I is hard to believe it is almost September. Wow, how time does fly.
I took my "bucket of bolts" (the Maserati) down to get an estimate on the body work yesterday. They want $8000 for a complete fix and repaint. Wow, who knew? Even just fixing the tire well is almost $1000. I am not going to do that. Will just sell it as is. What I have learned from this little venture is that old cars are a whole 'nother world that is best left to the experts and those folks who are really into having an old car. It is kind of amusing but I don't even have the strength to take the top off to turn it into a convertible. This is just not going to work out for me.
The guys at the body shop were really keen on looking her over and commenting on how rare this auto is but that doesn't put any money in my pocket. Am going to sell her as soon as get my home work done and can put a price to it.
I went to see Cowboy yesterday after I was through at the body shop. He was in therapy when I got there so I waited about half an hour before he returned. I talked to the therapist and am told he did really well. They are trying to improve his mobility so he won't keep falling. Sounds like a good thing to me. They are using some tools like new programs available on XBOX and that sort of thing. They tell me he really seems to enjoy it. I want to come next time and watch. Sounds interesting.
We had lunch and visited a bit. He had been outside earlier. The flowers look pretty sad. They just don't like this 100 degree heat any more than I do. As soon as it cools down we will pull them out and put in some mums for fall.
Cowboy ate a good lunch but seemed tired so I just stayed a little while after and then headed home.
I went to dulcimer practice this morning. We have a couple of gigs in September and then will start working on our big annual concert which will be the end of January.
This week will be a busy one for me. I have an appointment on Tuesday to get an injection, in hopes of reducing the pain in my hand and arm. Am hoping it will help. I get so tired of hurting all the time.
On Thursday I have cataract surgery. My daughter is coming from Dallas to drive me and will stay overnight and make sure I do OK and can drive, etc come Saturday. I am having a laser procedure that is a newer approach that doesn't involve any cutting. They are going to remove the cataract and do lasik to improve my vision in my right eye. May be able to eliminate my glasses but no guarantees. My vision is pretty bad/
If all goes well will do the left eye the following week.
Will go see Cowboy again tomorrow. Have a band practice on Monday, an injection onTuesday, back to see Cowboy on Wednesday and then eye surgery on Thursday.
Saturday, August 31, 2013
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
Tuesday, August 27
I finally started to feel a bit caught up and "normal" yesterday. Spent the morning going to the post office, the drug store, the music store, the Office Depot (got to take advantage of those $10 off cards when I need ink for the printer) and the grocery store.
In the afternoon a couple of friends and I went to see "The Butler". It was a wonderful movie, amazing cast and a good story. I found myself thinking about things that I experienced in the 50's and 60's that were long forgotten. I even had a bag of popcorn and a soda. A rare treat that is decidedly not good for me.
I went to see Cowboy today. They were giving everyone a haircut and we put Cowboy's name on the list and then waited our turn. It was a bit of a circus because they had been without a barber for a spell and everyone needed a trim. Cowboy got impatient and couldn't understand why he wasn't next. He tended to be the senior person back in his army days and I think he wanted to still have that status. Nope, just have to wait your turn.
Good lunch. When we went back to Cowboy's room I asked him for his teeth and cleaned his dentures for him and put them to soak. I continue to be dissastisfied with the care of his teeth. We talked a little bit and then I headed home. Ran into heavy rain but the closer I got to home the less rain there was. On the news tonight, learned we had very little here where we live.
I go to see an opthamologist tomorrow about the cataract surgery. Need to make a decision about this new procedure.
I went out to the patio tonight and watered everything real well and sat outside for a while. It was fairly cool and pleasant. Still haven't had dinner. The lunches are so generous at the home, am not very hungry. Guess I will make a sandwich.
In the afternoon a couple of friends and I went to see "The Butler". It was a wonderful movie, amazing cast and a good story. I found myself thinking about things that I experienced in the 50's and 60's that were long forgotten. I even had a bag of popcorn and a soda. A rare treat that is decidedly not good for me.
I went to see Cowboy today. They were giving everyone a haircut and we put Cowboy's name on the list and then waited our turn. It was a bit of a circus because they had been without a barber for a spell and everyone needed a trim. Cowboy got impatient and couldn't understand why he wasn't next. He tended to be the senior person back in his army days and I think he wanted to still have that status. Nope, just have to wait your turn.
Good lunch. When we went back to Cowboy's room I asked him for his teeth and cleaned his dentures for him and put them to soak. I continue to be dissastisfied with the care of his teeth. We talked a little bit and then I headed home. Ran into heavy rain but the closer I got to home the less rain there was. On the news tonight, learned we had very little here where we live.
