OK Update Day is here. Well actually it is tomorrow but I want to get an early start because I'm curious about so much that is going on with all of you. You all know Update Day is my favorite day of the week. Talking about myself has really never been my favorite thing to do. But two of my favorite things to do are to learn about others and to meet new people. This is the day when my blog is yours. Truly you can make my Blog yours any day of the week but this is the planned day for it! The day when you tell me what special events you either just attended or are going to attend. When you tell me about your elderly parents and how they are doing. When you vent if a good vent is what the doctor ordered. If you feel that a confession would make you feel better, I'm all ears. Children doing something special? Would love to know about them and what they are doing! To all you new readers and to all the long time readers that haven't posted we sincerely would like to meet you. It may seem like we are a clique but truly the posters here are the nicest, most nonjudgmental, and accepting people you will meet almost anywhere on the Net.
For me, this week fell under the title of "Gone, So Forgotten." The job that I worked on the pay arrangement was to get a third of what they billed on the clients that I worked on. On the tenth of the month I would get a third of what they billed for my clients for the previous month. The tenth rolled around and I didn't get my check. I called them today. I have to hand it to them because of their honesty. The partner was really embarrassed because they just forgot to make my check out. No, "the check is ready you can pick it up." No "the check is in the mail." Instead it was, "I was on vacation and I forgot" OK, so I'm not as memorable as I thought I was.
Speaking of memorable I didn't really tell you the whole story about why it took so long to mow my lawn. My two greatest fears are SNAKES and women. As a man I know I am supposed to be a protective soul. I have saved a few lives in my time. If I were married and an armed robber stopped us I'd take a bullet for her. Faint? Mouth to Mouth I am pretty good at. Chest pains before passing out? I know CPR. Car accident? I'll help anyway I can (then pass out afterward). Scare off a mean dog? I can do that. Defend your honor? Oh, love doing that. On the outs with a mean relative? I'll make the call defending you if you want me to. Carry you over the water to get across the street so you don't get your new shoes or pretty legs wet? I'm there. However, if we run across a snake, she is on her own because I'm outta of there. That streak running away from her? That would be me. Hiding in the tall grass that I was mowing last were were a couple of snakes. Not small snakes either. Not garden snakes either. One was zebra colored. And it was big enough to be a Zebra. At least it seemed that big. The other was sort of an orange/purple color. Upon seeing them I took off for my house, almost run through the door before opening it. Then I waited for a few hours to give those snakes more obviously vicious than a pit bull time to get out of my yard. Before going back out to finish the mowing I did look through some binoculars to the spot where they were last seen to see if they were still there. They weren't. Then it was back to mowing and cleaning the blade every few seconds.
Have you ever felt forgotten? What is your greatest fear? What kind of emergency are you good to go? OK, the Blog is now yours. Fess up and tell me everything going on in your lives.
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8 comments:
At least they were honest. No "your check is in the mail" BS So, inquiring minds want to know: did they stiff you or did you get your check?
I'm sure I'd like to have you around during an emergency. I could handle the snakes. I rather like them, as long as they're not poisonous and not threatening me, so I'll take that assignment and you can take all the others.
I've never felt forgotten, or not that I can remember. I have felt ignored, which may be worse. My greatest fear? Probably that something bad will happen to my daughter. I don't have any special personal fears except probably the ones most women have - getting raped, mugged, murdered, that sort of thing. Debilitating illness, senility, helplessness. The usual fears people have. But I don't dwell on any of those things. The first group of brutal things are unlikely as long as I'm reasonably careful, and the second group, well, they'll come if they come and there's no use worrying about it.
Sheesh, now I'm feeling a little morbid. I'm going to go watch a rerun of FASHION SHOW and cheer myself up.
Hi Pat
I'll get the check Saturday. They can't stiff me, if they did they would lose their license.
I never thought it about it before but being ignored is definitely worse than being forgotten!
I would imagine something every parent worries about is something happening to their child.
And I am sorry I got you to think morbidly!
Bill
I hope you get your check soon. I don't think you are forgettable I just think it was the out of sight/out of mind thing...or it was that they remembered you were so good and they have to pay you so much they were trying to postpone it as much as possible...? Joking :)
Nothing to vent about. Dad is doing well. Come to find out he was not eating lunch since going back to golfing each day hence the fainting spell. I have let him know that was not acceptable when you take BP medications and get as much exercise as he does. I did call doc and they agreed with me, that this was all it was surely, as his BP has been perfect this past week. HE even let me know he quit seeing spots since he began eating lunch again. What? GEEZ, what are you going to do with them?
