Then we actually saw grass this morning, this is the picture of the same lawn today! Wow did the melt happen fast, the rain certainly helped. I never thought I would be so happy to see rain.
My sister likes to dress me. This is what she got me for Christmas. She referred to it as “GQ” and ordered me to wear it on a date. Now I just have to get a date!
Now it is update day. I want you to update me on what is going on in your life. I am going to be doing some care giving the next couple of days because the regular caregiver doesn’t want to work on the holidays, so this is my week. I’m going to try to make it as fun for Mom as I can. Then the New Year starts and I am going to work on my goals.
Here is the blog schedule for the next few days:
Monday - Top Ten National Stories of 2008.
Tuesday- Top Ten Locan Stories of 2008.
Wednesday - Top ten personal stories of 2008 and personal goals for 2009.
Today, however, is your day. Tell me whatever you want to tell me. Vent about whomever or whatever you want to vent about. Sing glorious praises for whomever or whatever you want to tell us their or its virtues. What are you doing New Year’s Eve? New Year’s? You can still ask me anything you want.
I now turn it over to you. New posters/visitors are absolutely welcome.
6 comments:
Spiffy duds, there, Bill. Your sis has good taste. I hope you find a date worth of such sartorial splendor. [g]
I think I already reported on Christmas, so don't have much to add. The 26th, we had a visit from some friends of the kids (mine, too, but more theirs), and found that the wife is undergoing treatment for a liver infection, and it's really taking it out of her. She is also anemic, so we went to dinner at Outback and gorged on red meat.
Yesterday, let's see... quick visit to mom, lots of shopping for food and jumper cables because my car's battery seems to be on its last legs and the mechanic is closed until Monday. We went out for a Japanese dinner at our favorite local place and later watched an Antonio Banderas movie on tape ("Imagining Argentina" - about the "disappeared" there in the 70s, and with overtones of psychic visions). Not great, but it's always nice to look at Antonio. More so for Akkana and me than for Dave.
Dave backed up my computer and the plan is to update my OS sometime while they're here and early enough to make sure everything's working before they leave.
In a little while, a mom visit and we're off to explore the new stuff at Huntington Gardens.
Good grief, Bill, I hadn't realized you'd been without mail or garbage service and the like! How happy you'll be to get back to something resembling what you consider normal!
Busy week. I reported on Christms. Think I reported on the visit to the retina specialist and the fact that Mom's eyesight went down, instead of up, after the last injection in the right eye. Worrisome.
Spent time baking fancy Christmas cookies (won't do that again for another ten years, particularly since Mom's decided not to do her open house), playing the piano, fiddling with the guitar. Once I got Christmas under control, couldn't seeem to settle on anything, so just bounced from one thing to another, even some knitting on the loom today and some paperwork the last couple days. Some time every day with Mom, from doctors to groceries to fixing whatever she did to her remote to shopping sales on Friday.
The next week looks like Mom time, getting her moved from the spare room back to her bedroom (Rho's only been gone almost two months), the legal papework finalized and a heart-to-heart. Looking forward to having S&T up here for dinner tomorrow night. From that point, it's time to get back to work on client projects and I'm trying to work up some enthusiasm for that. Biggest problem is, if I'm working on a project, I like to be able to put big chunks of time into it and the caregiving doesn't allow for that, so it means two or three hours here and there and I lose momentum when there's a day or two between working even those hours. It's obvious I have need to establish a schedule and work doctors and Mom stuff around that, rather than fitting in work whenever there's an uncommitted hour or two.One of my missions for January. Am wishing I hadn't committed to teaching the aquatic class two days a week, quite frankly. 2009 is the year to get my act together, one way or another (she says optimistically).
Hi Pat
Sis does have good taste and I'd settle for any date!
I hope your friend recovers fully it is so tiring to be ill. Outback has great food, I love their pork chops.
Oh no, about the jumper cables. I hope you don't get stranded anywhere.
Anything with Banderas in it is usually good.
Good job on Dave backing up and updating your computer. He must be a really nice man.
You will have to tell us about the Hunington Gardens.
Bill
Hi Dr
What happens in the Portland area when we get snow storms is the city has limited resources to battle the snow. City of Sherwood has no snow plows, The City of Portland has fewer than ten. They plow the main roads only so the side neighborhood streets are impassiable. There goes the garbage pickup. Then you add to it people not knowing how to drive in the snow get stuck in fron of mailboxes and can't get their cars off of the street until the melt, the post office won't go into streets that have cars blocking the road. There goes the mail delivery.
I'm sorry your mom's eyesight went down but can't help but wonder if it may be a product of how busy she has been with company, the holidays, and the stress of being ill.
I want to hear you play the piano or guitar.
You are definitely busier with your mom than I have been with mine. When you can't get out of your house, it down sizes the visits to mom's.
I'll bet you mom will be glad to get back to her own bedroom. Glad the legal papers are getting done!
Work should be your priority and you can schedule anything not an emergency around your work.
I'm optimistic about 2009.
Bill
Hi, Bill. I agree with your assessment of Banderas' movies. I just like to look at him. And listen to him, as I like his accent.
Yes, Outback's porkchops are really good. The kids had them and I had a bite. Yummy. I had the "pepper steak with brandy sauce", which was great.
I didn't get stuck anywhere, but the battery didn't survive the night, so I'll probably get a new one tomorrow.
Huntington Gardens is lovely, and I had not yet seen their new Chinese Garden, which is large and beautiful, with a big lake. If you follow the "river" that feeds from the lake, it takes you to the Japanese Garden, which has been a favorite for a long time. But this time, they also had their annual show of "Suiseki" or "viewing stones". It's a Japanese art involving natural stones that can represent things -- mountains, animals, people. Most set each in its own little Zen garden of sand. They can be quite amazing, and I always love that exhibit. I've seen it several times and it's always different and always wonderful.
So we did that first, then trekked to the Chinese garden, along to the Japanese garden, then across the park to the Desert garden, which is my favorite thing there. Akkana has a new GPS gadget, and she mapped our trek, which is pretty darned impressive-looking, especially since the walk to and from the farthest point of the parking lot is almost as long as the trek through the gardens. We had just average Chinese food later and then came home. Nice day.
Hi Pat
One of my favorite Banderas moving is Take The Lead. Love it. I don't really like to look at him though.
Pepper steak with brandy also sounds delicious.
Hope you find a good deal on a battery.
Chinese gardens are interesting. There is a lot of history with them. When I went to the one here they said something about their being no straight lines in a Chinese garden because the Chinese believe that evil spirits can't naviagate crooked lines.
I've never heard of Suiseki, interesting.
I'm seriously considering getting a GPS gadget, love those things.
Bill
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