How to Avoid the Peril of Factionalism
2 days ago
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
From yesterday...gotta keep up
It's after 9 am and there haven't been any calls or texts, yet. I'm overwhelmingly curious about how things went, but also grateful that someone else is carrying the load this week. It's a little like parents going out for the evening for the first time after their baby is born..."should we call the babysitter just to make sure everything is all right?" No. I'm not going to call. This week is theirs. If someone needs me, the phone will ring, believe me.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Oops
Forgot to post yesterday...
Friday evening, I went to see GL in the hospital and then came home and went on a major eating binge. The list is ridiculous, so it won't be posted here. Suffice it to say, at least 1000 calories were consumed between 9:30 pm and 2 am.
She is still in the hospital, and likely won't be released until tomorrow. Today I've been to see her, gone to the to nursing home to put away her clean clothes (and pick up another load), and make sure no one has "stolen her stuffed animals". Oh, went to Sprouts to buy healthy stuff to eat, too. That's put away, and the dishwasher is running, so my work is done for the day unless I feel like doing more.
So, here's the good news: her granddaughter is driving here from Albuquerque with the great-grandkids to spend a week. She will also get her father to go talk to his mother. The daughter-in-law is to be left at home, as GL hates her with a passion. Seeing her would only set off unnecessary and unfortunate fireworks.
Nothing could make me happier than seeing her make peace with her son. Granddaughter is taking an active hand in that. As she put it, "If he doesn't do this now, he'll regret it the rest of his life." That girl gets smarter all the time. At the rate GL's mind is deteriorating, who knows how much longer she'll be able to recognize and understand them and enjoy their company. If they're going to have quality time together, this may be their last chance.
My short-term disability approval came through. After two nights of minimal sleep, I believe I will finally rest tonight.
It's easy to see why I need the time and medical attention. As I opened the envelopes, my hands started to shake to the point where I almost couldn't hold on to them. Seeing the approval caused tears (gee, the first today...wonder if I'll match the tally for yesterday), and some confusion about paperwork. I'll have to call them tomorrow to ask specifically what I'm supposed to do with each page.
It's difficult to follow written or verbal instructions unless I go over every detail slowly. Otherwise, it all gets muddled and goes out of my head. There are sticky notes all over the house, including on my purse so I don't forget to take things with me when I go, and make stops where something has to be done. My mind just doesn't work this way, usually. I know what it feels like to go senile now. Not good.
There are times when I think it wouldn't be good for me to drive, so I don't. Other times I'm clearer, and do just fine.
Later:
Before heading over there, GrandDaughter texted me to say the nurses at PDR said GL wouldn't drink, eat, or pick up the phone. She asked me if she ought to bring some food with her. I told her Burger King onion rings and/or cinnamon graham crackers, and diet Mountain Dew. If GL won't eat those, she won't eat anything.
Sheesh! What a weekend!
Friday evening, I went to see GL in the hospital and then came home and went on a major eating binge. The list is ridiculous, so it won't be posted here. Suffice it to say, at least 1000 calories were consumed between 9:30 pm and 2 am.
She is still in the hospital, and likely won't be released until tomorrow. Today I've been to see her, gone to the to nursing home to put away her clean clothes (and pick up another load), and make sure no one has "stolen her stuffed animals". Oh, went to Sprouts to buy healthy stuff to eat, too. That's put away, and the dishwasher is running, so my work is done for the day unless I feel like doing more.
So, here's the good news: her granddaughter is driving here from Albuquerque with the great-grandkids to spend a week. She will also get her father to go talk to his mother. The daughter-in-law is to be left at home, as GL hates her with a passion. Seeing her would only set off unnecessary and unfortunate fireworks.
Nothing could make me happier than seeing her make peace with her son. Granddaughter is taking an active hand in that. As she put it, "If he doesn't do this now, he'll regret it the rest of his life." That girl gets smarter all the time. At the rate GL's mind is deteriorating, who knows how much longer she'll be able to recognize and understand them and enjoy their company. If they're going to have quality time together, this may be their last chance.
My short-term disability approval came through. After two nights of minimal sleep, I believe I will finally rest tonight.
It's easy to see why I need the time and medical attention. As I opened the envelopes, my hands started to shake to the point where I almost couldn't hold on to them. Seeing the approval caused tears (gee, the first today...wonder if I'll match the tally for yesterday), and some confusion about paperwork. I'll have to call them tomorrow to ask specifically what I'm supposed to do with each page.
It's difficult to follow written or verbal instructions unless I go over every detail slowly. Otherwise, it all gets muddled and goes out of my head. There are sticky notes all over the house, including on my purse so I don't forget to take things with me when I go, and make stops where something has to be done. My mind just doesn't work this way, usually. I know what it feels like to go senile now. Not good.