About feeling forgotten or ignored...I have felt both and don't much like either! I mostly fear that dad or the Shankster will get a debilitating illness. I have feared that I would turn out like my mother...but have come to the terms with it like Pat says...no sense worrying.
I hope Bill you find your wild lady as she would be/feel so lucky with all that you will do for her.
Have a great weekend everyone.
Hi Dona
They actually called last night and said I could pick it up so I will have it by Monday.
Glad your dad is doing well! But it kind of is awful that he wasn't eating lunch. And now he quit seeing spots, wow. It really is like raising another child, isn't it? While playing golf has he considered reducing his BP medicine?
I think it is interesting that you worry more about others geting a debilitating illness as you do yourself. You have to be one of the most caring individuals around!
I hope I can add to Miss Right's life and she can add to mine!
Bill
Okay, this is really catch up time, as I've been least in sight for two weeks.
They've been mostly Mom time, which is what I was prepared for, with the big 90th celebration. Let's see... Week one, I spent the weekend mulching leaves and buying plants and veggies and getting them into the gardens, more or less. Getting Himself ready for a week's trip to TX. From Monday on, it was Mom time. Cleaning her apartment, doing her laundry, getting ready for her weekend guests, hitting the high spots at my place, since Bro would be staying in RV. Ordering food. Making up center pieces for all the tables and the buffet and creating a card basket with silk flowers. Then, more cleaning, when I learned on Thursday that youngest sister was coming, would be staying up here, in craft/guest room. Mom had a doc app't Thursday AM and the troops started arriving Thursday night and, since no one could decide on supper, I cooked it and took it to Mom's Friday night.
The weekend was a rousing success. Mom was delighted to see Aunt D and they both stayed at her place. Friday was a little chaotic, as the guys got rained out on the 8th hole in the AM, cousin's wife and I did last minute shopping in downpours, the apt above had some sort of leak that drifted down to Mom's utility closet and soaked rug and required emergency maintenance call (at least we now have a maintenance man on call, for the first time in six months or more). Did the initial set-up of the social room, fixed dinner. Saturday AM, we picked up food trays and cake (checker dropped meat tray, we salvaged and rearranged) and finished setting up social room. Mom was surprised and delighted when a former tupperware manager from IL (now living in NC) showed up. The 2-4 reception started at 1:30 and lasted until after 5:00 and the apt residents had a great time and it was interesting to see the interaction between them, the THP folks and other family members. The room was really pretty, if I do say so myself. We had a basket of over 75 cards for Mom (the count has now reached 137, as cards continue to arrive). Youngest sis arrived about 3:30. My cousins helped me clean up and Bro helped me haul stuff home, then returned to Mom's, and I started putting away left overs, craweled into jammies about 7:00, got a call that everyone was heading to the house to "relax" about 30 minutes later. Get dressed again and entertain until 10:30. Sunday, we all went to the MD brunch at the Hilton, which everyone pronounced "perfect, special, beautiful, delicious." Afterwards, all but Mom and Aunt D came up here to change to comfy clothes and I took them on a sight-seeing tour of Furman U and then Paris Mtn State Park, taking them back to Mom's about 6:30 and coming home to wait for Himself to return about 9:00.
All of this was wonderful and would have been even better if I hadn't woken up at 4:00 am Saturday morning with a nasty throat and cough -- thank you to the little boy in Walmart grocery on Wednesday, I think. As a result, I spent the weekend covering my mouth, washing my hands every 30 seconds and trying to pretend I was on the top burner. From all comments, it appears I succeeded.
Monday I hibernated, Tuesday, I took more cards to Mom, spent a couple hours with her and Deb and we took them out for Mom's birthday dinner. Wednesday I hibernated. Yesterday we say the retina specialist and had good news -- Mom's right eye is up to 20/40 from 20/100 two weeks ago and her left eye is up to 20/80, from the 20/100 it's been for two years. YEA! Today, we had brunch, then spent 4 hours with the allergist. Jury is still out, but she has no identified food allergies. They need results from two swabs and two bood tests and want to see the films from the AZ cat scans. I was a bit irritated to discover that the allergen tests were restricted, due to insurance/Medicare guidelines for the number of allergens that could be tested. We could still have unidentified allergens, but had to pick and choose among what would be tested for. Is there something wrong with this picture? I respect the doctor's responses to certain questions that he didn't know, he had some theories, but needed to see the blood test and swab results and the CT scans from AZ (which I have to run up there next week).
