We were suddenly piled under with snow in the night! I hear that Sue's town is snowy today as well. Even the snow-loving Li'l E responded to the news of snow with "WHY?!" It's so surreal, because I was going without a jacket this past week, and was getting things ready to put into the garden. But this is Canada, and I have experienced snow in every month of the year at least once (except for July). But I'm still dreading driving in this mess this morning.
So, I guess if esperanza's air conditioning still isn't working, we could send some of this weather south!
How are you all doing? It's going to be a busy one for us, and I might not be around much on the weekend (my parents' 40th anniversary, plus celebrations of both siblings' birthdays).
89 comments:
MORE snow??? Yeek.
On the other hand, it looks like we'll get more rain today, too, after an extremely soggy season...
W: coffee maker died before delivering the goods this morning. It's not fair.
AW: Indian food last night; enough left for lunch. Yum.
Oh no! Is the coffee maker repairable, or is it dead-dead?
AW: we managed to coordinate the family to agree on a location for the anniversary/two birthdays dinner, and snag a reservation at the right time! We settled on brunch at a fancy place on the lake. (Suppertime was right out, because my mom's choir is in practices and concerts every evening this week, and it's a big deal concert for our country's sesquicentennial.) Now, the present that my siblings and I had made for the anniversary needs to be done by the 29th. (C0$tc0 said it'll be ready between the 28th and May 3rd, and so it'll be close.)
SNOW? WTF, Mother Nature? It's nearly MAY.
AW: Had a great lunch with a friend, ate food no-one else in my family likes.
W: We are having a serious case of the buttheads in my house. Hopefully this too shall pass.
Yikes! Plauges of snow and malfunctioning coffee makers and buttheads. This week is off to a whining start!
AW: I've had a fantastically lazy day "off." I really stink at making it a true day off, but I've done things at my own pace, for sure.
W: sneezing, sneezing, sneezing. Something new in the pollen count today.
plagues. I mean plagues. I really can spell.
QWP -- great scheduling! If the thing is not ready in time, there is always the option of a big fat card featuring the "didn't quite make it in time" item. Soon to arrive!
This is entitlement: I have no idea if the coffee maker can be fixed or who might fix it, and just got a new one. And used up a gift card, and also used one of those bagillion "save $5" coupons.
Yay, Esperanza, for a "lazy day;" and Yay, Liz, for escaping buttheads and eating food they don't like with someone who is not in the butthead category.
AW: Oh, lot of errands done this morning! And I will get the last installment on the wedding site paid today, too. OMG, we're having a wedding! :)
Yep, we work up to snow this morning. It's melted over the course of the day, but still... July is the only month here with no recorded snowfall - same as QWP. Yay July! (Is that the ultimate Canadian "glass-half-full" or what??)
Hooray for productive days, new coffee makers, and upcoming celebrations!
Sorry about the Butthead(s)-in-residence Liz. :( I'm glad you enjoyed lunch with your friend!
AW: countdown to sabbatical is 6 days. And a week from now I'll be packing for my trip!!
W: the list of things to do at work and at home in the next 6 days is long, but manageable.
Sue, where are you going, again?
Scotland! (right?)
W? AW? Mini has fallen asleep at 6:30. She usually is awake until 9:00 at least, which I know is not enough sleep. Is she sick? Just needing a catch up night? Is she going to sleep through till morning?
Definite W: she's in our bed, my side.
Update: she woke briefly around 7:30, went to the bathroom and returned to bed and to sleep. She seemed fine.
Then she got up around 9:00, stumbled into the kitchen, threw away a plastic grocery sack (? I have no idea ??), went to her own room and fell asleep again. I really think she may have been sleepwalking, which is a new phenomenon for her. (She's quite the sleep talker, and has been since she learned to speak).
Can you tell I'm the only adult here this week?
May the Mom Force be with you. But knocking wood that she's all done expressing herself for tonight, and will get caught up on the sleep everybody needs her to have. xoxo
I'm glad she's no longer sleeping on your side of the bed, esperanza!
W: my throat is very sore.
