Childhood Safety

Years ago, there was an advertising campaign that announced the time, and said  "Do you know where your children are?"   Most recently, a local TV station, KCBD   has been airing the advertisement "It's 10 O'clock, Do You Know What Your Children Are Doing?"  I think that is great, and it gets to the heart of the matter that so many children are home, hopefully safe in their own homes, in their own bedrooms, even, but accessing so many dangerous sites on the Internet. And of course, children at home, who are offered absolute privacy by their parents, can be engaged in other risky behavior in their own rooms.  When I was growing up, my bedroom was my bedroom, but I had no expectation of absolute privacy.  While I was growing up, I sometimes resented that, but as an adult, I think that is a safety net for children if used discreetly.  

Caught!

So, after I finished my errands and went home on October 26, 2017, I decided go out again. I took my usual route for this particular trip which took me north on Indiana to 50th Street, then west on 50th.  50th Street is three lanes, each direction, with either a center barrier, or a center turning lane. 

As I turned left onto 50th, I saw a Lubbock Police Department SUV behind me with the lights flashing in my side view mirror.  This did not compute, so I looked in my rear view mirror, and I just barely could see the roof top light bar on the SUV lit up, just for me.  I thought about stopping in the left most lane, but decided that was not safe on 50th Street, so I slowed and pulled over to the right most lane looking for a place to pull off 50th Street.  I found it.  The CVS parking lot.  So, that is where I went with my tail behind me.

I stopped the car and shut it off, lowered the window, then remembered to leave my hands on the steering wheel where they could be seen.  The officer approached and said "I bet you don't know why I pulled you over."  I said "You are correct."  He proceeded to tell me I had a brake light out.  I think he said it was on the left side, but I was too rattled to remember. He asked if I had my insurance and license and I said I did. I produced the insurance first, folded into a tiny little square. He looked at it and returned it to me, noting he folded it the way it was.  I then gave him my license, which he took to his unit.

Shortly thereafter, he returned and gave me the license back. I apologized to him if I did not stop soon enough. He said that I was fine, that if I hadn't stopped in a timely way, he would have "given a bump of the siren." He then thanked me for responding by slowing down, pulling to the right and finding a place where we were both safe. He then asked me to get the brake light fixed at my earliest convenience.  He came to the car without his summons book open, so I figure that was his plan all along. 

As we were talking, I saw his partner get out of his vehicle. I suspect the partner thought I was giving the officer some grief.  

The officer at my car said they would back out of my way, so I could go. I told him I was going to go out the other direction and get the brake light repaired right then.  He thanked me and I thanked him.

I went to Bolton's Oil Change just down the street, where I get the oil changed in the Vue and have inspections done. Since my oil life was down to 36% at the beginning of October, I decided to get the oil change done the same time I had the brake light repaired. I told them I had been stopped because of the brake light, and they got a kick out of that. They were surprised when I said I did not get a ticket!

Then I went to a very late lunch.  As I paid out, the cashier asked my how my day was, and I told him that it was good, that I had been stopped by a police officer who told me I had a brake light out, and asked me to get it fixed but did not get a ticket.  I said I thought the Lubbock Police Department is a good police department, and the cashier agreed, and then I said Lubbock was a good place to live, and he agreed.  He seemed sincere, but what do I know.

So, later I got on the Lubbock Police Department website, and learned you could send complaints or commendations to the Internal Affairs Department. I sent a thank you acknowledging I did not think to get the officer's name or badge number, but he was very polite and professional.   

Preparation

The air conditioner/furnace replacement is scheduled for later, on August 11, 2017.  In preparation, I moved out the materials that are around the general area where the crew will be working.  I hope I did not under estimate the area they need.  I may have to empty more of one closet, but if that is the case, it will not be difficult.  

Haiku is very distressed by this disturbance in our environment. Taki stays close, which is usual for her, or she hides.  She also hisses if the situation becomes untenable for her.

I am concerned how to handle the cats tomorrow.  I do not want them to be in the way, but I hate to lock them down in a room or the cat stroller, if I do not have to.  Because I suspect the workers will need access to the attic, which is through the garage, I cannot put the girls in the garage.

I will play this by ear. I suspect the cats will resolve the issue for themselves, and find a place to hide.  

