Got an email from an old friend of ours who said he and his wife would be passing through - could we get together for lunch and then come see the new house? I said "Sure!" and today was the day. Z-boy got up and went to work with Darling Man, and a while later the cats made sure I got up too. I cleaned house. Made beds; swept and mopped floors; picked up all the dirty socks and put them where they belonged; swept up enthusiastically spread around kitty litter (we've had the box active again since Yoda's run in with the neighborhood bully-cat); and generally neatened up the place. Looked really good. We went to lunch (oooo... Mexican!!!) then came back here to view the house, the yard and talk for awhile. Z-boy's got a couple more weeks of camps, but then there's another three weeks before school starts! So we've been invited to come up and visit them when Z's out of his camps. Think we might go!
As it turns out, it was a good thing I cleaned up this morning. After our out-of-towners left, we sort of vegged out when there was a knock on the door. The landlord had driven up from Orlando! I wasn't really expecting him until Sunday to oversee the installation of the new air conditioner on Monday so we were really surprised. But he seemed to like what we'd done with the house and we told him about the various problems we'd been having with plumbing and the like. He told us to get someone to come fix all that stuff (he pays). yea! He's gone out with a friend for dinner, but is staying here this weekend in the downstairs (which is still his area until he gets it all cleaned out). He brought his dog with him, which the cats just love....
Update on Pop: He's moving from the hospital to the rehabilitation place tomorrow. How long he stays there is dependent on how well he responds to therapy. We'll probably go see him again on Saturday afternoon late or Sunday. I have no idea what his rehab schedule is or how long it takes to move him and do paperwork, so Saturday might not happen. We'll just have to see. He's apparently doing pretty well though. I hope it continues. Being in constant pain is no fun!
Friday, July 07, 2006
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
The Trouble with In-Laws...
Not that they ARE trouble.... They HAVE troubles.
I talked to "Pop" last night and he told me that he was going to the hospital in the morning for his surgeries (oh, man-where was I??? I thought it was going to happen on the 15th!). But "Maw", who was supposed to take him there had twisted her bad knee and was laid out on the bed at that moment with really good painkillers in her. My sister-in-law was going to take him in instead...
"Pop" has been going downhill for a little while. Long before I met him, he began losing muscle in his left arm and when he squeezes your hand with that hand, it's like shaking hands with a feather. Then he started having rotator cuff problems, which the doctors operated on. Well, I'm not sure what went wrong, but he then started losing muscle in the right arm as well. And his hips started not working right and his back hurt all the time. There were days when it was all he could do to get out of bed and spend time upright. He was absolutely miserable. So his doctors revisited all his issues and operated on him in several places this morning. His neck, his shoulder, and his wrist (carpal tunnel). Last I heard, he was talking a blue streak - so I guess he's feeling pretty darn good for getting cut on so much today. They're keeping him in the hospital much longer than my mother-in-law anticipated though. I think it's to follow up with the physical therapy and rehabilitation in a controlled setting and making sure it happens. The last time it hurt so much I think he just quit going. So I see his staying in the hospital as a good thing.
"Bubbe" (mother-in-law, aka "Maw") has been running around cleaning house on her bum knee under the mistaken impression that "Pop" would be coming home tomorrow. When we got the word, she was shaken. I tried to reassure her and tell her to look at it as a mini-vacation/rest that would allow her to get back on her feet (literally) before "Pop" came home. There is enough family here in town now to keep an eye on her and help out as needed. We're going to go tomorrow night and either make her dinner or take her out - whichever she needs. I've volunteered to run errands or grocery shop if she needs. B-I-L Joe and S-I-L Rita have jumped right in and done what needs to be done, but now that we are also in town, my husband and I can pull our weight in this department too!
Keep us all in your thoughts. On the surface things are going smoothly (so far), but you never know what complications are lurking around the corner, waiting to trip up your life.
I talked to "Pop" last night and he told me that he was going to the hospital in the morning for his surgeries (oh, man-where was I??? I thought it was going to happen on the 15th!). But "Maw", who was supposed to take him there had twisted her bad knee and was laid out on the bed at that moment with really good painkillers in her. My sister-in-law was going to take him in instead...
