Break Blogging
9 days in a row! Woohoo!! Lots of cuddles and xmas eve our Grandhuman is coming to visit... (Will the human tell the story of Angel, Cyrrie and AreToo getting a new xmas mouse? Probably. She's notoriously indiscrete...)
posted by Lizzy at 10:30 PM
7 Comments:
Oh, yes, please. We desperately need a story. In much pain and many bad things happened today, although what's really important is, the little ones are warm, safe, happy. But we could use a story. Much holiday goodness is wished upon Teh Hooman, Teh Grandhooman, and all teh little furry noses.
Yes, a (good) story, please!
Monday was a day where I figured I must be taking some kind of a final exam from the Universe or whatever is up/down/around us. Fortunately, things were/are working out, but despite much anxiety, my patience was fully on display to whatever/whoever universal grader was on duty that day.
More of that later, perhaps.
But for now, I send wishes of health and happiness to Lizzy and PC, not to mention wonderful sweet snorgles to all critters.
Whatever your spiritual persuasion, I hope your year is filled with everything you need and desire to be happy in this life.
Bless you both for your wonderful stories and best wishes for financial, spiritual, and physical health to us all!
Love to both of you - and some details, please... I'm worried about you both!
I want Sandy's story!
Mine's just a whine. I had to take my car for a smog check, but the battery died, so I called AAA, but they took 1.5 hrs to show up. They gave her a jump and we cruised along for awhile, but then I realized the left rear tire was flattish so I pulled into a service station to get air, but forgot that the car needed to stay on for the battery (new) to charge, and turned it off. Whereupon the car died with a mighty groan and I had to beg the nice service station dude to give me another jump, which he did, but within five minutes the car began bucking and dying repeatedly. We made it to the smog check place and she died again so the nice smog check guy gave her another jump and I started driving home intending to take her to the service shop, when she finally died right in the middle of a busy street on one of the coldest days we've had this year. Somehow we managed to pull off the main street and some kind people helped me scooch her into a spot and I called AAA again and this time they took ~2 hrs to show up and I was freezing and somehow the car alarm got triggered and kept beeping until it ran the battery right down and I couldn't get it to stop.
By the time the tow truck arrived it was close to 5 pm and my service place is 2 miles over the 5-mile limit that AAA sets, so he wanted to charge $24 for the privilege of schlepping the old lady to the shop. It was a huge hassle, and then I had to climb into the tow truck, and the steps are very far apart. I hadn't taken any pain pills because I can't drive under the influence, so it was an extremely painful ordeal, and I really thought I would have preferred to die right then, but that option wasn't exactly open. I explained to the nice tow truck guy that I had to get to the shop before they closed, and he kindly took a short-cut but told me that his boss would probably deduct the $24 fee from his paycheck, which seemed unfair, so I gave him a $20 (was that fair, do you think?). Then I staggered into the shop only to find that the last shuttle had gone, so they couldn't give me a ride home and I would have to call a cab (which are rarer than hens' teeth in these parts) and I thought seriously about chewing through my femoral artery, but that would be so messy and besides I was hungry and needed a bathroom and the children needed feeding.
The shop said they would charge me $140 for the diagnosis (additional costs for parts and labour, holy deity). I agreed to pay it. Then, suddenly, the nice shuttle driver showed up and took me home. It was a long slow painful journey up the stairs (no pain meds since the night before) and by the time I got through the front door, the only thing keeping me alive was the thought that the pain would soon stop. So, kibble for the kids, and a hobble up the stairs (several murder attempts by the dimwitted Zingiber, who thinks running his 22 lb. right into gimpy peoples' gamey gams is GOOD for them) and then I fell into bed, took two pills, and passed the hell out. One of them (I don't know who) promptly ripped a huge bleeding scratch in my knee which got infected, and another one ripped my hand, but I was dead to the world and didn't find out till the morrow. At 7 am. When the nice man from the car shop called to let me know the problem could be the alternator or the charging system, but he was definitely going to have to replace the battery which was bought only this August. So that's my story. Now, about the childrens' new toys? And Sandy?
