Now I really did it :((

[missy]

Good morning girls!

First of all Gypsy, I am so sorry about your mom's broken leg! That is just awful and I hope the surgery is successful and she fully recovers her mobility. Remember we have a few knowledgeable NIRDIs re broken legs so please don't hesitate to ask any questions for her or you. And I believe her not telling you till days after the fact. My parents used to pull that stuff too on us and it is frustrating beyond belief. So sorry sweetheart and I am sending lots of good thought and healing vibes to your mom for a successful outcome. I am glad to hear you are feeling a bit better and coming out of your funk and I like what Rainwood wrote to you. Just get moving step by step and the rest will follow. Big (((HUGS))) to you and your mom and I hope you have a good visit with her today. Please tell her she has lots of people rooting for her who she doesn't even know. And again use us because we have some experience in this area.

Junie, woke up thinking about your mom and I hope she continues to improve and stabilize and that her move to rehab goes well. HUGS and healing dust continuing to be sent your mom's way. And more (((HUGS))) to you.

Rainwood, I was so happy to read you had AC and hot water and then got to the part about the septic tank. That really sucks.
You have had more than your fair of crap (sorry couldn't resist) there and deserve an uninterrupted weekend at the island! I am glad you had a nice weekend up till then and that you enjoyed dinner out with a friend and a good movie.

A big yes on results depending on the customer service rep you end up chatting with on the phone. That happens often and that is why when at first I don't succeed I try try again. You are right it's customer service roulette. I like that term. It is scary that so much depends on whom you are speaking with as it should be a uniform answer and outcome but often it is not. I am glad you got the Verizon plan you want and need for your European adventure. Sweet success!

Yay on a productive work week and for work being interesting and involving. I love when work makes you think and holds your attention in a good way because then it is enjoyable and a pleasure even when you are working hard. Like a hobby that engages you. And the time before your trip will go quickly so before you know it you will be enjoying your international adventures!

How is your straw doggie doing? Did you name her yet? Oh and we have 3 males 1 female. My fault for confusing you because her full name is Francesca (actually her full name is Her Royal Highness Francesca, Princess of all who live and have ever lived and will ever live, Ruler of the universe and it goes on and on but I will shorten it for sanity's sake lol). But we call her Frankie so it can be confusing to those who don't know she is Francesca a girl and not Frank a boy. Sorry for the confusion. And she is the queen bee here let me tell you. Fred, Tommy and Bobby bow to her and treat her like the princess she is.


Marcy, glad you are having sweet dreams about your new car. I am excited for you and it is indeed a beautiful car and I too would be super excited. So happy for you that this beauty is coming your way! Yay for a clean house and enjoying a lovely day out yesterday. Glad taking the food allergy med works for you when eating some of your verboten foods. I cheat obviously when I have ice cream and so far only have a bit of discomfort so I am glad I can enjoy it a few times a week when we are at the beach house. I never have dairy etc when I am in the city only when we are cycling here and so far so good. It is worth it. So far. 92 is hot but glad it was dry for you and sounds like you are enjoying a lovely weekend. Hope you have a good Sunday!

Scandi, my kitties love you so don't worry. LOL yes that photo does look like they are first meeting but cats sniff each other like that (I think dogs do too) when they are greeting each other. They all get along so well that sometimes I cannot believe it as they were all adopted at different times and people tell me that when you have 4 introduced at all different times you can run into trouble. So I am thankful and happy they are all so great together.

I LOVE your newest photo additions. The scenery looks like a fairy tale. So ethereal and serene and gorgeous. Plus with you and F in the photos the beauty is plentiful. Really gorgeous photos, thank you. I love the puzzle your children finished. Wow and please tell them I sid kudos! And thank you for that extra chandelier pic. I really love it and the contrast you were going for is successful. That's right. You can have both rustic and glamorous elegance at the same time.


Jimmianne, enjoy the art reception this morning and concert later. Sounds like fun and cannot wait to hear how it went. And I know you are bring Ish right? I bet she is loving being worn and adored.


I hope everyone has a good Sunday and as always sending lots of good thoughts everyone's way especially our NIRDI moms who are recuperating from health problems and accidents. (((HUGS))) to everyone.

 

[LLJsmom]

Gypsy, I am so sorry about your mom's accident. How painful and traumatic for her, and you. I hope the trip goes as smoothly and well as it can, and that your mom has the care of good doctors and therapists.

Missy, thank you for those lovely pictures. I do wish we could have a cat again. But DH is just not mentally comfortable because of his allergies. I know the kids would just love them. LOVE. They are so sweet and loving and easy. How is Greg doing today?

Scandi, thanks for the awesome pics of the hike and your lovely doggie. That one with the sleepy look is hilarious. Looks like my son. And I do love the chandelier in your log cabin. It works. Perfect place for it.

Rainwood, so sorry so many things going on that need your attention. I know the feeling. And about the crime in the neighborhood. I feel ya. My two neighbors across the street and my next door neighbor got broken into, next door just a couple of days ago. Got me pretty shaken. I have been on the rampage, taking steps and figuring out the additional precautions we are going to take. I'm not gonna sit around and wait for it to happen to me. If you have any ideas, please feel free to share. Oh, yeah, about sewage and drainage, we have that going on too. Depressing so I don't even want to get into the details.

Marcy, I'm really excited about your car too. Our oldest one is almost 15 years old, but it's still running and we have it. OMG. I am too cheap to buy a new car. I kinda feel bad. Well, at least I get to see yours. Too bad there is no way to send a smell over the internet. I love NEW CAR SMELL.

Jimmianne, I hope you enjoyed your art reception and concert. Sounds like a lovely way to spend the day and night. Just wonderful, and peaceful. How is everything going at the new house? And I love your new ring. I love black on jewelry. It makes such a statement. So bold and chic. Hope you can wear it a lot.

CJ, thanks for the encouragement about the cleaning. My DH actually made it to the dump yesterday. I got to Goodwill. I cannot explain to you how happy I was. I was so stressed about having all that stuff and I kept feeling I would never be able to get rid of it. But it happened!! I do have so much more to go. However, now after actually getting rid of stuff, I know it is possible. Now I will have room to look through my boxes. I haven't even started on the stuff that I have in storage. This was just all GARBAGE.

I'm just going to rant a little bit about STUFF accumulation. We had old paint, huge TV boxes, glass bottles, candle holders, plastic bags, paper bags, tools, vinyl floor tiles from 20 years ago, broken water filters, all stuff that was sitting around in our garage collecting cobwebs and dust. It looked disgusting. Do you guys mind telling me? Do you all get rid of stuff right away? Do you let it sit in case you need it? So we kept lots of carpet from 10 years ago when we put it in. I am glad we kept it because our stair case carpet is gross and now we can just replace it. But I am amazed at the people who can keep an uncluttered house. HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE? I am going to have to get that book that AZ mentioned. I forgot the name.

