Tree Branch Over the Highway

While in Aiken, SC off the Aiken/Augusta Highway, I saw this tree branch.  Someone clearly keeps it trimmed underneath to avoid tractor-trailer trucks from hitting it.

I have no idea what type of tree it is, but I wonder if it is record breaking.  I had never seen such a thing; yet, the local people probably pass by it everyday and never think anything of it.

Disintegration of my Nike Max Air Sneakers

 I decided to put my thirteen (13) years old Nike Max Air sneakers back in rotation to wear.  

Based on the "Made in China" label, I think the sneakers were manufactured 02/17/2000. 

 So the sneakers may be 14 years old. Traction still looked good at the bottom of the sneakers.

 The leather uppers still look good from all angles.

 It was not until about the 6th hour of wearing the sneakers that I started to notice "pieces" on the floor.

Then I realized that my sneakers were starting to feel funny.  I looked down and the sole of my sneakers literally was loosen, breaking, and falling apart.

I will have to find out if the the sole can be replaced.  The leather upper is still in good condiiton.

Thank God that I was close to home to switch out shoes before these sneakers literally disintegrated from age and material.

Latest Trend: Rubber band Loom Kits

Photo credit:  www.rainbowloom.com

Do you remember the "Silly Bandz" trend a few years ago?  Well, the "rubber band" artwork continues with the rubber band loom kits.  You can now find these kits everywhere from the grocery store to the convenience store.  They are a colorful supply of rubber bands and usually a hook tool.  I believe that there are a few other components included in the kits to assist with various bracelet and necklace designs.

The Silly Bandz trend lasted a couple of years . . . I am going to give this new rubber band trend another year.

Carolinas Healthcare System states "No Legal Right"

In my seven years of satisfactory and exemplary service at Carolinas Healthcare System,  I remember:

• Working full eight hour days on Thanksgiving Thursdays to provide residents/patients with recreational therapy (i.e. hair services.)
• Making residents look nice because their great-grandson was bringing an important young lady to meet her, and she wanted to look nice for the new potential bride.
• Having residents/patients touch my arm at completion of hair services just to say "thank you" because they had not been able to get their hair shampooed for weeks or even a month because of prior long hospital stays and surgeries that restricted their range of motion.
• Having to use my Carolinas Healthcare System's dementia training to coach Alzheimer's patients into allowing me to perform their hair services because their loved ones wanted their hair maintained.
• Listening for changes in the residents' breathing patterns or their overall mental and emotional health.
• Teaming with the nursing staff, the physical therapy staff, the occupational staff to coordinate hair appointments around therapies, doctor's appointments, eating times, and field trips.
• Teaming with the cleaning staff when patients got sick and the floor needed special clean-up procedures and disinfecting.
• Effectively communicating with social workers to ensure that they were providing family members with accurate hair service updates.
• Attending facility forums and staff meetings.

This nine bullet point list is just a small portion of my contributions to Carolinas Healthcare System in my seven years of service.

In my latter years of CHS service, I was discriminated against, retaliated against, refused job interviews by direct upline management, refused grievance resolution by human resources, and then offered a "Separation Agreement and Release" by a CHS Senior management official who had never even met me.

Carolinas Healthcare System is very impersonal.  They have become performance driven for their top level management only.  In my latter years with them, they consistently hired people into management positions without "healthcare industry experience."  I saw it with my own eyes.  These "new hires" were not even smart enough to limit their conversation surrounding their new positions in which they were not the best qualified candidate. But no one can complain without being subjected to a hostile work environment.

Is Carolinas Healthcare System a "great place to work?"  It depends on if you are a senior executive or if you were hired with preferential treatment.

For example, according to an interview between the Charlotte Observer newspaper and CHS, CHS states that only senior executives may use the CHS aircrafts for personal use.

This practice is discriminatory in my opinion, because when people are being admitted to CHS facilities for "care without compromise" - the senior executives are NOT typically the ones concerned with patient's immediate health.  In addition, I have not seen a CHS Senior executive do half the manual labor that I did while being employed at CHS.

I also remind you that Charlotte Mecklenburg Hospital Authority d/b/a Carolinas Healthcare System is a public, multi-billion dollar "non-profit" organization, and as a former CHS employee who was laid off, I have repeatedly asked CHS to be

• courteous
• compassionate about my emotional distress and mental anguish that I suffered from their recent management changes
• caring about my seven years of committment to their organization
• customer service driven as I was an internal CHS customer who has complained going on four years about CHS injustices.

