10-14-2006 Cruisetoberfest IV

[Sarah'sMomfrom PA]

I think that they should have dropped Bush out of a Chinook helicopter into the midst of the convention center or Superdome so he could see real action..I and alot of other Americans would have paid money to see that....but no, he couldn't go on the ground in New Orleans because there was too much of a crisis....hello....isn't he the main cause of the crisis...after all, he is the president and as Harry Truman said "The Buck Stops Here". I bet if the governor of Louisiana was a Bush as in Jeb...things would have been different. I understand that the Florida hurricanes were "dry" hurricanes but they knew what could happen eventually should a hurricane hit. I bet the Iraqi's would never have to worry if a hurricane hit their country

Fiona....I honestly don't know that Kerry would have been any better (and yes, I did vote for him) but he couldn't be any worse. Plus look at the money that Teresa Heinz Kerry could have donated....heck she could rebuild the Gulf single handedly!

Someone on another board posted...Where is Dick Cheney? Someone replied that Bush told him to go to the Gulf and he is now with Tiger Woods!!

 

[Viking]

The best Bush said today in his address was: 'It looks like this area was hit by WMD!' Does this mean he found them at last?

OK, same topic, but better news:
I got my CEO's OK for the collection. We'll start on Tuesday. On 09/14 we will have open house in my department and I already have 100+ resrvations by other employees. When they get their final invitation, telling them where and when, it will also include a not asking them to bring their wallets allong and fill our donation box. My CEO also promised me to top the collected sum. And he's not exactly thrifty: Just today we donated teh local Red Cross ambulance station €1,000/$1,250.
Our TV stations broadcast nationwide calls for donations multiple times a day. We are preparing our fleet of med-evac aircraft for deployment, offered water pruification plants, logistic help, chartered aircraft to get donated goods across the Big Pond, send engineers to repair the dikes and levees, etc. - and so do most European countries. You're not alone, we showed that after 9/11 and we do it again. You were always there for us - so it's just natural that this goes the opposite way as well.

Ave,
take it slow, and congrats on the raise. Make sure that you're 100% OK before you go back to work. We want to see you hopping down dunes again next year

Jim,
you're right: Gas jumped another €.06 today (That's another $.30 per gallon), and so we're now well above $7 per gallon

OK,
we're retiring now. We did about three miles on the River Rhine in dragonboat today, getting prepared for our next race. And both of us ahve to work tomorrow.
G'Nite

 

[cdnmickeylover]

The best Bush said today in his address was: 'It looks like this area was hit by WMD!' Does this mean he found them at last?

Too funny Eric.

Canada is preparing to send supplies etc. to help but from past experience with this President we won't be mentioned in his thank you speeches. Bush is not well liked in Canada (except by my mother) and that's partly the reason. He says are drugs are bad and then asks for our extra flu vacine. Huh??

Not sure if Kerry would have been better either but could he have been worse??? I say put a woman into the job and get something done!.
Jim was in the hospital for 11 days but here it didn't cost anything except $29 for the phone and he complained about that.

Ave - Take it easy though -- Jim & I went to Disney 6 weeks later and he went on RNR -- painful.

Take care everyone.

Fiona

 

[WDWCrazzyCunninghams]

Steve is taking this labor day thing all too seriously! We have been out in the yard all day....sealing the deck and staining the 108' of wood fencing. My arms are tired, my feet are sore.....ugh. We aren't done yet so tomorrow we will contiue, but this time we will have a teenage helper with us! We are also going to repaint the front door and 2 back door frames. yeah, can you feel my excitement. Off to relax and have a VERY late dinner...just a frozen pizza...and I am so beat, I may not even eat. I think I may just go to bed....zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

 

[usetheforceluke]

And if I hear one more time how the clown (can you tell that we didn't vote for Bush) in office cut short his vacation so he could assess the damage, I am going to puke.

Mary Jo: Did you know that Your President cut short his vacation so that he could assess the damage?

