So sorry to hear of this Leaper
I’m so sorry to hear about your mom, Leaper. It took forever for me to get my mom to get (and stay) completely honest with me and even her doctors about her health. I hope she opens up more.
Today is my Saturday #1. I worked for a few minutes, but only long enough to get a small project off my plate (and therefore out of my brain) so I could enjoy the the rest of the day and weekend. My mom got me a couple of poinsettias and a Christmas cactus. I’m going to find a good, roomy pot for the cactus and figure out how to take care of poinsettias. I’ve never had “seasonal” plants like poinsettias because of the guilt. You have them for a month or two and throw them out. It feels like getting a pet for Christmas and deciding you don’t like it. I think I’m overthinking.
Overlyhubs just wandered out. He was supposed to get up with the kids but was instructed by the doc to make sure he sleeps enough so his eyeballs chill out, and was on a call until 12 a.m. I was up late, too, but my eyeballs won’t explode with pressure if I don’t sleep. So there you go.
Guess I should waddle while the sun shineth. I’m still in my PJs and would really prefer not to put my pants on, but I guess one does what one must, including the putting on of pants.
I had a question about the data format for a file we get from our Tampa orifice. I called my contact’s mobile phone, and started off with ‘How ya doin’?’ She said she’s sick. She said it started off as a head cold, but is moving into her chest. She thinks it’s bronchitis. But then I think, ‘She’s in Florida…’
Good morning everyone (afternoon to those of you across the pond).
Please accept my condolences on your brother, hippy.
I am sorry to hear about your mother, Leaper. I kind of get what she’s doing; even though our kids are grown, we don’t want them to worry. The reality is they do, but it’s hard to shake the urge to let them get on with their lives because they are full and we don’t want to add any additional stress.
Well, as per usual I was awake at stupid o’clock. I didn’t remember my husband taking down the garbage and recycling, so I got up and took them both down. I tried to go back to sleep for a while, but gave up at 4:30.
I am off today but popped into my work computer long enough to read my emails and validate my timecard. It appears that Congress came to an agreement at the 11th hour and there won’t be a shutdown…for now. The President has to sign the bill. They’ve only kicked the can down the road until February, which is stupid, but on the other hand, people won’t have to worry overly much over the holidays about their pay. So, that’s nice, I guess.
What a cool project for the kids at Roxy’s preschool! I’ll bet she had so much fun!
I need to knock out some more Christmas shopping today, as well as run some errands. The decorating may have to wait until tomorrow.
While I never had any stitches near my eye as a kid, I came damn close to having my head chopped into by a hoe my sister swung at my head. As it was it, glanced off the side of my head and scraped it, but Jesus, Mary, Joseph that was wild. She also pushed me down while I was on my bike. I fell where all the gravel gathers up and had a hole in my knee. The doc had to pick gravel out of the hole and give me stitches. I still have that scar. The thing is, she was my younger sister. We fought like cats and dogs. I always got in trouble because I “knew better”, but she was always the one who started stuff. Because I could knock the stuffing out of her, I held back and always ended up with bruises or cuts for my troubles. That’s not to say I was always successful, I had a temper by God, and it wasn’t a good idea to let me lose it.
Hard to believe we both made it to adulthood. My youngest sister did not grow up with us, since she lived with my Dad and stepmom. I wonder what the dynamic would have been like had we all lived together. Ironically, my youngest sister and I are more alike even though we didn’t grow up together.
Welp, time to cruise some more news sites and then clean up the kitchen. I HATE a messy kitchen.
Interesting stories all, far as I can remember I inflicted my own injuries upon myself and didn’t need familial help with it…although my mom told us a story of hitting my uncle in the head with a hammer when they were young… So far, outside of a bout with scratched cornea’s a few years ago (had 3-4 instances in 18 months, then nothing since), my eyes have gone pretty much unaffected (except for glasses).
Supposed to get to the 70’sF again today, doesn’t feel much like Winter here, and I am OK with that. Nothing on the agenda today outside of buying Xmas on-line.
Jumpy (leaper), parents are always parents, and you’ll always be their kids to be protected. Hope Mama gets the treatments and does better.
BBBoo, hippy, ain’t life interesting?
OK, need to get my Instant Breakfast and do some internettin’, so all y’all take care and have a good Firday.
Isn’t it though? Finding Hippy is one of the nicest things about the last few years.
Our Christmas party is tonight. I’ve reserved parking. I’ve re-read the invitation. Uh, oh…
I knew ‘business attire’ is required. I missed that a tie is required. SWMBO says I will not wear a bow tie. I have no idea where my long tie is/ties are. Also, we have to wear something red. I wore my patterned red shirt to the orifice Tuesday, and I was going to wear its blue sibling tonight. Except for bow ties, I don’t have anything red/red in it.
So I guess I’ll have to go buy a red long tie.
No - just no. So wrong. No.
