I can't believe it's two weeks since I signed on to my blog...but looking at the dates, it has been. In that two weeks...we had Pittsburgh guests...Karen, Bela, Isabel and Aunt RoseMary. That would be over MLK day as K didn't have to work that day. Naturally, we were requested to leave the Christmas tree up and we "did it again"...Christmas, that is. So, we had a birthday party for Isabel and then we did Christmas for the rest of us. Everyone made a good haul. We, of course, in our tradition gave money for Isabel's birthday and also for her college fund. Joan went nuts as usual...she didn't want Isabel to get cheated because her birthday is so close to Christmas. No worry on that score.
Well, the Yankees came, having experienced stomach virus the week previously. Aunt Rose hadn't been ill at home. In the midst of the visit...ME, who never gets sick, got stomach virus. Nothing to do, but to let it run its course. So, for me, that meant two days of diaharaa and one complete day in bed. On the third day, I thought I was better, but not so...another day of many visits to the BR. In the midst of my bout, Al got the bug. Only difference was...he was going from both ends. (I can honestly say...I don't know where all that stuff was coming from as we didn't eat for two days..but apparently our bodies didn't know that.) Karen, the experienced mother that she is told us that the pediatrican told her to keep hydrated as all the junk had to get out of the system before you would feel better.
So, on the fourth day of my travails and the second day of Al's...RoseMary got the bug. She was very sick on Friday...bed all day...nothing but tea and toast. By this time, I was 90 percent better so I kept going into her room asking her if she was still alive. This was no joke as if she felt as bad I did...I know she was thinking that death would be a blessing. She recovered some and the visitors went home on Saturday.
At this point a week later I'm better..Al doesn't have any energy but is better. You know he's sick when he doesn't go for his walk in the a.m. RoseMary reports she's feeling almost like her old self. So, that's the medical report...from Nashville.
As to the SNOW..another chapter in Nashville weather history. Boys would have loved this weather. About four inches of snow fell from Friday morning at 9 a.m. until this morning. That doesn't seem like much, but during the night ice came and covered the snow and temps were down in the single digits for two nights. We aren't used to this weather. So, fortunately...schools were all closed on Friday and road crews were out all weekend trying to at least clear the innerstates. I predict that schools will be out at least tomorrow and maybe Tuesday, too.
Maura is happy with the snow. Went out three times yesterday and went sledding. We got a report when she came in each time....45 minutes out and then in for an hour or so and then another 45 minutes, etc. etc.
For us, this is the second weekend in a row when we didn't go to church. That's something of a record for us. Church going people always make it. Last weekend the bug had us and this weekend the roads made us decide that "discretion was the better part of valor."
Predictions are that this stuff won't melt till the end of the week. The kids (and big folks, too) are sled riding all over town and the emergency rooms are being inundated with sleding accidents, as well as car accidents. Al says he's feeling like he's in prison, but I'm just going with the flo....I think I'll make vegetable soup today.
Till next time. Ta ta.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Friday, January 15, 2010
Free at last
Mouse free that is.... The following morning we awoke to find the mighty mouse hunters had caught not one, but two...yes...two mice. They left them in the family room for Isabel to discover. Luckily, I saw them before she had a chance to play with them. The body count rises. We have been mouse free for the past 2 days.
On another note, I found a home for the bunny rabbit. He left last night.
On another note, I found a home for the bunny rabbit. He left last night.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Score Two for Team Pater
Well, as I was re-reading the posting, what do I hear from the kitchen, but the sound of the snapping of the trap!!! Hallelujah, Team Pater just scored another point. I sense, however, that the other mouse is still on the loose!!!
The Great Mousecapades of 2010
Many months have passed since our trip to Europe, and readers, I promise to update you soon on the rest of our trip... briefly, we didn't have access to the internet the majority of the trip, and just got busy with life upon our return. The fall semester is a busy, fast paced 15 weeks of fun for us at the Pater Household.... so needless to say, I haven't had "time" to post. One of my new year's resolutions (that hopefully I can keep) is to try to keep everyone more informed of the happenings of the household and the most recent occurrences are too hilarious not to share....