Hi, Pixies! (For some reason, my computer always to auto-correct "pixies" to "piskies." WTF? Is that even a real word?)
Long time, no see. I've been working almost incessantly since getting the new job (work or rehearsal) and there hasn't been time to breathe, much less write.
I have missed you all, and I know I've missed lots here on the WW, but you always remain strong in my heart. I am desperately sad that a fellow whiner was here in my lovely HumidityLikeABrickWall and we didn't connect. There's always next trip!
I am doing fairly well, except the afrementioned work load, but we have 4 actors coming out of training in 2 weeks, so that should lighten the load on the rest of us.
Offspring is 21, and is rounding out her Junior year of college. She is up for a very prestigious name scholarship (you'll have hear of this guy, I feel sure) and they were supposed to let her know today. She didn't hear, and we're hoping that that is not Bad News. This would most likely get her through college with no more out-of-pocket from Mom and Dad, and would be a very large feather in cap to boot. Wanting very hard for her to get it.
I have an important meeting tomorrow, and I'm sort of stressing about it. It's nothing I can't handle, but tomorrow is NOT a good day for me. It's the 26 year anniversary of my rape, and I deliberately scheduled this meeting so I don't have time to dwell or think too hard about things tomorrow. It also means that I'll be surrounded with friends, and less likely to develop into a puddle of tears randomly.
Enough about me: SNOW?!? Holy fudgesicles, Batman! It was 89 degrees here yesterday! Pass some of that cold weather my way!
W/AW about sleepwalking children who place themselves in your bed, but then remove themselves. At least there was migration back to her own bed, I guess?
Boo to plagues and icks of any sort. It's been going around my office, and I've been laid low a couple of times. Not fun, and sending hot toddies and LOTS of anti-crud meds to boot.
Yay to a new coffeemaker, though boo to the old one for biting the dust. I am not a coffee person, but if my sweet tea were to disappear, there'd be a world of hurt coming for SOMEONE.
High hopes that QWP's present arrives in time, and is exactly what they always wanted!
Boo to all buttheads, great and small. May they come to their senses before we have to break out the clue-by-fours.
Love to all, health, wealth, and blessings!
KLee
KLee!!!!!! Yay!!!! I was literally *just* thinking about you the other day, and even checked your old blog to see if you had updated! Missed you!
So good to hear from you, and hugs and blessings to you!
:) Neighbor Lady
Thank you for the update, KLee!!! Sending hugs and strength for you for tomorrow and fingers crossed for Offsprings's scholarship.
AW: the buttheadiness in the house is back down to zero. They worked together nicely on HW yesterday, continuing this morning. No yelling. One episode of tears by the younger, but not caused by the older, and with much comforting by the older of the younger. Trigonometry, y'all.
Yes, Scotland! Glasgow, Oban, then Iona, back to Glasgow, then home. All in 10 days!
Sorry to hear about the sleepwalking, esperanza. I hope your sore throat is better today, QWP.
KLee!! So good to hear from you. I'll be thinking of you today and sending lots of hugs. xoxo
Liz, I'm so glad the buttheads have left the building (figuratively speaking). Tears over trigonometry is right in my wheelhouse. I despised math in highschool. It was too "certain" or something - there's a right answer, and a wrong answer, with no room for creativity. My brain likes to have plenty of room to play and math just doesn't provide it. I wish I had known this in highschool, because I just assumed I was not smart. Truth is, I'm very smart, but I learn and function in a very different way from the math keeners.
Oh, Scotland!
KLee, good to see you. Fingers crossed about the scholarship.
Yay, Liz.
Hi, NL!
Dress saga update -- they didn't come; the tracking said they were delivered on the 11th; it took days for any response at all to my complaints -- and now they say they are refunding my money because my address was "undeliverable." Which, you know, it isn't. And how come they said it had been delivered in the first place? Gah. So, now I have to shop some more....
Oh no, Kathy! Undeliverable address? That's a very weird excuse.
KLee! Hi!! I hope offspring gets good news about the scholarship. And so many hugs. I hope you have a peaceful day tomorrow.
