Have you ever seen the British "Carry On" movies BTW? They're comedies from the late fifties and early sixties. They're kinda corny by today's standards and I guess in some ways a bit problematic. So much silly sexual innuendo. :)
Have you ever seen the British "Carry On" movies BTW?
I don't think so. The local PBS channels show a lot of different British programs. I used to like some of the old British comedies like Are You Being Served, One Foot in the Grave, and Waiting For God. Sometimes I'll watch Poirot. I watched the first few seasons of Downton Abbey, but lost interest. Then there was that Escape to the Chateaux program that I watched sometimes.
So much silly sexual innuendo. :)
Which got my favorite British program, The Benny Hill Show, canceled back in the day. My sister and I thought he was hilarious. QoH couldn't stand him, of course, but she has no sense of humor lol. That only made it funnier for me and my sister.
Are You Being Served, One Foot in the Grave, and Waiting For God
I hate to say it but those are kinda shows for old people. My parents love to watch "Are you being served". I'm not saying you're old but maybe you have an old soul. ;)
Sometimes I'll watch Poirot.
Me too. David Suchet is just perfect in that role.
I hate to say it but those are kinda shows for old people.
And I mainly watched them when I was in high school and my early 20's. LOL. I think I probably inherited the dry sense of humor from my British side.
David Suchet is just perfect in that role.
Yep. I think he's great in that role.
Your sister didn't like QoH either?
My sister knew what a stick in the mud she was (and still is).
Well I just got through putting together a meatloaf. It took about an hour to prep all the ingredients and make it into a loaf. Now it's in the over. I had been craving some meatloaf. I think I'll make some mashed potatoes to go with it later. I already have some green beans cooked. That should make a nice dinner. 🙂
I assume QoH doesn't leave her room these days so do you eat dinner alone?
Yes, but I've been eating dinner alone when at home for probably 30 years or more. The only time I ever eat with anyone is if I go out to dinner (or when I was working). I always hated family meals because my parents were always arguing, even at the dinner table. When I got old enough to eat in my room, I think when I was a teen, I never ate at the dinner table again.
And since QoH is a hoarder, she eventually took over the dinner table to use as a desk and had it piled up with paperwork and assorted crap. So there was no place to eat other than my bedroom.
Anyway, the meatloaf turned out delicious and the mashed potatoes as well. 😋
I think by the time I was a teen, she had gone back to work, so she was gone a lot of the time and not around to care.
As anticipated. :)
The next thing I'll be preparing is a nice spiral cut honey ham for Easter. Not that we're celebrating, but hams we're on sale, so I bought 2. One to cook this week and another to put in the freezer.
Were you and her the only ones living in the house at that time?
No, my dad still lived with us. He didn't file for divorce and move out until I was 18 and already graduated from high school. Then the shit show really started. :/
I just talked to Roxy as she was on her way to work. I asked her if she knows anyone who knows a good elder law attorney. The situation with QoH is unbearable and I need this nonsense to end.
He didn't file for divorce and move out until I was 18 and already graduated from high school.
What about your siblings?
The situation with QoH is unbearable and I need this nonsense to end.
I for one am curious to see how this will end.
BTW, it's that time of the year again that I have to have awkward conversations with Social Security people. It seems they really want to get rid of me this time.
I'm sure it's going to turn into even more of a fiasco than it is now.
I guess you'd better do your homework. ;)
Do you think they are going to make you get a job?
I'm not sure. They mentioned volunteer work. Not the first time SS people have tried to make me "volunteer" for that. I have another appointment for a conversation towards the end of this month.
I guess they want you to earn your keep somehow lol.
Feels more like they want to watch me suffer. :/
Will they cut your benefits if you don't comply with the "volunteering"?
SS has threatened to do that in the past and because of that I complied with their demands. That didn't work out so well for me. They haven't explicitly mentioned any cutting of benefits, yet. One of them mentioned putting me to work at the "floriade park". That used to just be a large flower garden but these days it appears it is run by some New Age nutcases (or maybe they're just grifters). I would strongly advise SS to not put me amongst those people, they would not be pleased.
That used to just be a large flower garden but these days it appears it is run by some New Age nutcases (or maybe they're just grifters).
Likely both. 😨
I would strongly advise SS to not put me amongst those people, they would not be pleased.
Sounds like nobody would be pleased. LOL
In other news, I've been trying to lighten a couple of dark spots (sun damage/hormonal) on my right hand and forearm and a couple of lighter spots on my face. The intertoobs suggested turmeric & lemon juice which I already had, so I tried that tonight. Unfortunately turmeric also stains you yellow, and I had a hell of a time washing it off my face. 😡 I don't think I'll be using it on my face again even though it made my skin soft. I'll see how it goes on my hand and arm. Allegedly it takes a few weeks to notice a difference.
It's not really the work (although the work can be torture as well). It's all the social activity at work. Having to deal with other people. It's so draining it's painful.
I had a hell of a time washing it off my face.
Oops. You didn't cover your whole face with the stuff, did you?
It's all the social activity at work. Having to deal with other people. It's so draining it's painful.
This is true, especially if you are an introvert. I always needed to go home straight away and decompress when I was younger. I think I got less introverted as I got older, though. And not having to work with QoH the past few years was a big help also. 🙂
You didn't cover your whole face with the stuff, did you?
Yes, I did. I won't be making that mistake again. I guess it's fine for darker skinned people, but I'm very fair and I get dyed yellow like a Simpson.😕 And some got in my hair, so some of my silver by my temples now has a golden tinge to it. Hopefully that will wash out the next time I shampoo my hair.
I washed my hair tonight and thankfully the yellow from the turmeric came out. I used the Dawn dish soap again as I'm trying to get the hair dye out and go back to my natural color. It's already grown out about 12 cm in 8 months (the last time I colored it). My natural color is almost black, then I'm getting lots of white now. The combination makes it look kinda pewter. I think it will look cool when it grows out. If it doesn't, I can always go back to coloring it.
Yes, I think so. Or it could just be the crappy lighting in my house.
I'm kinda curious as to what that looks like now.
I guess I'll have to send you a pic. 📸
In other news, it rained all day today. There's a river running down the sidewalk in front of my house at the moment lol. I think it's supposed to be rainy for the next few days. 😕
What about the garden? That much water can't be good for it?
My house is on a tiny incline from the sidewalk so everything runs down to the sidewalk. And the soil here is very sandy, so it drains quickly. The plants like it. It hasn't rained here for quite a while.
I think something went wrong. There's no pic in the email.
Hmm, that's strange. I resent it. This time I made sure the pic was fully uploaded.
It is still raining here. That makes 4 days straight. We had 2 tornado 🌪 warnings ⚠️ earlier, but nothing happened. I think the rain is supposed to clear out by tonight and be dry tomorrow morning, but then there are supposed to be pop-up thunderstorms ⛈️ in the afternoon. 😒
I do get a bit of a "young grandma" vibe from that look. ;P
Now I might have to keep coloring it. 😜
Did not expect the filter but it works for you. :)
I just filtered the background. The tan is my natural color. Well, natural after sitting outside & getting some sun.
Like you could be a distant relative of mine or something.
It's possible. I do have some Dutch ancestry.
How scary is that on a scale of 1 to 10? Seems like a 10 for me.
Maybe a 4 or 5. We don't get catastrophic tornadoes like the rest of the country, just little F0 & F1's. They still do a bit of damage, just not widespread.
I have no one here to help me get her upstairs to her bedroom.
I assume you'd prefer her to go to a nursing home but maybe it's good to think about moving her bedroom downstairs even as temporary measure until she can leave?
maybe it's good to think about moving her bedroom downstairs even as temporary measure until she can leave?
Unfortunately there is too much crap in the living room for that, plus both bathrooms are upstairs.
Anyway, they dropped her off about an hour ago, and like always, the sorry assholes refused to take her upstairs. Luckily for me my cousin is off of work today and he is coming to help me get her upstairs.
I was looking at her discharge papers from the hospital. It says she has a history of psychosis & dementia, so that should probably help me as to legal things. It'll probably be easier to get power of attorney or whatever needs to happen for me to be able to make decisions on her behalf without her approval.
Did she ever have a psychotic break? I mean, officially, near a psychiatrist? I seem to remember she was always on her best behavior around medical personnel. I'm just wondering how they got to the diagnosis.
whatever needs to happen for me to be able to make decisions on her behalf without her approval.
How are you going to bring her the good news if you can make that happen? :)
Probably the few times that she attacked me physically. The last time she did that was in 2018 and the cops Baker Act-ed her & took her to the Jackson Memorial Hospital psych ward. But I don't think she got diagnosed with anything then. She managed to act normal and fool them. They released her earlier than the 72 hours that they usually hold people.
I'm thinking that maybe someone at one of the hospitals that she was in 8 months ago probably diagnosed her. Or maybe at Villa Maria.
How are you going to bring her the good news if you can make that happen? :)
I have no idea. I know there will be a huge fight. Right now I just want to speak with a lawyer to find out what my options are.
Oh, BTW, last Thursday I went to the hospital for my regular diabetes related eye check up. Last year the eye doc found out that I probably have a mole on the back of one of my eyes. So now I had to come back to have that checked out and it turns out nothing has changed, which is good. I probably don't have eye cancer. Yay. :)
My lawyer emailed me this morning updating me on another matter, so I asked him. He gave me a referral.
Last year the eye doc found out that I probably have a mole on the back of one of my eyes.
😨 I've never heard of such a thing before.
I probably don't have eye cancer. Yay. :)
Yay, indeed! 🙂
That's another thing that I really need to do..go in to have my eyes checked. I'll probably need progressive lenses, but getting them feels too much like admitting that I'm old. My vision for reading seems fine. I've always been nearsighted. It's just that I have to take my glasses off to read instead of the other way around like most people. 🙃
Hey, I'm older than you. If you're old then what does that say about me? Yikes! ;P
🤔 😜
you can't see things that are far away clearly without proper glasses?
Correct. I think I've had to wear glasses full-time since I was in the second grade, so since I was 7 or 8 years old.
I guess that can be problematic when you're driving.
Everything but reading is problematic without them.
We are having a few days of nice weather after the horrible rainstorms that we had. It's supposed to remain around 81F with low humidity for the next 3 days or so. I'm hoping that I can get outside to enjoy it. I should probably mow the yard and trim some of the shrubs before it gets humid again.
Did you do other fun things or were you feeling depressed?
I was feeling tired and didn't have the energy for trimming shrubs, so I just played around on the internet. Today I had the energy, so I trimmed up half of the shrubs in front of the house before it got too hot. I still need to do the one in the planter box on the front wall of the house and the hedge by the neighbor's fence. Maybe I can get to it tomorrow.
I should really do something about our front garden as well. I'm not sure what is in there ATM, it sort of looks like grass but it's too leafy, I feel. It's going to be a lot of work tidying it up.
I should really do something about our front garden as well.
Parts of my front yard are looking very sad and neglected so I decided to dig up the part that looks the worst. It was originally ferns, but they got infiltrated with sanseveria and plumbago and it looks like a mess. Also the ferns have been there for decades and they have a tendency for new growth to grow on top of stuff that died and it gets quite thick like thatch.
It's going to be a lot of work tidying it up.
Yep. I started digging up the ferns/sanseveria/plumbago today. I got about 1 square meter dug up in a half hour before it got too hot. I think I have maybe 7 square meters to dig up. I'm just going to do a little each day if the weather is permitting.
I think I'm just going to replace it with some younger ferns from the back yard. I'm sure it won't take too long for it to fill back in once the summer rains start. And since QoH is incapacitated, she will have no idea and won't be able to stop me. 🙂
I really don't envy you. Our garden is tiny compared to yours.
My yard is pretty big for a suburban yard. I think it is a little more than a quarter acre. And QoH has so much in it to take care of. I'm in the process of reducing some of it. If she ever croaks, I will be getting rid of a lot of the unnecessary plants, especially the ones that require constant trimming and maintenance.
Yesterday I severely cut back a plumbago that she has planted in the back yard. Today I cleaned up all the trimmings and stuffed them in the big wheelie bin. I also raked up 2 garbage bins worth of leaves from the damn black olive trees. Those things seem to never stop shedding. They're pretty trees, but a damn mess. 🤬
I'm not sure why they're called black olive. They aren't actual olive trees. :/
Anyway, I didn't do much today. I was feeling kinda tired. It was sunny so I sat out in the back yard for a while to get some sun. Then I lifted weights a little bit. I've mostly been watching TV. I'm watching The Birdcage right now. I can't believe that came out back in 1996. I remember going to see it in the theater with a friend from school. I think she was down from college on vacation at the time. We went to a lot of movies together.
It might have. I don't really remember. I think I liked it at the time. My friend was a big fan of Robin Williams, so she really liked it. Watching it again, it was just kinda meh. I was more interested in the locations where it was filmed since a lot of it was filmed on Miami Beach and I remember when everything looked like that. It wasn't as built up as it is now. And I liked looking at the old architecture and terrazzo in the Art Deco building where much of the movie was filmed.
Did you lose sight of each other when you left school?
She ended up marrying a guy from Oregon after college and moved out there. He is an abrasive asshole and I don't know how she can stand him. The last time I saw her was Christmas of 2006 when I drove up to Okeechobee to see her when she was down with her husband & baby to visit her family. It was like torture being around her husband for 24 hours. After that, we kinda slowly lost touch with each other.
I was really surprised that she married that guy after she broke up with her college boyfriend. I really liked him. I don't remember why they broke up. She met the Oregon guy on a cruise. I just don't know what she sees in him. He's such a phony, loudmouth blowhard and very lazy. He basically lives off of my friend since she has a good job as a teacher. He likes to bullshit around as a "tattoo artist". I doubt that he makes much money at it. His skills at tattooing are shit. My friend allowed him to put several tattoos on her and they are awful looking. And I think sometimes he gets part time jobs as a security guard. I just don't understand marrying a man-baby like that.
Maybe you should have recorded her howling for evidence, just in case.
IDK what good that would do.
Diabetes?
I suppose. She managed to gain back 20 pounds since she's been home.
I tried slipping 2 anti-anxiety meds into her food last night. It didn't seem to do anything. These damn doctors never prescribe anything that actually works. The only time I've ever seen her calm is when the Opthamologist gave her Vallium when she had her cataract surgery, so I know that works on her. Unfortunately I can't get ahold of any of that. :/
You seemed worried that someone outside would hear QoH howl. I assumed you were thinking that someone might investigate or call the police. It seemed to me that a recording of QoH howling would prove that you weren't doing anything bad to QoH that might cause her to howl, in case such evidence were needed.
I suppose.
If it's diabetes then she should be taking meds for that.
Unfortunately I can't get a hold of any of that.
There are herbal meds containing valerian that can help her sleep. There's also something called "Passiflora" which my mother regularly takes and it seems to help her with anxiety.
I assumed you were thinking that someone might investigate or call the police.
Yeah, the day they brought her home from the hospital, she insisted on calling 911 so the firemen could get her in bed. I have no idea what she told dispatch, but a while after the firemen left, a cop showed up. My cousin & I told him the situation and he said as long as I have her discharge papers from the hospital stating that she has dementia & psychosis, then I don't have to worry about the police arresting me. (It's just a hassle dealing with them if they do come out. 😕)
If it's diabetes then she should be taking meds for that.
She should be taking metformin at least, but she refuses to take any meds.