Sorry, one more question. Now that we have so many things delivered, I have so much more boxes to recycle and styrofoam. How do you guys handle this on a regular basis? My garbage and recycle won't fit it all every week. I wonder if people go to the dump regularly, like once a quarter. I may need to.

After we got rid of all that SH!T, I relaxed enough to play pictionary with my kids. I never do that. I'm amazed myself. This clutter has really been dragging me down.

 

[junebug17]

Hi everyone! I'm too far behind to catch up completely but I think I can hit the highlights -

A big thank you for all your support and good wishes! - just a quick update…things were looking a bit dire on Friday and the doctors didn't seem optimistic about my mother recovering but she has since stabilized and her numbers are better with regard to the pancreatitis, a fib and CO2 and O2 levels…she is extremely weak to the point of not being about to feed herself, walk, get out of bed, hold a cup, etc. She is being sent to rehab on Tuesday to hopefully regain some strength. I am concerned that I will not be able to care for her properly in my home in this weakened condition. It's unknown at this point how much strength and stamina she will regain so we just have to wait and see.

Missy, I'm glad you're having a good week at the beach. It's great that Greg's wrist is improving and you guys can go for bike rides. Ice cream is a great reward for all your hard work lol. Love the pics of your sweet kitties, it's wonderful that they get along so well.

Gypsy, I'm sorry to read you've been struggling these past days. I understand, and it's hard to pull out of it sometimes. Glad to see you're starting to feel a bit better. We are here for you. I am SO sorry to hear about your mother's injury. I hope she's managing ok, this is major at any age but even tougher for older people. Sending lots of healing dust and good wishes to her.

Sharon, thinking of your mother as well, I hope she's recovering and feeling better with each passing day.

Scandi, great pics of the gorgeous scenery! Love the pic of your sleepy doggie. The chandeliers are amazing.

Jimmianne, I LOVE your ring!! It is just gorgeous, a beautiful mix of old and new and so pretty from every angle. I love how the onyx makes the asscher pop. You must be enjoying the heck out of it!

Marcy, I'm so excited about your new car! And I'm happy that you're so excited lol. I can't wait for you to get it.

LLJsmom, you sound very busy, hang in there…good for you for cleaning out your house, I desperately need to do that as well.

Rainwood, sounds like you have a lot going on as well. Good luck with everything and I'm so glad you have your trip to look forward to. Sorry about the issues with Verizon, it's very frustrating and you do get different responses depending on who you talk to. I hate that. I'm sorry your trips to the island are constantly thwarted! You really do deserve to be able to go there and have a restful and pleasant stay.

CJ, thank you for your kindness! A few of the nirdi mothers are definitely having a bit of a rough time right now.

I know I've missed a lot but wanted to check in with my dear NIRDIS! Again, thank you so much for the good thoughts and support - Hope everyone is having a great Sunday!

 

[marcy]

Hi NIRDIs!

Rainwood, I will probably be battling Marty for who gets to use my car. I hope you find someone to clean your house. I don’t regret for one minute having someone clean for me. I would ask around for recommendations of a good house cleaner. If you can find someone who cleans on the side rather than going through a service their hourly fees should be less. I am sure going to try your 3 day rule. You sound very busy at work; good luck with all of that. Your trip planning will take care of itself. That is scary about houses being burglarized while occupied. I am glad your group is making plans on dealing with it. The potluck sounds fun. What a hassle with Verizon. LOL to Customer Service Roulette - that is spot on. Marty has an international plan but it still costs us for data and calls just less. If that is what you got I recommend you pay them about $600 before you go - they freak out about your bill and start asking for immediate payment or we’ll shut your service off. The roaming data really sucks up your data allowance. I am glad you’ve got your birthday vacation planned as well as a wine / culinary trip. Darn it that you are have more issues with you place on the island. That is so frustrating.

Gypsy, I am so sorry to hear about your mom. Hugs to you and her. I am sending her speedy recovery wishes. I am glad you are feeling better too.

Scandinavian, I love the tiger puzzle and of course your huge beautiful diamond looks awesome. I like to work on puzzles when Marty travels. That is a good deal you guys have 2 cars and you can take whichever one you want. Marty has his truck and then the car is mine / ours. I think he’ll change his mind on the Porsche. Marty gets up way earlier than me and we will both have keys so hopefully he’ll be on some conference call and I can just leave for work. Ha! It’s definitely a great idea to have glamour at your cabin. I love that your furbaby has her own chair.

Jimmianne, over 4 months to wait for my car is going to be torture for me. I’ll be talking to teddy bears and imagining killer rabbits calling me names and stuff. Your international plan with Sprint sounds very reasonable. Verizon works the best in our neck of the woods. It’s funny how different services have their best spots. Can they hear us now? How was the art reception? I hope the concert tonight is nice.

Missy, I am glad you can enjoy ice cream when you are cycling at the beach house. It makes for a special treat and hopefully the side effects aren’t too bad. It’s 96 here today then we are cooling off this week. How is Greg’s wrist today? Are you guys staying at the beach until tomorrow?

LLJsmom, I hate to hear you have break-ins so close to you as well. That’s great your cars are still going strong. They should have a candle that smells like a new car. That is great you guys got things to the Goodwill and the dump. It’s a good feeling for sure. We were both awful at keeping crap at our old house. We’d buy a new toaster but hey we better keep the old one in case we don’t like it. The old one would go down stairs and honestly never got thrown out until we moved. We filled 3 big construction bins when we moved. We are better in our new house but Marty sure tends to keep clutter and things he might need. I wish I knew how to fix it. A lot of stores here have recycle bins for cardboard boxes, etc to get rid of things.

Junebug, that’s good to hear your mom has stabilized but very sorry to shear she is so weak. I am glad they are sending her to a rehab place to work with her on her strength. Hugs to her and you. I am sending get better dust her way. All of you are in my thoughts.

Today I am trying to determine how I will find the patience to wait until my car will be made, shipped, trucked and finally delivered. Patience is not one of my strong suits. I keep asking Marty how long away is the end of October? He keeps telling me I can do the math.

I got all my laundry done, the lines washed and changed, new towels out - starting the week out on a clean note anyway.

Have a great day.
Marcy

 

[Gypsy]

I am taking steps and starting to come out of it, I promise. I have a therapy session tomorrow and that should help too. I see my therapist in general once a week, but because of the holiday we skipped last week, and actually I really needed to talk to her. Thank you all for your supportive posts and your friendship.

