Thursday
craigslist
A new fave craigslist posting:
PostPosted: Wed Aug 03, 2005 5:09 pm Post subject: Reply with quote
$100 to steal my roommate's cat
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Reply to: anon-83591683@craigslist.org
Date: Sun Jul 10 14:58:43 2005
Need an easy way to make $100? Break into my apartment and steal my roommate’s cat. Please! You can have the cat, give it to the animal rescue league or sell it to a Chinese takeaway. I really don’t care. Bottom line is the cat needs to GO! I have racked my brain trying to come up with ways to get rid of this cat, but any possible scenarios I have worked out would definitely be figured out by my stealthy roommate. This is the only way I can get rid of this mangy animal without incurring the wrath of my roomie. Before you consider me a heartless individual, please understand that there is a solid basis for my utter hatred of said feline. I hate this cat with a passion. Here are my reasons for hating the cat:
1. It smells. It has a skin disease and must get weekly injections of anti-inflammatory drugs. It also wears one of those lampshade cones around its neck so it won’t lick it’s inflamed, oozing patches of skin. This presents a problem. Because the cat wears a cone, it cannot clean itself. Therefore, the cat reeks. It also has a nasty habit of scratching around its litter box and emerging with large chunks of cat turds stuck around the rim of its cone-head contraption. I have found these chunks of cat turds and other dingles from the cat’s nether regions on such places as a) the dining room table b) my bed c) the bed in our guest room etc. It is gross.
2. Because the cat is so smelly, it needs to be bathed on a weekly basis. This has caused an excessive amount of cat hair to become lodged in our pipes. Massive amounts of Drano are futile against the massive hairballs lodged within our apartment’s plumbing system.
3. The cat’s food. Let’s face it – cat food is nasty. This cat refuses to eat dry food. It will only eat wet food. The cat food is constantly strewn about our living room floor (yes, the cat prefers to eat in the living room because the cold terra cotta tiles in the kitchen “hurt his feet” according to my roommate). The cat cannot reach its food if it is placed on the floor because of the large cone around its neck. Therefore, the cat eats out of a large platter perched upon a TV-tray table. It sits on the couch and munches away on it’s smelly “captains platter” flavored Friskies, all the while dropping bits of the stinking, rotting, slimy, ground up fish carcasses onto my oriental rugs.
4. It has a nasty habit of throwing up its Friskies “filet and pate” all over the apartment. Never on an easily cleanable surface either. No, I always come home from work to find piles of barf on the leather couch, the Oriental rug and the shag rug in the bathroom (that one we had to throw out). Last week was in the nineties. What a joy it was for me to come home to my apartment and enter an abode smelling of hot tuna and stomach bile that had been festering in the 80 degree apartment all day. When I opened the door the fumes it me like a punch in the face.
5. I just hate cats. Period.
So, if you think you are up for the challenge, I invite you to come to our apartment and steal my roomie’s cat. Please email me and I will give you directions to my apartment. I encourage you to be creative. There are several windows along the fire escape that can easily be broken (we don’t have an alarm…those stickers are just a decoy). Please make sure that you make it believable-open up the cabinets, toss a few items on the floor, pull the cushions off the sofa in the living room etc. My roomie keeps her pot stashed in a ceramic vase on top of the microwave. Please steal that and maybe a few bottles of booze from our liquor cabinet – might make her think some kids from PS123 broke in on their lunch break. Don’t forge to take the cat WITH YOU when you leave. And leave the window open…that way she’ll think the cat jumped out. Help yourself to a cold beer in the fridge as well.
Please email and I send directions to my apartment and arrange a time to meet in private and pay you $100 CASH.