Weather Safe Room

In West Texas, it is advisable to have a weather safe room.  In this day and age, they build these very safe rooms as part of new houses, or retrofit them into older houses. I have an older house, and I have not had a safe room retrofitted into my house.

A storm cellar is optimal.  You can and should register a storm cellar with the local emergency services authority, so they can check on you, especially if debris covers the bulkhead door that prevents egress after the emergency. Storm cellars can have electric service, and even a ventilation access. Some storm cellars are very elaborate, with beds, food, refrigerators, and first aid emergency supplies. Some are basic walls in the ground.

The next best option, if a storm cellar is not available, and you do not have a safe room, is to be on be on the lowest level possible, and to have as many walls as possible between yourself and the outside walls of the building. A small space is more advisable than a large open space.

In my house, the best option is the closet in the master bedroom.  I have an emergency box in the closet, that I try to keep updated:  food for me and the cats, water, a radio the uses battery, crank, and solar power, and other items.  If an emergency occurs, I could easily sweep up my pills and other necessary items from my dresser.  At least they would all be with me.

Many years ago, because we were under a tornado warning, I moved the cat crates into this closet, and moved Haiku and Saki into the closet with me. Since then, I have left the crates in the closet. After that, if there were serious storms, Saki and Haiku would seek out the crates on their own, although Sake would stay under the overhang at the foot of the bed until things got really bad. Even though Sake hated being in a crate, if the weather was scary enough she would seek it out. Haiku did not mind; she would, and still does, often nap in a crate. 

Some time ago, I had one occasion to put Saki, Haiku and Taki in their own crate in the closet due to severe weather. Haiku and Sake did fine. Taki continually tried to claw her way out of the crate.

I have noticed, however, that when the weather gets bad, although Haiku repairs to the closet, Taki lays in the little hall on the East end of my house. This is probably the second best place to be during severe weather in my house.  It is small, but open. There are openings to 3 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, and the living room, so it is not really closed off. There are doors to 3 bedrooms and the bathroom, so that could help. And, where there are walls, the walls of the hall are all inside walls. 

Today, when the storm was at its worse, I was in the computer room, and Taki was in a chair next to me. She woke up, and squeaked her special squeak that indicates distress.  She moved to the hall, and stayed there until well after the storm had moved through. Haiku was in the crate she likes to sleep in, well before the storm blew through. 

I am hopeful, that if I am not home and there is severe weather, my cats will be able to figure out where they need to go for safety. 

Open Carry, Concealed Carry, and My Safety

So, I am not against people owning guns that are reasonable. I do not think private citizens need assault weapons, however.

Think people should have to take gun safety courses before they can carry a gun, whether for hunting, skeet shooting, target practice or self protection.  Texas requires people to have a concealed hand gun license if you want to carry a concealed gun.

Texas just passed some laws about open carry, guns on college campuses, making both legal.

I know how I feel about this.

I think if people are carrying concealed weapons, they are probably doing so for protection. I dislike the carrying of concealed weapons, because we do not know who has a gun, and I guess we should act as if anyone around us could have a gun.

I know how I feel about open carry. There are those who are for it because they say you know what you are dealing with that way.  That is not so, because open carry does not require people with concealed guns to expose them.  It does, however, become a public statement about having a gun at the ready, to flourish and use, if their situation is to their disliking.

I think open carrying of weapons is what amounts to a threat, or a dare.  It declares the wearer ready to fight in a violent way.  I think Texas is going to see some horrible gun fights before someone gets smart and repeals the law.  Because we know that having a gun at the ready makes it that much more likely that someone will use it without thinking through the consequences and other options.

http://www.statesman.com/news/news/state-regional-govt-politics/whataburger-takes-stand-against-texas-new-open-car/nmxf6/

So, do I like the announcement from Whataburger?  Yes.  So much so that I am going to go to Whataburger, a place I do not normally frequent, and tell them I am there just because I support their banning of open carry.

This is the other sad thing.  I did not use the term gun or firearms in the title. I wonder how many of you knew it pertained to guns and firearms, and not something else.  If you are from Texas, you probably did not think twice about what it referred to.

