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Happy Birthday Heather! (It also rhymes with “Birdy”

March 26, 2008

Heather’s Birthday. I have been thinking about this post all day. As you can tell, I have kind of gotten out of the posting habit, but I knew I would have to write one today. After all, it’s my very favorite daughter’s birthday, and it’s one of those decade ones. UltraBob passed it a couple of years ago, and I’m not going to tell you which one it is, except to say that it rhymes with “dirty.”

Those decade birthdays sometimes seem to carry a little more punch than the in-between ones. I think that is mostly because of preconceived notions we carry of what people do at certain stages of life. But as I am discovering, many decade birthdays past Heather’s, we don’t have to be limited by those notions

I know I have written about this before, on previous Heather birthdays, so I’ll shorten it up this time. Heather was born on Easter, which we all know occasionally comes in March. My family had been invited to my house for Easter church and dinner, and I can still remember my Dad’s bleary, puzzled expression when we knocked on his door very early Easter morning to drop off young UltraBob before continuing on to the hospital. “I thought we were going to YOUR house.”

This was before the days of common ultrasounds, so we didn’t know until after the birth that we had a perfectly formed, exquisite baby girl. The red hair was a bonus. UltraBob was enchanted with his little sibling and wanted to point out her tiny perfect features to anyone who would listen. “Eyes!” he stated, as he attempted to jab his finger at each named item. “Nose! Ears! Mouth!”

After Heather was several months old and could hold her head up by herself, UltraBob was sometimes allowed to hold her, which he loved to do. She became his admiring audience for such feats as magnificently constructed block towers or made up stories and songs.

Heather always loved animals, and to those who know her now, it will be no surprise to learn that cats were her favorites. She was always covered in cat scratches from playing with the rough little kittens, but she never seemed to mind. One day, when she was in 5th or 6th grade she came home with a kitten that had been found in the schoolyard. Could we just keep the scrappy little calico, she wanted to know, until her owner was found? That was Brenda, our first house cat, and of course her owner turned out to be Heather. Brenda was not a particularly sweet cat; in fact once she tried to tear UltraDad’s face off. She probably only survived that one by her skill at hiding until he cooled off. But she did love Heather. One day she left a particularly thoughtful gift on Heather’s pillow: a freshly caught mouse! In the end, we had 4 housecats and Heather’s room was where they slept, ate and litterboxed. Heather still loves cats and currently has three: Callie, Nimbus and Rocky.

Out of all the kids, Heather was the one who really loved raising 4-H animals, especially the lambs. She got really good at carding, clipping and showing them, and always came home from the Butte County Fair with a fistful of blue ribbons from showing, fitting and demonstrations. It seems like she always had a girl lamb, and tended to name them after women in her life at the time, whom she admired. Come to think of it, I think she named Brenda the cat after her first Lamb 4-H Leader. The lambs I remember were Suzanne (I’m sure for Suzanne Livermore, our pastor’s wife at that time) and Lori, which also happened to be the first name of Mrs.Arnold, a Howe grade school teacher, whom Heather was good friends with.

I am so proud of the beautiful, capable and responsible young woman I am fortunate enough to call my daughter. She is also a lot of fun. I know that my trip to Japan would not been nearly as much fun without Heather there to share the experience. She made sure I got off the plane when I was drowsy from my motion sickness medicine. She made sure we found the right gates for plane boarding. She kept me entertained on the plane and train rides (when I wasn’t napping!) and kept me from getting lost in Zushi while we did a little exploring.

I was glad to hear that Heath, her longtime boyfriend was spoiling her today. She awoke to a festively decorated house and birthday gifts. And though I’ve been trying to show her how special she is to me by showering her with mail in this month leading up to her birthday, my actual gift to her is going to be a little late.

Happy Birthday, Honey. And many, many, many more. I love you very much.

UltraMom

Meatloaf Tres Magnifique!

Easy Post! Jessica has requested my meatloaf recipe, which she has yet to try, but which Jim quite likes. Since I had to do all this typing, I thought I’d share it with all of you. I probably should give credit where it’s due: Kraft Food and Family quarterly food magazine. I’ve gotten some good recipes out of those things.

Easy Italian Meatloaf

2 lb lean ground beef (or elk, deer, etc.)
1 pkg (6 oz) stuffing mix for chicken: I usually use cornbread, but I’m sure any kind would work
1 can (14 ½ oz) Italian style diced tomatoes, undrained
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup spaghetti sauce, divided
1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided (can also use cheddar if desired) Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix all ingredients except ¼ cup each spaghetti sauce and cheese.

Shape into loaf in 13×9 inch pan sprayed with cooking spray.
Bake 50 minutes. Top with remaining ¼ cup spaghetti sauce and remaining ¼ cup cheese. Bake an additional 10 min or until loaf is cooked through
Makes 8 servings.