Saw my mom today. She's, well she's a freaking mess, if I'm being honest. Going through my mom's medical history would result in a post that would rival War and Peace. But she has osteoporosis and had a series of spinal fusions that were... well, the first one went beyond poorly and the rest were to fix that one and even when they fixed what they could she was unstable when walking to say the least and partially paralyzed in one leg. And, she was on narcotics for a long time and developed a dependency. Then she had to go to treatment to fix that which she described as the hardest thing she has ever done. So... she has osteoporosis, broke her thigh bones in 5 places because she never listens ('don't get marble floors in every room in the house, mom, they are too hard" so she got marble floors, "use your walker mom" wouldn't use walker), they had to delay the surgery because of the blood thinners she was on, and then couldn't find her veins so she's bruised all over and has non-IV lines all over, on MORPHINE, with so many pins in her legs she actually (didn't know how many there were. That's on top of an all metal fused spine, two metal hips (not her first fall, still doesn't use walker or cane), and a metal plate in her head.

And if I had to admit. I am still, years later, angry at her because of that first spinal surgery. Why? Because my mother is VAIN. It was elective to fix a slight bump in her spine (not bad at all), the first 4 surgeons she asked to do it told her they absolutely would not, so she found one with a God Complex who was 'excited' to do something 'others wouldn't even attempt' because of her osteoporosis and it went so badly she almost died three times, put our entire family through hell for over 2 years and permanently damaged herself and got a wonderful narcotic addiction out of it too.

And she still has NEVER freaking learned to LISTEN to the rest of us. Don't have the surgery mom, you are beautiful you don't need it and it's too risky. So she has the freaking surgery. Don't get marble floors mom, you have osteoporosis it's a bad idea. Gets the damned marble floors. Walk with a walker mom. Or a cane. Nope. Why? Her damned vanity again.

And I KNOW she's paying for it all herself. She's been through hell. But she never EVER EVER thinks of us. Doesn't ever think of what she puts us through. She's just so damned selfish and so freaking vain.

So... this just turned into a rant. Sorry. I am shaking as I am typing I am so angry at her. I know I am being the opposite of empathetic and and making this all about me, when she is the hospital but... but... but... but nothing. It is what it is.

I'll just end it here. Sorry, I'll try again tomorrow... well, tomorrow is a bad day I have 3 appointments. So I'll try on Tuesday.

Thank you to anyone who made it through that and sorry for the self absorbed post. I promise to be a better friend next time.

 

[Scandinavian]

Gypsy, I'm so sorry about you mom. I don't think you are self absorbed. I think you are really worried about her. So I'm not going to give you any advice because I don't have any. So just going to send you tons of hugs instead. And tell you about a time when I was really mad at my dad. He was out sailing on his own during his summer holiday. And so about a week's sailing away from home, he fell on the pier one day and dislocated his shoulder. Called an ambulance? Nope. Doctor? Nope. Me? Nope. Anyone there in any of the other hundreds of boats? Nope. Took his other arm and pushed it into place himself? Yes. Sailed the boat home himself? Yes. Idiot? Yes. The hospital at home mad at him when I forced him to go there? Yes. Caused such a big fight, I was so mad at him. Typical of him, though. I grew up this way, lol. Pulled out a nail that he had stepped on that went straight through his foot when I was 5 maybe... the list goes on an on. Parents are what they are, for good and bad, and it's ok to be mad at them every once in a while.

Tons of hugs Gypsy. It will be ok somehow.

 

[Scandinavian]

Picture from yesterday's hike

 

[Scandinavian]

Junebug, life can sire be difficult sometimes. I can only hope that this resolves fast and in the best way possible. You so don't deserve this right now, and I'm so sorry for your mom too. Tons of get well and best wishes you way! Please try not to worry. What will come will come and you will deal with it when it does.

 

[missy]

Good morning girls.

Gypsy, your post is not self absorbed and I agree with Scandi. You are sick with worry over your mom and it is clear you love her and are terribly upset and worried about what she has been and continues to go through. I am so sorry honey and please don't beat yourself up about how you are feeling. Getting it out, venting, and doing whatever you have to do to work it through and deal with what is happening is important. Not bottling it up inside and letting it eat away at you. We are here to listen and support you however we can and please don't apologize or feel you have to address us and our posts here. Seriously this is a safe place to cry and vent and get love and support and let us listen and for you to be heard. Whatever we can do.

I am so sorry about your mom and am hoping her recuperation goes as well as possible and that she comes through this stronger and healthier emotionally and physically and that you do too. Big hugs and much love being sent your way and healing vibes to your mom.

Good luck with your appointments today and again I want to stress don't worry about us. We are here when you want us to be and there is no pressure on you to respond, post etc. We are here for you whenever/wherever and however we can be. I hope all goes well today. (((HUGS))).

Junie, it is a relief your mom is stabilized and improving and I hope rehab goes well for her and that she recovers her mobility, strength and is able to come back to your house and live with you as planned. Sending hugs and healing vibes your and your mom's way.

LLJsmom, so glad you are getting rid of the clutter and feeling free inside because of it. That is an amazing feeling and I am glad you are reaping the rewards of all your hard work cleaning and decluttering. Who won the Pictionary game?

Marcy, the months will go by quickly and soon you will be in your beautiful sapphire car. Sounds like you accomplished a lot yesterday and good for you. It is nice to start the week fresh and clean. Sometimes it feels like a losing battle (for me that is) and I just want to give up but Greg keeps me honest haha. He just needs a clean house and if it were up to him we would have our cleaning people at both homes every week. That is too expensive for me though. Beach house cleaning crew is coming Thursday (we won't be here) and Brooklyn cleaning person is coming next Thursday. And just in time LOL. I have lots of laundry to fold once we get back to Brooklyn as I put it off all week but have been folding all the beach house laundry each day as I do a load a day here but in Brooklyn it is just once a week and I do the laundry from there here where we have our own washers and dryers and because we were away all week we are bringing it back with us unfolded. OK that was too long an explanation. Sorry.


Scandi, how did Monday get here so quickly? I relate to your story about your dad. Both my parents are incredibly stubborn but I will share another time. Love your photo from your hike yesterday.


We had a lovely bike ride yesterday but when we got back I had a huge raised rash on several places on my left leg. IDK if some of you remember the rashes I endured last summer with no diagnosis but it's back. It wasn't even that hot yesterday at all. It was in the low 80s and not humid. The rash stings and is quite ugly and raised and worrisome just because I don't have a diagnosis. If it is PMLE (something I have been diagnosed with years ago but this looks different and my derm doesn't know) I am supposed to avoid the sun and if I don't it can become much worse and much more difficult to heal. Good luck to me and cycling then right? So it's a quandary. Do we stay and cycle today or leave for Brooklyn because I am afraid of making the rash worse. Not sure what we are doing yet. I hate giving in and giving up and it seems a cruel twist of fate the one activity I love doing might become too risky for me to continue doing. Pity party over.
I know I am lucky and compared to 2 years ago I have NOTHING to complain about. At all. Thanks for listening.

