Does anyone know how to perform CPR on a air conditioning unit? All I know how to do is turn it off and on and that's not working. ;)
The only room that still has a ceiling fan is 20s. Guess where I'm sleeping? I borrowed a couple of desk top fans from a friend and now the 3 of us each have one to take around the house and use as we like.
I'm waiting for the repairman to come this afternoon. I hope it's something simple. Actually, more than that I hope its something cheap because I need my air conditioning. This is NOT a luxury.
Showing posts with label patience. Show all posts
Showing posts with label patience. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 04, 2010
Friday, January 22, 2010
6
So did you hear the one about the dad who gave the boys directions to their buddy's house that took them in the opposite direction and made them loop de loop around about 10 miles? Well, that's another story but suffice it to say that if they hadn't done all that driving around the car would have made it all the way home and not died on the way back.
The boys decided to stop and pick up their dinner on the way home which worked out well for the parents who were ordering Chinese. As they sat around chatting and finishing their Honey Chicken the phone rings. If you are a parent of a driving age child you understand that means stop what you are doing until you know the call is meaningless. When you hear 'Where are you?' and 'I'll be right there.' you want to scream at the parent on the phone WTF HAPPENED WHY ARE YOU TELEPATHICALLY TELLING ME AND INSTANTANEOUSLY RESOLVING IT AT THE SAME TIME but you remain calm (read: stuck to your chair) and wait for the end of the call to quickly ask what happened. You are calmly told that the car died on the way home not too far away and that it won't start. Of course, you have more questions and want to jump in the car to their rescue your lack of mechanical knowledge notwithstanding and yet you let the men go with jumper cables in hand to fetch the car and boys because honestly how many people does it take to jump a car. This should be relatively simple and straightforward.
While they are gone the moms exchange their questions and thoughts on what may or may not have happened and may happen and decide to pick up the dinner things silently (because to say it out loud would be inviting disaster) agreeing that they need to be ready for whatever may come. So they pick up, they clean up and they sit and they chat about the day sprinkling the conversation with do you think the started the car and neither one answering or suggesting they call to check on things.
We hear car doors and men's voices and they all 4 walk through the front door the children still eating the remnants of their dinner. They need to call the car service (you know the one, first letter of the alphabet 3 times) because they left the car in the parking lot of a nearby strip shopping center. The women don't grasp all of the details because they are being told out of order but we garner that the car was moved to this new location and now it can't stay there overnight (obviously). The women need to get up and go resolve this now and the men need to relax and watch more football for a bit. More questions get asked and a new plan is hatched to save time and $. Instead of getting it towed home to then tow it again to a shop tomorrow lets get it here tonight ourselves and then tow it tomorrow. Honestly, at that point I was still unclear as to why the car didn't make it all the way when they went out but I didn't push the issue. It is what it is and now we need to deal with it.
(Picture light bulb now) Hubby remembers that he has a rope that can be used to pull the car and as he goes to find it I come to understand that hubby had to push the car with the truck to get it to where it was. I'm still confused but whatever. Now to get it out of the parking lot and to my house the women are clear that a left turn needs to be made on a busy street and are concerned that oncoming traffic may not realize that the car is being pulled and well it wouldn't' be a happy ending. So, it is decided that we will go with them to help. Hubby starts joking, "How many Cubans does it take to push a car?" As I am getting my purse, I am yelling back we are pulling not pushing. I'm thinking maybe that's why the car isn't here they don't know if they are pushing or pulling. (See title for answer)
Here's the plan: Hubby in the truck will be in front pulling the car being driven by other dad. I will drive our car behind the car with my flashers on because the car's flashers probably don't work as the battery is dead. Other mom will have flashlights and stand in the road waving them a la landing an airplane so that oncoming traffic will see the left turning caravan and stop. The children will be in the car with me and are going merely for the educational value of the experience.
Once we get to the parking lot it takes a while to get the car hooked up but it is done. As we begin to execute our plan another flashlight is added so other mom now has two and the boys are concerned about how she's going to get into my car and change their seating so she can get in the back seat without having to walk around the car. They also suggest everyone roll down their windows so we can hear each other yelling. You see how much they are learning.
We wait for the light to change, other mom is flashing the lights in the road, hubby slowly pulls the car up, out and left as I go slowly behind explaining to the boys that enough room needs to be between us so that if the rope snaps there are no injuries. Other mom hops in the back seat and we get through the intersection and home with no more surprises. As we are undoing all the ropes and parking cars and trucks, they can't get the keys out of the cars ignition because its not in park. It's in neutral and since it has no battery they can't change gears. So, after the men had washed up they are told they have to move the truck and jump the car again to get the keys out. Oh for the love of ^&%^*$. Whatever, it's done and we all sit and have some soda and let the men watch the end of their game. The teens joke that something stronger is needed that a soda and I tell them to sit an d put their feet up for a few years and wait for that one.
We chalk it up to a learning experience and give the boys some tips for future reference because these things will happen and the next day the car is towed to the shop for a new alternator and battery. It could have been worse but nevertheless gimme patience. :)
The boys decided to stop and pick up their dinner on the way home which worked out well for the parents who were ordering Chinese. As they sat around chatting and finishing their Honey Chicken the phone rings. If you are a parent of a driving age child you understand that means stop what you are doing until you know the call is meaningless. When you hear 'Where are you?' and 'I'll be right there.' you want to scream at the parent on the phone WTF HAPPENED WHY ARE YOU TELEPATHICALLY TELLING ME AND INSTANTANEOUSLY RESOLVING IT AT THE SAME TIME but you remain calm (read: stuck to your chair) and wait for the end of the call to quickly ask what happened. You are calmly told that the car died on the way home not too far away and that it won't start. Of course, you have more questions and want to jump in the car to their rescue your lack of mechanical knowledge notwithstanding and yet you let the men go with jumper cables in hand to fetch the car and boys because honestly how many people does it take to jump a car. This should be relatively simple and straightforward.
While they are gone the moms exchange their questions and thoughts on what may or may not have happened and may happen and decide to pick up the dinner things silently (because to say it out loud would be inviting disaster) agreeing that they need to be ready for whatever may come. So they pick up, they clean up and they sit and they chat about the day sprinkling the conversation with do you think the started the car and neither one answering or suggesting they call to check on things.
We hear car doors and men's voices and they all 4 walk through the front door the children still eating the remnants of their dinner. They need to call the car service (you know the one, first letter of the alphabet 3 times) because they left the car in the parking lot of a nearby strip shopping center. The women don't grasp all of the details because they are being told out of order but we garner that the car was moved to this new location and now it can't stay there overnight (obviously). The women need to get up and go resolve this now and the men need to relax and watch more football for a bit. More questions get asked and a new plan is hatched to save time and $. Instead of getting it towed home to then tow it again to a shop tomorrow lets get it here tonight ourselves and then tow it tomorrow. Honestly, at that point I was still unclear as to why the car didn't make it all the way when they went out but I didn't push the issue. It is what it is and now we need to deal with it.
(Picture light bulb now) Hubby remembers that he has a rope that can be used to pull the car and as he goes to find it I come to understand that hubby had to push the car with the truck to get it to where it was. I'm still confused but whatever. Now to get it out of the parking lot and to my house the women are clear that a left turn needs to be made on a busy street and are concerned that oncoming traffic may not realize that the car is being pulled and well it wouldn't' be a happy ending. So, it is decided that we will go with them to help. Hubby starts joking, "How many Cubans does it take to push a car?" As I am getting my purse, I am yelling back we are pulling not pushing. I'm thinking maybe that's why the car isn't here they don't know if they are pushing or pulling. (See title for answer)
Here's the plan: Hubby in the truck will be in front pulling the car being driven by other dad. I will drive our car behind the car with my flashers on because the car's flashers probably don't work as the battery is dead. Other mom will have flashlights and stand in the road waving them a la landing an airplane so that oncoming traffic will see the left turning caravan and stop. The children will be in the car with me and are going merely for the educational value of the experience.
Once we get to the parking lot it takes a while to get the car hooked up but it is done. As we begin to execute our plan another flashlight is added so other mom now has two and the boys are concerned about how she's going to get into my car and change their seating so she can get in the back seat without having to walk around the car. They also suggest everyone roll down their windows so we can hear each other yelling. You see how much they are learning.
We wait for the light to change, other mom is flashing the lights in the road, hubby slowly pulls the car up, out and left as I go slowly behind explaining to the boys that enough room needs to be between us so that if the rope snaps there are no injuries. Other mom hops in the back seat and we get through the intersection and home with no more surprises. As we are undoing all the ropes and parking cars and trucks, they can't get the keys out of the cars ignition because its not in park. It's in neutral and since it has no battery they can't change gears. So, after the men had washed up they are told they have to move the truck and jump the car again to get the keys out. Oh for the love of ^&%^*$. Whatever, it's done and we all sit and have some soda and let the men watch the end of their game. The teens joke that something stronger is needed that a soda and I tell them to sit an d put their feet up for a few years and wait for that one.
We chalk it up to a learning experience and give the boys some tips for future reference because these things will happen and the next day the car is towed to the shop for a new alternator and battery. It could have been worse but nevertheless gimme patience. :)
Monday, December 21, 2009
What?!
I can't hear you over the cacophony of thoughts in my head. The loop de loop that is the list of things I want to do. It's as if there was a scratch in the record and it just keeps replaying the same part over and over again. It pretty much sounds like this: clean this, bake/make that, wrap something, clean this, bake/make that, wrap something....
Gratefully, friends came over on Sunday and even though I know I talked about baking I didn't. I truly disconnected for a while at least. I sat, talked and laughed. Imagine, I enjoyed some downtime with a friend. How awesome is that? Of course, as soon as they left I cleaned something, wrapped something and planned the next day's baking (all the making is done!). To give you a clue as to exactly how much this has taken over my brain. I found myself (I think I was sleep walking) in the kitchen at 2:45 standing in front of the open refrigerator. I don't know why exactly but this morning when I actually woke up I felt a compelling urge to check the supply of milk on hand. Who knows.
