<p>c_q, Congratulations to your daughter! Great news.</p>
<p>NM, What about contacting a handyman service? Some handymen and some of the bigger handyman companies do plumbing and electrical.</p>
<p>Great news, c_q! </p>
<p>I’ve been heads down clearing up end-of-year work, but the urgent client calls are starting to pop up and likely will do so through Tuesday. Fortunately I’ve got all but two little things picked up for Christmas, and everything except the nieces/nephew present (which D likes to help wrap) is done up, so bring it on.</p>
<p>Good morning! The Pie family was finally all under one roof last night. Older D’s plane was delayed several hours, so we got to bed around 2:30 am…just getting into work now.</p>
<p>C_q, congrats on your D’s job! The CEO is so fortunate to get her!</p>
<p>I’m sick - last night, when I should have been wrapping presents, I was on the couch instead. I think it’s just a bad cold…I have hives everywhere - the big infinity scarf I am wearing doesn’t begin to cover the blotches (it’s way too warm for a turtleneck.)</p>
<p>SIL’s legal issue was as I predicted - her EEOC claim for age discrimination. Her lawyer referred her to an employment lawyer and SIL was stunned that the attorney would not give her free advice over the phone. I wasn’t really able to give her any substantive advice but gave her some good practical advice (basically, if they offer anything, settle!). Not that she’ll take it.</p>
<p>Congrats to C_q!!!</p>
<p>NM–is the wall behind the dry an outside wall? I know an expensive fix but if it is you could have a shallow alcove built and thus keep your gas. If any fix is going to be expensive anyway might not hurt to check this out. </p>
<p>I seriously do not know what is going one in my life (of course I would make this about me:). S asked me to get a doc appointment for him just two days ago. It took some doing but got him in and he had an x-ray as he had evidently had a bronchitis infection sometime in the last year. H and I barely knew about this. He was suppose to go back to his doc. and never did. Last night at 10:30 pm the doc called and he has a partially collapsed lung and called it urgent. This morning, early, received the call for a referral. Since we have been part of the system for 30 years I managed to land him an appointment this afternoon. Gads. Of course as he lives 4 hours away he needs to get his treatment there…which I have told him over and over.
H is going with him. Which just want to remind everyone that you D’s and S’s need to be sure you are on their records as someone who can have your information. S needs to get his wife on ASAP.</p>
<p>Oregon - so glad you were able to get him in! Unbelievable. Does he not feel really bad? Yes his wife should be all the forms so that he can discuss with drs. if there is a need.</p>
<p>C_Q – Yeah!!! How great!!! What a holiday present.</p>
<p>1 more hour of work and then I’m done for 16 days other than the occasional check for email – can’t wait!! Sitting in a meeting right now. Obviously not paying too close attention. I’m already on vacation!!! :)</p>
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<p>I posted that very advice on the Class of 2014 thread. Shortly after younger D turned 18, we needed to ask the nurse a question and right, they would not talk to me.</p>
<p>Oregon, how very scary sounding. Hope he is OK.</p>
<p>H should be home any minute so we can leave for the race week-end at the beach because H has to pick up his race packet tonight before 8:00 pm. I am picking up my sister and mother on Tuesday morning for an overnight Christmas eve and flying out Christmas morning to visit S2 for a week. That means Monday will be a day of cleaning and food prep for Christmas Eve dinner.</p>
<p>congrats c-q on your D’s job. I am in the market for a new EA/PA. I usually hire someone with a couple of year’s experience, but I try to hire smart people, usually young and usually female (though not always).</p>
<p>CQ that is awesome.
D and BF arrive tomorrow. I will be working but will see them later. Christmas shopping is done, the house is not as I would like it but whatever.
Moda how is your mom?
NM I think of your D1 frequently.
MIL is going downhill fast from an azheimers point of view. She also has cancer and we are hoping that she will not have to face the final stages of alzheimers. She is paranoid, and hiding things and very fixated on her inability to drive. My SIL is at her wits end, however she is also a mean person and it is just a nasty situation. Nothing makes her happy and she is lashing out. We take MIL for the weekend and go up to see her, brother in law takes her two days. My other BIL doesn’t do much but he is narcissistic and doesn’t like spending time with MIL. It is incredibly sad. I have learned much about people. more than I want to know. All I know is they are all nuts, and we are tired of trying to keep it steady and people from imploding. I think she needs a nursing home but she doesn’t want it. We keep thinking her health will deteriorate and it wont be necessary
but am not sure about that.
