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Sunday, January 19, 2014

Apparently, there is a super-important game on today...

Is it just me, or does football season get longer every year?  My husband kept his love of the game secret until I got pregnant, approximately 6 years into the romance, at which time he immediately found the football he had since  age 10 and inflated it.  What was that about?  Then the football thing went dormant for years, and he only started watching again when our daughter was in a college marching band.

In my opinion, the marching bands are the only redeeming feature of the game, and pro ball does not have them.  It is fine with me if you have a different opinion.  Just don't expect me to get all excited about first downs, or whatever.

In happier news, the dish fairy came this morning, and there will be dinner not prepared by me tonight.  ;)

 Tomorrow, daughter and I will go to the Rosie the Riveter WWII Museum, where the motto is:

What's cookin' with you?

62 comments:

Queen of West Procrastination said...

Your football season finishes in the dead of winter, and that is strange to me. Ours wraps up at the end of November, because that makes sense.

W: 4:45am. And then 5:45, and up for the day at 6:40 (and now she tootling around, all happy and energetic, while her parents are zombies). What the fireplace, toddlers?

esperanza said...

Oh, Lil E, give your parents a break.

Queen of West Procrastination said...

Well, at least she's been very pleasant this morning. I'm going to take a nap when she does.

AW: caffeine

kathy a. said...

Our brilliant dog was barking at something at 2 a.m. Also, 2 cats directly on top of me for part of the night. Didn't really get back to sleep, except for a few peculiar dreams.


Queen of West Procrastination said...

Passing the caffeine to kathy a. Oof.

kathy a. said...

The dreams were funny, though! I was back with my old office, but there were a lot more people from around the country, and it was all arranged in a warehouse (think, h0me dep0t or c0stc0) -- like, with a desk and maybe a couch along the aisle under the big shelves, and lots of boxes of work stuff on the shelves. And it was kind of cool, because you could run around the aisles and talk to people -- more private than a cube farm; but then again, anybody could bust on by, looking for someone else.

esperanza said...

Supper experiment: Southwestern Lentil Soup. I'll let you know how it goes.

AW: beautiful weather today
W: there goes any excuse for not raking the fireplacing leaves. We have a gorgeous red oak that doesn't drop its leaves till now. It's huge. Tons of leaves. I am maybe 1/4 of the way through. The Baboos helped. Mr E is at work.

esperanza said...

W: Lentils are singularly unattractive, aren't they?
AW: The soup tasted ok

kathy a. said...

I love lentil soup! Even if it looks boring.

KLee said...

Apparently, we all had collective insomnia last night. I never ended up going to bed at all, just stayed up all night and all day today. At least this drastic measure ensures a fairly good sleep tonight.

The one good thing about being awake a o'dark thirty, I discovered that we had missed the deadline to apply for financial aid at Offspring's Dream School. After much freaking the hell right out, I quickly emailed the financial aid office. I got an email promptly at 8:30 this morning, saying that if we filled out the online version TODAY, they would accept it. The lady could not have been nicer, and even got on the phone to talk me down off the ledge when I got hopelessly mired in the paperwork at one point.

Also, in looking over the revamped college website, I see that the GPA standards I thought Offspring had to reach for the "full ride plus" scholarship was not 3.8, as I thought, but only 3.2. Her last weighted total was 3.76, so she WAY more than qualifies. Oh, please, oh please, oh, please!

So,what could have been completely catastrophic (and totally my fault) was not, and even turned out better than I expected! If she can get this fellowship, I will spontaneously combust.

AND, the lady who called me mean contacted me via email, and I said all those things that I wanted to say, but in a polite, yet obviously disgusted with her, manner. It felt cathartic and liberating.

So, fears of self-immolation notwithstanding, it's been a fairly good day.

Queen of West Procrastination said...

Oh my goodness, KLee! That is a big day. I'm glad that it turned out better than expected, and that the administrator was so helpful. I hope you get a good sleep tonight.

Esperanza: raking leaves in January! My mind boggles.

W: I have days until this current chapter is due, and it's going so slowly. I'm again starting to doubt my ability to finish.

esperanza said...

QWP: As does mine, when faced with pictures of all that snow. My parents have LOTS of oak trees that don't drop their brown, ugly leaves till the new ones push them off in the spring. We have a couple of live oaks that stay green all year, but drop lots of leaves as the new ones come in the spring. The raking fun goes on and on.

