The Lake and Other Fun Things

           One of the fabulous views from the deck at my Dad's cabin at Clearlake.
As you can see I was there on the 19th of this month. Not by choice, but Dad doesn't give choices when he's got his mind set. And it was set on going those three days. I believe it was the  19th, 20th and 21st. We came back home to rest for an evening and then on to Thanksgiving dinner at my sister's. She lives close to us so that was good.

Another great view on a walk with the dogs. This is headed back to the cabin.

I pretty much wasted my days going, except that I was with my Dad, and my whole purpose of living with him is to assist him no matter what. He was hell bent on going whether I went or not, so yeah, there you go.

That's my Daddy there on the left.

It was chilly there. So we spent a lot of our time chopping wood to make a fire in order to dry out wood to make a fire. Eventually, I got the fire going good and it was hotter in the cabin than it gets at 4th of July. I cooked on that stove too. Much better than wasting electricity when you've already got a heat source.

I feel as though I have put in a full 5 day week. I only had three days of work, but it was Black Friday, Whatever Saturday, and then makeup for what you didn't get done on Friday and Saturday, Sunday. Can you say POOPED?!?  I had two big orders come in while I was gone and nothing could be done with them until I straightened out my costs, etc. I had to also do some computer work because a report is due at the end of the month so I was elected to do that task. (I'm pretty quick at these reports) All I really wanted to do was straighten out my stuff, but oh well. By closing tonight, the report was done, my orders had the correct costs on them, they were checked in and I got every last thing put away. ($3000 worth of product...my cost!)

On the agenda this two days off?
1) Get my TV hooked up permanently. Even if it means I have to climb up into the attic space...eeewww!
2) Get some planks screwed back down on the back deck, so I don't fall through the "cracks".
3) Finish cleaning out the fridge and freezer.
4) Get some cabinets cleaned out in the kitchen.
5) Clean out the small hallway closet.
6) Get my chickens their own permanent yard and house set up.
7) Anything else I come across whilst doing the other six things...
I'd better go and get rested up for my next 48 hours. Looks like I put a lot on my plate. Believe me I will be taking plenty of breaks. And if I don't get it all done? Oh well...

Oh Crap!

What a week! One of the managers at work had two family members pass away within two or three days of each other. She was at the funeral of her ex husband, when they found out that her step father had passed away. Since we live in a small community, almost everyone at the store knew both men. The managers ex was a club member of the same motorcycle club my ex belongs to and is like an uncle to my daughters. The two older daughters were at the funeral with their dad when he got a call from his sister saying that their grandmother had passed away. My girls stopped by the house to tell me in person. Tomorrow I go to a wake and Rosary, then Thursday is her funeral. I don't want anymore news of people passing.

I'm stressed out. My move, three deaths, my whole schedule thrown out the window, I have been exhausted since I moved in. My dad wants to go to Clearlake where his cabin is, so we are going up next Monday and staying until Wednesday, then Thanksgiving at my sisters house when we come home. I don't really want to go up to the lake, but the alternative is that my dad will go alone and that is no place to be when sometimes you have knees that give out. I just hope he has phone and electricity still when we get there. Let's just say the bills have been forgotten a couple of times and stuff was shut off. Pray for me!

In spite of all the crap going on, I managed to get some good stuff done this weekend. Monday, Dad and I went to see "Flight". It was a good movie. I could watch Denzel Washington do boring stuff all day and be happy. He was excellent in the movie...of course. I managed to get my laundry done in a timely manner, sort of. I took my coworker/friend grocery shopping. She made it fun, so it wasn't so much of a chore. I brought my chickens down from the other house, they got to run around and acquaint themselves with their new backyard. My dad wants some more now! He also said get some bunnies...I think not. I'm the one taking care of all the critters, house, full time job and him. I also figured out what was going on with his TV in the bedrooms and straightened that out. Now he has TV. I do too, but the programs I get to watch depend on what he is watching. I'll wait to switch mine out to the other type of cable he has. He's got three going on, don't ask! I can't figure that out and he doesn't remember. I have to do some research on what the heck!

I have two short weeks at work coming up. This is critical. It's open enrollment month and they have threatened that if we can't get 38 hours of work in per week they will drop our benefits. I'm not going to stay home from the funeral. I think that may come under a different heading. I have to go to the lake or risk my dad's life by not going and I had asked for one day to do that, so hopefully, I will have enough time to makeup with PTO. That is stressing me also. If they drop my benefits, I will go part time, the days I want to work and if that doesn't work for them, I walk and file a grievance. I'm that tired.

Better Days ahead...right?!?