Have a good Monday girls. Hugs and love to everyone.

 

[MarionC]

Gypsy, my Mom was like that. Like the song goes, she did it her way. [and we paid]. She was so unhappy with herself, but she was only doing what she thought would make her more loveable, or complete, or fix something inside. Kind of hard to see that when your parent is driving you crazy!
My feeling is that the only way we can find true happiness in life is to practice acceptance.
In fact, inside my new ring is one word, the meaning of which is, loosely translated, "whatever". : )

When my vet was out to see Pom last week she asked me what I liked about myself. Ah..a trick question, yes? I thought about it and didn't feel like tearing myself down into likeable and not-likeable parts, so I said "everything!". My body works [mostly], my brain works [in it's own way], and I'm accepting the fact that I am aging, knowing that I can still be beautiful when I smile. I know that because I have seen elderly women MADE of wrinkles who are glowing & gorgeous human beings. Sometimes I don't actually feel that way, but I can't change the things I don't care for, so I accept them and then I can get the good energy flowing. I like myself. Period. Don't think any more about it. Period. One less thing to worry about lol.

My vet said, would you believe that this question was asked of hundreds of women in a survey and they could not name one thing they like about themselves? Pretty horrible.
Especially when you realize that each of us is a unique and beautiful human being.
Like the NIRDI goddesses, for example.

My Mom was pretty awful, but compassion saved me from hating her, although I had my moments! haha

I wish you well, and wish you some peace with your Mom. What's going on now sounds absolutely awful for both of you.
Courage, dear Gypsy.

 

[MarionC]

Missy, you must stop typing faster than I do! I insist lol
now to read your morning post and catch up in general.

 

[missy]

Jimmianne, I love what you wrote and I love what Ish means too. Thank you for your wise words and I agree.
True happiness is accomplished by acceptance and loving ourselves and our perceived imperfections. I have many physical imperfections but that is OK. I have an able body and strong emotional ties and people I love who love me. We are all ahead of the game as far as I am concerned.

 

[MarionC]

Yay, Missy!

Now if we can figure out why you are getting that rash...
is it only when biking? could you have an allergy to the stretchy stuff in your riding tights? [so where you get friction rubs the molecules get under your skin??]

Marcy, let's all go to Germany and hound the mechanics. Do you think they would let us in the factory to help?
I may be more excited about this car than you are. haha

June, you are in the thick of it. I am so sorry. Sending you love across the miles.

 

[missy]

Jimmianne, the rash this time is on my left calf where there was no clothing at all. I wore my spinnakers yesterday which go right to the knee leaving the whole calf exposed. I had sunblock protecting any exposed skin. Thanks for brainstorming. I wasn't even hot as it was not humid and comfortable yesterday and so far yes it has only ever occurred during my bike rides but not at all this year so why now? Last year it occurred during the summer months as well but don't remember when it started though it feels like it started before July last year. I know in a sense I am allergic to the darn sun but this is ridiculous.

One of my deep dark fears is that I am developing a true intolerance for the UV rays and I will become a prisoner inside with dark UV protective shades blocking out all the sun. It is a real disease that exists and it terrifies me. I have shared this fear with my derm and he says don't worry but he doesn't specifically say it is impossible for me to get this disease.

OK back to the light. Out dark thoughts and in happy thoughts. Hugs to Puffy boy and Pom and all your furry crew. They make me smile and I am so happy they are all doing well!

 

[LLJsmom]

Gypsy, I echo Missy and everyone here. No judgement. Rant as you want and need. ((((Hug)))). I can't imagine your frustration and anger and worry about your mom. I would feel the same way. I'm so sorry you are going through this. One day at a time. If at all possible, save a little bit of that care and love for yourself. (((Hug)))

 

[missy]

Hey there NIRDIs. Just checking in with everyone and I hope your Monday is going smoothly.
We decided to stay today and went for a very lovely bike ride this morning. The temperature is perfect with a cool east breeze. A top 10 weather day and we just had to stay. Right now Greg is working from home and I am hanging out with him in the backyard. Working like this doesn't suck. Hugs to all you girls. And Kristie, get better so I can yell at you. LOL you bad girl.

Look at how pretty the clouds are and if only we could always work from home.

 

[missy]

 

[MarionC]

Missy, what a beautiful view of the city. wow. and it looks so peaceful on your side of things. What an idyllic spot for Greg to work.

and as for the cats - when does your cat storage unit arrive? lol

LLJs : )

 

[azstonie]

Gypsy. *You* are not self absorbed. You are the daughter of a self-absorbed mother. You have not adopted this trait.

They don't accept reality. They want what they want, when they want it, and they are relentless even as the failures and damage accumulate.

Live *your* life.

 

[marcy]

Hi NIRDIs!

Gypsy, I am glad you are doing better. I hate to hear your mom has had such a challenging and difficult medical history. That is too bad for all of you she resisted everyone’s advice about elective surgery and wound up with so many complications from the surgery. I know the older my parents got the more stubborn they became; all we can do is offer them suggestions and support and hope for the best. You are welcome to vent here anytime. I hope tomorrow is a far better day for you. Hugs to you.

Scandinavian, your dad sounds exactly like my dad was. Stubborn and self-sufficient. They don’t want to slow down or admit they need help. Your Furbaby looks like a model with her ears in the breeze on your hike. Very cool!

Missy, I guess we have to remember that our houses are to live in not be spotless. Sometimes Marty leaves no doubt he lives here. Does your Brooklyn home have washers and dryers in the building you can use? I try to do one batch of laundry on Wednesday night then the rest on the weekend. When I working 2 jobs I tried to do laundry every other day to stay on top of things. Oh no for those rashes coming back. How frustrating and worrisome for you. I wish the dermatologist could figure out how to get rid of your skin problems. Hugs to you. Greg’s office has a terrific view from the beach house. Love the crazy cat lady organizer. The cat “descriptors” are cute.

Jimmianne, I love that you put a word in your new ring that means “whatever”. That is great. There was a point in my life I calmed myself down by telling myself “oh well.” We have to find what works for us and makes us happy. What an odd and very direct question from your vet and definitely a difficult one to answer. I think you nailed it though and that is wonderful you like yourself. A trip to Germany to encourage and help speed up the production of my car would be fabulous. I can bribe them with cookies too. I am delighted to hear you are excited for my new car with me; we can be excited together. You can help keep me from going bonkers. (I know Marty would say “too late”.)

