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,

This and That / Updates

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I am happy to say that my Dad is getting stronger by the day! He’s being brave, getting up and walking on his own with his cane, but without my sister or me to help him. He doesn’t venture far, just to the bedside commode or bathroom and back. His burns are healing nicely. Bandaging is at a minimum now. His feet are still swollen. Lack of movement is likely the cause. He needs to be up and down more. He’s restless. He’s bored as heck. He’s still watching the news nearly 24/7 as he did before. I am ready to pull my hair out! By the end of the month, we hope to have him back in a real bed, not a hospital bed. He says, “That thing is uncomfortable as hell.” Needless to say, he’s not getting a lot of sleep…unless of course he’s in his chair!

No drama for the last few weeks, thank goodness. I have enough stress and anxiety to deal with, and Dad sure doesn’t need it.

Our car is still in the shop. I took it in last Thursday for a/c repair. They said the evaporator needed to be replaced, which means the whole dash has to come out. I was told it’s an 8-hour job, but here it is a week later. When I called the other morning, I was told that the guy who was working on it had a family emergency and had been out. They are bringing in another guy to take over. I was hoping to have our car back because I’m used to driving it. This Eco Sport loaner is rather cool to drive, but it’s a bit too high off the ground for me and the driver’s side floor space is lacking…in space. The accelerator and brake pedals are very close together, and there’s not much space for movement. On the bright side, it’s the perfect height for Dad and his long legs!

We had an appointment yesterday with a nephrologist (kidney specialist) and it was the worst experience we’ve ever had with a doctor! The story deserves a post of it’s own so be on the lookout for that!

Last week, I had a guy (we’ll call him Guy #2) come out and look at the new house. We need to get the damn thing finished asap! Guy #1 has excuses, like how sick he’s been, but he’s still working other jobs. What the hell, right? That doesn’t piss me off as much as the non-communication. Months with not as much as a text. He finished painting the interior and then went MIA. I finally had to tell him literally, “It would take less than a minute for you to text me and let me know what is going on.” Then he got pissy with me. Ok, fine. Guy #2 comes out and looks at the house and says he can do it, but he’d have to hire a lot of it out (like the septic system and circuit breaker box), so it would cost us more. Then I found Guy #3, who came and said he could do it. He is going to get me some estimates on the individual things that need to be done. He also said that things would be slowing down for him and could probably start working on it soon. We’ll see. I haven’t received any estimates yet. I don’t put much faith in what people say these days.

My sister is still here, and I don’t know what I will do without her. I mean, Dad is stronger now and tired of us hovering, but he still needs help. Let’s face it, I’m walking with crutches, so my “help” is limited. My sister has done most of the work around here. She will be leaving Dad and me on our own in mid-September. I’m going to miss her, but I know she has a job and furbabies to go back to. On the bright side, though, when the new house is livable, she and her furbabies are coming to stay.

Stay tuned for the next post!

Stronger and Better

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If you’ve been following my blog, you know that my Dad suffered a fall and heat stroke on July 4th. I was worried that he would be leaving this world. I was not sleeping or eating. I was a nervous wreck. A lot of drama happened. It was exhausting.

I was back and forth to the hospital in our car, which was in dire need of repair. I didn’t know how bad it actually was until several weeks later! When my sister and I were finally able to take the car in, we were told that it was too dangerous to drive and that we were lucky to have made it there! We were urged NOT to drive it home (they wouldn’t be able to get it done in the short time left in the day), and we were promptly given a ride home. The bands in the tires were twisted, and one was ready to explode! A rod was bent, and some other crazy shit I was not expecting. I mean, you can’t tell by looking at the car, but Dad and I regularly take it in for check-ups, tune-ups, oil changes, and all that good stuff. I can’t understand why it was so bad. Anyway, the problem has been fixed. The bill was a whopping $1,371.52!!

Next, the a/c has been out of commission for a couple of years, and Dad never wanted to spend the money on it. Ok, I get it. But now, after Dad’s heat stroke, it needs to be fixed! I cannot take him to his appointments in this heat! I took it in a week ago to have them look at it. Instead of it being the condenser (as we were told by another mechanic), it turned out to be the evaporator. I had to bring the car home again, with no a/c because they need all day to get it done. That will cost another $1,300 or more because they have to pull out the dash, and the whole process is a huge job. I am bringing the car in first thing in the morning and getting a loaner because there’s no way I’m sitting there all day long! Then, I have to get a safety inspection on the car. Does this shit never end?!

Dad has weekly visits from a Home Health Nurse, Physical Therapist, and Occupational Therapist. He has really come a long way since he first came home. He stands on his own and walks with a walker. He’s really bored out of his skull because he can’t do anything without me or my sister. He’s not quite ready for that. He has a little ways to go, and then he will be able to sleep in a real bed instead of that stiff and uncomfortable hospital bed. I’d say a few more weeks, and then my son can come get the damn thing.

With my sister’s help, the living room can go back to the way it was, and I can get the bedroom ready for Dad. I’ll wash the bedding and remove some boxes of stuff. I know he’s ready to sleep in a real bed!

I called a couple of guys to come look at the new house. Since the first guy decided that other jobs were more important than finishing ours, I had no choice but to seek out other contractors. One guy came out yesterday. He knows our remaining budget and thinks he can get the house livable for us. The other guy will come by this weekend. Maybe between the two, we will be ready to move into our new home in a couple of months. I guess that will also depend on when they can start.

I can honestly say, while Dad is getting stronger and better, so am I. I refuse to ask certain people for help. I will never ask for help again just to have things thrown in my face later. I don’t need people in my life who pull that petty shit with me.

I will keep you all posted! With any luck, 2025 will end with us getting some good luck instead of bad for a change!

Until next time,

Why Do People Start Blogging?

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I can’t speak for every blogger out there because they all have their own reasons for blogging. Some of those reasons are:

  • to share expertise and knowledge
  • to share recipes
  • to build their brand
  • to generate income
  • to connect with family members
  • to connect with like-minded people

That’s just to name a few. I write a blog to express my feelings. I write to release the stress of everyday life. I write about personal opinions, my own experiences, and feelings. No one has to agree, and my perception of events or ideas might differ from others. Do I get myself in hot water writing such a personal blog? I do.

Having said that, I recently posted about something that happened that pissed some people off, even though no names were mentioned. I pulled the post at the request of someone who means a lot to me. That will not happen again. This is MY blog and I write what I want. I’ll always write what I want. I will also fight for the right of others to write what they want. This is America, after all.

I started blogging back in 2008, when my daughter was in a relationship that I knew would end badly. I was stressed and worried, and writing about everything I was feeling really helped. Writing made me feel calmer, so I continued and haven’t stopped. I have connected with so many people who’ve been able to relate to what I’ve written over the years. I may not have helped anyone with their problems, but just maybe I helped them feel not so alone when shit hits the fan. We are all going through life without a handbook, you know?

When I write about events involving specific people, I never use names. This keeps people anonymous. No one knows who they are. I’m not interested in exposing anyone’s identity. I’m just writing about my experiences, feelings, and my perception. Those things aren’t necessarily going to be the same for everyone involved. People perceive things differently.

Do you have a blog? Please share your link in the comments and tell readers why you decided to start blogging!