My "whine moment today." What's yours?

Ouch Jeanette and dee...I have not yet been bitten by a dog, but have had my share of bites from squirrels, chipmunks, cats and lizards....a bird can put a pretty good mark on you too..lol....the worse one I ever had was one of my rescue kitty's who had five little kittens...I had her since she birthed them and when they were about two weeks old, was loving on them to socialize the little stinkers...one of them jumped out of my hand and landed in the water dish and the water splashed on the sleeping mama and she went from sleeping like a teddy bear to pouncing on me like a ninja...I had put my hands over my face just in time so she just got my arms and she shredded those like I had put them in a paper shredder...She bit me five times, deep bites but unbelievably it did not get infected...and I did not go to the ER because I knew if I did they would come and get her and put her down..and it wasn't her fault...anyway...I found the Mama a home on a farm where she could do her thing and the kittens I ended up raising and had them all for a very long time...

I watched the Saturday Night Live Reunion and was also surprised to see Chevy Chase [71] not resembling anything of his former self, not even his voice. Dan Aykroyd [62] looked good and his voice was the same.

Yet there was Martin Short [64] who hadn't aged much at all, who still had his great comic timing when he was on stage with a SNL cast member pretending to be Beyoncé.... it was so funny when he was trying to stand still but couldn't because of the hair blowing fan that was on Beyoncé :) And Steve Martin [69] also hadn't aged that much and was ever so much entertaining.

I was very disappointed with the Reunion show... gosh, Miley Cyrus got more air time then Eddie Murphy.... always laughed at Murphy's "Mr. Robinson" character. I was hoping the show would have shown more of the older clips of the cast that gave the show the start.

Captain that seems to be one thing we as caregivers especially, learn pretty quickly, the little things are what matters most. And now that you are talking about cooking apples again, I am thinking that would be appealing to Mama and me as well. She can't eat them, but I sure can mix em in with her ensure and she can drink them...she will love that...I have some really good "real' honey from a local man and a little shot of that would be good too....I don't know if anything smells as comforting as the scent of apples cooking...yummm...

Unlike the scent of dee's salesman, aka the walking cologne factory...I know it's infuriating but wow, I can relate...some of them are relentless...I kind of felt that way last Friday when my $300 brake job skyrocketed to $1,700....I was in so much shock and knowing I had to have a vehicle that would actually run I think I almost let them do it because I felt cornered with little options...I quickly came to my senses, told them I would call the wrecker and have them pick it up and just bring it back home and when I did that, the wrecker guy told me he would be glad to look at them and give me his opinion..as it turns out, it should cost more like what I originally thought and another man is going to be completing his estimate and told me he should be able to do it all for a fraction of the other estimate...what fraction that is is not known yet, but I am feeling a lot better about him and my hospice provider actually knows this man and his reputation for fair dealings with folks so that makes me feel good too....

I think I should make us all a tshirt that has that on it dee.... "I do what I want because I can".....LOVE it!!!!

Susan, I am not sure....I don't know if I ever did anything to mine, I will go and see how mine is set up....

Susan, dog bites...ow! Was taking my sweet dog to vet one day because he suddenly became paralyzed at the age of 2 from a genetic spinal problem. He was the sweetest little guy in the world. I must have picked him up the wrong way because he bit me on the face. It got infected, I had to go to doctor for antibiotics, and I have a scar to this day.

Quick Question - I don't seem to be able to receive private messages - does anyone know how to change that setting? I've checked all the account settings and don't see it....

Captain - that's my new mantra - I do what I want, "because I can".

hpe,
i can relate to caregiving relief rolling in at 11 am when they know you wanna leave by 8 . it gives the relief complete control over you and they are usually packing a big smirk to show it . thats kinda what happened between ednas poa and i . i wasnt being relieved , her and her family were going partying instead .
before that it was my sister and niece in moms case .
sometimes you are helpless . your only hope of revenge is living well while they flounder . my cuz , sis and niece are losers . the moment of gloating is about all they have and it was rather fleeting .
im cooking my aunt some apples . i can see when material comforts are long gone and small things are what matters .
my blingin a** telephone tells me that a friend needs some firewood hauled . ditto with that procrastinating idiot upstairs . at 5 degrees outside its gonna cost em a little extra ..