There are times when I think it wouldn't be good for me to drive, so I don't. Other times I'm clearer, and do just fine.
Later:
Before heading over there, GrandDaughter texted me to say the nurses at PDR said GL wouldn't drink, eat, or pick up the phone. She asked me if she ought to bring some food with her. I told her Burger King onion rings and/or cinnamon graham crackers, and diet Mountain Dew. If GL won't eat those, she won't eat anything.
Sheesh! What a weekend!
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Shhhhhh! Can you hear anything?
The clothes dryer started squeaking again after the repair man replaced the roller and then left yesterday (of course), so I called him this morning to let him know.
He came over this afternoon and replaced the entire pulley kit (not what he worked on before), and charged nothing. Can you believe that!? I definitely have a new repair guy to suggest to my friends when they ask.
Nice dryer. Nice, quiet dryer.
For anyone in the Phoenix Metro area, the company is A-All Appliance Repair (aka Emergency Appliance Repair Today). They work in all parts of the Valley.
He came over this afternoon and replaced the entire pulley kit (not what he worked on before), and charged nothing. Can you believe that!? I definitely have a new repair guy to suggest to my friends when they ask.
Nice dryer. Nice, quiet dryer.
For anyone in the Phoenix Metro area, the company is A-All Appliance Repair (aka Emergency Appliance Repair Today). They work in all parts of the Valley.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
All wet
The clothes dryer has been making a strange squeaky noise this past week. Everything on the Net that pertains says it's most likely a roller bearing which either needs to be oiled or replaced. Considering the age of the dryer (10 years?), replacement of the bearing and the drive belt is the most likely scenario. It works so far, but it would be best to take care of the problem before the machine gives up the ghost.
OS attempted repair yesterday, but when I found him in the laundry room unscrewing things and trying to figure out how to get the back off, I thanked him kindly and told him a repairman was on the way today.
He fumed a little about how much that would cost ($200 or $300, Mom!) but if he accidentally ruined something in his poking around it could cost much more. If it will cost several hundred dollars to repair it, I'll buy a new one instead.
OS attempted repair yesterday, but when I found him in the laundry room unscrewing things and trying to figure out how to get the back off, I thanked him kindly and told him a repairman was on the way today.
He fumed a little about how much that would cost ($200 or $300, Mom!) but if he accidentally ruined something in his poking around it could cost much more. If it will cost several hundred dollars to repair it, I'll buy a new one instead.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Yoga? What Yoga?
My friend didn't call after work, so we didn't do yoga together at my house this evening. That's okay. I don't think I am up to the poses right now. My body still feels stiff and sore. I'm willing to work through that to a certain extent, but I was told to work to the "soft edge".
While shopping at the used book store (Bookman's -- great place), I found a Leslie Sansone "Walking Away The Pounds" (WATP) DVD with four routines on it.
Since I was dressed in silly workout clothes anyway, it made sense to give it a try in my room while OS worked on his Pro90X-routine-of-death in the living room. My little workout looks lightweight after watching him work so hard, but it did make me sweat and work the kinks out of my butt and legs. There's a tiny bit of upper body in it, too, so my poor rubbery arms woke up, too.
The remote for the bedroom DVD player doesn't work, so I can't go up and down through the menu items. That means the only workout I could get to was the "Muscle Mile". Oh well, I did it twice, so that make two miles in 40 minutes with kicking and squatting and weights, and so on.
Tomorrow, I'll try to get to the living room for my workout (ha! workout, she says!) before he gets going.
A repair man is coming to look at the squeaky dryer sometime between 10 and noon. Should I get sweaty before he shows up, or after? Depends on when I wake up, I guess.
While shopping at the used book store (Bookman's -- great place), I found a Leslie Sansone "Walking Away The Pounds" (WATP) DVD with four routines on it.
Since I was dressed in silly workout clothes anyway, it made sense to give it a try in my room while OS worked on his Pro90X-routine-of-death in the living room. My little workout looks lightweight after watching him work so hard, but it did make me sweat and work the kinks out of my butt and legs. There's a tiny bit of upper body in it, too, so my poor rubbery arms woke up, too.
The remote for the bedroom DVD player doesn't work, so I can't go up and down through the menu items. That means the only workout I could get to was the "Muscle Mile". Oh well, I did it twice, so that make two miles in 40 minutes with kicking and squatting and weights, and so on.
Tomorrow, I'll try to get to the living room for my workout (ha! workout, she says!) before he gets going.
A repair man is coming to look at the squeaky dryer sometime between 10 and noon. Should I get sweaty before he shows up, or after? Depends on when I wake up, I guess.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)