I might have to try the valerian. I'll look up the passiflora to see if it's available here. I think the anti-anxiety meds that I slipped her might have helped a little. It just took a while for them to kick in. And it's difficult to get into her food. It has to be something that I can dissolve it into like oatmeal.
She will end up in hospital again this way. It will also make he mental issues worse.
I'm sure she will end up in the hospital again at some point.
Is CBD oil legal in Florida?
Yes. I had looked into getting some for myself to try. IDK if it would work on her. I had tried to get Roxy to get me some with a little extra ingredient from the dispensary, but she is unreliable and didn't get it. I also asked her to get another item, which she got, but seems like she's keeping for herself. She can be very aggravating.
Roxy said that it helps with sleep. IDK, I never tried any of it. She's the expert on weed & other substances lol.
So why ask Roxy to go get it instead of getting it yourself?
Because most doctors won't prescribe what I need for QoH and Roxy knows someone who gets it prescribed. The stuff that they gave QoH at the rehab doesn't do anything. It's too weak.
Whatever you decide to use, watch out that you don't accidentally overdose her.
They prescribed her some buspirone 5mg for anxiety. It doesn't seem to do anything, but I've been dissolving it in her oatmeal. It's probably one of those meds that has to build up over time. Who knows if it will ever work. :/
Although ideally you should consult a doctor before you start using that stuff on her.
Nothing about this situation is ideal. :/
In other news, since my birthday is in 5 days, I splurged on a kinda unique item. I bought a springbok skull/horns from a friend of mine in Berlin who sells stuff like that in her shop. :)
Those do look kinda cool. Do you have any other birthday plans?
Nope. My birthday is this Sunday. I might do a post on Instagram about it and see who wishes me a happy birthday.
Oh, and a couple of weeks ago I bought a couple pairs of Van's sneakers. One pair is the slip-on type. They are sparkly ✨️ gold with velvety cheetah 🐆 print. Very sharp looking. 😎 👌 The other pair is black suede and the stripe on the side is real animal fur (probably 🐂 ) but dyed to look like tiger 🐅 stripes. 😀 You only live once, so I might as well enjoy buying cool looking stuff.
Besides that, summer is underway so you want to look good, right? :)
Absolutely! 😎
How is your summer wardrobe doing these days?
I bought a new pair of grey camo cargo shorts a few weeks ago. Those look nice with my grey suede Puma sneakers. And I have a couple pairs of newish shorts that I bought last year. I also bought a few more t-shirts in the past few months. I could really use some new tank tops for when it gets super hot and humid, but I haven't been able to find any that I like and that fit well. I still have my Deadpool tank top that looks new, but it was a men's style so it doesn't fit as nicely as a woman's style. I have to wear a sports bra underneath it and it gives it a kinda 80's retro Jazzercize style. 😜
In other news, the weather has been beautiful here the past few days. It's been hot, but with low humidity and it is sunny and cloudless. I've been going out in the backyard to catch some rays and enjoy it.
I think I saw people advocating for the return of legwarmers this past winter lol.
a temperature of over 20 degrees Celsius. :)
That would be considered chilly 🥶🧊 here lol. But a perfect temperature IMO.
In other news, the Florida Panthers are kicking ass in the playoffs. Roxy is very happy since it keeps her employed and she's making pretty good money. The next 2 games are at home and sold out. I'm expecting them to win both & sweep 🧹 the series. Then it'll be on to the Conference final. 🙂
No. Playoff tickets are obscenely expensive. And as long as I'm stuck in caregiver hell with QoH, I won't be going anywhere other than the grocery store.
So they have a chance at winning the Stanley Cup?
Yes, I believe so. They knocked off the #1 team, so they definitely have a chance against any other team.
I've been dissolving the anti-anxiety med in her oatmeal, but the past couple of days she hasn't eaten all of it. I haven't managed to get anything else (like CBD) for her.
Yes. I had 8 friends on Facebook and 12 on Instagram wish me happy birthday. Then another friend from work sent me a text. Hopefully for my 50th I can have a proper party. 🥳 🎉 🪅 🎊 🍺 🍻
Did you have any birthday cake?
No. I was thinking about making one, but then I wasn't feeling up to it. I really don't need the calories. Nowadays if I eat anything with carbs or sugar I gain weight and then it's a bitch trying to lose it again. 😒🐖
A the half a century birthday party. I'll keep my fingers crossed. ;)
I'd really love to have one. Unfortunately, my friends live all around the globe and I doubt that I could get everyone together for a party. I guess it'll just have to be a handful of locals.
You definitely in no way look anything like a pig.
I know, but I've developed that middle age spread through no fault of my own. Damn female hormones go crazy during your 40's and you grow a beer belly despite no dietary changes.
I'm taking supplements to try to counteract that and I'm definitely feeling better, but that damn belly is tough to lose. I'm not sure if it's because of fibroids or visceral fat. :/
In other news, I escaped the house for 2 hours today. I went to visit the animals at the Humane Society, then went shopping at TJ Maxx. I bought a new matching beach ⛱️ 😎 set (shirt & shorts) that has a sorta retro 80's looking print (flamingos & toucans with geometric patterns). Then afterwards I took a drive up A1A to sight see, then I came home.
Also, I just heard from my lawyer. He had to attend a hearing for me because of the crooks at the solar company trying to get me to pay for the solar panels that they scammed my dad into getting. The judge ruled in my favor, so I don't have to pay the $20k. The bad news is I have to pay my lawyer. He's good, but not cheap. His bill is $1,700 but that's definitely better than paying those fucking scamming bastards.
I don't remember seeing a beer belly in any of your pics.
The judge ruled in my favor, so I don't have to pay the $20k.
As expected, but good news nevertheless!
His bill is $1,700 but that's definitely better than paying those fucking scamming bastards.
So they managed to steal $1,700 away from you anyway just buy suing you? I know they don't get the money themselves but still. That's money *you* lose because the scamming bastards simply decided to bother you with a lawsuit.
I have one once in a blue moon. It really shouldn't have much of an effect.
I don't remember seeing a beer belly in any of your pics.
I'm good at hiding it in pics. 😉
It's not really very big ATM. I think that when I increased my dosage of ashwagandha it helped bring down the bloating. When I went to the beach a couple of months ago, it was so bad that I looked 5 months pregnant. It was very noticeable and I was quite uncomfortable.
That's money *you* lose because the scamming bastards simply decided to bother you with a lawsuit.
Exactly. It's infuriating the way the law is here. If it was "loser pays", there would be far fewer frivolous lawsuits. It pisses me off that it cost me money to pay my lawyer because of scammers. I did nothing wrong, but it cost me money to defend myself. And it pisses me off that my dad was so gullible all his life. Even at 84 years old he still didn't learn the lesson that nothing is for free.
In other news, I continue to whittle away at the mess of ferns, sanseveria, and plumbago in front of the house. I think I have cleared approximately 3 square meters so far. It's slow going because of the layers of dead ferns. It's very thick like thatch. I'm almost halfway finished with clearing it, though. 🙂
No. It's too close to the house. And the sanseveria is probably toxic if it's burned. I wish I could. It would definitely be easier than having to dig it all out by hand.
Since I managed to fill up the wheelie bin with stuff from the front of the house, today I pulled up a bunch of the giant Boston ferns in the back garden. At least I can just pull those up and throw them in a pile and nobody can see them. I can put them in the bin after the garbage is picked up on Monday.
My mother is going through something weird. Now and again she seems to think that there are 2 versions of my father. And she doesn't know if the one she's talking to is the right one or not. She started crying yesterday. She says it's because she feels sorry for "the other version". I don't know. Maybe she just realized something is wrong with her. This has been going on for a while now. It comes and goes. It could be her meds. I've told my father to make an appointment with our doctor. If he doesn't I'll have to do it myself.
Now and again she seems to think that there are 2 versions of my father.
😨😲 Is she getting some sort of dementia? That sounds very strange and not in a good way.
I've told my father to make an appointment with our doctor. If he doesn't I'll have to do it myself.
Sounds like a smart thing to do. What does your father think about having 2 versions of himself?
It's not easy when your parents start getting age related mental problems. Both my parents were crazy, but they got worse with age. My dad definitely wasn't as bad as my mother. My mother continues her mental decline.
Possibly. She's been having issues with remembering things wrong or thinking that someone has stolen photographs from her albums. Sometimes she has this suspicion my father is cheating on her, I think. Or maybe it's the other version of my father who is cheating on her? I can't really tell. I've been looking on the internet and Capgras syndrome seems to fit the symptoms.
There's a number of other little things, like we used to have a towel hanging in the kitchen and now we have 2 because she wanted that. Same thing in the bathroom. And sometimes when she watches the TV she feels like the person talking on it is talking to her and can see her.
What does your father think about having 2 versions of himself?
While it is generally difficult to figure out what my father really thinks or feels I'm sure he finds it very worrying. He's mostly concerned with how my mother feels about being told she has dementia or something. At the same time he doesn't really want to know what's wrong with her. He'll be 81 this year and he's become more fatalistic these past few years, especially since the covid period. His father died around 84 years old, I think, and it sometimes seems to me that he just wants to sit out his time and wait for death. Getting any treatment seems to have a low priority since what good does it really do if he's dead soon? That kind of thing.
He's not completely hopeless but he may be getting there.
It's not easy when your parents start getting age related mental problems.
Both of my grandfathers died of cancer. But they were mentally still sharp. Seems like a better way to go.
I've been looking on the internet and Capgras syndrome seems to fit the symptoms.
That does seem to fit with what her symptoms are. And it's said to come about with dementia.
Getting any treatment seems to have a low priority since what good does it really do if he's dead soon?
I can sorta see his point with that.
Seems like a better way to go.
Definitely. Losing ones cognitive abilities seems like a terrible way to go. I have no idea how it actually feels for my mother, but it definitely sucks for me. At least my dad dropped dead suddenly. IMO that's a much better way to go than a lingering illness. He was 84 (2 months away from his 85th birthday) when he died. QoH is currently 80.
Well, yeah, me too but what if they keep living for another 15 years? :)
It depends on how healthy they are now I guess. I for one have never wanted to get decrepit as I age, so I have been actively doing what I can to stay healthy. And there is also a mental aspect to it. Some people just give up on life as they age while others stay active and mentally engaged.
When I was working at the temple, one of the regular sorts of events we had were luncheons for elderly people who were involved in different charitable organizations. There were varying degrees of physical fitness on display, but the majority of them were mentally sharp. I think staying active and involved in different activities plays a big role in mental acuity.
There was this one woman in particular that I remember. Her name was Katherine and she attended a lot of those luncheons. She was 95 years old the last time I saw her. She was very mentally sharp, seemed to be quite fit for a woman of her age, and dressed very fashionably. She was definitely living life to the fullest. I aspire to be like her. 🙂
But getting my parents involved in anything like that may be impossible. :|
Sounds like they are set in their ways just like my parents. :/
Well today I went grocery shopping at Aldi. They had almost everything that I wanted. They did not have any eggplants, but I can probably get those cheaper at Presidente (especially if they go on sale). I bought a tri-tip sirloin roast and have it in the oven. I also bought some bell peppers which I plan to grill so that I can make sandwiches on ciabatta bread. (That's why I also wanted eggplants. They taste delicious grilled and made into veggie sandwiches.) I grill the peppers & eggplants with lots of garlic. 😋
I love me some garlic. Didn't know you can grill garlic.
I suppose you can grill anything. I don't grill the garlic, though. I just use a lot of garlic to season the peppers.🌶 🫑 I could probably try to grill a whole garlic bulb. It might turn out like roasted garlic. 😋
You'd have to add something though, right? To stop it from drying out? Maybe oil?
Yes, probably.
Ugh, Ma Nature decided to pay me an early visit last night. I'm getting some mild cramping ATM and I have a mild headache. I'm going to take some ibuprofen. I don't feel up to cooking right now. I'm glad I already have a few leftovers in the fridge.
Well, they did some test on my mothers blood and urine but found nothing.
I guess they can't test for mental acuity with those sorts of tests.
Have the cramps and headache gotten worse or has QoH gone on a rampage? Maybe both? That would make for one hell of a bad weekend.
🤣🤣🤣
Actually, none of that happened. The truth of the matter is that game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, between the Florida Panther and Carolina Hurricanes happened. It went into 4 overtimes and was seconds away from needing a fifth overtime when the Panthers scored and won it. The game went over 6 hours and ended well past 2am. I might have gotten into bed around 2:30am, then QoH woke me up around 4:30am. After that, I went back to bed and didn't wake up until almost noon. I was screwed up all day Friday and didn't know what day it was or that I had a blog. 🤣🤣
Anyway, game 2 is in an hour and I hope it doesn't go that late. 😬
Ah, well. You had good time, which is what counts. :)
Yes, a good time was had by all Panthers fans. 😜🚨🏒🐆🍺
Good luck with game 2.
We won that, too. 😁 It also went into overtime, but the Panthers scored fairly quickly. We took the first 2 games in Carolina, which is pretty amazing, but I'm not really surprised. I'm believing that the Panthers will sweep the series. The next 2 games are in Florida. 🙂
Yep. She gets to see all the good concerts and hockey games. 🏒
Wait, is she hoping that they'll win or that they won't win?
She's a huge Panthers fan and is definitely hoping that they win (which they did 😁).
I think the Panthers only got one penalty last night and their penalty kill was quite impressive, a lot better than previous PKs. And the one and only goal scored, the game winner by the Panthers, was a power play goal off of a Carolina penalty. And the Panthers goalie has been nothing short of spectacular. Anyway, I'm hoping for the sweep, so only one game to go! 🤞
The Panthers won!!! In a sweep, as I predicted. 😉 We are the Eastern Conference Champions 🏆 and will be playing in the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since 1996. 😁😎
The ending of the game was quite dramatic. The Panthers were leading 3-2 with 2 minutes left when the Hurricanes tied it up. They took a penalty with 1 minute left in the game. The Panthers scored a power play goal with 4 seconds left on the clock. The play ended up under review for possible goaltender interference, but the refs ruled it a good goal, so the whole place went crazy for a second time. (We had already had 2 goals called back during the series, so it was very satisfying to have one go our way.)
Thanks! Now we wait for the Dallas/Vegas series to wrap up. Vegas was going for the sweep last night, but Dallas finally showed some life and won. That series is now 3-1 Vegas.
That's always fun. :)
It was more stressful than anything. After Carolina tied it with 2 minutes left, I kinda had a feeling that the Panthers were going to get the game winner in dramatic fashion before time expired. I was so pissed when Carolina's coach called a challenge on it, but thankfully it went our way. 🙂
Sure, but it's the exciting type of stress. An easy win is boring. :)
It definitely was exciting lol.
Well the other series is still going. Dallas won again last night, so they'll play game 6 tomorrow. I'm not sure if that's going to be good or bad for the Panthers. On one hand, they get time to rest and recover, but on the other hand their fire for winning could cool off a bit. I'm hoping they'll be well rested and sweep whichever team they end up playing in the final.
In other news, I talked to Roxy on Friday. I'm trying to get her to commit to letting me come up to her place for a visit, but I know how she is. I'll just have to keep pestering her. It's not like she's busy with work. She seems to have time for other people. 😕
I'm no expert but it doesn't seem normal for friends to have to pester them for a visit.
No, it's not. And it's very annoying.
