Top 6 Things I Hate About Hospitals

1. Old Nurses - I realize that they have seen EVERYTHING, including Washington crossing the Delaware, but why do they have to give such attitude when you ask questions? Fortunately, we only had to deal with one of these with Chase. It was during the first or second day, and we really had not had any good explanations about Chase yet. Her face just showed annoyance to any question asked. She seemed most annoyed when I asked if there was another nurse that could take care of Chase. *sheesh*
2. The term "Stable" - I guess that's more efficient and more clinical than saying, "Well, he's not getting any worse, but he's really not getting better..."
3. Seeing any child hospitalized - It's horrible, but there were several times I thanked God that Chase was not any worse than the dozens of kids we had to pass by every day. And then you feel guilty. And you say a silent prayer for those kids. And you hug your child.
4. W_a_i_t_i_n_g - For the doctor to come by. For the next drug being pumped into your son to work. For test results to come back. For mystery diseases to finally reveal themselves. For discharge paperwork.
5. Bad cable reception and no Internet - If you check into any hotel, you get these things standard. And they are no way near as costly a night like a hospital room.
6. The physical toll - Crappy food or fast food eaten on the fly, lousy sleeping arrangements, very little sleep either from nurses waking you or simply worrying, and mental exhaustion wear your body down.

Top 6 Things I Like About Hospitals

1. Older Doctors - They may make you wait, but when they get there they do take the time. And have no problem giving you the answers to your questions.
2. Young Nurses - Okay, not because they are perky and cute. They really are great around kids. They are exactly perfect for working in Pediatrics. (And because they are perky and cute!)
3. Visits from sports players and Ronald McDonald - They don't have to do it, but it is so great that they do!
4. Wheelchair rides around the hospital - The change of scenery, even if it is to the x-ray room, is still refreshing and welcome.
5. All the latex-free gloves you can stuff in your pockets. - The way I look at it, I've paid for them, many times over.
6. Everyone finally going home together. - A house is never so empty as when you are in it alone. Especially when you don't know when your child will be able to come home. But, that all disappears instantly when a child's laughter fills it again.

Top 6 - A Celebration of Cars

So, I was watching Cars again, for about the 400th time.  With Chase, at least for most of it.  He's obsessed with construction vehicles, so this holds his fascination for a bit.  And Daddy gets a breather right before nap time. For both of us...
Anyway, I was thinking about the price of gas, and wondering if this movie was scheduled to come out, say around Christmas, if it would garner as big an audience as it did back in 2006.  Would we as a society be put off by a movie about cars and racing?  Then one of the songs started.  And I realized that we celebrate our cars, no matter what.  Both in film and in music.
So, with $4.00 a gallon for gas, here is my Top 6 list for celebrating all things automotive:
1.  Life is a Highway - Tom Cochran, 1991 (And the song that inspired the list)
2.  I Can't Drive 55 - Sammy Hagar, 1984  (A must on any car song list, even if they have raised the speed limit.)
3.  Little Duece Coupe - Beach Boys, 1963 (They invented the car song genre.)
4.  Drive - The Cars, 1984 (Yeah, I know. Way too obvous a choice)
5.  Hot Rod Lincoln - Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen, 1972  ("Son, you're gonna' drive me to drinkin' If you don't stop drivin' that Hot Rod Lincoln")
6.  Little Red Corvette - Prince, 1983 (Chevy used the song as part of an ad campaign where the slogan was "They don't write songs about Volvos".  I had to include it in my list just for that!)
Right now, I want to get into a Mustang, crank up the stereo, and drive until I'm out of gas!

So, let me know.  Agree? Disagree? Your choices?

Top 6 Times and Places I Would Visit

I changed my major from architecture to graphic design after two years of college. That meant that I had way too many "history of" classes in both areas. The art side was better in that there was a focus on the cultures that produced the works instead of dryly talking about the art by itself. Still, both gave insights into some interesting moments and places. When I finally perfect my time machine, these are the first stops:

1. The pyramids of Giza - circa 2500 BC* I would love to see the actual construction of these structures.
*Um, yeah. How would you program a time machine to understand BC dates? Is Zero considered a year?
2. Machu Picchu, Peru - circa 1450 AD The Incans were far ahead of the dominant cultural/technological wave that moved across the Earth. To see the heart of their empire in its splendor, would give such insight into a world we can only speculate.
3. Roswell, New Mexico - July 7, 1947 Right, like you wouldn't want to know the truth. I probably would arrive a few days earlier. The government could have lied about the actual date, too!
4. Eiffel Tower - 31 March, 1889 Somehow I would wrangle an invite to be part of the inaugural celebration. (I would probably take a few for a spin in my time machine!)
5. Leonardo Da Vinci's studio - circa 1502 I could then answer definitively what caused Lisa Gherardini, wife of Francesco del Giocondo to smile so when she posed for her portrait. My theory - Leo painted her with no pants on. And being a distinguished lady, she merely smiled that enigmatic smile.
6. Williams High School Plano, TX 1980 I would have a real long talk with myself. Be that object lesson as to what being an underachiever will bring you. Wait. If I have developed and fully funded a working time machine, I would just prove myself correct! OUCH! Damn time paradoxes always give me migraines.

Top 6 - 80's Songs I Sing With When in the Car Alone

1. You Spin Me Round (Like a Record) - Dead or Alive, 1985
2. Walk Like an Egyptian - The Bangles, 1986
3. Tainted Love - Soft Cell, 1981
4. You Give Love a Bad Name - Bon Jovi, 1986
5. Land of Confusion - Genesis, 1986
6. An Innocent Man - Billy Joel, 1983

It helped that Tainted Love and You Spin Me were used in Coneheads and Wedding Singer, respectively. This gave them more airtime.
Land of Confusion still has one of my favorite vidoes. It is fascinating to see that the anti-Republican playbook remains the same today: show the opposition as being incompetent, ignorant or an imbicile.

Why a Top 6? Because it's one better that 5, and not as cumbersome as 10.