"Pop" has been going downhill for a little while. Long before I met him, he began losing muscle in his left arm and when he squeezes your hand with that hand, it's like shaking hands with a feather. Then he started having rotator cuff problems, which the doctors operated on. Well, I'm not sure what went wrong, but he then started losing muscle in the right arm as well. And his hips started not working right and his back hurt all the time. There were days when it was all he could do to get out of bed and spend time upright. He was absolutely miserable. So his doctors revisited all his issues and operated on him in several places this morning. His neck, his shoulder, and his wrist (carpal tunnel). Last I heard, he was talking a blue streak - so I guess he's feeling pretty darn good for getting cut on so much today. They're keeping him in the hospital much longer than my mother-in-law anticipated though. I think it's to follow up with the physical therapy and rehabilitation in a controlled setting and making sure it happens. The last time it hurt so much I think he just quit going. So I see his staying in the hospital as a good thing.
"Bubbe" (mother-in-law, aka "Maw") has been running around cleaning house on her bum knee under the mistaken impression that "Pop" would be coming home tomorrow. When we got the word, she was shaken. I tried to reassure her and tell her to look at it as a mini-vacation/rest that would allow her to get back on her feet (literally) before "Pop" came home. There is enough family here in town now to keep an eye on her and help out as needed. We're going to go tomorrow night and either make her dinner or take her out - whichever she needs. I've volunteered to run errands or grocery shop if she needs. B-I-L Joe and S-I-L Rita have jumped right in and done what needs to be done, but now that we are also in town, my husband and I can pull our weight in this department too!
Keep us all in your thoughts. On the surface things are going smoothly (so far), but you never know what complications are lurking around the corner, waiting to trip up your life.
Oriental dining adventure
Tonight, after a long, grueling day of caring for son and checking in on mother-in-law, and weeding through growing pile of bills, we decided to use my husband's birthday gift certificate at Mori - a Japanese steakhouse for dinner. The chef was wonderful! He captivated Z-boy with his musical spatulas and egg-juggling. Very impressive!!!
Then the giant fire part started. He was quite startled. Even the little onion volcano was freaking him out a little. After the next big fire, he finally gave up his dignity and dove under the table top until the fire part of the dinner preparation was over....
Except for the fire phobia, dinner was a smashing success. Z-boy actually liked the food, ate all the healthy broccoli, squash, chicken and some of the rice. He ate the oranges that came after (along with everyone's cherries). Darling man had a small bottle of warm sake and some sushi in addition to his hibachi meal, and we all went home with full, happy bellies.
He even, after a few false starts, got it going with the chopsticks! I was mighty impressed. I can't do it!Upon arrival home, darling man crashed into bed. Lovely son and I cleaned his bathroom in preparation for his new shower curtain and rug. I'm not sure I remember agreeing to do this after dinner, but he swears that I did. The bathroom is clean now, Z is in bed, and I am about to hit the hay myself. I actually get to go to work tomorrow (hurray!!!!) and have a little break from intense, out-of-camp-this-week-and-I'm-bored Mommy-hood.
This is cool...
I found this on someone's blog (don't remember where). I have visited 56% of the United States! Interesting, the areas I haven't been.
create your own personalized map of the USA
or check out ourCalifornia travel guide
create your own personalized map of the USA
or check out ourCalifornia travel guide
Tuesday, July 04, 2006
Happy 4th!
Since my darling husband had to work today (and came home exhausted), Z-boy and I went off to do the 4th of July at my parents' farm. The 4th has always been a holiday for my family because my dad is a naturalized citizen. The rest of his family is back in England and Wales, so we are very aware of the differences between our two political societies. I remember when I last went there, I was handed a "newspaper" with a large picture of Tony Blair and George W. on the front looking very friendly. The headline? "Posh and Tex: Is it Over???"
Two of my brothers made it for the grilled chicken smorgasbord. Dad definitely has a way with the grill! He did his chicken with the infamous "butt rub" and brown sugar.. MMMMMMMM! Accompanied by grilled corn on the cob, baked beans, potato salad, cole slaw and rolls - and lots of sweet iced tea! A true southern cook0ut.
