anybody but the part of the family that now owns it, which is sad, but true). As kids we all went fishing in that pond with Grama and it was what perfect memories are made of. It all went right to hell years later.

We have our vineyards that depend on the clean fresh rain water run-off. It is what makes New York State wines some of the best in the world. The grapes make the best jams and jellies found anywhere. As residents here we all have suffered the misery of the Keuka Watershed Association telling us where, how, when; and how much we need to sell our first born for to have a septic system here. We have had to endure the breach of our privacy when they trespass on our property because they "think" we might have a septic issue. We have gone through all this for years and the next thing you know we are looked at as a place to dump toxic-radio active waste---what a mind bender this has all been!

Anyway, I have noticed that over the years, actually since1998 when I started selling worms that I can tell how healthy the environment around my house is by the worms. Some years they have been stringy, or better put not very meaty. I figured out that it was the grape spray from the vineyard behind me that was killing the worms. I was going to clean up a spot I have in my back yard of old boards and the like, but decided to let it grow over to protect my worm hunting ground in my back yard. It has been rather successful except last year the wind must have been blowing in the right direction because the spray killed the little poplar tree in the middle of my back yard along with the small shrubs I had started there. I am a little worried about how "well" my yard crawlers will be this spring.

I was thinking on selling ice this year too. I have freezers left from the Diner I could keep it in, and since we don't have a store, gas station, or restaurant in town maybe it would be handy for folks in the summer to have some place to buy some. My brother sells ice as a wholesaler and can't sell to the public in small amounts because of our sales tax system. It is hard for people to understand this concept unless you know the legalities of it.

So it is time to get out all that fishing gear and seeing what needs to be replaced, and untangled. Waiting til the last minute only ends up in frustration. Smelt will be running pretty soon too. When I was a kid one net swoop equaled 5 gallons, now you gotta fight over them in the creeks. Boy how things change don't they? Speaking of change, Happy Birthday Ashley!!

Have a good one....
Deb

Quote of the day

"If it ain't broke, don't lend it."

- Red Green

Isn't he a smart guy?

Deb

Does your Represenives have your interests in mind?

Well, if you did not know where Pulteney, NY was, and you follow environmental issues in the United States you probably do now. A lot of interesting facts have surfaced since Chesapeake Energy decided to apply to the EPA and DEC for their toxic - radioactive waste water dump site in Pulteney, NY.



Chesapeake Energy is not the only company invested in the natural gas here:



A huge buying opportunity, which is exactly what Norway’s StatoilHydro did when they paid Oklahoma City-based Chesapeake Energy (NYSE:CHK) $1.25 billion in cash for a 32.5 percent interest in its assets in the Marcellus Shale, the natural-gas field that extends from western New York south and west across Pennsylvania to West Virginia. Statoil also committed to spend an additional $2.13 billion to offset Chesapeake’s drilling expenses. Here’s the full release from Chesapeake’s website announcing the deal on November 11:
Chesapeake Energy Corporation Announces Marcellus Shale Joint Venture and International Unconventional Natural Gas Exploration Alliance with StatoilHydro


OKLAHOMA CITY–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Nov. 11, 2008–Chesapeake Energy Corporation (NYSE:CHK) today announced the execution of an agreement for a joint venture with StatoilHydro (NYSE:STO, OSE:STL) whereby StatoilHydro will acquire a 32.5% interest in Chesapeake’s Marcellus Shale assets in Appalachia for $3.375 billion, leaving Chesapeake with a 67.5% working interest. The assets include approximately 1.8 million net acres of leasehold, of which StatoilHydro will own approximately 0.6 million net acres and Chesapeake will own approximately 1.2 million net acres.


StatoilHydro will pay $1.25 billion in cash at closing and will pay a further $2.125 billion from 2009 to 2012 by funding 75% of Chesapeake’s 67.5% share of drilling and completion expenditures until the $2.125 billion obligation has been funded. Chesapeake plans to continue acquiring leasehold in the Marcellus Shale play and StatoilHydro will have the right to a 32.5% participation in any such additional leasehold.


