Top 5 On Friday

Top 5 concerts you wish you could attend this summer

Lets face it, with my parents fragile health, concerts are a thing of the past for me.

1. Duran Duran @ Stage AE in Pittsburgh August 26

2. Over The Rhine @ Memorial Chapel Canton OH Oct 27

3. Peter Noone @ Lock 3 Amphitheater Akron OH Sept 1

4. Happy Together Tour @ Carnegie Library Homestead, PA Aug 29

5. Zac Brown Band @ First Niagra Pavillion Burgettstown, PA July 15.

Big sigh

Unexpected Day Off

I have tomorrow off.

I consider it an early B-day present from the boss. My b-day is on Monday.

I'm going to miss the money, but I just may use the time to catch up on things and maybe get some things done...or maybe just leave the Mon Valley for an hour or so?

Probably not the last one, but a girl can dream right?

Most likely I'll sit around and read, but there's nothing wrong with that?

If I watch too much tv then I just get aggravated.

Note to self: ignore TV until after election. If possible I should hide under a rock until mid November, when most of the tomfoolery will be done.

Think that can be done?

You Know You're Tired When...

~ You fall asleep during your favorite comedy, that you were waiting all day to watch.

~ Even playful kittens cannot keep your eyes open.

~ You can't read at night because you fall asleep before you finish the second word.

~ Blogging becomes difficult because your eyelids are so heavy that you.....Zzzzzz

I think it is time for bed. I had most of today off, as a mental health day...I think. Tis a shame it didn't help me relax any.

Allow Me To Rant

My house is a mess, and I can't seem to get myself motivated to do much in the way of cleaning. I just look at everything and feel overwhelmed. There's laundry growing, my piggy bank broke and there's loose change all over the floor and I have no place to put it.

For the last 3 weeks I've been running around to hospitals, dealing with surgeries, procedures and almost surgeries. I feel like I'm on a roller coaster or a merry go round and I simply can't get off.

Right now, all I want is to be left alone.

I can't even read, right now. My mind isn't concentrating on books, and that sucks, because reading is my only joy.

Oh and I'd really like to enjoy music again. It isn't that I haven't had to review some good stuff, because I have. Seriously, hunt down Twinkle Trax and listen to You Cannae Shove Your Granny Off The Bus, it's good for the stress levels.

PS...I need to get the hell out of my house...

Home At Last

Just a quick update because I can't keep my eyes open.

Dad is home. The colonoscopy showed no polyps or cancer, just divirticulosis. Which is manageable.

So yay!

All is well in the world.

Just a few changes in meds and a few more doctor's visits.

I can live with that.

I think.

More Updates

I can't bring myself to post much.

Dad is back in the hospital with severe abdominal pain, that the doctor's can't seem to diagnose.

It is all very crazy in my life right now.

I don't have much to say except that I'm losing what little is left of my mind and so are the other members of my family.

I promise I'll update with info as I get it.

Pray for us.

Not Back To Normal Yet

Normal in this case is defined as my regular day to day craziness.

Dad is home, but it is still 80 and it is 10:30 in the evening.

I would just like to say.. I hate summer and I hate winter.

Both seasons suck, especially when you have heart and lung problems and your home doesn't have a good heating/cooling system.

And as always screwups have brought some shit into my life.

I need a break

Too Much Going On

~ Dad is still in the hospital. He's got some plumbing issues now to be resolved. Of course, with the heat we are having right now, he's better off in the hospital.

~ Today was one of those horrible awful days, from the time we got up until now...nothing but suckage.

~ The transport van people managed to crack the wheel of mom's chair. Not really their fault, the fault of the chair. Didn't make mom feel good about going out for the first time in a year.

~ A bird conked himself out on our screen door.

~ Dad woke us at 4 a.m. just too talk to mom. Do you know how many years you lose when you see the hospital number come on the caller id at 4 a.m.?

Dad's Doing Better

The surgery for the pacemaker went well.

After the anesthesia wasn't quite as fun. My dad is prone to panic attacks, and leg cramps and new pain didn't sit well with him.

Once the pain pill kicked in, all was good and he slept.

Fingers crossed that everything else is ok and that he can come home today or tomorrow.

Surgery Tomorrow

Dad's surgery is tomorrow at 3 o'clock.

I know for the most part this isn't a rough surgery, its just how well it will work on an 86 year old man with COPD.

Thoughts and prayers are needed.

Dad is very scared. It is very hard to see  your father cry.

I wish this wasn't Father's Day...cos it had to suck for him.

Make Up Your Mind

My dad may be getting a pacemaker on Monday. He has all the info, but the doctor's have coordinated anything yet.

I have to say, I'm not impressed by the surgeon, who would be implanting the device.

He comes across as a know it all and a general asshat.

I guessed that he probably had a wife and a mistress before I left the hospital.

He was walking out before me. He drives a bright orange Dodge Charger.

My aunt Delores, whose son has worked with this guy, confirmed my beliefs.

Oye to the vey!

And I wish they would tell me if the surgery was scheduled so I can let my boss know I'm not going to be there on Monday.

Everything has to be so complicated

Top 5 On Friday

Top 5 musical things that you associate with summer


1. Concerts: Summer is the best time to see a show. It is a shame, I won't be able to see any this year. Too many health problems and not enough money.