It was a lazy afternoon. Dad watched Italy beat Germany at World Cup Soccer. Z-boy, Matt and Jerry compared tatoos (Jerry's got a wolf, Matt a Welsh Dragon, and Z has a "P" for Pirate that he got out of a lunchable).
Z-boy was disappointed that there would be no other kids there, but Matt and Jerry more than made up for that. Z brought some of his StarWars action figures, and he and Matt made up their own board game in the garage using chalk and the action figures.
Jerry had a pair of walkie talkies with him, so Z and he played storm troopers and rebel soldiers. They had a blast... and Z was in seventh heaven.
We finished off the day with sparklers. Z-boy was very nervous about lighting them. He's very afraid of fire and here was spitting fire at the end of a very short stick that he was expected to hold in his hand! I told him he didn't have to do it, but he was very curious and it got the better of him. Six boxes of sparklers later, he wanted to go buy some more! Hopefully this rather irrational fire phobia is starting to pass. Up until last year, he wanted to be a firefighter! Then the fire chief of our county gave a presentation at the school and suddenly Z was terrified of fire. I'd like to know what the chief said! You can see the dubious look on his face as he lights his first stick....
Two of my brothers made it for the grilled chicken smorgasbord. Dad definitely has a way with the grill! He did his chicken with the infamous "butt rub" and brown sugar.. MMMMMMMM! Accompanied by grilled corn on the cob, baked beans, potato salad, cole slaw and rolls - and lots of sweet iced tea! A true southern cook0ut.
It was a lazy afternoon. Dad watched Italy beat Germany at World Cup Soccer. Z-boy, Matt and Jerry compared tatoos (Jerry's got a wolf, Matt a Welsh Dragon, and Z has a "P" for Pirate that he got out of a lunchable).
Z-boy was disappointed that there would be no other kids there, but Matt and Jerry more than made up for that. Z brought some of his StarWars action figures, and he and Matt made up their own board game in the garage using chalk and the action figures.
Jerry had a pair of walkie talkies with him, so Z and he played storm troopers and rebel soldiers. They had a blast... and Z was in seventh heaven.
We finished off the day with sparklers. Z-boy was very nervous about lighting them. He's very afraid of fire and here was spitting fire at the end of a very short stick that he was expected to hold in his hand! I told him he didn't have to do it, but he was very curious and it got the better of him. Six boxes of sparklers later, he wanted to go buy some more! Hopefully this rather irrational fire phobia is starting to pass. Up until last year, he wanted to be a firefighter! Then the fire chief of our county gave a presentation at the school and suddenly Z was terrified of fire. I'd like to know what the chief said! You can see the dubious look on his face as he lights his first stick....
Never Rains but it Pours
And I'm not talking about the weather...
Okay - let's recap:
#1 Air conditioner doesn't work. Keeps freezing up. We have to spend long periods of time being hot... sometimes to the point where we can't sleep. A new unit will be installed on July 10th, but we've basically spent a MONTH like this.
#2 Water leak from the master bath tub that runs down into the downstairs bath. Guess a plumber will be called when the owner comes up here next weekend.
#3 Keep that plumber handy! Remember my new washer and the drain hose issue? Well the drain hose is still leaking a little, but the drain pipe keeps backing up! I walked out to move the laundry over to the dryer and the whole room was wet! I also noticed water coming out of the cracks in the concrete wall behind the washer. I ran another load to investigate. Turns out that when the machine drains, the pipe fills up and then we get a spraying fountain all over the room - including over the electrical outlet where the washer and dryer are plugged in. Not good. I mopped it all up, but there's still water coming out of the wall. Aren't we on city sewer? Or is it a septic tank? Better ask.... Anyway, I spent the last hour outside babysitting the washing machine and turning it off everytime I heard the water getting close to the head of the drain pipe. This took forever!!!
#4 There is some nasty cat (or other animal) in the neighborhood that seems bent on making my cats leave. After my husband went to work this morning, I heard a horrendous cat fight out on the deck. I turned on the light and whatever it was went over the side. I heard it land and then go crashing off into the woods that are the backyard. French was all bristly and stalking around stiff-legged. Yoda was cowering in the corner. I got Yoda to come inside (French was determined to stay and defend his territory and wouldn't come in). Keep in mind, this is 5am. Yoda curled up on the bed next to me and we drifted off to sleep. Later, Z-boy comes in and asks why there's blood all over the bed. Yoda has a puncture on his head, a nasty scratch on one of his feet, and worst of all, whoever was out there literally tore him a "new one", which was bleeding everywhere. We got the bleeding stopped and he seems to feel pretty good for having been beaten up so badly. He stayed in most of the morning but now feels like he needs to be outside. This item, of course, is why I discovered #3...