I have also started thinking about next year because apparently I don't have enough on my plate trying to finish this year that I feel I must start with the next one. What do I want to do next year? Am I happy with what I 'did' this year? Should I set goals or just let the year roll however it wants, as if my goals could actually alter that anyway. But I want to do so much baking before then, hmmm maybe I should start baking for next holiday at the start of the new year. Can I freeze things for a whole year? Will they be any good? Maybe I should research that a little in all my free time? I'd really hate to do the work and freeze the stuff and then it would be bad next December and I would feel even more pressure than I do now. OK, I need to stop thinking about January and focus on the 3 days I have left. Yes, I can do math! I know that Christmas is the 25th but we have our big celebration on the 24th and since I have to work on the 24th, I need to have everything finished before going to bed on the 23rd. So, 3 days left to do whatever is going to be done.
The trick is to get it done I need to shut my brain off so that I stop thinking all these other miscellaneous and assorted rambling thoughts and focus on the day I we are in right this very minute. I don't know how to do this.
So, tonight the kitchen goals are: chocolate crinkle cookies, mix & refrigerate pie crust, mix & bake a batch of sugar cookies and refrigerate another batch, make coconut macaroons, make truffles (maybe), make biscotti (maybe), make a grocery list for hubby to buy final ingredients needed for holiday desserts that I was assigned to take for the 24th plus what I am taking on the 25th.
Tomorrow's goals are: Wrap a bottle of wine, box & tag the final cookie gifts, go to coffee with girlfriends
Wednesday's goals are: Bake 2 desserts for Xmas eve and any remaining cookies.
You will note that I have truffles and biscotti as maybes. I have all the ingredients at home for both. These are both new items that I have never made and been wanting to try. I actually already mixed the truffles and the batch is sitting in the fridge so that has a better chance at getting done albeit maybe not in time for Xmas but for New Year's Eve. We shall see. I have an assortment of things to coat them in such as cocoa powder, confectioner's sugar, Xmas sprinkles, 2 colors of sanding sugar and pecans. Why so many well its simple I couldn't decide so I got them all and figured I'd decide when the time came and its almost here and I still don't know what I'll do. Who knows? not me.
So, like I said lots going on but really its mostly in my head. LOL!
Gratefully, friends came over on Sunday and even though I know I talked about baking I didn't. I truly disconnected for a while at least. I sat, talked and laughed. Imagine, I enjoyed some downtime with a friend. How awesome is that? Of course, as soon as they left I cleaned something, wrapped something and planned the next day's baking (all the making is done!). To give you a clue as to exactly how much this has taken over my brain. I found myself (I think I was sleep walking) in the kitchen at 2:45 standing in front of the open refrigerator. I don't know why exactly but this morning when I actually woke up I felt a compelling urge to check the supply of milk on hand. Who knows.
I have also started thinking about next year because apparently I don't have enough on my plate trying to finish this year that I feel I must start with the next one. What do I want to do next year? Am I happy with what I 'did' this year? Should I set goals or just let the year roll however it wants, as if my goals could actually alter that anyway. But I want to do so much baking before then, hmmm maybe I should start baking for next holiday at the start of the new year. Can I freeze things for a whole year? Will they be any good? Maybe I should research that a little in all my free time? I'd really hate to do the work and freeze the stuff and then it would be bad next December and I would feel even more pressure than I do now. OK, I need to stop thinking about January and focus on the 3 days I have left. Yes, I can do math! I know that Christmas is the 25th but we have our big celebration on the 24th and since I have to work on the 24th, I need to have everything finished before going to bed on the 23rd. So, 3 days left to do whatever is going to be done.
The trick is to get it done I need to shut my brain off so that I stop thinking all these other miscellaneous and assorted rambling thoughts and focus on the day I we are in right this very minute. I don't know how to do this.
So, tonight the kitchen goals are: chocolate crinkle cookies, mix & refrigerate pie crust, mix & bake a batch of sugar cookies and refrigerate another batch, make coconut macaroons, make truffles (maybe), make biscotti (maybe), make a grocery list for hubby to buy final ingredients needed for holiday desserts that I was assigned to take for the 24th plus what I am taking on the 25th.
Tomorrow's goals are: Wrap a bottle of wine, box & tag the final cookie gifts, go to coffee with girlfriends
Wednesday's goals are: Bake 2 desserts for Xmas eve and any remaining cookies.
You will note that I have truffles and biscotti as maybes. I have all the ingredients at home for both. These are both new items that I have never made and been wanting to try. I actually already mixed the truffles and the batch is sitting in the fridge so that has a better chance at getting done albeit maybe not in time for Xmas but for New Year's Eve. We shall see. I have an assortment of things to coat them in such as cocoa powder, confectioner's sugar, Xmas sprinkles, 2 colors of sanding sugar and pecans. Why so many well its simple I couldn't decide so I got them all and figured I'd decide when the time came and its almost here and I still don't know what I'll do. Who knows? not me.
So, like I said lots going on but really its mostly in my head. LOL!
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Final Countdown
Only 10 more days 'till Christmas.
I thought I was done with all the shopping. I just needed to wrap and check off the list of names as I went along. That was until I started trashing my sewing gifts. Now I need to either go out and shop or come up with something else to make at this stage of the game. I am leaning towards restaurant gift cards. We shall see.
Last night I won a minor skirmish with the sewing machine but the war is far from over. I was able to produce 2 decent looking items out of 4 that were attempted. I only trashed 2 last night. People that's progress. Truly. They aren't done yet. I need to do some final hand stitching and press them before they are ready to give but I think they may be giftable (yes, I know that's not a word but it should be) and that pleases me to no end. You honestly can not imagine.
I think I am going to give it a rest tonight and finish the Christmas cards so that maybe people will get them before the end of the year. I will feel a sense of accomplishment and then I can go back to the sewing tomorrow. The goal is to be done before the weekend so that I can spend it doing the final baking. I give cakes as gifts to some neighbors and doctor's offices so they can be shared by many. So that's the plan but I always have a plan don't I just like last weekend when I wasn't going out and I didn't get home Sunday until close to 1:30 and lost half a day of doing stuff at home. Oh, well. I can only do what I can do. Gimme patience.
I thought I was done with all the shopping. I just needed to wrap and check off the list of names as I went along. That was until I started trashing my sewing gifts. Now I need to either go out and shop or come up with something else to make at this stage of the game. I am leaning towards restaurant gift cards. We shall see.
Last night I won a minor skirmish with the sewing machine but the war is far from over. I was able to produce 2 decent looking items out of 4 that were attempted. I only trashed 2 last night. People that's progress. Truly. They aren't done yet. I need to do some final hand stitching and press them before they are ready to give but I think they may be giftable (yes, I know that's not a word but it should be) and that pleases me to no end. You honestly can not imagine.
I think I am going to give it a rest tonight and finish the Christmas cards so that maybe people will get them before the end of the year. I will feel a sense of accomplishment and then I can go back to the sewing tomorrow. The goal is to be done before the weekend so that I can spend it doing the final baking. I give cakes as gifts to some neighbors and doctor's offices so they can be shared by many. So that's the plan but I always have a plan don't I just like last weekend when I wasn't going out and I didn't get home Sunday until close to 1:30 and lost half a day of doing stuff at home. Oh, well. I can only do what I can do. Gimme patience.
Friday, December 04, 2009
Have to put my foot down.
"Any fool can criticize, complain, condemn -- and most fools do. Picking your battles is impressive and fighting them fairly is essential." - Dale Carnegie
With that thought I am visiting GM today. We (the ALF owners and caretakers and I) have let many behaviors go over the past +year that she has been there but today I need to draw the line. Although she has already called me and berated me (a normal happening) and told me not to go that she is shutting the place down, I will go and 'have it out' with her because she is being excessively cruel to all those around her.
She was being disruptive to the entire house yelling and waking everyone up so that they would come and plug her phone charger into the wall. Her antics woke up all the residents to the point that one fell trying to get out of bed thinking there was a fire or some other emergency. The caretaker who had also been dozing was tending the the resident who fell, tell GM that she would be there in a moment to calm down.
In protest, because they were not tending her quick enough to her liking she ripped up a weeks worth of "pull-ups" and proceeded to remove the one she was wearing and wipe her feces all over the bed, sheets and walls of her room.
She has been calling me all week complaining about bouts of constipation and insisting that she be taken to a hospital near me. When I call to confirm this with the caretakers, they tell me what she has is constipation because they discovered her self-medicating with immodium that she called a "friend" demanding they bring it because no one else cared about her.
Earlier this week while her favorite caretaker was changing her bed she got physically abusive and grabbed and scratched the caretaker's arm yelling at her about I don't know what.
So, today I disconnected her phone and I will go visit her and take her yet another pack of 'pull-ups' and see what happens.
I do not want to fight but I also don't think that she should be allowed to treat others this way.
Today I ask for patience much much patience to deal with what lies ahead for me this evening. Not the start to a weekend that I wanted.
With that thought I am visiting GM today. We (the ALF owners and caretakers and I) have let many behaviors go over the past +year that she has been there but today I need to draw the line. Although she has already called me and berated me (a normal happening) and told me not to go that she is shutting the place down, I will go and 'have it out' with her because she is being excessively cruel to all those around her.
She was being disruptive to the entire house yelling and waking everyone up so that they would come and plug her phone charger into the wall. Her antics woke up all the residents to the point that one fell trying to get out of bed thinking there was a fire or some other emergency. The caretaker who had also been dozing was tending the the resident who fell, tell GM that she would be there in a moment to calm down.
In protest, because they were not tending her quick enough to her liking she ripped up a weeks worth of "pull-ups" and proceeded to remove the one she was wearing and wipe her feces all over the bed, sheets and walls of her room.
She has been calling me all week complaining about bouts of constipation and insisting that she be taken to a hospital near me. When I call to confirm this with the caretakers, they tell me what she has is constipation because they discovered her self-medicating with immodium that she called a "friend" demanding they bring it because no one else cared about her.
Earlier this week while her favorite caretaker was changing her bed she got physically abusive and grabbed and scratched the caretaker's arm yelling at her about I don't know what.
So, today I disconnected her phone and I will go visit her and take her yet another pack of 'pull-ups' and see what happens.
I do not want to fight but I also don't think that she should be allowed to treat others this way.
