Saturday, December 20, 2008

Update Day

It is my favorite day of the week on the blog. Update Day. Your day to tell me everything.

OK, I'll go first. First, Sister and her husband made it safely here from Utah. They got here at about six last night. The roads were terrible all the way but drivable. It took them about eight hours longer than the trip normally takes. Second, I want to thank you for how supportive you all were to me when I posted an in a funk message. I especially want to thank Kim as it couldn’t have been easy for her to tell us about her struggles. The thanks extend to all those that posted supportive messages to her. This is such a great group of women. I feel blessed to have you all in my world. Third, the weather still stinks and according to reports it isn’t going to get any better. Later this afternoon a major snow storm is coming in and it will turn into my worst nightmare, freezing rain Sunday morning. It doesn’t look like we are going to get half way decent weather until Christmas Eve Day. According to reports this is the worse weather stretch we have had since 1977, the year I moved here. Fourth, mom is convinced more than ever that she doesn’t want to deal with the winter elements any more and is absolutely ready to get out of here. In addition my sister mentioned her and her husband might want to get out of Utah for winters. We could all me down there next winter! We all have friends and relatives that live there so we wouldn’t be going there blind. My friend Ted that I have breakfast every Sunday leaves here after Thanksgiving and stays there until March. My friends from Seattle, Mark and Sandra, go there every winter. I also have some old friends still there from the eight years that I lived there. Not to mention Pat. I have been appointed head scout. My job is to take some trips down there and check out living options and areas. We want to find a self-contained community that doesn’t require a lot of driving, not to far from hospitals (Mom), check out doctors, stores, etc. I’m actually excited about the prospects. Last, I took the break from the weather to slice down my to do list. The to do list that increased to seventy-four items is down to twenty-eight. All my Christmas shopping is done. I repaired the laptop that crashed on my own saving me some big bucks. I now have two working laptops. That prepares me for tax season. There won’t be any additional crashes that I can’t handle during tax season so it should be a very smooth tax season. A great start to 2009!

OK, it is your turn. I spilled my guts. So now you get the same chance to spill yours! Let me know how you are doing and what is going on with you. Shopping done? When do you celebrate Christmas? Christmas Day or Christmas Eve? We always have celebrated Christmas Eve What is your traditional dinner? Ours is turkey, mashed potatoes, green been casserole, home made rolls, pie, a salad that changes every year, and snacks all around!

If you are new to the blog or have been reading the blog and haven't posted yet don't let that stop you, we would love to meet you and hear from you!

OK, off to do my laundry. I am at that stage where I either have to do my laundry or buy more clothes!

14 comments:

Bev Sykes said...

How exciting to contemplate relocating. I'm sure Pat would be delighted to have you nearby and we visit LA more often than we visit Portland...perhaps Netstock in the making.

As for an update from here, we are getting ready to leave on the 23rd to spend Christmas in Santa Barbara with the new grandbaby. My first year in 40 not to host a houseful of family. It seems strange.

William J. said...

Hi Bev

It is always nice to see you post here. First time in forty years! Wow! While it will be a hell of an adjustment you deserve a break and year when you are the one catered to!

If everything works well, the move will only be for the winters.

Bill

Pat said...

Once again, my week has been uneventful. What a boring life! I'm currently into cleaning up and getting ready for daughter and SIL's visit, but at the moment the vacuum is sitting idle while I do things I'd MUCH rather do.

I'll try to be on the lookout for areas that match your requirements, but need more info. Are you looking to rent, or to buy and have a permanent place down here? My little town of Burbank is fairly self-contained, as is its neighbor Glendale. You can find pretty much all necessities locally without driving on the freeway, but for anything like tourist attractions, the beach, etc., freeways are pretty much unavoidable unless you have LOTS of time. Summers are kind of a bitch here in the Valley, though, and they last until about December, so fair warning.

William J. said...

Hi Pat

I could compete with you as to might win the most boring life.

As to what we want it is to early in the process to know what we really want. Maybe a winter rental, depending on cost we might be open to reasonably priced townhouse or condo. Just in the initial planning stages.

Bill

Lady DR said...

So glad to hear Sis arrived safely, given the weather along the west coast. As to your funk msg, I think you allowed a lot of us to open up and express the same feelings you did. I do not envy you your weather. Don't particularly care for snow, hate ice. It does a lot more damage to everything from power lines to trees to people. Looking for a winter oasis sounds practical and fun, particularly if it's a family venture.