A Decision Day

Finally! My sisters are coming over tomorrow evening to have a meeting with a real estate guy who has been working on selling a commercial building that my dad and another family owns. I've been after him to sell it for years. His business was in there for years, and when he and his partners retired they sold the business and leased out the building. When his partners started passing, I encouraged him to discuss selling the building, which has taken on the personality of a white elephant. GAH!
It sat relatively empty for a couple of years and then they had a few people try to lease it to no avail. The economy started slipping and this white elephant took on a life of it's own. Finally this guy picked up the task and started trying to sell it. It took THREE YEARS!
Story short: Tomorrow we are meeting with this long suffering RE guy to make a decision on what to do with the capital gains so they aren't capital gains and paying most of what is left of the sales in taxes. It will also be the first time my sisters and I are together with my Dad at his house. We were all together on the 14th of October for his 90th birthday, but we were entertaining all his friends and family, there wasn't much together conversations between us.
I'm excited.
I am settling in okay in my new(old) home. I really need to get my own bed moved down here. My back is killing me! I also want to get my chickens down here. I miss having them around. I'm sure in their own little birdbrain way they are wondering where the lady with the treats went. (Yeah, right!) My middle daughter is having friends in for Thanksgiving at my old house and they have a little two or three year old who is so looking forward to seeing the chickens. Daughter's friends are using my bed to sleep on. (The luckys) I will have to wait for both bed and chickens til after the holiday.
On my two days off this week I plan on getting my Dad's TV and mine hooked up properly to the dish network or cable or what ever we can get. There is also some banking that needs to be done, so he doesn't lose some funds. (I hate those 90 day checks). Dad has a tendency to leave things for tomorrow so as not to make un-necessary trips to town. The checks are piled up and I want to get them into his account instead of sitting in the file.
I also need to see when I can get in to see my doctor to get myself caught back up on all my own health things. (Not issues, I am fairly healthy, I just want to keep it that way!) I'd also like to throw in a pedicure. I think I deserve at least that!
There are so many little details to his life that he just didn't think about or maybe even know to do.
Someday this will all come together.
I am so thankful that I can do this. It means my Dad is still here with us and he and I are having a chance to get in some quality time. That is so important to me!
Love to you all!

One Full Week In

Today is the second Monday I have been in my "new" home, the house I grew up in and am now trading places in.
It used to be that my dad was the care giver. Now I am.
I am sad. For him. He has always been the strong go for it guy. He could build anything move anything make anything happen. Now he apologizes to me constantly about inconveniencing me. Um...No he's not!
I have changed my position in life. I have changed my position on earth. I have changed what I do on a daily basis. But I am not inconvenienced.
Tonight was the hardest night yet. His knees(s) don't want to be knees anymore. They want to be mush. I'm sure in his 90 years, he has given his knees a run for their money. Stuff like knees just don't last forever. Unfortunately. He was headed for bed and they decided that enough was enough and gave out. He called me in for help. Apologized several times for "inconveniencing" me and we worked on the new routine of getting to bed without the help of said knees.
Of course, since this is new to both of us and I have no medical training it was trial and error. With an emphasis on the error. We made it, he told me more than once that he wanted to give up and I told him more than once that he couldn't because we had to go shopping tomorrow and he was buying.
I now know that I really need to turn down the covers before we start an adventure like this. I also know that I need to find someplace that has classes on caring for aging parents. I can't just do this blindly. It's his life and I want it to be the best it can be without the frustration and lack of confidence in a care giver. I want him to feel good about being here every day that he can be here.

I'm not giving up Dad. You can't either.

A Tale of Two Households

Where do I start with this? The beginning is too long of a story. The middle is boring.  Starting at the right now, well, I will try.
Saturday we celebrated my Dad's 90th birthday! His birthday was actually Sunday, but for the convenience of ALL concerned Saturday was the day we partied. It was a wonderful day.  My Dad was all ready to go when I went by his house to help get him ready to go. He had shaved and found a good shirt and some nice slacks to wear. He hasn't tried this hard in a while. It made me feel good to see him feeling good.
The weather cooperated with our plans. Many friends old and new came by to wish him well, eat and drink to his health. It was a fun, fun day.
Now. Back to reality. Although his mind is sharp as a tack, his legs aren't working as well as they could. He uses a cane, could use a walker but refuses and has one of those electric carts to help him get the longer distances. He had a girlfriend living in his house with him, but they were just getting too old to take care of each other and she was having a hard time remembering meds and appointments, making her health go downhill. She called her kids and they have come and moved her back up to their home to take care of her there. Which leaves my Dad by himself in his house. Not fun for him, it gets lonely I am sure. Then there is the safety issue. If something happens, no one will know until we go by there after work. We don't want to take the chance with him, he is far too precious to us.
Therefore, I am moving in with him. At first it was kind of a conspiracy between my sisters and I. We decided he shouldn't be on his own, I don't want just anyone there with him and certainly we will not be moving him to a "home". Yes, there are wonderful ones available, but just not yet for Dad.  I was waiting for the appropriate time to talk to him about me moving in, and one day when I was there he just said, "Why don't you consider moving in here? We'll rent your house out."  I am okay with all but the renting my house out. My kids are still there and I won't be throwing them out any too soon. I still have animals that need to stay put, I won't have room for all my possessions, and I refuse to stuff them in storage for over a hundred bucks a month. That's a waste of money. My girls can stay here, pay me rent and keep the bills up. Just got to get Dad to agree. It's his house too.
I don't know when the big move is going to happen. His girlfriend still has a lot of furniture there and that needs to be taken or there's no room for my stuff.
So again I am off on another adventure. Life's funny with all its twists and turns. I am looking forward to this, with just a touch of hesitation.

