A new life

Having kept the grandchildren when they were babies, I still have three baby gates. They have found a new life! They are now cat gates!

Due to my lack of technological knowledge, I am unable to link to the previous post, but at one time I wrote about Sasha, my son’s cat who I am fostering. She loves to make objects commit suicide by knocking them off the counters. Oh, how I wish I could catch her red pawed, but I can’t. So I ordered the "kitty jail" otherwise known as a cat playpen.

It works well. In fact, she comes to get into it when it’s time for bed. I think the yummy wet cat food may have something to do with that.

The problem is what happens when we are gone from home for an extended period of time. We don’t make her live in the jail. She loves to foul her water among other reasons. So she would be out while we are gone.

This is where the baby gates come into play. Our house is very open, but I can shut the door to the living room. That leaves only one other opening to the living areas of the house. That is the door way from the same hall to the den.

I found if I use the three baby gates, I can stack them so that they seal off the doorway. Then I close the door to our bedroom, the office and hall bath. Then they are in the area I intended for them - the upstairs. I close the door to the craft room (my son’s previous bedroom - he’s not coming back to live!). This works very nicely.

It’s amazing how with a little thinking "out of the box" objects can gain a new lease on life. Now if only B and C would move to a place where they could have their cats!

At one time, I was a very efficient packer for trips. In fact, I was so good, that I was prepared for anything we could possible encounter on our trip. Well most of the time, but that’s another story.

In our last trip to Austin for the family reunion, I almost forgot to take a change of clothes. I am so accustomed to going to the SSB that I don’t remember I don’t have a closet of clothes waiting for me at my destination.

When we take off to SSB, I do have to pack food. That wasn’t too different for the reunion as it is a big covered dish dinner. So I had that covered. Going to SSB, I take my train case with my pills, but that’s it. Everything I need is there. I dress in whatever "good" clothes I will need. If we go to community club, I wear what I came in. If we go to church, that will be a different group of people, so I wear what I came in. Neither group will know I have worn it twice on the weekend.

Fortunately, I began thinking ahead the night before. The realization came quickly. I had not planned clothes! I would have had nothing to change into! Not even underwear. I wouldn't have had a change of outer clothes for the next day, and we would be with the same people.

We either are going to SSB too often, or not going other places often enough. I’m out of practice!

Busy times here

I believe I am experiencing what a business traveler already knows. That is how little you can get done when you are only home for three or four days a week. We were at SSB one weekend, we came home and I began the preparation for the colon thing, then we were off to Austin for the family reunion. We will be here three days, and then it’s back to SSB to make sure nephew stays on his own place. I haven’t gotten anything done. If a burglar were break into my house, he would leave in despair because it looks like it has already been ransacked.

Our trip to Austin was really fun, but just like the 150th anniversary of Wide Spot in the Road Church, the weather couldn’t cooperate. It was chilly the day before, and cold the day after, but the day of the reunion the temperature reached 91! We were at a state park, so there was no air conditioning. But all in all it was fun, and there were more people than usual. There were so many little kids around.

I was struck by one thing at the reunion. As I looked around at our generation, my thought was "my goodness, we are old. We have become the elder generation." It is true. We are now the parents and grandparents where G’s parents and aunts and uncles had been. I can’t help but wonder what will happen to this reunion after we don’t organize it anymore. I wonder which of our children’s generation will want to take the responsibility. I hope someone. Families are flung so far afield these days. Reunions are the only way to try to bring some singleness to them, but can seeing one another once a year help?

While we were in Austin we visited my poor niece Sunday morning. She is due to have her twins any day now. When the doctor measures her belly, it makes her equal to 48 weeks of gestation for a singleton. She is so ready for them to be born. K and I have been almost voyeurs because we are so fascinated by a twin pregnancy. Neither of us have known someone pregnant with twins so intimately. It’s been an education for us too!

Sunday afternoon we took the train trip offered by the Austin Steam Train Association. We had taken the hill country trip several years ago, but this one goes out toward Manor. It was a lovely day, and the people on our car were an interesting group. The volunteers that worked the car were very entertaining. It made for a wonderful afternoon. IF you are in Austin on a Sunday afternoon, go downtown and board the train. It boards in the middle of the street at the Convention Center at 1:30 pm. They are hoping to have their steam engine back in about a year, but even the diesel puller makes a great trip in vintage railroad cars.

I just can’t get over how wonderful the weather is here in Swampland. Clear and cool, verging on cold. How wonderful. I hope you have good weather also, and by the way, make contact with someone in your family you haven’t seen in a while. It will be good for both of you!

High five

Just returned from my little out patient procedure done on a certain part of my digestive anatomy. After the "prep" things went smoothly. My physician has a split preparation for this little thing. One part beginning at 6 pm the night before, and the second being three hours before you leave home to go to the hospital.

My scheduled arrival for the hospital was 7 am. That means we leave by 6:30 am. Since I woke at 2, I decided I would take the remainder at 2:30. Boy was I glad I did too! I wasn’t sure that I would make it even at 6:30, but things went well. I may not have to have this done for five years. That is wonderful news.

The weather decided to cooperate, so we didn’t have to take the tank, but it was first out, just in case. The rain stopped at 4:30, and yes I was awake. I was making many trips to the water closet. Now it is cool and crisp out, but still overcast.

"God’s in his heaven and all’s right with the world." I hope for you too

So, what's new with you?

Whew, it’s been a real whirl wind time. The weekend was a busy one. S and K left before us, so they were already at SSB when we finally got there. G chose what I thought would be one of the worst routes toi get there, but since he is the diver he can go however he wants. It took us an hour longer - that means 6 hours on the road. The worst part of that is that his mood when we do arrive is less than stellar.

Things went from bad to worse. SIL and great nephew were there visiting the kids when we arrived. Then we began seeing all the things that were not right after the tile had been put in. The vertical blinds were over a bed, but worse than that was that the dishwasher will not go back into the space for it. There is no extra space allowed for the extra inch of floor. The first few minutes were not pleasant at all.

Saturday we were going to see some of the skits at the Wide Spot in the Road church, but we got there in time for dinner. We did make church on Sunday, and it was a long service. When that church was built, people were much shorter. My knees were rubbing the pew in front of me.
We did get some blissful rain up there, even though it was flooding here in swampland. We managed to only get the tail end of this.

Today I am on clear liquids only getting ready for my procedure tomorrow. I just hope the floods hold off. I surely don’t want to go through this prep (including the laxative treatment), and then not be able to get to the hospital. More than that, I hope the physician makes it to the hospital!

I just noticed they had put barricades up at both ends of one of our streets that runs along the bayou. Hmmm, I guess our city is expecting the worst. That's why I put my low slung car next to the garage and have the tank ready to go in the morning.

But the rivalry is still real

All right, I over reacted yesterday while moaning about spending the weekend with the unknown man I perceived as a serial murderer. As it turns out, he will be going to Capital City to see his son, so our situation is going to be normal. It will just be family - which is strange enough.

And by family I mean family. SIL, BIL, grand nephew, MIL and FIL. Oh my! Perhaps unknown man has ESP and decided we were too weird to spend a weekend with. I don’t know how MIL and FIL will be since we have had no contact with them since the third weekend of last month.
The only problem lying ahead is the possibility of three dogs in my house at once. I think K is bringing her dog, and I know MIL and FIL will have theirs, Pepe. This is a dog they got after their poor 17 year old finally was able to be allowed to die. Pepe is from the other dog’s blood line.

Pepe is also wild. He had been put through a month’s intensive training. We knew quite a few things. Before training, he thought the place to potty was the house, and that outside was to play. After training, he was at least house broken, but knew how to act like a civilized dog.
Pepe is not a civilized dog now. He is back to chewing on shoes, pillows and hands. He will jump up on MIL and eat off of her plate! I couldn’t believe that actually happened until we visited just before they moved back home.

BIL does not like animals, mostly because he is allergic to their dander, but he especially does not like this breed (notice I am not identifying the breed?). Last time they were up in the country, the in laws went to BIL’s house. Pepe walked in and immediately relieved himself (both ways) in the middle of the living room carpet. That did not go over well. FIL suggested putting Pepe out in the yard. The fence is a country fence - 4 strands of barbed wire. It wouldn’t have contained that dog!

Well, if I do end up with Pepe in my house, at least I know the carpets will be gone within a week.

Newsflash!

