Back on Track

After a week of prodding and coaxing, my mother is pretty much back on track. She was able to walk down her steps and go with my father to dialysis and then they went to a restaurant for dinner. It took her a week to recuperate and thank god she bounced back.

Pete and Repeat

Years ago there was a television show called Pete and Repeat. It was about two brothers that were both named Pete. Everything was doubled. Lately I feel like Pete and Repeat. I say everything twice sometimes even three times. Most people around me are hearing impaired. The problem is that they think that everyone is either talking low or mumbling. I say something once. Then I say it again. The third time I shorten the sentence. The fourth time I say forget it, it wasn't important.

Screaming Kids

Last weekend at the pool, there were some young children playing. They were about 50 feet away. They were running and screaming. They were a bunch of happy kids. One of the women at the pool was getting annoyed. She kept staring at the kids, looking angry. I told her that the kids were only acting happy. Isn't that what childhood is about?

Season Change

I went to sleep feeling like it was summer. I woke up feeling like it is autumn. Somehow overnight, the feeling of the season changed in my mind. I woke up when it was not yet sunny. The air felt cooler. People are going back to school in some states. The pool seems emptier. I've lost that summer feeling and it feels a bit sad.

Upgrade

Today we are upgrading our electrical system. Most people have already done it but we are one of the last holdouts. I will have no electricity for about 6 hours. I am glad that it is a cool day. Our timing worked out perfectly.

Car Sanctuary

Sometimes I feel that my car is my sanctuary. It is a place where I can sit alone, listen to music and relax. My mind can be as free as I want it to be. Yesterday I went to Brooklyn to stay with my mother while my father was at dialysis. It took 1 hour and 20 minutes to drive 35 miles. I didn't  mind it because it was time alone with myself. Moving slowly and humming with the radio. By the time I got to their house I was happy and calm. I had a nice day making sure that my mother had her needs attended to. The hour ride back was like the drive in. Smooth and quiet.

Stew

This week was the grand opening of the Stew Leonard's in my town. I gave it a day and then went to see what everyone was talking about. The store has high quality groceries but at a more expensive price point. They have singing puppets and the atmosphere is like a sideshow. It is a bit loud but definitely festive. They are a bit limited on items. There was no pasta in boxes and only a choice of a few cereals. It is a nice place to shop, but not for every day groceries.

Winning

According to the internet there is one winning ticket for last night's Powerball. They have not said from which state. I have my weekly routine that has me checking my tickets on Sunday morning at the local 7-11. I will stick to that routine. If I have won, I will wait until Sunday to find out. If not I will buy another ticket as usual. Each time I do not win the lottery, I think the same thought...that maybe I have really won by not winning. Other than buying more things, what will the money really mean? It cannot change health or core beliefs. Those things are out of our hands.

Age Of Truth

I am at the age where I speak the truth. I did yesterday. My boss has spent 30 years not being involved in the daily running of her business. Now she has woken up and wants things to run a certain way. The problem is that she has no idea how her business runs. I told her that when we had our meeting. I said that when she relinquished power to others, it came with a price. She cannot gain it back immediately. It will be a process. Hopefully I will be retired by then.

Strongly Worded

Some words are kind, some words are mean and some words hurt. Other words make us think. Those are the strongest ones. If we are made to think about what we do and how we are affecting others, we see the need to change. I saw an example of this yesterday. My husband received a package from eBay and the item was not as it was described. He wrote to the seller and complained. The seller wrote back that the item was fine. My husband wrote again saying he was going to contact eBay. The seller said to send pictures. On and on it went. Back and forth. After I could take no more of the conversation, I wrote to the seller. I told him that his actions were shameful, he knew he sent damaged goods and he needed to do the right thing and return my money. Within five minutes a return label arrived and the money was refunded.

The Committee

I love hearing new expressions. Yesterday when I was at the pool, we were having a discussion about people feeling that other people were responsible for things that had nothing to do with them. Instead of arguing the point, one of the girls said, "I am not on that committee". I love it. Six words that summed up everything and avoided an argument. From now on I will use that statement and make my life easier.