KLee, how wonderful to be able to talk to a real, flexible person. Hope you sleep well tonight. And you are impressive, filling out those financial aid forms on no sleep.

kathy a. said...

Go, KLee! Dealing with financial aid stuff is truly ugly -- glad you got the forms in, and have talked to a live helpful human! And if things come up, keep calling -- they want to help.

Also glad you were able to speak to the "mean" person in a direct manner.

All the snow; all the leaves...

Miranda said...

I have so many whines...so many whines...more than stars in the sky and drops in the ocean. I'm going to try to big girl it through today.

W: I feel like I am being pulled into two church things that both have the potential to really suck up all my free time.

AW: It's doing good things with good people which is kind of in short supply in my life so it is not without rewards but both have a learning curve attached.

W: Anyone want to help me plan a youth retreat program/theme?

AW: Four Day Weekend makes me almost feel better.

W: Ends today and the day is full of logistical nightmares and passive-aggressive relatives.

W: My coffee tastes like used wash water.

W: It is cold outside.

W: I would like some alone time.

AW: I am making a crocheted cowl for Teen Daughter which is very relaxing.

esperanza said...

Miranda, if you were serious about that, I can come up with some theme ideas for a youth retreat.

Sue said...

Hugs Miranda. Just lots and lots of hugs. And good coffee.

KLee, I'm so glad you got the financial aid forms sorted - and with a REAL person. A nice one!! Bonus!

I'm glad you were able to say what you needed to say to the mom who called you mean.

Sorry to hear about all the sleep deprivation among the pixies so far this week. Sleeping pixie dust for everyone tonight!

Rosie the riveter!! That sounds so great!

W: I am overwhelmed with monumental year end STUFF, special worship planning, funeral planning, and more STUFF. Gah!!!

AW: Deep breath. I made a Today list and have checked off one item.

W: I wish I had some youth program expertise to share Miranda, but alas, not my part ship. I have less than zero skills in that area. :(

kathy a. said...

Miranda, sounds like a good weekend! Can you just pick one of the big church obligations?

Sue, tres organized! I sometimes cheat and add things I've already done to the list, so I can check them off. Tend to forget all the little things, but they add up. ;)

Two weeks until this Big Fat Thing. One week until the practice/brainstorming with colleagues. Time to buckle down. Naturally, my fickle mind floats to all kinds of things besides the Big Fat Thing, but I'm dreaming about it already.

A. Noonie Mice said...

A friend who lost her son many years ago is sending almost-daily email updates, probably to the same circle of friends she relied on when her son was dying. Her dad, in his late 80's, is having respiratory failure and has been in the ICU for 3 weeks -- mostly on life support, mostly not very conscious, other organ systems are breaking down, his heart stopped but was resuscitated.

I'm having a hard time with this. My dad had very similar symptoms, but was accidentally intubated despite his DNR order; he begged them to take the tube out, knowing what that would mean.

I'm having trouble because I personally think this strong and ongoing intervention is causing suffering -- but it is not in any way my place to express an opinion about that. I just send email hugs and love.

She keeps praying for a miracle, and treating any small improvement as proof of one -- until the next setback. I hope they all find peace soon.

Sue said...

Great idea kathy! Adding items already completed - brilliant!

(((ANM))) End of life decisions can be so challenging. I hope they find peace. Some families feel somehow honour-bound to do what your friend's family is doing. They see the DNR as "giving up." I don't agree, it is usually far more merciful than aggressive intervention, but as you said, sometimes all you can do is offer hugs and support and hope the end comes peacefully.

esperanza said...

ANM, you're doing the right thing, though I agree with a DNR in cases like these. Apropos of that, there was a recent study asking medical drs what they wanted done *for themselves* at the end of life. The answer: nothing but pain relief.

W: bra shopping, shoe shopping, and swimsuit shopping are my top 3 least favorite kinds. Did bra and shoe shopping today.

AW: successful, and for less $$ than I had expected to spend. I had apparently been shopping the wrong brand for my weird bra size. Once I got to the right store: presto, a good selection at a decent price!

Queen of West Procrastination said...

