Good Friday

The roads were deserted, the office is deserted... why am I here?  I really should have taken today off.  At least the sun is out and it's kinda warm.

Holidays have gotten wonky since Dad died.  The first Thanksgiving found me driving Mom to Maine.  I hate travelling on holidays but her youngest son wanted her (not me, just her) in Maine for Thanksgiving.  So, I drove. Not a good time and I refused to do it again last year.  Christmas, birthdays, Easter... all have drifted from family gathering at our parents to everyone doing their own thing.  It's funny, Dad turned out to be the glue that kept eveyrone together. 

This Easter Mom's youngest son will be in Manhattan for the weekend and she's planning on taking the train into the City and having dinner out with he and his wife and Gretchen is going with her.  I won't be going.  I think it will be a nice, quiet crochet/knitting marathon in front of the television.  Gretchen is planning on doing Palm Sunday festivities with the kids the last weekend in April.  I'm all... WTF?  It's just weird.  I could have done it with the kids last weekend but no one else was available (except the kids), so I let it go.

March 12, 1939

Today Dad would have been 74.  I looked up the events of the day in the newspaper of record, the Syracuse Herald, as he was born in Syracuse, New York.  Fascinating reading.  Some things never change, just the names.  Notice the sub-head to the article "U.S. Marines in clash with Nippon [Japanese] police" is Hunting Terrorists.  A pope is crowned; the House republicans were a problem :); blizzards and dust storms and war and medical relief flights were all going on.

I find I am actually missing Dad more this year than last, which seems a bit strange, but that's the way it is.  With the help of Wiki, I've been looking at what happened each year he was alive.

On his first birthday, Finland signed the Moscow Peace Tready, ending the Winter War.

On his eighth birthday, President Harry Truman announced the Truman Doctrine.

On his 29th birthday, Mauritius gained its independence; on his 53rd birthday it became a republic within the British Commonwealth of Nations.

On his 54th birthday, the Storm of the Century began.  Janet Reno was also sworn in as the first female Attorney General of the United States.

On his 70th birthday, Bernard Madoff pled guilty to scamming 18 million dollars.  That made his whole day.

On his last birthday, the Fukushima disaster took place.

He shared his birth day with Julia Lennon, the mother of John; Jack Kerouac; Wally Schirra; Edward Albee; Liza Minnelli; Mitt Romney; James Taylor; Darryl Strawberry; and the Girl Scouts.

More than two years

and so many changes in my life.

At the end of January 2011 I was fired - due to the "economic downturn".

March of 2011 the last of my three grandmothers died, at the age of almost 99.

May 2011 I started a new job with a long commute and far less money.

May 2011 old car literally flamed out - bought new car.

August 2011 Dad died at the age of 72.

November 2011 the job moved and now I have a 75 mile daily commute.

2012 was chaotic, frantic, hectic... but death free. And, I kept my job, so that's a plus.

2013 has brought two suicides... and it's only the 5th of March. (Happy Saint Piran's Day!)

I feel like the hamster on the wheel and no one will let me off. I keep telling myself this is going to get better, but I think I might be a congenital liar.

This is going to get better.

Really.

Anyway... for sanity's sake the needles, hooks, yarn, thread, canvas, etc., came out of storage late last year and I'm knitting, crocheting, stitching up a storm.

So I don't crazy and start beating random people on the street.

Yarn therapy.

Because I can't afford meds.

If I can get the camera to work, I'll upload some pictures of what I'm working on.

hippo birdie to me

45

feeling older than dirt today... aw well, it beats the alternative.

That nor'easter was something else. Did someone on the Eastern seaboard cheese off the weather gods? Man, it's been some winter. There was a lot of rain and wind at the farm but no damage - I guess Easton is too far inland. My parents, in Westport, were mostly spared, just an enormous amount of branches down. They were in Manhattan all weekend celebrating Dad's 71 birthday (March 12) and no matter where they went they got completely drenched. They came back to a debris filled yard but no real damage, thankfully.

Last night my sister and I met up with the parents at Saint Tropez in Fairfield. It's been my birthday dinner pick for three straight years and it was yummy! I had the sauted shrimp in apple raisin curry... for the third year in a row! Yup, it's that good!

