THE OVER 40 CROWD!
THE SPOILED UNDER-40 CROWD!!! If you are 40 or older you will think this is hilarious!!!!
When I was a kid, adults used to bore me to tears with their tedious diatribes about how hard things were. When they were growing up; what with walking Twenty-five miles to school every morning....Uphill...barefoot...BOTH ways YADDA YADDA YADDA
And I remember promising myself that when I grew up, there was no way in hell I was going to lay a bunch of crap like that on my kids about how hard I had it and how easy they've got it! But now that..... I'm over the ripe old age of forty, I can't help but look around and notice the youth of today.
You've got it so easy! I mean, compared to my childhood, you live in a Utopia! And I hate to say it, but you kids today, you don't know how good you've got it! I mean, when I was a kid we didn't have The Internet. If we wanted to know something, we had to go to the library and look it up ourselves, in the card catalogue!! There was no email!! We had to actually write somebody a letter - with a pen! Then you had to walk all the way across the street and put it in the mailbox and it would take, like, a week to get there! Stamps were 10 cents!
Child Protective Services didn't care if our parents beat us. As a matter of fact, the parents of all my friends also had permission to kick our rear! Nowhere was safe! There were no MP3' s or Napsters! If you wanted to steal music, you had to hitchhike to the record store and shoplift it yourself! Or you had to wait around all day to tape it off the radio and the DJ would usually talk over the beginning and @#*% it all up! There were no CD players! We had tape decks in our car. We'd play our favorite tape and "eject" it when finished and the tape would come undone. Cause - that's how we rolled, dig?
We didn't have fancy stuff like Call Waiting! If you were on the phone and somebody else called they got a busy signal, that's it! And we didn't have fancy Caller ID either! When the phone rang, you had no idea who it was! It could be your school, your mom, your boss, your bookie, your drug dealer, a collections agent, you just didn't know!!! You had to pick it up and take your chances, mister! We didn't have any fancy Sony Playstation video games with high-resolution 3-D graphics! We had the Atari 2600! With games like 'Space Invaders' and 'Asteroids'. Your guy was a little square! You actually had to use your imagination!! And there were no multiple levels or screens, it was just one screen... forever! And you could never win. The game just kept getting harder and harder and faster and faster until you died! Just like LIFE!
You had to use a little book called a TV Guide to find out what was on! You were screwed when it came to channel surfing! You had to get off your rear and walk over to the TV to change the channel! NO REMOTES!!!
There was no Cartoon Network either! You could only get cartoons on Saturday Morning. Do you hear what I'm saying!?! We had to wait ALL WEEK for cartoons, you spoiled little rat-pills!And we didn't have microwaves, if we wanted to heat something up we had to use the stove!
Imagine that! That's exactly what I'm talking about! You kids today have got it too easy. You're spoiled. You guys wouldn't have lasted five minutes back in 1980 or before!
Regards,The Over 40 Crowd
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Monday, September 28, 2009
Found this over at Melli's blog
| Your Name is Green |
 People see you as peaceful to the point of being zen. You won't allow anything to get under your skin. You struggle with envy at times, but you never let it show. You believe that jealousy is a weakness, and you try not to let yourself indulge in it. |
Somehow or other this post and the one about the CCC got mixed up. Further proof that my life is so mixed up right now.
Civilian Conservation Corps
Sunday night there is a new series coming to tv about the Citizens Conservation Corps that was conceived during the Great Depression by Franklin Delano Roosevelt as part of the New Deal. Young men who were without work were hired to create the National Parks we enjoy today. My dad worked on some out in West Texas at Palo Duro Canyon. We have been to Palo Duro several times and each time I feel my dad's presence there. He told me he really liked working for the CCC. He and his step father worked on our Will Rogers Coliseum.
Ken Burns wrote and put together The National Parks--the most beautiful show ever seen, so the write up said. It is a 6 night 12 hour documentary that begins Sunday at 7 CDT and 8 EDT and runs from Sunday through Friday on PBS. The parks are called America's Best Idea.
It has been a thought that it might be a good way to help some families and to provide men and women with work to start up the CCC camps again. I think my dad went to work for them so he wouldn't starve and he would send money home to his parents to help them keep their head above water until things got back to normal during the depression. I think our "downturn" is not over and it may get a lot worse. The shelters they built are still being used today and there are a few around Fort Worth. They are not elaborate, but very nice to have a place out of the rain or snow. During the years they worked 3 million men received rehabilitation, learned a skill, and economic relief.
We love going to National Parks and when we get my husband's parents settled we may head out for a short trip to one. This year is the 75th anniversary of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. I've wanted to go back to the Smokies for a long time. If you have time, take a little trip to one close to you and enjoy the beauty....and if there is a little shelter look to see if it is a CCC built one.
Ken Burns wrote and put together The National Parks--the most beautiful show ever seen, so the write up said. It is a 6 night 12 hour documentary that begins Sunday at 7 CDT and 8 EDT and runs from Sunday through Friday on PBS. The parks are called America's Best Idea.
It has been a thought that it might be a good way to help some families and to provide men and women with work to start up the CCC camps again. I think my dad went to work for them so he wouldn't starve and he would send money home to his parents to help them keep their head above water until things got back to normal during the depression. I think our "downturn" is not over and it may get a lot worse. The shelters they built are still being used today and there are a few around Fort Worth. They are not elaborate, but very nice to have a place out of the rain or snow. During the years they worked 3 million men received rehabilitation, learned a skill, and economic relief.
We love going to National Parks and when we get my husband's parents settled we may head out for a short trip to one. This year is the 75th anniversary of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. I've wanted to go back to the Smokies for a long time. If you have time, take a little trip to one close to you and enjoy the beauty....and if there is a little shelter look to see if it is a CCC built one.
Friday, September 25, 2009
A close call
It appears we nearly bought the farm yesterday in Dallas. A terrorist tried to set off a bomb in a truck in a downtown office building. Fortunately it was an FBI sting operation and he was not given a real bomb.
We have become complacent, since no huge attacks have happened after 9-11. My most profound thank you to the FBI agents for being brave and in touch with all that we do not know about. The Yahoo news page says there were attacks scheduled for all over the country, including New York.
If you haven't seen the story you can read it here:
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/yahoolatestnews/stories/092409dnmetbombarrest.1b177db8b.html
and here
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/ynews_ts924
It is time for me to start getting my grab and go backpacks and shelter in place supplies replenished. They are a good thing to have even if it is only for the aftermath of a tornado and not terrorist related. I think we have used most of the duct tape for other purposes. My husband may get that generator he has wanted for so long. Funny how my mind shifted gears in the instant I read these articles. We saw the headline on the news last night, but missed the actual news coverage. My priority is still to find some really cool shoes to wear to the reunion and not new hiking boots for now anyway.
We have become complacent, since no huge attacks have happened after 9-11. My most profound thank you to the FBI agents for being brave and in touch with all that we do not know about. The Yahoo news page says there were attacks scheduled for all over the country, including New York.
If you haven't seen the story you can read it here:
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/yahoolatestnews/stories/092409dnmetbombarrest.1b177db8b.html
and here
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/ynews_ts924
It is time for me to start getting my grab and go backpacks and shelter in place supplies replenished. They are a good thing to have even if it is only for the aftermath of a tornado and not terrorist related. I think we have used most of the duct tape for other purposes. My husband may get that generator he has wanted for so long. Funny how my mind shifted gears in the instant I read these articles. We saw the headline on the news last night, but missed the actual news coverage. My priority is still to find some really cool shoes to wear to the reunion and not new hiking boots for now anyway.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
The new provider blues...
Thank goodness things have finally calmed down here at midnight. We switched internet and tv providers today and oh my! That was a lot of learning for my husband and for me and for the poor techs who were trying to talk us through a lot of stuff. I've got a handle on some of the things and am hopelessly lost on others. It will come with time and YAY! it is Friday tomorrow and there is nothing on our calendar. We won't know how to act and on top of that the sun is supposed to shine and keep on being cooler.