this is in or around Back Bay
PostPosted: Wed Aug 03, 2005 5:09 pm Post subject: Reply with quote
$100 to steal my roommate's cat
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reply to: anon-83591683@craigslist.org
Date: Sun Jul 10 14:58:43 2005
Need an easy way to make $100? Break into my apartment and steal my roommate’s cat. Please! You can have the cat, give it to the animal rescue league or sell it to a Chinese takeaway. I really don’t care. Bottom line is the cat needs to GO! I have racked my brain trying to come up with ways to get rid of this cat, but any possible scenarios I have worked out would definitely be figured out by my stealthy roommate. This is the only way I can get rid of this mangy animal without incurring the wrath of my roomie. Before you consider me a heartless individual, please understand that there is a solid basis for my utter hatred of said feline. I hate this cat with a passion. Here are my reasons for hating the cat:
1. It smells. It has a skin disease and must get weekly injections of anti-inflammatory drugs. It also wears one of those lampshade cones around its neck so it won’t lick it’s inflamed, oozing patches of skin. This presents a problem. Because the cat wears a cone, it cannot clean itself. Therefore, the cat reeks. It also has a nasty habit of scratching around its litter box and emerging with large chunks of cat turds stuck around the rim of its cone-head contraption. I have found these chunks of cat turds and other dingles from the cat’s nether regions on such places as a) the dining room table b) my bed c) the bed in our guest room etc. It is gross.
2. Because the cat is so smelly, it needs to be bathed on a weekly basis. This has caused an excessive amount of cat hair to become lodged in our pipes. Massive amounts of Drano are futile against the massive hairballs lodged within our apartment’s plumbing system.
3. The cat’s food. Let’s face it – cat food is nasty. This cat refuses to eat dry food. It will only eat wet food. The cat food is constantly strewn about our living room floor (yes, the cat prefers to eat in the living room because the cold terra cotta tiles in the kitchen “hurt his feet” according to my roommate). The cat cannot reach its food if it is placed on the floor because of the large cone around its neck. Therefore, the cat eats out of a large platter perched upon a TV-tray table. It sits on the couch and munches away on it’s smelly “captains platter” flavored Friskies, all the while dropping bits of the stinking, rotting, slimy, ground up fish carcasses onto my oriental rugs.
4. It has a nasty habit of throwing up its Friskies “filet and pate” all over the apartment. Never on an easily cleanable surface either. No, I always come home from work to find piles of barf on the leather couch, the Oriental rug and the shag rug in the bathroom (that one we had to throw out). Last week was in the nineties. What a joy it was for me to come home to my apartment and enter an abode smelling of hot tuna and stomach bile that had been festering in the 80 degree apartment all day. When I opened the door the fumes it me like a punch in the face.
5. I just hate cats. Period.
So, if you think you are up for the challenge, I invite you to come to our apartment and steal my roomie’s cat. Please email me and I will give you directions to my apartment. I encourage you to be creative. There are several windows along the fire escape that can easily be broken (we don’t have an alarm…those stickers are just a decoy). Please make sure that you make it believable-open up the cabinets, toss a few items on the floor, pull the cushions off the sofa in the living room etc. My roomie keeps her pot stashed in a ceramic vase on top of the microwave. Please steal that and maybe a few bottles of booze from our liquor cabinet – might make her think some kids from PS123 broke in on their lunch break. Don’t forge to take the cat WITH YOU when you leave. And leave the window open…that way she’ll think the cat jumped out. Help yourself to a cold beer in the fridge as well.
Please email and I send directions to my apartment and arrange a time to meet in private and pay you $100 CASH.
this is in or around Back Bay
Wednesday
pony finals
Next week, the USEF National Pony Finals will be held at Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington (Disneyland for the equine-obsessed like myself), and BigEq.com has their annual Pony Finals Preview live now.
My daughter Jane will be going as a spectator/helper/groom this year since she did not ride in a qualifying division this year, but her #1 goal next year is to qualify for Pony Finals and get to ride in it. I think she'll do it. She and the pony she'sriding will start in the regular greens division in December.
I would love to go watch for the whole week but will only be able to catch the last day or two. I wantto see our Fiesta Farm rider show in the larges and I also want to see my friend Ann's ponies in the small greens and regular smalls.
My daughter Jane will be going as a spectator/helper/groom this year since she did not ride in a qualifying division this year, but her #1 goal next year is to qualify for Pony Finals and get to ride in it. I think she'll do it. She and the pony she'sriding will start in the regular greens division in December.
I would love to go watch for the whole week but will only be able to catch the last day or two. I wantto see our Fiesta Farm rider show in the larges and I also want to see my friend Ann's ponies in the small greens and regular smalls.
I am working on the layout for the program for Ward's memorial service (talk about a surreal task), and I'm just pretty much weeping all over my keyboard after seeing this picture that's to be included.