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but some of you already know my news flash. Sibling rivalry does not go away. So if you have young children clamoring for your attention, prepare yourselves. When you can, move away and leave no forwarding address! My two children are 30 and 33, and the green eyed monster of sibling rivalry still rears its ugly head, especially for my daughter who is the oldest.

Back in July, my son asked if his friend, J, and the friend’s fiancee, C, could come to Sunday night dinner. First, when I am asked about an hour before hand, it is difficult to say no. Second I was playing piano for their wedding, and C wanted to talk about the music. There was a reason. And C brought food and wine. She is a very thoughtful young woman.

I would have preferred the dinner be family, but J has been around here since junior high school. He is practically family, and C is just as accepted. It turned out to be a lovely evening. My daughter, however, was incensed. She thought it was terrible. How insensitive of her brother.
Well, now the shoe is on the other foot. My son in law is good as gold, but sometimes he can go over the top - especially when he is with friends or his family. He can begin to wear very thin. They have his high school friend staying with them right now. He is beginning a new job here, and they decided he would "rent" a room from them until he decides where he would like to live. This should not be a problem for us, right? Er, no.

On Sunday, she called with the same question: could the friend come to Sunday dinner? As fate would have it, he didn’t come in until Monday. Side stepped that bullet. We are all set to trundle off to Rancho SSB this weekend. They were going to have him just stay at the house and take care of the dog. Guess what! He will be coming along.

We don’t know this man from Adam. We know nothing about his personality. We know nothing about his background. We get to spend the weekend with him in a 1700 square foot house.
If S acts the way he usually does around his friends and family, it is going to be a very long weekend. His brain turns to absolute mush. He will revert to being 17 years old again. He will be loud and obnoxious. He will make up more stories to impress everyone than ever. If they begin reminiscing about high school, I think I will be physically ill. I just hope they have already gotten that out of their systems.

Now, if I express my feelings to my daughter, she will (as is a Texas saying) swell up like a toad. She will say that we allow her brother to bring friends. She will say that we allowed his mother in law and her boyfriend to accompany them to Rancho. She will claim I treat her brother better, and I dare not challenge her on that front. She might even refuse to come herself.
I really thought at some time, the rivalry would stop. For some reason, she tends to feel it a lot. Perhaps it’s because she and I talk more, and she tells me. I know my son is threatened by my son in law because he does so many things at the Rancho. I guess I should just put a pillow over my head. Then it would all go away.

Getting better

This virus is interesting. None of us have had the same symptoms, and I am praying it will be just 24 hours for me, but I don’t know. I was pretty miserable yesterday, and when G came home I told him I wished the colon procedure I have next week would be today! I get to go through this again, but hopefully without the headache and stomach tenderness.

I am really excited about the coming weekend. We should have nice cool weather at Rancho SSB. I really enjoy the cooler weather. I surely am ready for a break from the hot, steamy days we have had.

Tag, I'm it!

Well, the incubation time for this little bug going around our family is four days. It was Friday night that I inoculated myself with it by eating Lady Bug’s left over enchilada. Now I am paying the price. Monkey Boy was over it by Sunday, Lady Bug only suffered one day - Sunday, K was suffering a bit on Sunday, and S was very ill Sunday night. I had a suspect symptom yesterday morning, but it has hit in glory today. Not throwing up, nope, it’s the other end of the digestive tract!

Enough about that. Yesterday was a teacher’s inservice day. K didn’t want to pay for Lady Bug to go to day care, and she really couldn’t take another day off, so I kept Lady Bug. She is a trip!
We had to take the tank to the shop for its oil change and so on since we have another pilgrimage to Rancho SSB. We try to get it in by 7:30, so we go to the restaurant next door for breakfast. Lady Bug and I split a breakfast. They are so large that I need to split one with someone anyway!

We had no sooner come back home than she primly sat on the sofa, and asked where we were going for lunch! That’s my Lady Bug.

She decided to come in here to play some computer games, but since they had not been installed on this computer, she became inpatient. She was off to make her jewelry from her little kit. Of course, I had to tie the knots, and she was upset that I didn’t join her with my own jewelry making things. But we got a choker and matching bracelet made.

Then we moved on the "Go Fish." She beat me more often than not! But she loved it. We did go to lunch, then to a movie rental store where they had a big sale on previously rented movies. Of course she got one!

All in all it was a great day, and now the porcelain throne is once again calling my name.

In sickness . . .

There seems to be a virus going around my daughter’s house these days. Monkey boy got sick on Wednesday right after lunch at day care. He was sick through the night, but he seemed to be better for the most part on Thursday. His class is passing the bug around, and they are falling like flies. I feel sorry for his teachers next week because this bug causes some nasty diapers!

They came over for dinner last night, Lady Bug and I "shared" the left overs of out meal. I never thought about it as I ate part of her left enchilada. This morning K told me Lady Bug didn’t want breakfast, and she is lying down. She just doesn’t do that!

I wonder when it will hit me! Oh well, I guess it will jump start my diet.

Simone - again

As a reminder, be sure to go by Ronni’s place for more information about the Elderblogger phone conference. It should be a fun thing. The address is below.
http://ronnibennett.typepad.com/weblog/2006/10/elderblogger_ph.html

In other events around here, there is the almost constant UTI that Simone has. She had been on a new treatment of meds with a change of diet - again. It is still the prescription dog food, but a different formula.

This morning, I had to obtain another urine specimen to take in. I was at a loss as to the best way to do this little task. I decided I would completely throw her schedule off, and I was successful. I first gave her the Prevac*d. That part is pretty normal. The difference is that I didn’t let her out immediately. She was quite confused, especially when G left for work. Then I gave her breakfast. She looked at me as though I had lost my mind. Then I finally took her out, taking a hint from the vet’s office when I helped them get a sample. I took an old, small baking sheet that wouldn’t ever be used again for food. Since it is one that is prone to rust, I put a grocery plastic bag over it. It worked like a dream. I got the sample.

I took it to the vet’s office right away. My problem was when I returned home. After months of carefully monitoring her intake (no more socks and paper napkins, please), I came in to find an empty can of peanuts on the floor. I forgot to put them up. She found them on the coffee table, and they are now history! Fortunately there was only about a handful and a half, but now I am wondering when the vomiting to occur! I would have rather she had taken to the couch again.

Friendship

It is so incredibly easy to lose contact with friends. When either you or they move away, you pledge you will keep your friendship alive and vibrant. Then, over the months and years, things change and you lose contact.

This was brought home to me today when I had an email message from a person who was one of my dearest and closest friends. We went through so much together. We had a deep closeness, despite our age difference. We were really like sisters.

Our friendship was attacked and managed to survive. We had people come into our lives who tried, and did succeed, to break up our friendship. It was a truly unfortunate situation because it involved our teaching careers as well. In the end, I guess it really did succeed in closing out closeness.

It was a very stressful time, and we ended up parting campuses first, then she finally moved away from the area. We would correspond for a while, and then that became more and more infrequent. The email I got from her was nothing of a personal nature. It was one of those warm, fuzzy chain thingies that you send to a certain number of people assuring you good luck.

It made me think of my best friend now. Our friendship is crumbling. The horrid truth of the matter is that we are letting it. She only lives four blocks away, and yet we are letting go of communication. We, again, were co-workers. But we began to see how our lives paralleled one another so much. Her son and my daughter were best friends in high school. When I retired, she also quit teaching. She went into IT work, and her hours are long and hard now.

We emailed a lot at first. Emailing is easier than talking on the phone because of her schedule. Now that has dwindled. I wonder how she will react to the warm, fuzzy chain thingie?

Problem solved

I had a surprise phone call last night. It was from our flooring installer. He explained the delays, and I feel much better about making our regularly scheduled trips to SSB. He does the flooring as second job. He is normally a firefighter. That means he has lots of days off, and this is his second job. Having a second job is not at all unusual for fire fighters. Having a second job is not at all unusual for young people in that particular area of this state either. It is rather expensive to live there, and salaries (if you have one meaning you are not a rancher) are low.

I won’t have all my floors one until the end of next month, but the house will be inhabitable when we are there. That is the best thing!

Trip cancelled

We were all set to trundle off to SSB to prepare for the upcoming hunting season. For those of you who are deathly opposed to hunting, we’ll deal with that issue sometime later. I am the only one who doesn’t hunt, but it’s not because I am opposed to it. I am just afraid of only injuring the animal. OK enough for now.