The Boston Marathon Bombers

It has been 2 years since the bombing at the  Boston Marathon http://www.baa.
The safety plan for a safe event has been enhanced. The lone surviving perpetrator, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, will be sentenced soon.  The victims have been supported.  And the community support has been great!

It is my hope that we will treat April 20, 2015 with respect and dignity.  While I am against the death penalty, I have thought hard about this. I do not  want the perpetrator sentenced to death.  I believe the death penalty will make him a martyr for his cause.

Life without parole will be a living hell for Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.  I do not wish him a living hell. But I do not wish him martyr status.

Wintry Weather

I do not think it ever got above freezing today.  I waited until right after noon to run errands, driving very slowly, taking my time. It is interesting how the street conditions were.  My street, and several of the residential streets in my neighborhood looked fairly clear.  Some of the more well travelled major streets were still snow covered.  I am not sure what that is about.  As I think about it, maybe the major streets were more traveled yesterday, and the snow could have been packed into ice, as it was not even close to freezing.  When people started going out on the residential streets today, the snow melted with the traffic as it was not packed into ice.  Maybe. Maybe not.

I timed it right. By the time I got home, the temperature had peaked and the temperature was dropping.

I would normally have gone to the Lady Raider Basketball game, especially because it is senior night, the last regularly scheduled home game of the year. But, I did not want to be out and about driving tonight.

In fact, it was a double header today, with the men's team playing this afternoon.  It was senior night for them, too.  If the weather had been nice, I probably would have gone to both games.  The men's team won.  Let's hope the women's team does too. 

So, the weather has affected my plans.  I am okay staying home, and being safe.

CPR

I first learned CPR http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardiopulmonary_resuscitation when I was in the 7th grade.  My Girl Scout troop http://www.girlscouts.org/ was working on a first aid badge, and CPR was part of the training.

Well, throughout high school and college, I did not keep up my certification, but my first social work job with Catholic Family Service, Inc. Diocese of Amarillo (new name: Catholic Charities of the Texas Panhandle http://www.cctxp.org/) required me to know CPR.  I remember going through an all day training.

Since then, I have renewed my CPR because my employers required it, and offered it as employee training. The quality of training has varied, and I have had varying confidence in my ability to manage a crisis situation, until I was in a class at the Texas Department of Health.  I cannot remember the instructor's name, but he was very insistent that we know the procedures well.

The procedures and protocols have changed, almost every 2 years, when I take renewal course at work.  But, the basic procedure is the same. And, CPR can save lives.

Weather Caution: I Don't Get It

So, I have previously written about the massive shutdown by governments, schools and businesses based on the prediction of a massive storm that hit the Northeast.  The massive part of the storm missed New York City, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey.  Government and business officials were criticized for the shut downs.

Another storm was predicted for over the weekend and into Monday.  I think the airlines rescheduled flights, but I did not hear about the massive shut downs of the previous storm.  And, the winter punch was heavy. There were deaths, accidents, lots of problems with storm clean up and people being stuck on the roads.

So, here is my question. Which was the better response? I know for me the radical response that required people to hunker down and shelter in, and be safe, no matter the cost to government and industry, was worth much more than the response that allowed personal freedom that resulted in multiple deaths, problems with clean up, and other issues regarding the storm.

Sorry, the older I get, the more I vote for safety first..

Winter Weather Alert

Earlier this week, a gigantic winter weather storm was predicted for the northeast, expect to drop as much as 2-3 feet of snow on the entire northeast, including New York City, Philadelphia, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Maine.

As a result, the governments of the respective agencies in those parts of the world shut the communities down.  New York City, the State of Connecticut, Boston.  Roads were closed.  Driving was banned. Airlines closed.  Everything was shut down. 

Well, New York City, Philadelphia, and Connecticut did not take the hit that Massachusetts and Maine took, and there was a lot of criticism about closures.  I know it cost a lot of money to close everything down.  But my perspective is weather forecasting is not perfect, and the authorities did they best they could with what information they had.  And, had the forecast called for a mega-storm, and the authorities took no action, and snow clogged up everything, and lives were lost, that would have been worse. 

As it was there was snow, just not the large amounts expected.  And the comment was that with everything closed, it was easier to clean up than it would have been.

Safety first.