Sue, your trip sounds like it's going to be amazing!
The household crud is at a moderate level here. My throat isn't as bad as it was last night, but it's still sore. E cried a lot this morning, and was stubborn about a bunch of original things, which I really couldn't handle with how sick I'm feeling. At least we've calmed things down, and I've given her screen time and snacks so that I can have a break.
This is why screen time exists, IMO. May things settle on down.
I don't normally do this, but LOFT worked hard to earn my vote for Terrible Customer Service. Plus, they still have not removed me from daily enthusiastic emails encouraging me to buy more. This is totally the place you want to shop, though, if you don't mind waiting 3 weeks to never receive the order, and have fun with a phone tree that's even worse than the phone company phone tree.
AW: They just put new turf on the garden area of the wedding site! Yay!
Ugh. Sorry to hear about the dress shopping, kathy. :(
W: Slight wrinkle. That twinge of ache in my hip last night has blossomed into full-on sciatica. OUCH!! Experience tells me there's not much to do about it but time and a heating pad. I hope it's at least a bit better by next week.
Oh no, Sue! Is there something you can use on the trip? If heat is what works, maybe something the stewards could heat in the microwave on the plane, and you could heat or get heated after landing? This is my old faithful: https://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/store/product/bed-buddy-reg-hot-cold-pack-thermatherapy-trade/1010573050?skuId=10573050&mcid=PS_googlepla_nonbrand_beautywellness_&product_id=10573050&adpos=1o1&creative=43742629909&device=c&matchtype=&network=g&gclid=CMLG2vrLwNMCFQQHaQod2pMP0Q
I got some salon pas patches, but only tried it once so far -- mostly because I forget. But it gave some relief to my lower back pain; didn't irritate my skin; did leave some scent behind, though.
xoxo
Hi KLee! Hi NL! I'm glad the buttheads have departed. Sorry that the dresses never materialized. And i hope the sickness departs from QWP's house once and for all!
W: I went to visit someone in the hospital today. I parked in the wrong place and thus had to walk the length of the hospital, plus parking lot, to get where I needed to go. I was wearing shoes that I keep hoping will be comfortable. But they are not. And now I have blisters. Adios, shoes. I am too old and wise to wear uncomfortable shoes.
There should be a sisterhood of good shoes only, all the others can go.
Oh no, Sue! I've had sciatica, and I'm so sorry that you're dealing with that pain. Is it possible to see a chiropractor or maybe massage therapist, to deal with the pinched nerve, before your trip? Muscle relaxants on your flight?
That undeliverable dress sounds like someone at the post office wanted a "free" dress. I hate it when stuff like that happens.
Yay to butthead-levels returning to zero. I understand how it can happen with a teen in the house, and any sort of math usually reduces me to tears.
Hurty shoes can just get right the hell out, and what's up with sciatica? That's not good! You leave me friend alone! (I feel you on the hurting joints, though -- mine were killing me last night, and it took FOREVER to fall asleep, and in a position that didn't hurt.)
Offspring did not get the scholarship, much to our dismay. It would have been far kinder if she'd been out of the running earlier, because we ALL got our hopes up, and it would have done such good things for her self-esteem, but of course, she's now feeling low, and that's just painful for a Mama to watch. (This now gives me leave to passionately hate Andrew Ll0yd Webber personally. It was his scholarship.)
The meeting did not go so swimmingly, either. My main cheerleader on that particular board was hurt in a car accident this morning (not badly, but enough to pretty much total her car and to have docs prescribe her meds for soreness) so I kind of felt like the meeting was hi-jacked away from me. I probably shouldn't feel this way, but because it happened on a day when I feel fragile and lost anyway, I'm suddenly rethinking pretty much every thing I've ever done in my entire life, and feeling like I'm coming up short. Most likely, I'm being ridiculous and WAY too hard on myself, but this is what I do. I over-analyze, and find fault with myself where no one else does. I just feel a little attacked, and maybe I am reading that totally wrong (probably) but that's the way I feel.