Today I ask for patience much much patience to deal with what lies ahead for me this evening. Not the start to a weekend that I wanted.
Monday, November 16, 2009
The Bad, the ugly, and the good.
The Bad news: 19s football team lost on Saturday and so they will not be going to the playoffs. They do have one more bowl game this Saturday but its really a non-event. :(
The Ugly: In my project this weekend making the pañales I am using clear thread. Do you know what color clear is? Its the color of whatever it is on; its clear! Do you know how hard it is to thread a frickin' frackin' needle with clear thread? Let me tell you it is really really hard. Do you know how hard it is to untangle clear thread? Let me tell you it is practically undoable. I gave up and just started over. Do you know how hard it is to stitch and know where you are with clear thread? Let me tell you it is really really hard. So, aside from being one of the hardest projects I have EVER done and testing my patience, it is coming out great. I completed one and have one more to go. I don't think I have enough patience in me for the third one. We shall see....
The Good news: 19 will be home for the holidays, including Thanksgiving. 17 has completed all of his college applications and already met with his counselor at school and had him send all the transcripts etc. He is already working on scholarship applications and completed a couple over the weekend. Comfort and Joy!
Note: Yes, I know that undoable is not a word but that's part of the point. It is taking to parts unknown! Gimme Patience.
The Ugly: In my project this weekend making the pañales I am using clear thread. Do you know what color clear is? Its the color of whatever it is on; its clear! Do you know how hard it is to thread a frickin' frackin' needle with clear thread? Let me tell you it is really really hard. Do you know how hard it is to untangle clear thread? Let me tell you it is practically undoable. I gave up and just started over. Do you know how hard it is to stitch and know where you are with clear thread? Let me tell you it is really really hard. So, aside from being one of the hardest projects I have EVER done and testing my patience, it is coming out great. I completed one and have one more to go. I don't think I have enough patience in me for the third one. We shall see....
The Good news: 19 will be home for the holidays, including Thanksgiving. 17 has completed all of his college applications and already met with his counselor at school and had him send all the transcripts etc. He is already working on scholarship applications and completed a couple over the weekend. Comfort and Joy!
Note: Yes, I know that undoable is not a word but that's part of the point. It is taking to parts unknown! Gimme Patience.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
I'l be back
I know my multitude (read: two) of readers are wondering where I am. Well, I'm here, overwhelmed. I did go to NY to visit 19 for Labor Day weekend and that was wonderful. We honestly had a very good time. It was nice albeit short.
The first week back was hectic as first week backs usually are. Then there was the first weekend. The proverbial other shoe fell but in this case it was both shoes that fell at the same time. I honestly can't get into in here and now but suffice to say I am going through some family issues that need to be resolved before I can think clearly enough to write about anything. So, if you are of a mind to say a prayer, please include me. If not, well, think a good thought for me and I will sincerely appreciate it.
Be patient. I will be back some day, hopefully soon, to continue my life musings and rants.
Gimme patience and strength.
The first week back was hectic as first week backs usually are. Then there was the first weekend. The proverbial other shoe fell but in this case it was both shoes that fell at the same time. I honestly can't get into in here and now but suffice to say I am going through some family issues that need to be resolved before I can think clearly enough to write about anything. So, if you are of a mind to say a prayer, please include me. If not, well, think a good thought for me and I will sincerely appreciate it.
Be patient. I will be back some day, hopefully soon, to continue my life musings and rants.
Gimme patience and strength.
Tuesday, September 01, 2009
House woes
My garbage disposal died. It was old and it just up and stopped running. I had my handy dandy FIL check it out and was hoping something heinous was stuck in there somewhere and he would work some magic and make it work but alas, no. We need a new one. Oh, woe is me.
My dishwasher is working right. It starts, it runs, we hear the water but the stuff isn't clean and we've been rewashing many of the items. It seems we need a new one. Oh, woe is me.
Many things is this house of ours are shall I say rigged. By that I mean they aren't standard. They are things that the previous owner had someone make something that looks like the real thing but its not and that makes repairs an adventure.
We have a side back door that I have always thought was not an exterior door but an interior door placed on an exterior wall. Well, it hasn't held up well - duh! and it really needs to be replaced. So, we measured and took off to the big box store and low and behold it's not the standard size. The hole that we have is a full inch smaller than the standard exterior door. Oh, woe is me. We went back home. We must have measured wrong because it's hard to measure something straight across (work with me people!) alas, we weren't wrong. It's an inch short. Hmmm.... well, maybe they built up the frame in a way to fit this door in and now it can be trimmed down to fit the larger door. Another job for FIL. He came, he looked, he measured (same as us), he checked this, looked there. He decided we will need a custom door, the frame cannot be trimmed down. Oh, woe is me.
All these expenses popping up when the budget is tight with senior stuff, college stuff and traveling to visit 19. Oh, woe is me.
The good news is FIL was able to fix a leak in the sink in the guest bathroom. That was the good news. At least there was some. *sigh* gimme patience and a sack of cash to fix all this stuff.
My dishwasher is working right. It starts, it runs, we hear the water but the stuff isn't clean and we've been rewashing many of the items. It seems we need a new one. Oh, woe is me.
Many things is this house of ours are shall I say rigged. By that I mean they aren't standard. They are things that the previous owner had someone make something that looks like the real thing but its not and that makes repairs an adventure.
We have a side back door that I have always thought was not an exterior door but an interior door placed on an exterior wall. Well, it hasn't held up well - duh! and it really needs to be replaced. So, we measured and took off to the big box store and low and behold it's not the standard size. The hole that we have is a full inch smaller than the standard exterior door. Oh, woe is me. We went back home. We must have measured wrong because it's hard to measure something straight across (work with me people!) alas, we weren't wrong. It's an inch short. Hmmm.... well, maybe they built up the frame in a way to fit this door in and now it can be trimmed down to fit the larger door. Another job for FIL. He came, he looked, he measured (same as us), he checked this, looked there. He decided we will need a custom door, the frame cannot be trimmed down. Oh, woe is me.
All these expenses popping up when the budget is tight with senior stuff, college stuff and traveling to visit 19. Oh, woe is me.
The good news is FIL was able to fix a leak in the sink in the guest bathroom. That was the good news. At least there was some. *sigh* gimme patience and a sack of cash to fix all this stuff.
Friday, August 14, 2009
T-9
In case you haven't heard 19 is leaving next Sunday. So of course, now in the last minute starts the mad rush.
* MIL needs to see him again before he leaves. She only has one chance to come down to my neck of the woods on Saturday but it's a small window and she doesn't know if she can get to my house in time to see him before she has to be somewhere else. Relax, I tell her. You aren't going to be that far from us, call me when you get there and I will have 19 go by and see you there.
* 19 says he can't find the socks that he wants anywhere in Miami (my money is on he hasn't gone every where in Miami but who am I to argue). Relax, I tell him. Socks shouldn't be so complicated but if they are just order them online.
* SIL called last night. Her son's bday is on the 20th and I had called her to see if/when she was doing anything because I need to plan my life. She is having the family gathering on Sunday when 19 is leaving. Perfect! He leaves out of Ft Lauderdale, she lives in Hollywood. We can easily swing by before going to the airport.
* My dad has been threatening to come down for 2 weeks but has been having car trouble and is concerned he won't see him and also concerned that he hasn't given 17 his bday gift. Relax, I tell him. If you can't come to us then you can meet us at SILs before he leaves. My dad lives up there too.
* He HAS to go to the beach but he has to find a ride because I need the car. Relax, I tell him. Go to the beach whenever you want (hopefully, after ordering the socks) I don't need the car. I can work around it.
* His computer died last night. It turns on but I'm guessing it has a virus because he can't really get it to do any thing not even a security scan. Now, I'm freaking out. I truly cannot afford a new laptop right now and it's been 24 hours already and he hasn't taken it to a friend of ours who is our resident all thing computer guy. Others tell me to relax that it's not my problem. He's old enough to handle and deal with this on his own. But OMG! Aren't I supposed to give him the tools necessary to do what he needs to do?! There's not much time to get this working here! OMG!
* I have taken home all kinds of coupons for school supplies that I know they both need and no one has gone to get anything. That I am not worried about I gave them the coupons and I gave them the $ with instruction that if they spend it one something else, they will have to write in blood when they run out of pens. Whatever.
* In between all of this 17 starts school. His schedule is wrong because they gave him one of last years' classes. He is cool as a cucumber. It will get fixed, he tells me. Don't worry about it.
* At least 17 tried on his uniform and we only had to get new shoes which he did. Whew! Breathing easy about that.
* Oh yeah, and we have to wash and pack a ton of stuff!
Gimme patience. It's gonna be a long weekend and I wanted to spend it cooking and scrapping. LMAO!
* MIL needs to see him again before he leaves. She only has one chance to come down to my neck of the woods on Saturday but it's a small window and she doesn't know if she can get to my house in time to see him before she has to be somewhere else. Relax, I tell her. You aren't going to be that far from us, call me when you get there and I will have 19 go by and see you there.
* 19 says he can't find the socks that he wants anywhere in Miami (my money is on he hasn't gone every where in Miami but who am I to argue). Relax, I tell him. Socks shouldn't be so complicated but if they are just order them online.
* SIL called last night. Her son's bday is on the 20th and I had called her to see if/when she was doing anything because I need to plan my life. She is having the family gathering on Sunday when 19 is leaving. Perfect! He leaves out of Ft Lauderdale, she lives in Hollywood. We can easily swing by before going to the airport.
* My dad has been threatening to come down for 2 weeks but has been having car trouble and is concerned he won't see him and also concerned that he hasn't given 17 his bday gift. Relax, I tell him. If you can't come to us then you can meet us at SILs before he leaves. My dad lives up there too.
* He HAS to go to the beach but he has to find a ride because I need the car. Relax, I tell him. Go to the beach whenever you want (hopefully, after ordering the socks) I don't need the car. I can work around it.
