Sunday, December 19, 2010
Working the Seasonal Spirit!
Obviously, this time of year there is an ongoing need for whinage. So, let 'er rip!
There will [as always] be prizes [as deserved] for Old Skool, Style, Elevated Risk of Mullet, Bodily Fluids, Additions to the Lexicon, parenting, mechanicals, relatives, weather, and whatever else occurs.
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Good glory, Kathy A. That there is the MIL guest from Aitch E Double Hockey Sticks.
My MIL is 81 as well and, because of difficulty with stairs has actually taken well to being put up in hotels. Thank all that is holy.
My MIL is not nearly as bad as her daughter, who has a permanent place in the Houseguest From Hell Hall of Fame. Just as soon as I clean the hall carpet and get new sheets on the bed, we're good to go. She'll have fun with my cabinets, anyway. Assuming the rain stops -- latest word is arrival on Thursday [a date!], if the rain stops, and if it doesn't, she'll just come later.
AW: My cousin made me laugh at the family party last night, about "MIL inspections," and we just kept laughing.
AW: My friend Peg also made me laugh with her creative offers of escape routes. Plus, the Rev. Ms. Peg is collaborating with me on a special baby blankie, the requested colors being lime green and red. Which also makes us laugh, but by gum, we'll make it work.
Shortly after 2:00 am, a very snuffly Muffin Man came crawling into bed with me. Grabbed a tissue, blew his nose. Snuffled some more. I thrust another tissue at him. He blew some more. Then he fell asleep.
This morning, we discovered why he was so snuffly. He had a nosebleed. Blood on his sheets and pillowcase. Blood on my sheets and pillow case. Blood on his footie pjs. Blood on his hands and arms.
Almost no blood at all on his face.
Nosebleeds are weird.
poor MM! and eww, bloody nose.
I just wanted to remind everybody about our first Christmas in this space.
Gary and YT, if you're reading this, I miss you both.
Good holiday whineage so far. It appears to be nosebleed week. I had one on Saturday night - not a bad one, but still ick.
Hubby had one this afternoon, which was not nice at all, since he was up half the night with wonky blood sugars. Low point was 1.5 (15 if you use American measurements). He wanted no part of the suggested hospital route, so I stayed up and made sure he was awake while his blood sugars took their sweet time creeping back up to about 10 by about 4:00 am.
AW: It's a good thing my lab experience gives me lots of practice in finger pokes and blood sugar testing.
W: At 1:00 am when I'm really sleepy, I have little to say that is interesting enough to keep a near-comatose person awake. Seriously, I thought about tap dancing. Mostly I just kept jostling him awake and feeding him orange juice...
AW: Ontario Telehealth - a 24/7 nursing service. All I had to do was call the 1-866 # and talk to a nurse about what to do. Sooooo much better than waiting at the ER. The nurse was super helpful.
Big AW: We managed to skype the big music cantata from church yesterday morning. It was awesome!
W: Today has been a long sleepy day. In a few hours I have to go and face my family again (hubby gets to stay home this time) - this time to 'celebrate' with visiting step-sister and to meet her soon-to-be husband #4. I'm wondering how to fit "pre-nup" into the conversation casually. Really. He doesn't have work at the moment and she makes 6 figures. You do the math....
AW: Her $$$$$ = not my problem. I'll stay a polite length of time and leave.
Sue, I read your last whine as, "soon-to-be-ex-husband #4." Yea, verily did soda exit my nose.
I am so glad that your husband is doing better and that you were able to get help telephonically.
~snort~ liz!
((( sue ))) so glad he is better! and that the helpline was so, ya know, helpful. YAY for skype! we look forward to a full account of the family thingy.
so, a cousin-in-law and i were talking at our family thingy. she asked when i last dyed my hair, and i said "never." it developed that she likes my "salt and pepper" hair, and wanted to know how to do it. ummmm....
Cat bark on my pillow, dog pee in my laundry basket.
That is all.
*snort* Liz, the funny thing is, it really is only a matter of time and your initial reading of that sentence will likely be true. Sad, but true.
Days wins for animal bodily fluids FOR SURE!!! Wow. Bark and Pee from two different species in one day.
