Tuesday In The Grove

Aside from dealing with the heat? I'm dragging Troll off to go do some grocery shopping. Yes, it's true, misery does indeed love company. Last evening we went to FB's storage and unloaded Daughter's and the kids' stuff. It's all stuffed in the back of our truck and in the rental trailer. We got a trailer from freecycle last year and it was going to be turned into a woodworking shop for Mr M, currently it's storage for her stuff. This fall when things cool off, she's going to be spending a lot of time in there getting rid of junk.

I've been finding myself really tired lately and not sure why. I checked my blood sugar and it's elevated a bit,not much. From experience I know I can get that down in a few days. I haven't checked my blood pressure yet but I'm going to. It's been running about 130/76. Doc isn't going to like that 130. I daresay my meds are going to alter slightly again. Of course, most of this I am thinking is from the lack of exercise lately. Between the heat and stress, I haven't gotten any done. Like I mentioned before, that will change with the cooler temps. I'll move things to twice a day, morning and evening. I really do enjoy the cardio workout and the weight training. It makes me feel better and hey, it even looks like I might be making some progress on gravity. Now wouldn't that be a kick?

I still have a long way to go before I'll feel comfortable in Vegas and I'm not sure if I'll make it to my considered destination in March. After all, there is no way I can go in March and NOT see that someone, who will be there as well. So, for March, the jury is still out on that one. It also remains to be seen what's happening on the other end and what companions there will be, if any.. and the simple matter of getting a decent price for airfare. Driving? Maybe. I have a friend who is willing to go with me. Yes, I plan on leaving Mr M at home and 'sneaking' out. -grin- unless of course he gets his -cough- balls together and joins in tourny fun. That, a whole different dynamic but doable , I think. Yes, I know, riddles. -smirk-

Can you tell I am finding reasons not to get busy and go shopping? I can't put it off long. The natives are getting restless. Damn, why do they always require feeding?

Monday,Monday

I'm not overly fond of Mondays. Mondays seem to make people go crazy for some reason or another. It was at least 108 degrees F. here today. I am so ready for the weather to cool off.

We use propane here for heating our water and our gas company is a pain in the arse. We always meant to change but it was just one of those things we haven't gotten around to... until today.. when I went out to check the tank for propane and found it on ZERO. Can we say shower with cold water? -shudder- So, Mr M got on the horn and got us a new company, although they can't come out until tomorrow to hook us up, they did tell us to use one of our bbq propane canisters until they can get out here between noon and two pm.

Mr M's sister kind of 'jumped' on him yesterday evening. He was kind of upset about it and bummed out, but we talked. I explained that she's been under a tremendous load for a long time where Mom's health was concerned. I know, though she didn't say anything, she would have liked for one of us to step up and helped her with Mom. Unfortunately, that wasn't possible, given the Grove's current situation with Daughter and such. The family had a deadbeat person in it (a lot of families do, mine included) and asking Mr M to speak with this person was not going to change what we all already knew. With some people, experience tells you, they aren't going to change,no matter what. In the meantime, arrangements for Mom's memorial service still ongoing.

I got an email from Em, letting me know about GQS. I am thrilled, if not downright envious, that Em got to speak briefly with GQS. It's enough knowing that someone got to speak with her so we all can know she is healing. I trust her hubby, but it's always reassuring to hear from the person we've been worrying over, you know?

Did I mention I am going with Troll to Klamath Falls, Oregon Wednesday morning? I'm going to keep him company during the drive up for his interview. I believe the only thing that will keep him from taking this job is going to be the money. He's not in a desperate situation, he has a job. So, either they are going to give him what he wants or he'll just stay put. He'll get another shot at another job somewhere along the way. But I'm feeling pretty optimistic about his chances for this one. More to come on that one. I just wish he wasn't going to be in another state even if it is only 2 1/2 hours away.

Only one day left in July. HUZZAH.

-Blink-

You scored as Sacrifice, Commitment 100% Ambition 100% Passion 100% Respect 100% Sacrifice 100% Friendship 87% Sympathy 67% How much of each LOVE component do you have created with QuizFarm.com

I'm a sucker for these things

Moi? An Angel? Hello! They're talking about someone else, right?

You scored as angel, You are an angel! You often look down to Earth and watch the mortals struggle, and help them through their hardships. You often find yourself crying for the follies of man, although you are a very optimistic person. angel 40% vampire 30% faerie 30% mermaid 30% fallen angel 10% Which mythological creature is most like you? created with QuizFarm.com

July

You know.. last night I was thinking... July sucks. My mom died on July 12th, my niece this month on the 13th, my mother-in-law died yesterday....