Today is just a day when I should lock the doors and stay inside. On all future April 25ths, advise me to hide in my room, and if I try to venture out, cluestick some sense into me.
Aaannnnd, there's drama at work (always! We're a bunch of actors!) and I have a dreaded physical tomorrow. They're going to yell at me because I'm fat, which is true, but something I don't want to hear anyway....I have to have another mammogram to make sure that the clump in my left breast hasn't moved or changed (they think it's dense tissue or a calcification) and have the old lady bits inspection, and I"M NOT LOOKING FORWARD TO IT. I would rather be impaled upon a stick and roasted over an open fire.
I'm gonna go eat something horrible for me and see if that perks me up any.
Thanks to all for the nice re-welcoming! Love to all!
KLee
((( KLee ))) Well, today was pretty crappy. But YOU are NOT. xoxo
It is wonderful that offspring was in the running and came close -- and yeah, getting it would have been great, but importantly, people notices she is wonderful and deserving.
Sending a whole lot of love, and 2 advil. xoxo
* people noticed. I can spell, usually.
Hi, KLee! So glad to see you.
GAL should be finishing her report any day now. I have such mixed feelings. I want to get it over with, and want to know what she's going to say, and I'm guardedly hopeful; but I'm also scared to death. And either way I'm highly doubtful that STBX and I will be likely to come to a settlement. And I'd really like to avoid trial, both because it's stressful and time consuming and uncertain, and also because I'm afraid of the costs, and whether I'll be able to keep my lawyer through the end or not.
And I'm just flabbergasted over and over again that certain incidents don't seem to matter to anyone who has the power to do something about it.
So many hugs coming your way, KLee. kathy said it well - yesterday was crappy, but you are definitely NOT. You are awesome. xoxo
(((pk)))
I managed to get some sleep last night and only woke up when the heating pad shut off after two hours, then two hours later... Heat really is the only thing that helps. OTC pain meds take the edge off, but otherwise it needs to run its course. Ugh.
We're having a nasty ice storm here, so I'm home for the day.
(((KLee)))
(((PK)))
Esperanza, I don't know what kind of feet you have (mine are VERY FLAT and kinda on the narrow and bony side), but I love Naturalizer Helina ballet flats. I've canvassed for literally hours in them and got nary a blister.
W: My inhalers cause foot cramps. This is a known side-effect. I spend several minutes every few hours with my toes all twisted up.
AW: As cramps go, these aren't very painful, just annoying. Very much a minor whine compared to sciatica and joint pain that keeps you from sleeping.
((( PK ))) Crossing fingers and everything that the report is good.
If he is the one running up the costs in an effort to make you capitulate -- most states and most judges don't really want that to happen. If he's making unreasonable demands, he should bear more of the costs. If he has the income, it is possible that he will have to pick up your litigation costs, or a good part of them. Ask your lawyer. This may be leverage to get him to settle, that he'll be out a lot of money if he doesn't.
((( Sue ))) I'm so sorry about the pain.
AW: might have found a winner for the MOTG dress. I'm such a bad shopper. It required friends and the MOTB to go with some sparkle.
More on shoes, my sister and mom (high arches, broader foot overall) swear by Danskos. Frankly, I can't wear them at all.
I love my Josef Siebel sandals, never tried any other shoes from them
-Liz on iPhone
So many hugs, PK. And I'm praying and crossing appendages as you wait for the GAL report to come out.
And a lot of hugs for KLee. I'm sorry about the rough day, the rough meeting, and Offspring not getting the scholarship. (And I understand how much harder it is when you come so close.) I hope the physical goes better than usual.
W: I had a lot of trouble sleeping last night. It took me a few hours to fall asleep, between the sore throat and the room being too hot, although once I finally got up, had a glass of water, and turned down the thermostat, I fell asleep pretty quickly. I don't know why it took me so long to do that. But then E rolled out of bed,and lost her blankets, and woke us up! (She'd actually gotten herself back into bed, but she couldn't find her favourite blankie.)