As the title of the today's entry might give away a bit too much, we have been in our new house now for over one and half years, and in that time, we have come to find that we share the home with an extended family of mice. Of our two Siamese that share our lives, Gretl (the smaller, more petite, tinier sibling - separated from Hansl by one litter) is the great mouse catcher. Several months ago, we were awakened at 3am by fast paced energy running across our bed. Upon rising we found that Gretl had caught a mouse, and at this point she was bringing her "prize" to share with her people. Without sharing too much detail, I was responsible for disposing of the tiny little carcass.
Needless to say, this was the beginning of the Mousecapades. In recent weeks, it has come to our attention that the Mice were back in full force. Whether it be the frigid cold driving the little rodents inside, or the fact that the mice like cheese - we decided to purchase a few "mice friendly" traps. If you have never seen these, they are actually quite neat - they trap the mouse inside without causing loss of life or limb, allowing you to let it go in the wild, if that be your preference. The cats have had quite good luck actually setting off the traps on their own, by merely knocking the traps over...up until this morning, we have not caught any mice in the traps.
Last week, a stomach virus visited our family. It started with Isabel, followed by myself, and finally Daddy... On the first night of the virus, I decided to stay up with Isabel in the family room.... about 1am, our great mouse catcher, Gretl, came running into the room with her most recent prized possession in her mouth. I thought to myself "oh, well.. I will get it later" as I didn't want to leave Isabel's side. Shortly thereafter, I hear Daddy paddling down the hall. Gretl had taken her prize to him. At this point, we were able to get the little "prize" from our great hunter and dispose of it. Two more traps were set.
Fast forward 4 days (to this morning)... Our traditionally lazy feline, not inclined in the least to hunt, Hansl is found on top of the counter in the kitchen poking at the mouse trap (which is hidden inside a drawer). Being early in the morning, and not quite being awake, I made an assumption (falsely, as I was soon to discover), that the trap had been sprung accidentally. I reset the trap, and out ran a mouse - Hansl quickly ran into action, but unfortunately, he didn't catch the little rodent. The mouse quickly leapt from the drawer and was on the move in the kitchen, running for the family room. Score one for Team Mouse.
We all went about our day as you would expect - Isabel to the babysitter, me to work, and Daddy to class. When we came home tonight, we found that the trap in the drawer had been sprung again.. this time, the culprit was inside. Score one for Team Pater. Shortly thereafter, we find Gretl intensely monitoring the corner chifferobe (and by the way, did you know there are 2 other ways to spell this word?). Daddy retrieves the flashlight to inspect, and low and behold, the morning mouse is still in the family room.... After what seemed like hours (and lots of screaming and laughing), Gretl finally caught the mouse. Sadly, we didn't wait long enough to get it from her, and it escaped. Where is Hansl? Sleeping like a lazy louse on the bed upstairs. I quickly scoop him up and wake him from his slumber, so that he may help in the great chase.
If I hadn't witnessed what happened next with my own eyes, I would never have believed it.... Hansl caught the mouse!!!!! But in his excitement, he ran from room to room looking for a "safe place" to put the little guy. He ran upstairs, let the mouse go in our room, and the chase began again. Unfortunately, our great mice catchers now are "retired" under the bed resting. Score Two for Team Mouse.
The chase is to be continued..........
As the title of the today's entry might give away a bit too much, we have been in our new house now for over one and half years, and in that time, we have come to find that we share the home with an extended family of mice. Of our two Siamese that share our lives, Gretl (the smaller, more petite, tinier sibling - separated from Hansl by one litter) is the great mouse catcher. Several months ago, we were awakened at 3am by fast paced energy running across our bed. Upon rising we found that Gretl had caught a mouse, and at this point she was bringing her "prize" to share with her people. Without sharing too much detail, I was responsible for disposing of the tiny little carcass.
Needless to say, this was the beginning of the Mousecapades. In recent weeks, it has come to our attention that the Mice were back in full force. Whether it be the frigid cold driving the little rodents inside, or the fact that the mice like cheese - we decided to purchase a few "mice friendly" traps. If you have never seen these, they are actually quite neat - they trap the mouse inside without causing loss of life or limb, allowing you to let it go in the wild, if that be your preference. The cats have had quite good luck actually setting off the traps on their own, by merely knocking the traps over...up until this morning, we have not caught any mice in the traps.