* His computer died last night. It turns on but I'm guessing it has a virus because he can't really get it to do any thing not even a security scan. Now, I'm freaking out. I truly cannot afford a new laptop right now and it's been 24 hours already and he hasn't taken it to a friend of ours who is our resident all thing computer guy. Others tell me to relax that it's not my problem. He's old enough to handle and deal with this on his own. But OMG! Aren't I supposed to give him the tools necessary to do what he needs to do?! There's not much time to get this working here! OMG!
* I have taken home all kinds of coupons for school supplies that I know they both need and no one has gone to get anything. That I am not worried about I gave them the coupons and I gave them the $ with instruction that if they spend it one something else, they will have to write in blood when they run out of pens. Whatever.
* In between all of this 17 starts school. His schedule is wrong because they gave him one of last years' classes. He is cool as a cucumber. It will get fixed, he tells me. Don't worry about it.
* At least 17 tried on his uniform and we only had to get new shoes which he did. Whew! Breathing easy about that.
* Oh yeah, and we have to wash and pack a ton of stuff!
Gimme patience. It's gonna be a long weekend and I wanted to spend it cooking and scrapping. LMAO!
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Breathing, Sleeping - important things
Breathing is really important. You are thinking, DUH! Well, I know it's restating the obvious but when you have spent basically 3 weeks so congested that you sleep sitting up and it can hurt to open your eyes and swallowing takes effort because you are so dang tired of concentrating on breathing and swallowing it's a godsend when you can finally breathe clearly again. I'm just saying. Today is finally that day. It's the first morning I have ventured to not take any meds and don't feel like I am walking with my head in a cloud all day. I'm not 100% but I really am much much better. Breathing is a beautiful thing. I am grateful that I can breathe and sleep better.
Of course, now I am ready for the sleepless nights of summer. I know I bring it on myself, my children don't formally have finite curfews. I just need to know where they are. And so I don't sleep well in summer because since they don't have to get up early they can stay up late and by default I sleep in fits and keep waking to see where they are. We have a system. A light stays on in the front hallways and their doors are open. From bed I can lean over and see if the light is still on (everyone's not home) and the doors are open (no one is in the room) or closed (they are in and down for the night- yea!). My cell phone is on the night stand and periodically the vibrations wake me and let me know that someone is on the move advising me of the new location. Gratefully, even 19 still does this. I know the boy is in college and doesn't live here most of the year but like I tell him I just want to know. I'm not passing judgement and he's good with that. So, this morning when at 4:45 I got a text *sleeping at Friend's house, not coming home, luvya* I was finally able to fall into a deep solid sleep since 16's door had been closed since 12:30ish. Ahh, those wonderful sleepless summer nights. Here we go again and yet I wouldn't trade it for the world. Gimme patience mucho mucho patience.
Of course, now I am ready for the sleepless nights of summer. I know I bring it on myself, my children don't formally have finite curfews. I just need to know where they are. And so I don't sleep well in summer because since they don't have to get up early they can stay up late and by default I sleep in fits and keep waking to see where they are. We have a system. A light stays on in the front hallways and their doors are open. From bed I can lean over and see if the light is still on (everyone's not home) and the doors are open (no one is in the room) or closed (they are in and down for the night- yea!). My cell phone is on the night stand and periodically the vibrations wake me and let me know that someone is on the move advising me of the new location. Gratefully, even 19 still does this. I know the boy is in college and doesn't live here most of the year but like I tell him I just want to know. I'm not passing judgement and he's good with that. So, this morning when at 4:45 I got a text *sleeping at Friend's house, not coming home, luvya* I was finally able to fall into a deep solid sleep since 16's door had been closed since 12:30ish. Ahh, those wonderful sleepless summer nights. Here we go again and yet I wouldn't trade it for the world. Gimme patience mucho mucho patience.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Wait! It's raining!
As you know I didn't grow up here in South Florida where during the rainy season it rains every afternoon. I grew up in Northern Virginia where you know weather sticks around for a few days and then goes on to harass some other part of the country.
I would visit Miami in December and be told not to wash my hair because it's too cold outside. HUH? Are you crazy? Does that mean that half the world doesn't wash their hair for half the year? In Virginia I could shower, bathe and wash my hair regardless of the temperature outside.
When I moved here way back when and I used to take a bus to work. This was nothing new to me I commuted to high school on public transportation taking 2 buses and a subway. No biggie. One day I am leaving the office and go through the doors of the building to find a mass of people standing there. Just standing there. I thought something had happened, so I patiently waited for maybe 3 minutes. When I couldn't hear anything going on I asked, What happened? It's raining I was told. HUH? And did someone fall? No. What's everyone waiting for? It's raining, I was told again. They were waiting for it to stop. HUH? Now, I realize that we aren't all postal workers or anything that must go on through rain, sleet and snow yadda yadda but people it's water. It's not going to hurt you unless of course you are the Wicked Witch of the West, if that's the case by all means wait inside until the rain passes. I elbowed my way to the front of the crowd and horror of horrors walked in the rain to my bus stop. Imagine. I did not melt or burst into flames.
Now, I told you all that to tell you this. Last night was my coffee night with my girlfriends and only 3 of us showed up. Why? Because it was raining. Here we go again. You aren't walking over, you are driving in your car where you will be inside dry. I understand that maybe you want to wait a few minutes if it got particularly rough in your neighborhood momentarily. I mean I have been living here for +20 years, I've heard the rain excuse before. So, we waited and waited and they didn't show. Amazingly one, God Bless her!, got in her car (remaining dry because she has a porte-cochere) and got @15 blocks when she decided to turn around and go home. She called to tell us that she turned around because it was raining too much and there were puddles everywhere. I had no words. I could only laugh. I doubt we will ever let her live it down. I can hear us 20 years from now when it starts to sprinkle "Be careful with the puddles!"
I've said it before and I will say it again, you can't make this stuff up! I love my friends they add confort and joy to my life even when they don't show up for coffee.
I would visit Miami in December and be told not to wash my hair because it's too cold outside. HUH? Are you crazy? Does that mean that half the world doesn't wash their hair for half the year? In Virginia I could shower, bathe and wash my hair regardless of the temperature outside.
When I moved here way back when and I used to take a bus to work. This was nothing new to me I commuted to high school on public transportation taking 2 buses and a subway. No biggie. One day I am leaving the office and go through the doors of the building to find a mass of people standing there. Just standing there. I thought something had happened, so I patiently waited for maybe 3 minutes. When I couldn't hear anything going on I asked, What happened? It's raining I was told. HUH? And did someone fall? No. What's everyone waiting for? It's raining, I was told again. They were waiting for it to stop. HUH? Now, I realize that we aren't all postal workers or anything that must go on through rain, sleet and snow yadda yadda but people it's water. It's not going to hurt you unless of course you are the Wicked Witch of the West, if that's the case by all means wait inside until the rain passes. I elbowed my way to the front of the crowd and horror of horrors walked in the rain to my bus stop. Imagine. I did not melt or burst into flames.
Now, I told you all that to tell you this. Last night was my coffee night with my girlfriends and only 3 of us showed up. Why? Because it was raining. Here we go again. You aren't walking over, you are driving in your car where you will be inside dry. I understand that maybe you want to wait a few minutes if it got particularly rough in your neighborhood momentarily. I mean I have been living here for +20 years, I've heard the rain excuse before. So, we waited and waited and they didn't show. Amazingly one, God Bless her!, got in her car (remaining dry because she has a porte-cochere) and got @15 blocks when she decided to turn around and go home. She called to tell us that she turned around because it was raining too much and there were puddles everywhere. I had no words. I could only laugh. I doubt we will ever let her live it down. I can hear us 20 years from now when it starts to sprinkle "Be careful with the puddles!"
I've said it before and I will say it again, you can't make this stuff up! I love my friends they add confort and joy to my life even when they don't show up for coffee.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
coffee and crying
With a headache and bleary-eyed I am drafting this before I head to work. I'm not sure how much I slept last night. I know that I dozed off and on but it feels like I only slept a few minutes before that dang alarm rang this morning.
Coffee with some girlfriends last night was serendipitous. Earlier in the evening to be honest I didn't feel like going but I was giving someone else a ride and felt quasi-obligated. Our conversation went around to paranormal and to funerals and the passing of ourselves and loved one - without me telling any of them about the funk I have been in nor of the correlation that hit me about my mother's death and age. I hugged them and told then that it had been cathartic our coffee time together. Truly I already felt a little better. I felt lighter, a bit at peace. I don't know why. There were no new revelations about anything, no insights garnered. Just talking and listening to my girlfriends. It was good. I was, and am, very glad I went.
I then went home and just let my thoughts wander and roam backwards and forwards in time (mostly backward) and I cried. And cried. I dozed. And I cried.
This morning. It's hard to explain. I am tired, drained but at the same time lighter. It's the oddest thing. My head is throbbing in pain but I feel relief at the same time.
****
When I got to the office I sent an email to advise that soon I was taking a day off for some more doctor appointments. As I typed out the email I realized the appointments are on the anniversary of my mother's passing. A chill went up my spine and then I started laughing, the irony is not lost on me at all. I think it is more on the freaky side of things but there ya go.
So, how this all explains the way I've been feeling? I dunno. How do I get past all this? I dunno. One day at a time, I guess. Gimme patience and thank God for my girlfriends who were there for me and didn't even know it.
Coffee with some girlfriends last night was serendipitous. Earlier in the evening to be honest I didn't feel like going but I was giving someone else a ride and felt quasi-obligated. Our conversation went around to paranormal and to funerals and the passing of ourselves and loved one - without me telling any of them about the funk I have been in nor of the correlation that hit me about my mother's death and age. I hugged them and told then that it had been cathartic our coffee time together. Truly I already felt a little better. I felt lighter, a bit at peace. I don't know why. There were no new revelations about anything, no insights garnered. Just talking and listening to my girlfriends. It was good. I was, and am, very glad I went.
I then went home and just let my thoughts wander and roam backwards and forwards in time (mostly backward) and I cried. And cried. I dozed. And I cried.
This morning. It's hard to explain. I am tired, drained but at the same time lighter. It's the oddest thing. My head is throbbing in pain but I feel relief at the same time.
****
When I got to the office I sent an email to advise that soon I was taking a day off for some more doctor appointments. As I typed out the email I realized the appointments are on the anniversary of my mother's passing. A chill went up my spine and then I started laughing, the irony is not lost on me at all. I think it is more on the freaky side of things but there ya go.