(((ANM)))

esperanza: that is a miraculous AW! Good bra at a good price is always the holy grail for me.

W: A friend of mine expressed a negative opinion about E's nap schedule (I'll...talk with her about that. Well-meaning friend with small children who sometimes can't stay out of things.) And then I decided to check with what expert-ish people say. On the one hand, they disagree with my friend, but on the other hand, they also say that what I'm doing is wrong, and that our Big-Morning-Nap/Small-Afternoon-Nap schedule is the reverse of what we should be doing, and that it's why E is waking up so early and then is tired in the morning.

Ugh. So, of course now I'm doubting myself and believing that everything I do is wrong (WHICH IS WHY I STAY AWAY FROM PARENTING EXPERTS). I'm trying to do whatever works, and to trust my own parenting instincts, but E woke up this morning at 5:45am, and I'm just dying from the tiredness at this point.

kathy a. said...

Yay for a good bra!

Boo on parenting buttinskys. You are NOT doing anything wrong! (Those little people, though; they keep changing things on us....)

W: I bought lipstick in the hope of looking grownup. Then I remembered why I don't wear it.

Liz Miller said...

Esperanza: Yay for a good bra! I hate shopping for them, too.

QWP: Whatever works is what works. If your nap thing is working for you, keep at it. If it's not, try something else, but remember that even if the other thing works for a day or a week or a month, it could stop working too. Do what works FOR YOU AND YOUR KID and only use the "experts" for ideas when you need input.

(((ANM)))

Miranda: Take care of yourself and your needs. If the church thing(s) will be fulfilling, go for it. Otherwise, politely decline.

esperanza said...

kathy a, I am so glad to hear of a kindred non-lipstick spirit.

QWP: all babies are different. And, whatever works.

Liz said...

My candidate won!!! And was on Maddow!!!

Miranda said...

Esperanza - I will hit you up on the book of faces later.

ANM - I have had to make some hard choices before. Hugs to you and your friend going through this.

A childhood bud of mine is dying of brain cancer. It is also bankrupting her family. Her husband put a video together where she talks about dying and her two young sons talk about how their mom is dying and OMG, it is gut wrenching. Connecting with her and some of the other old friends is making me realize that maybe I didn't have friends when I was young because I was a judgmental jerk to other kids. At one point, I wrote her off as being "popular" and I think that wasn't kind at all in retrospect.

Liz - HUZZAH!!!!

QWP - I have raised 4 kids. Every kid is different and requires different care. No one knows your daughter better than you and and her daddy.

kathy a. said...

Yay for your candidate, Liz!

((( Miranda ))) I am so sorry about your friend dying of this awful cancer. Much love to her and her family.

You know, most of us behaved badly when we were young and stupid -- maybe not in ways that drew attention, but in ways we regret later. The connection now counts more than that. xoxo

Sue said...

I watched the Maddow clip Liz. Yay!!!

Sue said...

W: I had a crappy afternoon (long story) and just realized my mom died 22 years ago today. Even after all these years I finish a good book and automatically want to call her and recommend it. We lost her too soon.

AW: she taught my sisters and I to love books, think critically, and laugh a lot. So the years we had were good ones.

kathy a. said...

((( Sue ))) Yes, things were good. She's still in the book club. xoxo

Andy said...

Good evening, fellow whiners. Whines, I have a few.

1. I have pulled something or pinched a nerve or something or other in my upper back, just to the left of my right shoulder blade while I was lifting weights today. (Why, yes, I do work out. Thank you for noticing. ::flexes::) This wouldn't be so bad, but Kelli has a severely pinched nerve in her lower back that prevents her from moving, meaning I am now completely masking my injury to prevent her from attempting to do anything that will make her aggravate her injury.

2. Speaking of the spousal unit, she has recently discovered that the entire run of Dawson's Creek is on Netflix. I kid you all not, Dawson's Creek is playing in our house at least 13 hours of every day. I have the theme song memorized at this point, and not just the Paula Cole one from the first few seasons, but the unpopular one from the later seasons as well. I have knowledge that there were two distinct theme songs for Dawson's Creek. I simply do not need this much James Van Der Beek in my life.

