in gratitude

My mother is out of the hospital now and back to her normal routines. My sister-in-law and uncle did a great job, I am told, cleaning and organizing her entire home. All clothes were washed, folded or hung, and organized in her closets and dressers. Beds were made. Everything in the kitchen was cleaned and put away. Both refrigerator-freezers were completely cleaned out, washed out, and slightly restocked. Her rugs were professionally steam cleaned. Only one rug, in the office, had to be thrown away because it was too far gone. Her floors were cleaned. The door that had to be broken into was replaced. Now, I hope things stay a bit in order for as long as possible. It took her completely losing control for a while for things to get better.

I still don't know what became of the mother of my nephew's girlfriend but I assume that nothing has gone further downhill since no one has said anything about it to me.

Another day when everything is broken

I have been on the phone all day with various tech support from my website hosting service and Time Warner Cable.  MonsterMustDie is mad at me every time I try to move or set up anything here. I put a couple of stereo components on the cart purchased for the TV and cable modem, carefully as I could, and he blew up over the possibility of me scratching the finish, exclaiming “Oh, I'll just buy ANOTHER one!” 

I got a phone call from my mother between tech calls to tell me she is back in the hospital again in  Urgent Care.  She is having fainting spells because of her anemia. She stopped taking her blood medication, despite her doctor saying she should stay on it, because of the blood clots she developed. She is still on blood thinners for the clots. My guess is she will stay on blood thinners from now on. She is also actively having dialysis three times a week now. All of this has left her very weak. This time EMCs had to break down her door to get her out. 

The mother of my nephew’s girlfriend is in the same hospital now in ICU in a medically induced coma for a mystery illness. She is in the same building, on a different floor from my mother. This came out of the blue, from what I am told, to a presumably very healthy middle-aged woman.  

Soul in my mailbox

I've gotten three (3) packages from friends this week. Must be something in the air. Just when I'm feeling my lowest, friends have sent me love in a box.

The first was a couple of very hard-to-come-by jars of Korean honey tea from our friends and former neighbors Rick and Amanda. I am now supplied with hot tea (or hot toddies) for the rest of this winter.

Then, I got a cookbook of Vietnamese and Asian-fusion food from Ferne. The book is a hard cover with beautiful photography that looks like a good “Cook The Book” project - if I can just find ingredients or suitable substitutes here. Both of these gifts are reminding me of living in the culturally diverse neighborhood of el Rancho de WereMonster. I'm kinda in, to quote Mr. Nick, Whitey McWhiteville now. There are some interesting places in nearby cities but this place is like a WASP retirement home.

The latest, biggest box came today. It was a home-made care package from Gillian and Meg, filled with home-made treats (like Gilli’s famous holiday bourbon balls) and craft supplies and puzzles to try to keep my brain from going to mush here, along with a few other girlie treats - which is something I really needed in this dry place.

Foggy morning

The house is dark still.  MonsterMustDie has already gone to work.

Life at Casa de WereMonster

MonsterMustDie has cut/killed all the phone outlets in the house except for the ugly, outdated one in the kitchen that is not close enough to an electrical outlet to attach a new cordless phone base to.

We now have no hardwired phone connection to the house, even though he pays for a phone line in his ISO-Cable communications package, by his choice.

I think this is both incredibly stupid and annoying. It remove any easy option I have for sending faxes or putting an auxiliary cell phone in the basement or the back porch that could be an emergency (locked out of the house, etc.) phone or in-house intercom. Yes, I will be unhappy about his action/decision for a long time.

I still spend most of my day pacing around boxes.

Tomorrow, I have an interview for a part-time graphic design job that includes small things like email generation, brochure design, etc. for a hair care company. Not something I am extremely excited about because it is very part-time hours a week but I do like the fact that it is close to home and, really, any sort of work is good. I'm kinda going batty here with no friends, no money, and no activity other than pacing around boxes I can't unpack yet in an unfinished house.

Mother is home from the hospital now, and is getting regular dialysis treatment close to her home. I spoke to her today on the phone and she was in somehwhat better spirit now. She is still recovering from the ordeals of the past week. I truly wish we could have someone come in to clean her house and walk her dogs. I can't do it and neither can she but I am accepting the fact that I can not do anything about it from here at this time.

Tiki Flowers

Happy F**king New Year

I bought flowers that I have arranged in a large Tiki mug on the living room table. Before the move, I had two nice glass vases that friends had gifted me at different times years ago but the box those should be packed in is MIA, probably gone forever like so many casualties of the relocation. Still, the Tiki vase looks rather festive IMHO. The battery charger for my camera is still missing as well. I suppose I am, temporarily, no longer a photographer. I have a non-working camera, no tripod, and no place to set up for a photo. It is the creeping entropy I live in.

At least, there are flowers on the table now.

Yesterday, MonsterMustDie killed an electrical outlet in the livingroom he was trying to replace with a better looking fixture. One more thing not working in the house. Fortunately, there are other outlets nearby and the livingroom is not an area we will spend any time in anyway. 

My mother is still in the hospital. She had surgery to have the port inserted for dialysis because her kidneys are functioning at only 7 percent. She also now has a bladder infection that they are treating with antibiotics. She has had a lot more visitors in the hospital and that has raised her spirits considerably. Yesterday, my youngest uncle and his wife & daughter came to visit. Then Charlotte, who she used to work with at the courthouse, came by for a visit so she has not been lonely.