<p>D fiance bought her a pair of pearl earrings from Tiffany’s too! They are truly lovely and she had been wearing some “less expensive” (aka very cheap) ones and they had looked it. These are lovely… and a good size. I basically told her to never sleep or shower with them on. I just recall that you should wear pearls to keep their luster, but never shower… maybe that only applied to strands (due to the strand part?)</p>
<p>Last of the realtors came through today. Will now call back the three I liked best and see what their marketing plan truly is after seeing our house, including their check list of what remains to be done. I will have H make the final decision as to whose opinion he will respect most through the process. I think that’s probably the way to go in terms of division of labor around here.</p>
<p>H gave me a pair of pearl earrings close to 24 years ago and I’ve worn them continuously (or almost so) since then. Never had any problems and I wear them to sleep and to shower. I guess I should probably rotate them out from time to time. I would really like some black pearls; I’d also like a trip to Tahiti to pick them out! Neither seem likely at this point in time. </p>
<p>D had her flu shot some time back; they offer them at a clinic and thankfully she went and got one. Good luck with the realtors, Moda. I think I’d rather have a root canal without anesthesia than deal with selling a house!</p>
<p>That is why they were surprised about the problem,sabaray. They were good quality earrings and she was just taking them out (son was present) and one pearl just came off the thing that holds the pearl on. They have been dating almost 2 years and broke up briefly in November. Next thing you know he’s buying her pearls!</p>
<p>I think I used SAS, SPSS, S (which was the precursor to R), and some others. Matlab wasn’t around back in the dark ages. I can’t remember one being more wonderful, although I think my first summer job was for the guy who created S, so I may have had an affinity for S. I also wrote a statistical software package for exploratory data analysis in FORTRAN (I think) and programmed in c, BASIC, APL, and other languages that escape my mind (including assembly language, uggh). Once you get the hang of one, you can pick up the others. Someday, I’m going to do object-oriented programming to get the hang of that, but generally I am pleased to announce the intention and have someone else make it happen.</p>
<p>I’m hiding and handwashing. Grabbed some books at the library today, and the number of hacking coughs I heard was alarming. I came home and had a good scrub-up.</p>
<p>Got an unexpected call from the Rx drug plan customer service rep. The website suggests that you take a list of preferred drugs in to your visit with your doctor, but the offered link just takes you to a search engine where you can search, drug by drug. No longer a formulary. I was a little irked with that and sent off an email asking where the formulary was hidden, only to get back an email suggesting that if I just took my smart phone into the doctor’s office all would be well. I don’t have a smart phone, and since I couldn’t see that playing 20 questions in the doctor’s office would be satisfying for either of us, I sent back a reply to that effect. Well, a very nice guy called up, commiserated, and said that there were some growing pains with the Medco-Express Scrips merger. He couldn’t solve the real problem, but it was nice that they at least reached out. I still wish it was death pangs that Medco-Express Scrips was suffering, but that’s life. I really wish the execs of these companies were forced to use the systems they impose on the rest of us so that they could get a feel for what, “I’ve got a secret” feels like from the customer’s standpoint. The rep actually said that sometimes they only get a couple days notice when a drug switches from preferred to non-preferred – and somehow I’m magically supposed to know that before getting my next refill?</p>
<p>^what nonsense, arabrab. They have a freakin duty to inform you and at least keep an up to date list available. Grrr. What a racket!</p>
<p>Mackinaw, welcome. </p>
<p>Prj, I am up for a magic bus trip to PR or elsewhere. Lets go!</p>
<p>I am sad for my mom. A few days ago, her companion (bf sounds strange) suffered two strokes, the last one fairly major, it seems. He’s rallying, but it’s iffy whether or not he’ll regain use of the left side of his body.</p>