There are other weird little things - like the kitchen faucet had a water purifier on it that hadn't been touched in at least 7 years (and the water coming through it tasted nasty). We took it off, but couldn't detatch the aerator from it so now the water comes out of the faucet in a weird spray. Need new faucet. What I am seriously wondering is how could ANYONE live in this house and not notice this stuff? The owner HAD to have known about these problems and still he rented the house before fixing them. I told them we could move anytime this summer, but they wanted us in in June. Why?
At least by the time our lease is over and it's time to buy, everything should be fixed/ironed out. Might be a long year, though....
Okay - let's recap:
#1 Air conditioner doesn't work. Keeps freezing up. We have to spend long periods of time being hot... sometimes to the point where we can't sleep. A new unit will be installed on July 10th, but we've basically spent a MONTH like this.
#2 Water leak from the master bath tub that runs down into the downstairs bath. Guess a plumber will be called when the owner comes up here next weekend.
#3 Keep that plumber handy! Remember my new washer and the drain hose issue? Well the drain hose is still leaking a little, but the drain pipe keeps backing up! I walked out to move the laundry over to the dryer and the whole room was wet! I also noticed water coming out of the cracks in the concrete wall behind the washer. I ran another load to investigate. Turns out that when the machine drains, the pipe fills up and then we get a spraying fountain all over the room - including over the electrical outlet where the washer and dryer are plugged in. Not good. I mopped it all up, but there's still water coming out of the wall. Aren't we on city sewer? Or is it a septic tank? Better ask.... Anyway, I spent the last hour outside babysitting the washing machine and turning it off everytime I heard the water getting close to the head of the drain pipe. This took forever!!!
#4 There is some nasty cat (or other animal) in the neighborhood that seems bent on making my cats leave. After my husband went to work this morning, I heard a horrendous cat fight out on the deck. I turned on the light and whatever it was went over the side. I heard it land and then go crashing off into the woods that are the backyard. French was all bristly and stalking around stiff-legged. Yoda was cowering in the corner. I got Yoda to come inside (French was determined to stay and defend his territory and wouldn't come in). Keep in mind, this is 5am. Yoda curled up on the bed next to me and we drifted off to sleep. Later, Z-boy comes in and asks why there's blood all over the bed. Yoda has a puncture on his head, a nasty scratch on one of his feet, and worst of all, whoever was out there literally tore him a "new one", which was bleeding everywhere. We got the bleeding stopped and he seems to feel pretty good for having been beaten up so badly. He stayed in most of the morning but now feels like he needs to be outside. This item, of course, is why I discovered #3...
There are other weird little things - like the kitchen faucet had a water purifier on it that hadn't been touched in at least 7 years (and the water coming through it tasted nasty). We took it off, but couldn't detatch the aerator from it so now the water comes out of the faucet in a weird spray. Need new faucet. What I am seriously wondering is how could ANYONE live in this house and not notice this stuff? The owner HAD to have known about these problems and still he rented the house before fixing them. I told them we could move anytime this summer, but they wanted us in in June. Why?
At least by the time our lease is over and it's time to buy, everything should be fixed/ironed out. Might be a long year, though....
Sunday, July 02, 2006
Sunday
I spent the ENTIRE day outside. I went out after talking to my grandmother in Wales for about an hour and drinking coffee to plant my newly weeded and emptied front flower bed. I bought all kinds of flowers at Lowes and am hoping they will survive. The bed looks pretty. When I finished that, I started on the border bed that runs along the sidewalk. My in-laws showed up, giving me a much needed break. It actually pretty much stopped me for the day, but since it was already late afternoon anyway that was probably good. Shower, dinner, dear man crashed out on the bed and little man watching "Mulan" in the living room. I've folded laundry and am ready to crash myself. Pleasantly exhausted and every one of my muscles aches. I could use a massage!