Inconceivable!!!
On my way out now - reluctantly and with much whining about how hubby gets to stay home - to the family dysfunction of "Let's All Smile And Call it a Celebration". Ugh.
Will report back later for de-briefing. And liquor. Or both. (No wine for me at the party. They live way out in the country and I'm driving). Thus, the wine and whine duo upon my return.
I remember that award ceremony, Liz! And YT's lovely whine. :)
I was feeling sorry for myself, what with the Big Party and the Tummy Big visit. But now I'm counting my lucky stars that I don't have a "family thingy" on top of it, at the moment anyway. Tummy Bug sufferer (Sweet Baboo) was much perkier today, showed evidence that Tummy Bug was gone (do I need to spell that out for you?), and was begging for cheeese pleeese (hey, two word sentence! cause for celebrations around here!). So I gave her some. A few hours later, um, yuck. Messy pook. Load in the washer now--hot water, bleach.
Big Party was fine. Hopefully we didn't pass around any Tummy Bug germs.
Here's a stumper for you:
yesterday, house full of loud people. Mini naps for 2.5 hours. Today, house full of Mama, sister, Mama's friend. Mini naps for 35 minutes.
Liz--I tried clicking through your link and it didn't work. Is it me?
Sue--glad Pillar is ok, and sorry for the long night.
--esperanza
Days! That is horrid!
Minor whine of the laundry dimension. My husband, who does do laundry, for which I'm grateful, brings up the baskets of clean laundry and puts them in a room I seldom go in. Until I'm out of socks or underwear and have to go investigate.
I'm happy to sort and fold and put away, just let me know when it's ready for me to do so!
Trying again with the link.
Awards from December 20, 2007
Sorry to hear about the nosebleeds. Ick.
Sue - good luck with the wedding white elephant and keeping blood sugars at all appropriate levels.
Esperanza - Hope the tummy troubles are gone. And two word phrases are a YAY! I had a friend who used to joke he was going to make a recording of a loud restaurant because my oldest would sleep through such a visit and not sleep at home.
Days - oh no, Bodily Fluids for sure.
KathyA - snorting laughter at the salt and pepper hair methods - I wonder if you could convince a hairdresser to try.
Whine: I am freezing and no one else in the house is plus I have that post nasal drip feeling - so it seems like I have a little cold. Ugh!
Antiwhine: we switched phone carriers and having the "internet in my pocket" is really as cool as I dreamed.
Liz - great memories of that first Whining Christmas. Someone should write a song about that...
Report from the family party.... NOT GOOD. Dear Universe, is it not enough that I spent the better part of last night trying to decide whether my beloved was sleeping or comatose???? Srsly.
Step-sister is marrying a guy who cannot carry on a conversation to save his soul. Really. I tried. And tried. And tried again. I could have been talking to the meatballs in the slow cooker.
Oddly, step-sister was rarely in the same room as the groom-to-be. She was busy chatting up one our new local docs, who happens to be extremely cute. Odd??? Why yes. Odd.
AW: My biological sisters and I were exchanging some fun but knowing looks, so that was kind of fun. How weird is it that my sisters were the high point of the evening? That's not saying much of anything good about the party, let's put it that way.
MajorWhine: In front of EVERYONE, step-sister asked me if I would perform their wedding in May. In Kingston (Ontario) on a boat. (No, no goat involved, but you get the idea). I was stunned. I said, "We'll have to talk about that some more another time." Then everyone went back to their own conversations.
Awkwaaaard.
I pulled her aside and explained to her that 13 years ago I made vows at my ordination and I take them very seriously. I also know (because she's told me so many times) that she does not believe in God - at all. She won't even fess up to a generic agnostic "Higher Being" approach.
I told her that I am not a public servant. I am authorized to sign marriage documents via the church, but I cannot in good conscience do that if the couple involved has NO religious practice or belief at all.
She said we would talk about it some more before she went back, which I think means she's going to try and change my mind. Oy.
AW: When I got home I called my brother-in-law, whom I love dearly and is a Justice of the Peace. I asked him if I could toss his name out there as an alternative should the further discussion of said wedding get ugly. He said of course, because he's nice that way.