Thanks again, Captain! I need to redo the sidewalks for sure - they slope towards house and water pools there as well. I'll look into finding someone if I need help this summer. Those waterproofing guys really turned me off from hiring home repair. I can't even tell you some of the sh*t they tried to pull on me. One waterproofing/mason guy wrote me up this big long proposal on an exterior and interior drain tile system, all the bells and whistles. Of course, they all say how all the other companies are cheats, doesn't know their as* from hole in the ground, etc. Anyway, this guy was freaking relentless. He kept calling me, trying to get me to sign, after told him I wasn't going to do anything until I could get a loan to do the work. He even called me at work, threatening me that he was going to call ABC news and was going to follow my house - if I tried to sell it without disclosing the water damage he'd have the district attorney after me for fraud. Wow - what a freaking nutcase! Well, my boss got on the phone and reamed him a new one. I'm telling you, I raised my kids myself and it made me nervous being home alone with them. After all the b.s. from those waterproofing guys, I never did have it done. Then I made the mistake of looking into siding/windows. Oh, geez. One guy showed up at my house, 30 minutes late, in a Lexus and wearing a fancy suit and a Rolex, smelling like a bad cologne factory. I'm outside painting the fence, so of course I'm full of paint. He says "don't get paint on me or I'll have to send you my cleaning bill haha!". Yeah, this was going to go well. So, he starts working up numbers for me, I cannot get the guy to leave the house, keeps asking me where my husband was, so he could talk to him (yeah, as*shole, told you 2-3 times already it's just me). So I told him, look I'm making the decisions here, I'm paying the bills. I'm in sales myself, so I appreciate your need to make one. However, I have to review all estimates before I make ANY decisions. So then the loser has the (you-know-whats) to ask what I would say if he can reduce price to $7,000 (down from the $13,000 he already quoted me). I told him that would make me think he was trying to cheat me to begin with. Finally, finally, finally get him to the door and he turns around and has the audacity to tell me to give him a call if I'd like to "get together" sometime! Had to air the house out after he left. Years later his company called me again and I spoke to the owner and told him what happened - he wasn't surprised. Now, if my brothers can't/won't help with something, I figure it out myself. I don't need the hassle.

Yay, Hope! Glad your big guy came home! Little stinker probably didn't realize how he worried you...then again, maybe he just was looking for some extra attention. Animals are such characters!

Jeanette, I hope your hand heals quickly and you took good care to clean it, etc. Dog bites are nothing to play with. I still have the scar on my leg from when my late Corgi (Tootie) tried to attack the vacuum cleaner and got me instead - sunk her canine tooth right into my calf. Left a pretty good hole in my leg for a while!

Susan, love that quote...true...they were never a caregiver....

Country...I've had that happen before...and it was also a nurse...amazing isn't it??

Hey, while I'm thinking ...thank you all for caring about my kitty...that means an awful lot to know you understand how these little furtots bring some comfort and love and security in a world that has and continues to slowly fade.....I slept like a rock last night....or is it a log...a baby???

Captain, what you wrote is absolutely spot on what is in my head re aging..and how hilarious and true...we'll all be there soon enough. I saw Chevy the other night too and it took me a while to figure out who he was...hard to believe that could be him....actually could see no resemblance to his former self..then I thought...this is why I don't like to look in the mirror..