Snow

Well, we had more of an ice storm than a winter snow storm yesterday.  The forecast included that it would not warm up for the next few days.

I woke up about 4:30 AM and thought it was after 7:30 AM. As it was white out, I thought it was the white and bright of dawning day.  But no, it was the white and dull of low clouds and snow on the ground reflecting what little ambient light there was in the area. It does not hurt that we have a waxing gibbous moon right now, that provided some light above the cloud cover. That was an interesting sensation.

It has stayed cold today, so the typical snow and melt cycle of West Texas did not occur.  While I had plans for the day, nothing was urgent or emergent, so I decided to go with safety first and stayed in, and stayed warm.

I often think it would be nice to have a day to myself, with no obligations pending. Well, that was not quite the day, as I did do some chores around the house, but they were all pleasant, easy, and things that I enjoy.

The rest of my New Year's Eve will be more of the same.  Thank you. 

As we enter into the New Year, my wish for everyone is peace.

Pill Packs

So, I take prescribed medication, morning and night.  When I first started taking these medications, they came in plastic pill packs that contain blister cards of medication.  The cards were sometimes a little difficult to pull out of the plastic case, but not too bad.

Now, the blister cards some in cardboard sleeves.  The cards are tough to pull out, and after several weeks, the cardboard cards get soft, and bent and become difficult to pull out.  So, quite unsafely, I pull the cards out and leave them on top of the sleeve.  I  know this is  not safe.  There is nothing identifying on the card, that I can see.  So, if I get them mixed up, I would have to be able to identify the pills some how. I do not have small children who can get into the medication, but if the cats decided to play with the cards, there could be a problem.

I am not sure why pharmaceutical companies do pill packs like this instead of pill bottles.  It is not more convenient for me, and in fact is less convenient.  I suspect there is an economic reason for this.

Interestingly, I discovered a pill identifier on line http://www.drugs.com/imprints.php?drugname=pack.  I tried it for one of my pills, and it worked!  This is really good to know!

Electrical Storm Safety

Every year, at work, we are required to read about safety procedures during an electrical storm. My father and mother instilled these procedures into me and my siblings from an early age.  My maternal grandmother had been struck twice by lightning as she was not observing safety precautions (she survived both times.) When we were young, and an electrical storm moved in, we unplugged sensitive electrical appliances. And paid attention to safety precautions.

My colleagues and I were discussing the possibility of electrical storms moving into the area this weekend, and I commented that I wanted to get to the therapy pool before the storms moved in. The first question was "Is the pool outside?"  I explained that it was not, but it is closed during an electrical storm.

I went on to explain that we should not be in pools, tubs, working at the sink or stove during electrical storms.  We really should unplug sensitive electrical appliances, stay inside and out from under trees. All of this is in our annual training regarding electric storms.  I remarked that the National Weather Service http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?CityName=Lubbock&state=TX&site=LUB&lat=33.5759&lon=-101.875#.VApdo03wvug 
recommends that if there is thunder or lightning within a 15 mile radius, we should take precautions, be indoors, not be on a golf course on in a swimming pool.

My coworkers reacted in two ways:  Some acted as if this was new information!  We are talking about adults, all of whom are old enough to have raised children. All of whom are college educated. And, all of whom have been exposed to the above mentioned safety training for many, many years.  The other response was "I remember my mother (father) telling me those things!"

What is wrong with these people?  I do not know, but it explains to me why the lightning fatality statistics are what they are:  http://www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov/fatalities.htm.  For the most part, these are avoidable deaths.  It is so sad that they occur.  I will admit that sometimes, I put myself in harm's way, but mostly I am a lightning woosie, and try my best to avoid exposure to possible electrocution by lightning.

Is the Pool Open?

So, I have mentioned previously that I have joined the Lifestyle Center at Covenant Hospital http://www.covenanthealth.org/Our-Services/LifeStyle-Centre.aspx so that I can continue my physical therapy routine in the pool.  When I joined, I read the signs that the pool was closed during inclement weather.  I assumed this meant electric storms, but did not ask. It just made sense to me.