We finally gave in and stopped taking the newspaper. It had reached a point where it was becoming costly and I get most of my news from the internet now anyway. I know it is a hard way to make a living or to stretch another paycheck. I feel sort of guilty reading my local news online. One of the main reasons was that the newspaper was coming in the front, having the bag removed in the kitchen and then going straight to the recycle bin. That is wasteful on many fronts.
Our daughter may be moving to another position after only being there less than a month. Her boss suggested she put in for it and so she did. She has done well in the interviews and will hear something probably next week. I'm sure her boss wasn't trying to get rid of her. He knows she is great in a crisis and works well with him. She would still have contact with that part of the business, but will get paid a lot more. She did a switch on me today. The cable guy was working on the outside and had to leave for some reason. We decided to run out and grab a burger and we were really gone only a short time. While we were eating my cell started ringing and she was all like "Where have you been!! Is everything ok???" It was and it is. I love it when they try to mother us a little.
Hope you all have a wonderful day tomorrow and give a thought to your poor friends trying to figure out how to set favorites and why a show isn't in HD and how about that new email! I sent an email from one of the many I have to let our friends know ours had changed. In about three minutes I was already getting mail (jokes) from some of our nutty friends. It is like that email that says "Just wanted to let you know I was thinking of you today." I am so grateful for our real life friends and for our internet friends, too.
I may go out and buy P!nk's new cd...some of the songs I really like. Probably I'd better be getting a move on to get clothes all settled for my husband's high school reunion. I have some new things and may need a couple of other new things. I'm still wondering what the heck is a casual dinner at the Country Club is, but I asked a woman I've become friends with in his class and she said she expected folks to show up in anything including sweats to formals. She has a great sense of humor and I really like her. She and a couple of others planned this huge thing, but they had to do it without my friend Barbara who didn't quite make it. She died last December and is missed so much. Bless her sweet heart.
see more Lolcats and funny pictures
We finally gave in and stopped taking the newspaper. It had reached a point where it was becoming costly and I get most of my news from the internet now anyway. I know it is a hard way to make a living or to stretch another paycheck. I feel sort of guilty reading my local news online. One of the main reasons was that the newspaper was coming in the front, having the bag removed in the kitchen and then going straight to the recycle bin. That is wasteful on many fronts.
Our daughter may be moving to another position after only being there less than a month. Her boss suggested she put in for it and so she did. She has done well in the interviews and will hear something probably next week. I'm sure her boss wasn't trying to get rid of her. He knows she is great in a crisis and works well with him. She would still have contact with that part of the business, but will get paid a lot more. She did a switch on me today. The cable guy was working on the outside and had to leave for some reason. We decided to run out and grab a burger and we were really gone only a short time. While we were eating my cell started ringing and she was all like "Where have you been!! Is everything ok???" It was and it is. I love it when they try to mother us a little.
Hope you all have a wonderful day tomorrow and give a thought to your poor friends trying to figure out how to set favorites and why a show isn't in HD and how about that new email! I sent an email from one of the many I have to let our friends know ours had changed. In about three minutes I was already getting mail (jokes) from some of our nutty friends. It is like that email that says "Just wanted to let you know I was thinking of you today." I am so grateful for our real life friends and for our internet friends, too.
I may go out and buy P!nk's new cd...some of the songs I really like. Probably I'd better be getting a move on to get clothes all settled for my husband's high school reunion. I have some new things and may need a couple of other new things. I'm still wondering what the heck is a casual dinner at the Country Club is, but I asked a woman I've become friends with in his class and she said she expected folks to show up in anything including sweats to formals. She has a great sense of humor and I really like her. She and a couple of others planned this huge thing, but they had to do it without my friend Barbara who didn't quite make it. She died last December and is missed so much. Bless her sweet heart.
see more Lolcats and funny pictures
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Loving your weird children
Since I've yapped on and on this week, I would like to make this very brief and share the most delightful family with you. It brought back so many memories of child rearing.
http://itsalmostnaptime.blogspot.com/
I hope you enjoy and love this as much as I did. I got so tickled in a couple of places I nearly lost it.
Hope to see you later in the week. The rhuematoid arthritis meds really kicked me in the rear this Tuesday. It hasn't been a fun day at all.
Night night.
http://itsalmostnaptime.blogspot.com/
I hope you enjoy and love this as much as I did. I got so tickled in a couple of places I nearly lost it.
Hope to see you later in the week. The rhuematoid arthritis meds really kicked me in the rear this Tuesday. It hasn't been a fun day at all.
Night night.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
As The Day Goes
This has been one of those days...you know..the kind that cause you to wonder what in the Karmic universe has come unspooled on your personal umbilical cord to the great Mother of everything. It got my husband, too. We are both so gun shy right now that whenever the phone rings we pretty much do rock, paper, scissors, lizard, Spock, a variation of the game as played on "The Big Bang Theory", over who has to answer it. Its been like this all weekend, but just has reached a fever pitch this afternoon. Even my husband's aunt who lives in Maryland called to inquire about her brother...my husband's dad. There is no good news around here today...just weirdness abounding.
You can quit reading right here if just having a weird day is all you needed to know, or if you are brave enough to soldier on with us keep reading.
The day started well enough and I had such high hopes of possibly going to the movie or even just a short drive in the country for relaxation, but that was not to last long. My husband went over to his folks to make breakfast for them. During the week there is a lady we have hired who comes in to make breakfast, help with baths, cleaning....the regular things, and we love her because she is good at what she does and there is no longer a cat hair carpet everywhere. Also, my husband was hoping to be over there when the yard guy was mowing to be able to pay him and to come by our house to give us an estimate for mowing our yard, too. He missed Pedro, the yardman, and had been home about 10 minutes when his mother called hyterical because his dad had gone back to bed and...was just laying there. My fil had told my husband he just wasn't feeling very well today when he was there cooking breakfast. Going back to bed is just something one does not do in my husband's family. I guess if you were dying it might be ok, but nothing less than that. I cannot tell you how many times I've had to explain myself if I went back to bed and she found out about it. Hubbs tried to find out what was going on and asked her to get the portable phone so he could talk with his dad to try to figure out what was going on. She couldn't remember where the portable was even though he told her every time she came back to the land line. It is funny if it weren't so serious. Finally he left to go back over there, then she finally found the portable. Since I was the only one here, I talked to him about how he was feeling. I was sort of gentle with him, because everyone was really tense. I asked him if his chest hurt or if he was having trouble breathing...things that might be truly serious. He told me he gets dizzy and he was a little achey. At that time my mil found the land line again and chimed in with her two cents. Then she didn't hang the phones up so my phone would not work. I called hubby on my cell to let him know what I'd learned. A couple of minutes later my mil called me to say there was a man outside mowing their yard, at that time my husband walked in their door. This time Pedro was there cutting their grass. There is a language problem with Pedro who speaks Spanish and my husband speaks English...the in laws speak gibberish...and I know some Spanish, but am very rusty. In fact I was thinking how to phrase the request for an estimate for cutting our grass (huésped). Good thing I checked on spanishdict.com, because if I hadn't I might have asked him how much he would charge to "cut our guest"(césped) . Such a simple mistake, the words are so similar in sound and spelling. My guess is Pedro would have been very surprised at a request like that. Also, my husband had left his "cheat sheet", with his questions for Pedro, and the map to our house here. This afternoon we got our daughter, who speaks Spanish very well, to call Pedro. We are pretty sure he will be coming to our house at 6pm one day, Lord only knows when, to give an estimate and all. Glad I didn't ever talk with him. He and I can work out something with a dictionary and the computer. However, our daughter told us that Pedro is very difficult to understand and that he understands English, but doesn't speak it. I'm still wondering how my daughter speaks Spanish like a native. That is going to have to be something I worry about another day....and is probably because she has lived in the Houston area for about 25 years, has people who work for her who speak Spanish and well..nevermind.