Jeanette, once again, you hit it on the head re the brother situation..what used to send me over the edge now I just sit there and think ....meh.....the thing that finally dawns on me...he honestly just never did and never will "get it"....never...so all the raging, fussing, fighting and such is wasted energy on my part..in his world all is a sunny day and he will never understand it because he will never do it...not for anyone..it's not in him and when it's not there.."they" will never understand...and I have been there too so many times where they are going to come but will wait a little later because you tell them it takes a while to get all the bathing, feeding, etc. done...and then they arrive...at 9 or 10AM....and I love it when he says...what have you been doing all morning.......eeeeeeeeiiiiii........... BUT.....when I was moving from my home to this house, I had to make one more run to get some more things I did not want to leave behind and he actually took off work to stay with Mama...I told him, be here as early as you can because the sooner I get there the more I can get and the sooner I will get back....well, THAT morning, I was ready to roll by 6:30.....he came drifting in around 10:30...he had stopped to buy his son a birthday card....too bad he didn't know when his birthday was apparently in advance....he acted like no big deal..so by the time I show him where the lunches and dinners for Mama are it is almost 11:00 and then I get caught in a traffic jam and long story short, instead of getting to my home by 8:30 AM as planned, I get there and it is already 2:30 PM....so again I'm running running running..he starts calling me at 4:00 PM wanting to know if I am on the road yet..???? wth????? so I rented a storage unit, crammed as much as I could in there and finished cramming the car and still had to leave some stuff but finally had to just say a quick goodbye to the life I have known for the past 35 years and hit the road.....then had a flat on the way home....ugh.....

No, they will never get it...

Saw something kind of ironic on Facebook today. "People aren't ignoring you. They are busy with their own lives. The way to stop feeling ignored is to get busy living yours."

Um....whoever wrote this wasn't a caregiver. Obviously.

Giant whine: the district nurse came this morning to check on mother's b.t.m. and its magical disappearing rash (I swear it was there, then when she looked there it was - gone) and "helpfully" popped a clean diaper on her. Two hours later I checked and the diaper was dry but the bed was soaked: district nurse wouldn't have known that mother has very little bottom to speak of and you've got to check the elastic behind or there will be gaps.

If you want a job done properly...

Hope, I'm so glad your kitty came home!

It's Fat Tuesday, which means Packzi day in Michigan. Gloppy, gooey, doughy cakes filled with sugary crap and topped with more sugary crap. Can you tell I don't want any? LOL Mom *had* to have one - just one, she begged - so I trundled out into the cold to get her just one. She's downed it already and (as I knew would happen eating all that crap), she's now asleep. Sugar crash.

Book - allergies here too, but because it's cold out and we can't open the windows to air out the house until Spring comes. I *hate* being closed up in the house. I sneezed earlier and sent the cat leaping 2' straight up into the air. Pretty comical.

Busy day ahead, guess I'd better hit it. Going to get those shelf boards painted and put up today, put up a closet rod over the washer/dryer to hang clothing up and maybe start painting the bathroom - which means washing down the walls to prep them. With any luck, I can get that done today and start painting tomorrow, maybe.

Glad your kitty is home Hope. When might take a walkabout and do not answer despite searching high and low I would like to know where they go. Sometimes I want night vision googles to find them.
Captain you would have a laugh a the property we bought next door. great 50x32 garage placed on the worst spot on the property. Will get gutters installed then do some grading around the garage to move the water away. Concrete slab by service door may either get jacked or cracked up as it tilts into the garage. Thankfully less snow this year so that should help with water issue when snow melts. I do not know what he was thinking building it in that spot which is the lowest on the property.

If it's any comfort Capt you won't be left paying these idiot's credit card bills. There is a lot to be said for "being alone" as you have discovered by now.

it was hard to sell ' global warming ' to a world full of people freezing their asses off so the terminology became ' climate change ' . look up some images of the galveston hurricane in the early 1900's if you want an eye opening experience . how about images of the dust bowl ? when this old planet cops an attitude - people get smashed .
im up early with my ongoing stress headache . theres nothing to be stressing about , winter just beats everybody down . visiting my aunt always calms me down then i stop by betsys house and theres a new puppy just bouncing off the walls and shredding everything in the house . i keep my opinions to myself moreso nowadays but i left there thinking " whew " i guess im not the stupidest person in the world " . betsy believes if she could just get more overtime pay she will never have to look at her spending habits . an 18 dollar dog toy to replace the ones hes already destroyed . of course only the best dog food that money can buy , and as always last nights ' premium ' grade leftovers are sitting on the stovetop bound for the dog bowl .
its not hard to see why im alone . other peoples values just leave me dumbfounded and i havent looked in a mirror lately but i can guess that ' dumbfounded ' isnt a very appealing look .