Can make mini-meatloaves instead (I have done it this way the three times I’ve made this)
Shape meat mixture into 4 loaves. Bake at 375 for 40 min, etc. Can freeze for up to 3 months, but it hasn’t lasted that long around here.
Leftover meatloaf makes excellent sandwiches!

Chef UltraMom

Help me with my Homework?

I can’t believe that in a few short weeks, it will be time for UltraMom’s Spring Break. In some ways, it seems like the semester is just getting started. In C N A, I have now completed 3 sessions at the nursing home. Last week was on the rehabilitation floor, where people can actually recover to the point that they are able to leave the institution. That floor is busy and fast-paced and Geronimo and I got more practice taking vital signs.
In Tai Chi, we have learned all 9 forms of our series, and are now learning them in reverse. I don’t have to continually watch the instructor now and I feel a little more graceful and in control, though UDad says I look rather silly.
In Drugs and Society, I actually could use a little help. We have to write a paper on Addiction that is worth 10% of our grade. I wrote the following paper as an early assignment. What I would like from you is YOUR opinion of addiction, ie personal experiences or of those you know, if you think it is a disease, and what actually constitutes an addiction.
I stopped at the public library to do a little research, and found, nestled among such tomes as “Living with Lupus” and “You and Your Heart” titles that hint at topics more mysterious, potentially heartbreaking, yet, in way, morbidly fascinating: “The Hitting Habbit”, “Education of a Gambler”, “The Boy Who Couldn’t Stop Washing”, “Sober and Staying that Way”, “Obsessive Love”, “The Codependency Conspiracy”, and of course all manner of books about eating disorders. How does someone come to continue a harmful behavior to the point where she can’t give it up? Is what he gets out of it worth what he loses because of it? And, can you truly understand and help someone overcome an addiction if you haven’t gone through it yourself? Tell me what YOU think.

ADDICTION by UltraMom
“The term “addiction” is a complex concept, and one has only to Google the phrase “addiction definition” to see that no clear-cut, agreed upon definition exists. Wikapedia states that the term “used to describe a devotion, attachment, dedication or inclination,” going on to say that in the present, it is used to describe a “recurring compulsion by an individual to engage in some specific activity, despite harmful consequences to the individual’s health, mental state, or social life.” The first definition does seem far too mild to describe the types of addictions we have been discussing; that is addiction to using drugs.
In our text, Drugs and Society, the authors prefer the term “drug dependence” to “drug addiction”, due to negative labeling connotations, but note the psychological attachment to the addictive substance as a condition of addiction. In “Overview of Drug Use and Åbuse,” Jon Jules states that in an addict’s body has physically adapted to the drug to the point where he feels abnormal without it, and using the drug has become the focal point for his life. Bill Moyers in “The Hijacked Brain” give us some insight into why someone would actively pursue a substance to the point where it destroys him physically and emotionally and ruins his most valued relationships. Addiction, he tells us, is a brain disease, and many addicts have a gene indicator, supporting the view of biological factors. Addictive drugs produce changes in dopamine functioning, changing the addict’s brain in fundamental ways so they, essentially, are a different person. In rational moments, they realize what they are doing, and vow to stop; even taking radical measures to externally control the addiction. But the compulsion is too strong to ignore for long.
The initial reasons for the addiction are various, and have much to do with the substance and what the user gets from it. Many get hooked on a feeling, such as euphoria, numbness, power or perceived increased competence. The effects of the drug lessen over time, so the addict uses more and oftener trying to get the initial effect, which he never can.
Of course people are addicted to many things besides drugs. Personally, I have an ongoing problem with food, and after losing a significant amount of weight several years ago, have been working for WeightWatchers to help other people deal with this debilitating addiction. Overeaters go through the same cycle of thought, feeling, mood, preoccupation, craving, and memory, leading to abusive eating. After the relief phase comes self-loathing, depression, amends, remorse, promises and oftentimes external controls until the trigger situation or negative stress starts the process all over again. I can already tell that many things I learn in this class will be helpful to me in understanding my members and how to better help them.
Biological, societal and emotional factors may help explain why one drug user becomes an addict while another does not. This can be useful in helping an addict understand his disease and the steps he needs to take to overcome it.”

Come on, help me with my homework!