Cross-posted from FB:
Came home from erranding to find our side gate knocked off its hinges. Further investigation showed the top part of the fencing on the gate was bent out and there was fur/hair stuck around one of the openings. It’s a chain link fence.
Near as we can figure, a deer was racing like it was on fire and it decided to jump over the 5’ gate (thankfully in front of the truck, or we’d have a worse mess.) Looks like it put a leg thru the fencing in the process. I didn’t see any evidence of blood, tho if it ran off fast, it could be bleeding somewhere else.
FCD and I went to Tractor Supply to get some replacement hardware for the gate since it got bent all to heck. For now, it’s propped closed so Higgs can’t get out - we’ll deal with repairing it tomorrow.
I wasn’t able to drop off the afghans. No one answered my ring, and when I got home, I had an email from the woman I’d been corresponding with - her colleague had to go out on an emergency call. So I’ll drop them all off on Moanday. Then on Tuesday, SIL is having his ACL repaired so I’ll be babysitting Toby all day. Guess I’ll enjoy a few restful days in the meantime.
We still need to manage a meet up…
Plans are afoot. See your PMs.
A micro-mini mumpers fest in greater Omaha on the frozen, windswept prairie.
I responded
Gifts are wrapped or bagged as appropriate. One more will be delivered, then all will be ready. I think I’ll get a couple of bottles of wine for my mom, even tho she said she doesn’t want anything. Wine isn’t clutter - it’s consumable. So there.
In-laws were taken care of earlier - they wanted an electric blanket and asked us to order them one. So we did, and told them it’s their Christmas present, along with a set of flannel sheets. And we hired the electrician to fix the weird wiring at daughter and SIL’s as their gift. All I need now is a crisp $50 bill for my nephew’s college fund.
Ho ho ho.
@Leaper What nellie said (she’s very good at this advice stuff). I’m also sending my best regards to you.
Holy cow, does this sound like my parents. My mom’s been known to walk around with a broken arm because they had things to do, like a basketball game to go watch. They routinely “forget” to tell us about medical issues. My dad used to send us letters when he had some bad news to divulge. My sister and I would worry about who had died whenever we saw a letter from him in the mail.
They’re warm weather plants. You’ll see them growing around Mexico City, for example. They’ve also been forced in a greenhouse to “bloom” at Christmas. They don’t do much in the first year, even if you can get them to survive past January.
Look for a Snoopy Christmas tie. 
Pixel is doing poorly. I’ve left a message for his vet. If she can’t squeeze him in, then I will take him to the Emergency vet in about 30 minutes. He seems to be having trouble breathing. This could be a lung issue or a heart issue and I won’t know which until I get him seen. 
Today is my daughter’s and my sister’s birthday. Woo-hoo! How did I age enough to have a 30-year-old child? And she’s my younger kid! She has an office Christmas party tonight, but tomorrow her friends are throwing her a tea party (because she’s thir-tea). I called my sister and left a VM. Will try her again in a few.
All my eye-stitches stories involve stitches in or on my eyes and are much too dull to relate. Day-um some of you had adventurous childhoods! Glad you all survived.
sunny, I hope Pixel is OK! Gosh, that sounds worrisome. When you can, let us know what’s happening. I said a little prayer to St. Francis–can’t hurt, right?
Are we related? My mom fell and broke her arm while my sister was visiting. All the way to the ER, she kept saying, “I think it’d be OK if we just put some ice on it.” My sister kept saying, “Mom, the bone is sticking through the skin of your arm. I don’t think ice is going to fix this.”
Our moms were tough, boy.
I read this as “I went to a small yam shop” and thought, Wow, they have the sweetest little shops in England!"
Nellie & Sunny are y’all’s moms from New England, too? “No, no, I’m fine. I didn’t want you to worry.”
My mom’s Californian born and bred (and isn’t that statement backwards? Idiom is weird). She’s definitely a stoic.
Pixel is at the emergency vet. He could have heart failure. He could have a fluid build up in the chest. He could have both. Now we wait until the vet calls with test results. I am sad and worried.
{{{pixel and sunny}}}
I am sad and worried with you.
Me three. {{{{{ sunny and pixel }}}}}
Best wishes for Pixel!
God, today was an absolute pisser. Short handed (thanks, 'Rona!) plus a bunch of stuff went badly wrong overnight so the opening manager had to toss and re-smoke a $h!tload of meat, resulting in us being short on brisket all day AND she couldn’t get to a bunch of the usual opening duties. PLUS the only other guy there is brand-new and has to be walked through everything, gets in the way, etc.
At least I got to go to my friend’s last night. She got her hot tub working again, and since it was dark (and we were both LIT) we just didn’t see the need for bathing suits.
My naked, not-quite-sober ass slipped on the way out and I banged my knee pretty hard, although I was too toasty at the time to care. (I definitely cared today.)
Good times, good times.
Hope you get good news, sunny.