We are having all the carpet removed from the house there. I gave the ultimatum a couple of months ago that if I found another grass burr in the carpet with my bare feet - every last inch of carpet was coming out of that house. Well, guess what.

So we contracted with a company in Fritztown to put tile in the kitchen, dining room and bathrooms (oh how I hate carpet in the bathroom). I am putting laminate in the rest of the house. They were to have started on September 18. When I had my living area here tiled, it was done it 3 days. This area is bigger than the tile work I wanted done there.

On Monday we began calling the company. Sunday night, daughter in law asked if we had floors yet. That set me to thinking, so we began calling. We called again on Tuesday. No return call. I called again on Wednesday. No return call. So we called the neighbor on the other mountain who is having carpet installed by the same guy, on the sly, when he completes our job.
Guess what! He is not finished with the tile, and we have no toilets. We are replacing them as well because our "manufactored home" maker installed ones that would normally go in a trqvel trailer - about three inches off the floor. Not good for Grandma's knees - especially after five hours on the road. S and K were leaving this evening with the kids. Wouldn’t that have been great? The adults could have used the hunters’ out house - I guess (not me!), but can you imagine 5 year old Lady Bug using it? Especially since the out house is 50 feet from the house.

So now we are hoping and praying that the tile will at least be finished by October 14 because that is an important celebration for the church in Wide Spot in the Road. I don’t know. Things progress on an entirely different time measure there!

Cheese time

Be warned - this is going to be cheesy. Sometimes I simply am overwhelmed by life, but in a good way. I took some pictures the last time we went to SSB. It got me to thinking about nature, and the amazing beauty. Then I got to thinking about more things. And I was able to bring one of the pictures into this post! Amazing!

I got to thinking about the universe, and how small we are in relation to it all. My mind has great difficulty getting around the size of our universe, but to think of OTHER universes out there is more than I can even begin to think about. My brain wants to shut down at that thought.

Then I get to thinking about this thing called life. To me, this spark, whatever it is, is really something. Especially when I think about something being alive one moment, and perhaps not alive at the next moment.

I think about all the things that have changed over my lifetime, but they are not nearly what changes my father saw. I try to think what it was like to be alive in 1912 which is the year he was born. Then I think of all of the advances that have been made during that time. It boggles my mind!

Sometimes I just have to get these thoughts out. The wonder of it all just overwhelms me.

Sasha update and news flash

Look at the bottom for a news flash about Elderblogger PhoneCon '06!


Sasha is a weird cat. Now some people think the words cat and weird are synonymous, and they may be absolutely correct. If you recall, back on August 23, I ordered a kitty jail for her. If I knew how to link to that post I would do it!!

For Sasha, it seems it is a love/hate relationship. At first, finding her was a trick. Then one night, she was asleep - on top of it! Talk about easy to put her in jail! After we went to SSB last week, her fascination with her jail, er play pen, was quite diminished. We had to go on search and seizure missions.

Now she is fascinated with the enclosure again. In fact, she was standing in front of it while I was gone Saturday night, and G could just lift her in.

Today, she exhibited some really bizarre behavior. She was standing outside of the bars reaching in to play with the water bowl. I know she has a fascination with water. She has been known to flush toilets and turn over water bowls. She plays with the water in water bowls, but to decide to play with that particular water bowl was quite interesting to me!
I guess with B and C do get a house, which is looking more and more likely to be soon (yea!), the play pen will have to be part of their house!

Mark your calendars! Go to the site below (I still don’t know how to link). Ronni at Time Goes By is organizing the Elderblogger PhoneCon ‘06, Go over and get the info!

http://www.timegoesby.net/weblog/phonecon.html

Recovered

I think I have finally recovered from my wild Saturday night. I babysat Lady Bug and Monkey Boy! I went to their house because mine is really not Monkey Boy proofed - at least for more than two hours.

Lady Bug spent the first three hours "playing school" with me being the kindergarten student. Her imagination is really something. I really wasn’t up for the game, but she went right on. She really didn’t need someone to play with - she was going to play!
Monkey Boy did exceptionally well - at first. He didn’t cry when they left him. He hugged me often and played well without giving me a heart attack. He did little climbing on the furniture. He never scaled all the way up the back of a chair. He just got every noisy toy he owned out. He ate well. I was really surprised. Normally he just grazes.

Then it came to an end. He was unhappy, and definitely did not want me. Lady Bug tried to play mother to him, and we try to discourage that. She usually ends up either accidently hurting him or getting hurt herself. But at that time, she was the only one who could console him. OK Lady Bug, get to work!

As it ended, he quieted and things went well after that. I never did get them to sleep however! That is an entire other thing with those two!

And I thought children were difficult!

It seems there is a recurring theme here - Simone and her associated health problems. She has another UTI, only this time the vet found there are crystals in the urine which may be the problem, or the fact that some idiot bred her constantly may be the culprit. She obviously escaped a puppy mill. Oh I hope these people that run these puppy mills burn for all eternity.
Finding the crystals means yet another change in her food. Great. I have 20 pound of dry she cannot eat. At least the remaining 10 cans of wet can be mixed with the new diet so we can (snicker) avoid stomach upsets. Oh how I wish!

Last Thursday night, just before the trip to the SSB, she was sick as a dog. Now I understand that saying. She was fine, then suddenly sick. It seems among other things, she managed to eat a sock. I have no idea where she found said sock, but she produced one, After telling the vet, he told me how bad they are. He said he had a standard poodle that he had to operate on about once a year - for ingestion of a sock! Great - one more thing to look for.

Last night, she was fine, until . . . Suddenly she had a reflux moment. I was, again, up with her most of the night. I thought all this ended about 25 years ago.

Weekend with the inlaws

We have returned from our pilgrimage to the SSB (sting, stick or bite), and it was quite a weekend. We were hosts to the Wide Spot in the Road Community Club along with SIL and BIL. G’s aunt wanted to host with us, so they were there also. I was quite amused when Aunt got out a 5 pound bag of ice, and had two containers of tea. It was over 90. It proved to be way too little. Fortunately we had 30 pounds of ice, and the tea bags to quickly brew more tea.

We began to worry about the food also. You never know how many people will be attending, so you run the risk of having too much food, or almost run out. Some younger folks are moving in, and they have children. That’s where it is really hard to judge food. Being kids, they often take more than they can eat, but that can put the hosts into a real tizzy when the line of adults grows and grows!


MIL and FIL actually made the two hour trek. They seemed to enjoy seeing all the relatives. There are only about three families that are not relatives in the area. They stayed for quite a while until FIL had heard all he wanted to hear from the program.
I really believe SIL thought I was crazy when I kept telling her that MIL was very unhappy being back at home. SIL invited them and us to breakfast. We didn’t go because we had to go to town to check on our flooring that is being installed as we speak (I hope). The in laws went, mostly because they can’t even make coffee at the sister’s house much less work the tv. SIL got MIL alone, and as soon as they were alone, MIL broke down into tears.

As sad as this is, there is nothing we can do. SIL tried several different strategics to get MIL to come to Austin, at least for a couple of days. Nothing worked. I decided that if a Phd psychologist, who is the favored daughter in law, can’t effect a change, I certainly can’t. I just don’t see them being in that house long after Christmas.

Another memory

A video clip that often appears on shows that are made of such videos is a child being frightened by something appearing in a window. While the effect is amusing to those witnessing, believe me it not amusing to the subject.1

One Christmas season when I was about 8, my dad thought I would get a kick out of seeing Santa. I still don’t know where he found a garish Santa mask, but he did. Our house had the kitchen in the front of the house, and the window over the sink was about 6 feet long. It almost covered the entire front wall with the exception of the cabinets on each side.

On this particular evening, I went into the kitchen to get a glass of water. The curtains were open, and as I drew the water I looked out. There was this terrible apparition. It scared me so badly. I immediately dropped to the floor, and then scurried out of the kitchen. Needless to say, he was quite amused. I don’t remember what my mother did.

I don’t know how he managed to time it so perfectly. I don’t know how he got out of the house and got around to the front in that short span of time. He told me he thought I would like to see Santa. Right! To this very day, I find it difficult to look out of a window of a lighted room into the dark of night.

Driving a stick -shift that is

It is time to stop dwelling on the unpleasant things that are happening in my life! Today is a day for remembering, and I am going to remember my dad and his teaching me to drive. When I began driving, you could get a "learner’s permit" when you were 14. I remember taking the drivers test right there in the cafeteria of my junior high school! Oh we thought we were really something.