So, how this all explains the way I've been feeling? I dunno. How do I get past all this? I dunno. One day at a time, I guess. Gimme patience and thank God for my girlfriends who were there for me and didn't even know it.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Bus Stops & Crosswalks
I wonder if the county school department of transportation even knows what the definition of words like bus stop and crosswalk. On my way to work I occasionally get to witness a pet peeve of mine that well starts my day with my panties all in a bunch.
I realize that I grew up in a different era, that things change yadda yadda but pretty much safety measures only get more stringent over time not more lax. I also know the driving rules and know that not everyone follows them. I know that when a bus stops ALL the cars around it are supposed to stop too. Both the traffic next to and oncoming. Fine. I'm also going to acknowledge that children can cross the street to get on a bus. Fine. But, and here's the rub, they should be crossing at a valid intersection, a crosswalk, you know a place were it is correct, legal and safe to be crossing the road because the bus should be stopped at a corner or at a bus stop waiting for them not in the middle of the street right before the train tracks making them cross 3 lanes of traffic, two of them oncoming including crossing a median on a main traffic street! HELLO! Can you say JAYWALKING!?I don't care how old the kids are it's wrong.
I realize that jaywalking is not a stringently prosecuted but should the county school board really be encouraging it by designing bus routes that require it? Give me a break. I tried to search on the Internet the bus routes and any rules and guidelines but it was taking too long and I wasn't finding what I wanted so I came here to complain about it.
Let's see what is the definition of jaywalking? Well, according to wikipedia, its: an informal term used to refer to illegal or reckless pedestrian crossing of a roadway. Examples include a pedestrian crossing between intersections (outside a crosswalk, marked or unmarked) without yielding to drivers and starting to cross a crosswalk at a signalized intersection without waiting for a permissive indication to be displayed. In the Unites States, state statutes generally reflect the Uniform Vehicle Code in requiring drivers to yield the right of way to a pedestrians at crosswalks; at other locations, crossing pedestrians are either required to yield to drivers or, under some conditions, are prohibited from crossing.
OK. Fine. Technically the kids aren't jaywalking because they are standing there, yielding to the traffic until everyone decides to stop for them and then they cross in between intersections across 3 lanes over a median to get to their bus. Still, it's wrong. It shouldn't be that way. Go to the corner, cross at the intersection, the bus could always turn into their complex (oh, the horror) and simply have them cross the street in there.
OK. Enough venting for one morning. Can you tell this is a pet peeve of mine. Hubby gets to hear it every time we see it happen. This is one time where he actually agrees with me. I'm taking a deep breath now and going to get my morning coffee. Gimme patience.
I realize that I grew up in a different era, that things change yadda yadda but pretty much safety measures only get more stringent over time not more lax. I also know the driving rules and know that not everyone follows them. I know that when a bus stops ALL the cars around it are supposed to stop too. Both the traffic next to and oncoming. Fine. I'm also going to acknowledge that children can cross the street to get on a bus. Fine. But, and here's the rub, they should be crossing at a valid intersection, a crosswalk, you know a place were it is correct, legal and safe to be crossing the road because the bus should be stopped at a corner or at a bus stop waiting for them not in the middle of the street right before the train tracks making them cross 3 lanes of traffic, two of them oncoming including crossing a median on a main traffic street! HELLO! Can you say JAYWALKING!?I don't care how old the kids are it's wrong.
I realize that jaywalking is not a stringently prosecuted but should the county school board really be encouraging it by designing bus routes that require it? Give me a break. I tried to search on the Internet the bus routes and any rules and guidelines but it was taking too long and I wasn't finding what I wanted so I came here to complain about it.
Let's see what is the definition of jaywalking? Well, according to wikipedia, its: an informal term used to refer to illegal or reckless pedestrian crossing of a roadway. Examples include a pedestrian crossing between intersections (outside a crosswalk, marked or unmarked) without yielding to drivers and starting to cross a crosswalk at a signalized intersection without waiting for a permissive indication to be displayed. In the Unites States, state statutes generally reflect the Uniform Vehicle Code in requiring drivers to yield the right of way to a pedestrians at crosswalks; at other locations, crossing pedestrians are either required to yield to drivers or, under some conditions, are prohibited from crossing.
OK. Fine. Technically the kids aren't jaywalking because they are standing there, yielding to the traffic until everyone decides to stop for them and then they cross in between intersections across 3 lanes over a median to get to their bus. Still, it's wrong. It shouldn't be that way. Go to the corner, cross at the intersection, the bus could always turn into their complex (oh, the horror) and simply have them cross the street in there.
OK. Enough venting for one morning. Can you tell this is a pet peeve of mine. Hubby gets to hear it every time we see it happen. This is one time where he actually agrees with me. I'm taking a deep breath now and going to get my morning coffee. Gimme patience.
Thursday, April 09, 2009
A New Year
Hubby and I have been having some ups and downs or I guess it would be better described as down and ups with the ups never quite coming back up to speed. Anyway, I am exhausted mentally and emotionally this morning because yesterday we had one of those talks. You know the ones, the ones where you talk/rant/cry for hours. I'm so drained. I hope some good comes out of it. We've basically agreed to give it (read:us) one more try. He even set a deadline. One Year. So a year from now we will either be happy/content enough to be forever or we will separate and move on.
I realize that we have said this type of thing before. We have said that we are going to try certain things and it never lasts very long. But this time the difference is that there's a finite end, a finish line if you will at which time progress will be measured. See, hubby is a numbers guy and it may help if he has those concrete things, tangible goals, dates etc. Let's see how this experiment in us goes. You may hear about it, you may not. It depends on my mood.
I don't expect everything to be peaches and cream all the time. Honest, that's not my expectation of a marriage. I know that nothing can maintain a perpetual high. And I am not blaming hubby for the way things are. I acknowledge my part in this dance and so I am going to do what he asks and give it this year of reconnecting -- it takes two to tango.
Maybe I'll start this afternoon by letting him in on my words for the year: comfort & joy. Today I wish I had a few more hours of sleep to recharge from last night.
I realize that we have said this type of thing before. We have said that we are going to try certain things and it never lasts very long. But this time the difference is that there's a finite end, a finish line if you will at which time progress will be measured. See, hubby is a numbers guy and it may help if he has those concrete things, tangible goals, dates etc. Let's see how this experiment in us goes. You may hear about it, you may not. It depends on my mood.
I don't expect everything to be peaches and cream all the time. Honest, that's not my expectation of a marriage. I know that nothing can maintain a perpetual high. And I am not blaming hubby for the way things are. I acknowledge my part in this dance and so I am going to do what he asks and give it this year of reconnecting -- it takes two to tango.
Maybe I'll start this afternoon by letting him in on my words for the year: comfort & joy. Today I wish I had a few more hours of sleep to recharge from last night.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Q: How many things can go wrong with one dinner?
A: As many as possible.
Sunday dinner was supposed to be some favorite Cuban dishes for 19 because he's home and doesn't get to eat this when he's not here. Fine. He's only here for a couple of weeks so I invited some friends (who are like family) over for dinner to make sure they get to see him since schedules are complicated with such a short visit. Fine. So far, so good.
The menu is decided. Boliche (essentially a Cuban Roast), Red beans, and Flan for dessert. Fine. Everyone likes that. It's all good. Well, the snafu is that 16 likes to have baked chicken on Sunday. We have it so often on Sunday that it's been dubbed Sunday chicken when prepared this way. According to him the world alters its rotation when Sunday chicken is not had. Puleeze! It happened once but that was just coincidence. At least until yesterday.
I made the flan on Thursday. I had made 2 one to take to SIls on Friday and one for Sunday. Ahead of the game. Woo Hoo. That's like such a rarity all in itself. I was very proud of myself. Dessert for Sunday was all set. When we tired it on Friday night it was good but not great. The consistency a little off, a tad overcooked. Oh well. Sunday's might be better since it was made in a different mold maybe the cooking time will match up with that mold. We'll see.
It's Saturday. I am going to make the beans. Why so early? Because they beans are always better the next day so, I figure lets make them ahead of time. Fine. It's a slow process. I make my MILs recipe. Hubby and I have a small taste once it's done and it is fabulous. I'm thrilled with the outcome. It has tons of meat and squash in it, its delicious. Great. I put it in the fridge overnight.
So its Sunday. I only have the roast left to make. No problem. I have made it dozens of time. This should be the easy part. I also eventually need to reheat the beans which I take out of the fridge and place on the stove for later. We had bought a large roast. This is made in slices in a pressure cooker. Cooked low and slow to be fall apart yummy. As I put it all together, I tell hubby that I need a bigger pressure cooker that it barely fits in there. I start doing house chores while the roast cooks. Suddenly from the bedroom I smell something. Run to the kitchen. Somehow, magically because I certainly don't remember doing it, the beans were on HIGH and at a rolling boil! OMG! I take it off the stove and they are stuck burnt to the bottom of the pot. Crap! Who did this? Questioning everyone got me no where other than starting 16 on a tirade of I told you to fix Sunday Chicken.
At this point 19 tells me his girlfriend is coming for dinner too. Great. I mean it is great but man do I have dumb luck or what. First, it's only her 2nds time over for dinner and its the exact same menu, down to the dessert. Second, the first time the beans were over cooked and had almost disintegrated this time they are burnt. She's going to think I can only make one thing and I really can't even make that well. Ok. Fine whatever. It will be nice to have her over. More funny stories to look back on later which I am beginning to think may be my purpose on this planet.
When the time came for the roast to be done. I open the pressure cooker and it's not fall apart good. Of course. I think it's because the pot is not big enough and it didn't have enough space to do its thing. I remove the potatoes that are super done. Add some more liquid and turn it up so that it pressurizes again hoping the extra time will do the trick. I won't tell you how many times 16 has said the words: Sunday Chicken and I told you so.