Anyhow, today was a holiday (Memorial Day). I finally got around to reinstalling the bracket for the flagpole on the house. I took it down almost 3 years ago when we got the new roof. And I did hang the flag up.
Tomorrow they are supposed to deliver the springbok skull and antlers that I ordered. It's taken almost a month to get here because it had to go through customs in 3 different countries. 😕
I'm planning to hang them on the wall over my bed. I think it will look pretty cool. I'm still waiting for the slow-ass mail to deliver them. The tracking said they were out for delivery at 8:30am. It is now a bit past 4pm and still hasn't been delivered.😕
It is now a bit past 4pm and still hasn't been delivered.
Delivery times are rarely accurately estimated in my experience. Usually it's within a period of half a day or so. But then they do arrive on that day, usually.
Hey, I watched the two IT movies (part 1 and 2) today. They're pretty good, somewhat better than the other version. A bit of a strange combination of jokes (/movie references) and scary scenes though. Some good drama.
LOL Not so much with the US postal service. I waited around all damn day yesterday, then at 6:30pm I saw 2 postal vehicles pull up in front of my house. I watched as the guy from the rear vehicle took a big box to the front vehicle, then took off. The guy in the front vehicle walked up my walkway and put some mail in the mailbox, walked back to his vehicle and then took off! I was like wtf? When I went to get the mail from the mailbox, he had left a notice slip saying that the package needed a signature! The lazy bastard never bothered to walk the other 10 steps to my door to knock! I was so pissed off!
Needless to say when I went to the post office this morning to try to collect my package, it was another fiasco. There were only 2 employees working the counter and 5 customers in front of me. They were moving in slow motion like typical government employees. It took 25 minutes before I got waited on and then the the lady couldn't find my package. It took her another 10 minutes to locate it because some idiot put it in the wrong place. 😡😡😡
Hey, I watched the two IT movies (part 1 and 2) today. They're pretty good, somewhat better than the other version.
I don't think I've watched any version. I'll have to keep an eye out for them if they come on one of the movie channels that I get.
Are you sure it was about laziness? Could be a money thing.
Some of them are very lazy. The lady at the post office said that it wasn't my usual postal carrier and her body language and facial expressions spoke volumes. They make good money working for the federal government and they can't get fired, so there's no incentive to do a good job.
But you do have the package now, right? So did the contents survive the trip?
Yes, I got the package and it survived the trip. My friend packaged it very well and very carefully. I already have it hung on the wall. I'll send you a pic. 🙂
I mean, making sure people get their packages in time seems like a motivation to me.
Some people are conscientious employees and some aren't. The USPS isn't like other businesses that rely on giving good service. They are federally mandated and tax money keeps them operational.
Seems to me that the skull could use some company on that wall?
I was thinking the same thing. The pic makes the wall look even more bare than it is. I do have a sword and a couple other medieval weapons on that wall, but you can't see them since they are further down the wall. I'm not sure what I could put up there that would go well with it.
I am hanging in there. QoH is hit & miss IRT her mental state. She seems lucid most of the time. Sometimes she's civil and sometimes she's nasty. Today she made a massive mess in the bed with shit & piss. She fought me the whole time I was trying to clean it & her up. She even tried to snatch my glasses off my face. The only good thing is she's too weak to do any damage to me.
I have as little interaction with her as possible. I bring her food and drinks. Sometimes she asks for a bed pan to do her business, but about half the time she just pees in the diaper & under pad. She hasn't been waking me up in the middle of the night as often. Some nights I get to sleep all the way until morning.
She fought me the whole time I was trying to clean it & her up.
So how far along are you with the procedure of getting her out of the house and into the hands of professional care? You do not deserve to live this way. :/
Well I'm not liking this damn perimenopause crap. Ma Nature is visiting once again after an only 2 week interval. These short cycles are the pits. 😡🤬 The only good thing is I'm not cramping and it only lasts 3-4 days.
Are you losing more blood and tissue than usual? Maybe you should eat more?
Apparently perimenopause involves some potentially serious symptoms. Irregular periods, hot flashes and sleep problems, mood changes, vaginal and bladder problems, decreasing fertility, changes in sexual function, loss of bone, changing cholesterol levels. Yikes.
No, they are very light compared to what I've had in the past.
Of all those symptoms, I've had the bladder problems a couple of years ago, but I'm fine now. The irregular periods are my problem now. They are annoying, but not as bad as the bladder problems. I've been taking ashwagandha, so I think that probably staves off a lot of the other things. My friend in Germany started taking it after I recommended it and she swears it worked almost instantly in stopping her hot flashes. She said she forgot to take it for a couple of days and started sweating like a pig on a 60F degree day. Once she got back on it again she said she was fine.
No, they are very light compared to what I've had in the past.
Of all those symptoms, I've had the bladder problems a couple of years ago, but I'm fine now. The irregular periods are my problem now. They are annoying, but not as bad as the bladder problems. I've been taking ashwagandha, so I think that probably staves off a lot of the other things. My friend in Germany started taking it after I recommended it and she swears it worked almost instantly in stopping her hot flashes. She said she forgot to take it for a couple of days and started sweating like a pig on a 60F degree day. Once she got back on it again she said she was fine.
Do you generally prefer herbal medicine over traditional stuff?
Yes. I've always preferred a natural approach to health.
At least Ma Nature is on her way out. It's been 3 days. I think she should be gone by tomorrow. Hopefully I'll have more energy tomorrow. I haven't felt like doing anything since she's been here. 😩
I haven't really felt like doing anything for the past 20 years. :)
LOL
I'll be glad when I finally go through menopause and won't have to deal with periods any more. The drawback is you start aging like crazy afterwards, so you can't really win. 😫
In other news, I cooked a leg of lamb with some carrots 🥕 and potatoes 🥔 today. It came out very delicious. 😋
I've been trying to let my natural hair color grow out. I think I've mentioned it before. It's been 10 & a half months since I last colored my hair. I think it takes about 2 years for it to grow out completely with the length that I have. I've been trimming it regularly to try to sorta speed up the process of getting rid of the colored part. I don't have a short hairstyle, but it's as short as I've ever worn it (just a little longer than shoulder length).
Yes, but I think I probably have more black hair than silver hair. I'll see how it looks when it's grown out. If I don't like it I can always color it again.
If you shave it off it will be immediately grown out. Would save you a lot of time. :D
I've been thinking about how I'd look with short hair. I've never had it short before. I saw a cut that looked good on Instagram. I guess it was a sorta pixie cut, but the hair on top was longer than a typical pixie. The girl was showing different ways to style it. It looked good on her. My hair is pretty fine textured and has a little bit of a curl to it, so I'm not sure if that style would work for me.
Yeah, I guess it's a bit of a risk. I mean, it will grow back but you're still possibly stuck with a look that doesn't really suit you.
Long time ago I saw this computer program that allowed customers to see a haircut on themselves before the actual cutting. No idea what to that concept.
Long time ago I saw this computer program that allowed customers to see a haircut on themselves before the actual cutting.
I think I vaguely remember that. It would be a handy thing. Roxy always says to just go to a wig shop and try on different styles to see what looks good. Well, I don't think there are any of those around here. QoH used to have to travel a ways to go to the wig shop where she got hers.
She has worn wigs for as long as I can remember, mainly for work & special occasions. I guess they are easier & cheaper than going to a hair salon. And I think because she grew up in an era where that sort of thing was normal. Roxy nicknamed her "Hollywood" and it's fitting. QoH has always glammed herself up like a movie 🎬 🎞 🎥 star.
She LOVED Marilyn Monroe, but she always said she mostly resembled Linda Darnell or Debra Paget. (She named my sister after Debra Paget.) I think she looked like a cross between Debra Paget & Yvonne De Carlo.
It's getting really freaking warm and dry over here BTW. I have to get used to that again. :/
It has been hot & humid & miserable here since the second week of May. It's like someone flipped a switch. 😖🥵 And then it's been raining 🌧 damn near every day. 😫
I think she looked like a cross between Debra Paget & Yvonne De Carlo.
So she actually looked pretty at one time? I mean, I kind of imagine so does not at the moment.
And then it's been raining 🌧 damn near every day.
We haven't had rain for weeks. I wish it rained here. :)
I'm watching "Lawrence Of Arabia" right now (seems fitting with this weather). This movie is 210 minutes long. But it's good so I'm still enjoying it. :)
Yes, she was gorgeous when she was a teenager and into her 20's. She really did look like a movie star.
We haven't had rain for weeks. I wish it rained here. :)
I will gladly trade with you. 😉
I'm watching "Lawrence Of Arabia" right now
I don't think I've ever seen that in its entirety. Ironically, QoH used to have a thing for Omar Sharif. I think that's probably why she married my dad. He kinda resembled ol' Omar.
We were talking about QoH and then you brought up that movie that Omar Sharif is in, who she had a thing for.
Yesterday I pressure washed the front walkway, the driveway, and QoH's truck for an hour and a half. Today I spent another hour and got about half of the sidewalk that's in front of my house done. It will probably take another hour to finish the rest. I think I probably have 3 times the amount of sidewalk as everyone else around here since it's a corner lot. 😕 At least with the floor attachment for the pressure washer it makes it a lot faster.
We were talking about QoH and then you brought up that movie that Omar Sharif is in, who she had a thing for.
Is it ironic because she doesn't like Arabs?
Yesterday I pressure washed the front walkway....
One of my people in the street next to mine power washed his backyard almost the entire day. The sound of it carries pretty far. It's kinda annoying. Seems like a waste of water and electricity as well.
I think the irony lies in her not liking anyone. 😜
The sound of it carries pretty far.
I'm assuming that he had a gas powered pressure washer? Those can be pretty loud. Mine is electric and fairly quiet.
Seems like a waste of water and electricity as well.
It is. If it wasn't for the fact that code enforcement could give me a citation if they see the nasty sidewalks, I probably wouldn't bother. It seems like they have nothing better to do than harass people for insignificant things like that, but will ignore things like 10 cars parked in front of a house or multiple unrelated people living in subdivided single family homes. 😡
She liked the idea of being able to buy a house and he was the means to that end. Back then banks wouldn't give loans to unmarried women.
I'm just a little whiny bitch when it comes to annoying sounds. ;P
LOL I get pretty grouchy, too, when my peace is interrupted by unwanted noises.
Still warm here BTW but thunderclouds are predicted for the day after tomorrow.
Yesterday was so freaking hot that I still can't believe it. It got up to 94F and with the humidity it felt like 104F. 😱 It was still in the mid-80's at 11pm. It's already 92F ATM, but it's supposed to rain later so hopefully it'll cool things down some.
Roxy's new lesbian friend invited her to the Pride parade in Wilton Manors today. Roxy is as bad as me when it comes to not being able to tolerate the heat, so she turned down the offer LOL.
I'm hoping the same for over here but I suspect the rain will just increase the humidity.
Yeah, that is always the problem. An ill timed quickie rainstorm can make it steamy. It's already humid here, so it usually cools things down if the thunderstorm lasts long enough.
No, but maybe differently? A doctor that visited us thought that vascular dementia was most likely the thing causing my mother's odd behavior. I do have to say, it makes her remarkably creative when it comes to her making stuff up to justify her delusions. It's almost entertaining sometimes.
she just kept repeating 'help me up' over & over.
Yeah, that's recognizable. A remarkable stubbornness. A complete faith in her own delusions.
Well it has been very rainy here. It's going to be even rainier over the weekend. It's also very boring being stuck inside. :/ I got an email today from Hot Topic saying that my order is ready to pick up at the store. I have 7 days to get it. I don't feel like trying to go over the weekend because the mall is usually too busy on weekends. I'll try to go either Monday or Tuesday.
They had a big sale and kept advertising on Instagram. And because Instagram spies, a conversation that I had with a friend about the movie The Lost Boys triggered a Lost Boys sleeveless t-shirt in one of the ads. It looked pretty cool and the ad kept coming up, so I ended up buying it and a long sleeve Lost Boys shirt. I picked them up today since I didn't want to wait and because QoH aggravated me this morning and I needed to get out of the house and away from her for a while. Anyway, I took pics for my friend. I can emailz them to you. They do look pretty cool. 😎
Strangely I like the red one better but I feel like the black one combines better with your camouflage shorts.
My friend in Canada likes it, too. I was going to buy her one, but the shipping was $20. I think I paid $12 for the shirt. 😒 I told her if she finds one at her local store I'll Venmo the money to her lol.
I think the red one would look good with my khaki capri shorts. Now I want to get some red Puma's to match. 😎
Also, that's an odd looking filter that is not entirely effective at hiding your bathroom. :)
LOL I shouldn't have cropped the pic before I did the filter. My bathroom was a little messy. It's one of those freebie photo editors called Photo Editor Pro. It's a little more user friendly than the other one I tried and it has fewer in-app ads. Those are very annoying.
I guess a woman's bathroom has more bottles and stuff for washing etc.
This house was built in 1954. I guess back then they didn't think that people needed storage space for anything. The bathroom is tiny to begin with and has no counters or cabinets. Just a tiny little medicine cabinet behind a sliding mirror that's tucked into the wall. The sink is just directly mounted to the wall and has only maybe 3 inches of space along the back length of the sink to set anything. I have a clothes hamper in there that I use for clean towels and to store toiletries. I also have a few things on the top of the toilet. I really don't like the cluttered look, but I don't have much choice in where I put things. 😕
The mirror is attached to the cabinet which is built into the wall. There would have to be some moderate demolition to change it and it's not worth the hassle at this point.
If QoH ever croaks, I'd like to do a lot of renovations, the kitchen being my top priority. But I'm not going to spend any money on it while she's alive and I'm not the owner.
It was in very poor condition when my parents bought the house. There was a lot of water damage to the cabinet under the sink which has gotten progressively worse over the years. And the cabinets are all wonky. The water intakes under the sink don't have on/off valves, so that needs to be updated to code, and all the plumbing under the sink needs updating/ upgrading. The countertops are badly worn. I'd like to take out the stupid soffits in there and replace the upper cabinets with ones that go to the ceiling and replace the lower cabinets with ones that have drawers. I think that style would be more functional. I'd also like granite or quartz countertops. Those are more functional and sanitary and don't wear out like that old formica crap.
Personally I prefer a metal countertop. Metals are to some extend anti-bacterial.
Since I worked in catering for almost 30 years, I'm very familiar with stainless steel countertops. They are standard in commercial kitchens. I do like them. They are very forgiving if you set down a dish a little too hard unlike stone countertops. And they are easy to clean and keep sanitized.
Well, after a couple of weeks of butlering etc. I am slowly starting to realize that this is my life now. I seem to be getting used to it but I also feel tired most of the time. Having less time for myself is annoying but housework has kept me too busy to be concerned with that. Right now I'm planning to install a wall bracket in the shower for my parents to hold on to. I still have to clean up the front and back garden at some point. #sigh#
You are correct, sir. I've seen flaming Sterno gel spilled on them and they are completely unscathed afterwards.
Well, after a couple of weeks of butlering etc. I am slowly starting to realize that this is my life now.
Ah, you are in the acceptance phase lol. I realized the same a few months ago.
I still have to clean up the front and back garden at some point. #sigh#
I finally got around to transplanting new ferns to the front flower bed yesterday. With all the rain we've been having, they should fill in pretty quickly.
Taking care of old people plus a house is a full time job.
I finally got around to transplanting new ferns to the front flower bed yesterday.
