The "Embrace Change", edition.

iPod shuffled to The Temptations, "Just My Imagination".  Have you adjusted to Daylight Saving Time? Dialysis/ESRD has screwed with my sleep pattern. I'm having a little difficulty.  I'm lucky if I can pull 4-5 hours of solid sleep.  I'll usually wake up once every hour.  Add in the fact that sleeping on my left side is pretty much a no go because of the fistula. "Don't sleep or lay on that arm. "  "Don't let any one take blood pressure on that arm or insert an IV".  "Don't carry any weight on that arm". "No tight garments on that arm".  Lol. My gold standard fistula is rather fragile!  I went on a tangent.  Lol. Well more tangent ..

But first. Kem, "You're On My Mind". I wasn't a Kem fan until I heard this. Talk about a 180 degree turn. Lol. Listen to that piano...the entire arrangement. You know I seem to gravitate to songs with an abundance of minor chords.  I have no idea why. Lol. Any way. I was greeted with a minor emergency when I arrived for treatment.  I rounded the corner and my tech was walking briskly toward the "staff only" area.  The charge nurse tells me to careful.  I see blood on the floor. A lot of blood.  My buddy in the chair next to me...his fistula exploded...well ruptured is the correct term. He had to go to the hospital. He wasn't happy.  

I want to know what's back there in that "Restricted Area.  Staff Only" area. Lol. My imagination has me thinking that if I cross that threshold, an alarm will sound and the techs and nurses will come running and tackle me.  Then I'd have to make  a walk of shame back to my chair. Lol. I'm positive I had a topic for today, but I'm feeling like fun. 

It's time for the NEYIC..North End Youth Improvement Council..Adopt a Child program. We're assigned some kids and adopt them for a night for a  Christmas party. My family has been doing this for over 10 years.  Rahsaan Patterson, "Feels Good". "It's like making love on Egyptian cotton....It feels good". Woot!!  Ahem. Back to where I was going...Adopt a Child. My former administrative assistant, my brain (lol), my right and left hand, and great friend, is an executive of NEYIC. She'd organize the entire department to adopt almost an entire section.  I'm going to venture that this event serves almost 1000 children.  She also trained to us to be trouble shooters during the event and we have been doing this for almost ten years. :-).  We're "Angels". 

The past several years, I was not feeling well enought to participate fully. Shawn and Brian stepped up. Shawn did the shopping for our kids, and she and Brian were "Angels". This year I'm back!!!!!!!!!   I can shop for my kids, and I can work with the other "Angels" for the duration of the event.   The families come, get fed, get entertained, meet their gift givers.  I look forward to Adopt a Child. When I coached the middle school girls basketball team, I had them involved. :)

One final random note.  The daughter of my "adopted work daughter" and namesake has been accepted to Alabama State and has been offered the President's Scholarship  to Tiffin University!!  As proud as I am, I'm sure I nowhere near as proud as her mom and grand mom, both of whom are dear friends!! 

So there.  That was a rambling entry, but it does represent change.  :-)  Last year, on this day, I was in the hospital waiting for election returns.  Today I'm celebrating college admissions, preparing for Adopt a Child, planning holiday dinners. I'm pretty happy. :-D  Signing off with "Stay", The Temptations....different line up from "Just My Imagination", but still just as good.  :-)