Managing the cold

As you have heard us Floridians complain about last week. It got cold here. In fact, we had freezing temperatures. Now, while most of the United States has been suffering through this type of weather for months, we have not.

Most Floridians are tender, hot house flowers who cannot stand the cold. We live here for a reason, we do not want the cold, we do not want snow or freezing temperatures. We are much like my lovely Plumeria trees. Delicate.

So, how do we prepare when it gets cold? We pull out our sweatshirts, sweaters, whatever long sleeved items we have kept from our days up North and dress in layers.

But, how do we protect those innocent, delicate plants that cannot stand the cold? How do we keep them warm on these awful, freezing nights? Freezing nights with wind, that won't allow sheets to stay in place?

We get creative...

See, we weren't kidding about it being cold. Look, ice on my reserve water!

ER Closed for Now

As I have whined about for the last couple of days, I have been sick. But that doesn't mean I am not aware of what has been happening in my neighborhood. It just means that it takes a day or two for it to sink in.

Thursday night at about 5pm (EST) our local hospital was shut down. Not because of some national emergency. Not because of and electrical outage or water problem. Not because of a weather emergency.

The hospital behind my house (well, it is actually directly behind the high school, which is 4 blocks behind me) was shut down, closed the Emergency Room, closed the Birthing Center, refused to allow employees or patients or visitors of patients to leave because...

A man was in the parking lot threatening to commit suicide.

He remained there until 5:30 am Friday morning, when he shot himself in the head. He did not manage to kill himself, he was airlifted to another hospital.

There has been a lot of conversation about who he was, why he was there, why they took him to another hospital.

I can't answer the first two, but I suspect I know why they airlifted him to another hospital.

The staff of the hospital was not allowed to leave, they were not relieved when their shifts were over. Some of these people came on at 11 am or noon, expecting to be relieved at 11 pm or 12 am. Some of the staff came on in the early am, expecting to be relieved at 6 pm or later. None of the relief staff were allowed on property. Which also means any visitors that were in the hospital when this man decided his life was not worth anything, were required to stay in the hospital.

We have not been told why this man was in this situation. As a private citizen, I don't think I need to know, but for the employees of this hospital, I think they are owed an explanation. They made tremendous sacrifices that night, they deserve the full story. I hope they receive it.

Bleck! Still!!

Well this damn cold has gone to my lungs. I am wheezing and coughing...

I have to get the Christmas decorations down today and put away.

I have a ton a laundry to get done.

Not A Grampy told me to let him do it. I'm supposed to stay in bed/couch and get better today. Not do anything. Yeah, right.

Not A Grampy is working from noon to 5 pm, when he gets home he is going to take care of all of this? Doubt it. His Christmas gifts are still spread all over the living room.

I will let him do the tree. I will do the rest of the decorations.

I hate being sick!!