<p>I obviously feel bad for him too, but I keep thinking about what this will mean for her. They’ve only been together about four years now. He moved in with her two years ago. Prior to all that, she was with my father through a 13-year battle with cancer until he passed. I had hoped since she was with a younger man she’d have a chance to have some carefree fun before caretaker mode I suppose this sounds lopsided and wicked, which is why I am posting it here and not saying it!</p>
<p>S2 left yesterday and I am happy to have my empty house back. S1 reached out and said that he is busy when at work and doesn’t have Internet set up at his apartment yet, which is why he isn’t writing. I don’t think he places a high priority on using the Internet, so he probably won’t get that changed for a while.</p>
<p>My 90 year old mother said she played ping pong yesterday for the first time in decades and thought she was pretty good, so expected to be invited back. She was a substitute for a woman who had a fall (not playing ping pong) and hurt her back. Friday is movie night and she is seeing Casablanca tonight. She square dances on Tuesdays. Her mind is going, which she freely admits, while her older sister is mentally sharp but more frail physically. They are getting along well and both feel in superior health to the other, which is too funny.</p>
<p>kmc, sorry to hear about your mom’s companion. That would be awful for her.</p>
<p>^while we all know I can be lopsided and wicked, I should probably explain that better. I watched my great aunt’s health diminish in the process of caring for my uncle, who like mom’s companion was very tall and beefy (she was short and petit ish), after his stroke. When she had her own stroke at 80, mom mom also helped care for the two of them, and then her after his death. So my mom has had a few decades of caregiving under her belt already, and it had really wore her down.</p>
<p>I totally get that this is part of the deal, and am sure ill walk in those shoes one day, having
an older spouse as I do (and as she did.) But it just seems terrifically unfair that she didn’t have a longer break. And it seems weird to have this situation when their relationship is so new and the families are so not-really-blended, and where there’s a dramatic differential in fiscal resources to address the issues of rehabillitation and help at home. It is hard to be living away from her right now too.</p>
<p>It’s also hard because my sisters who do live close aren’t emotionally close to her companion, and I fear she will not have much support. I know she’s stewing about all these things two, and I know it’s one day at a time. I will just pray for a lot of rehabilitation mojo and good decisions moving forward.</p>
<p>Being the caregiver is a very tough role, KMC, even in the best of circumstances. I’m sorry your mother is having to go through this yet again. I’ll be praying that some of that good mojo comes their way. </p>
<p>sabadog had his second encounter with unfriendly off leash dogs yesterday, which was quite an adventure. My blood was boiling but happily neither of us was injured. I am investing in pepper spray unless any of you have any better suggestions. </p>
<p>TA, I am glad to have my empty house back as well. I have been stressed about things too numerous and too private to mention here, but it’s just nice to only have to be thinking about my immediate needs and sabadog right now. H can take care of himself! think the worst part when the kids are home is trying to come up with dinners they will eat. Don’t have to do that now.</p>
<p>Fifty degrees here. So far this winter has been unbelievably mild; I have done zero snow removal. D and I spent the better part of this break with someone with a cold or flu, and did nothing very fun. But I am hopeful that we now have some immunity.</p>
<p>D signed up for 2 gym classes. What do kids wear to karate class and badminton class?</p>
<p>Best of luck with the house sale, Modadunn and the surgery.
One college kid gets a flu shot today, the other I am working on.
No Charming Charlie’s in my state… </p>
<p>Our snow is melting, what little we have. </p>
<p>Shawbridge, SPSS? I remember using that when I was an undergrad at Syracuse University…way back when…</p>
<p>kmc, sorry about your m’s companion and the difficulties that lie ahead.<br>
TA, your mom is so active. Good for her! I hope that I can play ping pong when I’m 90.
Sabaray, wishing calmer waters for you.