When I was 14, my dad had a ‘53 Ford with light blue body with a dark blue top. I remember it so vividly. It was a standard shift, and I decided I really needed to know how to drive a standard shift. In those days, the emergency brake was similar to many that are out today meaning it was not foot operated. IT was called an umbrella brake I think because it resembled an umbrella handle. It extended from the floor board to the underside of the dash. You would pull the handle toward you, and the emergency brake was applied. To let it off, you twisted the handle to the right and let it go (or pushed - I don’t remember) back into place. All of this was located on the left side of the car, meaning away from the passenger.

San Antonio has many hills. My dad thought I should learn to drive the standard on the hills. OK! I was up for the challenge. We had one particularly steep hill in the neighborhood, and at the very top was a, gasp, stop sign. I got to the stop sign just fine. I stopped just fine. Then I had to try to let off the brake while letting out the clutch while applying just enough gasoline - not too little, not too much - to get through the intersection. What a disaster.

After killing the engine several times, Dad suggested I pull out the emergency brake so at least I wouldn’t roll all the way back down the hill. That sounded like a plan. Except then I had to add letting out the emergency brake slowly also. This was a true test of my coordination. I really thought I would spend the rest of my life at that intersection.

I did finally make it, and had great pride in myself, but to this day I get really nervous if I am in a standard transmission car and have to stop on a hill.

Thank you Daddy for all your patience. I appreciated it then, but I more fully understand it now.

A lesson well learned

I hope and pray that we never experience another day like yesterday. Worse things have happened, but yesterday was very stressful. G and I took my car to the shop for routine maintenance - oil change, etc. We then took the "tank" because it had a recall for the cruise control, and we need it this weekend to go to the SSB.

We were returning home, and I was driving. My phone rang, but I couldn’t it right away since it was hidden in the bowels of my purse. When G finally retrieved it, it displayed K’s cell. I called her back, and there was complete panic in her voice. She wanted me to go to her house to get her bill payment file. Her purse had been stolen.

I was stunned. As I was heading to my house to get her key, she told me she left her purse in the van when she went to visit the store. Her job involved sales of a product and the store’s relationship with the manufacturer. She is provided with a van for this job. She had left her purse and laptop bag in the van - as she and most of her coworkers do. Someone broke out the van window and took her purse and the computer bag. They were efficient. They could do this without even setting off the alarm.

All credit cards were stopped. The bank was notified. The police were called. But the experience was still stupefying. The feeling was that of total violation.

About two hours later when she was home taking things out of the van, a car appeared in her driveway. Two men were in the car. One immediately held out her purse. They had found it discarded on the side of the road. The only thing missing was her digital camera. They also found the laptop bag. Everything was in place with the exception of the camera and a cd that held some recently downloaded pictures. The thieves were looking for something they could easily hock. Apparently they thought they were getting a computer, and hopefully a cell phone in the purse. They didn’t want credit cards. Too many thieves are getting busted here using stolen cards.

Things turned out to be alright. It spurred all of us to get our affairs in order: to be sure we have lists of credit card numbers and contact numbers, to be sure we never leave anything of value in plain sight in the car. Take our experience and vicariously learn by it. Prepare yourself for emergencies.

Forgiving or not

K and her family were late to dinner last night, but that is not something unusual. I was getting a little concerned because she is not normally 30 minutes late. Plus, I was getting hungry!
When they got here and the pizza was distributed, we sat and talked. She had called the In Laws. She could tell she got MIL by herself. She said FIL was outside with the blasted dog. MIL told K she was absolutely miserable, and she was sure that they had made the biggest mistake of their lives by moving back to the house.

When K told her that FIL told his sister he was happy, she responded that he certainly doesn’t act like it. He is still just as grumpy as ever. He doesn’t seem happy. Now I am worried that he will become a mean dementia patient. I was lucky with my father. As he descended further into dementia, he became more mellow. I just don’t know what the future holds for the In Laws, but I do know that there is a crisis looming even larger on the horizon.

The good thing that came out of the conversation was MIL admitting she never treated K as she should have. It was obvious to K all through her life. All of the cousins are close in age. K and her cousin are the furthest apart with there being three and a half months difference in ages. B and M are only about two weeks apart.

During the summer months, the In Laws would ask to keep the kids for about a week, and they would have all four for a week. It was so obvious that MIL deeply favored E. Everything was done for E. Even Christmas presents were along what E wanted. There was never any thought given to what K wanted. The In Laws would travel to Austin for all holidays and birthdays, never to Houston. But it was that way for G growing up. He was the least favored child, and that attitude carried over to his entire family. I was never treated as well as my sister in law.
I was so happy for my daughter that she finally received the confession she needed. MIL told her she never appreciated K for all the things she did. Now she sees that K is a loving and attentive granddaughter. I hate to be bitter, but it’s about time. It’s just a shame that the realization finally came as MIL is facing her death. Death bed confessions just don’t do it for me. But my daughter has such a big heart. She can forgive all the hurting times from her grandmother. Good for her. I’m proud. It is more difficult for me because not only did she hurt my children, she constantly has hurt her son, my husband.

Well, my cable provider which also provides my internet is down. I am using my neighbors unsecured WiFi to be on. I certainly appreciate them moving in and providing me with service! They haven't been in for a month yet.

Tonight is Family Dinner night. B and C won't be joining us. He worked at his day job yesterday, then played a club last night with an old friend. They ended up staying out really late. It's just as well. Tonight is going to be really easy. Pizza from one of the places around here.

One of the reasons for the pizza is that my arthritis is really talking to me today. My arthritis is a strange affliction. I have it in my fingers, knees, and neck. Some days I don't even notice it. Other days I am really crippled with it. Today is one of those bad days. So dinner is going to be e a s y!

I helped K with Monkey Boy this morning. She had her Sunday School class to teach. I told her I would take him to his class. We began with the opening that was in the sanctuary. I was nervous, but Lady Bug goes into it as well. He was remarkably well behaved. I then went to his class with him. I was quite impressed with his teacher. She had 4 two year old children, and really tried to teach them a lesson. It was quite cute. I didn't enjoy the miniature chair however! Monkey Boy was completely oblivious to the lesson, but then he is only 26 months. One of these days. I was apprehensive, but he was great with me. He and I haven't bonded as Lady Bug and I did. I just couldn't keep him during the day as long.

Here's hoping for a better day tomorrow. I want to go back to not hurting and being more mobile. Getting old is not for the weak!

Nice day

After so many dry days of searing heat, this morning is like a fall day here in Swampland. It is dreary and drippy. The sun is far behind think clouds, so it looks like dusk outside. It is not really raining, but it’s not dry. Believe it or not, I love it especially since it’s Saturday, and we don’t have to go out at all if we don’t want to. Just a change is nice, but a break from the infernal heat is wonderful.

I had been planning to go help out at the boxer rescue adoption taking place at one of the mega pet stores, but I don’t know. I am rationalizing that they have a pretty set group of those who foster some of the dogs, and therefore really don’t need me. When I was able to go the last time, there were about seven people who were there.

It’s not that I am trying to get out of helping. There comes a time when there are simply too many people doing one task. I love seeing the dogs, but that comes with a price. I then want to take another one, or become a foster for one (or four). I don’t really think that would sit well with Simone, and definitely not G. I enjoy visiting with people who also have a passion for the breed, but that’s not the purpose of the day.

I think I may just settle in here and enjoy the weather!

Crisis on the horizon

It seems to me that as one ages into old age, it is the opposite of aging as a preteen. Preteens can’t wait to be older and often claim they ARE older. Some elders deny they are getting older. They deny the problems they are having due to their age.

Yes, I am talking about the In Laws now. FIL had gotten his way. He found someone to move them back to the house. He is in hog heaven. He spoke to one of his sisters and ranted about hoe much he hates the north side of town and is so happy about being back on the south side where he grew up.

I really believe the problem is rooted in the fact he was deathly afraid of getting lost. I am not the only one who is seeing memory problems with him. He may have grown up on the south side, but he will get lost there soon.

He claims MIL is delighted to be back in the house as well. I know for a fact she is not. She has problems with that house. It is difficult for her to get in and out. I know there are no ramps even now. The bath is not easy for her. I know that has not been done, and further more it won’t be done.