LLJsmom, definitely one day at a time. It’s a wise way to live.

Kristie, how are you doing? We were in the 90’s this weekend but I kept telling myself this is nothing like what you live with this time of year.

My Porsche post excitement peak is waning and I don’t see how I am ever going to be able to wait for 4 months (or more). I can’t amuse myself with new jewelry either because my goal is to save money by the time my car gets here - wish me luck. Of course another goal is to be thin and rich. So starting this Thursday and every 2 weeks you should nag at me - Marcy did you move money to savings?

Speaking of cars we got the renewal notice for Marty’s pickup license plates and I noticed it just has Marty’s name on it. Of course Marty thinks it’s funny but that will require a trip to the county clerk’s office.

Work started off with excitement - my team scheduled some things incorrectly. I got that fixed then resisted being Gordon Ramsey on the people who scheduled it and verified it. The work load is super light for 3 days so my work was done by 10. I had to schedule some things in the testbed for someone and couldn’t remember my password so I tried every password I generally use so by the time I got back to the main server I couldn’t remember my current password. I completely locked myself out of my PC and then couldn’t get back in to our applications. 2 plus hours later I finally had all of my passwords reset. Good thing we weren’t busy today.

It’s super smokey here again. There are 3 fires going in Colorado. They arrested 2 guys for one of them because they left a campfire going.

Have a great evening.
Curby

 

[Calliecake]

Gypsy, OMG I am so sorry. I can't believe all you are going thru. You are NOT self absorbed. Please vent all you want and get this out. My mother is extremely stubborn too and it drives me insane. I pretty much just keep my mouth shut because I just end up mad and frustrated. She won't listen to anything and all her common sense is just gone. Sounds familiar doesn't it. I can only imagine how frustrated you are feeling right now. I hope tomorrow is a better day for you. Hugs, Hugs, Hugs.

Junebug, I've been thinking of you and hoping your mom is improving. I also help you are taking care of yourself. Will she still be going to the rehab facility tomorrow?

Missy, I love the pictures of the beach and the cat jokes. Your next present from me may be coming from Ikea. Wouldn't it be perfect if each feral had they own cube to take a nap in each day! If Greg has to work, this is the best office possible. What a beautiful view and if he doesn't like what they are telling him on the phone he has the option of throwing the phone in the water. Win Win!!!

Scandi, I love seeing the pictures you post. Especially of your baby! Do you have the chandelier you posted? It's beautiful! It looks perfect and so pretty with the wood ceiling. I can only imagine how gorgeous your home is. You have very good taste!

JImmianne, Your new ring is very cool. I'm glad Pom is doing well.

Marcy, I can't wait for you to get your new car!!!

Kristie, Are you feeling better? Has your voice returned???? What they heck did you come down with?

Rainwood, How is the new dog doing? Our neighbors had a party last night and decided midnight on a Sunday night was a good time to turn the stereo up. Nothing better than having your walls shake from the music at midnight. Of course that woke the dog up and got her barking like crazy. The straw dog seemed like a really good idea!

 

[marcy]

Callie, that would be funny to send Missy the cat organizer complete with the names of our favorite Soda gang. I like it. How rude of your neighbors to crank up stereo last night. Is this the same neighbor that burned your tree and oops forgot to mention it to you? I can't wait for my car either. It seems impossibly a long time away.

 

[MarionC]

Hi Callie : ), what are you up to this week?

Marcy, so Marty is trying to steal the family truck? Keep this in mind when he wants to drive the Porsche!
I have the same thing with the house, waitwaitwait. Except there is no one to bribe with cookies to speed things up.
Our future selves will be so happy we bought them presents, but our NOW selves don't get a darned thing! haha

 

[missy]

Good morning girls!

Jimmianne and Callie, haha nice try. Send me the IKEA Kitty Cube and I will be more than happy to parcel the little kitties out to you both. Allergies are just an excuse we all know. And anyway the soda gang is hypoallergenic didn't I tell you?

Marcy, oh no, you don't need any more excitement at work. And I LOLd when you wrote about forgetting all your passwords for work because that will be me tomorrow. I will have been away for 12 days by the time I get back to work tomorrow and you know I am not going to remember all the passwords. It's like Fort Knox at work with all the passwords it takes to get into the EMR LOL. I am glad it was a slow workday for you so the mess up with the passwords didn't affect your work too much. Sorry your team messed up again and hopefully the scheduling is on point now and the rest of your workweek will go smoothly.

We do have a laundry room in the basement of the building where we live in Brooklyn and Greg does all our laundry there as I don't like going to the basement. It is creepy. Plus I don't know how to use those silly machines. They are card operated and not straight forward. Sure I could learn but Greg doesn't mind doing the laundry when we are in Brooklyn. He is way more social than I am anyway and I am never in the mood to be running into random people having to make small talk while doing the laundry. I so love having our own machines at the beach house. One washer and dryer next to the MBR upstairs and one washer and dryer in the basement here too so often we are running 2 loads at a time because we wash towels separate from our bike clothes so having 2 washers and dryers come in handy. Greg takes care of the basement wash at the beach house too. LOL I guess I just don't like basements.

I am sorry you have to fix the confusion about the license plates. It's always something. By my calculations Marcy you don't have 4 months to wait but less. Mid October is 3 months away. Am I wrong about when you are hoping the car will be ready? If it arrives late October that is only 3 and a half months away. So the time is already flying by. Of course I don't want summer to fly by because it is already going too fast.

Oh no about the fires in Colorado. I am glad they caught (at least some of) the arsonists. What a terrible act.

Callie, I am sorry you and I have so much in common re inconsiderate people. Hoping there are no more midnight home concerts and hoping they stop making their gas fire so close to your property. Like I told you yesterday I would 100% have your DH go over there and speak to them. They seem clueless and not malicious so you are ahead of the game there and I think that would be the best move. Easier to prevent a problem (i.e. burning of your property) than fix one after the damage is already done.

Haha yes it is a beautiful place to take his conference calls. Outside no less. I would have been worried they could hear the waves but he had it on mute most of the call expect for when he was giving his input. Brave man because those waves were making some noise yesterday. Very relaxing for sure. I am sad we are leaving this morning to go back to reality and I hope I don't find any unwelcome surprises. Whenever we are away for a long time you just never know what problems you are going to find.


Gypsy, I hope your appointments went well yesterday and you are feeling better and I hope your mom is doing better. (((HUGS))).

Junie, good luck to your mom today. I hope the rehab place works wonders with her and that she keeps improving. (((HUGS))).