My friends brought Cuban bread and fixins for a salad that I prepped and we set the table. OK. Dinner should be ready now. I am really not happy with it. The beans burned and I know the meat is going to be so so and the flan who knows. Whatever. Dinner is ready! And I screech! The rice! I forgot to make the rice. Everyone starts moaning. (I've done this before.) We're hungry, everything is ready and now we'll have to wait 1/2 hour for the rice. Forget it. I am going to dash to the corner where they sell food-by-the pound and buy white rice. 19s girlfriend is not here yet, we have some time, my girlfriend and I go to the car, 19 stands at the front door shaking his head at us like he can't believe we are ditching them in their hour of need. We park at the place and they are picking up the outdoor set up of tables and chairs. I yell, OMG I think they are closed. I ask the man as we approach. Not yet he tells me. Thank God for small favors, I think. I tell the guy at the counter I need white rice for 10 people. They really don't have that much left. I'll take it all. He packs it up. Then we see the baked chicken. I buy a piece for 16 because, I think it will be funny. We tell the cashier about the dinner snafu as I take the price off the pack so hubby doesn't see how much I paid for rice. Everyone laughs because I clearly exist for their amusement. As we drive back home, I think of my grandmother who used to buy/order the food from the restaurant and put it in her pots and let everyone think she made it. As we pull up to the house girlfriend's car is there. Can't put it in a pot now and let her think I made it when she sees me walk in with it. Failed ya grandma - sorry.
So now we start plating dinner to be served. The burnt beans, the not falling apart roast with a sauce that's not saucy because it has been cooked down so far and over-reduced, the store bought rice and the pretty salad. Whatever. I don't even care anymore. I'm barely even hungry, let's get this over with. The ribbing continues with the kitchen gods not being happy because this isn't Sunday chicken. Add to irony that had I made that girlfriend would have tried something new made by me. We relive that previous fiasco when Sunday chicken was not made. We laugh a lot. The food all tastes pretty good. There's plenty of flavor it's just not right but memorable to say the least. And now for the flan. I flip it onto the plate. And we all agree it's good but slightly overcooked. Shocker! :)
I think we had fun. An instant classic moment. One they will rib me about for many years to come. But I think next Sunday we'll have Sunday chicken. Where's that camera? I promise you, I'm not making it up. Gimme patience!
Sunday dinner was supposed to be some favorite Cuban dishes for 19 because he's home and doesn't get to eat this when he's not here. Fine. He's only here for a couple of weeks so I invited some friends (who are like family) over for dinner to make sure they get to see him since schedules are complicated with such a short visit. Fine. So far, so good.
The menu is decided. Boliche (essentially a Cuban Roast), Red beans, and Flan for dessert. Fine. Everyone likes that. It's all good. Well, the snafu is that 16 likes to have baked chicken on Sunday. We have it so often on Sunday that it's been dubbed Sunday chicken when prepared this way. According to him the world alters its rotation when Sunday chicken is not had. Puleeze! It happened once but that was just coincidence. At least until yesterday.
I made the flan on Thursday. I had made 2 one to take to SIls on Friday and one for Sunday. Ahead of the game. Woo Hoo. That's like such a rarity all in itself. I was very proud of myself. Dessert for Sunday was all set. When we tired it on Friday night it was good but not great. The consistency a little off, a tad overcooked. Oh well. Sunday's might be better since it was made in a different mold maybe the cooking time will match up with that mold. We'll see.
It's Saturday. I am going to make the beans. Why so early? Because they beans are always better the next day so, I figure lets make them ahead of time. Fine. It's a slow process. I make my MILs recipe. Hubby and I have a small taste once it's done and it is fabulous. I'm thrilled with the outcome. It has tons of meat and squash in it, its delicious. Great. I put it in the fridge overnight.
So its Sunday. I only have the roast left to make. No problem. I have made it dozens of time. This should be the easy part. I also eventually need to reheat the beans which I take out of the fridge and place on the stove for later. We had bought a large roast. This is made in slices in a pressure cooker. Cooked low and slow to be fall apart yummy. As I put it all together, I tell hubby that I need a bigger pressure cooker that it barely fits in there. I start doing house chores while the roast cooks. Suddenly from the bedroom I smell something. Run to the kitchen. Somehow, magically because I certainly don't remember doing it, the beans were on HIGH and at a rolling boil! OMG! I take it off the stove and they are stuck burnt to the bottom of the pot. Crap! Who did this? Questioning everyone got me no where other than starting 16 on a tirade of I told you to fix Sunday Chicken.
At this point 19 tells me his girlfriend is coming for dinner too. Great. I mean it is great but man do I have dumb luck or what. First, it's only her 2nds time over for dinner and its the exact same menu, down to the dessert. Second, the first time the beans were over cooked and had almost disintegrated this time they are burnt. She's going to think I can only make one thing and I really can't even make that well. Ok. Fine whatever. It will be nice to have her over. More funny stories to look back on later which I am beginning to think may be my purpose on this planet.
When the time came for the roast to be done. I open the pressure cooker and it's not fall apart good. Of course. I think it's because the pot is not big enough and it didn't have enough space to do its thing. I remove the potatoes that are super done. Add some more liquid and turn it up so that it pressurizes again hoping the extra time will do the trick. I won't tell you how many times 16 has said the words: Sunday Chicken and I told you so.
My friends brought Cuban bread and fixins for a salad that I prepped and we set the table. OK. Dinner should be ready now. I am really not happy with it. The beans burned and I know the meat is going to be so so and the flan who knows. Whatever. Dinner is ready! And I screech! The rice! I forgot to make the rice. Everyone starts moaning. (I've done this before.) We're hungry, everything is ready and now we'll have to wait 1/2 hour for the rice. Forget it. I am going to dash to the corner where they sell food-by-the pound and buy white rice. 19s girlfriend is not here yet, we have some time, my girlfriend and I go to the car, 19 stands at the front door shaking his head at us like he can't believe we are ditching them in their hour of need. We park at the place and they are picking up the outdoor set up of tables and chairs. I yell, OMG I think they are closed. I ask the man as we approach. Not yet he tells me. Thank God for small favors, I think. I tell the guy at the counter I need white rice for 10 people. They really don't have that much left. I'll take it all. He packs it up. Then we see the baked chicken. I buy a piece for 16 because, I think it will be funny. We tell the cashier about the dinner snafu as I take the price off the pack so hubby doesn't see how much I paid for rice. Everyone laughs because I clearly exist for their amusement. As we drive back home, I think of my grandmother who used to buy/order the food from the restaurant and put it in her pots and let everyone think she made it. As we pull up to the house girlfriend's car is there. Can't put it in a pot now and let her think I made it when she sees me walk in with it. Failed ya grandma - sorry.
So now we start plating dinner to be served. The burnt beans, the not falling apart roast with a sauce that's not saucy because it has been cooked down so far and over-reduced, the store bought rice and the pretty salad. Whatever. I don't even care anymore. I'm barely even hungry, let's get this over with. The ribbing continues with the kitchen gods not being happy because this isn't Sunday chicken. Add to irony that had I made that girlfriend would have tried something new made by me. We relive that previous fiasco when Sunday chicken was not made. We laugh a lot. The food all tastes pretty good. There's plenty of flavor it's just not right but memorable to say the least. And now for the flan. I flip it onto the plate. And we all agree it's good but slightly overcooked. Shocker! :)
I think we had fun. An instant classic moment. One they will rib me about for many years to come. But I think next Sunday we'll have Sunday chicken. Where's that camera? I promise you, I'm not making it up. Gimme patience!
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Prize Patrol or Mr. Brown
GM called me yesterday very excited. She had amazing news. I wasn't going to believe. So, I asked her if she found a bag full of money or won the lottery. She laughed in a strangely giddy yet conspiratorial way and told me "Not a bag of money but beautiful shoes!"
Now it was my turn to laugh. I ordered them. I told her when I saw her on the weekend that I would. I told her when they'd be delivered. I had even spoken to her in the morning to see if they had arrived. She doesn't remember. That was sad and had me shaking my head but then you have to go with what you are given. You know make lemonade out of lemons and all.
She was laughing and Woo Hooing about these shoes that a very nice man brought to the house just for her. She didn't recognize him and didn't know who he was but she accepted the gift. She has no idea how he knew she needed shoes and much less how he knew what size to get her but they are BEA-U-TI-FUL! and she doesn't have to tie them because they have a sticky strip that the caretaker showed her how to use (yes, Velcro). She was so excited, her sneaky laugh was infectious. It's even making me smile now thinking about the conversation. I totally just went with it asking her who the guy was, did she get his name etc. I almost fell off my chair when she told me that one of the men who lives in the home who barely speaks any English yelled at the man as he got back into his truck "Who you!?" and he answered, "Mr. Brown". I started crying I was laughing so hard with her on the phone. Mr. Brown bought her a pair of shoes! So guess what? She told me I don't have to get her shoes anymore. Gimme patience! but hey, she was happy.
Now it was my turn to laugh. I ordered them. I told her when I saw her on the weekend that I would. I told her when they'd be delivered. I had even spoken to her in the morning to see if they had arrived. She doesn't remember. That was sad and had me shaking my head but then you have to go with what you are given. You know make lemonade out of lemons and all.
She was laughing and Woo Hooing about these shoes that a very nice man brought to the house just for her. She didn't recognize him and didn't know who he was but she accepted the gift. She has no idea how he knew she needed shoes and much less how he knew what size to get her but they are BEA-U-TI-FUL! and she doesn't have to tie them because they have a sticky strip that the caretaker showed her how to use (yes, Velcro). She was so excited, her sneaky laugh was infectious. It's even making me smile now thinking about the conversation. I totally just went with it asking her who the guy was, did she get his name etc. I almost fell off my chair when she told me that one of the men who lives in the home who barely speaks any English yelled at the man as he got back into his truck "Who you!?" and he answered, "Mr. Brown". I started crying I was laughing so hard with her on the phone. Mr. Brown bought her a pair of shoes! So guess what? She told me I don't have to get her shoes anymore. Gimme patience! but hey, she was happy.
Monday, March 09, 2009
Do you know what time it is?
For the love of Pete, give me back my hour!
We Sprang forward yesterday and I want my hour back! I hate this time of year, when we change times. This whole transition week because that's how long it will take me to figure out the time of day. One measly hour you say shouldn't affect me so much. WELL! It did. It does. And it will do it again in the fall only then I still will not like it because it will be the fabulous 25 hour day and I will not do great things in that additional hour oh so generously granted.