Last week, a stomach virus visited our family. It started with Isabel, followed by myself, and finally Daddy... On the first night of the virus, I decided to stay up with Isabel in the family room.... about 1am, our great mouse catcher, Gretl, came running into the room with her most recent prized possession in her mouth. I thought to myself "oh, well.. I will get it later" as I didn't want to leave Isabel's side. Shortly thereafter, I hear Daddy paddling down the hall. Gretl had taken her prize to him. At this point, we were able to get the little "prize" from our great hunter and dispose of it. Two more traps were set.
Fast forward 4 days (to this morning)... Our traditionally lazy feline, not inclined in the least to hunt, Hansl is found on top of the counter in the kitchen poking at the mouse trap (which is hidden inside a drawer). Being early in the morning, and not quite being awake, I made an assumption (falsely, as I was soon to discover), that the trap had been sprung accidentally. I reset the trap, and out ran a mouse - Hansl quickly ran into action, but unfortunately, he didn't catch the little rodent. The mouse quickly leapt from the drawer and was on the move in the kitchen, running for the family room. Score one for Team Mouse.
We all went about our day as you would expect - Isabel to the babysitter, me to work, and Daddy to class. When we came home tonight, we found that the trap in the drawer had been sprung again.. this time, the culprit was inside. Score one for Team Pater. Shortly thereafter, we find Gretl intensely monitoring the corner chifferobe (and by the way, did you know there are 2 other ways to spell this word?). Daddy retrieves the flashlight to inspect, and low and behold, the morning mouse is still in the family room.... After what seemed like hours (and lots of screaming and laughing), Gretl finally caught the mouse. Sadly, we didn't wait long enough to get it from her, and it escaped. Where is Hansl? Sleeping like a lazy louse on the bed upstairs. I quickly scoop him up and wake him from his slumber, so that he may help in the great chase.
If I hadn't witnessed what happened next with my own eyes, I would never have believed it.... Hansl caught the mouse!!!!! But in his excitement, he ran from room to room looking for a "safe place" to put the little guy. He ran upstairs, let the mouse go in our room, and the chase began again. Unfortunately, our great mice catchers now are "retired" under the bed resting. Score Two for Team Mouse.
The chase is to be continued..........
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Monash Educational Symposium
July 6 – Day 8
Today was the first day of the Monash 5th Pharmacy Education Symposium. The theme for the conference is “Fitness to Practice: Competency based teaching and learning in pharmacy”. This symposium occurs every 2 years, and for the last 3 symposium, they have been held here in Prato. There are roughly 80 participants here. Cheri, if you are reading this, the student’s poster arrived this morning just in time for me to take to the technology session. The early morning session was a debate about competency. The speakers were both from the UK and kept the audience quite engaged. I only wish you all could be here to hear them…. As I am afraid words can’t properly describe the session so I am not even going to try to explain.
I was privileged to sit with Dr. Henri Manasse at lunch today. Dr. Manasse was one of the guest speakers and he is the CEO of the American Society of Health –System Pharmacists. I also met a colleague from the University of North Carolina…. Interestingly, he grew up in Ligonier, PA, not too far from my hometown of Derry. It is such a small world……..
I presented posters for both the student’s Pharmacy Insights project and DM Educate. Both were quite successful in the discussions I had with the many participants here. I met individuals from Canada, Malaysia, Indonesia, Australia, the US, the UK, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, and Ireland. I certainly hope that some of them contact the school to discuss signing up for DM Educate (fingers crossed). This technology session had very interesting and innovative advances in pharmacy education, most notably about 4 different types of Virtual Technology. I would have to say that Keele University out of the UK has gone far beyond any another program I have ever seen…. (Randy, I got you their brochure and contact information). They are now working in collaboration with the Monash University faculty in developing multiple types of virtual experiences for the students. They are using a combination of real life patients (paid actors) via video technology, and then turning some of these real life patients into Avatars for the virtual reality exercises. While I was manning my booth (and I was the only one fully decked with candy and pens (thanks Cheri)), I was approached by a gentleman from Colorado that told me he will soon be coming to Pittsburgh. This gentleman is no other than Ralph Altiere, who is the Dean of the University of Colorado School of Pharmacy and he is going to be one of our Accreditors for the ACPE accreditation in November. I was once again, honored.... Hopefully I will see him on campus in November.