I don't think I'm ready to start planting yet. I've cleaned up the front yard well enough for now.
Taking care of old people plus a house is a full time job.
Hm. I kinda feel like I'm suddenly a single parent. I'm not sure what's harder, the work or having to make all the decisions now. I definitely need my 9 hours of sleep every night.
I don't think I'm ready to start planting yet. I've cleaned up the front yard well enough for now.
I guess as long as it looks tidy that should suffice.
I kinda feel like I'm suddenly a single parent. I'm not sure what's harder, the work or having to make all the decisions now.
Yeah, in my case it feels like I have a cross between a baby and the nastiest tantruming toddler. :/ Making decisions doesn't bother me. I'm fine with that.
I definitely need my 9 hours of sleep every night.
I would love to be able to get 9 hours of uninterrupted sleep. I don't think I've gotten a total of 9 hours in the past 3 days. Even with trying to stay up late enough and time her usual outbursts, she's still rather unpredictable. The only thing predictable is that she's going to yell for me every 1.5 to 2.5 hours throughout the night. :/
I stayed up until 3am last night thinking that I'd at least get a sorta jump on her, but she still ended up waking me up twice. The last time was around 9:30am when I was having a very vivid dream. I'm still pissed that I didn't get to find out how it ended.
I stayed up until 3am last night thinking that I'd at least get a sorta jump on her
I purposely go to bed before 23:00 because I always expect something may happen during the night and that way I'll still get a reasonable amount of sleep.
I'm still pissed that I didn't get to find out how it ended.
I purposely go to bed before 23:00 because I always expect something may happen
No matter when I try to sleep it's like she somehow can sense it and starts yelling for me 15 minutes to 30 minutes after I lay down. I was so tired yesterday that I tried to lay down at 9pm. She started yelling about 20 minutes later. I think I might have finally laid down and got to sleep around 2am. I might've gotten 4.5 hours of sleep before she woke me up again. :/
What was it about? :)
I was at the optometrist's office and they were doing my eye exam with a new machine that did everything even the glaucoma test. I can't remember what it was going to do next, but she woke me up before it was finished. Weird dream since I haven't thought about going to the eye 🤓 doctor at all lol.
Weird dream since I haven't thought about going to the eye 🤓 doctor at all lol.
Hm, so you're not worried about your eyes deteriorating? Maybe it's symbolic then? Maybe you feel like you're not seeing something that you should be seeing?
Yes. Her bedroom door is diagonally across from mine. I keep my door closed, so it's not like she can see what I'm doing in my room. And she always has the volume on her TV turned up, so it's not like she can hear me.
so you're not worried about your eyes deteriorating?
I am overdue for an eye exam. My subconscious is probably trying to tell me something. I could probably use some progressive lenses because my mid-range vision is getting a little fuzzy. Thank God my near vision is still good and my distance vision is still good with my glasses.
What does she watch and have you yourself watched anything fun lately? :)
She likes to watch either Newsmax, Real America's Voice, Fox News, or the rodeo channel lol.
I've been watching a lot of Home & Garden TV and Magnolia network recently. I find the home improvement shows relaxing. And of course I watch MMA whenever it's on.
The ones they have on the TV now are more entertainment than educational. When I was a kid, I watched a lot of This Old House and New Yankee Workshop. Those were educational and I learned how to do a lot of things from watching those. Now I mostly watch these shows to critique their design choices. 😉
An expected 34 degrees Celsius during the day plus thunderstorms in the evening. Yay... :|
😲😳😱
Wow, that's almost as hot as it was here today. I put a thermometer outside in the shade around 1pm and it said 36°C. 🥵 I think the humidity was 70%. We also had intermittent thunderstorms.
Monday and Tuesday we're forecast to have Sahara dust, so that's at least supposed to dry things out. It also keeps the hurricanes away. And it's an El Niño year, so that also helps to keep hurricanes away.
I did repot my rosemary plant today, so at least I accomplished something even if it was minor. The heat keeps me inside in the AC most of the time.
The heat keeps me inside in the AC most of the time.
I wish we had an AC like yours. My father has been suffering from a shortness of breath during the past couple of weeks. The heat is making things worse for him, it seems.
It's necessary to survive here. It gets way too hot & humid during the summer. I know that most people over there don't have AC in their houses and I can see how many elderly people die during hot spells.
Is there any place that you can go to get relief? Are malls air conditioned?
I'm not sure we have any "malls" here. We have a shopping center that they put a glass roof over years ago. I don't think it's air conditioned. Individual shops generally do have AC. I think the library has AC. I could go there but there's not much to do. My parents can't go there because ATM they're kinda housebound because of their illnesses.
BTW I have an appointment with social services Wednesday. I think they're going to cut my financial support.
My friend in Berlin was complaining about how hot it was(36°C). I think it was a few degrees hotter than here. The difference is she gets some relief at night when the temperature drops to around 20°C. It doesn't drop below 80°F/26.5°C here. I guess you experience the same sort of temperature fluctuations?
My parents can't go there because ATM they're kinda housebound because of their illnesses.
Just like QoH. It really sucks because you have to be there for them just in case something happens. It's like being a prisoner.
BTW I have an appointment with social services Wednesday. I think they're going to cut my financial support.
😲 Do they have a caregiver allowance that you can get? Some states here give you money if you take care of an elderly person.
Well today I was learning how to be a welfare queen (sort of lol). QoH gets a prepaid credit card from her health insurance to buy over the counter pharmacy items. I used it last month to buy a few things. Today I had around $70 worth of stuff from Walmart and I figured since it's a prepaid card then I could try to use it for the whole purchase. Well it went through when I swiped the card even though I had a few non-pharmacy items. I just checked the balance and there's still a little over $500 on it. IDK if they add any money to it each month. I'll have to check the balance again next month before I use it. Since I can use it for groceries and stuff, I might as well use that card instead of my own since it's basically free money & expires at the end of the year if I don't use it.
I have no idea. Eh, maybe I'm misinterpreting this. I'll see tomorrow morning.
Well good luck.
I mowed the front yard today. It was just too hot for me to try to do the back yard. IDK when I'll get to it. I'm exhausted from that and from QoH keeping my up all night the past few days. I really need to get some sleep.
Not really. They've decided to give me 100 euro per month less because I've saved too much money. I am not spending enough therefore I don't need it, is they're reasoning. Hey, they're just trying to be efficient.
I really need to get some sleep.
Me too. My father has serious constipation issues. He got a number of treatments but none seem to be working very well. I'm glad my sister was here to help with some of them.
That's good. At least he isn't confined to bed. Dealing with bed pans and QoH having mushy poo 💩 on the underpad is the worst. 😫🤮
Is there any other kind of help you can get?
What the insurance offers is minimal. They'll pay for someone to come in & do light cleaning. Most of the time those people just steal stuff. I don't trust anyone I don't know in the house, especially if I'm not here.
And QoH doesn't want anyone in the house. When they had sent physical therapists before, she got nasty with them and refused to do the exercises. And the little that they tried to get her to do was a joke. It was a complete waste of time.
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okay. I'll carry on carrying on then. :)
Have you ever seen the British "Carry On" movies BTW? They're comedies from the late fifties and early sixties. They're kinda corny by today's standards and I guess in some ways a bit problematic. So much silly sexual innuendo. :)
Have you ever seen the British "Carry On" movies BTW?
I don't think so. The local PBS channels show a lot of different British programs. I used to like some of the old British comedies like Are You Being Served, One Foot in the Grave, and Waiting For God. Sometimes I'll watch Poirot. I watched the first few seasons of Downton Abbey, but lost interest. Then there was that Escape to the Chateaux program that I watched sometimes.
So much silly sexual innuendo. :)
Which got my favorite British program, The Benny Hill Show, canceled back in the day. My sister and I thought he was hilarious. QoH couldn't stand him, of course, but she has no sense of humor lol. That only made it funnier for me and my sister.
Are You Being Served, One Foot in the Grave, and Waiting For God
I hate to say it but those are kinda shows for old people. My parents love to watch "Are you being served". I'm not saying you're old but maybe you have an old soul. ;)
Sometimes I'll watch Poirot.
Me too. David Suchet is just perfect in that role.
That only made it funnier for me and my sister.
Your sister didn't like QoH either?
I hate to say it but those are kinda shows for old people.
And I mainly watched them when I was in high school and my early 20's. LOL. I think I probably inherited the dry sense of humor from my British side.
David Suchet is just perfect in that role.
Yep. I think he's great in that role.
Your sister didn't like QoH either?
My sister knew what a stick in the mud she was (and still is).
Well I just got through putting together a meatloaf. It took about an hour to prep all the ingredients and make it into a loaf. Now it's in the over. I had been craving some meatloaf. I think I'll make some mashed potatoes to go with it later. I already have some green beans cooked. That should make a nice dinner. 🙂
That should make a nice dinner.
I assume QoH doesn't leave her room these days so do you eat dinner alone?
I assume QoH doesn't leave her room these days so do you eat dinner alone?
Yes, but I've been eating dinner alone when at home for probably 30 years or more. The only time I ever eat with anyone is if I go out to dinner (or when I was working). I always hated family meals because my parents were always arguing, even at the dinner table. When I got old enough to eat in my room, I think when I was a teen, I never ate at the dinner table again.
And since QoH is a hoarder, she eventually took over the dinner table to use as a desk and had it piled up with paperwork and assorted crap. So there was no place to eat other than my bedroom.
Anyway, the meatloaf turned out delicious and the mashed potatoes as well. 😋
When I got old enough to eat in my room, I think when I was a teen, I never ate at the dinner table again.
QoH allowed you to do that?
the meatloaf turned out delicious and the mashed potatoes as well.
As anticipated. :)
QoH allowed you to do that?
I think by the time I was a teen, she had gone back to work, so she was gone a lot of the time and not around to care.
As anticipated. :)
The next thing I'll be preparing is a nice spiral cut honey ham for Easter. Not that we're celebrating, but hams we're on sale, so I bought 2. One to cook this week and another to put in the freezer.
I think by the time I was a teen, she had gone back to work, so she was gone a lot of the time and not around to care.
Were you and her the only ones living in the house at that time?
Were you and her the only ones living in the house at that time?
No, my dad still lived with us. He didn't file for divorce and move out until I was 18 and already graduated from high school. Then the shit show really started. :/
I just talked to Roxy as she was on her way to work. I asked her if she knows anyone who knows a good elder law attorney. The situation with QoH is unbearable and I need this nonsense to end.
He didn't file for divorce and move out until I was 18 and already graduated from high school.
What about your siblings?
The situation with QoH is unbearable and I need this nonsense to end.
I for one am curious to see how this will end.
BTW, it's that time of the year again that I have to have awkward conversations with Social Security people. It seems they really want to get rid of me this time.
What about your siblings?
My sister was 19 years older than me and my brother 16 years older. They were both grown and out of the house.
I for one am curious to see how this will end.
Her dying would be way too easy. I'm sure it's going to turn into even more of a fiasco than it is now.
it's that time of the year again that I have to have awkward conversations with Social Security people.
Oh no. Do you think they are going to make you get a job?
I'm sure it's going to turn into even more of a fiasco than it is now.
I guess you'd better do your homework. ;)
Do you think they are going to make you get a job?
I'm not sure. They mentioned volunteer work. Not the first time SS people have tried to make me "volunteer" for that. I have another appointment for a conversation towards the end of this month.
They mentioned volunteer work.
I guess they want you to earn your keep somehow lol.
I have another appointment for a conversation towards the end of this month.
What's the worst that could happen? Will they cut your benefits if you don't comply with the "volunteering"? More like volun-told. 😖
I guess they want you to earn your keep somehow lol.
Feels more like they want to watch me suffer. :/
Will they cut your benefits if you don't comply with the "volunteering"?
SS has threatened to do that in the past and because of that I complied with their demands. That didn't work out so well for me. They haven't explicitly mentioned any cutting of benefits, yet. One of them mentioned putting me to work at the "floriade park". That used to just be a large flower garden but these days it appears it is run by some New Age nutcases (or maybe they're just grifters). I would strongly advise SS to not put me amongst those people, they would not be pleased.
Feels more like they want to watch me suffer. :/
LOL Working can be pretty torturous.
That used to just be a large flower garden but these days it appears it is run by some New Age nutcases (or maybe they're just grifters).
Likely both. 😨
I would strongly advise SS to not put me amongst those people, they would not be pleased.
Sounds like nobody would be pleased. LOL
In other news, I've been trying to lighten a couple of dark spots (sun damage/hormonal) on my right hand and forearm and a couple of lighter spots on my face. The intertoobs suggested turmeric & lemon juice which I already had, so I tried that tonight. Unfortunately turmeric also stains you yellow, and I had a hell of a time washing it off my face. 😡 I don't think I'll be using it on my face again even though it made my skin soft. I'll see how it goes on my hand and arm. Allegedly it takes a few weeks to notice a difference.
Working can be pretty torturous.
It's not really the work (although the work can be torture as well). It's all the social activity at work. Having to deal with other people. It's so draining it's painful.
I had a hell of a time washing it off my face.
Oops. You didn't cover your whole face with the stuff, did you?
It's all the social activity at work. Having to deal with other people. It's so draining it's painful.
This is true, especially if you are an introvert. I always needed to go home straight away and decompress when I was younger. I think I got less introverted as I got older, though. And not having to work with QoH the past few years was a big help also. 🙂
You didn't cover your whole face with the stuff, did you?
Yes, I did. I won't be making that mistake again. I guess it's fine for darker skinned people, but I'm very fair and I get dyed yellow like a Simpson.😕 And some got in my hair, so some of my silver by my temples now has a golden tinge to it. Hopefully that will wash out the next time I shampoo my hair.
I always needed to go home straight away and decompress when I was younger.
For me, it doesn't stop when I get home.
Hopefully that will wash out the next time I shampoo my hair.
Or maybe you could try being a blond. :)
Or maybe you could try being a blond. :)
I don't think I'd look good as a blonde.
I washed my hair tonight and thankfully the yellow from the turmeric came out. I used the Dawn dish soap again as I'm trying to get the hair dye out and go back to my natural color. It's already grown out about 12 cm in 8 months (the last time I colored it). My natural color is almost black, then I'm getting lots of white now. The combination makes it look kinda pewter. I think it will look cool when it grows out. If it doesn't, I can always go back to coloring it.
The combination makes it look kinda pewter.
So that's like metallic looking? I'm kinda curious as to what that looks like now.
So that's like metallic looking?
Yes, I think so. Or it could just be the crappy lighting in my house.
I'm kinda curious as to what that looks like now.
I guess I'll have to send you a pic. 📸
In other news, it rained all day today. There's a river running down the sidewalk in front of my house at the moment lol. I think it's supposed to be rainy for the next few days. 😕
There's a river running down the sidewalk in front of my house at the moment lol.
What about the garden? That much water can't be good for it?
What about the garden? That much water can't be good for it?
My house is on a tiny incline from the sidewalk so everything runs down to the sidewalk. And the soil here is very sandy, so it drains quickly. The plants like it. It hasn't rained here for quite a while.
BTW I sent you a pic. 📸 🙂
I sent you a pic
I think something went wrong. There's no pic in the email.
I think something went wrong. There's no pic in the email.
Hmm, that's strange. I resent it. This time I made sure the pic was fully uploaded.