Yep... July sucks.

Come Abide With Me

At 5:30pm this evening, my mother-in-law, went gently into the arms of God and left behind her earthly, diseased, body. The Divine One and I had a chat the other night. I also "spoke" with Mom as well.

At the moment, I am filled with sorrowful peace. Her suffering and struggling is now over. My sister-in-laws' torment and silent pain, also over.

Mr M is holding up. He and I had a long talk on the drive home Thursday night. He saw the same thing I did. It was to the point, that he wanted peace for his mother. He couldn't stand to see her suffering anymore.

I would have liked for her to abide with us a while longer. However, it was not to be. I said my good-byes on Thursday, we both did.

On a different note: I just got word that my ex, the kids' father, has masses on his kidney. -sigh- No one is borrowing trouble, but you know.. I don't know if it's because of all things that has happened so far.. but I have a bad feeling about this. We'll have to wait and see.

ISTJ

I believe this changes time and time again. I am not one that is written in stone.

From the Grove: Mom Update

Mr M just heard from one of his sisters. I was in the shower, daydreaming.

The tests have come back on Mom not so good. They are now saying she has either hours or days, but the bottom line is, she will not be coming out of the hospital. They are getting ready to move her out of CCU to a private room so the family can come and go without the CCU staff constantly interrupting. So, in a nutshell? There's nothing further they can do but to make her comfortable until she leaves us. We'll make another trip down if the doctors tell us she can go anytime. Mr M's feelings are that we have said our good-byes and he just can't sit around down there, like some vulture waiting for her to die. We didn't stay too long yesterday because he couldn't handle it. My youngest sister-in-law, is not doing too good at the moment and I am worried about her health. My other sister-in-law, the one I know hardly at all, is a rock solid gem.

Heard from Troll. He's got a job interview for the Bend store next Wednesday in Klamath Falls. He went to the see the store and it's not bad. It needs some work but he can live with it. He's on the way home now. I'll probably go with him to Klamath next week if it doesn't conflict with anything else.

GQS continues to improve, for which I am grateful to hear. We came too damn close to losing her. Too damn close. For the rest of you GEMS out there, BE CAREFUL. It seems like between Amythest and good old Moonstone, they have enough going on for everyone else. Amber has her share as well.. and poor Emerald, *shakes head in amusement* Woman, how you get into these situations is beyond me. I thought I was the weird one.

In any case, I'm on phone watch again.

A Test Thing

Is It Friday Yet?

I have spent the last two days running people around for appointments and errands, couple that with the heat and I'm beat. I have to be in Sacramento tomorrow at 1300hrs. Mr M has a dental appointment. The kiddos will be with their dad overnight and Troll is taking one of my adopted daughters with him to Bend, Oregon to check it out. Looks like he has a shot of getting his own store there. I will be very happy for him if he gets this job and at the same time, I'll be sad to see him go. I have prayed for the day he would have the opportunity to move out and start a life without all of us in it. At the same time, he has been my rock, my sanity where other family are concerned. I'll miss him a lot.

It has been both humid and hot here, although not as hot as it has been known to get. The humidity is getting to me. I lived in the panhandle of Florida for a couple of years, been in North Carolina and South Carolina so I know humidity. It just wipes me out.

GQS continues to make steady progess. My heartfelt thank yous out there for everyone who has her in their prayers. I know that they have contributed greatly to her recovery. We damn near lost her. I'll sleep better once I know she IS back to herself again, until then, I am ever vigilant. EM has been a darling through all this. Boy, ask that woman to pick a ball and she most certainly does! She is priceless. I have counted on her so much through all this because my own hands are quite full at the moment and without her out there, I think I would have gone quietly insane. Love you, EM!!

And then there is DK. -smile- My other link to sanity.

PITA, you always find time to make me smile. Thank you. Yes, I know, I still need to get you my mailing address. I will, I promise. She'll enjoy those cards, I'm sure.

Is July Finished Yet?

What a month this has been and I am not sorry to see it go. To catch up on the grove and happenings in my life:

My mother-in-law, is back in the hospital again. Apparently the oral medication they have ordered for her to take to drain the fluid from her lungs is not working. So, she has been admitted again and they are draining it slowly and then they will administer the drug via IV and that should work. Her cardio enzymes is above 5000, which is not good, but they said she didn't have a heart attak this time, but she is in congestive heart failure. She is not eating and wasting away according to my sister-in-law. She won't even pet her dog, whom she adores. We're watching her slowly fade away.