A couple of weeks ago or more our neighbors who live behind us had a GIGANTOR shed built that towers over our 8' fence. The shed is 14' and is 5' from our fence, and apparently nobody including the contractor had a tape measure so they could puzzle this whole thing out. We had to get the information about WTF happened with that whole deal on our own dowtown at City Hall. There is a city code that says sheds can't be that close to a fence and be that tall, and they can't be taller than 12' regardless. We left a written protest with the hearing committee last Wednesday, because we were just running all over town on errands...one including the paperwork to have the in laws declared incompetent. We watched the hearing on the internet after we finally got home about 8:30 that night. The committee couldn't believe their eyes and the majority said no, but there will be another hearing on Oct. 21st. This has become a nightmare for us. I do not want to look at their shed that sits on the fence line in the back center of our property. It would lower the value of our property if we decided to move. Not so much a random whim at this point. I cannot plant trees to screen it, because of power lines above. The shrubs that are there are really good for this area since they are native plants and can endure drought....but they are deciduous and for 6 months out of the year do not have leaves. So, starting yesterday the property owner has had neighbors come by our house to try to change our mind. The owners are mad at us because of this problem and they are acting crazy as loons. And the bottom line here is they need to go back to their contractor. I keep telling everyone that comes that this is not my problem, but something the contractor should address. If I ever say it will be ok, then tacky shed is permanent.
It has reached a point that my husband, the saint, and I have gotten cross with each other today and that is just crazy. We need to stand back to back like soldiers or Spartans or one of those warrior clans to protect each other from all the nuts trying to get in our business or get us in their business. Finally we called the wicked owners of evil shed, because they had left a hateful message on our answering machine and then sent a message via a neighbor (how weird is that in conjuction with them calling the evil owners MeeMa and Paw Paw and they are not related), that we would meet with them on Monday, which threw everything into a tizzy...but finally was ok with them and the hoard of them and friends who will descend upon us. I may call some police friends to keep order while they are here. My knitting group meets at 6:30, so they had better get all they want to say said in a hurry, cuz I'm out of here and my final word is a resounding NO to the friggin' shed and to leave me the he** alone. I will be at the October hearing, because maybe we will have the in laws in a facility...or we will be in one.
Some of you have noticed that I really do like sheds, but they have to be not offensive to anyone. And the owner of the shed must be nice and kind. Otherwise they are not good neighbors or good sheds.
There was much more and it involved some binge eating on my part of various cookies and a brownie. The Emmys come on tonight, so hubby will have one tv for Cowboy football and I'll have one for the Emmys. Also, it would probably be a good idea to check my b/p too. Below is a snapshot of the situation as it stands at the moment.
You can quit reading right here if just having a weird day is all you needed to know, or if you are brave enough to soldier on with us keep reading.
The day started well enough and I had such high hopes of possibly going to the movie or even just a short drive in the country for relaxation, but that was not to last long. My husband went over to his folks to make breakfast for them. During the week there is a lady we have hired who comes in to make breakfast, help with baths, cleaning....the regular things, and we love her because she is good at what she does and there is no longer a cat hair carpet everywhere. Also, my husband was hoping to be over there when the yard guy was mowing to be able to pay him and to come by our house to give us an estimate for mowing our yard, too. He missed Pedro, the yardman, and had been home about 10 minutes when his mother called hyterical because his dad had gone back to bed and...was just laying there. My fil had told my husband he just wasn't feeling very well today when he was there cooking breakfast. Going back to bed is just something one does not do in my husband's family. I guess if you were dying it might be ok, but nothing less than that. I cannot tell you how many times I've had to explain myself if I went back to bed and she found out about it. Hubbs tried to find out what was going on and asked her to get the portable phone so he could talk with his dad to try to figure out what was going on. She couldn't remember where the portable was even though he told her every time she came back to the land line. It is funny if it weren't so serious. Finally he left to go back over there, then she finally found the portable. Since I was the only one here, I talked to him about how he was feeling. I was sort of gentle with him, because everyone was really tense. I asked him if his chest hurt or if he was having trouble breathing...things that might be truly serious. He told me he gets dizzy and he was a little achey. At that time my mil found the land line again and chimed in with her two cents. Then she didn't hang the phones up so my phone would not work. I called hubby on my cell to let him know what I'd learned. A couple of minutes later my mil called me to say there was a man outside mowing their yard, at that time my husband walked in their door. This time Pedro was there cutting their grass. There is a language problem with Pedro who speaks Spanish and my husband speaks English...the in laws speak gibberish...and I know some Spanish, but am very rusty. In fact I was thinking how to phrase the request for an estimate for cutting our grass (huésped). Good thing I checked on spanishdict.com, because if I hadn't I might have asked him how much he would charge to "cut our guest"(césped) . Such a simple mistake, the words are so similar in sound and spelling. My guess is Pedro would have been very surprised at a request like that. Also, my husband had left his "cheat sheet", with his questions for Pedro, and the map to our house here. This afternoon we got our daughter, who speaks Spanish very well, to call Pedro. We are pretty sure he will be coming to our house at 6pm one day, Lord only knows when, to give an estimate and all. Glad I didn't ever talk with him. He and I can work out something with a dictionary and the computer. However, our daughter told us that Pedro is very difficult to understand and that he understands English, but doesn't speak it. I'm still wondering how my daughter speaks Spanish like a native. That is going to have to be something I worry about another day....and is probably because she has lived in the Houston area for about 25 years, has people who work for her who speak Spanish and well..nevermind.
A couple of weeks ago or more our neighbors who live behind us had a GIGANTOR shed built that towers over our 8' fence. The shed is 14' and is 5' from our fence, and apparently nobody including the contractor had a tape measure so they could puzzle this whole thing out. We had to get the information about WTF happened with that whole deal on our own dowtown at City Hall. There is a city code that says sheds can't be that close to a fence and be that tall, and they can't be taller than 12' regardless. We left a written protest with the hearing committee last Wednesday, because we were just running all over town on errands...one including the paperwork to have the in laws declared incompetent. We watched the hearing on the internet after we finally got home about 8:30 that night. The committee couldn't believe their eyes and the majority said no, but there will be another hearing on Oct. 21st. This has become a nightmare for us. I do not want to look at their shed that sits on the fence line in the back center of our property. It would lower the value of our property if we decided to move. Not so much a random whim at this point. I cannot plant trees to screen it, because of power lines above. The shrubs that are there are really good for this area since they are native plants and can endure drought....but they are deciduous and for 6 months out of the year do not have leaves. So, starting yesterday the property owner has had neighbors come by our house to try to change our mind. The owners are mad at us because of this problem and they are acting crazy as loons. And the bottom line here is they need to go back to their contractor. I keep telling everyone that comes that this is not my problem, but something the contractor should address. If I ever say it will be ok, then tacky shed is permanent.
It has reached a point that my husband, the saint, and I have gotten cross with each other today and that is just crazy. We need to stand back to back like soldiers or Spartans or one of those warrior clans to protect each other from all the nuts trying to get in our business or get us in their business. Finally we called the wicked owners of evil shed, because they had left a hateful message on our answering machine and then sent a message via a neighbor (how weird is that in conjuction with them calling the evil owners MeeMa and Paw Paw and they are not related), that we would meet with them on Monday, which threw everything into a tizzy...but finally was ok with them and the hoard of them and friends who will descend upon us. I may call some police friends to keep order while they are here. My knitting group meets at 6:30, so they had better get all they want to say said in a hurry, cuz I'm out of here and my final word is a resounding NO to the friggin' shed and to leave me the he** alone. I will be at the October hearing, because maybe we will have the in laws in a facility...or we will be in one.
Some of you have noticed that I really do like sheds, but they have to be not offensive to anyone. And the owner of the shed must be nice and kind. Otherwise they are not good neighbors or good sheds.
There was much more and it involved some binge eating on my part of various cookies and a brownie. The Emmys come on tonight, so hubby will have one tv for Cowboy football and I'll have one for the Emmys. Also, it would probably be a good idea to check my b/p too. Below is a snapshot of the situation as it stands at the moment.