It is still raining here. That makes 4 days straight. We had 2 tornado 🌪 warnings ⚠️ earlier, but nothing happened. I think the rain is supposed to clear out by tonight and be dry tomorrow morning, but then there are supposed to be pop-up thunderstorms ⛈️ in the afternoon. 😒
This time I made sure the pic was fully uploaded.
Yep, pic received. :)
Hm, it doesn't look bad. I do get a bit of a "young grandma" vibe from that look. ;P
Did not expect the filter but it works for you. :)
Nice tan as well.
You somehow remind me of someone. Don't know who. Like you could be a distant relative of mine or something.
We had 2 tornado 🌪 warnings ⚠️ earlier, but nothing happened.
How scary is that on a scale of 1 to 10? Seems like a 10 for me.
I do get a bit of a "young grandma" vibe from that look. ;P
Now I might have to keep coloring it. 😜
Did not expect the filter but it works for you. :)
I just filtered the background. The tan is my natural color. Well, natural after sitting outside & getting some sun.
Like you could be a distant relative of mine or something.
It's possible. I do have some Dutch ancestry.
How scary is that on a scale of 1 to 10? Seems like a 10 for me.
Maybe a 4 or 5. We don't get catastrophic tornadoes like the rest of the country, just little F0 & F1's. They still do a bit of damage, just not widespread.
I do have some Dutch ancestry.
Yeah, but it seems very unlikely that you're that closely related.
They still do a bit of damage, just not widespread.
I just saw the news about the flooding in Fort Lauderdale. It's not as bad as that where you live, is it?
I have no one here to help me get her upstairs to her bedroom.
I assume you'd prefer her to go to a nursing home but maybe it's good to think about moving her bedroom downstairs even as temporary measure until she can leave?
Glad you got some rest. :)
maybe it's good to think about moving her bedroom downstairs even as temporary measure until she can leave?
Unfortunately there is too much crap in the living room for that, plus both bathrooms are upstairs.
Anyway, they dropped her off about an hour ago, and like always, the sorry assholes refused to take her upstairs. Luckily for me my cousin is off of work today and he is coming to help me get her upstairs.
I was looking at her discharge papers from the hospital. It says she has a history of psychosis & dementia, so that should probably help me as to legal things. It'll probably be easier to get power of attorney or whatever needs to happen for me to be able to make decisions on her behalf without her approval.
It says she has a history of psychosis & dementia
Did she ever have a psychotic break? I mean, officially, near a psychiatrist? I seem to remember she was always on her best behavior around medical personnel. I'm just wondering how they got to the diagnosis.
whatever needs to happen for me to be able to make decisions on her behalf without her approval.
How are you going to bring her the good news if you can make that happen? :)
Did she ever have a psychotic break?
Probably the few times that she attacked me physically. The last time she did that was in 2018 and the cops Baker Act-ed her & took her to the Jackson Memorial Hospital psych ward. But I don't think she got diagnosed with anything then. She managed to act normal and fool them. They released her earlier than the 72 hours that they usually hold people.
I'm thinking that maybe someone at one of the hospitals that she was in 8 months ago probably diagnosed her. Or maybe at Villa Maria.
How are you going to bring her the good news if you can make that happen? :)
I have no idea. I know there will be a huge fight. Right now I just want to speak with a lawyer to find out what my options are.
I know there will be a huge fight.
Well, something to look forward to then... ;P
Good luck with your search for a lawyer.
Oh, BTW, last Thursday I went to the hospital for my regular diabetes related eye check up. Last year the eye doc found out that I probably have a mole on the back of one of my eyes. So now I had to come back to have that checked out and it turns out nothing has changed, which is good. I probably don't have eye cancer. Yay. :)
Good luck with your search for a lawyer.
My lawyer emailed me this morning updating me on another matter, so I asked him. He gave me a referral.
Last year the eye doc found out that I probably have a mole on the back of one of my eyes.
😨 I've never heard of such a thing before.
I probably don't have eye cancer. Yay. :)
Yay, indeed! 🙂
That's another thing that I really need to do..go in to have my eyes checked. I'll probably need progressive lenses, but getting them feels too much like admitting that I'm old. My vision for reading seems fine. I've always been nearsighted. It's just that I have to take my glasses off to read instead of the other way around like most people. 🙃
I've never heard of such a thing before.
I hadn't heard of it either. Maybe an eye freckle ("nevus") is a better word. Strangely(?) it doesn't seem to affect my vision.
but getting them feels too much like admitting that I'm old.
Hey, I'm older than you. If you're old then what does that say about me? Yikes! ;P
If I understand correctly, you can't see things that are far away clearly without proper glasses? I guess that can be problematic when you're driving.
Hey, I'm older than you. If you're old then what does that say about me? Yikes! ;P
🤔 😜
you can't see things that are far away clearly without proper glasses?
Correct. I think I've had to wear glasses full-time since I was in the second grade, so since I was 7 or 8 years old.
I guess that can be problematic when you're driving.
Everything but reading is problematic without them.
We are having a few days of nice weather after the horrible rainstorms that we had. It's supposed to remain around 81F with low humidity for the next 3 days or so. I'm hoping that I can get outside to enjoy it. I should probably mow the yard and trim some of the shrubs before it gets humid again.
Everything but reading is problematic without them.
I guess you're right about it being something you really need to do.
mow the yard and trim some of the shrubs
That does sound like fun. :)
That does sound like fun. :)
I wasn't feeling up to it today. Maybe if it's nice out tomorrow I'll get to it.
I wasn't feeling up to it today.
Did you do other fun things or were you feeling depressed?
Did you do other fun things or were you feeling depressed?
I was feeling tired and didn't have the energy for trimming shrubs, so I just played around on the internet. Today I had the energy, so I trimmed up half of the shrubs in front of the house before it got too hot. I still need to do the one in the planter box on the front wall of the house and the hedge by the neighbor's fence. Maybe I can get to it tomorrow.
Maybe I can get to it tomorrow.
I should really do something about our front garden as well. I'm not sure what is in there ATM, it sort of looks like grass but it's too leafy, I feel. It's going to be a lot of work tidying it up.
I should really do something about our front garden as well.
Parts of my front yard are looking very sad and neglected so I decided to dig up the part that looks the worst. It was originally ferns, but they got infiltrated with sanseveria and plumbago and it looks like a mess. Also the ferns have been there for decades and they have a tendency for new growth to grow on top of stuff that died and it gets quite thick like thatch.
It's going to be a lot of work tidying it up.
Yep. I started digging up the ferns/sanseveria/plumbago today. I got about 1 square meter dug up in a half hour before it got too hot. I think I have maybe 7 square meters to dig up. I'm just going to do a little each day if the weather is permitting.
I think I'm just going to replace it with some younger ferns from the back yard. I'm sure it won't take too long for it to fill back in once the summer rains start. And since QoH is incapacitated, she will have no idea and won't be able to stop me. 🙂
I think I have maybe 7 square meters to dig up.
I really don't envy you. Our garden is tiny compared to yours.
I really don't envy you. Our garden is tiny compared to yours.
My yard is pretty big for a suburban yard. I think it is a little more than a quarter acre. And QoH has so much in it to take care of. I'm in the process of reducing some of it. If she ever croaks, I will be getting rid of a lot of the unnecessary plants, especially the ones that require constant trimming and maintenance.
Yesterday I severely cut back a plumbago that she has planted in the back yard. Today I cleaned up all the trimmings and stuffed them in the big wheelie bin. I also raked up 2 garbage bins worth of leaves from the damn black olive trees. Those things seem to never stop shedding. They're pretty trees, but a damn mess. 🤬
They're pretty trees, but a damn mess.
Hey, at least they keep you busy. ;P
No olives though? I rather like black olives.
No olives though? I rather like black olives.
I'm not sure why they're called black olive. They aren't actual olive trees. :/
Anyway, I didn't do much today. I was feeling kinda tired. It was sunny so I sat out in the back yard for a while to get some sun. Then I lifted weights a little bit. I've mostly been watching TV. I'm watching The Birdcage right now. I can't believe that came out back in 1996. I remember going to see it in the theater with a friend from school. I think she was down from college on vacation at the time. We went to a lot of movies together.
I'm watching The Birdcage right now.
I don't think I've actually ever seen that movie. Didn't it win prizes? Did you like it?
We went to a lot of movies together.
Did you lose sight of each other when you left school?
Didn't it win prizes? Did you like it?
It might have. I don't really remember. I think I liked it at the time. My friend was a big fan of Robin Williams, so she really liked it. Watching it again, it was just kinda meh. I was more interested in the locations where it was filmed since a lot of it was filmed on Miami Beach and I remember when everything looked like that. It wasn't as built up as it is now. And I liked looking at the old architecture and terrazzo in the Art Deco building where much of the movie was filmed.
Did you lose sight of each other when you left school?
She ended up marrying a guy from Oregon after college and moved out there. He is an abrasive asshole and I don't know how she can stand him. The last time I saw her was Christmas of 2006 when I drove up to Okeechobee to see her when she was down with her husband & baby to visit her family. It was like torture being around her husband for 24 hours. After that, we kinda slowly lost touch with each other.
I was really surprised that she married that guy after she broke up with her college boyfriend. I really liked him. I don't remember why they broke up. She met the Oregon guy on a cruise. I just don't know what she sees in him. He's such a phony, loudmouth blowhard and very lazy. He basically lives off of my friend since she has a good job as a teacher. He likes to bullshit around as a "tattoo artist". I doubt that he makes much money at it. His skills at tattooing are shit. My friend allowed him to put several tattoos on her and they are awful looking. And I think sometimes he gets part time jobs as a security guard. I just don't understand marrying a man-baby like that.
I just don't understand marrying a man-baby like that.
Hey, at least he has a job... sometimes. ;P
So what kind of man would you marry? :)
I've never wanted to be married.
Right. Forgot about that. :)
Luckily for me, at that late hour, no one was outside.
Maybe you should have recorded her howling for evidence, just in case.
IDK where the hell it's all coming from.
Diabetes?
Maybe you should have recorded her howling for evidence, just in case.
IDK what good that would do.
Diabetes?
I suppose. She managed to gain back 20 pounds since she's been home.
I tried slipping 2 anti-anxiety meds into her food last night. It didn't seem to do anything. These damn doctors never prescribe anything that actually works. The only time I've ever seen her calm is when the Opthamologist gave her Vallium when she had her cataract surgery, so I know that works on her. Unfortunately I can't get ahold of any of that. :/
IDK what good that would do.
You seemed worried that someone outside would hear QoH howl. I assumed you were thinking that someone might investigate or call the police. It seemed to me that a recording of QoH howling would prove that you weren't doing anything bad to QoH that might cause her to howl, in case such evidence were needed.
I suppose.
If it's diabetes then she should be taking meds for that.
Unfortunately I can't get a hold of any of that.
There are herbal meds containing valerian that can help her sleep. There's also something called "Passiflora" which my mother regularly takes and it seems to help her with anxiety.
I assumed you were thinking that someone might investigate or call the police.
Yeah, the day they brought her home from the hospital, she insisted on calling 911 so the firemen could get her in bed. I have no idea what she told dispatch, but a while after the firemen left, a cop showed up. My cousin & I told him the situation and he said as long as I have her discharge papers from the hospital stating that she has dementia & psychosis, then I don't have to worry about the police arresting me. (It's just a hassle dealing with them if they do come out. 😕)
If it's diabetes then she should be taking meds for that.
She should be taking metformin at least, but she refuses to take any meds.
I might have to try the valerian. I'll look up the passiflora to see if it's available here. I think the anti-anxiety meds that I slipped her might have helped a little. It just took a while for them to kick in. And it's difficult to get into her food. It has to be something that I can dissolve it into like oatmeal.
She should be taking metformin at least, but she refuses to take any meds.
She will end up in hospital again this way. It will also make he mental issues worse.
It has to be something that I can dissolve it into like oatmeal.
Is CBD oil legal in Florida?
She will end up in hospital again this way. It will also make he mental issues worse.
I'm sure she will end up in the hospital again at some point.
Is CBD oil legal in Florida?
Yes. I had looked into getting some for myself to try. IDK if it would work on her. I had tried to get Roxy to get me some with a little extra ingredient from the dispensary, but she is unreliable and didn't get it. I also asked her to get another item, which she got, but seems like she's keeping for herself. She can be very aggravating.
with a little extra ingredient
What kind of ingredient?
I also asked her to get another item
What kind of other item?
She can be very aggravating.
Better not rely on her then. :)
What kind of ingredient?
THC
What kind of other item?
A prescription anti-anxiety med.
Better not rely on her then. :)
I can't. She likes to think of herself as "ride or die" but has never actually come through for me on anything important.
THC
It seems to me people generally prefer CBD oil over plain old marijuana because of the lack of THC in it. So why ask for "extra"?
A prescription anti-anxiety med.
So why ask Roxy to go get it instead of getting it yourself?
So why ask for "extra"?
Roxy said that it helps with sleep. IDK, I never tried any of it. She's the expert on weed & other substances lol.
So why ask Roxy to go get it instead of getting it yourself?
Because most doctors won't prescribe what I need for QoH and Roxy knows someone who gets it prescribed. The stuff that they gave QoH at the rehab doesn't do anything. It's too weak.
It's too weak.
Whatever you decide to use, watch out that you don't accidentally overdose her.
Whatever you decide to use, watch out that you don't accidentally overdose her.
They prescribed her some buspirone 5mg for anxiety. It doesn't seem to do anything, but I've been dissolving it in her oatmeal. It's probably one of those meds that has to build up over time. Who knows if it will ever work. :/
I might buy some CBD oil and see if that helps.
It's probably one of those meds that has to build up over time.
Yeah, I read about those. It takes a while before you notice an improvement.
I might buy some CBD oil and see if that helps.
Make sure to read the manual if you do that. Although ideally you should consult a doctor before you start using that stuff on her.
Although ideally you should consult a doctor before you start using that stuff on her.
Nothing about this situation is ideal. :/
In other news, since my birthday is in 5 days, I splurged on a kinda unique item. I bought a springbok skull/horns from a friend of mine in Berlin who sells stuff like that in her shop. :)
I bought a springbok skull/horns
Those do look kinda cool. Do you have any other birthday plans?
Those do look kinda cool. Do you have any other birthday plans?
Nope. My birthday is this Sunday. I might do a post on Instagram about it and see who wishes me a happy birthday.
Oh, and a couple of weeks ago I bought a couple pairs of Van's sneakers. One pair is the slip-on type. They are sparkly ✨️ gold with velvety cheetah 🐆 print. Very sharp looking. 😎 👌 The other pair is black suede and the stripe on the side is real animal fur (probably 🐂 ) but dyed to look like tiger 🐅 stripes. 😀 You only live once, so I might as well enjoy buying cool looking stuff.
You only live once, so I might as well enjoy buying cool looking stuff.
Besides that, summer is underway so you want to look good, right? :)
How is your summer wardrobe doing these days?
Besides that, summer is underway so you want to look good, right? :)
Absolutely! 😎
How is your summer wardrobe doing these days?
I bought a new pair of grey camo cargo shorts a few weeks ago. Those look nice with my grey suede Puma sneakers. And I have a couple pairs of newish shorts that I bought last year. I also bought a few more t-shirts in the past few months. I could really use some new tank tops for when it gets super hot and humid, but I haven't been able to find any that I like and that fit well. I still have my Deadpool tank top that looks new, but it was a men's style so it doesn't fit as nicely as a woman's style. I have to wear a sports bra underneath it and it gives it a kinda 80's retro Jazzercize style. 😜
In other news, the weather has been beautiful here the past few days. It's been hot, but with low humidity and it is sunny and cloudless. I've been going out in the backyard to catch some rays and enjoy it.
it gives it a kinda 80's retro Jazzercize style.
