Category Archives: Ramblings

Into September…

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Here we are. It’s September already. The last 2 months have been a blur. From Dad’s fall, to family drama, to Dad’s recovery, to car repairs, water problems, to well, today.

Dad is doing much better. Having physical therapy helped him more than anything else, in my opinion. After the first PT visit, he started getting better faster! I think once he was shown that he could do more, he started doing more. The more he did, the better he felt, and the more independent he became. He’s walking to the bathroom with his cane, and we have ventured out a few times. My sister being here has helped tremendously, but when she leaves in 2 weeks, Dad and I will be on our own. I won’t have any help or support. God forbid if I ask for help! So, I will be doing things on my own.

My “other daughter” suggested a contractor to help get the new house done. I think I called him Guy #3 in a previous post. He got materials on Monday and started working on Tuesday. He spent 4 days working on getting the electrical outlets and switches installed and the breaker box all figured out. (Guy #1 didn’t label properly!) This coming week Guy #3 is going to install the ceiling fans and lights, and recessed lighting. When the electrical stuff is finished, he’s going to move on to hooking up toilets and a vanity, which I have yet to get. Oh, the decisions I will have to make! Anyway, “other daughter” has said that she really respects Guy #3’s work ethic and that he’s very fair. I need to get a hold of Guy #1 and ask him to bring over the HVAC units we have already paid for. I can’t wait to get attitude from him for asking and/or hiring someone else. You can imagine what I’ll tell him, I’m sure. My old Granny used to say, “Shit or get off the pot!”

I started this post this morning and stepped away for a bit. It’s 5:00pm, and I’m just now getting back to it. Here’s just a little indication of how quickly things can change. Read on…

After the lunch dishes were done and I was headed back to my chair, I noticed a never-used pop-up screen on the TV, and I told Dad to push “exit,” and I thought he had because the pop-up went away. But it popped up again. I got next to Dad’s chair and reached down for the remote in his hand, and he had a pretty good grip on it. When I looked at his face, something seemed off. His eyes were open but glassy, and he was leaning to the left. I thought he was just dozing, and maybe he was, but something told me to check more closely. I kept saying, “Dad. Dad. Dad.” He wasn’t responding. About that time, my sister jumped up to help. We fussed with him for what must’ve been at least 15 minutes, trying to wake him up. He finally started to respond, but his speech was slurred. We were frantically rubbing his chest, patting his cheeks, moving his arms around, etc., anything to get him to snap out of it. He finally did, but boy, did it scare the crap out of my sister and me! He did that to me once several months ago, but it didn’t take that long to wake him. I swear, my sister and I thought we were losing him. Dad is fine now, but that’s how quickly things can change.

I think part of the problem is that he’s not sleeping well. The hospital bed is not comfortable. He bitches about it all the time. Last weekend, I asked my son to come get it this weekend, but he has yet to show up. My sister leaves in 2 weeks, and I will need her to help me get his room set up so he can sleep in there in a real bed!

I will say goodbye for now until next time,

Random Thoughts – Aug. 29

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Random Thoughts – August 29

  • The GOP doesn’t like the mirrored reflection that Gavin Newsom has shown them.
  • Didn’t Trump claim during J6 that only the Speaker of the House could call in the National Guard?
  • Could it be that Ron DeSantis is scared of LGBTQ+ folks because he’s still in the closet?
  • It’s a felony to throw a sandwich at law enforcement, but it’s not a felony to beat a police officer with a flagpole?
  • Slavery is part of this country’s history. You can’t erase what’s already happened.
  • I don’t care about Taylor Swift’s engagement, but I don’t wish her ill, either.
  • Donald Trump cries and lashes out like a child when someone talks bad about him or when someone succeeds, and especially when that someone is a woman or person of color or both.
  • ICE is nothing more than today’s Gestapo.
  • Republicans will go down in history as the party that let America down.
  • JFK, Jr. isn’t a doctor or a scientist. He’s an idiot. Vaccines save lives!
  • Some people say, “Guns are not the problem. People are the problem.” So, why would you let the problem have guns?
  • Some say, “If ICE picks me up, I can prove I’m a US citizen!” Who are you going to prove it to? Without due process, without going before a judge, you won’t be able to prove anything.
  • Where’s Elon? Is he our modern-day Waldo?
  • If any Democrat had ever done one thing that DJT has done, Republicans would have a lynch mob out to get him.