Back to yesterday. I was co-hosting a Gold Party at a friend's house. Which meant leave things up and running at my house for the sick husband and 17, take munchies and wine and go be hostess with the mostest at a friend's house. Sounds easy. Yeah, I thought so, until the powers that be stole an hour right out from under me.
I knew this was going to happen when I went o bed on Saturday. I'm not a complete idiot (just read, don't argue here). When I woke up my cell phone was on my nightstand and I checked the time there thinking it would be the only reliable source. It should auto change. Fine. 7:10. I slowly get up, go out to the living room, find some mindless entertainment on TV and head to the kitchen. The time on the oven matches the cell phone. Impressive, hubby must have changed it before he went to bed. Cool. I mix a dip and put it in the fridge to chill and start the coffee. I gather the serving trays I am taking to the party and pack up the wine. I start slicing the cheese and laying it out on a platter. I have my first cup of Joe, lounging on the sofa watching a cooking show. I've got plenty of time. I think I may have even dozed off for a minute or 20 because I don't recall the entire recipe. As I stretch and sit up, hubby walks out and plops on the sofa.
H: Did you make coffee.
I made American, I'll make Cuban now.
H: You realize, that's not the right time.
Huh? What do you mean? As I check my cell against the oven.
H: It's an hour later. Remember, the time changes today. It's actually 9:45.
WHAT?! No, the oven's right, it matches my cell.
He clicks and shows me the time on the TV. 9:47. He stole an hour! Poof. It was gone. CRAP! I'm leaving at 11:am. Now, I don't have time for everything now. I was going to leave 17 his waffle batter mixed, leave Hubby dinner seasoned and ready to stick in the oven, I still had to shower and and there was other stuff that was getting muddled. So, after cursing at my phone and wasting 10 minutes re-setting the time. I went to shower and left Hubby making the Cuban coffee. I didn't make the batter or season the chicken. I had my cafe con leche (more caffeine was a priority) and gathered my things to go to the party.
The party was a success and the lost hour was a topic of conversation throughout the day. I was not the only one struggling with this. Others had missed mass, and overall spent the day running late.
After the party a friend and I decide to go eat Indian Food at a local restaurant the doesn't open until 5:30. We have time to kill before it opens. No problem. After we find the place we'll find another place to walk around and chat. We ended up just sitting in the car chatting. We are watching the clock in the car. Her car. Finally, it's 5:28. We get to the restaurant and I expect to be one the first people there. The restaurant is half full. When I return from the ladies room my friend tells me. You realize we sat in the car for an extra hour. It's 6:30. HUH?! there it was again, an hour stolen. Poof. Gone. She goes on to explain, we watched the car clock that wasn't reset. It didn't occur to either of us to check our cells or her to check her watch (I don't wear one). Amazing. We are both astonished by the sheer dumbness of this. It's too funny. You can't make this up. She calls her husband to tell him because he's at home waiting for us to take him dinner. Well, dearly we'll be an hour later. He has no words, his response and commentary was "Ughhhh!" When I tell me husband on the way home, he laughed heartily and tell me I'm a dumbazz. Nice, huh. Not that I was thinking I was so brilliant at the moment.
It's a good thing I had a nice happy day, chatting with girlfriend, making money at the Gold Party and having Indian with a friend because otherwise it really would have been a sucky day.
Why so we have to spring and fall forwards and backwards with the time anyway. Does it honestly serve a purpose anymore, other than frustrate the hell out of me for 2 weeks of the year? Gimme patience!
We Sprang forward yesterday and I want my hour back! I hate this time of year, when we change times. This whole transition week because that's how long it will take me to figure out the time of day. One measly hour you say shouldn't affect me so much. WELL! It did. It does. And it will do it again in the fall only then I still will not like it because it will be the fabulous 25 hour day and I will not do great things in that additional hour oh so generously granted.
Back to yesterday. I was co-hosting a Gold Party at a friend's house. Which meant leave things up and running at my house for the sick husband and 17, take munchies and wine and go be hostess with the mostest at a friend's house. Sounds easy. Yeah, I thought so, until the powers that be stole an hour right out from under me.
I knew this was going to happen when I went o bed on Saturday. I'm not a complete idiot (just read, don't argue here). When I woke up my cell phone was on my nightstand and I checked the time there thinking it would be the only reliable source. It should auto change. Fine. 7:10. I slowly get up, go out to the living room, find some mindless entertainment on TV and head to the kitchen. The time on the oven matches the cell phone. Impressive, hubby must have changed it before he went to bed. Cool. I mix a dip and put it in the fridge to chill and start the coffee. I gather the serving trays I am taking to the party and pack up the wine. I start slicing the cheese and laying it out on a platter. I have my first cup of Joe, lounging on the sofa watching a cooking show. I've got plenty of time. I think I may have even dozed off for a minute or 20 because I don't recall the entire recipe. As I stretch and sit up, hubby walks out and plops on the sofa.
H: Did you make coffee.
I made American, I'll make Cuban now.
H: You realize, that's not the right time.
Huh? What do you mean? As I check my cell against the oven.
H: It's an hour later. Remember, the time changes today. It's actually 9:45.
WHAT?! No, the oven's right, it matches my cell.
He clicks and shows me the time on the TV. 9:47. He stole an hour! Poof. It was gone. CRAP! I'm leaving at 11:am. Now, I don't have time for everything now. I was going to leave 17 his waffle batter mixed, leave Hubby dinner seasoned and ready to stick in the oven, I still had to shower and and there was other stuff that was getting muddled. So, after cursing at my phone and wasting 10 minutes re-setting the time. I went to shower and left Hubby making the Cuban coffee. I didn't make the batter or season the chicken. I had my cafe con leche (more caffeine was a priority) and gathered my things to go to the party.
The party was a success and the lost hour was a topic of conversation throughout the day. I was not the only one struggling with this. Others had missed mass, and overall spent the day running late.
After the party a friend and I decide to go eat Indian Food at a local restaurant the doesn't open until 5:30. We have time to kill before it opens. No problem. After we find the place we'll find another place to walk around and chat. We ended up just sitting in the car chatting. We are watching the clock in the car. Her car. Finally, it's 5:28. We get to the restaurant and I expect to be one the first people there. The restaurant is half full. When I return from the ladies room my friend tells me. You realize we sat in the car for an extra hour. It's 6:30. HUH?! there it was again, an hour stolen. Poof. Gone. She goes on to explain, we watched the car clock that wasn't reset. It didn't occur to either of us to check our cells or her to check her watch (I don't wear one). Amazing. We are both astonished by the sheer dumbness of this. It's too funny. You can't make this up. She calls her husband to tell him because he's at home waiting for us to take him dinner. Well, dearly we'll be an hour later. He has no words, his response and commentary was "Ughhhh!" When I tell me husband on the way home, he laughed heartily and tell me I'm a dumbazz. Nice, huh. Not that I was thinking I was so brilliant at the moment.
It's a good thing I had a nice happy day, chatting with girlfriend, making money at the Gold Party and having Indian with a friend because otherwise it really would have been a sucky day.
Why so we have to spring and fall forwards and backwards with the time anyway. Does it honestly serve a purpose anymore, other than frustrate the hell out of me for 2 weeks of the year? Gimme patience!
Friday, February 27, 2009
Lights... Camera... Action!
16 often has said that we need to be a reality TV show. A camera should just be following us. According to him, out lives are much funnier and more interesting that some of the reality shows he sees. I usually think that's just a testament to how much bad TV there is and he's watching it. But sometimes, there are moments that make me want to stop and yell, "Where's the camera?" just like he does.
I mean really. Let me just recap some of the stuff he says are TV worthy and you decide.
Do you make the girlscouts stop packing up their stuff and jump into the back of their pick-up truck to sell you a few (5) boxes of cookies before they leave?
Do you normally throw a surprise birthday dinner party for a friend and the guest of honor and later your son end up getting a haircut right there in your dinning room after Happy Birthday and blowing out the candles?
And isn't it normal to wear sunglasses on top of your prescription glasses? I mean you take off the contacts because your eyes are sore and itching because of a head cold. You don't have prescription sunglasses so, when you are driving you put your sunglasses right on top of the regular glasses. Normal, right?
Have you ever pulled out a load of clothes from the dryer and started folding and hanging them thinking, 'they smell a little funky' , only to realize that you "washed" them in the dryer not the washer. That's right, you basically dried your dirty clothes. I discovered it when I went to turn a shirt right side out and my hand got all full of gooey stuff that was the stain removerl I had applied before I thought I had put them in the washer.
Or have you ever gotten home sick from visiting family in the hospital and looked for the soup you asked hubby to order and think he forgot because you can't find any containers anywhere. You ask him as you serve yourself some juice and he says it's there on the table -not, on the counter? - not. He gets up and checks the fridge thinking your child put it away. But I ordered it, he insists. He opens the garbage- BINGO. There it is. The child who NEVER throws anything away, threw it away. So, you go to give said child a hard time about it and he's mortified and profusely apologizes but then starts laughing. You want to hear the best part?, he asks. Sure, why not can it get any better? When I picked it up to throw it out it was kinda heavy and I thought "Wow, they sent a lot of beans. But I just thought we order so often maybe they were just giving you some extra. (Background: They ordered from a local Cuban restaurant that always send a 'coffee cup' container with beans for the rice with each meal that always gets thrown out at my house because he doesn't eat them.) We laughed so hard, we cried.
And I am sure that when you have gone to see a family member in the hospital, the hospital has lost all their previous records and then as you recreate them the patient starts arguing that you are wrong. They insist they have allergies and you insist they don't. The hospital doesn't know who to believe because the patient is telling them that you are out to kill them for the inheritance. So, they make you sign paperwork waiving you right to sue them should any harm come to you beloved family member while in their care based on any medications they provide her. All this while said beloved person is yelling, "she just wants to kill me, but bad bugs don't die!" in a little sing songy nursery song way.
If these types of things didn't happen to you while you have been sick with a sore throat and the head cold from hell then good for you but that has been a glimpse of my life in the past 2 week.