I attended the memorial service of my niece this past Saturday. The church was packed and I took some solace in the fact she was so loved. God and Jesus had always been a driving force in her life. The service took much out of me emotionally. I would have liked to stay longer and I am sure Daughter and Sprout would have too, but I do not like driving at night and that mountain road can be very dangerous if you don't know it.

GQS has taken 5 years off my life and trust me, she's going to hear all about it when she's back on her feet again and she WILL be back on her feet again. I simply refuse to allow her to be otherwise, damn it. Em and I have been in constant contact with each other as we get reports from GQS' huband. She IS improving every hour and I actually am breathing a bit easier with each day. Em has been a GEM (well of course she is) taking the ball on this one as I handle everything else bouncing around in my life at the moment.

I can use a break here, Universe. Hint, hint, hint.

Writing has been nil and blogging as well (as one can see). The only thing I am capable of at the moment is reading Harry Potter. I seem to be sleeping alot lately too. I guess my body is trying to catch up with itself.

I ran into my ex at the memorial service. That man continues to irritate me. I'm not going to go into the issue here or now. Ran into Daughter's "sperm donor" also. No,not FB but the biological father of Pookie. He irritates me as well, the jerk. Might as well throw in something about FB as well, since he keeps company with the other two. FB is beyond a jerk but I refrain from stating what.

This week is loaded with appointments. I am suppose to go for jury duty but I am going to have to ignore it. Not a big thing, they'll just recycle me for next week or so. I have too many appointments to see to and nothing I can see them excusing me from jury duty for.

Mr M is doing well. Troll is on vacation this week. He is also applying for a GM position in Bend, Oregon. I would love to see him get it and at the same time, I keep telling him I'm going to beat him if he leaves me to deal with Daughter on my own.. lol.

Apologies

My apologies for my silence. I haven't felt much like talking or blogging or anything else of late. On July 13, 2007, at 11:30 pm, I received information that a certain young lady that will always hold a very special place in my heart passed away due to a car accident. Services are pending. She wasn't part of my immediate family, but a niece by marriage. I've known her since she was born. I may no longer be married to her 'uncle' but she has always been loved by me. My love and sympathy to her family in this hour of their need. She was the youngest of three girls and she was only 26.

I'll be back next week.

Too Little

Yesterday, I was talking to someone dear to me and I was envious of the rain they were having. I whimpered and asked them to send me some. They didn't think it worked backwards (moving from a easterly direction to a westerly one) but today, while I was at the beauty salon, it actually rained! We didn't get alot but I got to step out of the salon and stand in it, with my face turned up to it. I can't begin to describe how it felt on my skin.

I also think this person is right; we're going to have an early winter and it may well be a very wicked one. I saw my oak trees already growing acorns and they are big for this time of year. Usually, we don't get acorns until the end of July/beginning of August and by then, they're just little tiny things.

News in the Grove:

Mr M is talking about bowling again. That certainly makes me happy. FB told Daughter today he's transfering to the Bay Area in about 30 days. Can I hear a double Huzzah?! It is just what Daughter needs to make the break clean and final. I've been hoping for something like this. Of course, I am not happy for the kids, because FB won't be seeing them as much and that's going to bother the kids. I guess grandma and grandpa and uncles are going to have to step in a bit more for awhile when it all comes down.

Mr M and I had the house to ourselves this afternoon and this evening. Troll is out at the ball park, Daughter just left to spend the night with a girlfriend and the kids are with their dad. I even got some much needed cleaning done. I still have one part of the livingroom to go through but it feels so good to see the livingroom less cluttered.

Mr M, Troll and I are going to go see Harry Potter this weekend. My book order is already in place as is Troll's for the final book of the Potter series. Sure am going to miss not having something to look forward to except the last two movies.

That's about it.

PITA! Update your blog. Quit playing with the hairy one. *snicker*

EM! It's July *grin* We're waiting.

I'm Melting.

...or rather, it feels like it. It's been 113-115 degrees. I can always tell it's going to be hot because the rising heat wakes me up in the morning. By 9:00am it's usually in the lower 90's. My exercise program has gone to nil since the hot weather invaded. I am going to try for it in the late evenings, but we'll see what happens. if it turns out that summer days are not conducive, I'll just double up in the fall and winter, i.e., morning and evening.

Life has been a comedy of errors for the last week or so. I have to look at it that way or else the other alternative is not pretty. Some of the things have been funny and the rest? Not so.