Our 8' fence and their 14' shed
An 8' fence is really a tall fence. If you live in a home with 8' ceilings, that is how tall it is.
The fence meets code regulations for our area. Their shed does not.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Bizzy bees and The Colony, not really about bees at all
I truly did not say this, but we have had about enough rain for this week.
If anyone above heard that it will never rain again and we will be back in the drought in a heartbeat. So, I'm ok with it continuing to rain a little more. Really...
Just as well rain, I've been trying to get bank statements balanced, old magazines tossed or bundled to take to my doctor's office. The magazines in his office are all golf and sort of men's magazines. Once I found a Latina magazine and was so delighted to have something to read or just look at the pictures if I couldn't read the Spanish.
Hubby and I are both just worn out today. We had meetings all day yesterday and other stuff to deal with, too. We thought ATT was coming to change our cable carrier and email, etc. today. Two men came an looked at the terminal outside, and then left. Hubby finally looked up the email and saw that it isn't until next week.
Ah well, hope you have a grand afternoon. I still have to get stuff put away yet today. A nap might be hovering in the background, though.
I stayed up last night to see the last of the shows I'd tivoed, because when we change providers....well, I won't have this box anymore. I've started watching a show called "The Colony" about if there were a nuclear, chemical, biological, etc. and just what would you do if there were only a small pocket of people around you who are pretty darn smart. It has given me a lot to think about and ideas I had NO idea about, and things that can be made from stuff I had NO idea if you did that it would work like thus and so.
If anyone above heard that it will never rain again and we will be back in the drought in a heartbeat. So, I'm ok with it continuing to rain a little more. Really...
Just as well rain, I've been trying to get bank statements balanced, old magazines tossed or bundled to take to my doctor's office. The magazines in his office are all golf and sort of men's magazines. Once I found a Latina magazine and was so delighted to have something to read or just look at the pictures if I couldn't read the Spanish.
Hubby and I are both just worn out today. We had meetings all day yesterday and other stuff to deal with, too. We thought ATT was coming to change our cable carrier and email, etc. today. Two men came an looked at the terminal outside, and then left. Hubby finally looked up the email and saw that it isn't until next week.
Ah well, hope you have a grand afternoon. I still have to get stuff put away yet today. A nap might be hovering in the background, though.
I stayed up last night to see the last of the shows I'd tivoed, because when we change providers....well, I won't have this box anymore. I've started watching a show called "The Colony" about if there were a nuclear, chemical, biological, etc. and just what would you do if there were only a small pocket of people around you who are pretty darn smart. It has given me a lot to think about and ideas I had NO idea about, and things that can be made from stuff I had NO idea if you did that it would work like thus and so.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Patrick Swayze is in a better place now
Bless his heart, but Patrick Swayze has left this world peacefully, I just read. He was a good dancer and a good actor and he had so much courage to continue working while he was so sick. I really liked the last show he was in...The Beast. He was good in that one. Hopefully he is free of pain and all that goes with pancreatic cancer and is in a much better place.
Ghost, To Wong Foo with Love, Julie Newmar, Point Break, Next of Kin with Liam Neeson, and the never to be forgotten, Dirty Dancing.
God speed, Patrick Swayze. You made my life a little better watching you dance and act. Life will be a little dimmer now that you are gone.
Ghost, To Wong Foo with Love, Julie Newmar, Point Break, Next of Kin with Liam Neeson, and the never to be forgotten, Dirty Dancing.
God speed, Patrick Swayze. You made my life a little better watching you dance and act. Life will be a little dimmer now that you are gone.
Rudeness Rules the Realm
The last few weeks and months have been marred by so many jumping up and shouting whatever is on their minds and when called on their rudeness give an incomplete and insincere "apology". Rudeness rules the day lately.
Kanye West's interruption of Taylor Swift's acceptance speech to announce that Beyonce should have won and that Taylor Swift was inferior to her. Beyonce was as shocked as the many people watching, not to mention the true winner of the award. How rude and boorish of him to even think of ruining one of her great moments. His actions have been likened to his stepping on a kitten. Women candidates from the MTV show were outraged, too.
The other night when The President Of The United States was making a speech a member of Congress (being in that position should carry some higher level of gentility, one would think) shouted during our President's speech an accusation of "You Lie!". We do not live in Great Britain where such rants are common in their house of Lords and is tolerated. However in our country, it is not our way to address anyone, much less our own President, and it makes for a very weak argument. Congressman Joe Wilson made a puny little half apology...stating the Republican party had told him to say he was sorry and so he was. HA! He is getting a ton of mileage out of that rudeness, as well as, filling his coffers.
It has become politically correct to be a really big a** and then say a tiny lil "Oh yeah...sorry about that", but it is not ok in my book. No wonder our children are growing up to be thugs when what they see is horrible behavior being rewarded. There are too many people who think they can blurt out anything and it will be overlooked. Too many drug dealers who make a fine living selling drugs, and not that much happens to them either. Thieves stealing from people who are trying to manage their money the best way they know how. Where are the good people now. People who care for their children, rear them with a sense of honor and caring for others. They are out there, but are obscured by the bad behavior of so many.
Former President George W. Bush did not set a good example of good manners or good sense. He took us into the wrong country to fight a war that was brought to our shores by Afghanistan, not Iraq. When asked about this the former President said, "He (Saddam Hussein) tried to kill my daddy!" During this 8 + year war many daddies and mommies have not come home to their children after they were killed in the twin towers and on flight 93 on a plane crashed to keep it from flying into the White House or Capitol Building, or in Iraq or Afghanistan fighting in the war.
Since President Obama was sworn in as The President of The United States I have been receiving the most vile racist emails from people I considered patriots and honest, decent folks. I delete the emails and respond to some, but mostly not that much. How can you argue with baloney.
I'm just so tired of rude crazy people running our country and mouthing off all the time I could weep. Where are the real patriots and not the ones who want to secede from the United States.
They get out and march in droves to the Washington Mall to march for freedom" while chanting 'No more Czars!" and "Can You Hear Us Now!" Sounds like fascism to me, and it is starting to smell a lot like fascism, it talks like fascism, so I believe it is. I wasn't alive during WWII, but did learn a lot about it and from it.
Be sure to play the You Tube below to see the march.
Kanye West's interruption of Taylor Swift's acceptance speech to announce that Beyonce should have won and that Taylor Swift was inferior to her. Beyonce was as shocked as the many people watching, not to mention the true winner of the award. How rude and boorish of him to even think of ruining one of her great moments. His actions have been likened to his stepping on a kitten. Women candidates from the MTV show were outraged, too.
The other night when The President Of The United States was making a speech a member of Congress (being in that position should carry some higher level of gentility, one would think) shouted during our President's speech an accusation of "You Lie!". We do not live in Great Britain where such rants are common in their house of Lords and is tolerated. However in our country, it is not our way to address anyone, much less our own President, and it makes for a very weak argument. Congressman Joe Wilson made a puny little half apology...stating the Republican party had told him to say he was sorry and so he was. HA! He is getting a ton of mileage out of that rudeness, as well as, filling his coffers.
It has become politically correct to be a really big a** and then say a tiny lil "Oh yeah...sorry about that", but it is not ok in my book. No wonder our children are growing up to be thugs when what they see is horrible behavior being rewarded. There are too many people who think they can blurt out anything and it will be overlooked. Too many drug dealers who make a fine living selling drugs, and not that much happens to them either. Thieves stealing from people who are trying to manage their money the best way they know how. Where are the good people now. People who care for their children, rear them with a sense of honor and caring for others. They are out there, but are obscured by the bad behavior of so many.
Former President George W. Bush did not set a good example of good manners or good sense. He took us into the wrong country to fight a war that was brought to our shores by Afghanistan, not Iraq. When asked about this the former President said, "He (Saddam Hussein) tried to kill my daddy!" During this 8 + year war many daddies and mommies have not come home to their children after they were killed in the twin towers and on flight 93 on a plane crashed to keep it from flying into the White House or Capitol Building, or in Iraq or Afghanistan fighting in the war.