(Ya, I know.... It's a male thing. )

Ave: I spent four days in Emergency then seven days post surgery because it had ruptured. Nothing to eat for seven complete days other than from the IV Diner. Once they figured out what had happened, I got a whole new medical team looking after me and they watched me like I was on Death's Door (which apparently I was). The first day (Day 7) I was capable of walking around, me and the IV hose tree beelined to the shower (beards don't like to be left unwashed for seven days); one of the duty nurses took exception to that because my underwear was showing out the back and came running with pajama bottoms and insisted that I put them on. I was polite and left them in the shower room. Then on the way back to my room, they got excited when I stopped by the lunch cart and started to help myself to the sealed leftovers; the Mean Nurse took all of my selections and told me to go to my room and drink the cup of boullion they gave me for lunch. They followed me around the floor on Daily Walkabouts after that, although I'm not quite sure why. They wouldn't let me go to the coffee shop in the lobby either.

Considering the alternatives that were available to me, I was quite happy with my treatment, although the $29 phone bill p***ed me substantially. I'd never 'been that sick' before so it was an interesting time.

Jim.

 

[padisneyfan]

Mary Jo: Did you know that Your President cut short his vacation so that he could assess the damage?

(Ya, I know.... It's a male thing. )

Ave: I spent four days in Emergency then seven days post surgery because it had ruptured. Nothing to eat for seven complete days other than from the IV Diner. Once they figured out what had happened, I got a whole new medical team looking after me and they watched me like I was on Death's Door (which apparently I was). The first day (Day 7) I was capable of walking around, me and the IV hose tree beelined to the shower (beards don't like to be left unwashed for seven days); one of the duty nurses took exception to that because my underwear was showing out the back and came running with pajama bottoms and insisted that I put them on. I was polite and left them in the shower room. Then on the way back to my room, they got excited when I stopped by the lunch cart and started to help myself to the sealed leftovers; the Mean Nurse took all of my selections and told me to go to my room and drink the cup of boullion they gave me for lunch. They followed me around the floor on Daily Walkabouts after that, although I'm not quite sure why. They wouldn't let me go to the coffee shop in the lobby either.

Considering the alternatives that were available to me, I was quite happy with my treatment, although the $29 phone bill p***ed me substantially. I'd never 'been that sick' before so it was an interesting time.

Jim.

Well, being a nurse for 35 years, I can only imagine what was being said about you at each shift report.

Nancy

 

[Twinave]

Jim $29 is not bad. My gall bladder surgery 6 months ago would have cost me $30,000 if I had not had insurance. And that was outpatient surgery. Don't want to think about what this surgery will cost. Just glad to be well, and be home.
Thanks for all the well wishes! You guys are the greatest.

Avé

 

[usetheforceluke]

what was being said about you at each shift report.

I was a model patient actually. I did what I was told to most of the time and I wasn't buzzing them all of the time for trivial things.

Although I have to admit that when they locked the cookie cupboard in the tea room I got a bit excited over that. I had to then wait for The Tea Lady to come around twice a day and all I got was these like two wussy little cookies and about 30 ccs of tea each time. It worked out o.k. because I was in the second room on the floor she served so by the time she got to the end of the hall and was coming back I'd be standing in the hall with my tea cup for seconds. I'm sure that I got seconds because I had like 150 pounds on her and she was only 4'8" and was about three days shy of her 98th birthday, but it was probably my sparkling personality.

And the meal trolley was parked outside of the nurses' station after my first Walkabout, so that got me excited also... it was like they didn't trust me around food.

Once for something to do, I waited until the IV bag was like almost empty and snuck down to the waiting room and sat there until the pump started beeping like a big truck backing up. Then I went out and looked innocent when all of them were running back and fro looking for the beeper. They caught on the second time and then they wouldn't let me sit in the waiting room any more.

I was bored a lot.

Jim.