We have a crisis just waiting to happen. I was so sure we had averted something really bad, but it’s back - looming on the horizon. FIL is just blind to it.

Strings attached

I am sitting here waiting for my daughter to come by to pick up my cell phone. You see she has once again gone over her minutes. This is a almost monthly thing. After all, she ONLY has 3000 minutes on her plan. So I will be without a phone for the next two days until her billing cycle of over.

You may ask why I would willingly give her my phone. It’s easy. She pays my bill. My phone is the one they got for step granddaughter M. When she abused the privilege, it as taken away. My old phone was about 7 years old and needed replacing at some point. When M left, I was given the phone.

Basically I have a great deal. The plan is a good one for me. It includes national no roaming charges so when (and if) we leave the state, I can still be in touch. The best part is not having to pay for it at all. I really don’t like the phone, but when you don’t pay . . . The battery life of this particular phone is very short. More often than not, I have a phone with me, but it is deader than a door nail!

We’ll see how long it lasts today!

Can't fool me

I think Mother Nature is playing with us. Yesterday was cool and overcast - just as a fall day should be. When you look at the calendar, you see it is only September 6. Anyone who has lived in Texas, and especially the normal swamp of Houston, for any length of time knows that summer lasts until Thanksgiving - sometimes Christmas.

We were so lucky to have spring hang around through May, and even a little into June, but to expect fall to come in September is more than we can get our minds around. Does that mean the children will be able to wear costumes on Halloween without having a heat stroke? That would be really something.

I have memories of wearing the really pretty velvet Christmas dresses my aunt would give me when it seemed like it was 95 outside. I was so hot, but I would have nothing but that dress. What if it were cold? Two years ago, we had SNOW on Christmas Eve. Could we get used to that?

I think this is just a small tease of what will be here in January! I’m sure next week we will be turning into large puddles of sweat.

On another front, Sasha usually sends me on a game of hide and seek when it’s time to go into her "playpen." Last night she made it too easy. She was on top of it most of the evening. When it was time to go in, she was sound asleep on top. Too easy!

My new obsessiion

My life seems to have come to revolving around how I can outsmart a cat. That is really ridiculous. I have won the last round at least.

I carefully ascended the stairs, all the while looking for the elusive Sasha. I was in luck. She was still in the Kitty Room. I quickly advanced to the door and closed it behind me. "You’re mine" I gleefully thought.

I put extraneous furniture on the bed - no one uses it anyway. I mean the bed, but the furniture too. I picked up the bed skirt on the far side of the bed and heard her thump on the wall fleeing from me. I scanned the entire room until I heard another thump.

That thump came from the bathroom. I slipped into the bathroom and closed that door. "Gotch ya!" She thought she was completely hidden behind the toilet. As I reached for her, she hissed with all her might. You foolish kitty - I have had cats for over 50 years. You are a newcomer, and I am the master. You don’t scare me.

I swiftly reached in and plucked her from her hiding place. She continued to hiss, but soon realized the game was over. Her fate was sealed. She was going back to jail after breaking parole.
So last night, by 8 PM she was safely ensconced in her 27 cubic foot jail. This morning G put me on enough of a guilt trip to let her out at 6:30.
The game will be on again tonight!

Kitty wars

Last night Sasha was free - totally free. I was so tired from not sleeping the night before, I couldn’t muster the energy to do anything but shower and fall into bed. Tuesday night she made my life miserable. I never caught her.

I went to the Kitty Bedroom, and she immediately dove under the bed. I went after her. I heard the "thump" which meant she ran downstairs. So I went down the stairs after her. I searched and searched. All I knew is that G said she went into the entry hall.

I checked the dinning room, which at this point is the staging area for donations to our local charity. It is chocked full of hand me downs from MIL. No Sasha. So I headed for the living room. I finally saw her under a chair. I put up the baby gate so it wouldn’t be as easy for her to get away, but get away she did. G couldn’t catch her.

It was back upstairs. That meant I made the trip up twice in ten minutes. Not a good thing at all. I got smart and closed all the doors up there. She dashed back down the stairs. Moan.
This time she headed for the living room again. When I tried to get her, she ran into the utility room - or at least in that area. We searched and searched. We couldn’t find her at all. I swear she can become invisible. All this is happening while I am trying to watch the Spike Lee documentary. Drat.

As I am searching for the dear, sweet kitty, G announces he is going to bed. How dare him! He left me to find the da*m cat!

So I gathered all three baby gates to barricade the open doorway to the den. She wouldn’t be able to get back to the stairs. Ha! Can’t out fox me little kitty.

After a bit, I turned off the TV and sat very quietly so she would think I had gone to bed also and come out. Nothing. Absolutely nothing!

When Simone had to go out at 6:30 (thank you my princess dog - even though I had slept only about 3 hours), there were no signs of anything having committed suicide. Hmmm. I think I was out foxed.
My knees and (gasp) hips were hurting so badly I was not able to get into a comfortable position to sleep. So last night I, as I said just went to bed. At 5:30 this morning, nothing had been killed, but by 7:30 she had struck again.

I have a plan for tonight. I will enter Kitty Bedroom - and close THAT door.

I was warned

At our family dinner Sunday night, my daughter in law forecasted that Sasha would be quick to learn to hide when it comes time to go to Kitty Jail. Well, it took her two nights to decide to make herself scarce.

The first night she thought she was safe. She was upstairs in the "guest room" that has become the cat bedroom. She was on the far side of the bed, and I know she was thinking she was perfectly safe. In my search for her I began in the craft room, carefully closing doors as I went. I went through the connecting bath, where I was infuriated to find they had pulled the shower curtain down, into the cat bedroom. There she was. I grabbed her, and she promptly kept her hind claws in my shirt all the way down.

Last night she was investigating the new litter pan I put in the Kitty Jail. She went in all by herself - twice. That was about 8 P.M. G said it was really to early to put her in, so I left her out. When it came time for bed, she was no where to be seen. We closed up as much can be closed downstairs. Our house is really open and flowing and that is the reason for the Kitty Jail in the first place. I searched upstairs. No Sasha.

When Simone had to go out at 3:30 A.M., there Sasha was. Sleeping in G’s chair. After opening the door for Simone, I swooped Sasha up and deposited her in the Kitty Jail. I think I was able to preempt her boredom that leads to assisted suicides around here.

Oh and Simone - I think she has another UTI! Dr. H, here we come again!

Happy Birthday Daddy!

Today would have been my father’s 94th birthday. This is the first birthday without him for me. I do so miss him. If he were here, we probably bring him his most favorite dinners - cheese enchiladas. Every time we would go out, if they were available, that was what he would order,

We stopped taking him to a restaurant because the enchiladas are served boiling hot, but that wouldn’t stop him. He would begin eating as soon as they were placed in front of him. I imagine it was like eating molten lava.

Last year we brought him enchiladas for his birthday. It was obvious how the disease had ravaged his brain. We had to feed him. He could not remember how to eat the food. Like all the other symptoms I had observed over the years, I tried to ignore it. I told myself he was just distracted by all the people who were there. Then, just four months later, he was seriously ill. He had pneumonia - probably inspiration pneumonia. He had forgotten how to swallow.

I doubt I will live long enough not to be sad on August 28. I will remember Daddy’s birthday and be sad for the rest of my life. I will not have the time to heal as I have with my mother. She has been dead since 1972. I still remember her birthday, but the pain has subsided a great deal. I think of her, but there is not the terrible loneliness. Perhaps I feel more grief with Daddy’s passing because now I have no living parents.

I guess that is silly. After all, I am 61 years old, and this is the cycle of life. As my children will always be my babies. As long as I have life, they will be my babies. So I was still my Daddy’s baby, and I thought he would be with me forever.

Happy Birthday Daddy.

Let's call them speedy - not

I have been tracking Sasha’s jail that is being shipped. It is coming from La Grange, IL. The tracking showed it taking 35 hours to make it from La Grange to Hutchins, TX. I really believe someone must have put it on the back of a bicycle. I thought the other shipping group, not Brown, had planes, and I thought those planes were jets!

When it got to Hutchins, it got to lay over for four hours. I guess the poor kid on the bike was really tired. Then it made it to Houston another four hours later. I am poor at geography, and I don’t have a clue where Hutchins is, but that seems like it must be a long way away.

