Where's Waldo?

I have no clue, but actually he is not the thing I am looking for.

You see, my basement wall sucks at life. I'll spare you the long drawn out story but the short version is someone started to fix it in November 2008. As of Memorial Day 2009 he had not done much of anything with it other than leave a tree lying in my yard (which is now dead) and leave one basement wall exposed all winter. Sounds like a great contractor, right? I fired him. And it felt good.

Now I am kind of up a creek with the repairs. Rick used to do this sort of thing for a job so he knows what he's doing, but he doesn't have the tools to do it. This is where you folks (hopefully) come in. I need wall braces. I have no idea what to call them other than that. Something I can bolt to the floor and bolt to the wall in the basement and tighten over time to move the wall back into position where it should be. (The wall does this by itself as the ground dries up in July/August the braces are to help it along and hold it steady.)

Does anyone know where I can get something like this? I have scoured the interwebz (obviously not very well) and have called several contractor supply chains. What else is a girl to do?

If you have any clue where the heck I can get these things, please oh please let me know.

Pictures!

Just a few pictures off the ol' iPhone. Because I can and well, because I can.

First we have a field. Not uncommon in my neck of the woods. This was actually from the first donor-cycle PI of the summer. Beautiful day to ride, horrid day to rip open your scalp.


This is Henri. The girl dog. She is my furry and loving alarm clock...

Please excuse the lack of trim on my ceiling. I swear I will get it back up there soon...


Henri also has a snooze button.



Finally, a sunrise. This was my view on the way to work on two seperate occasions. I just thought the different ways the light is showing up in the photos was fun and cool. Again, taken with my iPhone camera.

High-larious.

Definition of a "save"

You know, that elusive little thing we all hope and dream for in our line of work. The call that somehow manages to out-do the pucker factor with the satisfaction of knowing your patient was on death's door but was returned to their family in a condition as close to "normal" as possible. Yeah... that call.

I was pretty excited when her heart started beating again. I have never seen that happen before. We gave ourselves the pats on the back and wrote the reports. We really got excited when she maintained her pulse until after the ambulance drove through the bay doors. The whole time something in the back of my mind was saying not so fast there Slick.

As it turns out I was right in thinking that surely can't count as the illustrious save. She died withing 2 minutes of being off of the respirator. Brain dead and just a body limping along with the aid of machines. It kind of makes you wonder if you will ever see the day.


Despite my pessimistic tone it is a valuable reminder. We have a job to do and we do it well, but none of us on this spinning ball are the One with the final decision.

There's always a reason.

I will forgive myself for my mistakes because I am forgiven.

I will love with all that I have because I am loved.

I will live to the fullest because I am alive.

I will make a difference because I am able.



If that isn't enough... read this.



Life can baffle us, throw some wicked curve balls and set enough snares to capture a herd of elephants. It is our choice to make of it what we can.