Since I rarely get colds or get sick, I'm not a good patient. I've decided I'm going to live and hope to get back to some exercise next week, after planning on more rest this weekend. Hopefully, I'll be back to regular checking of messages here on the blog. The last two weeks have been a bit of a blur of Mom activities and considerations. I just thank goodness I could do the reception and brunch and "hostessing" and that most of it was under control before I went "puny." I thank God she's still with us, still sharp and only needs help with mobility and vision (like reading the cards and notes to her).
Bill, I'm glad you're going to get your check. As to being not memorable or ignored ... I think ignored is worse (at least in my experience), when it occurs in instances where you're visible and right there. Making time to send pics to middle sis of reception and MD and no response. Updates on Mom to all sibs with no response. Guess that puts me with the other responses so far.
Snakes? Hate 'em! Well, the poisonous variety. A black snake is okay -- it eats mice and insects and such. Anything I can't immeditaely identify -- I'm hotfooting it the other direction. Remember, we discovered copperheads last year, the first being one I disturbed while raking leaves, follwoed by one Spook discovered and one Al saw. I now rake very carefully and only when Himself is in screaming distance.
My greatest fear? I guess some sort of illness that would cause a burden to Himself or my family, whether emotional or financial or whatever.
Emergencies -- I'm actually pretty good during emergencies. Just give me time to fall apart when it's over.
This is psrobably pretty disjointed, but I hope to be well and cohereent soon (g)
Hi DR
Glad you are back but sorry you caught a cold! Hope you are feeling better.
The 90th birthday celebration for you mom sounded amazing and it sounds like it lasted for a few days! I bet your mom was walking on air!
Sounds like you were the cook of choice and the hostess of choice too!
Ouch to the dropped meat try but glad you were able to salvage it!
The reception must have been enjoyable for everyone! They came early and stayed late! How did your mom react to all the cards?
The Brunch also sounds amazing. You obviously did a great job and hope everyone will let you know how good of job you did!
GREAT NEWS ABOUT YOUR MOM'S EYES!
The only being able to test for some allergies is a real testimony to our sick health care system.
Are copperheads, poisonous?
OK, you and I can do the emergencies. Pat can do the snakes. Dona can be are support!
Bill
A cold is a cold is a cold. Treat it and it lasts two weeks, don't treat it and it'll probably continue for fourteen days. I'm halfway there (wry s).
We're still celebrating Mom's birthday, as I continue to get more cards each day and take them to her. I think we're over 150 at this point. Thank goodness, I put all the return addresses in a label database, as she wants me to type up a form letter she'll dictate to send to everyone. Neither of us is excited about addressing that many envelopes! She's loving going through the cards and notes. She and I will sit down, at some point, and go through all those that were in the basket, which I haven't yet had a chance to see/read. There have been some that it's taken a combined effort to identify the sender!
It was interesting that the most vocal in "approval and appreciation" of the weekend were my aunt and my cousin. The latter is especially famous for not making positive comments and he and his wife (who's a sweetie) thanked me numerous times for the party, brunch arrangements, sight-seeing and hospitality. Mom, too, although I think she's still trying to absorb all that happened.
Yes, the allergy restrictions don't speak well of our health care. And now I've got a lot more questions, after reading what the doc sent home and doing some research. I may have questions to raise here.
Copperheads poisonous? Yeah. Nasty little guys. I think they're more prone to be found in woods, but since we surrounded by woods on two sides, I guess it's not surprising they considered our property an extension of their territory. I'm knocking wood, as we've not seen any yet this year and are hoping we don't. Last year was the first time we ran into them on our little acre of paradise.
I'm good with us doing emergencies, Pat doing snakes and Dona doing support (so long as she realizes that may include "clean-up."
Hi DR
I don't know about the cleanup but from what I hear Dona is a damn good cook too.
Wow your Mom certainly must have done a lot of good things in her life to have so many friends and relatives wanting to recognize her on her birthday!
If you pleased the negative cousin then that means the weekend was a smashing success!
Raise any questios here you need or want to!
Bill
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