When they said "ground shipment" they really meant it. I think I could have driven to La Grange, picked it up, and driven back here in five days. Even the U S Postal service used planes to carry the mail to another state. A letter makes it in about two days. This is really pretty sorry service.

But regardless, it’s here! Sasha spent her first night in Kitty Kat Prison, and let’s just say she was not a content kitty. We don’t think she slept at all. Perhaps she will warm more to it tonight, but I doubt it

Another storm!

Living in the Gulf Coast area, we should be watching the tropics carefully. There are preparations that must be made when we are threatened with a storm. Wise people begin their preparations early in the season and are ready to go if there is a storm coming out way. Until last year, I was one of many who had become lax in my preparations, and it was Rita that really got my attention. It was too late to flee, and we were lacking in preparations. Thankfully, we were spared.

I wish that you who do not live in the greater Houston area could access our local television stations. If I knew how to link to a previous post (I am woefully lacking these days in technological skills), I would send you to the post about Tropical Storm Chris. Our weather people were so thrilled about the prospect of it hitting us which means hours and hours of coverage of the reporters standing in thigh deep water while telling us not to be so foolish.
When the wave formed off the African coast, the weather people began salivating. They did everything to make it into a category whatever and bring it right to us. When it failed to strengthen as much as they predicted, you could practically see the disappointment in their eyes. When it moved out into the mid-Atlantic, they were devastated. They had no news. Let’s face it. The weather here is hot and moist. You could rubber stamp the forecast. High in the upper 90's, low in the mid to upper 70's with a 20% chance of rain.

Now we have Tropical Storm Eduardo. The weather people here keep reverting to all the possible computer generated paths it could take, and of course, they keep focusing on the one that will head directly into Galveston Bay which would bring it right over the greater Houston area.

I am not a meteorologist, but I have taught some meteorology. I have lived here for over thirty years. I have watched these storms. I have learned that due to the upper winds and the rotation of the earth, the storms in the Gulf usually end up turning easterly when they are approaching shore. The predicted path that is averaged for this particular storm does just that.
In the mean time, we will watch these clowns try to push this storm right to us. I swear if they had the means to do it, that is exactly what they would do So we get a few days of watching these giddy people on the tube try to maneuver this storm with the excuse of keeping us informed.

Tid Bits

So, today is M Day (move day), and we have not heard anything from the in laws about the move. I’m sure some think the siblings are so terrible for not facilitating the move back to the house. They are so much better off where they are. SIL M emailed me the other day indicating they still had not told anyone at the apartments about the impending move. We have not heart anything from them since we were on Sunday. I really believe even though FIL is so dead set against living there, he does not have the capabilities to arrange the move back to the house. That makes me believe even more fervently they are in the right place.

In other breaking news, Sasha has gotten a bit of a reprieve from her impending prison sentence. The pet store is shipping the said prison (a $150 cat play house) from Illinois. I think it is coming by way of a mule train because it was ordered on Monday and is not due until tomorrow. Perhaps they set the person out on foot to deliver it here to Texas. I want it now! She is driving me completely crazy.

Another thought in my head is I don’t understand is the fuss being made over removing Pluto from the category of planet. I am a scientist, and as we further out knowledge things change! Pluto simply doesn’t fit the characteristics of a planet. There is talk about the possible finding of other planets. Instead of nine, there may be twenty. Please people. Open your minds.

Well the weekend is upon us, and I hope you all have pleasant plans to rest and refresh yourselves.

Do you dream?

Some will say that is a silly question. We all go through the deep REM stage where dreams happen, so I suppose my question should really be "do you remember your dreams," or even "are your dreams vivid?"

I’ll bet you can see where this is going! Yep, I’m going to talk about my dreams. I often have really vivid dreams. Many times I am teaching a class - usually chemistry. That’s hard work!
I’m not usually rested after trying to instruct thirteen year olds how chemical compounds are formed. Other times working in dreams is often doing my genealogy and I am diligently trying to track down some ancestor.

Sometime I have really scary dreams that I don’t really remember fully, but I have the sensation that I cannot move. I need to move, react, but I simply can’t. I am panicked. In that dream, I scream, but apparently I really don’t because G doesn’t ask me what the heck is going on!

The dreams that make me sad are the ones about those in my family that have died. My most recent was about my dad. I guess the in laws are weighing so heavily on my mind, their situation combined with thoughts about my dad. I am seeing some of the same signs of dementia in FIL.
I went to San Antonio to stay in the house I grew up in. I do still own it, and it is rented.

Anyway, my renters allowed me to stay there while they were gone. I didn’t say my dreams make sense. My dad was in that house, and I was so wondering how in the world he could function on his own. Then we went to scene two where he was in his own apartment. I still marveled at his seeming ability to manage because he was so demented at the end of his life.
I woke and was terribly sad. I still miss him so much. I would have thought after losing him gradually over the span of about ten years I wouldn’t miss him so deeply. At least I can see him, renewed, in my dreams.

It's jail time!

Shasha is going to jail tomorrow, or at least when "Brown" delivers! Yes you read it first here. She has been sentenced to jail time. What brought this on, you ask. As a repeat offender this is the only recourse.

Shasha is the cat who loves to assist in suicides. Most of the suicides really are murder. She loves to push things off the surface they sit on to the floor. It doesn’t matter what the object is. A glass that was accidently left out, scissors, jewelry that was not put away, pictures. Anything.

Last night, rather this morning at 4:30 am she pushed a glass (plastic fortunately) from the drain board to the floor. We were aware of this because we use a baby monitor so we can hear if something does happen in the front of the house. You see because Sebastian, the other cat, loved to stomp around on us as we try to sleep. To keep him out, we close our door. With the fan running, we can’t hear anything in the front of the house.

She has pushed me far enough. I’m afraid she will go after lamps and so on next. There is no way I can remove everything that is sitting on a surface in my house.

The story on the cats is that we were supposed to keep them for a short while when my son and his wife moved in with her mother to save money and get rid of their debt. That was two years ago. They are still in debt and living with her mother. I was going to be out of the cat business when my old, blind eighteen year old cat died. Well, he died last year, and I still have cats.

But Shasha has been sentenced. I know there was no jury, and perhaps the judge is not impartial. Her jail, otherwise known as a "cat playpen" is on its way. Prison, yes, the death penalty it’s not!

Tough love for octogenerians

Our trip to San Antonio certainly did not turn out the way we expected. We were all set to bring lunch with us, and then talk to the parents about the home assistants, We got lunch. G began talking about setting priorities for the assistants. That’s when he was told they don’t want any of them. They have a friend of a friend (of a friend ?)who will come to the house for very little money to help.

At first it wasn’t clear, but suddenly it became very clear what they meant. MIL said "we TOLD you." They decided on Friday they were moving back to their house. I was in the little kitchen getting the meal ready, and I felt like someone literally hit me in the stomach. I couldn’t believe it. G was angry. He was very angry. I was just shocked.
My first reaction was that I had to call G’s brother and his wife. They had left their house in the country by that time, and there is a time when there is no cell phone service. So I left a message. Meanwhile, G is expressing his concern about their safety. At first MIL is sounding all for it. She argues that they will be fine.

Later she calls me outside. FIL has finally worn her down. He has been such a grump and so disagreeable that she finally caved in. She can’t live with him like this, but she won’t stay in the apartment without him.

FIL kept talking about how much the apartment cost while they have "a three bedroom brick home with a huge back yard." He said they had spent $4000 the first month. He wouldn’t listen to the fact that most of that was deposits and so on. He said they could use that amount to modify their house. He will rework the bathroom. Not for $4000. Add at least $10,000 to it. Plus, I don’t know what they will use for a bathroom while that is being done. He is going to add a ramp to the garage. Their house is at least a foot off the ground. The ramp will be so steep she can’t use it!

As we were leaving, FIL walked us out. G told him his fear was that his mother would fall, break her hip, and have to go to a nursing home. FIL said "she needs to be in a nursing home." With his contempt for nursing homes, that was a real insult to her. He then ranted about how everyone is concerned for her well being and happiness, no one is concerned about his happiness.

With this change in personality, his shuffling gait, forgetting things that happened recently, he doesn’t need to be in a single family house away from help. He certainly doesn’t need to be driving. He is 87. I so worry about what is going to happen.

The children have unanimously decided that if this is what he is going to do, then he will have to be the one to do it. He will have to get the contractor, and he will have to orchestrate the move. They all decided this is not a safe thing, and they will not contribute to the nonsense. Of course, the one who will suffer the most is MIL. She really needs to stay where she is, or even better go to a real assisted living facility. I just pray there is no incident where we have to intervene as I had to with my dad and V.