This photo really, really captures his personality. As my Uncle John says, Ward was a baby rock star and he knew it. He had charisma busting out all over, not to mention the hair Roger Daltrey always wished he had.
My son Elliot said this morning that his cousin Ward's biggest problem was people arguing about who would get to hold him or sit next to him, because everyone always wanted to.
This photo really, really captures his personality. As my Uncle John says, Ward was a baby rock star and he knew it. He had charisma busting out all over, not to mention the hair Roger Daltrey always wished he had.
My son Elliot said this morning that his cousin Ward's biggest problem was people arguing about who would get to hold him or sit next to him, because everyone always wanted to.
Tuesday
bell buckle remembers ward
One thing that the loss of my little cousin Ward has reminded me of is how lucky I am to have a homebase of a large, very tight family and a real hometown: Bell Buckle, TN.
Here is a lovely story from the local newspaper today about how the town has responded to our Ward's death.
As for my family, I think we really are a bit like a clan in the classic sense of the word. When we need one another -- in any way -- we are always there for each other. And although we can probably bug one another more than anyone else ;-), we also always find ourselves gravitating to one another. We would rather be together than hanging out or living near just about anyone else.
This baffles a lot of people who can't imagine wanting to stay really close to their family members.
My little brother Robert, for example, went to U.Va., then Georgetown Law, then was an associate at a major northeast law firm (where he met my sister in law, also a lawyer), and then they moved to SF, but two years ago they decided to move to Bell Buckle to raise their children.
My grandparents, mother, cousins, uncle, and brother all live within one square mile in Bell Buckle. And none of us were originally "from" there. We have just all migrated there over the years to be close to one another (my parents moved us there in 1977, so I grew up there).
My second cousin, Betsy, lived in the Memphis area all her life. But now she has just retired and has built a house in Bell Buckle and is moving there to live near the rest of our family.
Even my children, who have never actually lived in Middle Tennessee (but spend a lot of time there), will tell you they have two hometowns: Knoxville and Bell Buckle.
Here is a lovely story from the local newspaper today about how the town has responded to our Ward's death.
As for my family, I think we really are a bit like a clan in the classic sense of the word. When we need one another -- in any way -- we are always there for each other. And although we can probably bug one another more than anyone else ;-), we also always find ourselves gravitating to one another. We would rather be together than hanging out or living near just about anyone else.
This baffles a lot of people who can't imagine wanting to stay really close to their family members.
My little brother Robert, for example, went to U.Va., then Georgetown Law, then was an associate at a major northeast law firm (where he met my sister in law, also a lawyer), and then they moved to SF, but two years ago they decided to move to Bell Buckle to raise their children.
My grandparents, mother, cousins, uncle, and brother all live within one square mile in Bell Buckle. And none of us were originally "from" there. We have just all migrated there over the years to be close to one another (my parents moved us there in 1977, so I grew up there).
My second cousin, Betsy, lived in the Memphis area all her life. But now she has just retired and has built a house in Bell Buckle and is moving there to live near the rest of our family.
Even my children, who have never actually lived in Middle Tennessee (but spend a lot of time there), will tell you they have two hometowns: Knoxville and Bell Buckle.
From James, Ward's dad:
"Julie and I are back home with the boys and are healing as best we can. Ward was a beautiful little boy, and those who knew him were very very lucky. We will all miss him.
Julie and I want to thank everyone for their good-wishes; those received and those not. They were and are a great comfort.
Julie and I don't know what to expect. We are learning as we go along. We will try to be stronger and more compassionate people now. We have learned so much from Ward, his doctors and nurses, the other parents of sick children at the Vanderbilt Children's Hospital, and friends and family. The Bell Buckle community has made me very humble. It is hard to express what we are feeling in that regard.
Julie and I do not want to be treated as a fragile piece of glass, too delicate to touch. Instead, we are taking all of the visits, messages and calls from people right now and are using them to help rebuid the foundations of our souls. Please see us. Please call us. Please talk to us about Ward. We so desperately want to keep his memories alive.