Treetop, I don’t know about badminton attire, but don’t karate classes usually require the traditional karate uniform? My S1 has a black belt from USTA, and S2 is moving up in the ranks of ATA at purple belt. I have washed a (smelly, sweaty) basic white uniform for years and years…</p>
<p>H and I went to a traveling Broadway show last evening. Mary Poppins! Beautiful sets and lively acting/singing along with much fun remembering the music from the Disney movie. I also fondly remember listening to the Travers book on tape with the kids when they were young. We all liked the original, darker Mary. The stage version was a blend of the two. These shows are not just for kids We didn’t hear too much coughing at the theater, so I am ignoring the fact that I was surrounded by a sea of potential flu carriers.</p>
<p>Just checking in. Had my right eye cataract removed yesterday. Doing fine, feels like someone threw sand in my eye, though. Took one Advil last night.</p>
<p>Will catch up with your previous posts later. Going to nap now.</p>
<p>Eddie, my dad had his right eye cataract removed the day before yesterday. He and my mom have now had all four of their eyes done.</p>
<p>I am still sick…a bit better than yesterday and the day before. I got up, showered, did my hair and makeup and then realized that I had used up 100% of my energy. I don’t think, since starting work in 1985, I’ve been home sick this many days (except maternity leave.) All the media says “stay home if you’re sick” but I admit that I feel like a terrible wimp for not showing up at work sick.</p>
<p>NM, wasn’t it you who had hives/flushing while sick? I look like I have a bad sunburn.</p>
<p>ShawSon came home for a day. His thesis starts with a very famous professor’s seminal paper. I know said famous prof and run into him from time to time and, as I think I once mentioned on this thread, I ran into him at a social gathering and mentioned ShawSon’s thesis. He feigned being flattered that someone still read his work (he’s not the most modest person I’ve ever run into) and suggested several papers for ShawSon to read – which ShawSon did and found very helpful. He also agreed to meet with ShawSon. </p>
<p>When ShawSon emailed him to schedule the meeting, he asked for a two-page memo in advance of the meeting. The meeting is next week. So, ShawSon came home to go over the two-page memo with me and make sure it was good enough – it summarizes the roughly 90 page paper he handed in a couple of weeks ago. I helped him emphasize the kind of result that the professor will find intriguing and prepared ShawSon for rat-a-tat interrogation by a true genius (he used to be a bit malevolent but seems to have mellowed quite a bit since I was a professor) but said the opportunity was to get this guy suggesting new avenues/directions. He probably has as many ideas in an hour as an entire department of a liberal arts college (and that’s no criticism of the LAC – just looked at his resume and he has 270 published papers and 10+ books and started several companies and other distinguished stuff that would identify him). So, I suggest ShawSon gear the memo to asking for guidance on the next phase of the work. </p>
<p>With the essay done, ShawSon went back to school, but not without some suggestions for the name of his new company. He’s been working intensely on the startup and has begun studying for his math comprehensive exam and now also needs to return to his thesis. Life is maybe a little too busy.</p>
<p>I hope everyone is feeling better from various flu/virus/surgery, etc.</p>
<p>kmc - I’m sorry to hear about your mom’s friend. That must be hard taking on a caregiver role after having to do that once already. I am not sure how old age got to be called the “golden years” when it seems as if there are so many difficult things.</p>
<p>It’s supposed to be 68 here on Sunday! Is it really January? I was looking through a copy of Midwest Living (I left the midwest, it didn’t leave me) and was actually longing for some snow! </p>
<p>Got my mudroom and dining room cleaned out this AM. I also have 2 large boxes of Christmas decorations ready to go. Woohoo!</p>
<p>Well, I’ve succumbed to whatever was floating around my school. I had the flu shot earlier in the year but I’ve heard of some ‘breakthrough’ cases…maybe another strain??
Been out of work for two days…so unlike me! I’m sitting on the couch directing D to bring me cases of files and I’m weeding through them, slowly but surely. Ugh!
Healing vibes to everyone - especially eddieO!
(I scheduled MIL for cataract surgery for this past Tuesday. She had to cancel because of illness.)</p>
I suppose this sounds lopsided and wicked, which is why I am posting it here and not saying it!</p>
We didn’t hear too much coughing at the theater, so I am ignoring the fact that I was surrounded by a sea of potential flu carriers.</p>