Into the war zone we go

Sunday we will venture into the land of the grumpy man. We are going to see the in laws. It will be interesting to see how the waters are now that they are both getting some sleep. I know FIL is simply not going to give the place a fair chance. I just hope I’m wrong.

We get to be the sacrificial lambs that take a list of tasks that the home helpers could/should do - if MIL hires them back again. They need to have someone come in. They do need some help. Three hours, three times a week was too much, but they need someone to go shopping for them, help MIL with bathing, prepare some small meals/snacks.

I thought they were on a full meal plan there, but they get a continental breakfast and either lunch or dinner. They have a small kitchen in their apartment, and I guess they are expected to make something for themselves. They have the smallest dish washer I have ever seen in that kitchen! It is about half the size of a normal one.

When G looked in the refrigerator, he saw lots of dog food and salad dressings. What a combination. I have no idea where that came from. There was also a loaf of bread. I guess they could make salad dressing sandwiches!

I think both are exhibiting some dementia. They have problems remembering things. I think that’s another reason FIL doesn’t like the place. It is on the other side of town from their house, and he is afraid he will get lost. That happened to my dad, and he had lived in V’s house for fifteen years.

At any rate, Sunday should be very interesting. We’ll see if I can keep the dog from "humpiing" my leg the entire visit. Yes, he that well trained now!

MIsc.

Today’s post will be a this and that post. There are odds and ends that need to be wrapped up. G spent the day in San Antonio along with his brother trying to sort out the problems there. They asked their parents just what would make things better. The problem that could be identified best was the fact that they are accustomed to sleeping in separate rooms, having separate bedrooms for several years. There are simply not two bedroom apartments where they are, and the wait for one is long. The brothers convinced their parents that a day bed in the living room would be a good solution - certainly better that MIL sleeping on the couch.

G called me about 3 to tell me he was sitting in the parking lot of a T*rget while his brother was in the store buying linens. I asked why this couldn’t be done this coming weekend. We all are going to be in the hill country, and a trip into San Antonio could and would be arranged. G told me they didn’t want the parents to be able to change their minds.
They got the bed and bedding, assembled the bed, and left about 6:30. I know G doesn’t like to drive at night, but that was really his only option. I asked him why he didn’t stay at the house instead, and he told me if we thought it was dangerous for the parents, why wouldn’t it be dangerous for him. My daughter also said with it being closed up for this length of time, the smell of dog urine would be overwhelming. I guess so.

Simone is progressing well on her new bland diet. I suppose she did have an ulcer. She completed her round of what we called "chalk pills." They had to be put in a syringe, mixed with water, and then squirted into her mouth. She tolerated that quite well. I think she is going to miss her visits to the vet hospital though. She is such a people dog!

Today my Lady Bug goes to kindergarten. In fact, she is probably walking to her classroom as I write this. We spent part of the day together. I took her out to lunch. That is one of her favorite activities anyway. Then we went to the new ice cream store in our little city. We came back to the house where she wanted to play computer games.

I could not help but look at her thinking that it seemed like last week she was the little baby that I kept during the day. I cannot believe how time can and does fly. Before I know it, she will be graduating from high school.

Her mom just called. She was a champ. She was happy and excited about going to the "new school." I ‘m so glad because for a while this summer she wasn’t looking forward to going. She would tell her mom she didn’t want to talk about it. Now I am anxious to hear about her day!

Aging?

Perhaps one day I’ll figure out this aging business. In my mind, I am still thirty at most, although the body tells me differently. They say that sixty is the new thirty. Well I guess. But as I stand on this portal into real age, I can’t help but wonder about what will come. Are our bodies really meant to last ninety or a hundred years? If they are, what about out brains? I know what happened with my dad.

That question has come up once again. This time with the in-laws. They are well into the eighties, and I am wondering about their mental abilities. They both tend to forget - a lot. But now FIL is in such a state about living in the retirement community the family believes he has become a verbal abuser.

SIL M called me last night to tell me that MIL had stopped the home health people. They were coming three times a week for three hours. That may have been too much, but my first thought was that FIL had been harping on the money they were spending. I think she stopped them completely so he would have one less thing to gripe about.

When G was going to call and check on them, his brother said that MIL didn’t want to talk. I took that as a red flag right there. But G takes things on the surface - he doesn’t look for any hidden meaning.

SIL M also said the admission person called to tell her that the in laws keep asking about a two bedroom apartment. She constantly tells them they are hard to come by. It would be six months at best. Their wait is complicated by the dog. They can only be on the first floor or in the cottages where they are. That limits their options.

She further stated that MIL looks worse than when she came in. She has been sleeping on the couch and he in the bed. Everyone wants them to get twin beds, but MIL is adamant that things "match." They don’t match now. She moved her best furniture, but it is all dated - badly. It looks frumpy! It is gently worn because we never sat in the living room much, but it is worn and frumpy. She never has had a sense of style, and hasn’t gotten one now.

So all of this means that the sons will pilgrimage, unannounced, to San Antonio tomorrow. It is only about 90 miles for P and 200 for G. P just gets to drive the wonderful I 35 road way. I guess they are going to confront FIL. I don’t see anything good coming from this. It is amazing that after over 60 years of marriage FIL would become a verbal abuser. He was always a kind, gentle man to his family. How has age affected his brain?

I got so busy reminiscing about the past weddings that I forgot another completely new thing that happened to me at Sunday’s wedding. I played the piano with a wrist brace on. I knew the carpal tunnel was going to be a problem, and I hoped that I could forego the problem. I had tried to wear if fully over the hand, but movement was too limited. I got the hair brained idea that if I removed the fingers from the brace, just keeping the wrist immobile, my problems would not come. Perhaps if the wedding had happened on time, that might have happened, but alas, the bride did not walk down the aisle at 6 p.m. I played the wedding march with numb fingers.

In other happenings around the old casa, Simone is sick again. I took her to the vet yesterday, and he said she might have an ulcer. I just want an answer to why her stomach is so sensitive. It was almost like she waited until the clinic closed on Saturday before she began throwing up. Saturday was a real treat around here! So now she has prescription dog food for the next three days and more pills to be taken three times a day!

In the news from San Antonio, FIL is in the hospital. He has had congestive heart failure for a time. He was feeling poorly for a while, so he decided a check up would be in order. They put him in the hospital on Friday for tests. His cardiologist went on vacation (??) after that, and the fill in is talking pace maker. The family believes he is just in a snit about moving away from the house. There will be much more about that in the future.

My SIL, M, emailed me after they had stopped by to visit on Sunday. They are the ones who paid for the intensive training of "the dog." M said the dog "is the dog from hell gleefully jumping from one person to another." I’m sure she saw her money well spent. She said he apparently didn’t remember anything from training, which by the way lasted four weeks.

Such is the news from this home front. Each day brings its twists and turns making life exciting.

They are married

The wedding is over! I, and they, survived it. Although, there were a few things that I never had to deal with before. I began playing weddings when I was about seventeen. I have seen almost anything you could think of. One wedding I played was when my present church was just getting started.. Our pastor at the time would marry anyone who appeared on his door. I think he thought it would be a way of increasing membership.

One wedding had the groom there, the pastor and me. As time got closer and closer to the appointed wedding time, there was no bride. Guests were arriving, but no bride. About thirty minutes after the set time, a small car wheeled into the parking lot. What happened next reminded me of the small cars at the circus full of clowns. It was a small car. Suddenly all four doors opened and people began piling out of the car. I think there were six people in that car including the bride in her full skirted wedding dress. That is a sight that is burned on my memory. Later I found out from the pastor that the groom’s dad was not happy about the marriage. I think the marriage occurred so that the bride could remain in the United States.

Much later I was booked to play for a wedding (different pastor - a personal friend as well) for a Nigerian couple. I knew nothing of them. At this time I was not organist at my church. I was at another church on the first and third Sundays. I began playing my usual twenty minutes before the service. After thirty minutes, nothing was happening. Absolutely nothing. L’s wife came up to the choir loft to tell me the wedding party was not there and I should just wait. Later L came up and said the people were traditionally late. Thanks, L! And come to think of it, I never got paid either!