What does it mean???

Just wondering. What does it mean when you came out of the grocery store to find a seagull standing on top of your car? He (it) stood there the whole time I was putting my groceries in the back of the truck and then while I unlocked the door, then while I snapped several pictures of it, a few at fairly close range. Then it stood there as I started the truck and I backed out of the parking space! I could hear it trying to stay standing as I was backing up! It finally flew off. What does that mean??? What does it mean when a Dragonfly is sitting over the price on the gas pump at 6:30 on a cold and foggy morning. I rarely ever see a Dragonfly in these parts. It's generally too cold. But this was was just chillin' at the station. I got pictures of that too. But...what does it mean??? What does it mean when you've taken some pictures of some strange behavior by critters and can't share those pictures because you've taken the pictures with your cell phone and have no clue how to get them off the phone??? What does it mean? I know. That last one means I have no proof of these strange acting critters!

10%

I have lost 10% of my weight! I am down 22.2 pounds now. Eight weeks. Tons of energy...no clothes that fit! What a problem! Ha Ha

Skipping time

I could probably skip now. I have done really good at my WeightWatchers program. I was so full of energy today. I don't want to question it, I don't want to second guess it. I like the energy. It's amazing, I haven't had this much energy in God knows how long!!! I lost another 4.2 pounds this week. Last week I didn't lose, but I didn't gain either, so that was good. I am down 17.8 pounds since the 12th of April!!!!! 7 weeks!!! I am so motivated, and getting more so every time I see the numbers go down. Even if they don't go down, I will still be motivated. I want off my meds, I am sick of paying for them, sick of trying to remember taking them every day and I want to eat grapefruit. Which I can't eat because of the cholesterol meds. Today, I did my laundry, washed dishes, swept the frontroom, changed the fuel filter on my truck (I crawled around under it on the driveway cement for about an hour, give or take), mowed the lawn, made my bed, took a shower, and cooked dinner. I have one load of laundry to fold and put away and then I hit the hay. I am pooped...but a lighter pooped!

I skipped a week

But I still lost! I was down 1.4 pounds the last time and this week I am down 4 pounds. I lost so much because I got back to work where you have to do stairs everytime you need to use the computers and I needed to use them a lot! I felt really excited about my weigh in this week! Now, I just have to get used to getting up at 5 every morning, because I have to get to work. My little "vacation" was great, but it taught me to get a lttle lazy.

I'm Shrinking!

WeightWatchers made me lose another 2.8 pounds! I can't find them anywhere! Oh well.. This makes 8.2 pounds since I started.

Little by little

Another 1.4 pounds down this week.

Disappearing Again...

I lost 4 pounds! Thank you WW!

Physical Therapy

My surgery was done on the 14th, I got my stitches out and arm checked on the 27th. Today I went to PT. The therapist is a very nice lady. She made sure she understood everything I do at work and what all that entails. Then set up an excersize program for the next two weeks. Understand that I have been blessed with no pain to speak of since surgery. Just little pangs here and there, but nothing to write home about. Now that this sweet physical therapist lady has gotten her digs in me, I hurt! I guess I left those rose colored glasses on a bit too long. It's not going to stop me from doing what I need to do. After all, there is nothing to do around here except play games on the computer, sleep or watch TV. The excersizes will give me something to do. If the weather holds up, I will be walking daily or twice daily from here on in. I need to make sure I am ready to stand for eight hours a day when I go back to work. At least I know now what I can and can't do while healing. That means I will be taking everything off my bookshelves in the frontroom and getting rid of stuff. I may even paint them. I don't care what color. It could be fun. Or not...but I won't go there yet! More later...

Surprise!

Yeah. I've been wanting to write, but about what? It's been far too long. Now that I am ever so slightly crippled, I write. I had a Carpal Release and Tennis elbow restrung. Or whatever they call that. My left arm is cast and in a sling. The right arm is free to do as it will. I'm off work for at least a few weeks, at most eight. The way I feel now, it won't be a lengthy time off. Cool in a way. I have had little to no pain. I took vicodin the first two days cause "they" said it would be best. My stomach disagreed, so I stopped and I'm fine. I'm hoping my OD will get home at a decent hour, so she can help me with a shower. That is all I want today. Hopefully, after I am all healed I can get back to my regularly scheduled program of weaving, quilting and all that fun stuff. So far, I have been looking at everyone else's stuff and drooling.