Just offered up all my frequent flyer miles to get D home for the funeral.
Shaw, glad your son has a good head on his shoulders!
Oh mp, that’s so sad to read. What a tragedy.
I survived the HS reunion; actually, it was a lot of fun. H had a good time, too. I almost won the darts tournament – got a bullseye on my 2nd shot. Someone who plays a fair amount ended up winning, but that bullseye impressed the heck out of a lot of people … At the class dinner on Saturday night H told me a couple of times how good I looked, compared to so many of my (female) classmates. I think I got a fair dose of “ages well” genes from both of my parents. I guess what I’ve liked the most about the last couple of reunions is that none of the HS cliques exist any longer – it’s all about how much we have in common, growing up in that town, graduating at that point in time. I had some great conversations with people I wasn’t all that close to in school.
I was surprised when I went to my HS reunion about 7 or 8 years ago. I quite enjoyed it as well. That marked the first time I’d been back. It was interesting as I didn’t have many social connections at the time, but a lot of people knew me and it was interesting to hear what they were doing. It did show me how far I’d come (in a good way).
missy…Sorry to hear about the young man’s death. Sending hugs and prayers.
Insomnia again as I try to juggle getting ready for my trip, H leaving to go out of town for a conference and keeping workers on task installing windows. I am ready for the workers to be finished.
The mother of one of my closest friends is in hospice care and I am going to visit her this evening. She is a delightful woman and is struggling with having strangers,particularly male aides, having to help with daily hygiene. When it is my time I hope I can go with my dignity intact.
I’m so sorry to hear about your D’s friend MP. Very sad for his friends and family.
D and her BF were able to use my miles, so they will be coming in for the funeral (Not free, however, given the airline’s $150 “processing fee” for booking with miles.) I will be out of town, taking my mother to a family reunion and to visit a friend.
My mom also had a problem with the male aides when she was in the hospital. I know that men have been taken care of by females in the same way “forever.” I guess it’s an extension of mother-as-caregiver. I’m not fond of the idea of a male aide either. Double standard deep in in our upbringing.
Hi all. Just checkin in quick while mom’s still asleep 
Condolences, Missy, to your d. Hard thing for young and old alike.
Mom and I have had a chance for a few good chats this week. She’s said that while she’s very sad her partner as passed, she doesn’t feel quite as “devastated” as she did after my stepdad’s death, likely because she’s been through this once and knows you just have to keep living and do something with yourself.
I don’t think at this point she’s going to take me up on my offer to move her in for a spell. But she’s going to give it some thought this year.
She’s been doing my pool physio with me in the ams and is surprised how much more flexible her new-ish knees have become in short order. I think she’s pretty motivated to sustain her mobility now Perhaps talk of moving her in is a motivating factor as well…in either case, its been a good week
It’s good to hear that your mom is doing well under the circumstances, kmc.
Very busy at work and as year end is fast approaching, it will be that way for about the next three weeks. H and I are flying to London to see S on October 19, then the 3 of us will spend the weekend in the south of France with a side trip to Monaco before returning to London for a few days. Hope to finally see S’s school (not that it really has a campus) as well as the place he is living this year. Am trying to figure out what to pack/what I need to buy for the trip.
D is home this weekend and she and I ran a 5K fun run last evening. This was my third 5K and my best time. In addition I ran most of the way. One of my goals is to go the 3.1 without have to walk and I am getting closer to that.
Not sleeping well due to being anxious about work and the upcoming election.
Back from my trip to see Mom, go to family reunion, visit old friend of Mom’s. Drive drive drive. Listen listen listen. Drive drive. Listen listen. And so forth.
By the time the road trip was over, I had been washed in her negativity. I wanted to do yoga on a mountaintop, eating organic raspberries, surrounded by kittens. Yes, her childhood was bad. And yes, her widowhood has been bleak. But she had 59 years with about the best husband anyone has ever had. But to hear her tell it, her life has been terrible. She just won’t look on the bright side of anything.
Kind of a funny thing. I have a lot of first cousins and almost none of them went to college. At the reunion, the cousins were talking about if they have retired, the retirement date they have circled on the calendar, etc. Then they’d ask me and I would say that I’ve just started a new job. They’ve put in 40 years, give or take, at their (blue collar) jobs, and I’m just starting a new one. They had to have thought I was nuts.