Additionally, Chesapeake and StatoilHydro have agreed to enter into an international strategic alliance to jointly explore unconventional natural gas opportunities worldwide. Closing of the transaction and strategic alliance is anticipated to occur by year-end 2008.
Helge Lund, President and CEO of StatoilHydro, stated, “I am pleased that we today have made a strategically important move by joining forces with Chesapeake, which is the leading U.S. natural gas player. We are establishing a strong platform for further developing our gas value chain business and growing our position in unconventional gas worldwide. The agreement we have entered into with Chesapeake provides us with a solid position in an attractive long-term resource base under competitive terms. Additionally, this deal adds a major building block to the gas value chain position we have established in the U.S., the world’s largest and most liquid gas market. This is a significant step in strengthening our U.S. gas position, building on our existing capacity rights for the Cove Point LNG terminal, our gas trading and marketing organization and the gas producing assets in the Gulf of Mexico.”
Aubrey K. McClendon, Chesapeake’s Chief Executive Officer, commented, “We are honored to establish a business relationship with StatoilHydro and are excited about the mutually beneficial nature of our transaction with them. We believe this transaction creates substantial value for both companies and unique opportunities for international growth with one of the leading international oil and gas companies. Jointly we can export our world class unconventional natural gas technology for further long-term growth.


“Chesapeake has now completed three shale joint ventures that collectively value Chesapeake’s Haynesville, Fayetteville and Marcellus Shale assets (before the joint ventures) at approximately $34 billion. Through these transactions, Chesapeake sold a 20% working interest in its Haynesville Shale assets to Plains Exploration & Production Company (NYSE:PXP) for $3.3 billion (thereby retaining an 80% working interest valued at $13.2 billion), a 25% working interest in its Fayetteville Shale assets to BP America (NYSE:BP) for $1.9 billion (thereby retaining a 75% working interest valued at $5.7 billion) and now has agreed to sell a 32.5% working interest in its Marcellus Shale assets to StatoilHydro for $3.375 billion (thereby retaining a 67.5% working interest valued at $7.0 billion). The total consideration to CHK from these sales has been approximately $8.575 billion, of which approximately $4.0 billion has been (or will be) in cash and approximately $4.575 billion is in drilling and completion cost carries. Furthermore, CHK retains the remaining ownership percentages of the joint ventures that have been valued at approximately $26 billion, or over $40 per share of value from just these three shale joint venture transactions. These joint ventures clearly demonstrate the enormous value of Chesapeake’s shale natural gas assets and the unique capability of our organization to develop them.”


Chesapeake was advised on the transaction by Jefferies Randall & Dewey of Houston, Texas.

http://www.landreport.com/2008/11/chesapeake-gets-3-billion-injection-for-marcellus-shale/#more-377



Now knowing what Chesapeake has to lose and gain it is now wonder they are prepared to poison so many people, and live in a state 500 miles from here when they do. I would hate to see Aubrey McClendon have to take a cut in his $ 975,000.00 salary wouldn't you? And thank god he got that $76,951,000.00 bonus last year!! And all he got last year in total compensation including investments was $100,069,201.00, lordy, talk about living in the poor house!! I can't believe he could not make more off the backs of people like us....what a looser!

http://people.forbes.com/profile/aubrey-k-mcclendon/18103



Then there are our local and state representatives. Congressman Eric Massa (R) is a newly elected representative to our area. He has taken a strong interest in this issue and has shown his interest by his actions. This is been quite a step up from his predecessor. It is nice to have a Congressman on our side instead totally on his own.



Then you have Senator George Winner (R). What a farce he is. He has a solid relationship with the gas drilling companies including Chesapeake Energy as a recipient of campaign funds; http://www.fingerlakesfracking.com/Chesapeake-Energy-Corporation/1500003237.profile.

http://www.fingerlakesfracking.com/George-H-Winner-Jr/1500003647.profileIt is no wonder he would not get involved to help. Another reason special interest groups and big business should not be able to contribute to he campaign of our Representatives. They bought Mr. Winner and now he owes them. He was invited to the public meeting on Feb 7th, and from what I understand would not even return the invite with a decline! If anybody thinks he is gong to do anything to help anybody but himself they better think again next election.

We can't even plead to our Governor on this issue to protect our state as he is pushing the drilling issue, and is blind, so he can not appreciate the beauty of this area that he has decided is worth trashing. We need a few more years of him too, don't we?

Well I have rambled on enough for today.

Hang in there - we are all in this together!

Deb

P.S. Still no TracFone in the mail box.