The idea of people going away for the holidays is appealing, very appealing. sorry to sound this way, I have been stressed. On the god news front the headaches are MUCH better</p>
<p>I’m sorry, DTE, that’s really tough. Could a “Memory Care” assisted living work? I think there’s a point when people with dementia no longer get to make all their own choices. (I’ve had this conversation with arabrab-H concerning us – if the time comes, that’s why they have those facilities.) My mom had some dementia – not Alzheimer’s --but she had times when she got really, really mean, which is not at all what she was like in earlier years. My dad wouldn’t let her live in a facility, but honestly it would have been better.</p>
<p>dte, My mother died 2 years ago at 87 with beginning signs of dementia and I was grateful she still knew me at the end. MIL died last year at 91 in the late stages of dementia/alzheimers. I loved her and am not particularly religious but started to pray in my own way that she would just go to sleep and not wake up one morning. To see someone so vibrant end up as she did was very painful. My S1 (who is not at all a crier in general) broke down with seeing both my mother and H’s mother so debilitated. It is a hard road and I do think it is not unusual to have siblings have differing ideas about aging parents. It’s a stressful time and I wish all dealing with it the best.</p>
<p>My SIL has always been tough, she just says mean things and is very selfish. While I don’t think she is wrong to want help, the constant b’ching is just getting on my nerves. It does not bring out the best in people for sure. She would need a nursing home as she is beyond the memory care . It is heartbreaking to see, its hard for me to be the person listening all the time. I think SIL needs therapy, support group or meds or all of the above. Her husband eggs her on. I am trying hard to take the high road.</p>
<p>S had a tube put in his lung today. It will be removed on Monday. He will be in a lot of pain until then. He looks so young–weighs about 120 and it about 5’11. DIL is of course great, she wants to be a doc, though she did admit she was anxious as S was shaking when he went into the doc’s office. My own H doc told me this was important on a 10 at about a 3. My pneumonia was a 0 as I remember…grrr. His own discomfort is a 10 when it is a 3…Ok, guess I deserve that little rant. H is trying very hard to step up even though he is still weak so for that I thank him.
For those of you with failing parents and difficult family members I send my best patient thoughts.</p>
<p>DIL accepted the rum drink I made up for her, she has had very few drinks in her life. I have convinced her she likes rum and juices. It was tasty if I do say so myself, but that much sugar would give me a headache.</p>
<p>Oh oregon! How terrible! However, most people are more comfortable once the chest tube is in. Aside for the initial stab, they are finally able to take a deep breath with all the fluid out - that in itself is a relief. Sending good vibes your way.</p>
<p>Ouch, Oregon. Thank goodness he’s getting the medical attention he needs. Is he hospitalized, or is this outpatient?</p>
<p>Thanks all–he is outpatient. He is an anxious kid and so the worry is no doubt bigger than the pain. There was not any fluid, just a compromised lung.
I am the feeder of food in this family and had a master list that is all most depleted (S and DIL and H eat a lot every meal) and so as they are staying many days later need to figure the meals out. I am so very grateful that we have the income to just do and not worry. Having grown up without this is still not lost on me.
D and dog arrive tomorrow night.