Julie and I hope to have a children's playground constructed and dedicated in Ward's memory at the Bell Buckle Park. We are trying hard to not be bitter. We are trying hard to keep from avoiding other small children. By having Ward's memorial a place where children play, we will be with children nearly everytime we visit Ward's spot. It will be good for us. Donations can be made to the Bell Buckle Park/Ward Anderson Fund. They can be mailed to:
Town of Bell Buckle
Ward Anderson Park Fund
Railroad Square
Bell Buckle, TN
We hope to see as many of you as possible on Saturday. Again, Julie and I can't thank you enough."
"Julie and I are back home with the boys and are healing as best we can. Ward was a beautiful little boy, and those who knew him were very very lucky. We will all miss him.
Julie and I want to thank everyone for their good-wishes; those received and those not. They were and are a great comfort.
Julie and I don't know what to expect. We are learning as we go along. We will try to be stronger and more compassionate people now. We have learned so much from Ward, his doctors and nurses, the other parents of sick children at the Vanderbilt Children's Hospital, and friends and family. The Bell Buckle community has made me very humble. It is hard to express what we are feeling in that regard.
Julie and I do not want to be treated as a fragile piece of glass, too delicate to touch. Instead, we are taking all of the visits, messages and calls from people right now and are using them to help rebuid the foundations of our souls. Please see us. Please call us. Please talk to us about Ward. We so desperately want to keep his memories alive.
Julie and I hope to have a children's playground constructed and dedicated in Ward's memory at the Bell Buckle Park. We are trying hard to not be bitter. We are trying hard to keep from avoiding other small children. By having Ward's memorial a place where children play, we will be with children nearly everytime we visit Ward's spot. It will be good for us. Donations can be made to the Bell Buckle Park/Ward Anderson Fund. They can be mailed to:
Town of Bell Buckle
Ward Anderson Park Fund
Railroad Square
Bell Buckle, TN
We hope to see as many of you as possible on Saturday. Again, Julie and I can't thank you enough."
Monday
new playground in bell buckle
All,
James and Julie have expressed their desire to have donations made in Ward's memory to be sent to the Bell Buckle Park to build the playground. The Anderson family stated that if something were built at the park through memorial donations that it would give them comfort to be able to visit there.
With that in mind, we will all rally to do whatever is necessary to help build anything that the Anderson family designates as a memorial to Ward. Donations may be sent to Bell Buckle Park, PO Box 276, Bell Buckle, TN 37020. Chekcs can be made to the Bell Buckle Park with "Ward Anderson Memorial Fund" written on the "for" line. An acknowledgement of the donation will be forwarded to James and Julie.
If you have any questions at all on the donation or playground, please feel free to call me at 931-389-6784 or email me back at jah@charter.net. The Bell Buckle Park Board will help in any way they can to further this project. You may view a rendering of the proposed playground at www.BellBucklePark.info.
Jenny Hunt
Chairman, Bell Buckle Park & Recreation
James and Julie have expressed their desire to have donations made in Ward's memory to be sent to the Bell Buckle Park to build the playground. The Anderson family stated that if something were built at the park through memorial donations that it would give them comfort to be able to visit there.
With that in mind, we will all rally to do whatever is necessary to help build anything that the Anderson family designates as a memorial to Ward. Donations may be sent to Bell Buckle Park, PO Box 276, Bell Buckle, TN 37020. Chekcs can be made to the Bell Buckle Park with "Ward Anderson Memorial Fund" written on the "for" line. An acknowledgement of the donation will be forwarded to James and Julie.
If you have any questions at all on the donation or playground, please feel free to call me at 931-389-6784 or email me back at jah@charter.net. The Bell Buckle Park Board will help in any way they can to further this project. You may view a rendering of the proposed playground at www.BellBucklePark.info.
Jenny Hunt
Chairman, Bell Buckle Park & Recreation
goodmusic
I have been listening to this record a good bit lately anyway:
But it has been my constant companion as I've driven back and forth between Knoxville and Middle TN in the past week. It's such a beautiful record and has been just what I needed to hear right now.
I already thought Mic Harrison has one of the great rock and roll voices I've ever heard (Seriously. I really mean that), but his lyrics are also, well, lyrical ;-)
Highly recommended.
But it has been my constant companion as I've driven back and forth between Knoxville and Middle TN in the past week. It's such a beautiful record and has been just what I needed to hear right now.