2. Road trips: What is summer without road trips? And when you take a road trip, you have to have music!

3. Power Pop: I have to admit I play bands like Cheap Trick and Fountains of Wayne much more in the summer. It is shiny happy fun music!

4. Mix CDs: I made more mix cds for the summer than I did any other time of year. It could be because of summer travel or just because I like singing along in the car with the windows down and scaring people in passing cars.

5. Mp3 Players: For me my mp3 player gets more use in the summer. More long walks (well there used to be) and more chances for exercise when the weather is good.

Hospital AGAIN

Dad's in the hospital again. They couldn't find anything wrong, but they are keeping him overnight because he was blacking out at home.

~ Big Sigh~

Typical Thursday in our household

Earworm Alert!

I've been reviewing an album of Scottish Children's Songs. If you have little ones, you have to look up Twinkle Trax!

The only problem I have is the song "Ya Cannae Shove Yer Granny Aff The Bus."

It is stuck in my head.

The lyrics have you pushing various family members off public transportation! Not exactly a friendly song, but I wouldn't mind giving a few people a push off the bus.

I wish there was a way I could share this song with you guys, if only to make you suffer the earworm the way I am now.

This one is definitely an earworm with staying power!

Hip Hip Hooray!

Tomorrow I make my last payment on my Citicard! That ends many years on debt management. I still have debt, but it is manageable now. I could actually pay most of it off, but I prefer to carry the balances so that I have cash on had in case anything else goes wrong.

And we know that in my life, EVERYTHING GOES WRONG!

So on a happy note, this month saw my stove getting paid off and this card getting paid off!

That deserves a celebration!

Pass the margaritas everyone!

Too Much To Do

Tomorrow I have a list of things and phone calls I must accomplish.

~ Find out how much notice they need at the EMS for the wheelchair van for mom, so she can go to the doctor's.

~ Call my debt management to give them the payoff amount on my last credit card in the program.

~ Find my bed. I've been piling so much stuff on it that I can't sleep on it. I've been sleeping in my parents room

~ Try to organize my reviewing schedule so I'm not so backed up all the time.

~ Try to come up with some easy meals for the rest of the week.

~ Play with kittens!

What? you thought everything was going to be tedious?

Sleep Deprivation = Bitchy

I slept 3 hours last night. I stayed up watching Mirror Mirror, which in hind sight wasn't the most intelligent thing to do, but I wanted to see the movie.

I was up by 7 and I didn't get to bed until about 3:30.

If I don't get 6 hours of sleep, I get really cranky.

I begged my nephew to be home by 10 so I could head to bed early.

Guess who won't be home til 11?

ARGH!

If he doesn't get his 8 hours, he whines!

There's something not fair about this picture.

Looking For Changes

It is becoming increasingly obvious that I'm going to have to make some changes in my life soon. Mom and Dad both have poor health, and I've made a promise that neither will go to a nursing home unless it is absolutely necessary.

I'm looking into options to see if there's a way I can be a full time caregiver. I know it would cut my finances even further then they already are, but my mom's last hospital stay has kind of brought the problem front and center now.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this won't have to happen, because, well, my shot at  having a decent retirement would go out the window, but then again, will social security be around in 30 years?

So much to think about.

Top 5 On Friday

Top 5 albums you plan on listening to this weekend:

Here goes....

I Fell Go Boom

I sprained my ankle the other day.

I have to say I'm in considerable pain, hence my lack of blogging.

Mom is home from the hospital, but I think she may be heading back there. Bad kidney function.

Wish us luck.

No Surgery

Late update: no surgery for mom. Her heart doctor vetoed it, from what we understand. She does have stones, but they are going to try to deal with them via changes in diet.

I guess we're all going on a low fat diet.

~big sigh~

Pass the yogurt....

Update

Looks like the surgery will be Wednesday, but I'll know more tomorrow. If that is the case, she should be home by the weekend.

Fingers crossed....

Surgery To Come

Just wanted to let all my friends no, that mom is probably having gall bladder surgery this week.

~ big sigh~

There's a good chance I might not be around here much this week, because trying to take care of dad, and blogging, well they don't go together very well.

My dad is a handful, when mom's around. When mom's not here. OMG!!!! You don't even want to know.

So please keep mom, and all of us in your prayers. They are definitely needed.

Some Thoughts

~ Mom in the hospital is worse than Dad in the hospital.

~ I can't get anything done and I'm super exhausted.

~ Father Jerry came to see mom, the first time mom has met our priest, since she's been housebound since he came to our parish.

~ Trying to figure out if any of the doctor's at the hospital can declare her legally blind. There are a lot of things she could qualify for, if that happened.

~ My cat likes to play with the printer. Apparently they like to turn it on and make it shoot out blank pieces of paper.

~ I have no sanity left at all

Mom's In The Hospital

Usually Friday is all about my favorite music meme. Today it is all about mom, who we took to the hospital around 8 this morning.

She was having trouble standing. Her legs wouldn't hold her.

So another 911 call.

I think the people at 911 know me by voice now. That's so not fun. All the EMTs know us too.

So far we know she has some old blood clots in her leg and her creatin levels were high, so there is kidney dysfunction. They are going to do ultrasounds on the gall bladder and liver tomorrow.

So its going to be a long weekend.