Since President Obama was sworn in as The President of The United States I have been receiving the most vile racist emails from people I considered patriots and honest, decent folks. I delete the emails and respond to some, but mostly not that much. How can you argue with baloney.
I'm just so tired of rude crazy people running our country and mouthing off all the time I could weep. Where are the real patriots and not the ones who want to secede from the United States.
They get out and march in droves to the Washington Mall to march for freedom" while chanting 'No more Czars!" and "Can You Hear Us Now!" Sounds like fascism to me, and it is starting to smell a lot like fascism, it talks like fascism, so I believe it is. I wasn't alive during WWII, but did learn a lot about it and from it.
Be sure to play the You Tube below to see the march.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Rainy Days and Rainy Nights
We are in the midst of our own personal little tropical storm since yesterday. As I've said before, God gets all of our prayers and whines and whinges for rain at the same time and then all of a sudden remembers and sends us a plenteous amount. We were pretty much ok, but I love a rainy night, as the song goes, and I do love a rainy Saturday afternoon...day...night, etc. Hubby said we had 4" in the rain gauge this morning and it has rained all day. yummm..delightful...I believe I've told you I do love rain.
So in the midst of our rainy day I just had to check out the LOL cats and look what I found. They crack me up.
see more Lolcats and funny pictures
So in the midst of our rainy day I just had to check out the LOL cats and look what I found. They crack me up.
see more Lolcats and funny pictures
Friday, September 11, 2009
9/11 eight years ago
It has been 8 years now since the tragic September 11th attack on our country. Those were some of the darkest days I've ever lived through. Life was changed forever and we may never feel the sense of safety we had before.
Today we are being asked to get involved with volunteerism to help our country. I've been volunteering for nearly 10 years with our local pd in a very small way. At one time during those dark days after 9/11 we drove our neighborhoods making a list of potential sites that might be a target of terrorism. That's bringing it home for sure.
Also, during that time there were the anthrax attacks which scared the heck out of me. Those turned out to be another home grown terrorist and not one from out of the country, but the fear had been set loose. Thank goodness for friends with good sense who weren't as crazy as I was. It rubbed off on me finally. A trip to Sam's for about $100 worth of "survival food" (rice and spam, etc.) helped as much as anything. That was when I took charge of my life again and started to feel in control.
I was reading some of the blogs just now and "Crazy Aunt Purl" has written about 9/11 with such good sense and honor that I want to share the link with you.
http://www.crazyauntpurl.com/archives/2009/09/september_eleve.php
She has some fab stories to tell about becoming herself and knitting, too. I think she is one of the best bloggers on the internet.
Today we are being asked to get involved with volunteerism to help our country. I've been volunteering for nearly 10 years with our local pd in a very small way. At one time during those dark days after 9/11 we drove our neighborhoods making a list of potential sites that might be a target of terrorism. That's bringing it home for sure.
Also, during that time there were the anthrax attacks which scared the heck out of me. Those turned out to be another home grown terrorist and not one from out of the country, but the fear had been set loose. Thank goodness for friends with good sense who weren't as crazy as I was. It rubbed off on me finally. A trip to Sam's for about $100 worth of "survival food" (rice and spam, etc.) helped as much as anything. That was when I took charge of my life again and started to feel in control.
I was reading some of the blogs just now and "Crazy Aunt Purl" has written about 9/11 with such good sense and honor that I want to share the link with you.
http://www.crazyauntpurl.com/archives/2009/09/september_eleve.php
She has some fab stories to tell about becoming herself and knitting, too. I think she is one of the best bloggers on the internet.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Fight a day without cats by watching cat videos all day!
It has been such a long weary day I had to have some cheezeburger cats and especially since some mean websites are suggesting that 9/9/09 be a day without cats or kittehs or even itty bitty kitty committees. So, here are my two favorites for tonight brought to you in true kitteh fashion of ignoring anything anyone wants me to do. I submit these for your viewing enjoyment.
For real this is what was on the cheezeburger website!
"Several rogue websites have declared today, September 9, as a Day Without Cats. In typical cat fashion, we will ignore this ridiculous notion and simply be posting the Best of Cheezburger videos throughout the whole day. Caturday 4ever."
You probably won't see this until the 10th and by then we probably will be victorious over the evil doers"
This is the best flying kitteh cannon ball I've ever seen...notice the tiny little feathers that have attracted the skillful cat's attention.
see more Lolcats and funny pictures
For our next selection we have a very hungry itty bitty kitteh that is jes tryin' his best to get to the good stuff...my word...we actually have had kittens like this and they were so fun.
For real this is what was on the cheezeburger website!
"Several rogue websites have declared today, September 9, as a Day Without Cats. In typical cat fashion, we will ignore this ridiculous notion and simply be posting the Best of Cheezburger videos throughout the whole day. Caturday 4ever."
You probably won't see this until the 10th and by then we probably will be victorious over the evil doers"
This is the best flying kitteh cannon ball I've ever seen...notice the tiny little feathers that have attracted the skillful cat's attention.
see more Lolcats and funny pictures
For our next selection we have a very hungry itty bitty kitteh that is jes tryin' his best to get to the good stuff...my word...we actually have had kittens like this and they were so fun.
It was just about this hot here today..
I'm ready for me some cool weather with a side of fall...and I mean that. Today it was HOT and HUMID! I got this picture in my email today and it really tells the story of how hot it gets in Texas, and after waiting at Wal-Mart out on the garden area for my husband for what seemed like an eternity this is about how I felt...that dog would have had to fight me for a share of the ice, if there had been some out there on the driveway. 
However, after looking it over a bit more...he is about the right size for it and I'm way bigger.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
This is turning into an epic saga, but here we go again
For those of you who are still with me and my husband and his parent's endless saga it just keeps on getting better and better. aie aie aie I told someone yesterday that it had been too quiet from that part of Fort Worth, like when the kids get too quiet. Most of you will know what that means.
And so it was born out that while we rested for a day one of them took all the pills out of the medicine thing...the one with Sunday through Saturday AM and PM for both of them and sorted them into piles of the same color and put them in the box separated into colors. My husband, I'm sure after nearly having a stroke on his part, sort of got on them a little about it all. He came home all freaked out and called the attorney to get the power of attorney over their health care, so we will be able to put them into an assisted living facility...there went the boat he wanted.
I had noticed the virus scan I use was on the brink of going kerplunk on us so I had to get out pretty early to buy a new one. While I was gone my husband talked to his parents' doc's aide and got some information. Tonight the nurse who was sent out to check on my fil's health called to say he is in very poor condition. DUH...we have been begging for something for him. She also counseled my husband to call adult protective services to be on record that we are doing all we can given our limitations with what we can do. We have hired the lady to come in and clean and be a companion to them, my mil has the home health aide who helps her, and now there will be another nurse to help him get a bath and such. I told my husband to maybe talk with the attorney about that before rattling their cage. One never knows when they might throw us in the clink for not doing more. My husband is an only child...so am I, but I have three half sibs, and someone told me if a person is close enough to give you a kidney they are full kin. And ya know...he is right.
My husband told me his dad doesn't have any sores or anything wrong with his skin. I don't go there with my fil...eww, I don't mind helping my mil, but not my husband's dad. The lady who helps my mil get a bath started the water running for him to bathe, but after a while he came out saying he didn't feel well and just wanted to go back to bed. I think, and so does my hubby, that he may be afraid he will fall. There is a shower seat and there are hand rails around the tub, but it may just scare him too much. My husband isn't into talking much and getting people to open up to him. That may be a life skill he has to learn in a big hurry. He will wish he had when his dad is gone, because his father is a really neat guy. His mother, too, just not quite so much. I was glad to have had the time with my father for the 13 years I helped out with him at the nursing home. We developed a good relationship and it wasn't too late. We shared and told the secrets we had never told each other, but it was ok...none were great big.
