I got back last Sunday night, so emotionally drained that I headed into the week already feeling a heavy weight on my chest.
Overall, the visit to my parents' went well, save the screaming match I had with the dumbass redneck that lives next door. Last year, he had to go to court numerous times because he had a dangerous dog he allowed to run loose and even though the dog bit my cousin Keith (totally unprovoked) the idiot still wouldn't keep his dog in the fence. Finally, the county forced him to either put the dog to sleep or he was going to jail for violating the "dangerous dog" laws. Now the jerk has not one, not two, but at least three dogs (and I suspect four) one of which is a huge harlequin Great Dane who suddenly last weekend started charging at my parents out in the yard and growling at them. Well, after a few instances I decided that I'd had enough and charged over there and let the guy have it with both barrels. My mom and sister joined in on the fun and finally Billy Badass tucked tail and ran back to his house. The next morning I looked out the window and he had "No Trespassing" and "Dog on Premises" signs all over his yard. Um, hello dumbass - first, I didn't come into YOUR yard, secondly it's YOUR DOG coming into OUR yard. But you know, anyone that brags in the courtroom that he's above the law really is just as stupid as they seem. Hurumph.
My poor Aunt MaryAnn had a few mini-strokes so she has been whisked back to Maryland to live with her daughter. That leaves my Aunt Hazel, who has Alzheimers, to be alone again. For now, my mother and my Aunt Rubye are taking turns on Hazel duty while they find a place that will take her. It's not easy finding care for someone with Alzheimers. It's a full-time job, really, caring for them. And she's in excellent health so it's not like she really needs nursing care either. But we're moving forward, slowly but surely.
One funny thing that happened is that my sister Kathie brought down the yummiest chocolate chip cookies. Seriously, it had been so long since I had a damn cookie that wasn't made from tree bark that I lovingly held one, caressed it, had a moment and then wolfed it down. My Aunt Hazel hesitatingly tried one and then said she was full. Later on, I kept hearing rustling in the kitchen and I asked my mother what the hell my aunt was doing. Well, the kitchen window looks directly across to Hazel's house next door so Mom thought Hazel was just looking over at her house. I kept hearing it...zip...zip...zip...zip...finally, I went in there to discover her caught with her hand in the cookie bag. She had eaten 20 freaking cookies in about an hour. Good thing she's not only terribly skinny but with all her incessant roaming she burns off everything about a minute after she eats it.
Anyhow, the trip turned out okay and I came home and piled into bed for the rest of the night. Exhausting.
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Monkey Man ended up with strep again last week, so I had two days at home to get into all kinds of stuff. I worked on my recipe for whole wheat chocolate chip cookies, caught up on the Mount Everest of laundry, and did a lot of reading and bad kid-movie watching. I was useless.
Yesterday we got at least a foot of snow, probably more. Again, more of the same - eating, laundry, a lot of Facebook time (probably more than I have since I signed onto that blasted time-sucker). In a bit, as soon as it gets closer to 30 degrees, we'll try to get the driveway finished and maybe venture forth to see how the roads are. I can already predict school will be closed at least the next day if not two days. Yay.
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This weekend I also started working on my new venture, which as soon as I get it going well I will definitely share. It's something I've been thinking about for at least a year, and now it's time to get serious about it. Or at least get off my ass and give it a try.
Stay warm, peeps!
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