Let's hope leg warmers make a comeback then. :)
It's been hot
Coincidentally, yesterday we had the first official warm day of the year with a temperature of over 20 degrees Celsius. :)
Let's hope leg warmers make a comeback then. :)
I think I saw people advocating for the return of legwarmers this past winter lol.
a temperature of over 20 degrees Celsius. :)
That would be considered chilly 🥶🧊 here lol. But a perfect temperature IMO.
In other news, the Florida Panthers are kicking ass in the playoffs. Roxy is very happy since it keeps her employed and she's making pretty good money. The next 2 games are at home and sold out. I'm expecting them to win both & sweep 🧹 the series. Then it'll be on to the Conference final. 🙂
The next 2 games are at home and sold out.
Did you try to get tickets?
Then it'll be on to the Conference final.
So they have a chance at winning the Stanley Cup?
Did you try to get tickets?
No. Playoff tickets are obscenely expensive. And as long as I'm stuck in caregiver hell with QoH, I won't be going anywhere other than the grocery store.
So they have a chance at winning the Stanley Cup?
Yes, I believe so. They knocked off the #1 team, so they definitely have a chance against any other team.
I won't be going anywhere other than the grocery store.
So how is your weekend going? :)
Did you manage to get QoH her meds BTW?
Dammit, Happy Birthday! ;)
I almost forgot. :|
So how is your weekend going? :)
Kinda boring.
Did you manage to get QoH her meds BTW?
I've been dissolving the anti-anxiety med in her oatmeal, but the past couple of days she hasn't eaten all of it. I haven't managed to get anything else (like CBD) for her.
Dammit, Happy Birthday! ;)
Thanks! 😊
Thanks!
You're welcome. :)
I assume other people also congratulated you? Did you have any birthday cake?
I assume other people also congratulated you?
Yes. I had 8 friends on Facebook and 12 on Instagram wish me happy birthday. Then another friend from work sent me a text. Hopefully for my 50th I can have a proper party. 🥳 🎉 🪅 🎊 🍺 🍻
Did you have any birthday cake?
No. I was thinking about making one, but then I wasn't feeling up to it. I really don't need the calories. Nowadays if I eat anything with carbs or sugar I gain weight and then it's a bitch trying to lose it again. 😒🐖
Hopefully for my 50th I can have a proper party.
A the half a century birthday party. I'll keep my fingers crossed. ;)
it's a bitch trying to lose it again. 😒🐖
You definitely in no way look anything like a pig. Just eat in moderation. Works even with birthday cake. :)
A the half a century birthday party. I'll keep my fingers crossed. ;)
I'd really love to have one. Unfortunately, my friends live all around the globe and I doubt that I could get everyone together for a party. I guess it'll just have to be a handful of locals.
You definitely in no way look anything like a pig.
I know, but I've developed that middle age spread through no fault of my own. Damn female hormones go crazy during your 40's and you grow a beer belly despite no dietary changes.
I'm taking supplements to try to counteract that and I'm definitely feeling better, but that damn belly is tough to lose. I'm not sure if it's because of fibroids or visceral fat. :/
In other news, I escaped the house for 2 hours today. I went to visit the animals at the Humane Society, then went shopping at TJ Maxx. I bought a new matching beach ⛱️ 😎 set (shirt & shorts) that has a sorta retro 80's looking print (flamingos & toucans with geometric patterns). Then afterwards I took a drive up A1A to sight see, then I came home.
Also, I just heard from my lawyer. He had to attend a hearing for me because of the crooks at the solar company trying to get me to pay for the solar panels that they scammed my dad into getting. The judge ruled in my favor, so I don't have to pay the $20k. The bad news is I have to pay my lawyer. He's good, but not cheap. His bill is $1,700 but that's definitely better than paying those fucking scamming bastards.
you grow a beer belly despite no dietary changes
Meaning you didn't stop drinking beer? :)
I don't remember seeing a beer belly in any of your pics.
The judge ruled in my favor, so I don't have to pay the $20k.
As expected, but good news nevertheless!
His bill is $1,700 but that's definitely better than paying those fucking scamming bastards.
So they managed to steal $1,700 away from you anyway just buy suing you? I know they don't get the money themselves but still. That's money *you* lose because the scamming bastards simply decided to bother you with a lawsuit.
Meaning you didn't stop drinking beer? :)
I have one once in a blue moon. It really shouldn't have much of an effect.
I don't remember seeing a beer belly in any of your pics.
I'm good at hiding it in pics. 😉
It's not really very big ATM. I think that when I increased my dosage of ashwagandha it helped bring down the bloating. When I went to the beach a couple of months ago, it was so bad that I looked 5 months pregnant. It was very noticeable and I was quite uncomfortable.
That's money *you* lose because the scamming bastards simply decided to bother you with a lawsuit.
Exactly. It's infuriating the way the law is here. If it was "loser pays", there would be far fewer frivolous lawsuits. It pisses me off that it cost me money to pay my lawyer because of scammers. I did nothing wrong, but it cost me money to defend myself. And it pisses me off that my dad was so gullible all his life. Even at 84 years old he still didn't learn the lesson that nothing is for free.
In other news, I continue to whittle away at the mess of ferns, sanseveria, and plumbago in front of the house. I think I have cleared approximately 3 square meters so far. It's slow going because of the layers of dead ferns. It's very thick like thatch. I'm almost halfway finished with clearing it, though. 🙂
it was so bad that I looked 5 months pregnant
Did you consult a doctor?
It's slow going because of the layers of dead ferns.
Can't you just set it on fire? ;P
Did you consult a doctor?
No.
Can't you just set it on fire? ;P
No. It's too close to the house. And the sanseveria is probably toxic if it's burned. I wish I could. It would definitely be easier than having to dig it all out by hand.
Since I managed to fill up the wheelie bin with stuff from the front of the house, today I pulled up a bunch of the giant Boston ferns in the back garden. At least I can just pull those up and throw them in a pile and nobody can see them. I can put them in the bin after the garbage is picked up on Monday.
Did you consult a doctor? ... No.
I kinda figured that. :)
My mother is going through something weird. Now and again she seems to think that there are 2 versions of my father. And she doesn't know if the one she's talking to is the right one or not. She started crying yesterday. She says it's because she feels sorry for "the other version". I don't know. Maybe she just realized something is wrong with her. This has been going on for a while now. It comes and goes. It could be her meds. I've told my father to make an appointment with our doctor. If he doesn't I'll have to do it myself.
Now and again she seems to think that there are 2 versions of my father.
😨😲 Is she getting some sort of dementia? That sounds very strange and not in a good way.
I've told my father to make an appointment with our doctor. If he doesn't I'll have to do it myself.
Sounds like a smart thing to do. What does your father think about having 2 versions of himself?
It's not easy when your parents start getting age related mental problems. Both my parents were crazy, but they got worse with age. My dad definitely wasn't as bad as my mother. My mother continues her mental decline.
Is she getting some sort of dementia?
Possibly. She's been having issues with remembering things wrong or thinking that someone has stolen photographs from her albums. Sometimes she has this suspicion my father is cheating on her, I think. Or maybe it's the other version of my father who is cheating on her? I can't really tell. I've been looking on the internet and Capgras syndrome seems to fit the symptoms.
There's a number of other little things, like we used to have a towel hanging in the kitchen and now we have 2 because she wanted that. Same thing in the bathroom. And sometimes when she watches the TV she feels like the person talking on it is talking to her and can see her.
What does your father think about having 2 versions of himself?
While it is generally difficult to figure out what my father really thinks or feels I'm sure he finds it very worrying. He's mostly concerned with how my mother feels about being told she has dementia or something. At the same time he doesn't really want to know what's wrong with her. He'll be 81 this year and he's become more fatalistic these past few years, especially since the covid period. His father died around 84 years old, I think, and it sometimes seems to me that he just wants to sit out his time and wait for death. Getting any treatment seems to have a low priority since what good does it really do if he's dead soon? That kind of thing.
He's not completely hopeless but he may be getting there.
It's not easy when your parents start getting age related mental problems.
Both of my grandfathers died of cancer. But they were mentally still sharp. Seems like a better way to go.
I've been looking on the internet and Capgras syndrome seems to fit the symptoms.
That does seem to fit with what her symptoms are. And it's said to come about with dementia.
Getting any treatment seems to have a low priority since what good does it really do if he's dead soon?
I can sorta see his point with that.
Seems like a better way to go.
Definitely. Losing ones cognitive abilities seems like a terrible way to go. I have no idea how it actually feels for my mother, but it definitely sucks for me. At least my dad dropped dead suddenly. IMO that's a much better way to go than a lingering illness. He was 84 (2 months away from his 85th birthday) when he died. QoH is currently 80.
I can sorta see his point with that.
Well, yeah, me too but what if they keep living for another 15 years? :)
QoH is currently 80.
William Shatner is 92 and he went up in a rocket 2 years ago. During the Covid epidemic. You just never know. :)
what if they keep living for another 15 years?
I meant in a relatively healthy way. :)
Well, yeah, me too but what if they keep living for another 15 years? :)
It depends on how healthy they are now I guess. I for one have never wanted to get decrepit as I age, so I have been actively doing what I can to stay healthy. And there is also a mental aspect to it. Some people just give up on life as they age while others stay active and mentally engaged.
When I was working at the temple, one of the regular sorts of events we had were luncheons for elderly people who were involved in different charitable organizations. There were varying degrees of physical fitness on display, but the majority of them were mentally sharp. I think staying active and involved in different activities plays a big role in mental acuity.
There was this one woman in particular that I remember. Her name was Katherine and she attended a lot of those luncheons. She was 95 years old the last time I saw her. She was very mentally sharp, seemed to be quite fit for a woman of her age, and dressed very fashionably. She was definitely living life to the fullest. I aspire to be like her. 🙂
I think staying active and involved in different activities plays a big role in mental acuity.
Yeah, I bet that true. But getting my parents involved in anything like that may be impossible. :|
I aspire to be like her. 🙂
Nice. :)
But getting my parents involved in anything like that may be impossible. :|
Sounds like they are set in their ways just like my parents. :/
Well today I went grocery shopping at Aldi. They had almost everything that I wanted. They did not have any eggplants, but I can probably get those cheaper at Presidente (especially if they go on sale). I bought a tri-tip sirloin roast and have it in the oven. I also bought some bell peppers which I plan to grill so that I can make sandwiches on ciabatta bread. (That's why I also wanted eggplants. They taste delicious grilled and made into veggie sandwiches.) I grill the peppers & eggplants with lots of garlic. 😋
some bell peppers
I love me some bell peppers.
I grill the peppers & eggplants with lots of garlic.
I love me some garlic. Didn't know you can grill garlic.
I love me some garlic. Didn't know you can grill garlic.
I suppose you can grill anything. I don't grill the garlic, though. I just use a lot of garlic to season the peppers.🌶 🫑 I could probably try to grill a whole garlic bulb. It might turn out like roasted garlic. 😋
It might turn out like roasted garlic.
You'd have to add something though, right? To stop it from drying out? Maybe oil?
You'd have to add something though, right? To stop it from drying out? Maybe oil?
Yes, probably.
Ugh, Ma Nature decided to pay me an early visit last night. I'm getting some mild cramping ATM and I have a mild headache. I'm going to take some ibuprofen. I don't feel up to cooking right now. I'm glad I already have a few leftovers in the fridge.
I'm getting some mild cramping ATM and I have a mild headache.
Rest is always good. :)
Well, they did some test on my mothers blood and urine but found nothing. Just some mild anemia. She still has the same issues.
I'm getting some mild cramping ATM and I have a mild headache.
Have the cramps and headache gotten worse or has QoH gone on a rampage? Maybe both? That would make for one hell of a bad weekend.
Well, they did some test on my mothers blood and urine but found nothing.
I guess they can't test for mental acuity with those sorts of tests.
Have the cramps and headache gotten worse or has QoH gone on a rampage? Maybe both? That would make for one hell of a bad weekend.
🤣🤣🤣
Actually, none of that happened. The truth of the matter is that game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, between the Florida Panther and Carolina Hurricanes happened. It went into 4 overtimes and was seconds away from needing a fifth overtime when the Panthers scored and won it. The game went over 6 hours and ended well past 2am. I might have gotten into bed around 2:30am, then QoH woke me up around 4:30am. After that, I went back to bed and didn't wake up until almost noon. I was screwed up all day Friday and didn't know what day it was or that I had a blog. 🤣🤣
Anyway, game 2 is in an hour and I hope it doesn't go that late. 😬
I was screwed up all day Friday and didn't know what day it was or that I had a blog.
Ah, well. You had good time, which is what counts. :)
Good luck with game 2.
Ah, well. You had good time, which is what counts. :)
Yes, a good time was had by all Panthers fans. 😜🚨🏒🐆🍺
Good luck with game 2.
We won that, too. 😁 It also went into overtime, but the Panthers scored fairly quickly. We took the first 2 games in Carolina, which is pretty amazing, but I'm not really surprised. I'm believing that the Panthers will sweep the series. The next 2 games are in Florida. 🙂
We won that, too.
Congratulations. :)
Congratulations. :)
Thanks! Roxy is working the game tonight. I hope she makes lots of money. 💰 💵🪙💳
Another of my friends who lives in Tampa said she will send me a video of her dancing if they win. 🤣🤣
Both the Panthers and the Heat (basketball) are doing very well, so it's bringing a lot of happiness here. 😊
Roxy is working the game tonight.
Man, she gets to go everywhere.
she will send me a video of her dancing if they win.
Wait, is she hoping that they'll win or that they won't win?
Man, she gets to go everywhere.
Yep. She gets to see all the good concerts and hockey games. 🏒
Wait, is she hoping that they'll win or that they won't win?
She's a huge Panthers fan and is definitely hoping that they win (which they did 😁).
I think the Panthers only got one penalty last night and their penalty kill was quite impressive, a lot better than previous PKs. And the one and only goal scored, the game winner by the Panthers, was a power play goal off of a Carolina penalty. And the Panthers goalie has been nothing short of spectacular. Anyway, I'm hoping for the sweep, so only one game to go! 🤞
Anyway, I'm hoping for the sweep, so only one game to go!
And when will that be?
Oh, I've been to the library BTW. First time in a couple of years.
And when will that be?
Tonight! In about 2 hours from now.
Oh, I've been to the library BTW. First time in a couple of years.
Yay! I know how you like the library. 😉
In about 2 hours from now.
And what happened?
I know how you like the library.
It's fine, I guess.
And what happened?
The Panthers won!!! In a sweep, as I predicted. 😉 We are the Eastern Conference Champions 🏆 and will be playing in the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since 1996. 😁😎
The ending of the game was quite dramatic. The Panthers were leading 3-2 with 2 minutes left when the Hurricanes tied it up. They took a penalty with 1 minute left in the game. The Panthers scored a power play goal with 4 seconds left on the clock. The play ended up under review for possible goaltender interference, but the refs ruled it a good goal, so the whole place went crazy for a second time. (We had already had 2 goals called back during the series, so it was very satisfying to have one go our way.)