I already thought Mic Harrison has one of the great rock and roll voices I've ever heard (Seriously. I really mean that), but his lyrics are also, well, lyrical ;-)
Highly recommended.
Here is an article about baby Ward's death in our hometown newspaper today.
I feel so sad today. It's an indescribable, heavy, smothering type of sadness I've never really experienced before.
I feel so sad today. It's an indescribable, heavy, smothering type of sadness I've never really experienced before.
Sunday
Memorials for Ward
I have been with James and Julie some today. They are obviously in agony. Our family takes some comfort in the fact that several other families all over the country received word last night that because of J & J's decision to donate Ward's organs, other babies and toddlers will have a chance at life. At this point, we know for certain that children in Memphis and Indianapolis will be organ recipients.
Apparently James and Julie can write letters to the receiving families, telling them about Ward, and if the families want to, they can get in touch with James and Julie. I hope this connection happens.
All the young Allison, Tant and Granju cousins were told about Ward's death this morning and are each grieving in their own way. That's really hard for all of us. The cousins are a tight bunch :-(
My littlest, Elliot, really took it hard. Julie is his godmother and he just spent a week staying with them and playing with Jack, Gray and Ward. He had made a get-well package for Ward with, among other things, a quarter, a lucky buckeye, a feather, two yugioh cards and a picture of the great wall of china that he cut out of a magazine.
Ward's brothers, Gray and Jack, look shellshocked. Julie is so amazing; when I was over there earlier, she was bustling around fixing the boys their lunch. She's such, such a great mama.
As for me, I feel a bit like there has been a rip in the cosmos or something. I definitely have a "this simply cannot be happening" feeling a lot of the time. You read and hear about this happening to other families, but never, ever imagine it could happen to your own.
When I was walking my 4 year old nephew, Jones and my 6 year old niece Eleanor downtown for ice cream earlier, and we were talking about Ward, it felt completely surreal... I simply could not believe I was having this conversation with them about Ward.
One of the hardest parts for me was how my grandfather, who is 87, broke down and sobbed when I saw him today. My grandparents live less than one block away from James and Julie and they see Gray, Jack and Ward pretty much every day. This loss is incredibly painful for them. I am very close to my grandparents and I have never, ever seen my grandfather cry.
Our family is so grateful to everyone in Bell Buckle, the Webb School community and all over the country for all the calls and e-mails and general outpouring of love. All of Bell Buckle is festooned with beautiful blue ribbons in memory of our sweet baby Wardy.
The new playground in Bell Buckle is going to be finished in memory of Edward Locke Anderson.
Here is a note from my Uncle John, Ward's grandfather:
"Friends,
James and Julie have asked me to let people know that should anyone want to give resources in memory of Ward, they would deeply appreciate that they be given to the Bell Buckle park fund, designated specifically for the children's playground. Any donations can be sent to Town Hall with a note attached indicating that it is for the playground. James and Julie will be notified by the town and can then respond.
We have many children in our community and more as time goes by who would derive a lot of joyful pleasure from a nice, safe playground.
James and Julie are at home and their door is open.
A service for Ward is tentatively planned for next Saturday at the Bell Buckle Methodist church. As plans become more fixed, we shall get the word out.
Again, thank you for everything. - John
Apparently James and Julie can write letters to the receiving families, telling them about Ward, and if the families want to, they can get in touch with James and Julie. I hope this connection happens.
All the young Allison, Tant and Granju cousins were told about Ward's death this morning and are each grieving in their own way. That's really hard for all of us. The cousins are a tight bunch :-(
My littlest, Elliot, really took it hard. Julie is his godmother and he just spent a week staying with them and playing with Jack, Gray and Ward. He had made a get-well package for Ward with, among other things, a quarter, a lucky buckeye, a feather, two yugioh cards and a picture of the great wall of china that he cut out of a magazine.
Ward's brothers, Gray and Jack, look shellshocked. Julie is so amazing; when I was over there earlier, she was bustling around fixing the boys their lunch. She's such, such a great mama.
As for me, I feel a bit like there has been a rip in the cosmos or something. I definitely have a "this simply cannot be happening" feeling a lot of the time. You read and hear about this happening to other families, but never, ever imagine it could happen to your own.