Sharon, I am thinking of you and your mom too and hope she is getting better. (((HUGS))) to you too.


Leaving you girls with a few more funny cat shares hoping they will make you smile.
Have a good day girls.

OK the diary came out too small. Here you go.

DOG diary

8:00 am - Dog food! My favourite thing!
9:30 am - A car ride! My favourite thing!
9:40 am - A walk in the park! My favourite thing!
10:40 am - Got rubbed and petted! My favourite thing!
12:00 pm - Milk bones! My favourite thing!
1:00 pm - Played in the yard! My favourite thing!
3:00 pm - Wagged my tail! My favourite thing!
5:00 pm - Dinner! My favourite thing!
7:30 pm - Got to play ball! My favourite thing!
8:00 pm - Wow! Watched TV with the people! My favourite thing!
11:00 pm - Sleeping on the bed! My favourite thing!


CAT diary

Day 972 of my captivity.
My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects. They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while the other inmates and I are fed hash or some sort of dry nuggets. Although I make my contempt for the rations perfectly clear, I nevertheless must eat something in order to keep up my strength.

The only thing that keeps me going is my dream of escape. In an attempt to disgust them, I once again vomit on the carpet. Today I decapitated a mouse and dropped its headless body at their feet. I had hoped this would strike fear into their hearts, since it clearly demonstrates my capabilities. However, they merely made condescending comments about what a "good little hunter" I am. Evil People!!



Day 973 of my captivity.
There was some sort of assembly of their accomplices tonight. I was placed in solitary confinement for the duration of the event. However, I could hear the noises and smell the food. I overheard that my confinement was due to the power of "allergies." I must learn what this means, and how to use it to my advantage.

Day 974 of my captivity.
Two workmen came to the house today. As they rested after strengthening the interior of my confines, I sat on one, gently hooking my claws into their clothing. My plan was to cling on until they left, thus escape with them under the cover of their departure. The other workman went outside first and came back smelling strangely after something called a "cigarette". Curses! I'd picked the wrong one! I heard they are coming back again in another week. I will repeat my escape attempt then.

Day 975 of my captivity.
Today I was almost successful in an attempt to assassinate one of my tormentors by weaving around his feet as he was walking. I must try this again tomorrow, but at the top of the stairs. I am convinced that the other prisoners here are flunkies and snitches. The dog receives special privileges. He is regularly released, and seems to be more than willing to return. He is obviously retarded.

The bird must be an informant. I observe him communicate with the guards regularly. I am certain that he reports my every move. My captors have arranged protective custody for him in an elevated cell, so he is safe. For now......

 

[marcy]

Hi NIRDIs!

Jimmianne, you read my mind - I told Marty this morning 2 can play that game - my Porsche will be in my name only. Ha! I love what you said about our future selves will be so glad we bought ourselves presents. That will be me going for awhile. I am going to try and pay off my cookie debt this weekend.

Missy, it must have been rough returning to work after being off 12 days. Did you remember your passwords? That is great to hear Greg takes care of the laundry when it’s in the basement. Good deal for you! I bet you enjoy having 2 washers at the Beach house. I am sure that comes in handy. I hope I do get my car in 3 months but Oct. 21st is scheduled for delivery to the U.S.. I guess once it goes in to production they give you a better estimate and then that month long voyage to the U.S. will be painful. I am not wishing the summer away. Really. I wonder if I can rent out a weather satellite to keep track of where that big old cargo ship is now? How is your rash today? The one fire that was started by the camp fire is 25% contained. The big one continues to grow and has moved in to Wyoming as well. The keep saying it may not be out until October. You can really see smoke and haze just looking off in the distance here. I love your cat and dog jokes. I always enjoy reading the dog vs cat journal. Those are so funny.

Junebug, Sharon and Gypsy - thinking of all of you ladies and your moms.

I still have a splitting headache so when one of my “deflector” employees sent me an email today requesting that I ask someone at corporate to quit sending us “inquired” schedules because they entered one a few weeks ago I forwarded that email to the entire team and said - I can ask him not to send us inquiries but that is part of running that email folder is reading through what they want and handle it appropriately. Don’t be a deflector around me when I have a headache. Ha!

I left work at 3 to go talk to an insurance agency. Looks like I can get better coverage with a lower premium for our home owners insurance; I am staying with our current auto and RV insurance but it will all be handled down the street.

We had our neighborhood community picnic tonight. Marty always sets up our 15 x 30 foot tent for them to use so he as over there early helping out. It is super smokey so I stayed about 3 hours before I came home. My eyes were burning and I smelled like smoke so I took a shower when I got home. Marty stayed to help tear down and of course get his tent.

Tomorrow our entire department is going to see the new Independence Day at 2 then we get the rest of the day off. Free popcorn and a movie. Sweet.

Take care.
Marcy

 

[Gypsy]

Thanks so much guys. I've read all your posts and I appreciate them greatly. My therapist echoed what you all said about my feelings about my mom's health-- that I am angry because I am worried about her and I love her... and anger is just how that fear is expressing itself, which makes me feel better. I AM worried about her. She and my step dad have such a difficult relationship. And she's a complete and utter pain in the neck and SO IS HE. But they need each other, I think. I just don't think they appreciate that and I am genuinely concerned that one of these days he's just going to be all "screw this, I'd rather be alone." They both make life harder than it has to be and she takes him for granted. I think I may (at some point later on down the line) just have to have an honest conversation with her and just tell her flat out that the only reason she's able to live an independent life, in her own house, in comfort is BECAUSE of him. And, no he's not perfect (far from it, the man nags AND gossips like a fishwife) but NEITHER IS SHE, and she really needs to understand that without him she would not have the life she takes for granted. So if for no other reason than to maintain her lifestyle (that sounds so venal, and I'm not, I genuinely love my step dad, but I have to put it in terms that she will understand) she needs to be MUCH MORE AWARE about not burdening them BOTH with health issues that are avoidable.

My mother just views listening to others as losing a battle. For her relationships (except with me) are a constant war for dominance. And accepting that you are wrong is not acceptable. It's a terrible way to live. And honestly the reason I think I am so good at negotiation in my working life, and so conscious about being reasonable in my married life is because of her. I like COMPROMISE. It's a dirty word for my mother. And for my step dad, at times as well. He's over fond of getting his way. Their marriage is a battlefield.

I just wish my step dad had something he really liked to do outside of the home. Golf, or hunting, whatever... then John and I could treat him to a mini vacation so he could get a break from it all once she's in rehab. He's not young either and this stuff really stressed him out, and I worry about his health too. And she doesn't eat hospital food, so the entire time she's there he's fetching for her.