3. Every week on Tuesdays at 12:30, I run a staff meeting at work. I have now been late TO MY OWN MEETING two weeks running because my wife has not been ready on time when I came home on my lunch break to take her to school. Last week, I simply didn't realize I was dropping her off, since every other day she drops me off at work and keeps the car, so this week I told her I would be home at 11:30 to pick her up. She wasn't ready. And continued to be not ready until 12:15, at which point she started putting make up on and I reminded her that I had to be back at work for my meeting, at which point she said she didn't know I had the meeting (that I've been running weekly for four years now). Now, even if she didn't realize this (which she should've), I want to know exactly how the math works in her head where I can take my hour long lunch break at 11:30 and be fine with getting back to work around 1. I was a bit miffed, and if I would've taken time to fight about it, she would've been stressed and bad at school, plus it would've taken her even longer to get ready.

4. Then after I completely missed my own meeting, it turned out my colleague didn't run the meeting either, because apparently there was a school shooting at Purdue over lunch in the building her daughter was in at the time. So my comical rant about the minor inconveniences of married life didn't get aired due to legitimate tragedy. On the plus side, her daughter was fine.

5. And tonight she had me run all the way across town because she wanted White Castle for dinner. White Castle is slow, all the way across town, and for all that wait and effort, all you have to show for your time is White Castle, which she ate while watching more Dawson's Creek.

6. Also, I haven't been sleeping well, which might be why I am so quick to be snippy with my wife. Pray for her.

Ok, now I'm going to read your whines, and comment as they come to me. Happy Wednesday!

Andy said...

Kathy, I confess to liking football, but only until basketball season starts. Basketball is the sport every other sport wishes it could be. The fact that I am 6'4" and from Indiana might influence this opinion. At any rate, I wouldn't worry too much about football; it'll be outlawed in 15 years or so.

Andy said...

I see everyone is sleep deprived this week somehow.

I love lentils. And southwest food. Southwest lentil soup sounds amazing. Much better than White Castle.

KLee, three cheers for successfully navigating financial aid. One year, Wabash's financial aid department lost all of my info and claimed my mom never filled out the FAFSA. Ball State and Evansville both had proof to the contrary, luckily.

Miranda: I feel your pain about getting sucked into church things. I agreed last year to help teach a class of extremely hyperactive 4-6 graders, but lately I have been so burnt out I haven't been able to do anything with them. Plus, it seems the majority of my congregation does not see eye to eye with me on pretty much anything, so that's an extra kick in the crotch at times.

As for parenting and bra issues, I confess to being ignorant but sympathetic. I can gripe about shopping for pants though. For some reason, the clothing industry is in denial that men can be both tall and thin. My size exists only in hidden corners of gigantic factory outlet stores. And finding a fit that I like is a shot in the dark. I wear pants until they disintegrate, which can be a little embarrassing if it happens in public.

esperanza said...

I will sympathize with any and all shopping whines, Andy. And I'm sorry about all the others too. Hopefully sleep helps. (also: pain = snippy)

Southwest Lentil Soup, in order of appearance: olive oil, carrots, celery, onion, bell pepper, jalapeno pepper, garlic, salt, pepper, cumin, lentils, can of diced tomatoes, water, frozen corn, lime juice.

Queen of West Procrastination said...

So, the people who choose the proportions for stylish infant girls' pants and the people who do the same for men's pants need to switch jobs. All the tall and thin pants are being made to cinch the waists and hang off the feet of baby girls.

I'm sorry that you've had these aggravations with your wife lately, Andy. I hope you can get some more sleep, and can find a space where you two can communicate what you need. It's really frustrating that she's been making you late for your own meetings.

(I'm not sure if this would help you guys, but Mr. Q and I now have our schedules on Google calendar, and then have our calendars shared with each other and viewable on big widgets on our phones. My counsellor we try that, since my school schedule and his work schedule kept colliding, and I'm just so disorganized, and it's made a difference for us. But, YMMV, and that's all smart phone dependent.)

Sue said...

Sympathy shopping whines here too Andy, though for me it's about finding the petite sizes. Do you folks have L*vi (jeans) stores? My sister used to take her tall slim son to their store in our nation's capital. They measured him and in less than a week - voila! - pants that fit. They also had twill pants.