I also met a pharmacist from Malaysia. After we chatted for awhile, I asked him if he knew Haniki Nik Mohammed. Every time I meet a pharmacist from Malaysia (which happens more often than you might think) they always know Haniki..... Haniki graduated from PharmD school with me in Memphis, TN. Apparently he is quite well know in Malaysia as an advocate for smoking cessation. We keep in touch occasionally via email. I will have to email him and tell him hello....
The day was long for me…. Starting at 9am and ending at 7pm. I did learn something interesting about Prato – Prato has the largest Chinese population in Europe outside of Paris.
Daddy and Isabel spent the day resting and touring the city. Prato lies in the middle of the northern area of Tuscany, a few kilometers from Firenze (Florence) and also very close to other cities in the region such as Siena and Pisa. Prato is famous for its production of woolen fabrics which has been ongoing here since the middle ages. Prato currently has 180,000 inhabitants and the city is divided into three main sections : city centre, eastern zone, and industrial zone. The city centre lies within a hexagonal circuit of walls that date back to the 14th century. The center of town is dominated by the Emperor’s Castle, which is the only example of Schwaben architecture of it’s kind in Northern Italy. (Schwabia is the area of Western Bavaria east of the Black Forest). In addition to the Duomo (cathedral) there are a number of other Catholic Churches within the city walls, and I am sure we took pictures of all of them. When I finally met up with my family, we had a delicious dinner at one of the outdoor restaurants on the Piazza. We were all exhausted from the heat and the long day… We made it back to the Hotel Flora and managed to cram the stroller into what is possibly the world’s tiniest elevator enroute to the 3rd floor to room 50, where we are residing. Ciao…..
Today was the first day of the Monash 5th Pharmacy Education Symposium. The theme for the conference is “Fitness to Practice: Competency based teaching and learning in pharmacy”. This symposium occurs every 2 years, and for the last 3 symposium, they have been held here in Prato. There are roughly 80 participants here. Cheri, if you are reading this, the student’s poster arrived this morning just in time for me to take to the technology session. The early morning session was a debate about competency. The speakers were both from the UK and kept the audience quite engaged. I only wish you all could be here to hear them…. As I am afraid words can’t properly describe the session so I am not even going to try to explain.
I was privileged to sit with Dr. Henri Manasse at lunch today. Dr. Manasse was one of the guest speakers and he is the CEO of the American Society of Health –System Pharmacists. I also met a colleague from the University of North Carolina…. Interestingly, he grew up in Ligonier, PA, not too far from my hometown of Derry. It is such a small world……..
I presented posters for both the student’s Pharmacy Insights project and DM Educate. Both were quite successful in the discussions I had with the many participants here. I met individuals from Canada, Malaysia, Indonesia, Australia, the US, the UK, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, and Ireland. I certainly hope that some of them contact the school to discuss signing up for DM Educate (fingers crossed). This technology session had very interesting and innovative advances in pharmacy education, most notably about 4 different types of Virtual Technology. I would have to say that Keele University out of the UK has gone far beyond any another program I have ever seen…. (Randy, I got you their brochure and contact information). They are now working in collaboration with the Monash University faculty in developing multiple types of virtual experiences for the students. They are using a combination of real life patients (paid actors) via video technology, and then turning some of these real life patients into Avatars for the virtual reality exercises. While I was manning my booth (and I was the only one fully decked with candy and pens (thanks Cheri)), I was approached by a gentleman from Colorado that told me he will soon be coming to Pittsburgh. This gentleman is no other than Ralph Altiere, who is the Dean of the University of Colorado School of Pharmacy and he is going to be one of our Accreditors for the ACPE accreditation in November. I was once again, honored.... Hopefully I will see him on campus in November.