Last night I assumed (yeah I know) since the piano was close to a large glass door that I would have plenty of light to read the music. Uh, no. The night was overcast, so the room was dim. The light I should have brought was sitting right here at home, safely nestled next to the organ. Ok - it would work. That is until they began taking flash pictures of everything and everybody in the room. G told me they took at least six of me. All I know is that it was difficult to see after each flash.

The wedding coordinator came to me as I was playing Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring. I thought she needed to tell me something. Nope, wrong. She was going to pin my flower on me. Great! I get to the most challenging part of the piece for me, and she is going to stick me with a pin!

We practiced how the flower girls (three?!?) would walk in. One was going to walk in with my son and his wife, since she was C’s cousin’s daughter, and the other two would follow. With everyone standing, I couldn’t see them. I thought they were all in. Nope. They strung out single file. Was I still playing. No. I was ready to announce the bride, and began to do so with the introduction to the wedding march.

All in all, it was a beautiful wedding. A good time was had by all, and most importantly we finally got that man down the aisle. We thought he would never ask her to marry!

Selective hearing

The other day, I listened with one ear to a report on a morning news program talking about how men have trouble hearing women. One of the men talking about it stated that the female voice is difficult for a man to physically hear. (At least that’s what I thought I heard.) I always thought G didn’t pay attention to me because his mother is one who will talk and talk and talk. She is reported to have once had a thirty minute conversation with a wrong number on the telephone. I just assumed he had gotten in the habit of tuning people out. And as he gets older, his hearing is deteriorating so hearing is more difficult.

Today I was trying to explain why the dryer was not working as it should have. G is not a repair man. His usual method of fixing anything, and I do mean anything and everything, usually involved a hammer. Needless to say, I am not a fan of this method. I was graced to grow up in a family where both parents were handy, but my dad was a real "fix-it" man. By tagging along with him, I picked up some valuable skills along the way.

The dryer knob had separated. The inner knob just turned freely so that it did not really indicate what cycle you were using. That happened about a week ago, and I never saw the reason for doing anything about it. That was until today. Now I am lucky that G does his own laundry here at home (at the Double S and B, that’s not the case), and that’s how the trouble started. He put his load of clothes into the dryer and set the timer. After about two minutes, the dryer happily buzzed indicating that it had done its job. And it had. It was set for about two minutes, unbeknownst to G.

I went in - mostly to deflect a situation that could involve a hammer. I moved the dial around several times and determined that it was not going to show what time had really been chosen. G came in to the utility room and declared that was the exact setting he used. Told him that it was ok, and he left. I removed the knob, and he came back. That makes me nervous. I struggled with the knob and got the inner knob reattached to the turning outer knob. I replaced it and was told "That’s where I had it, and it went off after two minutes!" I tried to tell him what had been wrong, and what I did to fix it.

He again said "that’s where I had it." I tried to explain again. He still wouldn’t listen to me. Finally I picked up a bottle cap and a roll of transparent tape (I know, I’m a slob for having those things laying around.). Being the creative teacher I always have been (snort!) I assembled a dryer know system. He finally listened and understood. MY, my, after a mere thirty seven years I got him to listen to me.

Hurricane ? Chris - fizzled Chris

Watching our TV weather people here has been really funny, especially last night and this morning. They were forecasting Chris to become a category three hurricane and hit the Texas coast. Every wobble that happened they would claim it would be more over open, hot waters. It would intensify and be a hurricane by today. Then, gasp, it would move into the Gulf, where the waters are really hot.

And then, yesterday, it began to weaken. That was explained that it was too close to land, and it certainly was going to be over the open waters of the Gulf, and need I say more?

Then this morning they had to report that Chris was just a depression. A mere depression!! Oh the weeping of the weather people. All their hopes and dreams are almost dashed. My favorite one on the early morning news said that the Gulf coast MIGHT be hit by a tropical depression, and we should be aware of it. He wasn't a doom sayer. He didn't talk about the hot tropical waters that would cause intensification. He just stated the obvious. There could be a depression in the Gulf.

Now don't get me wrong. They can be very slow moving, and they can move then back up. They can hold lots of rain. Flooding can happen. They can are and are very destructive. I personally am not into flooding.

In this morning's paper, one of the articles on the front page was talking about the waters in the Atlantic being three degrees lower than last year, and there should be a decrease in named storms. Further in the paper, the local forecasters defended themselves stating they wanted people to be aware of what's out there. They defended the hourly updates and all the hype. They want the citizenry to be prepared - for the worst. After last year, anyone who doesn't have supplies is really dumb.

So, as of now, we won't have our news teams outfitted in raincoats with umbrellas standing in ninety mile an hour gusts with the rain pelting them like nails telling us we should not be out in that weather. It is possible that they may be out in raincoats, hip boots and umbrellas standing in thigh deep water with the snakes and fire ants telling us not to wade in thigh deep water.

More thoughts from the weekend

I need to add to yesterday’s post. Simone didn’t just suddenly develop a sensitive stomach. She was helped - a lot. G changed her food to "sensitive stomach." We didn’t take any with us because we had a lot in the freezer. It was not for sensitive stomachs. In addition, he rewarded her about five times with "cookies" (otherwise known as dog biscuits). She was completely overwhelmed, or at least her stomach was. It couldn’t handle all the changes.

Oh and by the way, the carpet cleaner worked like a champ. All stains are removed from the carpet. It looks brand new again.

I think instead of calling it "little place" it will now be known as the SSB ranch. That means stick, sting and bite because every living thing there either sticks, stings and/or bites!

Anyway, at SSB we get the Austin local channels as our local satellite channels. I could not believe one of their bozo weather forecasters who kept hoping for a disturbance in the Gulf so they could get a little rain. I know it’s dry in central Texas, but come on folks. Last Thursday we had five inches from an offshore low. Do we really wish destruction on the rest of us here on the Gulf coast?

I’ve been sitting here trying to think of something of like sort to wish on him! I can’t think of anything. But I think I will ask him to come to sit with my house if the storm comes this way. That way he can enjoy the power outages, rain and humidity. I'll sit in his air conditined house in parched Austin!

Wild weekend

It was really one wild weekend. It was one of confusion and a bit of stress. The trip to the little place was not all that pleasant. It was clear it was one for a "last fling" for many people before school starts. The traffic was very heavy. So we hit more of the back roads - those that are less traveled.

G and I are on fairly different schedules. Since he works a ten-hour/four day week, he has lunch at 12:30, or later. I am still on my teaching schedule as well as the schedule I had when keeping grandchildren eating lunch at 11:30. When we are on the road, it is nothing for him to wait until 2:00 before stopping for lunch. By that time I am ready to eat the dog! We stopped at one fast food place. I was ready! They made him mad, and we left. OMG! We went on down the road to the next town. Needless to say, I prayed a little prayer when he went in. It turned out to be OK. But we were so far behind, and there was no place to stop so he had to drive and eat.

When we got to little place, we found the lock on the gap over the cattle guard had been cut. With great trepidation, we went to the house. Everything was fine. There was no evidence of anything wrong. Our cattle lessee called. He found the lock cut, and his bull was out. We really think it was the power company, and I really believe his bull walked the cattle guard. He’s not sure of that, but I really don’t think there was any malicious behavior. But I did leave timers on this time in the house!

Early Sunday morning Simone’s sensitive stomach kicked in. She got nauseated at 2:00 A.M.. I took her out, and she was most interested in finding grass to eat. Nope - not happening there! She finally vomited once, and we headed back into the house. She was not through however. We were going to San Antonio later, so I put her out of the bedroom. When I got up the next morning, I was treated to quite a mess. She had vomited twice more and didn’t hold her "business." I was really wishing we had the floors done already. It would have been hard surfaces instead of carpet.

Our trip to San Antonio was to see the in laws in their new place. FIL had slept the night before - for the first time since they have been there. He was in a fairly good mood. The d*mn dog has reverted back to what I remember. He is WILD. He jumps and humps everyone. He needs to be neutered, yesterday. He jumps in your face and bites. I finally started making him mind. I decided I didn’t care if that made the in laws upset, but the dog finally gave me a wide berth.
I think the in laws will probably stay there. It is a nice facility. The only thing negative FIL said about it was it was an "efficiency apartment." It’s not. It is fairly large and is comfortable.

So we are back home facing the WEDDING this weekend. I am really looking forward to the rehearsal Saturday morning - at 8:00 A.M.. Oh, and did I say across town from me.

Have a good week everyone!