Is it terrible that I'm envious of all the snow days everyone else has had this year? Seriously, around here the bar is set ridiculously high for conditions that warrant closures. Tonight we have -30c temps, 60km/hr wind gusts and snow. Will everyone be at work tomorrow? Of course. Bleh.

Queen of West Procrastination said...

Esperanza, I like the sound of that soup. I did one today that was similar, but without the tomatoes and corn, and with spinach and curry.

(((Sue)))

AW(?): Possible weaning progress! E took a bottle at bedtime, instead of demanding I nurse her. And she's into a routine of getting a bottle with her naps, and likes it a lot. We might be down to one feeding a day. We're so close! Now, we'll see how she sleeps tonight.

esperanza said...

QWP, I would have added spinach, but I didn't have any. Also cilantro (mine was wilted beyond hope). It was kind of a clean-out-the-fridge soup.

ooh, bedtime bottle is a good sign. Mini NEVER EVER had a bottle. Sweet NEVER EVER had anything but a bottle (full of pumped breast milk, sigh). I advise going slowly on the weaning to avoid the ouchies.

Andy said...

Hmm, apparently Katie Holmes' roommate broke up with her boyfriend, got really drunk, and trashed Katie Holmes' love interest's bar while singing with her band. Now they are very eloquently yelling at each other, because everyone on Dawson's Creek speaks like they've spent the past few weeks cramming for the SAT. What will happen next? I'm sure I will find out soon enough.

Miranda said...

I declined to volunteer to help with the church lunch on Sunday. Huzzah for me!!!

Miranda said...

Andy, I know you said you don't like the Beek, but he is so hilarious in "Don't Trust the B in Apt 23" The episode where they all go the Hamptons is some of the best 21 minutes in situational comedy. It is also on Netflix.

If you like dark, twisted, misanthropic humor that is.

(Never watched a single episode of the Creek.)

esperanza said...

Hooray, Miranda!

Andy said...

I've heard good things about "Don't Trust the B" so I may check it out. And he wasn't terrible in Varsity Blues either, if not exactly Oscar-worthy. That's really the extent of my James Van Der Beek experience.

kathy a. said...

Oh, Andy. xoxo And yeah, another fireplacing school shooting. Bleah.

"Ignorant but sympathetic" is an excellent phrase!

Yummy soup, Esperanza.

Miranda, go you!

KLee said...

Apparently, the FAFSA Gods were NOT smiling on me after all, and, OF COURSE, it is my own bloody fault. I was in such a lather to get it done that I input Offspring's SSN# incorrectly, so the whole thing has to be redone. Add to that the further indignity of not having been approved for pin numbers for both myself and Offspring -- well, let's be generous and say I celebrated way too early.

On the plus side of that excrement sandwich, the Financial Aid Officer that I've been dealing with has been so nice and accommodating that I wrote an email to the head of HR at Dream College to let them know that I feel she has gone above and beyond.

The more I experience of this school, the more I like it. I had never heard of it before it was recommended to Offspring by her favorite teacher (he's an alum), but I am so glad that he did.

I just pray now that this doesn't screw up Offspring's chances at getting the full complement of scholarships, grants, and aid that she could be awarded. I will feel like an even bigg jerk if that turns out to be the case.

Andy -- I am feeling you re: the want to occasionally quietly strangle the spousal unit. Don't get me wrong... I love my husband, but he's a depressive and right now, he's unmedicated, so that makes it worse. You can just pep talk the darkness of out of him. I am trying so hard to be supportive, but I suddenly feel such empathy for the plight of Sisyphus. And, we have no money for him to see the doctor or get him back on his meds.

QWP -- good luck on the weaning front. My milk ran out when Offspring was 6 months old, so I have zero in the practical advice department.

Sue -- that's just way too cold. When your home is colder than Mars, yeah, I'd vote for canceling school and work. And, also hugs to you on your Mother's birthday. As long as she lives on in you, she's never really gone.

I am going to hit the sack -- tomorrow is a long day of kid wrangling, to be followed by my troop meeting (which equals more kid wrangling) and then dash home for 10 minutes before rehearsals for the show I'm in (and directing.). Then, fall into bed sometime about midnight. I have to fit homework for my online class in th somewhere, but it may have to wait until Friday. *sigh* I overextended myself yet again.

KLee

kathy a. said...

