Pounding the pavement

Bugs has two second interviews tomorrow and is happy happy happy.
She applied at Taco Mac, she thinks she would love to work there.

http://www.taco-mac.com/

Foreclosure is imminent. She received her notice from three sources. She is trying to contact whomever she has to contact, but (as usual) gets the answering machine.

House will be auctioned off the first Tuesday of August.

No idea what kind of repercussions this is going to have for her.

We'll just wait.

While I was wondering how I could help pay for Daycare for the rest of the month, the angels looked down and deposited $400 in my account. Miracles DO happen.

It never fails, something or someone ALWAYS comes to the rescue when you truly need it..

*Hugs my angel tight....thanks...love you!*

SGMKJ!

The boobs are fine!

For those of you who are wondering.....

My doctor finally "found" the results of my mammogram. He said they looked beautiful and they are just fine.

Been a while since any man commented on my boobs ya know. I'll take it anyway I can. *LOL*

Hmmm...

Over the hump

My daughter seems to have gotten a shot of energy from quitting her job.
This weekend she put together, typed out and PRINTED her resume.

Late yesterday we went shopping for some job hunting clothes, since all she has are a green bridesmaids dress and jeans and tank tops and other assorted hippie shirts.
Even that went well. We found a very stylish pair of black slacks (size ONE) and a white short sleeved/boatneck top, which made her look sleek and beautiful and professional.
Oh, those long skinny legs. But the pants really do look fabulous on her.

Even Boo-boo agreed: pretty, mama!

So today she is going to pound the pavement. She's got a list of places she wants to go and apply in a 20 mile radius. She took Boo to "school", so we didn't have to baby sit.

It was a weird weekend, not having Boo around. We both just basically piddled around. I had my laundry to do, did some reading and took naps. Not very productive, but I guess the rest was needed.

Today I am going to shop around for a storage place. I really want to rearrange Boo-boo's room, take out the crib and the changing table, and make it a BIG GIRL room. It's time.
And now that we don't watch her as often, and don't have to put her to bed every night, we might as well do the switch. Get all those toys out of the livingroom as well.

My Mom is doing well. She was delighted to receive a get well card from my son. He was/is their first/oldest grand child and has a very special place in their hearts. She called me right away and she sounded so darn happy about it. :>)
Thanks, son.

Time to get a move on. Bugs just stopped by to get some Pepto Bismal. She made "chicken Surprise" last night and she's been on the "run" all morning. So she had to make a pit stop here *lol*, and raid mom's medicine cabinet and fridge for a bottle of water.

She looks great, and excited, aside from the tummy trouble. She's ready to go and get on with life.

Wish her luck!

SGMKJ!

Rollercoaster day

My mother is home again, safe and sound.
She has been given a new regimen of meds which should keep her going for now. She also needs to check with her cardiologist and her doctor more frequently.
She now gets 6 hours worth of "help", so she won't have to do any cleaning, laundry, vacuum, shopping.
She sounded glad to be home again, and worried about my father, who seems to have lost weight during this weeks shuffling back and forth to the hospital every day and not getting enough to eat.
(My personal opinion on that, he probably raided all the cookie jars and refrigerator things he's not supposed to eat, hey...who cares at this point, let the man live a little and enjoy his sweets)

I have a feeling that the next step will be assisted/senior living. My sister is all for that and is actively getting them on the list at a brand new complex near her house. It would be an ideal solution. My parents could start out in an independent type apartment, then move up to assisted living when they become less able, or when one of them dies. Then when it comes time for hospice or nursing home, it's all under one roof.

So for now we can sit back and take a deep breath in that matter.

Of course never a dull moment here. Bugs has been getting increasingly stressed the last few weeks about work.
Yesterday we got this hysterical phonecall from her. I urged her to come home for a bit so she could calm down and we could talk.
Her boss did another screaming/cussing out number on her. It was the proverbial last drop. She didn't want to go back to work. She was at her wits end.

So after we calmed her down and talked with her, she decided to go tell him to f"ck himself and quit right there on the spot. She was scared to death to do it. Especially with no new job lined up. But...she paid July's rent and was caught up with her utilities, which gives her a few weeks. Child care is paid up for another week. But she had to cancel it after that, not knowing what is going to happen.

We urged her to take the weekend to relax and get her thoughts together. Monday she can go pound the pavement for another job, perhaps for now just a wait job, or a job at Target or a super market. Anything to hold her over.