Haha MP I hear ya. I should want to retire…Most patients look at me oddly as my preceptor is 25 years younger.
Many ask me why I am doing this. I come from family interestingly from MN. who just like to keep going. My uncle invents things and obtains patents on them. He is almost 80.
My mom is very depressed. I am going to see her soon to assess the situation. I don’t think there is much I can do. I am not Mary Sunshine by any means but I am determined and have always been determined to not be her in this way. She is really nice and kind, but just unhappy.
P.S. I don wonder though that if you have a nice husband you might miss them more.
D1 is doing well in law school . she gets praise for her writing and doesn’t usually have to do re writes. she is ver y wrapped up in the election cnat understand why people don’t vote on policy etc… oh grasshopper, doesn’t she get the United States electorate?
I am another one who is not planning to retire for awhile. I enjoy working generally and maybe because I spent 10+ years out of the workforce I’m not as burned out as some folks. Now that my kids are grown I still have time to work and do the things I enjoy such as reading, yoga, walking/running, etc. Not what everyone wants to do but it works for me.
Good morning!
Fall girl, hope you get some sleep. My canukistani pals keep asking me if I’ll move back to Canada if the election goes a particular way. I tell them no, I’ll just secede and hope nobody notices Then I’ll build hobbit homes in the side of my hill for American refugees…
I guess, Missy and DTE, that I’m lucky my mom is pretty even-keel/pragmatic about things. Its not that she doesn’t get depressed, but in her case a hard early life seems to have equipped her to kinda just take the bad with the good. My sibs have found her to be a bit unsympathetic at times, but she applies this standard to herself as well, so there’s not a lot of emotional manipulation laying about. Which at her age now, makes her easy for me to be around.
The night before she left, some of my wiccan pals had a bonfire here for Mabon, a pagan celebration of the autumn equinox, and a balancing ceremony. Part of this particular ceremony was writing your wishes on paper and burning/offering them. I was a bit surprised, though likely shouldnt be, that Mom wrote down that she wishes for a new beau who’s truly her equal in interests and in economic self-sufficiency.
And then I thought, why not?
Hi, everyone. About two weeks ago I woke up with bad back pain. The doctor says it’s a strain and to rest. Just when it gets a bit better I do something (usually related to caring for the dog) and take two steps backward. I don’t like pain and feeling like an invalid. Also I feel very old, not being able to move easily. Very frustrating!
So sorry! So that’s really all the doctor can do - just say rest?
Hope your back is better, c_q.
cq…can you get some PT? That made a huge difference for me.Also muscle relaxers and pain pills when it was really bad!
H is on his way to watch Ryder Cup matches today. Traffic is already getting bad which is highly unusual around here. He and I will go tomorrow. Looking forward to it!
CQ - hope you feel better soon. I know that back pain can really hamper everything that you do! Only had an issue once and it was terrible. So sorry for people who seem to always have back issues.
I’m finding as I age that I just want/need more sleep. Seems like getting up at 4:30 is more and more difficult. May have to do with new job and learning everything I don’t know. Oh and either it takes me longer to do everything or I just think it does although I"m fairly sure it takes me longer. 
Seems like I never get everything I want to get done done.
On Wednesday I helped out a good friend by sitting with her mother in an assisted living/hospice care facility. The apartment was very nice and modern but some of the staff left me questioning whether I could ever stay at a facility like this. I know that aides are not well paid and it is a tough physical job but I would want to have more trained staff around. This has me really thinking about senior health care in our country. 
CQ, sendin mojo on the back pain. Do you take magnesium as a supplement? Magnesium acts like a muscle relaxer and helps with spasms. I’ve been on it since 2001 when I was dx’d with facet joint syndrome in 5 vertebrae.
Technically speaking, I also have scripts for robaxin (muscle relaxer), naprosyne (NSAID) and tramadol (pain). I avoid using all 3 where possible (especially NSAID after a few years or constant use, and never use the tramadol) and have been able to manage just with magnesium and hottubing.
But for flareups, if you double down on naprosyne (eg Aleve) and Robaxin for a few days to avoid “chasing” the pain, it might help. The trick is to stop the spasms before everything gets too tight.
At-home TENS unit will help as well with the pain.