KLee -- you should know that FAFSA forms are the worst of all possible forms. It always took me a few tries (yeah, subsequent years, too). Gah! But it is GREAT that you have this contact with the financial aid people! In the end, that matters.

Hugs to everybody with spousal units going through something dark. And everyone feeling bluish themselves. xoxo

The days are getting longer! That always helps.

With an unbloggable work abatross thing, I asked for something that I was 100% sure would get a NO answer, as always happens with this request; and they said yes. I'm midway between YAY and "uh oh, now what do I do?" But that's a good whine, I think.

Sue said...

Yay Miranda!!!

My condolences Andy for the Dawson's Creek marathon. I'm pretty sure that's an official method of torture. If not, it should be. I would give up state secrets after the first commercial break.

QWP - good luck with the weaning!

KLee - sorry about the glitch. I hope your good rapport with the financial aid officer will lean in your favour. I'm SO glad you let HR know how great that staff person was. Too often the good work gets missed and the "bad" stuff gets reported. Yay you!!!

Aaaaaand, I'm back to wearing my Big Black Bear coat in my office again. Sigh.

Queen of West Procrastination said...

You know, when DC showed up on Netflix, I thought "Maybe it would be fun to watch it now!" Andy had convinced me otherwise.

W: Why does my kid think it's fun to get stuck in small spaces? I've had to rescue her from the most ridiculous places lately (today, she got stuck behind the deep freeze twice). When it's too cold to play outside, she invents her own fun, which is giving me grey hairs.

esperanza said...

W: I was awakened 5 (?) times last night by Mini, for such egregious emergencies as: my socks are twisted and my covers are messed up.

AW: I gently reminded her this morning that maybe these were not excellent reasons for waking me up. She replied, "I went to the potty wifout telling you."

W: I'm still tired anyway

kathy a. said...

Sue, that cold sounds unbearable.

Lil E is curious and trying out her mobility. Doing things that make the parents have heart attacks is one of the developmental milestones that those cheerful parenting books don't mention. I personally [according to what I heard] climbed a baby gate and tumbled down the stairs. My son discovered the joys of throwing things in the toilet at about E's age; before age 2, he was climbing out of the crib. Daughter climbed before she could even toddle.

Esperanza, that's a pretty good AW! Sorry about the many awakenings.

W: the idiot dog is in mourning because Daddy went to work, and she is crying outside my window, trying to make me believe it is Middle Earth Canada out there. 60F does not qualify for "freezing to death."

Andy said...

I'm not convinced that Dawson's Creek is a terrible show, really, just not my cup of tea. Most of the actors and actresses are pretty talented, really, and for a while the fact that they all speak like MENSA attendees despite being 15 is amusing. But boy do they talk. A lot.

I feel you on the spousal unit off the meds situation, KLee. I have a crappy Health Savings Account that I donate $200 a month to in order to make sure we are kept in supply. For me, the pep talks get harder and harder to deliver the more I have to do it, and while my vocabulary and speech can be inspiring, my acting has never been strong enough to land me my own role on Dawson's Creek.

kathy a. said...

Keep whining. Awards tomorrow.

Miranda said...

Andy and KLee, I have been there trying to support a spousal unit with mental health challenges. I have family members with severe depression. Some treat it aggressively and others deny there is any problem. It is a huge struggle and I have had to distance myself from those who can't/won't seek treatment to preserve my own often fragile mental health. (Sidebar: had another one of those conversations with untreated family member where all problems in family member's life are due to me and this must be true because other untreated family member agrees!) I have learned that the afflicted family member has to want to be get better and that there is very little I can do or say to get an adult/older teen to change.

Lots of hugs and chocolate to you both. Possibly tequila too. xoxoxo

kathy a. said...

Much love to Andy, KLee, Miranda, and anyone else in the boat with struggling family members. My cousin is also in that boat; her adult son is off his meds, not doing a whole lot better than he was when he was involuntarily hospitalized 3 times recently. But he is going to spiritually save Las Vegas! It's very hard. xoxox

They changed the meds for my SIL, which is making her a bit more functional, but we're worried about her slipping back into the manic behavior of some months ago. (She has a severe early onset dementia involving the frontal lobe; there's a lot of acting out.) She's very obsessive about wanting to get an apartment so she doesn't have to live in the memory care unit -- numerous calls this week wanting to know "what time" someone was coming to get her, etc. That's not happening.