Now I'm going to bed because I feel like I've been beaten with sticks. Seriously - I'm supposed to put my ordination vows aside, leave God at the door, and conduct wedding number 4 because....wait, because...it'll come to me I'm sure. But not until a long hot bath and a good night sleep.
Sheesh. Family.
AW: I actually appreciate my immediate family a great deal tonight. When I called my BIL, my sister was very kind and supportive.
My apologies for the long whine. it's just been that kind of day/night/24 hours.
Oh for the love of fuzzy ducklings...
Your step-sister is in need of a very large cluestick to the back of the head. Preferably delivered by a gorilla in a zoot suit.
Yep. Bring on the posse. And possibly Dancer, Prancer and Blixen as back up.
days -- oh my.
sarah -- hope you warm up! and lose the germies!
sue -- i can see the posse has its work cut out. and this is the stepsister who would not return your calls when you were trying to get back to her clinic for treatment? humph.
today i'm going to rent a cleaner and steam-clean the heck out of the hallway carpet. it will be happy-making, right up until the next pook accident and/or the traditional wee-wee of joy contributed by MIL's evil little dog.
kathy a. - yep. Same step-sister. ~sigh~
Good luck with the clean-up and the wee-wee of joy. Most unfortunate, that..............
Oh Sue, Ugh! And horrible to think of getting to draw out saying No, No, NO! until she finally takes the hint.
Happy rug cleaning Kathy!
oy, yeah, good times here with the rug cleaning. but in AW's, daughter's taking shifts, and she scrubbed the most visible catbox. laundry and hauling to goodwill are proceeding apace.
I nominate Sue for Mullett for "I could have been talking to the meatballs in the slow cooker." Or maybe kathy a. for "wee-wee of joy."
Sigh. It's been a day. Sweet Baboo and I need a break from each other. We've been cooped up in the house together since Thursday. We went to physical therapy today, where I sent her in by herself. After that tragedy was overcome, she was sweet and charming and cooperative with the therapist. She was sweet and charming and cooperative with her daddy. And her sister. And the cashier at Hobby Lobby. With everyone, in fact, except me. Sigh. I made Daddy put her in bed tonight.
AW: Daddy's new computer came today, so I get his old one to replace the one that jumped off the kitchen table. Yay!
Yay for new computers and helpful grown-up daughters.
And many hugs for Esperanza. Remember it's because she feels safe and secure in her love for you and your love for her that Sweet is working on fraying that last fireplacing nerve.
Thanks for the updated link, Liz. I have no memory of that festival or awards, and I couldn't figure out why. Then I looked at the date and realized we had just brought home a wee tiny Sweet Baboo from the NICU on the 19th. Aha. Puts today's whiny grump-fest in perspective. And I know she's secure and all that, kept telling myself that all day. Harumph. But thanks for the reminder.
I am tired and way too busy at work. And tired and way too busy at home. But I think that I will be at least mostly ready for that holiday that comes on Saturday, despite it starting in our house on Friday.
I just remembered, seeing sarah at ratatat's name, that IRL we haven't seen each other in months and months. Sorry sarah... maybe in January?
hugs and happy holidays to all the pixies. Merry Christmas for those who celebrate, and happy quiet Saturday for those who don't.
JenR - I hear ya on the way too tired at work and home.
esperanza - what Liz said. Some days it's small comfort, but she's right about SB's safe and secure feelings. I still totally get what you mean by the "passing off of the bedroom routine" action. It happened on occasion in our house too.
JenR - January, when things are calm. :) calmer? I know our December has been busy and I assumed yours has been too.
Esperanza - isn't that just annoying on mother nature's part to make kids the roughest on those they love and feel the most secure with? Hang in there.
Hugs to all the pixies.
Weird about hte nosebleed thing. Neighbor Boy had a couple of them yesterday. The other part of that whine is that we were at my grandmother's funeral at the time, in Ohio, which is not where we live. To come back to where we live, we had to fly about a thousand miles at of our way due to airport hubs, or else pay $1K per ticket to be more direct. These last minute tickets for things like funerals stinketh.