 

[wendym]

Ave - get well soon.
Hope you all have a good Labour Day weekend.
Wendy

 

[Viking]

Ave,
$30,000 for removal of a gallbladder sounds like a rip-off to me. In Anja's hospital this is about €3,000/$3,750-€5,000/$6,250. And all health insurances pay for it completely over here.

Happy Labour Day to everyone

 

[Twinave]

Jim, I bet the nurses were sorry to see you discharged!

Eric, Medical billing in this country is a nightmare. The hospitals "bill" a charge, let's say $3,000 for a CT scan. But the hospital also has a contract with my insurance company which says it will only "allow" $1800 for a CT. Of that amount I am responisible for 20%. So the insurance pays $1440, I pay $360 and the hospital "absorbes" $1200.
It gets even better for people with no insurance. A "cash pay" person would get a 50% cash discount, so the CT would cost them $1500.
It's all a number game, with the hospital on one side, the insurance company on the other side and the sick patient caught in the middle.

Feeling MUCH better today. No longer having to take pain medication. And I have the whole 3 day weekend off!

Panama City is doing amazing things for the displaced people from the storm. All kinds of free services, shelters, dicounts, and job offers. People here have opened thier homes, hearts, and checkbooks! Good ol' Southern Hospitality!
Later,
Avé

 

[Viking]

Ave,
our health system also sucks in many aspects - especially when it comes to nurses' and doctors' salaries

It's great to see that 'Joe and Jane Average' are helping out in those tough times. It would be great if we'd see more if this in the news instead of pictures of looting, rioting, and incompetence.
We just hope that there aren't any more storms like this in the near future.

 

[bettemom]

As many of you know I am addicted to needlework,(mostly cross stitch)....The people that I purchase most of my supplies from are in Mississippi...They were very lucky as a family...but much damage was done and much help is needed...Baby bottles,dipers,clothes,toys,tampons.shsmpoo...just everything..Anyway..I thought perhaps some of us might feel as tho' it would be a more "personal" way of helping than writing a check...

IF any one is interested please check out silkweaver.com or just contact me for more info..

Thanks for 'listening'

Hugs,

Bette

 

[BigRed1]

As many of you know I am addicted to needlework,(mostly cross stitch)....The people that I purchase most of my supplies from are in Mississippi...They were very lucky as a family...but much damage was done and much help is needed...Baby bottles,dipers,clothes,toys,tampons.shsmpoo...just everything..Anyway..I thought perhaps some of us might feel as tho' it would be a more "personal" way of helping than writing a check...

IF any one is interested please check out silkweaver.com or just contact me for more info..

Thanks for 'listening'

Hugs,

Bette

Similar situation here. Some inlaw's family evacuated their home in New Orleans planning to return in a couple of days. They were told to "leave now". They have the clothes on their backs, and transportation. They are with other family in Jacksonville, Fl., and since they know what they need, we are sending Wal-Mart, Walgreens, Cracker Barrel, gas, and other gift cards for them. Not as desperate a situation as some, but still....We are just thankful to be in a position to offer help.
Allen

 

[JJsmama]

I gave too. I gave directly to the Red Cross, then found out Dh's company is matching donations up too $100,000. So I may give again. On top of the matching, the company has given $250,000 more.

I wish I was closer to the stuffed animal / toy drives for kids. I have so much clothing and toys we could give. So far, our drives around here are only taking canned goods, water, etc and no clothing, blankets, toys. What I have heard they need the most is money, so that is what I gave.

They are bringing some of the hospital evacuees to our hospitals and our Expo center is setting up to house 7000 if they get permission (?) At that time, I may be able to take clothes and household items to those people.

I keep praying.

 

[papa]

Good morning

 

[WDWCrazzyCunninghams]

Good Morning Mike! How are you?

 

[WDWCrazzyCunninghams]

Might......

 

[WDWCrazzyCunninghams]

as well........

 

[WDWCrazzyCunninghams]

try!! WHOO HOOOO!!! I think I did!