ABB, I bought one of those portable humidifier - for a medium size room. Never even set it up. I then bought one of those gimmicks - a tiny Natural humidifier using a stone and water in it. Supposedly people claim it works. I don't feel any difference with it - for months now. I'd better drag out that medium humi and plug it in, etc...

My only whine is that I'm sick. Or have the cold? Or allergies? Hard to tell. Runny nose, lots of sneezing, stuffy nose and ears, lots of sneezing...It's mango season. I'm allergic to mango. I've been going outside and picking up the large Haden mangos that fell from the tree because it's been so windy lately. And now the other tree, the Carabao mango, is blossoming. I can no longer sit on the front porch.

I just now gave a loud sneeze. I startled my dad. He said, "Oh! You scared me! You made my stomach jump... from being scared."

Hello all, figured I'd drop in on one of my fave threads and complain a little. I figured out today that the whole house humidifier - which is an Aprilaire model that looks to be from the 70s - is no longer working. I was wondering why everything was so static-y, even though I'm running 2 other small humidifier units. It appears the unit hasn't worked in some time. I wish I would've caught it earlier. I do hate being confined to indoor air, old and dusty house, AND it's so dry. Just the makings for lots of nose-blowing, sneezing, and coughing. I tried tinkering with all the connections and I can verify there is a water supply to the unit but... not working. :-(

Living in an older house that hasn't been maintained properly for decades means I'm always finding something new broken around here. Today it was the humidifier unit.

Well, I know what it feels like to be bitten by a pitbull. Wasn't Sydney's fault.. we were playing fetch the d*mn stick at the river today, well, she fetched it, I took it from her and went to toss it back into the water, she grabbed it while still in my hand... giant incisor through the fleshy part between thumb and forefinger... OUCH! Thank God she let's go on command... LOL

I think I shall stop b*tching about my brothers. Doesn't do a darn thing but annoy me anymore so there isn't much point in it. Oldest bro did show up today to sit with his mother so I could go out and enjoy the 65 degree sunshiny day. I had told him not to show up too early since it takes a small miracle to get every up, dressed and fed before noon... well, 10:00 a.m., here he is. Mom's in the middle of flinging oatmeal everywhere, I'm trying to feed 3 dogs and a seriously meowing cat, still in my jammies and uncombed hair. Joy. (Susan, this is why you DO NOT make early morning appointments, or anyone for that matter)! Since he was here so darn early I felt rushed to get out of here... I tried to have a nice serious talk with him but.... zoomies over the head. All he ever says is "Yes, I know". Once upon a time I used to get very upset and my temper would flare with these buttheads... not anymore, I just look at them, keep my mouth closed and go on about my day. How can he fix his mouth to say "Yes I know"? Honestly, I think I am better off without them at this point. I am sure they all think I am such a b*tch... yes, I blocked them from my FB, you can bet they don't understand that I can't stand seeing the FUN they're having fishing, hiking and horseback riding and just think I'm being mean or better yet, that I'm nuts. Sigh. I did attempt to tell my brother how hard these past 2 years 4 months had been on me and if I did act a bit crazy at times to understand the pressure I've been under, first with dad and now mom. All I get, "Oh, I know, no one said this was easy". (HEAD THUNK) .... once upon I time I felt strong emotions, maybe even hatred towards these brothers of mine, now, it's just tired indifference. Even when he was leaving when he said all I had to do is just "text" if I needed something I felt indifferent. Meh, I just don't have the energy to text shit to them anymore.