Well, that’s all I have for now. My mind is scrambled with all of the BS going on! I hope each and every one of you has a great Labor Day weekend. Be safe!

The Blueberry Is Back!

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Our car has been in the shop for a/c repairs, a job that was supposed to take 8 hours. I was given a loaner, an EcoSport, which is a nice ride if you’re not oversized and disabled, like me. Apparently, 8 hours equals 12 days in mechanic math!

I was told the guy working on it had a family emergency. Ok, I get it. I hope he and his family are ok. I was told they were getting another guy to come in to get it done. But still, 12 days?

I picked up our car yesterday. Boy, have I missed her! A 2009 Ford Focus, sometimes called The Blueberry. I can’t even describe the feeling of getting into that wonderful vehicle! Comfortable. Not too high, not too low. Comfy seat. Ample leg room. Now the a/c works, and the weather has cooled a bit. Better late than never.

Last summer, we suffered through the heat and humidity without a/c. Dad didn’t want to spend the money on it. I understand that completely, but there comes a point when you have to do something about it. That point was when Dad came home from the hospital after suffering heat stroke. I couldn’t take him out in the heat to his appointments. Now, we’re all set for Dad’s cardiologist appointment today.

The estimate for repairs was around $1200-$1300 plus tax. When they gave me the bill, I was pleased to see that they had discounted the total. With tax, it was just a little over $1000. Still more than I wanted to pay, but I’ll take it. The important thing is that we have our Blueberry back, and we can travel in comfort.

Now, the poor Blueberry needs a thorough and professional cleaning, inside and out. She has been severely neglected over the years. Maybe when it’s a little cooler, I’ll get out there and wash her. I’ll probably have to do it in parts. I’ll also need some super-duper industrial-strength soap!

This is not our car, but it’s the same make, model, and year. Ours used to be this clean and pretty.

Have a great day, friends.

What’s Next?! Can We Not Ever Get A Break?

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So many people have said to me, “You guys sure have a lot of bad luck!” That’s for sure! Every time I turn around, something else happens, and I just want to jump off a cliff!

On Friday, I was working in the kitchen when the water suddenly turned off. I thought I had accidentally hit the lever while working, causing it to turn off. When I turned the lever again, the water came back on. But later, when I went to wash my hands in the bathroom, there was no water. Not even a trickle. I went to the breaker box and flipped the switches for the well and pump, and water heater. Still no water. OMG.

When I was talking about it with Dad and my sister, I just about lost it. I started to cry. It’s so depressing when every damn time you turn around, something else goes wrong. I quickly pulled it together, as I always do. I called a well and pump guy, who came yesterday evening. We hoped for a simple fix, but as our luck has proven over and over again, I expected something that would cost us a fortune. A fortune that would come out of the funds for the new house.

I don’t think the Universe wants us to get into the new house. Or maybe the Universe wants us to die in the rubble of this old, crappy house when it falls in on us. Whatever the case, I wish it would just hurry the hell up. I’m tired of the continual bullshit, bad luck, and depression. My sister doesn’t deserve to live through this shit with us. She’s here to help, not get sucked under.

Anyway, the well guy came with a helper. They were at the wellhouse for about 30 minutes. I guessed they were testing this and that. When he came to the door, I let him in, expecting the worst. He said it was the control box for the pump. It got zapped by lightning or damaged by a major power surge. We all remembered just a few days ago when we had a thunderstorm. Ka-BOOM! Lightning had taken out my tower fan. I was thankful at the time that that was all it killed. We didn’t know it hit the control box, too. The guy said that it sometimes takes a few days for it to completely quit working. He showed us how a screw was completely burned, as well as other parts of the box. So, there ya go. $351.26 later, we had water again. At least it wasn’t the pump or a dry well.