First, I discovered that the bank didn't have Mr M's OPM disability. Rut-oh. Where did it go? A call to OPM says they had the old account. Oh great. It's going to take a few days to get the money routed back into our account. Call to the bank because I don't have a few days, checks are going to turn rubber. Bank called corporate office. They had the money in a 'limbo' account pending enquiry. Bless them. We had our money within hours and a promise that no checks would bounce and we wouldn't have a fee to pay. Checking online, I found the money BUT I also found someone else's DFAS Ret. pay. Oh dear. Too late to get to the bank so it had to wait until Thursday to get there. Went in, told them that there was money in the account that wasn't ours. Call back from the bank later to inform they found where it needed to go. Can I get a HUZZAH?. That got straightened out. In the meantime, Mr M and I go to Olive Garden for lunch. I HAVE TO get out of the house. We go to Olive Garden alot. We have always had excellent service, even when they are packed. This day, it was horrible. We had to wait a long time just to get water an our drinks. Mr M asked to speak with the manager. It was a polite conversation. Our salad comes, no dressing. call for the waitress. Our appetizers came (stuffed mushrooms), no spoons. They always come with spoons. Call to the waitress again. Manager comes by to see how things are going. I don't have the heart to inform him of the comedy of errors. We found out he picked up the tab for our lunch.

Earlier last month we went to Red Lobster. I do My Points and I earned enough points to get a few gift cards for Red Lobster or Olive Garden. Mr M's steak had a rub on it that was way too salty. We found out we weren't the only one to complain about that. Then his cheese cake came frozen. I mean, FROZEN. He was hitting it with his spoon and getting nowhere. The waitress brought him a new one to go,no charge. In the meantime, yours truly had a hole in her lip, I swear. Everything I drank or ate sort of ended up on the front of my blouse, no matter how careful I was.

Top this off with arguments and shouting matches with Daughter. Oh, the stories I could tell, but I won't,not here. Did any of it sink in, some of you may ask? HELL NO. Just yesterday, she's going to give me attitude. Let me tell you, I am this close || to jacking that woman against the wall and I'll make sure Troll isn't around to pick me up and remove me. Oh yes, he did. He heard me yelling at Daughter, came in, picked me up (I'm no featherweight people) and moved me from in the room to the hall, then proceeded to get in her face himself. I'm still trying to figure out how he did that. It's not often someone gets the better of me.

I did pamper myself yesterday by getting a manicure and a pedicure. I also got a couple of cellphone calls that made me smile. Good friends. better than--- a glass of wine. *smile*

So, that's it for now. I'm just trying to maintain my cool in the Grove, in more ways than one.

-GROWL-

Romans, Countrymen, Friends....

Lend me your ears...

Naw, keep 'em. I still have a collection of those and they're turning weird colors in that jar on the shelf.

Listen up... my cellphone is again functional.

That is all.

The 4th of July

Things in the Grove were not all that exciting this day. It was simply way too hot, about 110 degrees in fact. We all simply took cover indoors. We never go out to attend the fireworks at the civic center down by the Sacramento River. We always stay home in case a fire should break out. That may seem a bit extreme to some of you out there, but it truly isn't. It doesn't take long for the wild grasses around here to dry out. A piece of glass or a small piece of metal has been responsible for starting a fire before, not to mention some idiot who still flicks his cigarette ash out an open window.

We did barbeque ribs and I made colesaw and there was corn on the cob to round out the meal. When it's this hot outside, dinner tends to be served late. I really didn't mind because Troll took me out to lunch at Olive Garden. And oh gee, I forgot the Ladies Auxiliary meeting and forgot all about the Trustees doing the books this month. No matter, they had two other Trustees, so I wasn't truly needed. For the record, I did remember the meeting, way too late. However, I wasn't heartbroken over missing it.

Here it is 2am in the morning and it's still quite warm outside. I still have the fans and the swamp cooler going. If the predictions are true, it's going to get to 115 degrees tomorrow. No let up in sight this week or next.

Mom is home now. Apparently she came home this past Friday. It's simply become living day-by-day. So far, so good. As far as I know, they have taken her off her blood pressure medication completely and her BP seems to be good. Again,wait and see.

Tomorrow, I hit the floor running. So,I guess I probably go attempt to get some sleep. Maybe if I lie under the ceiling fan I'll get comfortable.

FYI

My cellphone is temp. disconnected as SOMEONE has taken advantage of my generosity. Hopefully, I shall have it all straightened out by the end of the week.

-growl-