UltraMom

The broken Posting Machine

I feel a little guilty about no longer being a posting machine, but I guess that’s one of those bad things about machines: they are always breaking down!
I have become a very busy girl, but it is of my own choosing, so I shouldn’t complain, though, of course, I will.
Today is Friday, and I’m looking forward to a weekend with no school, work or Weightwatchers. UltraDad is home, so no traveling to Ruby Valley. Yay!
The ‘boys’ got their haircut last Monday. They had gotten so shaggy I hardly recognized the neatly trimmed little dogs wearing black and white bandannas the groomer brought out. But they recognized me and managed to convey, through urgent licks and soulful glances how traumatic the whole experience had been as we made our way to the car for the trip back home. I don’t know if it is the haircuts, the increasingly nice weather, or being left alone so much, but Murphy and Rowdy have really been scrappy this week! They have knockdown, drag-out fights over such things as a piece of candy found on the floor. Rowdy, being smaller, usually gets the worst of it.
In “Drugs” right now we are discussing alcohol, both the physiological effects and the behavioral perspective. Having only peripheral knowledge of this substance, this is a great learning experience for me. From Randy, a 25-yr recovered alcoholic and current counselor I hear such quotes as “ First the man takes a drink and then the drink takes the man.” And “How do you know if an alcoholic is lying? His lips are moving.”
In C N A (gotta separate those letters or again my class turns into CAN) we talked about ostomies, catheters and enemas. Good stuff. Now just why am I doing this again? Actually it is interesting to learn how the whole body functions, or how it sometimes doesn’t function all that well. The body is really an amazing thing and has the ability through homeostasis to cover up a ‘multitude of sins.’
Thursday morning early, it was back to the Nursing Home. This time, Chelsea and I were assigned to “100” or the Alzheimer’s hall. Chelea is even more heavily pierced (as well as tattooed) than Tneal, including a stud in her tongue. (ouch!) She just turned 18, and has worked at the Nursing Home since last fall, though she hopes to get a job at the hospital when she graduates this course. But she definitely wants to stay in the healthcare field. Chelsa is very patient with me and helpful as she shows me how they chart each resident’s progress and limitations on the computer; such things as moods, vital signs and mobility. She also shows me the book where each resident’s food intake is charted.
I help Marijean, a Resident’s Assistant, shower Christine. As we wheel her towards the big shower room, Marijean tells me how all the residents down this hall hate their showers, though she tries not to use the word. The plaque reading “shower room” on the door has been covered up with a paper on which are drawn smiley faces and stars. And as soon as we get Christine in the room and start undressing her, she starts wailing. I know she is cold and uncomfortable, and I try to hurry, but I am inexperienced and clumsy. It is only later that I remember I should have been wearing gloves.
My next task is to help dress Eileen, who is currently on the toilet. She is one of the sweeter ones, and everyone loves her. Again I am clumsy, and cannot figure out the tabs on the ‘briefs’, as the adult-sized diapers are referred to. Eileen tries to help, but she isn’t sure either. I finally figure it out, and help Eileen into sweatpants, and a sweatshirt layered over a thermal top, as she is often cold.
We wheel her down the hall to the dining room, and I am instructed to help Beno with his breakfast. Beno (pronounced “Beano”) is from Hungary, and speaks primarily in that language, and no one can really understand him, but it doesn’t seem to matter. Beno smiles a lot and eats whatever I spoon into his mouth; scrambled eggs, watermelon, oatmeal, though he doesn’t seem to want the toast. At one point, he takes the toast and watermelon rind and wraps them in his napkin. He is able to drink by himself, and polishes off his juice, milk and pink supplement, though this all takes a considerable amount of time. Chelsea is feeding Muriel. Muriel is a good eater also, though her food is all ground up to the consistency of cream of wheat. She laughs and sometimes looks confused and says “I feel like a dummy.” When Chelsea talks to Beno and pats his face, he really perks up, and kisses her cheek.
After breakfast, a lot of the women are placed in a large circle, most in wheelchairs. It is time for Sitsersize. The leader throws a ball and has each participant in turn kick it back. This is followed by throwing beanbags, moving arms and legs. Most cooperate, though there are a few holdouts. Mary chatters through the entire thing, a marked contrast to the rest of the largely silent group. It seems she always chatters and when she doesn’t, it means there is something wrong. She doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, but when asked to, sings her chicken song, in Polish. “We asked her what it meant one time,” an Aide tells me. “She said, ‘you know, its about chicken poop and stuff.’” Beno remains sitting at his breakfast table. When I ask why he is not sitsersizing, Chelsea explains that he would just get up and leave if they put him in the circle. It seems he is a ‘wanderer’ and gets a lot of exercise wandering through his hall.
Soon it is time to ‘debrief’ and hear about the other’s experiences. It sounds like most were a lot busier than Chelsea and I, but I’m not complaining.
Okay, I’m done writing, but I need an ending. I mean, how would it be if I just left it like this? I need some sort of clever ending, but it’s just not coming to me. Well, I’m just going to have to sleep on it. My brain seems to have gone to bed ahead of me. But I want to post this tonight.

(not so) clever UltraMom