I go to see an opthamologist tomorrow about the cataract surgery. Need to make a decision about this new procedure.
I went out to the patio tonight and watered everything real well and sat outside for a while. It was fairly cool and pleasant. Still haven't had dinner. The lunches are so generous at the home, am not very hungry. Guess I will make a sandwich.
Saturday, August 24, 2013
Saturday, August 24
It has been nearly three weeks since I posted. How do I ever remember everything I wish to say.
I tried repeatedly to get online while out of town and kept getting a really weird error message. I guess Blogger just didn't like my trying to post from a different computer.
First, news about Cowboy. I went to see him on Wednesday and again today. Both times he was in good spirits and very much "present". He continues to eat well, sleep well and is not in any pain (other than the usual old age aches and pains, of course).
I talked to him about every third day while gone. The first time, he asked the home to call me so he could talk to me. He got on the phone and proceeded to tell me I needed to find this dog, get the number out of his mouth and get it to the police so they could get it "to the right people". None of it made any sense at all. I just tried to humor him and assure him I would take care of it. He was a bit agitated.
I called him a couple of days later and he talked to me like he knew who I was and then a couple of minutes later he talked like I was someone else altogether. He was really concerned that I was in North Carolina, he had no way to reach me and he needed to know if I needed anything. He also told me he had troops in South Carolina on a training mission and he couldn't contact them and didn't know if they had everything they needed. He complained about not being able to get to them.
On another occasion he was concerned because he was trying to train some people to use the "SOS System" and they were not getting it. He seemed frustrated and concerned.
The staff told me he was confused a good deal of the time lately but otherwise was doing fine.
I had a really nice trip, for the most part. The airlines ran on time, no problems with the bus that took us to NYC. The weather in upstate New York was in the 80's during the day and in the 60's at night. Very pleasant. My daughter and I did a number of things. We took a day and made a "wine tour" along Seneca Lake. Had a nice lunch and saw a lot of beautiful scenery. On two occasions while I was there her daughter and her daughter's son came to visit and we celebrated his birthday. On another day we went to her husband's parents home, where all of his family was gathered, for a cookout and to celebrate a nephew's birthday. They are a lovely and close knit family. They have all lived close to one another for generations.
We spent quite a few hours picking and snapping green beans on the deck and picking tomatoes, onions and cucumbers. This was followed by a full day of putting up pickles. It provided some good mother daughter time.
We went to New York City for four days. We went to the 9/11 Memorial, up to the top of the Empire State Building, out to see the Statue of Liberty, went to see the Blue Man Group, ate hot dogs from the street vendors (terrible hot dogs!) got lost in the subway system, also had a couple of nice meals. On Sunday we took a horse drawn carriage ride in Central Park and then went to the zoo. It was a beautiful day. My daughter's oldest son and his daughter joined us for part of the time we were in the city and then they joined his girlfriend for a couple more days after we left. I would have liked to make a Broadway show but thinking back, I was too tired at the end of the day to do that so best we didn't get tickets. It was hot and humid in the city and we returned to the hotel each afternoon soaked in sweat and exhausted from all the walking.
I would say the city is like no other place. Big, noisy, dirty and crowded and yet ts has a feel that is stimulating and fascinating. You hear all kinds of languages spoken on the street. Some of the people you meet up with are kind and courteous but a large number of them are rude, in too much of a hurry and generally unpleasant. I don't think I could live in such a place.
Chinatown and Little Italy were a big disappointment. My daughter loves to shop and loves a bargain, but there was nothing there but a bunch of cheap junk. Knock off handbags, bejeweled cell phone covers and T-shirts. Not at all like in Vancouver or Seattle. Maybe they have changed and are now the same. It has been about 12 years since I was on the west coast.
The hotel was very nice, right across the street from the Bus terminal which made it easy to manage our bags and get settled, etc. and to leave the city when our visit was done.
We have a plan to do it again next year and hit the museums, the overhead walkway, a Broadway show and spend more time at Macy's (it is 9 stories and a full block of shopping, what's not to like?). We may even build in an opportunity to go to Atlantic City, although that is a ways down the coast.
I tried repeatedly to get online while out of town and kept getting a really weird error message. I guess Blogger just didn't like my trying to post from a different computer.
First, news about Cowboy. I went to see him on Wednesday and again today. Both times he was in good spirits and very much "present". He continues to eat well, sleep well and is not in any pain (other than the usual old age aches and pains, of course).