PC - your story was the "day from hell" and far surpasses mine!
I've had some wonderful "moments of Christmas" with friends and family. So I try to keep those times in mind when real life intrudes so rudely.
I had a minor cold that's almost gone. I thought I might have to have surgery - but the surgeon says definitely not! I had to pay $300 (on my brother's credit card, thank God!) for a prescription (Strattera) that I've never had to pay for before. I'm on Medi-Cal with Medicare and so far my income level is low enough (at least it's good news for something in my life!) that I don't have co-pays or monthly charges for all the various drugs I take on a monthly basis. I have to get my courage up to find out what changed this year and a friend is going to help me today with that.
I had car problems, too, but not on the scale of PC. The Toyota is 20 years old but still going strong on 132,000 miles. Every now and then a part breaks that can't be replaced anymore so my mechanic jerryrigs something. This time the "fix" fell apart twice, but they repaired it and didn't charge me -- plus I found out the little bistro next to the mechanic has a lovely Christmas tree with carols playing and I was able to finish Christmas cards, which I considered a bonus!
I made Christmas cookies from Costco Nestle oatmeal cookies with cranberries. I actually sewed the little bags for gift cards I gave this year - sew the sides of large wire rim ribbon together and attach a little bow! I felt very "crafty."
We had a lovely day with my mother and brother and his new wife. Got calls from all the siblings from Hawaii and N. Calif.
Dare I complain about the cold? (Especially compared to the Midwest, East and other part of the frozen USA). We've had rain and the lowest temperatures I can remember in a long time. My heater is broken in the apartment, but I'm afraid it would be too expensive even if it worked to use it. So I have a small heater and bundle up fully dressed to go to bed with lots of blankets.
Most things in my life are manageable with the help of friends and family. So I feel very greatful.
However, we got the possibly worrying news that my youngest brother (54) has to have his prostate out in February. He says the cancer is minimal and he (and most especially, his doctor) is very optimistic about the prognosis.
So, it puts everything in perspective, doesn't it?
Hoping whatever problems you both have are curable or fixable and that life smiles at you in the New Year!
Oh, Sandy! Mine was just a little whine. Best wishes to your Mom and your brother and his dear new wife, and I hope your younger brother is swiftly on the mend. Thank goodness you don't need surgery. And you have a sweet friend to help you with this dreadful Medicare situation. It is terribly cold, we had a faint fairy dusting of snow last week and it's 43F tonight (brrr!). We don't turn the heat on either, though the cats do complain. I bought a featherbed years ago and put it on top of the blankets this year, with a down comforter and flannel sheets, warm socks, thick teeshirt, sweatshirt, and pants, the bed is actually fairly warm. Only problem is, the cats like to suck all the warmth right out of a poor hoomin's body, if they get a chance. It's hard to sleep with five of them sticking sharp pawpoints in one, and how they complain if you try to move! We will all practice sending warm thoughts your way tonight and every night till this weather improves.
Of course, we're just spoiled babies, Lizzy has Teh Real Cold where she lives. And our New President will be inaugurated in 25 days in cold, snowy, rainy D.C. But do they complain? No!
Enough! Warm hugs to you from five sets of furry paws and one hoomin.
Wow! And Oh, My! My heart goes out to both of you! Cars are such a nightmare, especially for women... I hope you're both staying warm - for reasons in addition to economy I keep the heat dialed down - I know the babes hate the blankies on / blankies off routine when we're all trying to sleep... My right hand is currently covered with scabs - I can't remember if it was Cyrrie or AreToo who wanted to wrastle in the middle of the night, but the results are unattractive. If I can't trim their claws, I should wear the wrastle mitten to bed... I, too, will be praying for your brother, Sandy - catching that early is a very positive thing. Love and health to all, L.
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