Also, in further whineage, it was the second funeral we had flown to last minute in two weeks, because two weeks earlier my husband's grandmother died.
We have lost a whole generation in our family in two weeks. :(
The kids are wondering why everyone in their family is dying, which is not making my already anxious kiddos feel more secure.
(antiwhine:The grandmothers were 98 and 97, respectively, so at least that helps the conversation, and we were able to celebrate their lives).
Have to fly again soon for holiday visits on tickets we actually purchased months ago--imagine that.
Also, kids and I came back pseudo sick (sore throats etc) and I feel like I have been pummeled by something. (not an unfamiliar feeling after visiting certain family)
Gee, could I whine more? I don't think so. Sorry for all the belly-aching. And thanks for listening.
I think I have missed some of the whines, since I just got back into town, but wanted to send special hugs to Sue for the blood sugar event and the family visit. And hugs to anyone dealing with bodiuly fluids of any kind. Ugh.
antiwhine: Dedication of a new worship space for our temple just before flying out for the funeral. Beautiful, uplifting, exactly what I needed.
--Neighbor Lady
oh, neighbor lady. so sorry about the loss of the grandparents. and also the last-minute travel adventure.
Hugs and condolences to NL - I'm so sorry.
Happy for the dedication of the new worship space at your temple!!
Whine: Not surprisingly, Headache O Christmas Tide. I was up most of the night trying very hard not to go to ER. I managed to eventually fall asleep (thank you Gravol) but stayed home from the office this morning. Now I just have that "headache hangover" feeling. Bleh.
((( sue ))) glad you are better now, but bleah x 10.
during yesterday's errand spree, i ran across a PP storefront, and popped in to give a donation. because they do good work, and helped me in younger years. they didn't really know what to do with a donation -- had to call some development person -- but were so grateful and excited that i left feeling like santa herself. :)
Kathy A, I love you!!
Hugs to Sue. 'Tis not the season for headaches. Bah!
Since Tummy Bug showed itself again overnight, off to the pediatrician this morning, who diagnosed an...ear infection? Cold (which preceded T.B.), then probably a T.B., which melded into upset intestines from ear infection. That's the theory anyway. Prescription called in; waiting for it to be ready. Five days of runny pook was enough!
esperanza, 5 days of le pook is [a] one of those parenting things we all try to block later, and [b] award-worthy. holy cow. yay for new meds!
Double hugs to esperanza.
Hope the meds work pronto.
--Neighbor Lady
My sister has a lump.
She needs a lumpectomy and radiation. So far they think she won't need chemo.
Fireplacing cancer.
((( liz ))) fireplacing cancer, indeed.
Oh Liz - fireplacing cancer.
Oh Liz, so sorry. Fireplacing cancer, for sure. Hugs to your sister and you.
We moved to our fabulous new home.
We started unpacking boxes and quickly realized that a LOT of stuff was missing.
Like my kids beds and our ENTIRE kitchen. My pots and pans, some small appliances, all my baking pans, pie plates, cookie sheets, and so on.
So we have a wonderful big kitchen at long last and I cannot cook a thing in it.
MIL update! she's not coming tomorrow, because she has to dogsit for her friend. on the up side, i may get the kitchen surfaces clean by friday. the cabinets are all hers.
Oh Liz. That's terrible.
And Neighbor Lady, condolences on your family's losses. And traveling too. Ugh.
Sue - hope the headaches stay away for a while.
Yay KathyA!
Today is my birthday. We looked at houses.
But we still have a lot to do before our house will even be ready to sell, and then we're not sure how we'll work out the logistics of putting a house up for sale with the garage being used as a rabbitry. Trying to figure that out.
We may need to move out of the house before putting it up for sale, but that creates its own huge logistical problems.
((Liz's sister, and Liz and family))
((NL))
I think the nosebleeds happen more in winter because heating the air in the house dries it out. A teakettle of water simmering on the stovetop can help.
Kathy A, I get tons of compliments on my natural gray hair too. I think people don't really expect it on a relatively young person (I started graying at age 13 and was one of the late ones in the family, and am very gray now as I turn 34. I'm told it comes with the Scottish blood.) Plus in our culture going natural has become sadly pretty rare.