PH was planning on taking Sunday and Monday to make a trip up to Tennessee to see what's going on there. He was having a friend going to drive him around. Of course with Bugs gone at the one restaurant, the asshole boss might order PH to fill in on Sunday for her. I hope he'll say no, he has plans....but that's his choice.
The idea of them moving in together seems to have started a dialog with his mom, albeit quietly. But at least they are talking about it.
But it's clear that something needs to happen. Either they get a house together; move to Tennessee; whatever, life as it is seems no longer viable. He is unhappy with his job as well, (same asshole boss)

For some reason I am not overly worried right now. Having been in her position many many times in my life, and knowing that something will always pop up and things will always work out.

One day at a time.....

For us it means, no babysitting this weekend. Now that's a unicum!
:>)

As for celebrities dying this week. I mourn for Ed, I mourn for Farrah, especially after watching her last documentary. For some reason I have absolutely no feeling for the passing of Michael Jackson.

Maybe it's the antidepressants...

SGMKJ!

Mom update

I talked again with everyone last night, including my brother from New Zealand, who's birthday it is as well today. He turned 58.

My phone card is getting a good workout from all the calls coming and going from and to Holland, New Zealand and Australia.

Mom is having more X rays done, sonograms, more blood testing, and more watching. She's off the IV and the oxygen and she was feeling a tad better when I talked with her an hour ago. She had a nice shower, and the food is excellent. Of course having three fellows as co-patients in her room make life interesting as well.

BUT

It's time (all of us kids agree on this) that they start thinking about moving to an assisted living facility.
Of course the suggestion was scuffed at and a firm NO was heard around the world.

Something my sister in particular is extremely frustrated about. She has no POA, so she can't even request an urgency declaration to get them moved in quickly.

My parents have always extremely independent. Even getting rid of the car was fought tooth and nail, until my father finally did it himself. In my opinion, he wanted to be the one making the decision. I understand that.
So it's likely that THEY will eventually make the decision about moving as well.

I suggested my sister talk with their doctors, get them to suggest a move, as they seem to listen to the authority of the DOCTORS as opposed to the "children."

The cardiologist asked my mother some subtle questions: are you living alone? do you have help? etc. So it sounds to me he is very concerned about them living alone. So obviously he's concerned about their Independence. They will need more outside help. God forbid someone else makes their bed and clean their kitchen, and irons their clothes.

My father, as you know, is a walking time bomb. His carotid arteries are blocked so severely, we're all surprised he is still in upright position. (95% and 75% blocked!!)
It's not a question of if, but when.

So as we were making plans for my eventual trip to Holland when the time comes (It's taking more organization this time around with Wheelies's care (he refuses extra 'help' too), Bugs and Boo-boo), we never thought it would be my mother who would hit the sheets before my father.


It's difficult to make a decision whether to go now, or wait. New Zealand is in the same situation of course. But consenses is that we sit it out for now.

My parents had a beautiful life together. They are part of a dying generation, and I don't mean that literally. Theirs was a life of hard work, simple pleasures, lots of humor, patience, and devout spirituality, and a fierce sense of family.

So no, I am not going to see her. But I am going to call her every day.

It's just impossible for me to take the trip now, and perhaps needing to go back for their funerals again later. Too many obligations here at home, absolutely no money. My parents understand that, thank God.

So again, we wait and see. I hope they can be persuaded to take a chance on moving into that brand new modern facility where they can stay until they pass. Where they can move from assisted to nursing home to hospital/hospice all under one roof. Everything in one complex, hairdresser, doctors, massage therapy, coffeeshop, small stores, baker, butcher, greengrocer, snackbar, pharmacy, pizza joint. The assisted living apartments for couples is larger than the flat they now live in, so they wouldn't have to get rid of anything. Alarm buttons in every room at several levels on the walls, handicapped access bathrooms, toilets. MAN, I wanna move there!!!! And they have a small kitchen, but can also eat in the public diningroom.

In the meantime we sit tight. I'm a long ways away from everyone and everything but this is affecting me more than I thought it would. At least I have my little white pills. Not that I've been gobbling them down, but just the knowledge that I have access, makes a big difference.

The cold seems to be waning in both Boo and me. Boo still coughs like a sailor when I put her down, but we've remedied that problem by placing a pillow under her mattress, elevating her head, and running the humidifier when she's sleeping. It helps.

I've been hitting the Emergen-C and that stuff really really works.

It's hot outside, in the high 90s, with the heat index it seems like we're in the 100s.

My plants are surviving, and thriving.

SO....that's going to have to be it for today.

SGMKJ!

Alice in Wonderland

It's going to be a super hot day today. So I inflated the little kiddie pool and filled it with water.
Hopefully the water will warm up some before Boo-boo can "swim" in it this afternoon.