The middle of the week after I joined, there was an electric storm in the southeast part of Lubbock.  I had wanted to go to the pool that night, but decided not to.  My upbringing included stern warnings about activities during electric storms:  No swimming, no golf, get inside, stay away from doors and windows, unplug electric appliances like TVs, stay away from sinks, stoves, and other appliances that can conduct electricity, no baths or showers.

A few nights later, it was a cloudy day, so I asked at the Lifestyles front desk about the definition of inclement weather.  The woman at the front desk said rain is okay, but not thunder or lightning.  That night, one of the other pool participants commented that while we needed the rain, if there is thunder or lightning, they will close the pool.

We are anticipating severe weather tonight, as moisture streams in from the southwest from the Pacific hurricane Norbert (although the hurricane itself is heading northwest.) This moisture comes from outlier bands of the hurricane. I left work early, but after I had put in my 40 hours, and went to the Lifestyle Center.  No one was in the pool when I arrived.  I asked at the desk, and was told that the pool was open, as they had not heard thunder nor seen lightning (confirmed my experience.)

As it turned out, by the time I got into the pool, there were other people in there.  As my session wore on, some left and several others entered the pool.  We discussed the weather. One woman told me she called to ask about the status of the pool, and was answered sarcastically.  There was no need for that. I told her I asked when I arrived at the center, and was answered politely.  Well, the person who was at the desk when I arrived was not the person she spoke to. That is too sad: people dealing with the public have an obligation to be polite.  That may have been the hundredth call that person received about the pool status, but it was the first that person made.

So, as I was finishing my session, we saw raindrops.  Not really rain, just raindrops.  But, no thunder, no lightning, so the pool was not closed.

Finding Sake

So, Sake did not eat well this morning. The chicken I cut up for her felt tough and dry, and she does not seem to have the patience to deal with tough food. I do not blame her. But she eats dry food, mashed liver, paté depending on the flavor, and Fancy Feast Chicken Florentine, all of which were available to her.  I also put out some deli sliced turkey. Do you think I put out too many choices?   I sometimes I think I do, and that makes my cats too picky.  I just want Sake to eat. 

Well, when I got home tonight, the Chicken Florentine was on a dining room chair, not on the table, with the chicken and the liver, which were untouched, with the exception of the deli sliced turkey.  But how do I know which cat ate that?   I do not.

Haiku and Taki made their presence known, ate dinner and wandered around. Haiku went into the garage for a while. Taki  has lost her garage privileges for now.

I fed the outside cats, cleaned the cat pans.

And, the estimator from Rebath came and gave me an estimate to remodel the bathroom. 

But still no Sake.  I became concerned and started looking for her in every nook and cranny I could think of.  She was not under the bed in the spare bedroom. She was not in my closet, and at first, I thought she was not in the spare bedroom closet.

As I moved from room to room, Haiku and Taki moved with me and sat, acting concerned also.

But after looking at all the nooks and crannies in the closet in the spare bedroom, (there are too many) I saw her sitting on the floor in a little cave created by boxes and crates in the closet. It is actually a safe cave, so I was not too worried about her safety. She looked at me. Her eyes were clear. But she did not move, and I did not even reach in to pet her.  I looked at her, told her I was worried about her, and was glad to see her. And left her be.

I have not seen her out and about since.  She may have been.  I have spent a lot of time on the computer tonight, and my back is to where she would be moving about, unless she came into the computer room. She did not.

In the past when Sake has not felt well, she has holed up like this, and maybe even spent two or three days holed up before I saw her around and about. That does not mean she was not out and about, but not when I saw her.

At least, I know where she is.  I will pay attention to how she is the next few days, including eating and movement.

I am just thankful I found her. 

Police Call

I am sitting at home, quietly minding my own business.  I had just moved from the computer room, to the living room, still watching the NLCS game, and starting a new knitting project.  There was a knock at the door. 

I have the windows cracked and locked open, so I turned on the front porch light and looked out the window.  Imagine my surprise when I saw a police officer on my porch. I asked what he wanted, and he asked if I had called. I had not and told him so. He left, and the patrol car drove away quickly.

I called the police desk and asked them about this.  They verified there had been a call to "this area." So, either someone gave the wrong address, or they got the wrong address.  I thanked them for responding, anyway.

I just wanted to verify this was a legitimate police call. It seems to have been. But not for me. But it got my heart thumping a little.