I talked to him about every third day while gone. The first time, he asked the home to call me so he could talk to me. He got on the phone and proceeded to tell me I needed to find this dog, get the number out of his mouth and get it to the police so they could get it "to the right people". None of it made any sense at all. I just tried to humor him and assure him I would take care of it. He was a bit agitated.
I called him a couple of days later and he talked to me like he knew who I was and then a couple of minutes later he talked like I was someone else altogether. He was really concerned that I was in North Carolina, he had no way to reach me and he needed to know if I needed anything. He also told me he had troops in South Carolina on a training mission and he couldn't contact them and didn't know if they had everything they needed. He complained about not being able to get to them.
On another occasion he was concerned because he was trying to train some people to use the "SOS System" and they were not getting it. He seemed frustrated and concerned.
The staff told me he was confused a good deal of the time lately but otherwise was doing fine.
I had a really nice trip, for the most part. The airlines ran on time, no problems with the bus that took us to NYC. The weather in upstate New York was in the 80's during the day and in the 60's at night. Very pleasant. My daughter and I did a number of things. We took a day and made a "wine tour" along Seneca Lake. Had a nice lunch and saw a lot of beautiful scenery. On two occasions while I was there her daughter and her daughter's son came to visit and we celebrated his birthday. On another day we went to her husband's parents home, where all of his family was gathered, for a cookout and to celebrate a nephew's birthday. They are a lovely and close knit family. They have all lived close to one another for generations.
We spent quite a few hours picking and snapping green beans on the deck and picking tomatoes, onions and cucumbers. This was followed by a full day of putting up pickles. It provided some good mother daughter time.
We went to New York City for four days. We went to the 9/11 Memorial, up to the top of the Empire State Building, out to see the Statue of Liberty, went to see the Blue Man Group, ate hot dogs from the street vendors (terrible hot dogs!) got lost in the subway system, also had a couple of nice meals. On Sunday we took a horse drawn carriage ride in Central Park and then went to the zoo. It was a beautiful day. My daughter's oldest son and his daughter joined us for part of the time we were in the city and then they joined his girlfriend for a couple more days after we left. I would have liked to make a Broadway show but thinking back, I was too tired at the end of the day to do that so best we didn't get tickets. It was hot and humid in the city and we returned to the hotel each afternoon soaked in sweat and exhausted from all the walking.
I would say the city is like no other place. Big, noisy, dirty and crowded and yet ts has a feel that is stimulating and fascinating. You hear all kinds of languages spoken on the street. Some of the people you meet up with are kind and courteous but a large number of them are rude, in too much of a hurry and generally unpleasant. I don't think I could live in such a place.
Chinatown and Little Italy were a big disappointment. My daughter loves to shop and loves a bargain, but there was nothing there but a bunch of cheap junk. Knock off handbags, bejeweled cell phone covers and T-shirts. Not at all like in Vancouver or Seattle. Maybe they have changed and are now the same. It has been about 12 years since I was on the west coast.
The hotel was very nice, right across the street from the Bus terminal which made it easy to manage our bags and get settled, etc. and to leave the city when our visit was done.
We have a plan to do it again next year and hit the museums, the overhead walkway, a Broadway show and spend more time at Macy's (it is 9 stories and a full block of shopping, what's not to like?). We may even build in an opportunity to go to Atlantic City, although that is a ways down the coast.
Sunday, August 4, 2013
Sunday, August 4
Well, the bills are paid, my bags are packed (well, almost) and the house is clean. Did all the laundry and will have clean sheets and a clean house when I get back. Love that. Now I just have to remember to turn up the thermostat, lock the doors, etc. Don't actually leave til Tuesday but have the band over tomorrow so kind of pretending this was my last day to prepare.
I am looking forward to the trip. It is a little scary being so far from Cowboy but I can get home in a few hours if I have to. We have plans to go to New York City for four days and already have some tickets and such. Then back at my daughters she has arranged for us to take a wine and antiques tour. She also says I am going to help her can. We'll see. It is so hot here and will be a lot cooler there so I might actually enjoy getting out in the garden.
I went to see Cowboy yesterday. He was watching TV and he immediately started in about how he was helping this fifteen year old girl who was overweight to lose weight. Said he was going to lose some too. He had to plan the meals and get her to exercise, etc. He just talked and talked which is quite unusual. He must be inserting himself into what he is seeing on TV. Not a mention of the bizarre telephone call that we had on Thursday.