The amazing and funniest thing that has emerged is that DIL and I are on the same page–keep the kid happy and all will go fine–even meaning he ate his dinner on the floor and even some off of the floor and we looked at each other and just shrugged.</p>
<p>Good morning. Sendin the light to everyone struggling with health issues among thir loved ones, fr speedy healing, peace, and in DTEs case, a home with competent help that is not family. It is just too much to handle, IMHO, when it comes to Alzheimer’s.</p>
<p>I hate to say it, but my adopted grandmother was particularly nasty in her younger years and always seemed to be plotting for power over her three adopted children and generally making folks miserable. She’s had Alzheimer’s now for about a decade, and has become the sweetest soul on earth. It is the most bizarre phenom. Equally strange is the fact that of her three children, the one she was rotten-est to (my mom) is the one looking after her affairs. Her other daughter won’t even visit. </p>
<p>I imagine it would be brutal to have the inverse.</p>
<p>So I made it through the rampant socializing this week and am capping that off with a little dinner party here tonigh. The roads were pure ice yesterday but the gang concluded they’d use crampons to get out here so at this point we’re still a go :)</p>
<p>The HVAC is installed but the electrician didn’t make it to wire up. The hvac installers were real sports about it all…two of their trucks couldn’t get up the hill of our drive even though h had salted. So they just parked em and re salted and had a coffee and waited til we looked down and noticed one of the trucks had slid down to the bottom. Everyone had a chuckle about that. They took a running start after that and baja’d up the hill.</p>
<p>But the funniest ice story from yesterday was my highly unconventional, almost collision with a deer. It had seen me coming and darted across the road – which was fine, I drive slow in that section for exactly that reason. But when it got to the hill it was trying to run up it slipped on the ice and slid backwards on its butt, heading for my passenger side door and scrambling for purchase. I think both our hearts were racing, but the creator decided both Bambi and I would live to see another day. Hi ho!</p>
<p>In other news, I might have a fun surprise for mcson when he comes home Tuesday. At a party on thurs I ran into the wife of a business associate who’d previously met mcson. She’s been studying with depak chopra and is very good at meditation leading (she’s also highly involved with theater back in chicago so is a good connection either way.) So she’s producing a meditation CD and was very interested in mcson’s crazy drone album. She’s hoping he might have time to do some freelance composition and production with her.</p>
<p>After she’d heard about the pass mcson took on the Chicago opportunity re gf (she knows and loves the company in question) she also would like to meet mcgf to convince her that upon grad she really needs a few years of Chicago theater under her belt before heading to a smaller market like SF 
Makes sense to me but I have to stick to my knitting on this one, support whatever they choose, and just pray kiddo finds a happy life wherever he lands. I don’t mind one bit though if there’s someone around whose actually walked the path giving them advice So I’m hopeful they will make the connection.</p>
<p>CQ, woohoo re your d. Thought I’d posted somewhere earlier but the cyber gremlins must have eaten it! At an rate, CONGRATS!</p>
<p>kmc - Am picturing that deer sliding back on it’s butt…!
Hoping that encounter turns into an opportunity for your S.</p>
<p>Sending you all the warm thoughts, prayers and hugs in coping with sick kids (oregon), parents, friends etc. It’s especially hard at this time of year isn’t it? I am waiting to hear my dad’s test results ,a very close friend of mine was diagnosed with bc recently, and another close friend’s child is struggling with a head injury. I am trying to stay positive, it’s hard. </p>
<p>Still very busy at work and no end in sight. We have a number of changes in the works, mostly new software/systems that I will be learning. My entire job will be changing a lot in the coming year, and I have chosen to embrace that and go with it.</p>
<p>My life has been very boring lately. Very happy to have this status.</p>
<p>oregon, wishing speedy full recoveries to your H and your son.</p>
<p>mck, I would love to see your property some day. It sounds absolutely beautiful where you live. I am glad both you and Bambi were safe.</p>
<p>cq, I am SO happy for your daughter. I am so hoping they love her and decide they don’t want to lose her…and in any event she is gaining great experience to put on her resume. Tell her she should keep looking right now, for some reason it seems much easier to find employment when you are employed.</p>
<p>My poor little S3–who has been taking on work life at full gallop–had a really embarrassing experience last week. He was promoted a couple of months ago to completely run his start-up’s operations in DC, and two weeks ago was asked to take over all the operations in Dallas and Houston as well. So he has been business tripping.
Last week he was in NY for meetings and the company holiday party, and the night after the party, he went to dinner at some trendy place with the two guys who started up the start-up and the overall director of operations.</p>
<p>They all order drinks before dinner.</p>
<p>My son gets carded.</p>
<p>He is 22, 6’3"–but looks 12.</p>