Ooh, are we talking about comfortable shoes? Keep in mind that I have WIDE wide wide feet and low arches, but I swear by Clarks. (Is that in the US? Is it a Canadian company only?) I alternate between those and my beloved pair of Doc Martens, which I have owned since 1994. (Side story: my mom bought each of us a pair of expensive-ish shoes once our feet stopped growing. For me, she picked out the Docs, on the basis of them looking comfortable and had a bunch of guarantees about lasting a long time, and because they fit into our choir/band uniform dress code. I'd never heard of them before, but when I wore them to school, the girl who sat behind me in health class got mad because I wasn't cool enough to wear those shoes!)
Chiming in from the WIDE foot club, though arch and instep are high on mine. (Total aside: someone told me that wide feet are "peasant" feet and narrow "aristocrat." I have no idea if there is any basis for it or not.) I mostly live in flip flops (Tevas, with arch support), Chaco sandals, and tennis shoes (ones for running are generally wider, though I am decidedly not a runner). I have a pair of shoes that I wear every single week to church, and they are comfortable. These that shall not be mentioned again were flats, and when I get around to it, shall be replaced. (Yes, QWP, we have Clark's).
Hugs for KLee and PK. So. Much. going on for both of you.
My go-to shoes (wide feet) are danskos, flip flops, and mary jane sneakers with velcro straps. There is a nice pair of black danskos, hardly used -- so that could work, but I was hoping to find something not so typically "what kathy wears for all occasions." (Seriously, somebody saw my shoes at a reception, peeking around a corner, and immediately knew it was me because they were clogs.)
Someplace there are some grownup shoes with low heels, which I seem to recall are clark's, but I am not currently sure of their location, and they do not seem very stylin'...
Liz, sorry about the foot cramps! Mine are painful and wake me up. Sometimes pulling a toe back into position or a little massage helps; so does walking a little, maybe getting some water. Also, and this tip probably won't help you, putting the affected foot under a warm cat helps. ;) Maybe you could substitute another heat source?
My current shoe dilemma -- which is out of character but how often does your kid get married? -- is, of course, what shoes to wear at the wedding. I plan to be on my feet a lot. My back plans to hurt. Silver, sparkles, too-tight shoes, stilettos, high heels, and probably toe-revealing items are out of the picture. I had cute shoes at my own wedding, and I was a lot younger and tougher then, and I never wore them ever again because they nearly killed me.
Kathy, would these Clarks sandals work? Flat, black suede with sparkles.
Actually, not so flat after all.
But then there are these. Less fancy but maybe more comfortable, and still more festive than what you normally wear.
They might! If anybody doesn't know this, Liz is an excellent shopper.
I am undecided about toes showing, and about finally getting a pedicure for the first time as I approach age 60. A person should just go ahead and do the pedi, right? Too damned many decisions involved with this wedding, is my opinion, but it will be great. Even if my toenails are not award-worthy.
And of course, The Walking Store has all sorts of comfortable dress shoes. Whether or not they work for your own feet is always an interesting adventure.
Despite having opposite shaped feet from Liz, I also have had good luck at Naturalizer. I say comfy is waaaaayyyy more important than cute. I have seen entire bridal parties ditch the fancy shoes once the wedding itself is over and (a) go barefoot; (b) put on some blingy flip flops for the fun and dancing.
I like Clarks a lot for shoes that aren't too clunky looking and work for wide feet.
Thank you!
And right, I can ditch the fancier shoes for flip-flops, duh! Born sandals are expensive but work for my wide feet, and I'll wear them again. Onward with searching for solutions....
Fancy shoes for the wedding and comfy for the reception is a must! I even did that at my own wedding, and I was 24. Also, yes! to going for a pedicure the week of the wedding, regardless of if your feet are showing. Go to a place where they'll also massage your feet. And get thee to Naturalizer! (I'm looking at their US site right now, and they have a bunch of nice dress shoes that should be perfect for the wedding.) Or any shoe store that has words like "comfort" in the name.
True confession: I have also never gotten a pedicure. I rarely paint my toenails myself--it is not one of my talents. And I show my naked, pale toes all the time, probably in every month of the year, some months it is every day.