I was able to call my mother yesterday in the hospital. She had a very strange voice and I did not recognize her. It took a while before we realized who we were talking to. She sounded very tired and very hoarse. And not at all well.

I guess we'll just play it day by day, as there isn't much else we can do from this side of the pond.

It's got me worried and anxious though.

Thank God we'll have Boo this weekend to take our attention off the sad stuff.

SGMKJ!

Mom in the hospital

Just as I am trying to get my family to prepare itself in case I am to hop on a plane in case something happens to my dad, I get a call from my sister.
Mom is in the hospital.
She has had a congenital heart valve problem for a while now. She has been feeling unwell for the past few days and yesterday she was taken to the hospital and diagnosed with fluid behind the lungs. Caused by the heart valve which doesn't function properly anymore.
For now they are treating her with diuretics (or so I understand) and they're keeping her for a few more days.

No panic. But still....

It's strange that the topic of discussion here at home has been just about this very issue.
Of course we never think about my mother getting sick, as my father's arteries are so clogged up, we're surprised he's still walking around. I've been telling Wheelie and Bugs to get prepared when the call comes. We need a plan.

So we'll wait and see.

I am still coping with the perpetual "day care head cold"
Boo-boo has her ups and downs. My urging Bugs to take her to the doctor fell on deaf ears until Wheelie set her down the other night and told her she was being a bad mom for not taking her child to the doctor.
Which created a bit of an awkward night, after she yelled back at him, stomped out with the baby.

Yesterday I decided to calm the waters and went to talk with her. As I suspected, she has had to let Boo's health insurance lapse, she simply cannot afford it on top of the day care costs. It didn't surprise me, but I was disappointed that she didn't ask for help.

We had an enlightening little talk, and I took the girls grocery shopping (arghhh)

I once again told her to get rid of her little group of dark clouds (problems she won't or can't solve), get off her ass and bite through the sour apple, and get on with her life.

Not going to get into the specifics, just too complicated.

Needless to say....deja vu all over again...

Speaking of deja vu....

The neighborhood is having a yard sale next Saturday. So I've been going through stuff. Found a shoebox with a bunch of cassette tapes. Some of my "walking tapes" (when I walked 5 miles every morning, Ha!) Some tapes friends made for me. And a special tape I have been saving.
I put it in the stereo and there it was....my little 2 year old son in the bath tub singing and splashing.
If you didn't know better, you'd think I taped it the other day. My voice is the same, the baby's voice just like Boo-boo's, singing the same songs...A B C.....Klap 'ns in je handjes (Dutch song)...
Amazing!!!!
To think I made this tape 35 years ago.....
One endearing thing on this tape: "Momma, am I driving you nuts???"
My son at this age (2+) was a little more articulate than Boo is now, but the voice is so similar.

Boo is fine, by the way. She loves Day care, knows the names of her friends and teachers, and proudly shows me what she's 'made'.

She helped me plant some flowers in my garden, pulled some weeds for me, and loves my big teacup planter. The other night she was sitting by it, talking to herself, just picking at the creeping Jenny under her feet. Like Alice in Wonderland...so sweet...

It's gonna be another hot one here today, so I am staying inside, getting some rest, trying to get over this damn cold.

SGMKJ!

New Sheets

Oooowwwww...that Popsicle is COLD.............

When you're bored....go shopping....

I was JUST going to take a peek at Kohl's this morning, just to see if there was anything new (...I didn't need).

For some reason I stopped at the linens department, (uhuh) and thought I'd see if there was a good buy on king size white cotton sheets. We've been sleeping on the same Eddie Bauer sheets for the past 10 years now. At only 200 thread count, they have been wonderful and indestructible.
But...after ten years you get bored by the same old stuff.

So I found this 610 thread count 100% cotton "Biltmore Estate" set of white sheets. The "Biltmore" thing made me smile, as I am sure one of my readers will. (wink)

It's a super luxurious set, and I just finished making the bed with it, after a run through the washing machine.

The sheets are HUGE...and SOFT....can't wait to crawl under them tonight.

Right now there's this pop-up thunderstorm racing over our heads, lots of hard rain, a few thunder claps. Typical Georgia weather.

My cold is still hanging on, mostly in my head. Perhaps I have allergies. Never been tested for them. When it gets too annoying I have been taking Benedryl, but mostly I've just let the snot roll. We should buy stock in Kleenex!

Boo-boo seems to be over her cold. She is much happier at the daycare, doesn't cry when she sees me, knows the 'teacher's' names, and some of the kids. Hallelujah!

Other than us having much more time to piddle around and do stuff outside the house, we are enjoying it very much, we also look forward for four o'clock to come around to go pick the little girl up from"school". She is just changing before your very eyes, getting smarter every day. It's wonderful to experience that again.