Yet, CHS states that I have "NO LEGAL RIGHT TO any form of severance payment."

So to anyone considering working for Carolinas Healthcare System, there is no guarantee that you are going to get fair treatment, but you may at least get some employee perks like this "CHS retractable lawn chair."

 To the "front line" CHS employees that are hands-on with the patients, I salute you.  God will definitely reward you even if CHS does not.

The Compromise: The Nutty Fruitcake

 The perfect fruitcake for those who can't stand all that candied fruit!  The candied fruit is only on top of the fruitcake for decoration.  The rest of the loaf is a moist, rich "nutty" cake.  So for the candied fruit lovers, there is just enough fruit on top to satisfy your taste buds and make everyone happy.

 I discovered this "Southern Supreme Old Fashioned Nutty Fruitcake" at the Southern Christmas Show in November 2013.  I definitely look forward to purchasing more nutty fruitcake from them in the years to come.

The fruitcake was professionally sealed.  The packaging from box to bag was just top notch.  The company is based out of Bear Creek, NC.

Southern Supreme Gourmet Specialities also offer other Traditional Confections like jellies, relishes, peanut brittle and much more.  www.southernsupreme.com

Dallas Buyers Club: The Bible Belt Response

The "Dallas Buyers Club" movie is only playing at three theatres in Charlotte, NC.  The "Twelve Years a Slave" movie started out in the same three theatres, but quickly expanded to all the movie theatres throughout Charlotte, NC.

Dallas Buyers Club received outstanding reviews starring Matthew McConaughey and Jennifer Garner, but it is almost a month later, and no extra theatres are adding it to their line-up.

I decided to see it because of the rave reviews, and I appreciate movies based on a true story.

What I didn't expect was the feeling of being ostracized just by going to see the movie.  When I handed my ticket to the "ticket tearer," the guy saw the name of the movie and his facial countenance changed, and he barely wanted to return my half of the ticket stub in my hand.  I swear even the way he said "Theatre 15" sounded scornful. I did not make a big deal because I was running a little behind schedule to watch the movie, and there's a saying that it's a waste of time arguing with an ignorant individual.

There were only a handful of people in the audience for this showing.  Some of these people could have been HIV positive or even knew of someone with AIDS.  Judging by one audience member's emotional response to the movie, I assume that he some firsthand experience with a loved one dealing AIDS.

It was really weird because there seemed to be tension in the air.  No one really wanted to even speak after the movie.  Everyone just quietly went on their way.

The main character in the movie engaged in a LOT of recreational unprotected  heterosexual sex, drugs and alcohol.   So of course, I am thinking that contracting HIV was not a surprise.  I was never emotionally connected to the movie because I never knowingly had any friends nor family that had to survive this particular sickness.

Having worked in the healthcare industry for several years, I had to take universal precautions when dealing with patients and/or residents.  I believe that HIV status is on a "need to know" basis.  So I was not told in advance if someone was HIV positive.  Honestly, there are probably a lot of people who are clueless to carrying any type of virus.

I was told that many people refuse to be "HIV tested" because if the test comes back positive, then their life will forever change and they are not ready for that kind of change so they would rather not know.  This is the reckless and selfish choice, but from what I've heard, it is the modern day stance on the topic of testing.

I personally feel that everyone should have a full range of tests completed with every serious dating relationship just to keep a reality check on one's health.  However, if people are dating new people every month or two, the testing probably would not accurately show any viruses soon enough to narrow down which partner was the source.

My main purpose for writing this article is to document how I, being an overall healthy person, felt going to watch an "alternative" type of movie in the "bible belt." The "Bible belt" is not a friendly place for those with illnesses or disabilities.  So it does not surprise me that people are choosing "not to know" the status of their health because ultimately, they just want to fit in and be respected.

Southern Christmas Show 2013 Charlotte, NC

The Southern Christmas Show 2013 in Charlotte, NC  was held at the Park Expo Center. 

There were plenty of Christmas trees.

 Plenty of Vendors:  From Fudge to Fruitcakes and Clothing from Head to Toe.

The Decorations were fantastic and festive throughout the show.  There was even wine tasting!

I loved these "water" fountains. 

Plan for six hours of walking and shopping!