Oh, and the fuse for the new dishwasher (which worked for an entire one and one-half loads after purchase and installation) came in the mail today, and hubby fixed it. I'm about to run the second load.
The repairman warned us when he came out a week ago that it was possible it would blow a fuse right away again and in that case we would need a new "board" of some sort, which would also have to be special-ordered and then would need to be professionally installed whenever the repair tech had time to come out again.
We have been without a dishwasher quite long enough now, methinks, so cross your fingers for us, pixies.
Margalit, is the missing stuff still at the old house, or do you know where it is???
P_K, if the fuse blows again, make them replace the whole dishwasher. It's in warranty and it's better than having them come and work on it, come and work on it and then ultimately replace it anyway.
(((((liz)))))
--NL
Liz, I am so sorry. Fireplacing cancer, indeed. I hope that the docs have found the lump early enough that the plan of action you mentioned is all that she needs. My thoughts are with you and your sister.
I have been sick, off and on since mid-September. The other teacher in my class has also been sick, so we tend to think it is not just the little germ factory children (though that is a big part of it) but also our classroom itself. Our custodian that is assigned to our part of the school is AWFUL, and our room is never cleaned the way we'd like. The good news is that he's leaving, but the bad news is that our room will probably not get cleaned every day. The good part of THAT bad news is that the room will still probably wind up cleaner than it has been, even with a sub custodian. We think there's mold, and that's why we've been so sick, but we can't prove it.
I was so sick that JF made me go the doctor yesterday. I paid a $20 co-pay to have the doctor say, yup -- you're sick, all right. No new meds to take, just rest, stay hydrated, and if it gets worse, come back. So, now I am $20 lighter with the hacking cough of a lifetime smoker; just in time for Christmas. Hooray.
I pissed off my husband, so that's adding to the festive mood, though we have mostly talked through it. He's a world-class grudge holder, though so I'm sure it will come up again.
Merry fricking ho-ho-ho.
Oh KLee, that's the trifecta of holiday bah-humbugs: sick, unhelpful doctor, and grumpy hubby. Hope you can use your time away from school to recuperate.
Margalit -- NOOOOOOO! OMG, IT'S NOT FAIR!! *amy collapses from the weight of the irony* Like PK, I am hoping it is recoverable, but my goodness!
((Liz))
((KLee))
KLee, I must say that the tot's kinder teacher kept her classroom so clean, in spite of only having a custodian every other day, that the tot was hardly ever sick. This year? Well, let's just say that Tater has a double ear infection at the moment (2nd this school year) because he is 2 and doesn't have as robust an immune system as 6 year olds. I wish I had some wisdom about how to discover if it is mold in your classroom, but I would like to tell you something you already know (because I'm helpful like that): if you have been having bad headaches this school year, maybe there is some proof of mold right there?
I'm wicked tired today. Tater was up sick last night, then the Tot had a nightmare, then Tater woke early. Yay, for antibiotics! is about all I can say today. Oh, and Yay, medical coverage! It's a good thing.
Aw KLee, that's just awful. I hope the Christmas break will be of some help. You deserve a break from all forms of ick. Definitely.
AW: Massage today. The last of my weekly Advent massages. ~sigh~ Now I'm back to every three weeks, but even that sounds good. Today I told my BFF massage therapist (I still can't get her to move in with us! Go figure) to really grind those right sub-occipital points.
She did.
At least, I think that's what all those crunching sounds were about. Either way, I feel sooooooo much looser in the shoulder/neck department. I might just make it through this weekend after all.
Hugs, Sue. It's not quite the marathon of Holy Week, but it's pretty close.
AW: I put together the Baboos' Christmas present (sshh--don't tell, but it's a kitchen) all by myself. And I don't think I even cussed once.
W: Mini has already been awake twice, and it's only 10:30.
sue, that massage thing sounds good. my crunchy parts are telling me i was totally stupid to not get one already.
esperanza -- assembly of le gift w/o cussing? that's unheard of!
passing the toll house cookies. [yeah, i baked!] awards sometime tomorrow, and then there will be a special WW open house over the festive weekend.
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