Cooling Off

Our nights have really been cooling off lately, which makes the evening so pleasant. I have sat outside earlier than later, and have enjoyed being outside. One of the hallmarks of the South Plains is that the nights do cool off, and at various times throughout the summer, later in the evening, I have been able to sit out and enjoy the cool night air, or open the house and enjoy the cool air.

I have opened the house earlier than usual, but only, for safety and security reasons, opened the windows a few short inches, in a locked position. This limits the amount of cool fresh air coming in, but it is by far safer.

I know that if someone wanted to badly enough, they could break into my house with everything closed and locked. I also know that if someone wanted to, they could jimmy the windows open even in the open/locked position.  But the noise and time required to do so would be much more than if the windows were fully raised, and someone could just cut the screen and shimmy their way in the house through the window.

But, I do appreciate the option of opening the windows slightly, and letting the fresh air cool off the house.

Kayaking at Dunbar Historic Lake

When a friend and I purchased kayaks in 2007, we practiced paddling at very small playa lakes in the City of Lubbock http://www.mylubbock.us/departmental-websites/departments/parks-recreation/home: initially Leftwich Park, then Goedeke Park, and finally, the Canyon Lakes System.  The best lake to kayak on is Lake 6, or Dunbar Historic Lake http://www.ci.lubbock.tx.us/docs/parks-rec-file-library/bike-trails---dunbar-historical-lake.pdf?sfvrsn=2.

The water in all of these playa lakes is nasty.  Street run off, including oil, and other chemicals, lawn run off, including herbicides and pesticides, and sewage, although the City of Lubbock may deny it pollutes the waters. But we are not out there to swim, just to paddle.

When we first started paddling, we seldom saw people on the lakes. But as the years have progressed, we have talked to people about our experiences, and others have decided to join us. Also, some folks we do not know are out there on the water. Today, I went paddling. It was a beautiful day, a little breezy, but not bad. There was another male kayaker in a sit-in kayak, and two people out in sit-upon kayaks, and as I was disembarking, a father was launching his canoe to take his two children out, for some fishing. 

The use of the lakes has increased remarkably in the last 6 years. I am not sure how much the City of Lubbock can do about street pollutants entering into the Canyon Lake System, but I think it maybe time to ask them to look at the sewage system pollutants.

Snow Day!

Snow Day!  I was going to take the day off anyway, so it did not impact me too much.

When I went to bed, late, Sunday night, the ground was wet and the wind was blowing, but no snow.  At 5:45 AM  Monday morning, Tech sent out an alert that the Health Science Center clinics and classes were closed.  Which meant, that for the prison, social workers did not have to report (nurses did, they are essential.) So, my day off was a snow day!

I was able to get pretty much everything I had planned, except I did not run the errands I could not run on the weekend.

Sake and Haiku did not seem too interested in my presence.  A couple of times, Sake went into the garage, and came right back into the house.  Haiku cried to be held several times.  I think she may have been cold, but she has plenty of places to curl  up and be warm.

Taki seemed excited to have company.  She frequently played with my feet, and when I  moved from room to room, she followed and often asked for a treat when it was not treat time.  I think she sensed something was different.

The house was grey for much of the day, due to the cloud cover, and , to a lesser extent, the blowing snow.  About 2 PM the snow stopped. I went outside to shovel, which took about an hour (I have to have a lot of rests because it bothers my back.)  Before I was done shoveling, the sun came out brightly.  There was quite a bit of melting, as the temperature was in the low 40s, but the wind strong continued while I was shoveling, and continues. 

I think the wind kept Sake and Taki stirred up. I know Sake does not like the wind.

It will freeze tonight, so Tech delayed morning opening by 2.5 hours. I will go in on my time, when I am ready.  And, leave before it freezes, but most of the roads should be okay by tomorrow.

Safety Features

I have had a space heater, and decided that I needed two for the house.  The one I had has a feature that if it is tipped over, it will after a while, shut off.  The new space heater I purchased today also has the same feature. But it is very sensitive.  If it is at all moved from an upright position, it stops. So even adjusting it in the room stops it, sometimes, because the unit is tilted.

That is an excellent safety feature. I much rather have that inconvenience than the inconvenience of a house fire.