My week had some bumps. Started out great. We took Mom to the singing Christmas tree at Berea Baptist. Huge church, major production (I'm used to small tree, small church choir). Must have been 150 in the tree, plus 25 piece orchestra, plus additional quartets and sextets and such. Very impressive. Mom time Monday and Tuesday. Weds I dug out my small tree skirt and put it around her tree (we never have found hers). From there, about noon, downhill, as I apparently caught the local bug, thought it was 24 hours, it came back. I think I've recovered from the second bout (I hope!)My biggest downer was learning yesterday that Bob, a client I've worked with for ten years, passed away from a series of strokes in September. We'd done six books together and were working on a seventh and he was much more than a client. His passing was harder for me than I expected it to be.

On the up side, Christmas shopping is done, except for a coat for Mom. Packages wrapped, packed and shipped and major shopping for dinner done on the day between the two bouts of the bug (or rounds with panic disorder, I'm not sure which). Christmas cards with annual letter waiting to go to PO on Monday. We've started a new traditional dinner - Cornish game hen, rather than turkey, with the usual stuffing, mashed and sweat potatoes, veggie casserole, rolls and pumpkin pie. All that's left on the "required" list is Christmas dinner (we do it on Christmas day) and cookies for Mom's open house. Oh, and the laundry -- like you, it's either laundry tonight and tomorrow or go buy new underwear!

Bev - I agree with Bill the transition may seem strange, but you've earned your turn to be a "guest" and not the one doing all the work. I hope you'll enjoy it and the time with the new grandbaby.

Pat said...

Bill, LOL, who'd want to win a "most boring" contest? Well, I suppose it's better than a "who's most frantic" contest. We must count our blessings. {g}

DR, I'm very sorry to hear Bob died. I know he drove you crazy sometimes, but I also know you were fond of him, so I'm not surprised that you're taking it harder than you might have expected.

Bev, enjoy your "guest grannie" status while you can. All too soon, you'll probably be expected to be hostess again.

William J. said...

Hi Dr

I'm extremely sorry to hear that Bob passed away as I know how intertwined he was with your life. I wish his family well in this time of grief as I do you. Sorry for your loss.

Gosh you have had one bad week. I'm sorry about you having a bug not once but twice. I hope you are over it. Please take care of yourself. Studies have shown that people that care for an elderly relative are more likely to get viruses because the stress of caretaking makes their resistance low.

Glad you got your shopping done! That is such a great feeling!

Corhish game hen sounds interesting.

I wasn't able to get out to do my laundry because of the weather. I hope you were!

It is interesting because had they not left when they did they never would have made it here because some of the road has been closed most of today. You can not believe the snow we got today and it is still snowing! Probably six inches right now. It is turning to freezing rain tonight and tomorrow is supposed to be treacherous for the morning and hopefully warming up in the afternoon. Worse and longest storm we have had in over 30 years. I WANT OUT.A

Bill

William J. said...

Pat

I'm very competitve I want to win all contests I enter including the most boring life!

Bill

SymplyAmused said...

Hi Bill,
Sorry I've been missing from your comment section. The current class I am in require us (as a team) to write a proposal for a software solution to an virtual organization (which the school provides) and my team mates have been no help at all. In order to get at least part of my 30% of the grade, I've taken upon myself to write it alone. Work is going well. I was hired on by the company and am able to squeeze in at least my 40 hrs I need to survive if not a few hours more each week. I cannot wait until Christmas is over. I don't do holidays well. I hope you stay safe and warm and be careful with all that snow.

William J. said...

Hi Symply

I knew you were busy. You have a pretty busy life usually with school, work and parenting!

That is just to bad for words that you got stuck with lousy teammates. The sad thing is the teammates will benefit from your hard work. I think after the project was completed I'd tell the teacher.

I'm glad you found a job!

I'm with you about not doing holidays well, it is really a lonely time of year for us single people.

Bill

SymplyAmused said...

They won't benefit. I won't put their names on the paper and we fill out a team evaluation after the project. I'll for sure make to make my thoughts known.. oh yea, I want some of that snow!! It's 39 here and sunny : )

Lady DR said...

Symply - Congrats on the job! Bummer on the teammates and you doing all the work. Glad you're putting only your name on the project and will be able to fill out an evaluation form. Fair is fair! I'm pretty sure, from comments from Bill and another friend in Portland, they'd be more than happy to send their winter storms your way!

William J. said...

Symply

We now have 20 inches of snow and they are predicting more. The worst storm since 1960. You can all of the snow you want!

Bill

William J. said...

DR

You and your friend are right on. We want this storm to end and Symply can have all the snow she wants!

Bill