I've only done it once, the day before my friend's wedding on Maui. She had the wedding party (and the two female ushers, which was my role) go for pedicures together, and it was delightful. (Actually, I just found out that Mr. Q had a pedicure before our wedding! I didn't, because doing so wasn't on my radar. He said "my feet were gross from wearing sandals all the time, and so I decided that it would be nice to have a pedicure." I had no idea!)
Yeah, today didn't go so well, either. Apparently, my thyroid is failing, and I am in the "pre-diabetic" section, and to top that all off, my cholesterol is WAY high since we had to take me off of my statins because they were making ENTIRE MUSCLES IN MY LEGS DETACH. Not a good day. Starting a thyroid drug tomorrow, and (strangely) Lexapr0 because it helps with stamina issues that I'm having a work (heat exhaustion; lightheadedness, stuff that exacterbates my Meniere's Disease...)
I am just done with today. Gonna try to go get some sleep, and maybe things will look less horrible tomorrow.
Love to everyone, and hugs.
KLee
((((KLee)))), I am also pre-diabetic (formerly .1 away from diabetic, now .2 away), and I also have high cholesterol (since my teens, medicated since my early twenties when I weighed less than 100 pounds, just in case anyone is weight shaming you about your numbers.)
Sending you love and hugs and kisses.
((( KLee ))) xoxo
((KLee)) Sorry things are so rough.
I have an entirely petty whine. Next week, according to the PTA at Baboos' school, is Teacher Appreciation Week. Now, please hear me that I deeply appreciate the Baboos' teachers. Deeply. I tell them on a regular basis. However, by this point in the year, I am done. I am done with cute projects, I am done with signing up to purchase little gifts, I am just done. We've celebrated their birthdays and Christmas in a coordinated fashion. I've volunteered at least once a month in each classroom, plus some other things in the library, all year long. I'm not feeling the need to gin up extra appreciation.
That is all.
(((KLee)))
Another wide-footer here. I have two pairs of Sketchers that I wear for work. They are the "dressier" ones, not athletic shoes, and they have memory foam! Soooo comfy. And wide enough for my small but wide feet. I also have a pair of Rockport ballet flats that are super comfortable and appropriate for dressier occasions (though not as dressy as a wedding).
More ice-storm action today, but much less severe than yesterday. The roads are still very bad, so I'm staying home again.
AW: Sciatica was much better last night!
The shoe shopping led, inevitably, to The Most Hideous Shoe Contest. Top this, if you dare: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01DBBA9DW?ref%5F=sr%5F1%5Fsc%5F35&qid=1493242388&sr=8-35-spell&keywords=green%20snake%20skin%20sandal&pldnSite=1
(The version I have in mind is blue, green, pink, and yellow.)
Sue, glad the sciatica's better, and the ice is letting up.
Oh. My. Oh my. Those shoes. Wow. One wouldn't want to upstage the bride, however, so you'd best say no.
W: The neighbors and their insane levels of entitled privilege. We have legitimately had a problem recently with vandalism of cars during nighttime hours. Police are aware of it. One neighbor on the fb page this morning reports a broken tail light (which could have occurred in about 437 other ways, just off the top of my head). She suggests we "use some of the HOA fees to pay for more police patrols" of our neighborhood. Seriously. She thinks that's how the police work. If I'm not mistaken, that is bribery and corruption.
AW: another neighbor gently chimed in to point out that one could request extra police patrols, as it is not normal to pay the police directly. And that we could hire a private security guard "with the HOA fees" but those cost a lot of money.
Wow, lot of angst over a broken tail light. There is no way to keep that from happening 24/7, you know? Local tip: Some people in my neighborhood (especially on narrow, windy streets) buy an orange cone and put it behind the rear left of the car. Expense = $10-15 or so. People tend not to run into the cars with cones.
As for vandalism, the neighbors keeping an eye out will go a lot farther than increasing patrols (which again, won't solve the problem unless they happen to drive by at a critical moment).
My daughter's comment about those hilarious shoes was that she didn't think it is "anatomically possible" for anyone to wear them.
