Hospital Blogging

Going to hospital in the USA is like going to a motel. A little card greets you on the end of the bed telling you how and when your room was cleaned. You get offered a beverage, and if you are the actual patient, you get a special branded souvenir mug with a straw. The main differences are the amount of machines in the room and also that room service is provided by RNs.

So, sitting here in the hospital with Rachel getting ready to have a baby, I am learning all kinds of medical jargon.The doctor that came in to check that baby was the right way up told us "yup, he's noggin down". Rachel (poor dear) always has trouble giving blood samples, which makes her a 'hard stick". In order to facilitate a better blood draw, her arms were wrapped in warm blankets. Which was ok, until the nurse came in and said "Lets give your arms a break". Well, I guess that if your arms are going to have a break, the hospital is the best place for that to happen!

 Hospital visit Souvenir Mug!

The what and the why.

The 'why' is more important than the 'what', and usually is more interesting as well.  So when we see something interesting we are seeing 'what' is interesting. This can give us a clue about the 'why' behind it, and sometimes it's better to only have a clue than to have  the whole story. The whole story, especially in cities, is usually some boring decision made behind a boring desk in a boring office somewhere.

In the city of Minneapolis there is a cycle path that runs along a disused railway line called the midtown greenway. Here is a picture of it. But 'what' is that? Hidden by overgrowth is a road sign. It's behind a fence and there are no signs of it marking am old access road. Why on earth is it there? Interesting theories accepted below but if the truth is somewhat boring let's not stop that coming out too.

Many Thoughts

Yesterday I went on a cycle ride. My work recently moved from about half a mile away from where I live to 12 miles away, which was slightly annoying. I enjoyed walking in the winter and cycling in the summer on the $20 bike I got from Faustino, who was on my team at Lawn Ranger back when I was cutting grass and clearing snow. A $20 bike is good for about a mile but not much more - it is too small for me, and uncomfortable. So I purchased a newer, bigger bike with the savings projected from 6 months worth of reduced petrol spending, and planned to cycle to work.

This plan was put into action a few Fridays ago when I cycled to work to see how long it would take and if I thought I could handle it in addition to a full day of work cleaning carpet. The route is flat and only has a short stretch where the cycle path runs along a road. Minneapolis is considered one of the most cycle friendly cities in the USA.

I was so relaxed about the journey that the next day I cycled into work, worked my day, and cycled home. It takes me about an hour, and it is a nice time to meditate and unwind from anything happening before, or during the day. It gives time to think. To listen, not to anything coming through the earphones or speakers, but to what my mind is saying. To float gently on the currents of thought that jumble through my brain.

Those currents take me to different places. Topmost recently has been the death of my grandmother, Bobbie Walker. The death of my son, last year. Our current pregnancy, this year. The hospital we are visiting is the same one. Could I cycle to the hospital? Or could I have cycled to the hospice where my grandmother died to see her a little more often? I only saw her once in there, and she was asleep.

So, death dominates my thinking at the moment. But there is a crumble upstairs that I am waiting on. Which I think the time has come for now. But there are many more thoughts to come.