I also met a pharmacist from Malaysia. After we chatted for awhile, I asked him if he knew Haniki Nik Mohammed. Every time I meet a pharmacist from Malaysia (which happens more often than you might think) they always know Haniki..... Haniki graduated from PharmD school with me in Memphis, TN. Apparently he is quite well know in Malaysia as an advocate for smoking cessation. We keep in touch occasionally via email. I will have to email him and tell him hello....
The day was long for me…. Starting at 9am and ending at 7pm. I did learn something interesting about Prato – Prato has the largest Chinese population in Europe outside of Paris.
Daddy and Isabel spent the day resting and touring the city. Prato lies in the middle of the northern area of Tuscany, a few kilometers from Firenze (Florence) and also very close to other cities in the region such as Siena and Pisa. Prato is famous for its production of woolen fabrics which has been ongoing here since the middle ages. Prato currently has 180,000 inhabitants and the city is divided into three main sections : city centre, eastern zone, and industrial zone. The city centre lies within a hexagonal circuit of walls that date back to the 14th century. The center of town is dominated by the Emperor’s Castle, which is the only example of Schwaben architecture of it’s kind in Northern Italy. (Schwabia is the area of Western Bavaria east of the Black Forest). In addition to the Duomo (cathedral) there are a number of other Catholic Churches within the city walls, and I am sure we took pictures of all of them. When I finally met up with my family, we had a delicious dinner at one of the outdoor restaurants on the Piazza. We were all exhausted from the heat and the long day… We made it back to the Hotel Flora and managed to cram the stroller into what is possibly the world’s tiniest elevator enroute to the 3rd floor to room 50, where we are residing. Ciao…..
Sunday, July 5, 2009
A room with a view......
July 5 – Day 7
Today we left Munich and traveled via our huge VW Caddy to Prato, Italy. Today is also the first time in a week that we had access to wi-fi. As I know you have all been waiting for the updates of the trip, I advise you to please scroll down and read them chronologically after reading this sentence……..that means now…. Come back to this paragraph later…..
We left Munich this morning after eating breakfast at the Pension Mayr. The drive from Munich to Prato took us about 8 hours, as we stopped for lunch in a beautiful little town called Bosen. (We have decided to add Bosen to the list of places we would like to visit again in the future). Words cannot truly describe the beauty you see at each turn while driving through the Alps to Tuscany…. Just when you think you have seen the most beautiful church atop the most magnificent peak with rolling hills, you make another turn or go through another tunnel to find the next breathtaking view. I did manage to take a few shots as we were racing down the autobahn, and as soon as Bela downloads the pictures we will have some up on the blog. Isabel slept a good portion of the way here today. Her sleeping patterns are surprisingly normal since our arrival, but I guess riding in the car can be quite tiresome even for little people.
When we finally arrived in Prato, we had only slight difficulty making our way to the Hotel Flora, as the TomTom kept wanting us to travel down one way streets the wrong way. The hotel is quite modern despite its appearances. We have AIR CONDITIONING!!!!!!! I didn’t realize know how we take such things for granted, until sleeping in conditions where air is truly warranted. And, we have our own bathroom here…. Now, if you didn’t scroll down and read in chronological order, then I guess you will have to wait to see what this means…..
After a leisurely stroll through the city, we found a side walk restaurant so that we could eat dinner. Bela was worried he wouldn’t be able to remember his Italian, but it came right back to him. I, however, don’t speak Italian, and am still responding in German as best I can. We are pretty sure we had dinner next to a table of transgendered individuals… in any event, they were 3 women with very large Adam’s Apples, and Bela kept staring at them.
We located Monash University so that I know where to go in the morning for my conference. And, Cheri, in case you are reading this…. The boxes arrived, but no poster (unless the poster is inside the box??)
It is getting late here…. Sweet Dreams Family and Friends…..
Today we left Munich and traveled via our huge VW Caddy to Prato, Italy. Today is also the first time in a week that we had access to wi-fi. As I know you have all been waiting for the updates of the trip, I advise you to please scroll down and read them chronologically after reading this sentence……..that means now…. Come back to this paragraph later…..