When I was walking my 4 year old nephew, Jones and my 6 year old niece Eleanor downtown for ice cream earlier, and we were talking about Ward, it felt completely surreal... I simply could not believe I was having this conversation with them about Ward.
One of the hardest parts for me was how my grandfather, who is 87, broke down and sobbed when I saw him today. My grandparents live less than one block away from James and Julie and they see Gray, Jack and Ward pretty much every day. This loss is incredibly painful for them. I am very close to my grandparents and I have never, ever seen my grandfather cry.
Our family is so grateful to everyone in Bell Buckle, the Webb School community and all over the country for all the calls and e-mails and general outpouring of love. All of Bell Buckle is festooned with beautiful blue ribbons in memory of our sweet baby Wardy.
The new playground in Bell Buckle is going to be finished in memory of Edward Locke Anderson.
Here is a note from my Uncle John, Ward's grandfather:
"Friends,
James and Julie have asked me to let people know that should anyone want to give resources in memory of Ward, they would deeply appreciate that they be given to the Bell Buckle park fund, designated specifically for the children's playground. Any donations can be sent to Town Hall with a note attached indicating that it is for the playground. James and Julie will be notified by the town and can then respond.
We have many children in our community and more as time goes by who would derive a lot of joyful pleasure from a nice, safe playground.
James and Julie are at home and their door is open.
A service for Ward is tentatively planned for next Saturday at the Bell Buckle Methodist church. As plans become more fixed, we shall get the word out.
Again, thank you for everything. - John
Ward died last night at Vanderbilt Childrens Hospital. Our entire family is completely heartbroken.
James and Julie, Gray and Jack, came home last night to Bell Buckle. J&J are in seclusion and are feeling the need for a lot of privacy right now, but you can come by my mother's house or call there if you want to talk or offer condolences or send something for James and Julie or the boys, and we will get it over to them.
No arrangements have yet been made, but I will keep folks apprised.
-Katie
James and Julie, Gray and Jack, came home last night to Bell Buckle. J&J are in seclusion and are feeling the need for a lot of privacy right now, but you can come by my mother's house or call there if you want to talk or offer condolences or send something for James and Julie or the boys, and we will get it over to them.
No arrangements have yet been made, but I will keep folks apprised.
-Katie
Saturday
ward update - friday nite
This photo of Ward was taken only an hour or so before his accident. He was apparently quite intrigued with this bug ;-)
![ward with bug[1]](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_uoKqMrPymDpgh-1l9iBiMXPzW6tjEhD8KFVwk9TCBoIM6zHUQdVdEsH76FDxKmlZSNugUNT5KHQ4bVhBtj7suYQyWXVS7t2wnSGXrHtu-Hlbb6eqfwewM=s0-d)
Here, from my little brother, Robert, the latest on Ward as of Friday night. We are cautiously optimistic. There have been small improvements and no deterioration. We'll take that:
"It has now been 72 hours since he was pulled from the water. This is significant in that, statistically, you have a much better chance of making it when you have made it this long. They have removed his neck brace and have pulled out his nose tubes. He is on a regular ventilator and his lungs are absorbing oxygen well (they were not doing this at first).
He is in a drug induced coma. The plan is to stop giving him the drug some time tomorrow. Then it will be two or three days before the drug is out of his system. Then they will try to ease him off of the ventilator. Then they will try to wake him up. Tomorrow he will have another CAT scan to see how the brain swelling is doing. We are all hopeful it will be as positive as the first one.
He will not wake up right away. If all goes well, he will wake up in stages with a finger moving one day and a vocalization a week after that, etc. This could go on for days or weeks or months.
Right now, all things considered, the doctors are very encouraged. Ward looks good. His color is good. His overall health seems to be improving. He is working through issues. He is a strong boy.
James and Julie are holding up OK which means that they are not crying all of the time. They appreciate everyone’s prayers and thoughts. Over the next weeks they will need everyone’s support as they work to make Ward better.
I will continue to keep you posted."
and here is a note from tonight from Ward's grandfather, my Uncle John Anderson:
"Dear friends,
We will never be able to give adequate thanks for all the wonderful support and love everyone has poured out for Ward and the family. The community, the churches, and individuals are filling the Anderson family's hearts and souls in a way that I hope will bless everyone. Please continue to pray when you can for Ward, Julie, James, and all other people who are in adversity. ( We see other families at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital whose own tragic circumstances make even Ward's troubles seem much less by comparison.)