They don't know I'm not working right now. The last thing they need is to worry about me. So I can't even offer to take over for a couple days. Though I did tell my dad that I will take over on Saturday. Of course, you know... if my mom wasn't such a pain, SHE could give him a break and tell him to just stay HOME and not worry about her. But again, that's just asking for a miracle.

Anyway. As you all (and my therapist) pointed out, it's to change. The best I can hope for is that I might be able to influence her a bit.

I feel very overwhelmed and helpless in my life right now. Like absolutely everything is out of control. And for a control freak, that's just damned uncomfortable.

 

[Gypsy]

Thank you all for your supportive and wonderful posts.

LLJ's mom, thank you for sharing what "one day at a time" means to you. My therapist always stresses that being present in the moment is very important because living in the past or worry about the future means that you miss most out on too much of your life. Which reminds me of something you said to me, about perspective. Regarding breaks ins, we had one years ago. Best thing I can recommend is, if you like having your windows open a lot (we do) get strong wood dowels or window safety locks. Also, if you can swing it, get e-monitoring equipment/service so you can check on house when its empty and you aren't home.

I LOVE getting rid of stuff! Sounds like you made a great start on cleaning? Are you getting more sleep?

You know what really worked for me with the cleaning out the house? There is a great Thrift Store called Pick of the Litter in Burlingame. They aren't fussy like some about the donations, and their profits all go to the Humane Society. We had a Jeep Cherokee we were renting and I would just fill it up little by little, and when it filled up I would drive the 10 minutes and they would help me empty it. Just having that huge truck parked at the house where I could just fill it at my own pace (without it being a huge production) and then donate it to a cause I really believed it encourged me to be VERY generous in my donations. Stuff I was holding onto because of the value, I just didn't care and got rid of because it was such a good cause. For me, helping myself isn't a great motivator. Helping animals? Gets me moving. So if there is a cause you really believe in, see if you can support that through your cleaning. Also, I donated a TON of career clothing from both me and DH to a family shelter in San Mateo that helps people get jobs. That was helpful as well, for the same reason.

CJ thank you for your thoughtful post! I listened to you made some plans for the week. I am going out with a PSer who I really enjoy spending time with on Thursday! I KNOW that will be a huge help. My appointment tomorrow is going to be pretty awful. So I am planning on treating myself to something, I don't know what, afterward. If there are any locally in the evening I'd love to treat myself to a Farmer's Market. They always brighten my mood.

HOW ARE YOU though hon? You didn't mention how things are going for you, and I'd love an update, if you feel comfortable sharing.

Marcy, my hand is fine now, thanks so much, how is yours? One of my best friends was in Wyoming (she is moving from CN to CA and was driving cross country) and her MIL lives there, so I was thinking of you this week. Have I told you how much I love your pictures? Maybe I'm naive, but maybe your employees ARE being influenced by your example? Without you around they might be even worse! I know that was the case with my favorite former boss. There were a lot of strong personalities in our group and though people could get rowdy, without her influence it would have been a very different (and worse) environment. You should DEFINITELY be excited about the car! You are getting a NICE car, that's not transportation, it's luxury and luxury makes life much more comfortable. YAY on the clean house. I love it when other people clean my space. Better than a spa day.

Jimmiannie, I love your ring! I am happy Puff is opening up and talking more, that's a good sign. I'd love some puff pics if you've the inclination. Did you get to the concert on the lawn? Those are lovely.

Missy, I am happy Greg is improved. I am sorry Cola was not able to be convinced of the advantages of life as a ruler of all things human. I do hope the trapping of kitties goes well. My kiddos are holding steady. Lucy had a few hours out and about and Jack and Whitey managed to "tree" her in a cat tree, the little devils. She was less than happy with that. I love the kitty pics. Who is your black and white kiddo? Such lovely markings. I'm partial to black and white kids, though I do not have any at the moment. I always have cats coming and going in my house. I think they adjust better than people think, and frankly how well the integrate often has more to do with the parents than the furkids (for example, if John wasn't so overprotective of Lucy we'd be further along on this process).

Your ice cream pictures are so tempting. We have a fabulous old time ice creamery here that I love too.

Scandi, OMG, I wish I could take advantage of your offer of the summerhouse!! WOW on the mountain bling, I love those ceilings! I will try to get out to the beach here this week, I really enjoy that, and it will be a manageable change of scenery. You are right that it would help me greatly, thanks so much for your suggestion. How is the pup? The hike pictures are breathtaking! I am not sure how I feel about roadtrips anymore. I enjoyed them when I was younger. Now though, all the aches and pains of being stuck in the car start to outweigh the benefits. Short road-trips are manageable though. DH and I should really go to Napa soon. It's only an hour away.

Junie, I really hope things are improving for your mom and you. Lots of good thoughts coming your way. You must be so worried. HUGE HUGS TO YOU.

Rainwood I hope you had a relaxing and rejuvenating weekend. YAY on the AC and hot water! Hopefully the septic issue will be the last one to tackle! Great news on the birthday vacation! You deserve it. I feel you on Verizon, I had to deal with Verizon far too much this last couple weeks due to the broken phone and totally appreciate what you mean by customer service roulette. What movie did you see?

Sharon, how is your mom?

Seems to be a bad time for moms.

 

[rainwood]

Hi, everyone. Life is still crazy. I'm just going to do a post to Gypsy and will try to get to everyone else on Wednesday.

Gypsy, from one control freak to another, here's what you're going to have to realize eventually. I learned all these lessons the hard way:

1. Unless they are mentally incompetent (which they aren't), your mother and stepdad have the right to make decisions about their own lives even if those decisions are or may be terrible. As long as no one else is harmed (such as driving after they've lost the ability to drive safely), they still get to decide and you have to find a way to be okay with that.
2. Nobody likes being told what to do, but that is even more true when adult kids are telling their aging parents what to do. They aren't going to do what you tell them to do so stop telling them. It just makes everyone upset and angry and accomplishes nothing.
3. Resign yourself to the fact that, at some point, you will probably have to step in and pick up the pieces because of those terrible decisions.
4. You are not the worst daughter in the world when you stop telling them what to do. You're not giving up, you're being realistic about what you can and can't accomplish.
5. You cannot change who they are, and you will only drive yourself crazy if you keep trying. And you can't fix their relationship with each other. Don't even try telling your mother to be a better wife. It will not be well-received.
6. You will accomplish more by working around the edges. Take your stepdad out for a meal or an afternoon if you're worried about the burden on him. Let him see you understand how hard this is for him and you appreciate him so much. Let your mom vent to you without reproach if you can stand it. If you can't, it's okay.
7. Don't try to shield them from the bad stuff in your life. It doesn't work. Tell them you aren't working right now and step in to help TO THE EXTENT THEY WANT YOU TO AND YOU HAVE THE STRENGTH TO DO. Set the boundaries for what that is and don't let anyone overstep, including your mom. Stick to your guns.