Yesterday (Tuesday), I felt well enough to get out and plant the last of the plants I'd bought recently and they look really nice. I love getting a great deal on a plant that will come back. I'll try to get some pictures up very soon. I just haven't had time to get time to fool with them. I love sweet potato vine but it will go when it gets cold...long time yet though. It covers a lot of sins and protects some of the plants I got in the wrong places...too much sun.
Oh yes....to top off everything today after going to Arlington to get the antivirus software, I was tooling down the interstate on my way home in my car with my tres cool cd up loud and me singing along and I heard the most God awful noise. I nearly had a runaway thinking the car was going to blow up or something. I pulled over to the shoulder, turned on the hazard lights and started to call my husband to come help me. That is when I remembered that my daughter had changed the ring tone on my cell phone...I heard it that time for sure! It was my sister calling to tell me my sister in law's father had just died. I think maybe I should have forwarded on more of those "If you love Jesus..." emails cuz this just ain't no fun.
And to be a total bundle of joy and sunshine even Garrison Keillor had a mild stroke today. I would so hate it if he couldn't do the "Prairie Home Companion" radio show. I was thinking about that the other day when I watched the movie again. My husband and I have listened to that wonderful show presented by Powdermilk Biscuits for practically since it started...in fits and bursts, but it is like coming home to family when we remember to turn the radio on while I'm cooking Saturday dinner.
PS-Dooce is going to be on The Bonnie Hunt show tomorrow, Thursday, to show one of those Kardashian girls how to change a diaper. That should be so freakin' funny. *rolling my eyes* Sometime just drop by her blog. She is a character. I have my tivo set up...because Lord knows what the 'morrow will bring.
And so it was born out that while we rested for a day one of them took all the pills out of the medicine thing...the one with Sunday through Saturday AM and PM for both of them and sorted them into piles of the same color and put them in the box separated into colors. My husband, I'm sure after nearly having a stroke on his part, sort of got on them a little about it all. He came home all freaked out and called the attorney to get the power of attorney over their health care, so we will be able to put them into an assisted living facility...there went the boat he wanted.
I had noticed the virus scan I use was on the brink of going kerplunk on us so I had to get out pretty early to buy a new one. While I was gone my husband talked to his parents' doc's aide and got some information. Tonight the nurse who was sent out to check on my fil's health called to say he is in very poor condition. DUH...we have been begging for something for him. She also counseled my husband to call adult protective services to be on record that we are doing all we can given our limitations with what we can do. We have hired the lady to come in and clean and be a companion to them, my mil has the home health aide who helps her, and now there will be another nurse to help him get a bath and such. I told my husband to maybe talk with the attorney about that before rattling their cage. One never knows when they might throw us in the clink for not doing more. My husband is an only child...so am I, but I have three half sibs, and someone told me if a person is close enough to give you a kidney they are full kin. And ya know...he is right.
My husband told me his dad doesn't have any sores or anything wrong with his skin. I don't go there with my fil...eww, I don't mind helping my mil, but not my husband's dad. The lady who helps my mil get a bath started the water running for him to bathe, but after a while he came out saying he didn't feel well and just wanted to go back to bed. I think, and so does my hubby, that he may be afraid he will fall. There is a shower seat and there are hand rails around the tub, but it may just scare him too much. My husband isn't into talking much and getting people to open up to him. That may be a life skill he has to learn in a big hurry. He will wish he had when his dad is gone, because his father is a really neat guy. His mother, too, just not quite so much. I was glad to have had the time with my father for the 13 years I helped out with him at the nursing home. We developed a good relationship and it wasn't too late. We shared and told the secrets we had never told each other, but it was ok...none were great big.
Yesterday (Tuesday), I felt well enough to get out and plant the last of the plants I'd bought recently and they look really nice. I love getting a great deal on a plant that will come back. I'll try to get some pictures up very soon. I just haven't had time to get time to fool with them. I love sweet potato vine but it will go when it gets cold...long time yet though. It covers a lot of sins and protects some of the plants I got in the wrong places...too much sun.
Oh yes....to top off everything today after going to Arlington to get the antivirus software, I was tooling down the interstate on my way home in my car with my tres cool cd up loud and me singing along and I heard the most God awful noise. I nearly had a runaway thinking the car was going to blow up or something. I pulled over to the shoulder, turned on the hazard lights and started to call my husband to come help me. That is when I remembered that my daughter had changed the ring tone on my cell phone...I heard it that time for sure! It was my sister calling to tell me my sister in law's father had just died. I think maybe I should have forwarded on more of those "If you love Jesus..." emails cuz this just ain't no fun.
And to be a total bundle of joy and sunshine even Garrison Keillor had a mild stroke today. I would so hate it if he couldn't do the "Prairie Home Companion" radio show. I was thinking about that the other day when I watched the movie again. My husband and I have listened to that wonderful show presented by Powdermilk Biscuits for practically since it started...in fits and bursts, but it is like coming home to family when we remember to turn the radio on while I'm cooking Saturday dinner.
PS-Dooce is going to be on The Bonnie Hunt show tomorrow, Thursday, to show one of those Kardashian girls how to change a diaper. That should be so freakin' funny. *rolling my eyes* Sometime just drop by her blog. She is a character. I have my tivo set up...because Lord knows what the 'morrow will bring.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Gardening ups and downs
We had bought a Japanese maple at the end of the season last year when they were a bit more reasonably priced. I was so excited this spring when it started to leaf. Then the margins of the leaves started to turn brown and crisp. We tried moving it to other areas, it is a large pot for now until it gets bigger. It didn't like the flowerbed and it doesn't like a shadier area we tried. I've tried to keep up with how much water it was getting to see if that was it...too much shows the same symptoms as too little.
Today I finally googled the problem and found that it is probably just too hot and it isn't liking it so far. I know they grow here, because I had another variety of Japanese maple in the past. My husband gave it a little too much tender loving care and that was that. I'd babied it along for years from a tiny little thing. My grief was profound, but I got over it. :o)
Here is a very helpful website if you are having problems with your Japanese maple
http://en.allexperts.com/q/Plant-Diseases-715/2008/8/japanese-blood-maple.htm
Happy gardening and I feel like an idiot for waiting so long to find out what the heck is wrong with it. I'm also thinking about not planting tomatoes in our little garden. We had very poor luck with them and I think our neighbor's trees are blocking the sun too much. Otherwise we did just what we always do and in the past we have had bunches. I'm blaming it on the weird weather we had in the spring and the lack of sunlight. That's my story and I'm sticking with it.
I'm also going to buy some large tomatoes and pot them up and keep them in the greenhouse this winter. Durnit...I'm going to get the good out of that thing. It did work wonderfully to overwinter a ton of mature plants that gave us a good start this spring.
Last week we got some fab medium size mums, gold lantana, and some yellow and gold marigolds to start getting some fall color. I loved that so much last year. Our mums came back and bloomed off and on all summer. I love that! I'm not loving the strained back from lifting heavy pots. I forgot about the whole dang arthritis thing.
So far no horrors on the in law front this today so far, but the day isn't over yet. Sometimes we just have to laugh it gets so crazy.
Our youngest daughter is staying with us while she trains the woman who moved into her position this month. It is good to have her around again. She is so fun. She wanted me to make spaghetti for dinner tonight, so I'm off to the grocery store now.
Today I finally googled the problem and found that it is probably just too hot and it isn't liking it so far. I know they grow here, because I had another variety of Japanese maple in the past. My husband gave it a little too much tender loving care and that was that. I'd babied it along for years from a tiny little thing. My grief was profound, but I got over it. :o)
Here is a very helpful website if you are having problems with your Japanese maple
http://en.allexperts.com/q/Plant-Diseases-715/2008/8/japanese-blood-maple.htm
Happy gardening and I feel like an idiot for waiting so long to find out what the heck is wrong with it. I'm also thinking about not planting tomatoes in our little garden. We had very poor luck with them and I think our neighbor's trees are blocking the sun too much. Otherwise we did just what we always do and in the past we have had bunches. I'm blaming it on the weird weather we had in the spring and the lack of sunlight. That's my story and I'm sticking with it.