Not paying attention

Dad got me hooked on NCIS earlier this year. He's the typical older parent in that he doesn't want anything for birthday's, Father's Day or Christmas and he doesn't want anyone spending any money - especially on him (for what it's worth Mom is just as bad). He is a typical male in that whatever he "needs" he just up and buys - which can be annoying. A few years ago sister Gretchen came up with the plan that we (the five chillun) would provide Dad with one seaon of JAG for each birthday, Father's Day and Christmas. Sadly, the show was only on for ten years so that only got us through three years of the afore-mentioned gift-giving occassions. Thankfully, JAG had a spin-off in NCIS. Sadly, it's just starting season seven (and the five of us are awaiting his season six Christmas present to be released at the end of the month) so we've already run out of options for his birthday next March. Dad loves all things Navy, John Wayne, Navy, The Quiet Man, MASH, Navy... and we've run out of options having provided vhs's, and now dvd's, of all his favorite movies and shows already. There might have to be a road trip to Annapolis in March. Not that that is a bad thing. Hm... Navy men...

In any event, Dad's gotten me hooked NCIS. Mom mentioned that USA network was running marathons of the program and guess who is glued to the show most nights? Other than Dad? Yeah, me. In addition to enjoying the fun and banter of the early years of the show (which seems to missing in seasons five and six), I'm loving me some Mark Harmon. Damn! If I'm not careful I might turn into fangurl at the rate this is going. Because of my latest obsession I haven't been paying attention to the world at large. I heard something about some fool woman accussing President Obama of being Hitler, the health care policy being a "Nazi" policy, and Barney Franks giving her a "smack down" and I was WTF?

"Do you really think that's thoughtful conversation? Do you really think that advances your arguments? I mean I thought you were thoughtful people who were here to have a conversation. I guess I don't understand. Is it because you don't like what I'm saying? What's the matter with you all? I don't understand your mentality. What do you think you accomplish by yelling?"

Representative Frank frequently annoys me. Grates, really, and he's no stranger to shouting down people he doesn't like, but I agree with him this time. What am I missing by not paying attention to the news these days? How did this fool woman come to the conclusion that the health care plan is a Nazi policy? Do I want to know?

Probably not.

While watching Mark Harmon each evening I've been stitching Daisy Collage by Laura J. Perin. It has been taxing because of my limited ability and it distracts me from Mark. Or Mark distracts me from Daisy. It could go either way. I might finish this project by next August at the rate I'm going.

I'm going to have to give up on Daisy for a couple of weeks - I'm moving again. Serious water leakage in the condo that management is doing nothing about has me looking at houses. Small, 1,000 sq ft or less, and I am hoping to move by September 12. I've had nothing but water problems for the last seven years and when Mom mentioned that to Dad on Sunday he said:

What do you expect, she's a Pisces

Hm.

Belated Happy Easter

Peeps are evil.

Dad had yet another proceedure to deal with the clogged arteries on April 5th. It went well, but not as well as the last time. After all he's been through that's not surprising. He has another appointment with the urologist to determine how, and when, they'll be dealing with the bladder issues that came up as a result of his stay in Norwalk hopital. The only good news the urologist has imparted, to date, is that he doesn't have cancer.

I'll take good news where ever I can find it these days.

Gretchen's hard cast came off Friday and she's now in a soft cast, which looks like something the Storm Troopers wore in the original Star Wars, for... a while. No end date so far. She starts physical therapy next Monday.

So, I'm still shuttling between my home, her home, our parents home, every day. It's either getting easier or I'm just getting used to this.

Happy Birthday Dad

Dad finally made it home on Wednesday, March 7. The IV pump should be finished today and he goes back for more testing to make sure the staph is gone.

Fingers crossed.

The catheter remains in place and there is still an alarming amount of blood in his urine - mostly due to the blood thinners he's on. He's back to the urologist tomorrow.

Gretchen's ankle is finally coming back together but she's got another month in the hard cast and then a couple of weeks in a soft cast or brace before physical therapy starts.

I'm tired. I've been listening to a lot of Leonard Cohen in the car over the past couple of weeks. Serendipiously, Elsa has been talking about him recently. Gretchen thinks he's depressing, but then she likes listening to Country and Western, so what does she know? :) Anyway, I've found his stuff oddly soothing for the past couple of weeks.

Unusual Sunday Blogging

Dad may, or may not, be released from prison on Monday. The idiots at Norwalk hospital haven't decided yet. He's responding well to the meds but he's still going to need two to four weeks of IV antibiotics to combat the staph infection. He's opted to go home and not a rehab or nursing facility. I'm not thrilled but it's his (and Mom's) decision to make. There's still no decision on when he'll be able to have the other artery "scraped". The longer they wait the worse the plaque build up, but he's in no condition to have operation for at least a month. Thank you Norwalk Hospital.