I have nothing but the greatest respect for my SIL's caretakers, who are doing a great job at caring for her, redirecting her attention, etc.

kathy a. said...

Sillier topic: So, the college reunion planning thing is underway. 5 years ago, we had so much fun; only down side was a rogue reunion class holding a loud party in the dorm lobby until 2 a.m. (resulting in me asking them nicely in my nightgown and sweater -- 3 times! -- to hold it down). There was talk of a posse if this happens again.

The rogue class confessed, and they will be placed in a different dorm from us this time. The power of whining, people. ;)

Queen of West Procrastination said...

A prefect storm: yesterday, my mom took care of E for the afternoon, but didn't try to put her down for a nap until almost two hours after naptime. E slept in the car home (right before supper), and was an exhausted mess through supper. And then woke up, crazed and overtired at 5am. At some point, I muttered to Mr. Q " She still has to sleep!" and apparently, he thought I said that I still have to sleep, and so he got up to deal with her, but decided she was awake, flipped in her light and got playing with her. I woke up to the two of them shouting, still well before 6am. I sent Mr. Q to get ready for work, and I put E back to bed.

So, then she overslept, and now still hasn't napped today, but is clearly tired (in a wound-up, silly way), is looking for trouble, and is banging pots right now, while my head hurts.

I guess I should have forced her out of bed at 7:30, to keep her routine from getting further borked? I appreciate that others help with E, but why won't she sleep for anyone else?

Sue said...

QWP - Ah, the Car Nap. It is powerful, yes? Perhaps E can catch up on some ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ over the weekend (and therefore you and Mr E also)? I wish I had words of wisdom to share but alas, I seem to have blocked the horrendous sleep patterns of our youngest child from my memory. So, sympathy.

kathy a - yay for the power of whining!!! Aside from the Loud People it sounds like a fun reunion.

For all the folks supporting family members with mental health issues - you deserve a medal. I've only been the person on the other side of that dynamic. I know it was difficult for hubby at times, but mostly because he hated to see me so low. I've always been a good patient, compliant with meds and instructions from the doc. Still, it was tough. Life is so much better now. It took awhile to find the right cocktail of meds, but once we got there - awesome.

kathy a. said...

((( Sue )))

QWP,no wisdom here either, except that this too will pass. If the beloved Mama is not available, the beloved others might not be able to get her down just yet, but quiet time close to the usual naps/sleeping is a reasonable substitute.

KLee said...

Thanks to all about the good wishes in re: dealing with the unmedicated spouse. It's really not as stark as it seemed in the comments. He's not manic, and he's not in danger of hurting himself, or anything. He's just a depressive, and has "intrusive thinking" so he's not able to switch off the worrying and obsessing. I try to talk him down, but some days, it's just not enough.

When he's having a really bad cycle, though, it becomes almost impossible to jolly him out of a mood. More than anything, though, I just wish I could help him a little more.

On top of that, the hits just keep coming... I, like a dumbass, got hooked in a phishing scam yesterday. On the phone with an "agent" who wanted to offer me a lower APR on my Chase credit, when I suddenly got a "this is not right" feeling, and called him on it. He hung up on me, but I'd already given him everything but a blood sample. I called Chase right away to cancel the card. Now, I just have to pray that he just wanted the card info, and not my identity. Not that he'll get anything if he tries to take my identity!

The one bright spot is that I got an email from the Financial Aid Officer which said Offspring will not be adversely affected by the late application. So, there's that.

My best friend's dog (who was more like her child) died unexpectedly yesterday. She's beyond devastated.

My mother called this afternoon to say that she's sick, but at least it's only stomach ulcers, and not cancer.

Got yelled at by a parent this afternoon because her child wet her pants. I told the child to go to the restroom, and she chose to goof off. What am I supposed to do -- hold the kid over the toilet and squeeze hard?

So glad this week is over. Praying next week is better.

KLee

kathy a. said...

((( KLee )))

The posse definitely wants to whack the credit scammer over the head with the mother of the kid who forgot to pee. Seriously, blaming the teacher for a pee accident?

Queen of West Procrastination said...

(((KLee)))

Sue said...

(((KLee)))