I'm also going to buy some large tomatoes and pot them up and keep them in the greenhouse this winter. Durnit...I'm going to get the good out of that thing. It did work wonderfully to overwinter a ton of mature plants that gave us a good start this spring.
Last week we got some fab medium size mums, gold lantana, and some yellow and gold marigolds to start getting some fall color. I loved that so much last year. Our mums came back and bloomed off and on all summer. I love that! I'm not loving the strained back from lifting heavy pots. I forgot about the whole dang arthritis thing.
So far no horrors on the in law front this today so far, but the day isn't over yet. Sometimes we just have to laugh it gets so crazy.
Our youngest daughter is staying with us while she trains the woman who moved into her position this month. It is good to have her around again. She is so fun. She wanted me to make spaghetti for dinner tonight, so I'm off to the grocery store now.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
I'm With the Government and I'm Here to Help You!
Lately my fil has been going downhill rapidly and my husband found a woman to come in to help him and to do some light housekeeping. My Father In Law hasn't been in the hospital followed up by a trip to a rehab facility afterward. My mil had, so she was eligible for Medicare help in the form of someone to help her bathe and dress and light housekeeping right after she got home. She has osteoarthritis in her hip and is too elderly for surgery. She had run off the help they were getting saying they could take care of everything. What she was really saying was that her husband could take care of it all. And he cannot these days, nor can her son, my husband.
So this was working out very well until the Medicare nursing supervisor came with the Medicare home health worker for my mother in law. My poor husband had worked his rear off getting this private pay lady who is good with them and cleans the house and everything was working out so well. We were both relieved to have some help for his parents. What the Medicare nurse said was one of the helpers would have to leave and it would have to be the Medicare aide. I saw red when she told me that. I guess they would love that! Then we would be paying for their nursing care instead of the benefits supposedly provided by Medicare.
I thought my husband and I would have freakin' stroke! My husband called my fil's doc's office and talked to his nurse, who got sort of cranky with Medicare about this and has called them to come out and evaluate my fil.
I went with my husband over there the other night to heat up the meals that Meals on Wheels had brought. My fil has gone downhill so much since I'd seen him I couldn't believe it. I was stunned. While I was fixing the dinners he was walking to the table and he stumbled a little. He told me "I have to be really careful, because if I fall..well it will all be over." His brother in law died after a fall last year. He was 93.
Anyway, on Saturday I went to the doctor about the sinus infection I've had for months and since I didn't have an appointment. I just had to wait. I knew it would be that way, but my husband had no idea it was like that. Anyway, I think the in laws have shared their Alzheimer's with him...or maybe that is me. Darned if I know anymore.
One day this past week my husband bought his father some new pants, because he couldn't find any of his father's clothes in the house. He told me he found some double knit pants from the 60's, I think. Anyway, when he left me at my doc's office he went over and took them some McDonald's pancakes. That was when he noticed his dad had on the old pants and the new ones on over them. Ditto with the shirt situation. He bought him new underwear and shoes last week. I hope they don't disappear, too.
Neither one of the parents can operate the washer/dryer, and it is as slow as Christmas, so who knows. The private pay lady knew how to work the machines.
I'm sure Melli has stories along these lines about her mil. Good Lord, this has turned into the worst mess for everyone and I hope those nit wits, not to put down my good friend NW-1, but I hope they can see that neither one of them have enough sense to do anything. It truly is much worse than I'd even believed it could get.
This afternoon my mil called to wish me a happy birthday. When I told her it was the 24 of last month she was very distressed that she had missed it...then she wanted to know how many others they had missed. She was upset they had forgotten...but when my husband went over to heat up their dinner, he didn't being anything back for me. No big deal.
Today is my son's birthday and he is older than I'd remembered....he actually was glad to hear that! He and my grandson had gone dove hunting over the weekend and they had just gotten home when I called to wish him a Happy Birthday. He opened his card with a check inside and was happy. Later my mil called to get his phone number, but neither of them were able to find a pencil or pen or I think thy didn't know what one looked like or what a pencil or pen did.
I got my husband to bring home the key to their car this weekend, and the Coumadin medication for her and my fil. Somehow her INR keeps going up...that means her blood is too thin and if she fell or got hurt badly she could bleed to death.....I'm sure my fil wouldn't think to call 911. I'm afraid she might just think she forgot to take it and takes it again. My husband puts all their meds in boxes labelled Monday thru Friday AM and PM. All they have to do is empty that morning or evening's pills out and take them. When my husband calls to remind them to take the medicine my fil can't remember from the time he lays down the phone and gets to the pill box.
The home care lady my husband hired has been so nice and she would heat their evening meal before she left and everything was going so well. Until the medicare home health aid came the other day with her Medicare "Nurse Ratchett" who thought we should just have the private pay to help them both. The Medicare aid would help my mother in law to get a bath and get clean clothes, but she did nothing to help my father in law.
Then the Medicare nurse called me, my husband was in between houses trying to do things for them. I was so angry and frustrated I just can't tell you.
I thought my husband and I would have freakin' stroke! My husband called my fil's doc's office and talked to his nurse, who got sort of cranky with Medicare about this and has called them to come out and evaluate my fil sometime this next week. I'm thinking their doctor is remiss in not conducting a competency test on them a long time ago. We may have to get a lawyer and take them to court to get them certified incompetent to be able to put them in assisted living. What a nightmare.
I went with my husband over there the other night to heat up the meals that meals on wheels had brought. My fil has gone downhill so much since I'd seen him I couldn't believe it. I was stunned. While I was fixing the dinners he was walking to the table and he stumbled a little. He told me "I have to be really careful, because if I fall..well it will all be over." His brother in law died after a fall last year. He was 93.
Anyway, on Saturday I went to the doctor about the sinus infection I've had for months and since I didn't have an appt. I just had to wait. I knew it would be that way, but my husband had no idea it was like that. Anyway, I think his parent's have shared some of that Alzheimer's with him...or maybe that is me. Darned if I know anymore.
One day this past week my husband bought his father some new jeans, because he couldn't find any in the house. He told me he found some double knit ones from the 60's I think. Anyway, when he left me at my doc's office he went over and took them some McDonald's pancakes. That was when he noticed his dad had on the old pants and the new ones on over them plus two shirts. I think that is all the double clothing issues, but I'm not sure. Melli has stories along these lines about her mil.
Good Lord this has turned into the worst mess and longest post for everyone and I hope those nit wits from the government, not to put down my good friend NW-1 who has nothing to do with the government and is pretty smart, but I hope the medicare people can see that neither one of them have enough sense to do anything. It truly is much worse than I'd even believed it could get.
This afternoon my mil called to wish me a happy birthday. When I told her it was the 24 of last month she was very distressed that she had missed it...then she wanted to know how many others they had missed. She was upset when I told her my grandson, and mine, but they had sent a card to my son...but when my husband went over to heat up their dinner, he didn't being anything back for me. No big deal. Today is my son's birthday and he is older than I'd remembered....he actually was glad to hear that! He and my grandson had gone dove hunting over the weekend and they had just gotten home when I called him. Later my mil called to get his phone number, but neither of them were able to find a pencil or pen or I think thy didn't know what one looked like or what a pencil or pen did.
Some days are harder than others, and lately we have been getting more than our share of the hard ones. I guess I should be thankful there is enough money to hire someone or if they go into assisted living to pay for that. It wouldn't be good if both of them had to come live with us.
And PJ....this is why we haven't been down to visit with you and John. I'd love to get away for a few days, but I'm not seeing anything real soon. Miss seeing you guys....and NO I cannot take the itty bitty kitteh you have. No No No...and I really mean it.