We will not hesitate to holler when a need arises. We know that friends are everywhere who are most willing to help. Meanwhile, please do not neglect your own many personal needs and responsibilities. Every family in town has someone sick or troubled in some way. Please be sure to spread this love and help in all directions. I hope that I can come out of this a better person, more responsive to the needs of others. So many of you are so wonderful and shine your light so brightly.
I don't mean to wax maudlin, but you all really have touched us very deeply. Thank you. I know that I will never succeed at communicating the gratitude we all feel.
Here, from my little brother, Robert, the latest on Ward as of Friday night. We are cautiously optimistic. There have been small improvements and no deterioration. We'll take that:
"It has now been 72 hours since he was pulled from the water. This is significant in that, statistically, you have a much better chance of making it when you have made it this long. They have removed his neck brace and have pulled out his nose tubes. He is on a regular ventilator and his lungs are absorbing oxygen well (they were not doing this at first).
He is in a drug induced coma. The plan is to stop giving him the drug some time tomorrow. Then it will be two or three days before the drug is out of his system. Then they will try to ease him off of the ventilator. Then they will try to wake him up. Tomorrow he will have another CAT scan to see how the brain swelling is doing. We are all hopeful it will be as positive as the first one.
He will not wake up right away. If all goes well, he will wake up in stages with a finger moving one day and a vocalization a week after that, etc. This could go on for days or weeks or months.
Right now, all things considered, the doctors are very encouraged. Ward looks good. His color is good. His overall health seems to be improving. He is working through issues. He is a strong boy.
James and Julie are holding up OK which means that they are not crying all of the time. They appreciate everyone’s prayers and thoughts. Over the next weeks they will need everyone’s support as they work to make Ward better.
I will continue to keep you posted."
and here is a note from tonight from Ward's grandfather, my Uncle John Anderson:
"Dear friends,
We will never be able to give adequate thanks for all the wonderful support and love everyone has poured out for Ward and the family. The community, the churches, and individuals are filling the Anderson family's hearts and souls in a way that I hope will bless everyone. Please continue to pray when you can for Ward, Julie, James, and all other people who are in adversity. ( We see other families at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital whose own tragic circumstances make even Ward's troubles seem much less by comparison.)
We will not hesitate to holler when a need arises. We know that friends are everywhere who are most willing to help. Meanwhile, please do not neglect your own many personal needs and responsibilities. Every family in town has someone sick or troubled in some way. Please be sure to spread this love and help in all directions. I hope that I can come out of this a better person, more responsive to the needs of others. So many of you are so wonderful and shine your light so brightly.
I don't mean to wax maudlin, but you all really have touched us very deeply. Thank you. I know that I will never succeed at communicating the gratitude we all feel.
Friday
the week from hell marches on...
Last night I forgot to put my parking brake on and when I came out of my house this morning, my 2 day old new (to me) car had crashed into my fence, which was wrapped around the front of my car.
After weeping, cursing, and much gnashing of teeth, I managed to extricate the Jetta from the fence and discovered no major damage, just a lot of scratches.
My next door neighbor says I can get some sort of something at some kind of automotive store to buff these scratches out of the car. He says I should then wax it really well with some kind of special carwax.
Unfortunately, he doesn't seem to be able to provide any further details -- like what this buffing stuff is called or what kind of wax he means.
Anybody got any thoughts on this? Or should I just take it some kind of place that fixes stuff like this?
Katie, car idiot...or maybe just an idiot, considering I let this happen.
PS: Hey Betsy B.K. and Stephanie J.E. - It just occurred to me that this incident reminds me of a certain Bell Buckle Ford-Fairlane-into-closed-metal-gate incident. In fact, the scratch marks look remarkably similar. I kept saying to myself, "Why do these scratchmarks look so familiar to me?"
;-)
After weeping, cursing, and much gnashing of teeth, I managed to extricate the Jetta from the fence and discovered no major damage, just a lot of scratches.
My next door neighbor says I can get some sort of something at some kind of automotive store to buff these scratches out of the car. He says I should then wax it really well with some kind of special carwax.