Saturday, July 01, 2006
Water works...
Oy... the joys of moving into an older home....
Z-boy was taking a bath and my husband was checking downstairs, as he is wont to do from time to time to make sure doors are locked and nothing has gone awry.... only something was very awry. There was a small waterfall coming from the ceiling directly under Z-boy's bath! I came down and checked it out. Obviously this has happened before as there was a large trashcan sitting under the waterfall. So I got Z out and told the boys to watch while I pulled the plug. Nothing. Nothing happened! So we're trying to figure this out and came up with this: Z is 7 years old, and as they are by nature very wriggly things, he was probably in the tub "making waves". The waves were crashing into the overflow and that's where the leak was coming from. Not the main drain, just the overflow. But since the water doesn't always totally divert when you pop up the shower button, perhaps some of the water is coming from there as well.
And finally, after running totally out of clean clothes and wearing the same thing for two days running, we have a new washer. They were supposed to deliver it around noon today, but of course they showed up at 8am, which had me scrambling to empty out the laundry room where my beloved had stuck everything he didn't know what to do with. Lots of spiderwebs (and a few spiders too). The guys got the machine in there, then we discovered that the discharge hose wouldn't reach the drain pipe, which is about as tall as I am. I told the guys to leave it and I'd figure out what to do. Spent the whole day cleaning the laundry room and re-arranging it (it was too yucky to even think about doing laundry in), then went to Lowes to find a longer discharge hose. Turns out that washers come with 4' hoses. I bought a 6' hose and it made the drain. It seems to leak a little, but I can live with the amount that's coming out. It's really very little and getting less with each load. Also discovered that the delivery guys hooked the supply hoses to the wrong faucets. It took me a little while to figure out why the machine was so warm after a cold rinse. Answer: Cold wash, hot rinse. I started a cold run and the water coming in was hot, which cinched the idea. I can't get the hoses off without a tool though (man, those guys were strong - or are my arthritic hands just not that tough anymore?), so I will deal with it tomorrow.
Also bought a new hose while at Lowes. The one that was left behind is covered in tape and STILL leaks all over.
I hope my water woes will be over soon!
Z-boy was taking a bath and my husband was checking downstairs, as he is wont to do from time to time to make sure doors are locked and nothing has gone awry.... only something was very awry. There was a small waterfall coming from the ceiling directly under Z-boy's bath! I came down and checked it out. Obviously this has happened before as there was a large trashcan sitting under the waterfall. So I got Z out and told the boys to watch while I pulled the plug. Nothing. Nothing happened! So we're trying to figure this out and came up with this: Z is 7 years old, and as they are by nature very wriggly things, he was probably in the tub "making waves". The waves were crashing into the overflow and that's where the leak was coming from. Not the main drain, just the overflow. But since the water doesn't always totally divert when you pop up the shower button, perhaps some of the water is coming from there as well.
And finally, after running totally out of clean clothes and wearing the same thing for two days running, we have a new washer. They were supposed to deliver it around noon today, but of course they showed up at 8am, which had me scrambling to empty out the laundry room where my beloved had stuck everything he didn't know what to do with. Lots of spiderwebs (and a few spiders too). The guys got the machine in there, then we discovered that the discharge hose wouldn't reach the drain pipe, which is about as tall as I am. I told the guys to leave it and I'd figure out what to do. Spent the whole day cleaning the laundry room and re-arranging it (it was too yucky to even think about doing laundry in), then went to Lowes to find a longer discharge hose. Turns out that washers come with 4' hoses. I bought a 6' hose and it made the drain. It seems to leak a little, but I can live with the amount that's coming out. It's really very little and getting less with each load. Also discovered that the delivery guys hooked the supply hoses to the wrong faucets. It took me a little while to figure out why the machine was so warm after a cold rinse. Answer: Cold wash, hot rinse. I started a cold run and the water coming in was hot, which cinched the idea. I can't get the hoses off without a tool though (man, those guys were strong - or are my arthritic hands just not that tough anymore?), so I will deal with it tomorrow.
Also bought a new hose while at Lowes. The one that was left behind is covered in tape and STILL leaks all over.
I hope my water woes will be over soon!
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