The plate my sister had surgically implanted in her ankle, to draw the fibula (tibia? whatever bone opposite the ankle) to the ankle and to secure the tendon was less than successful. The ankle is still disconnected. The doctor is "hoping" that over the next week the plate and screws will do their work and bring the ankle back into place. If not, they have to re-operate.

I've come to the conclusion that the entire medical profession in the United States is comprised of fuckwits. Brainless, heartless, fuckwits.

Mom and I are moving my sister down to Westport today. Centralizing the walking, and non-walking, wounded is essential. We just can't keep up with both of them being in two places 20 miles apart.

~ ~ ~

Clouds marred my viewing of the eclipse last night. I hope you had a better view.

Life's but a walking shadow

Staphylococcus

That's what Dad has picked up during his stay at Norwalk Hospital. I found out last night when I went to see him.

I hate these people. I want to carpet bomb the whole goddamn facility. I want to ship these bastards off to Gitmo. After I torture them.

The array of tests he was in the hospital for show that there is a 70 percent blockage of his left carotid artery and he was supposed to go back to Yale for a consultation today and surgery next week. Only now he can't because he's stuck in Norwalk for another week and then two to four weeks of recovery either in a nursing home (he's 68 on March 12) or at home because he'll need antibiotics delivered via IV for that long. This staph infection is in his left arm and has entered his blood stream. They're relatively certain it hasn't entered his heart.

Eight years ago on the 27th of this month I lost my Mother. It was a blessing for her, when she died. She suffered so long. I'm not ready for this, the reality of he might not survive all that's going on in his body.

I'm just not ready for this but I don't have any choice. I just have to suck it up and deal.

She should have died hereafter;
There would have been a time for such a word.
To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day
To the last syllable of recorded time,
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!
Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more: it is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.

Praise Yeshua, it's a Boy!

Did these stone chests contain the body of Christ and his wife?

Archaeologists have reportedly deciphered the names on the tombs, including Yeshua (Hebrew for Jesus) son of Joseph, Mary, Mary and Judah, son of Yeshua. In New York yesterday, Cameron unveiled two of the coffins he claims belonged to Jesus and Mary Magdalene. "I think this is the biggest archaeological story of the century," he said.

Lawdamighty, the shit is gonna hit the fan. Airing on the Discovery channel on Sunday, March 4.

~ ~ ~

As of last night Dad was still in Norwalk hospital. There is a 70 percent blockage of the left carotid artery - he had the right side "cleaned" in mid-January. The doctors were going to run another MRI today.

May you live in interesting times.

It's been an interesting week.

Wedneday I went to the funeral of my niece's Aunt Denise. She was 37. Coming home from work last Thursday she slipped on the ice, knocked herself unconscious and died, in her driveway, of hypothermia. Her Mother found her at 6:45 am Friday.

Last Friday, February 16, 2007, my sister calls to say she's broken her ankle by falling on the ice. I spend the rest of the day in the ER with her. The hospital declares she needs surgery, but take her home until Monday 'cause they're not doing surgery at 5:30 pm on a Friday night. This was just the beginning of several WTF coversations I've had all week.

I get the crippled one back to her house, up two flights of stairs, and one of my brother calls. Seems my Dad, who had the plaque scraped out of his arteries in January, had gone numb down the right side of his body. After a six hour car ride to Maine I suggested he not take. Should we take him to the ER? my brother wants to know.

No, no... just let him lie there on the floor until dead, mkay?

Several bizarre and mind-blowing conversations with doctors in Maine, doctors in Connecticut, it's decided that another brother would drive our parents back to Connecticut on Sunday. Both Dad and my sister had doctor's appointments on Monday. Which ended up happening on Thursday instead, because gawdfuckingforbid a doctor bother his/her uselessfuckingarse to tend to a patient. I spent Thursday with Dad at Yale while Mom spent the day with my sister who was having pins and plates put into her ankle.

According to the medical geniuses at Yale, after doing several different scans of both the brain and body, Dad's fine. No problem. He can go home. Most likely a pinched nerve from the driving, that's the ticket. Really, they assure me, he's fine.

So, today, he's in Norwalk Hospital. Numbness down the right side, feels like his head is unattached from his body. Not that he's a having a stroke, they tell me. But they're keeping him for the weekend for observation. Just in case.