Unfortunately, he doesn't seem to be able to provide any further details -- like what this buffing stuff is called or what kind of wax he means.
Anybody got any thoughts on this? Or should I just take it some kind of place that fixes stuff like this?
Katie, car idiot...or maybe just an idiot, considering I let this happen.
PS: Hey Betsy B.K. and Stephanie J.E. - It just occurred to me that this incident reminds me of a certain Bell Buckle Ford-Fairlane-into-closed-metal-gate incident. In fact, the scratch marks look remarkably similar. I kept saying to myself, "Why do these scratchmarks look so familiar to me?"
;-)
update on baby ward
Ward is still in a coma and on a ventilator today, but we had some encouraging news from his CAT scan, which he got last night.
The doctors say the next 48 hours are critical in terms of his longterm brain injury and how serious it is or is not. His brain will apparently continue to swell for the next day or two before beginning to heal, and how much it swells is an important indicator.
Thank you so, so much to everyone thinking of him and his parents and his two brothers, Jack and Gray.
Here is a recent photo of Ward that my mom sent me today
I feel especially thankful for a particular group of mother-friends I have all over the country and really the world, who have been with me through several really serious life events in the past ten years and who all lit candles for Ward last night. Thank you. You know who you are and how much I love you :-)
The doctors say the next 48 hours are critical in terms of his longterm brain injury and how serious it is or is not. His brain will apparently continue to swell for the next day or two before beginning to heal, and how much it swells is an important indicator.
Thank you so, so much to everyone thinking of him and his parents and his two brothers, Jack and Gray.
Here is a recent photo of Ward that my mom sent me today
I feel especially thankful for a particular group of mother-friends I have all over the country and really the world, who have been with me through several really serious life events in the past ten years and who all lit candles for Ward last night. Thank you. You know who you are and how much I love you :-)
me first and the gimme gimmes
Last night I had to work late and after, I was invited over to my friends' Patty and Brandon Cottongim's house to go swimming at night (the kids are with their dad on Thursdays)
My plan was to NOT swim, since I tend to be more of a lounge by the pool and drink alcohol kinda girl, but Patty insisted that I get in the water (or,she said, I would be thrown in the water)
So I did. And it was a really good idea. I can't remember the last time I went swimming at night and the water was warm and there was a slide and the cicadas were buzzing and it was just really fun and exactly what I needed after the week from hell.
Plus, Brandon introduced me to this record while we were swimming, which somehow I had managed never to hear before. With a punk rock cover of "Seasons in the Sun," the evening was even better...
I have decided I am definitely going to learn to play bass. Patty and I are going to start a band. No, really! We really are.
My plan was to NOT swim, since I tend to be more of a lounge by the pool and drink alcohol kinda girl, but Patty insisted that I get in the water (or,she said, I would be thrown in the water)
So I did. And it was a really good idea. I can't remember the last time I went swimming at night and the water was warm and there was a slide and the cicadas were buzzing and it was just really fun and exactly what I needed after the week from hell.
Plus, Brandon introduced me to this record while we were swimming, which somehow I had managed never to hear before. With a punk rock cover of "Seasons in the Sun," the evening was even better...
I have decided I am definitely going to learn to play bass. Patty and I are going to start a band. No, really! We really are.
Thursday
the "hot dog informant"
I do love East Tennessee's small town newspapers and this is why: "Hot Dog Vendor Disputes Claim He Is FBI Informant"
It's an entire, long article on how this hot dog stand guy is NOT an FBI informant, but how he's afraid to re-open his stand because of the rumors running rampant in town that he IS an FBI informant and that the hot dog stand is just a front.
Apparently, folks in Cocke County do not thing it is a mere coincidence that their local hot dog stand closed up shop THE SAME WEEK the FBI came to town to crack down on cockfighting.
It's an entire, long article on how this hot dog stand guy is NOT an FBI informant, but how he's afraid to re-open his stand because of the rumors running rampant in town that he IS an FBI informant and that the hot dog stand is just a front.
Apparently, folks in Cocke County do not thing it is a mere coincidence that their local hot dog stand closed up shop THE SAME WEEK the FBI came to town to crack down on cockfighting.
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