I got him to go outside with me and walk a little and we deadheaded some flowers and pulled up some weeds. When he is doing that he is very into it and knows just what to do.
Cowboy mentioned the other day that they had moved him to another building. I think I know where that came from. They are in the process of redecorating the common area and have some new things on the walls. That is the only thing I can think of.
They are replacing some of the flooring and repainting their wing. There are a couple of pieces of new furniture in there. One is a writing table and the other a bookcase. I don't know what purpose they will serve. Will see.
I talked to the staff and let them know I would be out of town and made sure they noted it and also that they would call me if anything happens. They would anyway but I feel better having reenforced it with them.
Probably won't be on line much while I am gone but will try to post a time or two.
I am looking forward to the trip. It is a little scary being so far from Cowboy but I can get home in a few hours if I have to. We have plans to go to New York City for four days and already have some tickets and such. Then back at my daughters she has arranged for us to take a wine and antiques tour. She also says I am going to help her can. We'll see. It is so hot here and will be a lot cooler there so I might actually enjoy getting out in the garden.
I went to see Cowboy yesterday. He was watching TV and he immediately started in about how he was helping this fifteen year old girl who was overweight to lose weight. Said he was going to lose some too. He had to plan the meals and get her to exercise, etc. He just talked and talked which is quite unusual. He must be inserting himself into what he is seeing on TV. Not a mention of the bizarre telephone call that we had on Thursday.
I got him to go outside with me and walk a little and we deadheaded some flowers and pulled up some weeds. When he is doing that he is very into it and knows just what to do.
Cowboy mentioned the other day that they had moved him to another building. I think I know where that came from. They are in the process of redecorating the common area and have some new things on the walls. That is the only thing I can think of.
They are replacing some of the flooring and repainting their wing. There are a couple of pieces of new furniture in there. One is a writing table and the other a bookcase. I don't know what purpose they will serve. Will see.
I talked to the staff and let them know I would be out of town and made sure they noted it and also that they would call me if anything happens. They would anyway but I feel better having reenforced it with them.
Probably won't be on line much while I am gone but will try to post a time or two.
Friday, August 2, 2013
Friday, August 2
On Wednesday I went and had a pedicure. Was way behind schedule but it felt nice. One of my neighbors recently broke her leg and is now moving to an assisted living facility near family. We had a nice luncheon for her today. Got to see lots of lovely neighbor ladies.
On Thursday I went to see Cowboy. He still thought I was his sister, LaRaine. He needed to use the bathroom and completely missed the stool and left a puddle on the floor. He also had changed his clothes once that morning before I arrived and was told he had taken a tumble. Probably while trying to change clothes. His natural need for complete independence is still there. I had eaten a late breakfast on the way over so just sat with him when he had his lunch.
I spent today getting a haircut, having the house cleaned and meeting with a couple of ladies about a project we are working on for the Emergency Committee.
This afternoon the phone rang. He asked for LaRaine. It was Cowboy. He was more or less incoherent. The aides had dialed the number at his insistance. He told me that there was a dog with a number in his mouth. I needed to get the number and report it to the police so they could give the information to the "right people". Made absolutely no sense. I talked to him awhile and tried to humor him. After a few minutes he calmed down and we agreed he would give me all the information when I visited tomorrow.
He also told me he had "moved". They are doing some remodeling at the facility and maybe it has something to do with that. I assured him I would find him when I came tomorrow.
I am thinking we had reached a new lower level of his "normal". I knew it was coming but it is still hard.
On Thursday I went to see Cowboy. He still thought I was his sister, LaRaine. He needed to use the bathroom and completely missed the stool and left a puddle on the floor. He also had changed his clothes once that morning before I arrived and was told he had taken a tumble. Probably while trying to change clothes. His natural need for complete independence is still there. I had eaten a late breakfast on the way over so just sat with him when he had his lunch.
I spent today getting a haircut, having the house cleaned and meeting with a couple of ladies about a project we are working on for the Emergency Committee.
This afternoon the phone rang. He asked for LaRaine. It was Cowboy. He was more or less incoherent. The aides had dialed the number at his insistance. He told me that there was a dog with a number in his mouth. I needed to get the number and report it to the police so they could give the information to the "right people". Made absolutely no sense. I talked to him awhile and tried to humor him. After a few minutes he calmed down and we agreed he would give me all the information when I visited tomorrow.
He also told me he had "moved". They are doing some remodeling at the facility and maybe it has something to do with that. I assured him I would find him when I came tomorrow.
I am thinking we had reached a new lower level of his "normal". I knew it was coming but it is still hard.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)