We spent a week out on the Oregon coast last week. My daughter sent me two small containers of my son’s ashes, despite my asking her not to do that. It’s that sort of thing you wear on a chain around your neck. First off, I don’t wear jewelry, but foremost, I don’t believe in that sort of thing. Anyway, I took the things with me to the coast and emptied them on a nice stretch of beach. Back to stardust like it should be.
We’re now kicking around the idea of leaving Oregon in a few years. We’re pretty much over it, having seen most of the state at least once, and some of it many times. The disfunction of the local/state government is wearing on us as well. We’re thinking of spending a year in Santa Fe, renting a place and just goofing along down there with a couple of the wife’s friends who live there. Then perhaps moving to MSP to be near where my kids and her niece live, and to live out our remaining days there. It’s somewhat depressing to be thinking of end-of-life measures, but ya gotta go sometime and you should try to make it easy on those left behind, neh?
Evening all. Wow, 62 messages (and counting) for a Moanday on the MMP. Might be close to a record.
Shopping completed and the rest of the day saw me re-reading (for probably the fifth time) The Martian, which is one of my favorite books ever. Got to 92F today, so inside was a good place to be.
Cookie, one goes where one wants. I never thought I would be happy residing in Alabama (I grew up in the Bull Conner/George Wallace times), but between the house being paid off and coaching youth soccer 7-8 months a year, I just don’t see myself moving right now. Give me a few more years and who knows…
OK, weariness just came upon me just like that…so everyone take care and I’ll catch you on 2sday.
For me, metal mouse, you single-handedly redeem Alibama. Feel free to resettle in the Great Plains any time you want. Preferably in time for my grandkidlets’ soccer years.
When I saw this, I thought of all our resident nappers.
I’d say good morning, but it ain’t. I didn’t fall asleep till midnight-ish, I kept having weird dreams, I woke around 2, then again just after 4, and I couldn’t get back to sleep that time. So before 5, I was in the shower, and now I’m dressed, fed, caffeinating, and waiting for my alarm to tell me it’s time to go wrangle Roxy. Critters have been tended to so I’ve accomplished something.
SIL has a stress test from 7:30-10:30 and I told him I’d watch the RoxStar at their house. Assuming it doesn’t run long, I should be out of there around 11. Then, who knows? I just hope I can stay awake the whole time!!
FCD is working out the details for his return to working for someone else. He’ll be taking his computers because the company doesn’t have the software that he uses for analysis. His will be stand-alone, plus he’ll get a company machine connected to their network for all the administrative stuff. I need to talk to SIL about helping him move his equipment if they’re not able to provide someone. No way FCD can move any of it - well, maybe the mouse…
It’s going to be weird with him going to an office again, and except for a couple of weeks, I won’t have Roxy here either. I should plan on clay play. I’d like to come up with a line of monster items. There’s a local market in Leonardtown where I think people sell things on consignment. I need to contact them and find out what the deal is. Another option is the Craft Guild - in exchange for selling your items there, you volunteer to work there a certain number of hours. Having Toby will complicate that, but I’ll check into it anyway. I don’t expect to make a lot of money - if I just pay for my supplies and the extra electricity, I’ll be happy. Plus I won’t have a house full of miscellaneous ceramic things…
Anyway, thus beginneth my day. It’s gonna be a long one. Happy Tuesday!
And I’m not wrangling Roxy after all. SIL was up all night, so he called and canceled his stress test. So here I am - all dressed up and no place to go!
Good Mornin’ Y’all! Up and caffeinatin’. YAWN ‘Tis 75 Amurrkin out and clear with a predicted high of 94 with rain predicted for later in the day. We shall see. No big plans for the day at all. Laundry is already done and da cave is spiffed. So we shall do what we do best, which is sloth and bein’ retired drains on society. Sup shall be bbq sammiches made from leftover poke tenderloin, coleslaw, and baked beans. There are some peaches that need to be used up so I’m thinkin’ of draggin’ out the Cuisinart ice cream maker. Peach ice cream is always a good thing!
Boo of course gruntled can be in the Mumper Dictionary. Words can be added to the Mumper Dictionary by anyone for any reason at any time. It, like the MMP, is completely random and hijackable.
Cookie ‘tis a weird thought, the thought of where one will settle down for one’s remainin’ years. Like MetalMouse I am livin’ in a house that is paid for, so it’s likely OYKW and I are here for the duration.
MOOOOOOM since you’re all dressed up with no place to go, might I suggest the opera. Or Wally*World dependin’ on how you are dressed.
Now I need more caffeine and to feed rumbly tummy. Then, onward into the day! Rah.
We received the lab results for Polar and it’s not good. He’s got a tumor on his anal gland. It’s called Anal Gland Adenocarcinoma, which is a fast-moving and aggressive cancer. Right now, it appears that it has not spread to his lymph nodes and it’s small, but the only option is surgery with follow-up chemo.
This is only if it hasn’t spread to his lungs which means another x-ray because they didn’t x-ray his lungs yesterday. Left untreated, it also causes severe kidney damage and spreads to other organs in the body.