Tell me all of that is normal...otherwise send over the camera crew. Gimme patience and TGIF!
I mean really. Let me just recap some of the stuff he says are TV worthy and you decide.
Do you make the girlscouts stop packing up their stuff and jump into the back of their pick-up truck to sell you a few (5) boxes of cookies before they leave?
Do you normally throw a surprise birthday dinner party for a friend and the guest of honor and later your son end up getting a haircut right there in your dinning room after Happy Birthday and blowing out the candles?
And isn't it normal to wear sunglasses on top of your prescription glasses? I mean you take off the contacts because your eyes are sore and itching because of a head cold. You don't have prescription sunglasses so, when you are driving you put your sunglasses right on top of the regular glasses. Normal, right?
Have you ever pulled out a load of clothes from the dryer and started folding and hanging them thinking, 'they smell a little funky' , only to realize that you "washed" them in the dryer not the washer. That's right, you basically dried your dirty clothes. I discovered it when I went to turn a shirt right side out and my hand got all full of gooey stuff that was the stain removerl I had applied before I thought I had put them in the washer.
Or have you ever gotten home sick from visiting family in the hospital and looked for the soup you asked hubby to order and think he forgot because you can't find any containers anywhere. You ask him as you serve yourself some juice and he says it's there on the table -not, on the counter? - not. He gets up and checks the fridge thinking your child put it away. But I ordered it, he insists. He opens the garbage- BINGO. There it is. The child who NEVER throws anything away, threw it away. So, you go to give said child a hard time about it and he's mortified and profusely apologizes but then starts laughing. You want to hear the best part?, he asks. Sure, why not can it get any better? When I picked it up to throw it out it was kinda heavy and I thought "Wow, they sent a lot of beans. But I just thought we order so often maybe they were just giving you some extra. (Background: They ordered from a local Cuban restaurant that always send a 'coffee cup' container with beans for the rice with each meal that always gets thrown out at my house because he doesn't eat them.) We laughed so hard, we cried.
And I am sure that when you have gone to see a family member in the hospital, the hospital has lost all their previous records and then as you recreate them the patient starts arguing that you are wrong. They insist they have allergies and you insist they don't. The hospital doesn't know who to believe because the patient is telling them that you are out to kill them for the inheritance. So, they make you sign paperwork waiving you right to sue them should any harm come to you beloved family member while in their care based on any medications they provide her. All this while said beloved person is yelling, "she just wants to kill me, but bad bugs don't die!" in a little sing songy nursery song way.
If these types of things didn't happen to you while you have been sick with a sore throat and the head cold from hell then good for you but that has been a glimpse of my life in the past 2 week.
Tell me all of that is normal...otherwise send over the camera crew. Gimme patience and TGIF!
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Pits, pits, everywhere pits!
Man oh man am I tired! I am tired of no fun. I am tired of everything being hard...a struggle...
It's official I'm sick. I'm congested. My throat hurts. I feel hot and then cold. I feel lousy. 16 is feeling better. That's good of course but the problem is he gave it to me. Can you feel the love? Oh, the joy.
Hubby and I have been at odds lately. I want to throw the TV out the window but it's big and heavy, not sure I can do it on my own. But I'm thinking without the TV maybe we could get something done. Probably just my wishful thinking. Is excessive TV watching grounds for divorce?
GM has been calling me complaining of insignificant things just because she's bored and has nothing to do. I get that and usually muddle through it but it's getting to me. Now, I was just called and told that she's going to the hospital (yes, again) to get IV antibiotics for a recurring UTI. She's excited about going to the hospital. I find that so sad. Naturally, I am not looking forward to this adventure of hers.
Just needed to vent a bit...hopefully, better stuff to blog about later. I just want something simple and fun. Puleeze, gimme patience.
It's official I'm sick. I'm congested. My throat hurts. I feel hot and then cold. I feel lousy. 16 is feeling better. That's good of course but the problem is he gave it to me. Can you feel the love? Oh, the joy.
Hubby and I have been at odds lately. I want to throw the TV out the window but it's big and heavy, not sure I can do it on my own. But I'm thinking without the TV maybe we could get something done. Probably just my wishful thinking. Is excessive TV watching grounds for divorce?
GM has been calling me complaining of insignificant things just because she's bored and has nothing to do. I get that and usually muddle through it but it's getting to me. Now, I was just called and told that she's going to the hospital (yes, again) to get IV antibiotics for a recurring UTI. She's excited about going to the hospital. I find that so sad. Naturally, I am not looking forward to this adventure of hers.
Just needed to vent a bit...hopefully, better stuff to blog about later. I just want something simple and fun. Puleeze, gimme patience.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
For the past two weeks I've been dealing with not-fun stuff that I think may be coming to an end.
GM, as you know has a number of medical issues and is slightly cantankerous (because it would not be nice to say bitchy now, would it) in her ways. Anyway, since her last hospital visit in December she has been clamoring loudly that she will never go back to the hospital again. We are to leave her alone and let her die. That's all well and good but she lives in an ALF (Assisted Living Facility) that will loose their license if they don't provide and seek her medical attention when required. She doesn't care. So, we explained to her there are certain programs (not writing their name, to not get the hits) that we can enroll her in that will allow her to remain at the ALF and not go to the hospital. They will some to her to treat her and make her comfortable. She was all for it! And so the coordination began. A swarm of people come to evaluate her. She tells them so many wild stories that if I wrote them down, I swear I'd have a best seller. One of my personal favorites is that they have to get her well enough because she is leaving the US and going to live in Cuba. She's leaving in 3 weeks. He believed her and did not approve her for the program. I try again, she tells him that she has a personal therapist come to the house to train with her every day. She has to be able to walk because she is going to Spain to see the Olympics that her great-grandson will be running in. She promptly stood up BY HER SELF and walked from the bedroom to the living room to prove it. Everyone at the ALF was stunned because she hasn't done that before or since. She won't even walk to the bathroom! She wasn't approved. So, here we go try #3. The man calls me while he's visiting.
Man: "She seems a little confused. Talking to me about living in Cuba and not having any tubes put in."
Me: "Yes, she is confused. She's not going anywhere that's why I want her in the program."
Man: "So, she isn't picked up every day and taken to therapy, the bank and then lunch with friends?"
Me: "She is only taken to the bathroom. She goes no where outside the house. WE have to convince her to sit in the back yard."
Man: "So, you are not trying to hook her up to machines and keep her alive to steal and live off of her money."
Me: "I'm not hooking her up to anything. There is no money, her income pays for the ALF and the prepay plan for her funeral. There is literally a balance $1.11 in her bank account today."
Man: "She already signed all my paperwork. I've approved her. Tomorrow the nurse will come and the next day the Minister will come to evaluate her."
Me: "Thank you so much. Does a Minister HAVE to evaluate her? She may not be very nice to him. I'm not sure how ell that will go."
Yesterday the Minister went. I spoke to him first. He called me after and told me that she was everything I said she was. She told that man of the cloth that he was stupid living a lie all his life and believing in that foolishness. We were all going to die and that was it. There was no God because if there was children would never die and her daughter would still be alive. She would be dead because she has been wanting to die since the day her daughter died. Of there were a God she would not be suffering this way. When he tried to explain the whole why God allows suffering, she threw him out of the place. I apologized but I don't think he'll be back. He did agree that she needed help and gratefully approved her for the program.
As far as I know one more person has to go and then we are all approved. It's been exhausting. Gimem patience.
GM, as you know has a number of medical issues and is slightly cantankerous (because it would not be nice to say bitchy now, would it) in her ways. Anyway, since her last hospital visit in December she has been clamoring loudly that she will never go back to the hospital again. We are to leave her alone and let her die. That's all well and good but she lives in an ALF (Assisted Living Facility) that will loose their license if they don't provide and seek her medical attention when required. She doesn't care. So, we explained to her there are certain programs (not writing their name, to not get the hits) that we can enroll her in that will allow her to remain at the ALF and not go to the hospital. They will some to her to treat her and make her comfortable. She was all for it! And so the coordination began. A swarm of people come to evaluate her. She tells them so many wild stories that if I wrote them down, I swear I'd have a best seller. One of my personal favorites is that they have to get her well enough because she is leaving the US and going to live in Cuba. She's leaving in 3 weeks. He believed her and did not approve her for the program. I try again, she tells him that she has a personal therapist come to the house to train with her every day. She has to be able to walk because she is going to Spain to see the Olympics that her great-grandson will be running in. She promptly stood up BY HER SELF and walked from the bedroom to the living room to prove it. Everyone at the ALF was stunned because she hasn't done that before or since. She won't even walk to the bathroom! She wasn't approved. So, here we go try #3. The man calls me while he's visiting.
Man: "She seems a little confused. Talking to me about living in Cuba and not having any tubes put in."
Me: "Yes, she is confused. She's not going anywhere that's why I want her in the program."
Man: "So, she isn't picked up every day and taken to therapy, the bank and then lunch with friends?"
Me: "She is only taken to the bathroom. She goes no where outside the house. WE have to convince her to sit in the back yard."
Man: "So, you are not trying to hook her up to machines and keep her alive to steal and live off of her money."
Me: "I'm not hooking her up to anything. There is no money, her income pays for the ALF and the prepay plan for her funeral. There is literally a balance $1.11 in her bank account today."
Man: "She already signed all my paperwork. I've approved her. Tomorrow the nurse will come and the next day the Minister will come to evaluate her."
Me: "Thank you so much. Does a Minister HAVE to evaluate her? She may not be very nice to him. I'm not sure how ell that will go."
Yesterday the Minister went. I spoke to him first. He called me after and told me that she was everything I said she was. She told that man of the cloth that he was stupid living a lie all his life and believing in that foolishness. We were all going to die and that was it. There was no God because if there was children would never die and her daughter would still be alive. She would be dead because she has been wanting to die since the day her daughter died. Of there were a God she would not be suffering this way. When he tried to explain the whole why God allows suffering, she threw him out of the place. I apologized but I don't think he'll be back. He did agree that she needed help and gratefully approved her for the program.
As far as I know one more person has to go and then we are all approved. It's been exhausting. Gimem patience.
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