We are the Eastern Conference Champions
Congratulations again. :)
The ending of the game was quite dramatic.
That's always fun. :)
Congratulations again. :)
Thanks! Now we wait for the Dallas/Vegas series to wrap up. Vegas was going for the sweep last night, but Dallas finally showed some life and won. That series is now 3-1 Vegas.
That's always fun. :)
It was more stressful than anything. After Carolina tied it with 2 minutes left, I kinda had a feeling that the Panthers were going to get the game winner in dramatic fashion before time expired. I was so pissed when Carolina's coach called a challenge on it, but thankfully it went our way. 🙂
It was more stressful than anything.
Sure, but it's the exciting type of stress. An easy win is boring. :)
Sure, but it's the exciting type of stress. An easy win is boring. :)
It definitely was exciting lol.
Well the other series is still going. Dallas won again last night, so they'll play game 6 tomorrow. I'm not sure if that's going to be good or bad for the Panthers. On one hand, they get time to rest and recover, but on the other hand their fire for winning could cool off a bit. I'm hoping they'll be well rested and sweep whichever team they end up playing in the final.
In other news, I talked to Roxy on Friday. I'm trying to get her to commit to letting me come up to her place for a visit, but I know how she is. I'll just have to keep pestering her. It's not like she's busy with work. She seems to have time for other people. 😕
they get time to rest and recover
Probably a good idea after a hard game.
I'll just have to keep pestering her.
I'm no expert but it doesn't seem normal for friends to have to pester them for a visit.
I'm no expert but it doesn't seem normal for friends to have to pester them for a visit.
No, it's not. And it's very annoying.
Anyhow, today was a holiday (Memorial Day). I finally got around to reinstalling the bracket for the flagpole on the house. I took it down almost 3 years ago when we got the new roof. And I did hang the flag up.
Tomorrow they are supposed to deliver the springbok skull and antlers that I ordered. It's taken almost a month to get here because it had to go through customs in 3 different countries. 😕
It's taken almost a month to get here because it had to go through customs in 3 different countries.
What will you do with them?
What will you do with them?
I'm planning to hang them on the wall over my bed. I think it will look pretty cool. I'm still waiting for the slow-ass mail to deliver them. The tracking said they were out for delivery at 8:30am. It is now a bit past 4pm and still hasn't been delivered.😕
It is now a bit past 4pm and still hasn't been delivered.
Delivery times are rarely accurately estimated in my experience. Usually it's within a period of half a day or so. But then they do arrive on that day, usually.
Hey, I watched the two IT movies (part 1 and 2) today. They're pretty good, somewhat better than the other version. A bit of a strange combination of jokes (/movie references) and scary scenes though. Some good drama.
But then they do arrive on that day, usually.
LOL Not so much with the US postal service. I waited around all damn day yesterday, then at 6:30pm I saw 2 postal vehicles pull up in front of my house. I watched as the guy from the rear vehicle took a big box to the front vehicle, then took off. The guy in the front vehicle walked up my walkway and put some mail in the mailbox, walked back to his vehicle and then took off! I was like wtf? When I went to get the mail from the mailbox, he had left a notice slip saying that the package needed a signature! The lazy bastard never bothered to walk the other 10 steps to my door to knock! I was so pissed off!
Needless to say when I went to the post office this morning to try to collect my package, it was another fiasco. There were only 2 employees working the counter and 5 customers in front of me. They were moving in slow motion like typical government employees. It took 25 minutes before I got waited on and then the the lady couldn't find my package. It took her another 10 minutes to locate it because some idiot put it in the wrong place. 😡😡😡
Hey, I watched the two IT movies (part 1 and 2) today. They're pretty good, somewhat better than the other version.
I don't think I've watched any version. I'll have to keep an eye out for them if they come on one of the movie channels that I get.
The lazy bastard never bothered to walk the other 10 steps to my door to knock!
Are you sure it was about laziness? Could be a money thing.
It took her another 10 minutes to locate it because some idiot put it in the wrong place.
But you do have the package now, right? So did the contents survive the trip?
Are you sure it was about laziness? Could be a money thing.
Some of them are very lazy. The lady at the post office said that it wasn't my usual postal carrier and her body language and facial expressions spoke volumes. They make good money working for the federal government and they can't get fired, so there's no incentive to do a good job.
But you do have the package now, right? So did the contents survive the trip?
Yes, I got the package and it survived the trip. My friend packaged it very well and very carefully. I already have it hung on the wall. I'll send you a pic. 🙂
so there's no incentive to do a good job.
Oh? I mean, making sure people get their packages in time seems like a motivation to me.
I'll send you a pic.
Pic received. Looks good. Seems to me that the skull could use some company on that wall?
I mean, making sure people get their packages in time seems like a motivation to me.
Some people are conscientious employees and some aren't. The USPS isn't like other businesses that rely on giving good service. They are federally mandated and tax money keeps them operational.
Seems to me that the skull could use some company on that wall?
I was thinking the same thing. The pic makes the wall look even more bare than it is. I do have a sword and a couple other medieval weapons on that wall, but you can't see them since they are further down the wall. I'm not sure what I could put up there that would go well with it.
I'm not sure what I could put up there that would go well with it.
I guess it depends on your own taste. It could be as simple as a stencil decoration. Or maybe some flowers?
How are you and QoH doing BTW?
How are you and QoH doing BTW?
I am hanging in there. QoH is hit & miss IRT her mental state. She seems lucid most of the time. Sometimes she's civil and sometimes she's nasty. Today she made a massive mess in the bed with shit & piss. She fought me the whole time I was trying to clean it & her up. She even tried to snatch my glasses off my face. The only good thing is she's too weak to do any damage to me.
I have as little interaction with her as possible. I bring her food and drinks. Sometimes she asks for a bed pan to do her business, but about half the time she just pees in the diaper & under pad. She hasn't been waking me up in the middle of the night as often. Some nights I get to sleep all the way until morning.
She fought me the whole time I was trying to clean it & her up.
So how far along are you with the procedure of getting her out of the house and into the hands of professional care? You do not deserve to live this way. :/
So how far along are you with the procedure of getting her out of the house and into the hands of professional care?
I still need to get money out of the joint bank account and talk to someone about my options.
I still need to get money out of the joint bank account and talk to someone about my options.
Okay. It's good to have a plan for your future. :)
Well I'm not liking this damn perimenopause crap. Ma Nature is visiting once again after an only 2 week interval. These short cycles are the pits. 😡🤬 The only good thing is I'm not cramping and it only lasts 3-4 days.
These short cycles are the pits.
Are you losing more blood and tissue than usual? Maybe you should eat more?
Apparently perimenopause involves some potentially serious symptoms. Irregular periods, hot flashes and sleep problems, mood changes, vaginal and bladder problems, decreasing fertility, changes in sexual function, loss of bone, changing cholesterol levels. Yikes.
Are you losing more blood and tissue than usual?
No, they are very light compared to what I've had in the past.
Of all those symptoms, I've had the bladder problems a couple of years ago, but I'm fine now. The irregular periods are my problem now. They are annoying, but not as bad as the bladder problems. I've been taking ashwagandha, so I think that probably staves off a lot of the other things. My friend in Germany started taking it after I recommended it and she swears it worked almost instantly in stopping her hot flashes. She said she forgot to take it for a couple of days and started sweating like a pig on a 60F degree day. Once she got back on it again she said she was fine.
Are you losing more blood and tissue than usual?
No, they are very light compared to what I've had in the past.
Of all those symptoms, I've had the bladder problems a couple of years ago, but I'm fine now. The irregular periods are my problem now. They are annoying, but not as bad as the bladder problems. I've been taking ashwagandha, so I think that probably staves off a lot of the other things. My friend in Germany started taking it after I recommended it and she swears it worked almost instantly in stopping her hot flashes. She said she forgot to take it for a couple of days and started sweating like a pig on a 60F degree day. Once she got back on it again she said she was fine.
I've been taking ashwagandha, so I think that probably staves off a lot of the other things.
Do you generally prefer herbal medicine over traditional stuff?
Do you generally prefer herbal medicine over traditional stuff?
Yes. I've always preferred a natural approach to health.
At least Ma Nature is on her way out. It's been 3 days. I think she should be gone by tomorrow. Hopefully I'll have more energy tomorrow. I haven't felt like doing anything since she's been here. 😩
I haven't felt like doing anything since she's been here.
I haven't really felt like doing anything for the past 20 years. :)
Give Ma Nature a good spanking from me.
I haven't really felt like doing anything for the past 20 years. :)
LOL
I'll be glad when I finally go through menopause and won't have to deal with periods any more. The drawback is you start aging like crazy afterwards, so you can't really win. 😫
In other news, I cooked a leg of lamb with some carrots 🥕 and potatoes 🥔 today. It came out very delicious. 😋
The drawback is you start aging like crazy afterwards
I guess I'll live forever then. ;P
Maybe you'll grow old gracefully?
Maybe you'll grow old gracefully?
I hope so!
I've been trying to let my natural hair color grow out. I think I've mentioned it before. It's been 10 & a half months since I last colored my hair. I think it takes about 2 years for it to grow out completely with the length that I have. I've been trimming it regularly to try to sorta speed up the process of getting rid of the colored part. I don't have a short hairstyle, but it's as short as I've ever worn it (just a little longer than shoulder length).
I think I've mentioned it before.
IIRC you wanted to go for the silver hair look? Or maybe go completely white with it?
I don't have a short hairstyle, but it's as short as I've ever worn it
If you shave it off it will be immediately grown out. Would save you a lot of time. :D
IIRC you wanted to go for the silver hair look?
Yes, but I think I probably have more black hair than silver hair. I'll see how it looks when it's grown out. If I don't like it I can always color it again.
If you shave it off it will be immediately grown out. Would save you a lot of time. :D
I've been thinking about how I'd look with short hair. I've never had it short before. I saw a cut that looked good on Instagram. I guess it was a sorta pixie cut, but the hair on top was longer than a typical pixie. The girl was showing different ways to style it. It looked good on her. My hair is pretty fine textured and has a little bit of a curl to it, so I'm not sure if that style would work for me.
so I'm not sure if that style would work for me.
Yeah, I guess it's a bit of a risk. I mean, it will grow back but you're still possibly stuck with a look that doesn't really suit you.
Long time ago I saw this computer program that allowed customers to see a haircut on themselves before the actual cutting. No idea what to that concept.
Long time ago I saw this computer program that allowed customers to see a haircut on themselves before the actual cutting.
I think I vaguely remember that. It would be a handy thing. Roxy always says to just go to a wig shop and try on different styles to see what looks good. Well, I don't think there are any of those around here. QoH used to have to travel a ways to go to the wig shop where she got hers.
QoH used to have to travel a ways to go to the wig shop where she got hers.
She has a wig? Why?
She has a wig? Why?
She has worn wigs for as long as I can remember, mainly for work & special occasions. I guess they are easier & cheaper than going to a hair salon. And I think because she grew up in an era where that sort of thing was normal. Roxy nicknamed her "Hollywood" and it's fitting. QoH has always glammed herself up like a movie 🎬 🎞 🎥 star.
QoH has always glammed herself up like a movie 🎬 🎞 🎥 star.
Which movie star though? :)
It's getting really freaking warm and dry over here BTW. I have to get used to that again. :/
Which movie star though? :)
She LOVED Marilyn Monroe, but she always said she mostly resembled Linda Darnell or Debra Paget. (She named my sister after Debra Paget.) I think she looked like a cross between Debra Paget & Yvonne De Carlo.
It's getting really freaking warm and dry over here BTW. I have to get used to that again. :/
It has been hot & humid & miserable here since the second week of May. It's like someone flipped a switch. 😖🥵 And then it's been raining 🌧 damn near every day. 😫
I think she looked like a cross between Debra Paget & Yvonne De Carlo.
So she actually looked pretty at one time? I mean, I kind of imagine so does not at the moment.
And then it's been raining 🌧 damn near every day.
We haven't had rain for weeks. I wish it rained here. :)
I'm watching "Lawrence Of Arabia" right now (seems fitting with this weather). This movie is 210 minutes long. But it's good so I'm still enjoying it. :)
So she actually looked pretty at one time?
Yes, she was gorgeous when she was a teenager and into her 20's. She really did look like a movie star.
We haven't had rain for weeks. I wish it rained here. :)
I will gladly trade with you. 😉
I'm watching "Lawrence Of Arabia" right now
I don't think I've ever seen that in its entirety. Ironically, QoH used to have a thing for Omar Sharif. I think that's probably why she married my dad. He kinda resembled ol' Omar.
I don't think I've ever seen that in its entirety.
It's a beautifully shot movie.
Ironically, QoH used to have a thing for Omar Sharif.
Why ironically?
Why ironically?
We were talking about QoH and then you brought up that movie that Omar Sharif is in, who she had a thing for.
Yesterday I pressure washed the front walkway, the driveway, and QoH's truck for an hour and a half. Today I spent another hour and got about half of the sidewalk that's in front of my house done. It will probably take another hour to finish the rest. I think I probably have 3 times the amount of sidewalk as everyone else around here since it's a corner lot. 😕 At least with the floor attachment for the pressure washer it makes it a lot faster.
We were talking about QoH and then you brought up that movie that Omar Sharif is in, who she had a thing for.
Is it ironic because she doesn't like Arabs?
Yesterday I pressure washed the front walkway....
One of my people in the street next to mine power washed his backyard almost the entire day. The sound of it carries pretty far. It's kinda annoying. Seems like a waste of water and electricity as well.
Is it ironic because she doesn't like Arabs?
I think the irony lies in her not liking anyone. 😜
The sound of it carries pretty far.
I'm assuming that he had a gas powered pressure washer? Those can be pretty loud. Mine is electric and fairly quiet.
Seems like a waste of water and electricity as well.
It is. If it wasn't for the fact that code enforcement could give me a citation if they see the nasty sidewalks, I probably wouldn't bother. It seems like they have nothing better to do than harass people for insignificant things like that, but will ignore things like 10 cars parked in front of a house or multiple unrelated people living in subdivided single family homes. 😡
I think the irony lies in her not liking anyone.
She must have liked your father at one time.
I'm assuming that he had a gas powered pressure washer?
Nah, electric. I'm just a little whiny bitch when it comes to annoying sounds. ;P
Still warm here BTW but thunderclouds are predicted for the day after tomorrow.
She must have liked your father at one time.
She liked the idea of being able to buy a house and he was the means to that end. Back then banks wouldn't give loans to unmarried women.
I'm just a little whiny bitch when it comes to annoying sounds. ;P
LOL I get pretty grouchy, too, when my peace is interrupted by unwanted noises.
Still warm here BTW but thunderclouds are predicted for the day after tomorrow.
Yesterday was so freaking hot that I still can't believe it. It got up to 94F and with the humidity it felt like 104F. 😱 It was still in the mid-80's at 11pm. It's already 92F ATM, but it's supposed to rain later so hopefully it'll cool things down some.
Roxy's new lesbian friend invited her to the Pride parade in Wilton Manors today. Roxy is as bad as me when it comes to not being able to tolerate the heat, so she turned down the offer LOL.
but it's supposed to rain later so hopefully it'll cool things down some.
I'm hoping the same for over here but I suspect the rain will just increase the humidity.
I'm hoping the same for over here but I suspect the rain will just increase the humidity.