I had to go through all this with my mom and her husband and it took me years to learn these lessons. Once I did, life became so much better for me and them. And the ironic thing was they were way more willing to listen to me once I wasn't telling them what to do. And I did have to step in and pick up the pieces in major, major ways. But I would have had to anyway and at least we had a better relationship before the s!*t inevitably hit the fan. Please take this to heart. Your life is going to be really, really hard until you do.

 

[missy]

Good morning girls. It's a steamy morning in Brooklyn and looks like it will be a very steamy rest of week and weekend too.

Gypsy, thank you for your update and I am sorry about all the crap you are dealing with and so happy you are getting so much help from your therapist. That helpless overwhelming feeling is the worst. When you know there just isn't anything you can do to help someone make their life better and you just have to sit by the sidelines rooting for them but knowing they are often their own worst enemy. I agree (surprise surprise) with Rainwood. She is so right. You just cannot change people who don't want to change and don't appreciate your advice or butting in no matter how good and loving your intentions.

My parents are the same way. They are getting older and have made so many (what I consider to be) mistakes and have no soft place to fall if they should need assisted living. They own a home that is a raised ranch with so many stairs to get to the main living floor and stairs to get to their basement and they plan on living there and taking care of that home forever. They won't even discuss any future plans when they might not be able to maintain their current lifestyle.

And the reason for my mom's accident that caused irrevocable damage to her foot (in essence paralyzing her foot) was because of her stubbornness. She asked the gardener to take care of the tree around the pool and he said it was too dangerous so she tried doing it herself. Yup. And she fell breaking her leg and the subsequent surgery had complications and nerve damage resulted as well as almost losing her life due to other complications and she has a dropped foot and it was a long awful haul.

I share this because you need to know you are not alone with stubborn older parents who just won't get out of their own way. I look at it as a great example of what not to do when we get older and I sure hope we learn from their stubborn behavior and mistakes. You just cannot reason with them so I have stopped trying. Oh but don't my mom respects that no. She is still trying to dictate my behavior. Just last night I had to end our conversation or I was going to lose it. Sometimes (often) with my parents (mom) during our phone conversations all I can do is listen and say uh huh and then say goodbye before I lose it. And remember not to overshare because my mom will use that against me. I do agree not to try shielding them from the bad stuff but I also add a caveat. Don't overshare and sometimes they don't need to know. However I agree with Rainwood that you should tell them you are not woking right now so you can help (if you want) during this difficult time. If only to help your stepfather have a break from your mom. Big (((HUGS))) and love to you. You will get through this with your sanity intact. You have people who care about you and love you and you are not alone. Hugs to your kiddos too. I am so glad they are doing well now.

Fred is our black and white cat who is about 14 years old and the one who is aging fast. I worry but am trying to just live in the moment and love him and enjoy each day with him. Our cats never seem to live past 14/15 and he is slowing down a lot with every day new issues. Just like people when we get older I guess but their lives are so short to begin with yanno?


Marcy, I see well OK I am hoping the car arrives quicker than anticipated and anyway it prolongs your excitement about getting it so that's a plus. Right? Sorry your employees continue to be real PITAs but yay on movie day today! How exciting. Wow I cannot imagine that ever happening at my job. Though Greg once took his employees out to see an environmental film at the theater in the middle of the day but not sure about the popcorn. LOL. Enjoy! You deserve (but your employees don't) it! Today is my first day back at work. Thanks for the good wishes. Not sure if I will remember the passwords. We shall see. Haha yes register your new Porsche in just your name. Fair is fair.

That sucks about the fires still going strong and one of them in Wyoming. I am glad at least one of them is 25% contained but how awful they are so difficult to get under control and how scary they are predicting one of those fires might go on for months. Sending lots of good thoughts to all the people affected there and to all the firefighters risking their lives to put these fires out.

My rash is improving thank you for asking. So weird. And this weekend will be a challenge with the heat and humidity (90's predicted with high humidity) because I still want to go tandeming.

Enjoy your movie today Marcy and enjoy your short work day!

Rainwood, thank you for sharing all your hard earned wisdom with us. Sending good thoughts and hugs your way. I know you are planning your European adventure and I hope that is going well!

Junie, how did rehab go yesterday for your mom? I hope things are going as well as possible. (((HUGS))).

Sharon, thinking of you and your mom. (((HUGS)))

Kristie, glad you are feeling better. Thanks for letting me vent to you yesterday. Argghhh.

Callie, Hugs to you! Hope your heat has finally broken though I am not pleased you sent it our way.


LLJsmom, you are my inspiration for getting rid of my clutter and stuff. I haven't had any time to implement it this week given our short week in NYC but I am going to start next Monday. Hope your free and easy feeling is lasting and that you and your dh and the kids are enjoying the week.

We had the most stressful day yesterday. When we were getting ready to leave we couldn't find Tommy. He was nowhere to be found despite checking all the usual places. And in the course of our search we found a huge pool of urine and poo soaking through our oak floors in the living room. It must have happened overnight because it was soaked through the wood. Mind you this was already half an hour after we were supposed to leave the beach house to get back to NYC. I cleaned it up as best I could and we had no vinegar (I called my mom who said vinegar could help get the smell out so they don't repeat urinating on that same area) and we still couldn't find Tommy. And it was beastly hot as I had shut the AC thinking we were leaving any minute. LOL it was really a scene right out of I Love Lucy. But we weren't laughing. Mainly we were so worried because we couldn't find Tommy and our cats also never urinated (and poo'd) on the floor before so we were/are worried one of them is sick. Anyway finally found him and he was behind the washer/dryer on the second floor (and we had already checked that spot several times but we couldn't see him there) and when he tried escaping us he caught his leg in what looked to be a bad situation (and I saw that happening in slow motion but couldn't do anything to help him as his leg was caught and he was trying frantically to free it) so I spent the ride back to Brooklyn sick with worry he had hurt his leg. Tommy is the cat who broke his tail in 2010 and we didn't know it till a day later and that was only because blood was trailing all the way to the food. At least he kept his appetite LOL. Funny now but not funny then.

But he seems OK though he was acting weirdly the rest of the day when we got back here. And I still don't know who had that accident and if someone is sick. It is early morning here and I am going to check around the house to see if anyone had another accident. It is always something isn't it?

Hey to everyone else and sorry I missed you. I hope everyone's week is going smoothly.

 

[missy]

Gypsy, here's a couple of photos of Fred for you. He is a sweet sweet baby.