In otttthhheeerrrr news, sorry bout those whom are dealing with the artic blast and snow. Another weird winter and yet we aren't supposed to say it's Global Warming. Eh? It's going to be in the mid 60's here in the PNW, no clouds and no fog. Daffodils have already bloomed and the rest are sprouting up. This is normally a late March occurrence... if not Global Warming then what the heck is going on? ... errr, I am not complaining, not at all cuz I LOVE this kind of weather ... just sayin it's a bit strange all around.

Lil'pup... I will have to read that article!, it sounds very interesting! Anything that makes sense of what we deal with on a daily basis is interesting and makes it just a tad easier... for the most part.

hope, glad your kitty made it home safely... now you can sleep without too much worry.

Cap, I surely hope what you said isn't what's happening. Mom is very late stage AD but ... but but but.... sigh. Some days I feel like I just can't anymore, then she gives me a toofless smile and let's me know it's going to be ok.

the thought struck me while ago -- if we all stay on here b*tching long enough were going to be complaining about our own crappy caregivers pretty soon . gaaah
i just saw chevy chase in a news article and he looks like he died of old age 5 yrs ago but hasnt realized it yet .
im only 56 but watching my elders fade and pass away has shaken me up a bit . then i realize that many of my childhood aquaintences have already crappied off .
i guess were fortunate to get old but somehow it seems like a semi sweet accomplishment .
an old ww11 vet who was at IL with my aunt was driving and doing well 5 months ago . now hes cramming his wheelchair into dining room tables at nh and asking for help getting unstuck .
makes life seem so fleeting and fragile ..

lol...he knows he's got me wrapped around his little paw :)

YAAAYYYY!!! :) Hope, get your own back - pretend you hadn't noticed he'd been out!

Frequent, yes, you are right, males will roam...apparently even neutered ones...because he has been neutered for some time...but he sure wasn't on the premises here...I am just so happy....and so relieved!!

My baby is home!!! My baby is home!!!! He just came home a few minutes ago!!! He appears fine and no worse for the wear and just as you said Country...wondering what all the fuss is about.. lol...I am so happy...I have been literally physically sick all day and all last night...I feel like I can finally breathe again!! So now they are all in nice and safe and cozy!!! I am so thankful..Got Mama tucked in nice and cozy and I feel like I may actually be able to sleep now!!!! Thank you all for caring about my baby...He means so much to me....

Hope, any sign of your tiger yet? In my experience, they do this every so often to make sure you're paying attention - he'll saunter in when he's good and ready and pretend he doesn't know what all the fuss is about. Big hugs, it's horrible not knowing what they're up to.

i am sick of all this crappy "sorta snow" we are getting, another 2 hour drive home tonight.. This time Bmore was decent, but the highway was crap! On weekends and holidays they just don;t plow or salt... HELLO!! Some of us still work, and we need to get to and from work too... maybe to save your life! I am very happy I'm off the next few days... With Dad in MC I can sleep in a bit!!
He is sleeping alot more, and was still eating lunch when Hubs and Mom went to visit.. but that;s ok, he was eating at least!

drains arent needed if the gradework is right , dee . sure hate to see you spend thousands in the wrong direction . find yourself an old mason for water mgmt advice . hes the guy who has spent a lifetime repairing things damaged by water .
for instance ; if you take me in the basement to look at water problems , im going right back outside to look at your lawn . often the driveway is too high from years of added crushed stone , essentially making your house lower .
you got my attention earlier because this is the only subject in the world that i actually DO know something about . lol
ive got to find something to do for about the next 10 days cause its too cold to work and ill probably put off washing the beef blood out of the bottom of the fridge till the 10th day . i just simply defy everything that society expects of a person -- because i can ..

Thanks captain. I've got lots of water traps at entire perimeter. Had estimates averaging 8g to install interior drain pipe, double that to excavate and install exterior. The house obviously needs lots of work. Ugh.