So this was working out very well until the Medicare nursing supervisor came with the Medicare home health worker for my mother in law. My poor husband had worked his rear off getting this private pay lady who is good with them and cleans the house and everything was working out so well. We were both relieved to have some help for his parents. What the Medicare nurse said was one of the helpers would have to leave and it would have to be the Medicare aide. I saw red when she told me that. I guess they would love that! Then we would be paying for their nursing care instead of the benefits supposedly provided by Medicare.
I thought my husband and I would have freakin' stroke! My husband called my fil's doc's office and talked to his nurse, who got sort of cranky with Medicare about this and has called them to come out and evaluate my fil.
I went with my husband over there the other night to heat up the meals that Meals on Wheels had brought. My fil has gone downhill so much since I'd seen him I couldn't believe it. I was stunned. While I was fixing the dinners he was walking to the table and he stumbled a little. He told me "I have to be really careful, because if I fall..well it will all be over." His brother in law died after a fall last year. He was 93.
Anyway, on Saturday I went to the doctor about the sinus infection I've had for months and since I didn't have an appointment. I just had to wait. I knew it would be that way, but my husband had no idea it was like that. Anyway, I think the in laws have shared their Alzheimer's with him...or maybe that is me. Darned if I know anymore.
One day this past week my husband bought his father some new pants, because he couldn't find any of his father's clothes in the house. He told me he found some double knit pants from the 60's, I think. Anyway, when he left me at my doc's office he went over and took them some McDonald's pancakes. That was when he noticed his dad had on the old pants and the new ones on over them. Ditto with the shirt situation. He bought him new underwear and shoes last week. I hope they don't disappear, too.
Neither one of the parents can operate the washer/dryer, and it is as slow as Christmas, so who knows. The private pay lady knew how to work the machines.
I'm sure Melli has stories along these lines about her mil. Good Lord, this has turned into the worst mess for everyone and I hope those nit wits, not to put down my good friend NW-1, but I hope they can see that neither one of them have enough sense to do anything. It truly is much worse than I'd even believed it could get.
This afternoon my mil called to wish me a happy birthday. When I told her it was the 24 of last month she was very distressed that she had missed it...then she wanted to know how many others they had missed. She was upset they had forgotten...but when my husband went over to heat up their dinner, he didn't being anything back for me. No big deal.
Today is my son's birthday and he is older than I'd remembered....he actually was glad to hear that! He and my grandson had gone dove hunting over the weekend and they had just gotten home when I called to wish him a Happy Birthday. He opened his card with a check inside and was happy. Later my mil called to get his phone number, but neither of them were able to find a pencil or pen or I think thy didn't know what one looked like or what a pencil or pen did.
I got my husband to bring home the key to their car this weekend, and the Coumadin medication for her and my fil. Somehow her INR keeps going up...that means her blood is too thin and if she fell or got hurt badly she could bleed to death.....I'm sure my fil wouldn't think to call 911. I'm afraid she might just think she forgot to take it and takes it again. My husband puts all their meds in boxes labelled Monday thru Friday AM and PM. All they have to do is empty that morning or evening's pills out and take them. When my husband calls to remind them to take the medicine my fil can't remember from the time he lays down the phone and gets to the pill box.
The home care lady my husband hired has been so nice and she would heat their evening meal before she left and everything was going so well. Until the medicare home health aid came the other day with her Medicare "Nurse Ratchett" who thought we should just have the private pay to help them both. The Medicare aid would help my mother in law to get a bath and get clean clothes, but she did nothing to help my father in law.
Then the Medicare nurse called me, my husband was in between houses trying to do things for them. I was so angry and frustrated I just can't tell you.
I thought my husband and I would have freakin' stroke! My husband called my fil's doc's office and talked to his nurse, who got sort of cranky with Medicare about this and has called them to come out and evaluate my fil sometime this next week. I'm thinking their doctor is remiss in not conducting a competency test on them a long time ago. We may have to get a lawyer and take them to court to get them certified incompetent to be able to put them in assisted living. What a nightmare.
I went with my husband over there the other night to heat up the meals that meals on wheels had brought. My fil has gone downhill so much since I'd seen him I couldn't believe it. I was stunned. While I was fixing the dinners he was walking to the table and he stumbled a little. He told me "I have to be really careful, because if I fall..well it will all be over." His brother in law died after a fall last year. He was 93.
Anyway, on Saturday I went to the doctor about the sinus infection I've had for months and since I didn't have an appt. I just had to wait. I knew it would be that way, but my husband had no idea it was like that. Anyway, I think his parent's have shared some of that Alzheimer's with him...or maybe that is me. Darned if I know anymore.
One day this past week my husband bought his father some new jeans, because he couldn't find any in the house. He told me he found some double knit ones from the 60's I think. Anyway, when he left me at my doc's office he went over and took them some McDonald's pancakes. That was when he noticed his dad had on the old pants and the new ones on over them plus two shirts. I think that is all the double clothing issues, but I'm not sure. Melli has stories along these lines about her mil.
Good Lord this has turned into the worst mess and longest post for everyone and I hope those nit wits from the government, not to put down my good friend NW-1 who has nothing to do with the government and is pretty smart, but I hope the medicare people can see that neither one of them have enough sense to do anything. It truly is much worse than I'd even believed it could get.
This afternoon my mil called to wish me a happy birthday. When I told her it was the 24 of last month she was very distressed that she had missed it...then she wanted to know how many others they had missed. She was upset when I told her my grandson, and mine, but they had sent a card to my son...but when my husband went over to heat up their dinner, he didn't being anything back for me. No big deal. Today is my son's birthday and he is older than I'd remembered....he actually was glad to hear that! He and my grandson had gone dove hunting over the weekend and they had just gotten home when I called him. Later my mil called to get his phone number, but neither of them were able to find a pencil or pen or I think thy didn't know what one looked like or what a pencil or pen did.
Some days are harder than others, and lately we have been getting more than our share of the hard ones. I guess I should be thankful there is enough money to hire someone or if they go into assisted living to pay for that. It wouldn't be good if both of them had to come live with us.
And PJ....this is why we haven't been down to visit with you and John. I'd love to get away for a few days, but I'm not seeing anything real soon. Miss seeing you guys....and NO I cannot take the itty bitty kitteh you have. No No No...and I really mean it.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Friends and miracles
Sometimes friends come and go and some stay with us for a very long time indeed. I promise if we stay around each other the graphic above will be very true.
I think, hopefully, that my husband has gotten a lady to come in an stay with my in laws for 4 hours/day. There is the lady from home health who helps her get a bath and change her clothes, and meals on wheels comes by and brings them breakfast and lunch. The companion will cook them the breakfast they have eaten for 90 years of bacon or sausage and eggs with toast and coffee. I'm pretty sure there is a WHOLE lot about their genes that are wonderful. Not so much in my family. Good news for my husband, though.
When my husband was taking his father to a doctor's appointment the other day he noticed his father's shoe had lost part of the sole. He immediately went by and bought him some new ones. They just don't remember this isn't the OLD depression...this in the NEW one and it isn't so bad he has to wear holey shoes. There is a big search going on to find their clothes. When we would buy them clothes, shoes, sleepwear...they would say that the gift was too nice they were going to put it up and save it. There is a stash in there somewhere.
I just feel so relieved right now that this woman is coming and that maybe she isn't an axe murderer or a thief. None of you guys that I've met in real life have been...although PJ and I nearly had a runaway when we met the first time. We were both so freaked out we were actually going to meet someone we only knew online!! When I walked up to her I showed her my work id badge which did not help at all. I used my real name at work and another on the internet. We finally got over it all and had a nice lunch. My husband and I try to see them whenever we go to Galveston Bay to visit our daughter.
Someday I'll tell you the story of the miracle of getting my mule headed mil to let someone come in to help them. Tomorrow I have a lunch meeting and Friday the cleaning ladies come, so I won't be around for a while all that much. Also, the AARP group we joined last winter wants me to serve on the board. There are a lot of people I know there from when I was working. Hopefully it will just be keeping up with the new people and not the VP, as the president mentioned in her last email that caused my jaw to drop. It is good to know folks....actually it is good to know folks who are older than I am for a change.
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