Agree with your daughter.
W: some kind of rodent inside office wall.
Those shoes...oh my! And you're right that a neighbourhood watch situation will go a lot further than bribing the local police to patrol more.
((((KLee))))) I hope the doctor is able to sort out meds to help you, soon.
Esperanza, the PTA coordinates with presents for each teacher for their BIRTHDAYS, Christmas, AND teacher appreciation week? Where can we get in on this scam? Because Mr. Q has never received a birthday present from a student or parent. I don't even know whether they know when his birthday is. And the PTA does do a bit for teacher appreciation week, but it's more in the form of paying to have some nice food platters in the staff room, and then (I think the school admin might pay for this part) they have a snack cart go around with treats for the teachers on one day. There were also a couple of gifts donated by parents (a dentist donated a basket full of toothbrushes and sample-sized toothpastes, which hilariously was placed next to a bowl of candy). Some parents give Christmas or end-of-year presents, but only a few do, and the PTA has nothing to do with it.
AW: the weather is a little bit warmer here, and the snow has melted again. We seem to have missed the ice storms that Sue's city is getting (knock wood). It was even warm enough for E and I to have lunch on the patio (with jackets on).
W: the sore throat persists.
It's the PTA and the room parents that do this. It's out of control. There are so many details and ways to contribute that I can't even explain it all. I haven't cared enough to really take it in.
AW: Sweet won a big-deal award today. Only one student per class gets it each month. I'm pretty proud of her, and she's very proud of herself, which is even better.
Yay sweet!!
--NL
Go, SWEET! That is wonderful. xoxo
Yay Sweet!!!
And tell the rodent in the wall to go home. Ew.
Ice has now turned to snow. Lots of it. As long as it's all melted and gone by Tuesday, I'm fine.
W: As soon as I can drive on these streets, I need to see a parishioner in long-term care. She has asked to see me about her end of life and funeral plans. She will likely die while I'm on leave. For 17 years in this church I've guarded the boundaries around my annual vacation and sabbatical (2012) rigorously. She will not be pleased when I tell her I can't conduct her service, but to do so would show so much disrespect to everyone else who understood when I said no. She's feisty, and will not react well. We have good people in place to cover for funerals, so it will happen, but I suspect her family will be equally unhappy with me when the time comes. *sigh*
Sue -- is there any thought of delaying the actual service, should you still be gone when her time comes? (We do not, after all, know the when. If she is still that feisty and wanting to make plans, it might not be so soon as feared.) You have looked forward to this sabbatical for years, the plans are set in stone and just cannot be changed. Is it possible to have someone go with you, to be the interim contact person?
xoxo
It is not uncommon to do ceremonies some time later, nowadays.
The friend who passed along her request for a visit is a retired minister. I think when she and the family realize the situation, they will turn to him for the service. I don't see them postponing it, though that's certainly an option. Knowing the kids, I think they'll want to get it over with. It's been a long, hard road for all of them.
And yes, we never know the time, though she's much weaker than she's ever been. She's been ready for a long time. She's not afraid, just tired of living with so much pain and suffering. If she'd had the energy, I wouldn't have been surprised to see her apply for medically assisted dying.
Ah. It is good to know that there is a backup person. I'm sure it has been a very hard road for everybody. Maybe you can clarify with her that if you are away, she'd prefer someone like the retired minister who passed the message? (Assuming he is willing.)
W: We have a leaky roof. Apparently (who knew?) when there is an ice storm, the ice can build up around the shingles and make its way underneath. When it thaws, the water goes into the beams and into our living room. The building fix-it guy brought up buckets and will do the necessary repairs as soon as it dries out. Ack!
AW: I had a good visit with my parishioner. She wasn't pleased about my sabbatical, but understands about the funeral. I don't expect to see her again. Her breathing is quite laboured and she's very weak. I stayed about an hour while she did some life review, we shared some scripture and prayer. It was tough to leave her.
((( Sue ))) Sending love to your parishioner; and it is good that you went to see her. xoxo
Oy about the roof! And teh buckets!