I am upset, of course. That dog is my shadow and chose me when we met him at the Humane Society. He was supposed to be my son’s and husband’s dog, but he chose me. No one messes with mama when he’s around. The vet told me if it was her dog, she’d proceed with surgery because it looks like we caught it early. Again, this is only if it hasn’t spread to the lungs. It’s too soon after Brandi, damn it. I mean, we all know they just don’t stay with us long enough, but this is not the way I want Polar to go out and I don’t want him suffering. This will not be cheap, I am sure and I have that to consider as well.
Later this morning, I’ll call the vet’s office to get a run-down on cost as the vet didn’t have those figures in front of her. Plus, it has to be fit into the other vet’s schedule if we proceed.
Polar has been a relatively easy dog healthcare-wise up until now, so this is just kind of overwhelming.
{{{Taters}}} - it’s hard enough when a critter needs extra care, but having to consider the financials on top of that seems so unfair. But life ain’t fair, is it? All you can do is weigh all the options and try to be as smart as you can with your choice, and don’t what-if yourself. You’ll make the right chioce for Polar and your family.
One way I look at it - balance $X for care that may or may not relieve pain or extend his life very long vs. letting him go and being able to make a donation in his memory to a rescue group or the Humane Society. That helped me when we had to let Bernie go.
On a less somber note, I’ve tread the mill for an hour, watching a documentary about Queen Victoria. The chore I’m avoiding is contacting SiriusXM and playing the game to get the low rate extended for another year. And I have to make sure to put a reminder in Outlook, lest they automatically renew at a higher rate. At least I can do it via chat rather than possibly dealing with a CSR with a thick accent. My hearing is iffy at best anyway, and piling an accent on top is not fun. Yeah, first world problems.
I should probably see about getting a hearing test, and I’ve found of late, my glasses don’t seem to be helping my distance vision all that much. But I can’t see the eye doc till Feb unless I want to pay. I don’t want to pay - that’s why I have insurance. It’s not a dangerous situation, just annoying, especially when I try to watch TV in bed.
And now that I’ve cooled down, I guess I need to get to it.
Within the hour, I should get my car back - YAY! Daughter is on her way home from my mom’s and I’m going to meet her at the car shop. I’ll drop off my truck and pick up my car from her, and she’ll get her car back. And balance shall be restored to the universe…
Us: < works >
SSO, to PT supervisor: “Find out why they aren’t putting out more work!”
PT Sup: “the work’s done, at least till the Air gets here”
SSO: “…”
Us:
Morning all. Body finally caught up with all the activity of the last week and I stayed in bed past 9am, so still waking up. Nothing much on the agenda today except 2 of the three bulbs in the overhead fan in the bedroom have died, and replacing them may mean moving the bed to get at it, which is going to be a chore. Ah well, once done the bed is going to be right there…
Sorry to hear the news, Taters. Hope the cost is something reasonable.
OK, been long enough after taking my medicine, need to make some Instant Breakfast to break my fast, then look at the bedroom moving. All y’all take care.
I’m emotionally wiped after the long chat with my mother yesterday. Slowly realizing it’s because she’s as negative as possible.
Just $hi!!ing on me however she can.
Would it be too much, just once, to hear, “Hey, this is all temporary. You’re putting things together. It’s slower than you want - and much slower than I’d like - but as long as you keep trying your best, it’ll be okay.”
Ugh. Called the eye clinic again in yet another attempt to just get a #%#! appointment with an optometrist–you know, the appointment that could change everything. This time I was told they ARE scheduling appointments, but not for patients with my insurance because my insurance hasn’t certified the two new optometrists yet. So the earlier appointments are getting taken by people with other insurance. The longer it takes my insurance to certify them, the longer the wait.
I’m thinking about calling my insurance to see where the process is. Would that be a waste of time/too weird? I’ve been waiting for almost four months to get in, and a whole lot is riding on whether or not my vision can be corrected now.
Taters, I’m so sorry about the diagnosis. If the tests show it was indeed caught early, I’d do the surgery, FWIW. Chemo for dogs sounds awful, but one of my son’s and DIL’s dogs had it, and it’s not like chemo is for humans. Their pup sailed through with minimal, mild side effects. My fingers are crossed for Polar. {Polar and Taters}
shoe, sorry your mom isn’t doing such a great job of mom-ing. Here, let me try:
“Hey, this is all temporary. You’re doing great, and I’m so proud of the way you’ve put your life back together and how you hang in there and keep trying even when it’s difficult. It’s slower than you want, but my money’s on you, kid!”
Wish I could add, “And here’s $5 grand to see you through!”
I didn’t fall asleep till midnight-ish, I kept having weird dreams, I woke around 2, then again just after 4, and I couldn’t get back to sleep that time. So before 5, I was in the shower, and now I’m dressed, fed, caffeinating, and waiting for my alarm to tell me it’s time to go wrangle Roxy. Critters have been tended to so I’ve accomplished something.
Wally*World 