We left Munich this morning after eating breakfast at the Pension Mayr. The drive from Munich to Prato took us about 8 hours, as we stopped for lunch in a beautiful little town called Bosen. (We have decided to add Bosen to the list of places we would like to visit again in the future). Words cannot truly describe the beauty you see at each turn while driving through the Alps to Tuscany…. Just when you think you have seen the most beautiful church atop the most magnificent peak with rolling hills, you make another turn or go through another tunnel to find the next breathtaking view. I did manage to take a few shots as we were racing down the autobahn, and as soon as Bela downloads the pictures we will have some up on the blog. Isabel slept a good portion of the way here today. Her sleeping patterns are surprisingly normal since our arrival, but I guess riding in the car can be quite tiresome even for little people.
When we finally arrived in Prato, we had only slight difficulty making our way to the Hotel Flora, as the TomTom kept wanting us to travel down one way streets the wrong way. The hotel is quite modern despite its appearances. We have AIR CONDITIONING!!!!!!! I didn’t realize know how we take such things for granted, until sleeping in conditions where air is truly warranted. And, we have our own bathroom here…. Now, if you didn’t scroll down and read in chronological order, then I guess you will have to wait to see what this means…..
After a leisurely stroll through the city, we found a side walk restaurant so that we could eat dinner. Bela was worried he wouldn’t be able to remember his Italian, but it came right back to him. I, however, don’t speak Italian, and am still responding in German as best I can. We are pretty sure we had dinner next to a table of transgendered individuals… in any event, they were 3 women with very large Adam’s Apples, and Bela kept staring at them.
We located Monash University so that I know where to go in the morning for my conference. And, Cheri, in case you are reading this…. The boxes arrived, but no poster (unless the poster is inside the box??)
It is getting late here…. Sweet Dreams Family and Friends…..
No fireworks here.....
July 4 – Day 6
Happy Birthday America!! We celebrated the national holiday today by walking for what felt like miles all over Munich to shop for Tracht… we were in the shopping area around the Marien Platz, which is the famous square in Munich. There is a beautiful old clock tower that resembles a cuckoo clock – the life size characters come alive and dance on the hour. Isabel and I trailed behind Daddy the majority of the day, as he walks much faster than us. Isabel was an absolute angel until we tried to attend Mass at St. Michael the Archangel (down the street from the Dom Frauenkirche (which is the Cathedral of Our Lady). Her version of singing resonated quite nicely in the glorious sanctuary, and as such… I had to take her outside. I spent the next hour praying that Mass would be over soon. Isabel spent the next hour trying her hardest to get into the fountain. We attempted to eat some himbeere (raspberries), but Isabel practically threw them into the fountain, too.
The day was long but successful….. we found a few Dirndl that we purchased for Mom, Isabel and Dorothy. Isabel’s, of course, is super cute!!! Holly, if you are reading this…. Bela snagged some “buttons” for your mom’s gift…. We ended the day in the true German Fashion – drinking beer at a Biergarten near our Pension.
Happy Birthday America!! We celebrated the national holiday today by walking for what felt like miles all over Munich to shop for Tracht… we were in the shopping area around the Marien Platz, which is the famous square in Munich. There is a beautiful old clock tower that resembles a cuckoo clock – the life size characters come alive and dance on the hour. Isabel and I trailed behind Daddy the majority of the day, as he walks much faster than us. Isabel was an absolute angel until we tried to attend Mass at St. Michael the Archangel (down the street from the Dom Frauenkirche (which is the Cathedral of Our Lady). Her version of singing resonated quite nicely in the glorious sanctuary, and as such… I had to take her outside. I spent the next hour praying that Mass would be over soon. Isabel spent the next hour trying her hardest to get into the fountain. We attempted to eat some himbeere (raspberries), but Isabel practically threw them into the fountain, too.
The day was long but successful….. we found a few Dirndl that we purchased for Mom, Isabel and Dorothy. Isabel’s, of course, is super cute!!! Holly, if you are reading this…. Bela snagged some “buttons” for your mom’s gift…. We ended the day in the true German Fashion – drinking beer at a Biergarten near our Pension.
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