Wow, Sue. I had no idea about the ice thing. I'm sure glad you have a building fix-it guy.
And hugs about your parishioner. I'm glad you got in a visit, even though it was hard.
Oh no, Sue! You have ice dams causing leaks? We don't tend to have ice storms here, but we have to clear our roofs here, because snow buildup can do the same thing. I hope the repair and dry-out are minimal! And hugs about having to leave behind the dying parishioner.
W: busy day, but I being seriously hampered by headaches and sinus pain.
AW: it was early enough in the day that I could take the effective cold medicine (it makes me jittery at night, even if I have it mid-afternoon), and caffeine helped speed things up.
I just ordered a 5th possible mother of the groom dress. The first is OK, lovely, just too short and a tad tight for my taste. The second two never arrived, as you heard. The fourth arrived today, and I don't think it can be made right even with tailoring. So I'm rolling the dice again, getting something that is definitely way too long, but can be shortened. This is so much a first world problem that it makes me feel queasy.
W: elementary school talent show. Outside (no place inside the school is large enough). Actual air temperature was 95. No shade. It lasted for 3 hours.
AW: Baboos were (mostly) agreeable to leaving after 1.5 hours.
3 hours of 95F entertainment in the sun? wow.
What was the school thinking to have no shade? In Austin? WTAFireplace?
Sue, we've had ice dams where the roof over the garage (and my bedroom) meet the roof over the rest of the house (and particularly the laundry room). The heat from the dryer melts the ice just enough that it leaks in. We got it fixed with a ton of extra rubber sheeting. The new roof shouldn't have that problem at all (extra sheeting throughout).
I just did the calculation of 95F to Celsius, and...what. That's full-on nonsense. In direct sun, for hours? Around here, multiple people would have fainted after hour one.
Kathy, I hope dress #5 works and arrives quickly!
AW: the photo book arrived, just in time! And my sister drove me out to C0stc0, on a Friday evening, on her birthday, so that we could pick it up (and so that I didn't have to fight through the Saturday morning crowd).
Re: weather. This time of year, it's very unpredictable. Six days before, it was cloudy and 60F. Some people (smart people) brought umbrellas or those pop up shelter things you use at the beach. There was a nice breeze and it wasn't horribly humid. But, it was still hot and sweaty. And Baboos wanted to sit on my lap, even after I explained body heat.
Glad the book arrived, and crossing my fingers for dress #5.
Fingers crossed for dress 5, kathy.
I'm glad the photo book arrived, QWP!
I've lived here my whole life (except a few years at university) and we've never had an ice storm like this one. We usually get ice pellets and icy roads, then it turns to snow.
The fix-it guy said there are ice damns all over the city, in houses and buildings. Yikes.
The restoration guys were so great. They left a monster dehumidifier and three big fans to leave on through the weekend. THEY ARE VERY LOUD! So now we're waiting and watching. The temp is going up to 9C this afternoon. If there's anything left to melt, it will happen today. Fingers crossed that the worst is over.
AW: We have such great friends and family. We've had so many texts and calls asking if we need help. :)
Sue, that's great about the fix-it guys being all on top of it! And also all the other offers of help. :)
The GAL says she thinks she has everything she needs and is ready to work on writing her report--which will hopefully be done by the end of May, schedule permitting, she says.
I just want to curl up in a ball and cry. It seems like a cruelly long wait when there's nothing else I can do and it's already taken so long, and the kids are having such a hard time worth the current residential schedule. And I highly doubt we'll be able to come to an agreement after receiving the report, which likely means going to trial, which could take another year or more once that process is started.
Oh, PK. I'm send you hugs. I hope the GAL report is helpful, and doesn't take an entire month. And more hugs about the worries about a trial, and the residential schedule.
((( PK ))) Breathe, sister! And don't jump ahead yet, to what might be next. xoxoxoxo
(((((PK)))))
One day at a time.
Just keep focusing on one day at a time.
May often seems to go quickly with all the end of school year stuff keeping things busy.
Hugs and love,
Neighbor Lady
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