Journal Entries
Sunday, busy Sunday. (dq)
Posted Feb 21, 2010
Lynx 
was 
this morning so I wasn't woken up until 6 am. I didn't feel like getting up so I basically ignored him. But you don't ignore A Starving Cat. He complained loudly, started to climb on my head, just occasionally inserting a claw... and when I stubbornly refused to get up he started to push down my watch, figurines and bottles of body lotion from the book shelf next to my bed. I voiced my disliking but refused to get up.
Just before nine 
placed himself on top of my chest and started to purr. That's a much better way to wake up,so this time I caved in and went up to service the Lair Cats. Litter boxes were scooped out and breakfast was served. Lynx still thought he needed parts of my breakfast, though ...
After 
, 
, sandwiches, reading 
and checking my emails it was time to get started with the daily tasks. Laundry was folded, the Lair was vacuumed and mopped, clothes and linen towels ironed (!), bills paid, letters written, bags packed, recycling deposited and the Lair was set in order. 
princess, who needed access to the interweb and used my computer, made pancakes for dinner.
Only just over half an hour later than expected I checked in at Neurosurgery. I'm already bored. Fortunately the Uni's wlan is working so I can access the interweb and I've brought a couple of 
to read. Hopefully I'll be let out Wednesday and can spend the erst of recovery at home cuddling cats.
Tomorrow there will be some maintenance work done on my cranial plumbing, so I'll get a shave and a new hole in my head.
Discuss this Journal entry [100]
Latest reply: Feb 21, 2010
Happy (insert favourite holiday of the season here)
Posted Dec 19, 2009
Happy Whatever! 
I'd like to celebrate a Mid Winter Blót, but since I don't consume any stronger beverages than 
and cranberry juice, I guess I might lose some of the meaning of it - drunkenness, fights and general bad behaviour. Nevertheless I think it's necessary to mark the darkest part of the year in some way, so there will be some excessmas light in the Lair. princess and DJ have expressed their intention to be present in the Lair the 24th (when excessmas is celebrated in the Far North) so there has to be food, drinks and the occasional gift. I've bought them a cook book each, see if they get the hint 
This year I even managed to send xmas cards, even if they might not arrive to the addressee until New Year. Those of you that I have access to detailed knowledge of IRL habitat, might check you mail boxes. Likewise might those of you who have provided me with an email addy check your spam folders for an e-card, which probably will include care 2 dot com in the sender.
Someone might get two cards, others might be unintentionally forgotten. Happy Whatever, anyhow.
Otherwise the last couple of months in the Lair have not been fun. I've not gone back to work yet, and should need a great energy injection to get my life back to normal again. Anything wears me out, and simple things as going to the post office or to shop food is mostly enough to wear me out for the rest of that day. Still I can't sleep properly on my own, and the sleeping pills my doctor gave me totally knocks me out. This night I slept close to 12 hrs. OK, I had been awake some forty hours before going to bed, so maybe I shouldn't blame the pills entirely. Or 2legs.
DJ and princess take turns in getting me fed properly at least a few days a week, and take me out shopping, having and such every now and then. 
was home for a week and a half before heading for Antarctica again. He seems to get a habit of spending the winter down the extreme South. Yesterday DJ and I watched Avatar 3D at the cinema, and the movie was beautiful even if the story sucked. Go and watch it, but leave your brain at home 
.
Today I've managed to sort out the paper load at my desk and put most of it in folders or in neat heaps. Must finish the correspondence with Mum's insurance company and with the American insurance company for the driver that killed Mum. I just abhor the paper work and all this bureaucracy. Hopefully I'll be more energized tomorrow.
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Latest reply: Dec 19, 2009
Kitty intermission - Vote for cat (dq)
Posted Nov 24, 2009
In order to try to cheer up my for the moment rather dull life I've entered into a photo comptetion. Prizes at stake are kitty food and being part of a 2011 cat calendar published by a major cat food manyfacturer.
The more stars the merrier.
http://kattensdag.se/2009/putte-2/
Thanks.
Discuss this Journal entry [40]
Latest reply: Nov 24, 2009
RIP Queen Mum (dq)
Posted Nov 10, 2009
Finally back in the Lair with Mum presently residing in a book shelf in my study. That's the room she usually occupied while visiting me, but back then she preferred to spend the nights in the spare bed...
I guess it takes someone with my sometimes rather weird sense of humour to travel half way across the world carrying a bag with Mum, "also sprach Zarathustra", a notebook, tons of legal paper, a teddy bear for a very young friend of mine and a bottle of cranberry yoghurt.
Short resume: Mum was hit by a car as she left the post office Oct 28th noonish. She was severely injured with brain haemorrhages and a so called "midline shift" of the brain, multiple fractures incl. skull, face and extremities as well as lung contusions, bruises and scrapings. She was taken to the nearby trauma centre, never woke up and was kept on a ventilator. When I arrived late Friday evening Oct 30th there was some very weak brain stem reflexes and spinal reflexes. According to Mum's wishes and her living will she was taken off life support the evening of Oct 31st and died six minutes after the ventilator was shut off.
Even though the decision was entirely as she requested - we had discussed scenarios like this many times in the past - and I was well aware of the fact that she wouldn't live even with life support it was the worst decision I've made in my entire life. I've been present numerous times in situations like this before, but always as the medical professional, which is something completely different. I want my children to do exactly the same thing for me if that should be needed.
Friday Nov 6th there was a lovely memorial service at a local funeral home attended by some of Mum's friends and neighbours. I must say the American way of memorial services are much more comforting then the ones I'm used to. It concentrated on Mum's life and what she meant for us. Here it's all about mourning, loss and the fate in the afterlife. We'll have one of those in couple of weeks as well. However it felt a bit odd that the memorial service took place just across the street from where the accident happened. The Nutty Granduncle had parked his car outside the Funeral Home so, it was in that direction Mum was heading when she got hit.
The paper work has been totally mindless! I come from a tradition where medical needs decides what has to be done with a patient, not what boxes that are or are not ticked by the patient or their family. I guess that is what happens when you work in a country prone to litigation. The same bureaucracy is also present after someone has deceased, especially if they're overseas. More is to be done since there now is two insurance companies - Mum's and the car driver's - fighting over hospital bills etc. Some people advice me to sue the driver for ridiculous amount of money. That's not the way we do it in the far North, and besides that no money will bring Mum back.
Last but not least, I want to thank you for all love and support, mails, text messages and phone calls I've received during this awful time.
You are simply the best!
Discuss this Journal entry [46]
Latest reply: Nov 10, 2009
Queen Mum (dq)
Posted Oct 28, 2009
The Queen Mum has apparently been hit by a car outside the post office. He old nutty uncle, who she is caretaker of, has called me but it's very hard to get any sense of what he's saying. If I've understood him correctly she's undergoing some surgery. 
I managed to get the name of the hospital she probably was taken to, and now I'm waiting for someone - hopefully better informed person - to call me back.
Mum doesn't answer her mobile phone, which is a bad sign.
Guess it's about time to check flights across the pond and hope they'll let me in.
Discuss this Journal entry [67]
Latest reply: Oct 28, 2009
dragonqueen - eternally free and forever untamed - insomniac extraordinaire - proprietrix of a bullwhip, badger button and (partly) of a thoroughly used sub with a purple collar. Matron of Honour.
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