So things are cool. *knock on wood*

SGMKJ!

Still in snotsville

Thursday again.
My head is spinning from the way the time just flies by.

My cold is holding on tenaciously. Not so much coughing anymore, but my head feels like a pumpkin.
This morning at 4am I had this exploding headache, very strange, only on the right side, from the base of my skull up to my eyebrows.
I took some Advil and propped myself up on a few pillows and fell asleep again when the Advil kicked in.
But today we decided to take it easy (HA! we always take it easy)
We watched a movie: Revolutionary Road. Pretty good flick, but also kind of depressing (Kate Winslett and Leonardo DiCaprio) Nice acting, but the ending just too sad for me.
The story is pretty recognizable for most of us, as we live our lives and wrestle through our marriages, our jobs, our friends. Wise and unwise decisions made along the way, hopes and dreams smashed, trying the practice the art of compromise, the failures and pain we inflict on ourselves and each other...blah..blah..blahh.

So Boo-boo is getting used to her Daycare. She is rapidly picking up some bad habits too.
We watched her play by herself here yesterday and she was yelling at her invisible friend: That's ENOUGH!!!!, and...LOOK- AT - ME!!!!!. hehe...funny kid.
She has also picked up a habit of flinging stuff through the room. Something I nipped in the proverbial butt very quickly.
But she is also learning some good manners.
She now takes her dishes out to the sink when she is done eating (without being asked).
Both Wheelie and I dropped our yaws last night when she did that. She also deposited her soiled napkin in the garbage.
Too funny!.
She is starting to know her new friends at school, and almost doesn't cry when she sees me. Yesterday I just held up my finger, and she stopped her little pout/almost cry.
I think she is doing well. On our way out we always have to look through the window of the 'babies', and wave them goodbye. I always wonder how moms can leave these tiny 3-4-5 month olds in daycare.
Oh! I forget! We're in the USA!!! Where moms don't get enough time to recover from childbirth, or being given a chance to stay home with her baby for at least 6 months.
For a second I forgot I wasn't in Holland or one of the other more socially adept countries in the world. Silly me.

Yesterday I dragged myself out to the Super Target. In the checkout line the lady behind started laughing. She was older than me. She said: Please forgive me for giggling, but isn't it funny, you are buying Baby diapers as well as Depends pads...Yup...all the women in this family need 'protection' from drips!!

It was nice to take my time just browsing through the store. I love the fact that they don't' play Muzak. Just nice and quiet. Strange that something as simple as shopping will make me feel better. And I don't mean spending money either, just looking.
(I did buy a new pile of undies though
The old ones were losing their elastic, and I kept getting wedgies.)

For the past few days I have been going through the closets and the cupboards, tossing out everything that was old and worn.

In the kitchen I discovered that most of my stuff like Soy sauce and Steak sauce was about 5 years old, way past their prime, so I took the large garbage can and started tossing everyone that had expired. Tabasco sauce is supposed to be RED, right? Well, mine was kind of brownish. Out it went.

Except for our little jar of green olives, that is.
Wheelie bought that in New York at Zabars in 1980, when he lived there. Right before we got married.
The little jar has never been opened. We keep packing it every time we move, and for some reason always kept it in the pantry. Darn jar is almost 30 years old. In those days they didn't put expiration days on stuff.

I showed it to him, we had a giggle over it, and I put it right back on the shelve again. Heck, maybe they can bury it with us when we kick the bucket.

Time to find a full box of Kleenex, I feel another load coming down.

Aaachooo!

SGMKJ!

Just so you know I am not dead

It's been a rough couple of days.
My cold was a little worse than usual, lasting a day or so longer.
I barely was able to take care of Boo yesterday, but thank God I only had her until 4, and she took a loooong nap!
Last night I had a fever of 102.5, and I had to get up to change the bedsheets, which were soaking wet.
So Doctor Wheelie ordered me to stay in bed today. Didn't have to tell me twice, Haha!

Slept most of the morning, still sporting a fever. Around noon I felt I HAD to do the rest of the laundry, and fold it...
At around 5 I was feeling better. I don't sneeze anymore, cough is better, fever gone.
But my throat still hurts and so does my ear.

Tomorrow is another day.

Oh. My mom read my epistle about my youth in the old neighborhood (I snail mailed her a copy) She was surprised to see my report card and she said: Geesh your grades weren't THAT bad....Hulloooooo!!!!!!!!!
All those years of feeling like a school dropout and failing grades...and now she thinks I was a good student.

Aww...she's getting older, I can tell, even though her memory is sharp as a tack, she does forget stuff sometimes.