Yeah, that is always the problem. An ill timed quickie rainstorm can make it steamy. It's already humid here, so it usually cools things down if the thunderstorm lasts long enough.
so it usually cools things down if the thunderstorm lasts long enough.
Apparently the same thing is true over here. Nice. :)
It seems my parents have decided to leave almost all chores around the house to me now. I don't mind, it's just a little sudden.
and can still do some things for themselves.
They do seem to think I'm the butler now though.
And they aren't completely insane like QoH.
No, but maybe differently? A doctor that visited us thought that vascular dementia was most likely the thing causing my mother's odd behavior. I do have to say, it makes her remarkably creative when it comes to her making stuff up to justify her delusions. It's almost entertaining sometimes.
she just kept repeating 'help me up' over & over.
Yeah, that's recognizable. A remarkable stubbornness. A complete faith in her own delusions.
They do seem to think I'm the butler now though.
Funny how that works. 🤣
I do have to say, it makes her remarkably creative when it comes to her making stuff up to justify her delusions.
Sounds like QoH. I've heard that sometimes personality disorders are misdiagnosed as dementia because the behaviors are so similar.
A complete faith in her own delusions.
Yep.
Funny how that works. 🤣
Just call me Alfred, Ma'am. :)
I've heard that sometimes personality disorders are misdiagnosed as dementia because the behaviors are so similar.
Could be. Her affliction does seem oddly specific.
Well it has been very rainy here. It's going to be even rainier over the weekend. It's also very boring being stuck inside. :/ I got an email today from Hot Topic saying that my order is ready to pick up at the store. I have 7 days to get it. I don't feel like trying to go over the weekend because the mall is usually too busy on weekends. I'll try to go either Monday or Tuesday.
It's going to be even rainier over the weekend.
Pls send some of that rain my way.
my order is ready to pick up at the store
What did you order?
What did you order?
They had a big sale and kept advertising on Instagram. And because Instagram spies, a conversation that I had with a friend about the movie The Lost Boys triggered a Lost Boys sleeveless t-shirt in one of the ads. It looked pretty cool and the ad kept coming up, so I ended up buying it and a long sleeve Lost Boys shirt. I picked them up today since I didn't want to wait and because QoH aggravated me this morning and I needed to get out of the house and away from her for a while. Anyway, I took pics for my friend. I can emailz them to you. They do look pretty cool. 😎
the ad kept coming up, so I ended up buying it
I guess advertising works. :)
I can emailz them to you. They do look pretty cool.
I'd love to see it on you. :)
I guess advertising works. :)
Advertising & a good sale lol.
I'd love to see it on you. :)
Check your email.
Check your email.
Interesting. Strangely I like the red one better but I feel like the black one combines better with your camouflage shorts.
Also, that's an odd looking filter that is not entirely effective at hiding your bathroom. :)
Strangely I like the red one better but I feel like the black one combines better with your camouflage shorts.
My friend in Canada likes it, too. I was going to buy her one, but the shipping was $20. I think I paid $12 for the shirt. 😒 I told her if she finds one at her local store I'll Venmo the money to her lol.
I think the red one would look good with my khaki capri shorts. Now I want to get some red Puma's to match. 😎
Also, that's an odd looking filter that is not entirely effective at hiding your bathroom. :)
LOL I shouldn't have cropped the pic before I did the filter. My bathroom was a little messy. It's one of those freebie photo editors called Photo Editor Pro. It's a little more user friendly than the other one I tried and it has fewer in-app ads. Those are very annoying.
My bathroom was a little messy.
It doesn't look that messy to me. I guess a woman's bathroom has more bottles and stuff for washing etc.
I guess a woman's bathroom has more bottles and stuff for washing etc.
This house was built in 1954. I guess back then they didn't think that people needed storage space for anything. The bathroom is tiny to begin with and has no counters or cabinets. Just a tiny little medicine cabinet behind a sliding mirror that's tucked into the wall. The sink is just directly mounted to the wall and has only maybe 3 inches of space along the back length of the sink to set anything. I have a clothes hamper in there that I use for clean towels and to store toiletries. I also have a few things on the top of the toilet. I really don't like the cluttered look, but I don't have much choice in where I put things. 😕
Just a tiny little medicine cabinet behind a sliding mirror that's tucked into the wall.
Can you not extend the cabinet? Move the mirror away from the wall, towards you, and add walls to make the external part of the cabinet?
Move the mirror away from the wall
The mirror is attached to the cabinet which is built into the wall. There would have to be some moderate demolition to change it and it's not worth the hassle at this point.
If QoH ever croaks, I'd like to do a lot of renovations, the kitchen being my top priority. But I'm not going to spend any money on it while she's alive and I'm not the owner.
the kitchen being my top priority
Why the kitchen in particular?
Why the kitchen in particular?
It was in very poor condition when my parents bought the house. There was a lot of water damage to the cabinet under the sink which has gotten progressively worse over the years. And the cabinets are all wonky. The water intakes under the sink don't have on/off valves, so that needs to be updated to code, and all the plumbing under the sink needs updating/ upgrading. The countertops are badly worn. I'd like to take out the stupid soffits in there and replace the upper cabinets with ones that go to the ceiling and replace the lower cabinets with ones that have drawers. I think that style would be more functional. I'd also like granite or quartz countertops. Those are more functional and sanitary and don't wear out like that old formica crap.
Those are more functional and sanitary and don't wear out like that old formica crap.
Personally I prefer a metal countertop. Metals are to some extend anti-bacterial.
Personally I prefer a metal countertop. Metals are to some extend anti-bacterial.
Since I worked in catering for almost 30 years, I'm very familiar with stainless steel countertops. They are standard in commercial kitchens. I do like them. They are very forgiving if you set down a dish a little too hard unlike stone countertops. And they are easy to clean and keep sanitized.
And they are easy to clean and keep sanitized.
You could set them on fire and they'd be fine. :)
Well, after a couple of weeks of butlering etc. I am slowly starting to realize that this is my life now. I seem to be getting used to it but I also feel tired most of the time. Having less time for myself is annoying but housework has kept me too busy to be concerned with that. Right now I'm planning to install a wall bracket in the shower for my parents to hold on to. I still have to clean up the front and back garden at some point. #sigh#
You could set them on fire and they'd be fine. :)
You are correct, sir. I've seen flaming Sterno gel spilled on them and they are completely unscathed afterwards.
Well, after a couple of weeks of butlering etc. I am slowly starting to realize that this is my life now.
Ah, you are in the acceptance phase lol. I realized the same a few months ago.
I still have to clean up the front and back garden at some point. #sigh#
I finally got around to transplanting new ferns to the front flower bed yesterday. With all the rain we've been having, they should fill in pretty quickly.
Taking care of old people plus a house is a full time job.
I finally got around to transplanting new ferns to the front flower bed yesterday.
I don't think I'm ready to start planting yet. I've cleaned up the front yard well enough for now.
Taking care of old people plus a house is a full time job.
Hm. I kinda feel like I'm suddenly a single parent. I'm not sure what's harder, the work or having to make all the decisions now. I definitely need my 9 hours of sleep every night.
I don't think I'm ready to start planting yet. I've cleaned up the front yard well enough for now.
I guess as long as it looks tidy that should suffice.
I kinda feel like I'm suddenly a single parent. I'm not sure what's harder, the work or having to make all the decisions now.
Yeah, in my case it feels like I have a cross between a baby and the nastiest tantruming toddler. :/ Making decisions doesn't bother me. I'm fine with that.
I definitely need my 9 hours of sleep every night.
I would love to be able to get 9 hours of uninterrupted sleep. I don't think I've gotten a total of 9 hours in the past 3 days. Even with trying to stay up late enough and time her usual outbursts, she's still rather unpredictable. The only thing predictable is that she's going to yell for me every 1.5 to 2.5 hours throughout the night. :/
I stayed up until 3am last night thinking that I'd at least get a sorta jump on her, but she still ended up waking me up twice. The last time was around 9:30am when I was having a very vivid dream. I'm still pissed that I didn't get to find out how it ended.
I stayed up until 3am last night thinking that I'd at least get a sorta jump on her
I purposely go to bed before 23:00 because I always expect something may happen during the night and that way I'll still get a reasonable amount of sleep.
I'm still pissed that I didn't get to find out how it ended.
What was it about? :)
I purposely go to bed before 23:00 because I always expect something may happen
No matter when I try to sleep it's like she somehow can sense it and starts yelling for me 15 minutes to 30 minutes after I lay down. I was so tired yesterday that I tried to lay down at 9pm. She started yelling about 20 minutes later. I think I might have finally laid down and got to sleep around 2am. I might've gotten 4.5 hours of sleep before she woke me up again. :/
What was it about? :)
I was at the optometrist's office and they were doing my eye exam with a new machine that did everything even the glaucoma test. I can't remember what it was going to do next, but she woke me up before it was finished. Weird dream since I haven't thought about going to the eye 🤓 doctor at all lol.
it's like she somehow can sense it
Is her room close to yours?
Weird dream since I haven't thought about going to the eye 🤓 doctor at all lol.
Hm, so you're not worried about your eyes deteriorating? Maybe it's symbolic then? Maybe you feel like you're not seeing something that you should be seeing?
Is her room close to yours?
Yes. Her bedroom door is diagonally across from mine. I keep my door closed, so it's not like she can see what I'm doing in my room. And she always has the volume on her TV turned up, so it's not like she can hear me.
so you're not worried about your eyes deteriorating?
I am overdue for an eye exam. My subconscious is probably trying to tell me something. I could probably use some progressive lenses because my mid-range vision is getting a little fuzzy. Thank God my near vision is still good and my distance vision is still good with my glasses.
And she always has the volume on her TV turned up
What does she watch and have you yourself watched anything fun lately? :)
What does she watch and have you yourself watched anything fun lately? :)
She likes to watch either Newsmax, Real America's Voice, Fox News, or the rodeo channel lol.
I've been watching a lot of Home & Garden TV and Magnolia network recently. I find the home improvement shows relaxing. And of course I watch MMA whenever it's on.
or the rodeo channel
Maybe she likes the clowns? :)
I find the home improvement shows relaxing.
They're technically educational shows. We have loads of those over here on TV. they're part education, part entertainment, part commercial.
They're technically educational shows.
The ones they have on the TV now are more entertainment than educational. When I was a kid, I watched a lot of This Old House and New Yankee Workshop. Those were educational and I learned how to do a lot of things from watching those. Now I mostly watch these shows to critique their design choices. 😉
Now I mostly watch these shows to critique their design choices.
Ah, the student has become the master! ;)
It's really warm here today BTW. An expected 34 degrees Celsius during the day plus thunderstorms in the evening. Yay... :|
An expected 34 degrees Celsius during the day plus thunderstorms in the evening. Yay... :|
😲😳😱
Wow, that's almost as hot as it was here today. I put a thermometer outside in the shade around 1pm and it said 36°C. 🥵 I think the humidity was 70%. We also had intermittent thunderstorms.
Monday and Tuesday we're forecast to have Sahara dust, so that's at least supposed to dry things out. It also keeps the hurricanes away. And it's an El Niño year, so that also helps to keep hurricanes away.
I did repot my rosemary plant today, so at least I accomplished something even if it was minor. The heat keeps me inside in the AC most of the time.
The heat keeps me inside in the AC most of the time.
I wish we had an AC like yours. My father has been suffering from a shortness of breath during the past couple of weeks. The heat is making things worse for him, it seems.
I wish we had an AC like yours.
It's necessary to survive here. It gets way too hot & humid during the summer. I know that most people over there don't have AC in their houses and I can see how many elderly people die during hot spells.
Is there any place that you can go to get relief? Are malls air conditioned?
Are malls air conditioned?
I'm not sure we have any "malls" here. We have a shopping center that they put a glass roof over years ago. I don't think it's air conditioned. Individual shops generally do have AC.
I think the library has AC. I could go there but there's not much to do. My parents can't go there because ATM they're kinda housebound because of their illnesses.
BTW I have an appointment with social services Wednesday. I think they're going to cut my financial support.
I'm not sure we have any "malls" here.
LOL I guess that's more of an Americas thing.
My friend in Berlin was complaining about how hot it was(36°C). I think it was a few degrees hotter than here. The difference is she gets some relief at night when the temperature drops to around 20°C. It doesn't drop below 80°F/26.5°C here. I guess you experience the same sort of temperature fluctuations?
My parents can't go there because ATM they're kinda housebound because of their illnesses.
Just like QoH. It really sucks because you have to be there for them just in case something happens. It's like being a prisoner.
BTW I have an appointment with social services Wednesday. I think they're going to cut my financial support.
😲 Do they have a caregiver allowance that you can get? Some states here give you money if you take care of an elderly person.
Well today I was learning how to be a welfare queen (sort of lol). QoH gets a prepaid credit card from her health insurance to buy over the counter pharmacy items. I used it last month to buy a few things. Today I had around $70 worth of stuff from Walmart and I figured since it's a prepaid card then I could try to use it for the whole purchase. Well it went through when I swiped the card even though I had a few non-pharmacy items. I just checked the balance and there's still a little over $500 on it. IDK if they add any money to it each month. I'll have to check the balance again next month before I use it. Since I can use it for groceries and stuff, I might as well use that card instead of my own since it's basically free money & expires at the end of the year if I don't use it.
It's like being a prisoner.
Only vaguely, I'd say. Your situation is sucks though.
I guess you experience the same sort of temperature fluctuations?
Sort of. Berlin is a bit more northerly than my town.
Do they have a caregiver allowance that you can get?
I have no idea. Eh, maybe I'm misinterpreting this. I'll see tomorrow morning.
I have no idea. Eh, maybe I'm misinterpreting this. I'll see tomorrow morning.
Well good luck.
I mowed the front yard today. It was just too hot for me to try to do the back yard. IDK when I'll get to it. I'm exhausted from that and from QoH keeping my up all night the past few days. I really need to get some sleep.
Well good luck.
Not really. They've decided to give me 100 euro per month less because I've saved too much money. I am not spending enough therefore I don't need it, is they're reasoning. Hey, they're just trying to be efficient.
I really need to get some sleep.
Me too. My father has serious constipation issues. He got a number of treatments but none seem to be working very well. I'm glad my sister was here to help with some of them.
They've decided to give me 100 euro per month less because I've saved too much money.
😕 Isn't it amazing how they penalize people who are acting responsibly? That what you get for not spending it on hookers and blow.
My father has serious constipation issues.
That sounds horrible. 😕
I'm glad my sister was here to help with some of them.
That's good. At least you're getting a little help. I don't have any family to help.
That sounds horrible.
It was pretty disgusting at times, after he'd taken the laxatives. He seems to be doing somewhat better now.
I don't have any family to help.
Is there any other kind of help you can get?
He seems to be doing somewhat better now.
That's good. At least he isn't confined to bed. Dealing with bed pans and QoH having mushy poo 💩 on the underpad is the worst. 😫🤮
Is there any other kind of help you can get?
What the insurance offers is minimal. They'll pay for someone to come in & do light cleaning. Most of the time those people just steal stuff. I don't trust anyone I don't know in the house, especially if I'm not here.
And QoH doesn't want anyone in the house. When they had sent physical therapists before, she got nasty with them and refused to do the exercises. And the little that they tried to get her to do was a joke. It was a complete waste of time.
Dealing with bed pans and QoH having mushy poo 💩 on the underpad is the worst. 😫🤮
I don't understand how people manage to deal with that. How do you do it?
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