I wish we could just win the lottery. Big money. A HUGE jackpot. Then we could get the new house done, take care of bills, and have money to live on for the rest of our lives. I’d help out family and friends. I’d donate the rest to local charities. I know, it’s wishful thinking to think we’d ever win the lottery!

We always get through crap like this, but I’m getting tired of it. Past tired of it. I mean, seriously. How much crap does one family have to endure before shit starts to let up? When will good luck ever come our way? I try to stay positive, but it’s getting old.

I hope you are having a great Sunday! Until next time,

Porky Pig Is A Doctor?

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Dad had an appointment to see a nephrologist (kidney specialist) on Thursday. I have never been so disgusted with a doctor in my life! Our appointment was scheduled for 10:45. We arrived at 10:30. However, there were no signs outside the building to indicate which doors led to the doctor’s office. My sister went inside one set of doors to ask and was told it was the right place. So, I dropped my sister and Dad off at the doors, and then I parked the car.

When I stepped inside the doors, I was shocked! Junk everywhere. In a review, another person said it was like a flea market, and that’s pretty damn close. Dad filled out his forms, and he was called back. I went with him. He was weighed and has actually gained weight, thank goodness. We walked through even more junk up to that point. It was 11:20am. We were put in a room where we sat and waited. And waited. And waited some more.

Dad was getting as bitchy as I was. It was after 12pm, and we had had enough waiting. I was snippy with the nurse (who wasn’t dressed like a nurse at all), but who could blame me? Dad needs to rest in the comfort of his own home. No one should have to wait that long! I asked the nurse how much longer it would be, and that we had been waiting for over an hour. She said there was one patient ahead of us and that the doctor would be with us shortly. To which I replied, “That is IF we don’t get fed up and leave before that.” I guess she got the “doctor” moving because it wasn’t long before he came in.

The “doctor” was dressed in shorts and sandals, with no ID on him, nothing at all to indicate he was a doctor. I hate to say things about people’s weight, but this guy was a short, fat slob. He reminded me of Porky Pig.

Dr. Porky was curt with us, barely took Dad’s BP. What I mean is, he put the cuff on Dad, put the stethoscope ear pieces in his own ears, and pumped the bulb twice. He listened for 2 whole seconds and tossed the whole thing back in its place. In my experience, it takes more than 2 quick pumps to read a person’s BP. Dr. Porky pointed out Dad’s swollen feet and commented, “Congestive Heart Failure.” He then asked, “Are you drinking liquids?” Dad said, “I try to, but probably not enough.” To which Dr. Porky replied, “Drink more liquids.” I tried to tell Dr. Porky that today Dad was probably dehydrated because we had been on the road and HERE all damn day! Of course, he ignored me. He said he wanted blood work and that he would call us with the results. He said he wanted to see Dad in 3 months. On his way out the door, he looked at me and said, “He needs to drink 2 – 3 quarts of water every day.” And again, I tried to tell him that Dad’s dehydrated today because we had been waiting here all day, but usually he does drink a lot of water. Then Dr. Porky was gone, as if I hadn’t spoken a word. He was rude. He was very unprofessional, as was the nurse. The nurse practically tossed the new appointment card at me. And this Dr. Porky, the slob, the rude son of a bitch, wants to see Dad again in 3 months? I think not. Of course, it’s up to Dad if he wants to go back. I just might give them a piece of my mind the next time. It was 12:30pm when we finally left that POS office and Dr. Porky.

Oh, and get this! My sister was in the waiting room the whole time, and she said she heard Dr. Porky yelling at a patient! I dare the son of a bitch to yell at me or Dad! I am going to leave negative reviews everywhere!

Do you have any bad experiences with doctors? I have had many, but none like this one. I’m still in disbelief. How can anyone stay in business like this? Good grief!

Take care of yourselves, friends! Until next time,