Mar(t)y Poppins

Last night I went to a concert in the park. It was the first one I went to this summer. Blondie was appearing and the crowd started to arrive early in the afternoon. You bring your own chairs and blankets so getting prime space takes effort. I arrived at 5:45pm and the crowd was already up a hill and to the side. My husband was insistent on being upfront and started to roam the area to find an empty bit of space. This is totally against concert etiquette. We were with my sister and she was mortified when he started to open four chairs in front of people. They began to yell at her that they had been there since 3pm and we had no right to do that. She and I were going to move away and abandon my husband when he saw one more tiny opening. He opened the chairs again and then Mar(t)y Poppins appeared. His name was Rick and I think he was sent from heaven. He rearranged all of his chairs and coolers to make us more space. He then proceeded to make my husband a Bloody Mary. He offered us food and cookies. He showed us all of his gadgets which were amazing. He had a neck fan, a portable air conditioner for his girlfriend, a beacon/cooler/charger, a survival bracelet with screwdrivers, flints and openers, a backpack tent and a trampoline chair. He had many more items that I cannot even remember. He just kept pulling things out of a bag. He was the nicest guy we ever met. He looked to be in his early thirties and was a lawyer by trade and a Coast Guard volunteer for fun. I gave his girlfriend one of the bracelets that I sell as a thank you. When the concert was over we hugged and kissed him goodbye. He was a one in a million find.

Batton Down The Hatches

Yesterday was a monsoon. I went food shopping and could not leave the store. When the rain let up, I slowly drove down the side streets. As each car passed me, a wave of water covered my car. I could barely see the road. When I arrived at my house I could not leave the car. I sat for about a half hour until the rain let up. My garage flooded but no rain came in anywhere else. I am glad to see the sunshine this morning.

Negotiations

It never hurts to ask. I learned that yesterday. My boiler company came for the yearly clean up. The repairman said that we need a new expansion tank. Since I was not home my husband okayed the repair. Rookie move. I never say okay to a repair until I negotiate a rate. Now I had to backtrack, as the man was already installing the tank. I called the company and told them that this was not an "authorized" repair even though my husband's name was on the account. I am the one that needs to say it is good to go. I said that I did not agree with the price and was very unhappy. The representative lowered the price, but not enough. I asked for his supervisor and he said that the price was as low as the company would go. I said he could do better. After going back and forth, he did do better. I got a $75 discount. Now I am happy.

Paranoia

I work for doctors who are supposed to solve other people's problems. While they do a good job of it, the do not realize that their problems go unsolved. Each doctor has their own 'sthick". Things that they think are normal or odd things they do, make me laugh. Our newest doctor, who is a brilliant woman, has so many odd issues. She needed to hang a shelf. She was afraid that inside the wall where she wanted it, might have had pipes in it. After I assured her that it did not, she moved onto another worry. The office above us is a radiology office. She is now concerned that radiation is oozing into her office. I told her that in the 14 years I am here I have yet to grow a tail, so things must be safe.

Dog Stress

Shelby is stressed out. Being away from home is beginning to affect him. He came back depressed. His puppy face looks sad. He is not eating and has stomach issues. I guess that when we come back he is happy, but it takes time for him to settle in. For now I must baby him and get him back to his old self.

Inquisitive

I spent the weekend bonding with my granddaughters. Most of the time was with the older one as the baby still feels most comfortable around her parents. I am a strange face that she will eventually come to know and want to be with. I do not remember my children being so inquisitive. My older one loves to have conversations with me. Every word I said she wanted to know the meaning of. When they were explained to her, they entered her memory bank. She is such a bright girl. You can see in her eyes that her mind is always going. She is so full of life that just being around her makes you feel wonderful.

Heading Home

I am up and dressed. Soon we will go to breakfast. I am already getting sad. Saying goodbye is never easy. Last night, out of nowhere, my granddaughter said she is going to miss me. When we are together I spend every moment focusing on her and she loves it. Her sister is too young to be aware of me so my attention is 100% on her. Next year it will be shared by the two girls. I will soak in every second of breakfast as it will have to last me for a while.

My Girls

I saw my girls last night! The baby is more beautiful than ever and her big sister is as smart as a whip. I sat between the two of them at dinner and kept looking from side to side like in a tennis game. I got plenty of hugs and plan on getting many more today. We will play by the pool and enjoy every moment.

The Cape

Once again we are off to the Cape. This is the special weekend each year that we spend with our granddaughters. We swim, sit at the beach area, eat great food and have a lot of ice cream. I watch the girls run and play and laugh. I try to soak in every minute with them. I am a grandma sponge.

Visa Day

This afternoon my boss goes to Manhattan to get her Russian visa. I got her all of the forms and letters and put them in a folder that I personally handed her yesterday. Last night I received a phone call from her. She was frantic. One letter was missing. I had her open the folder and look for a paper that had 2 stamps side by side. That was the paper she thought was missing. She overlooked it because it was written in Russian, which makes sense since I got it from Russia. All she needed to do was take a moment to carefully review each paper. Crisis averted.

Friends and Family

In retail stores there has been a concept of "Friends and Family" day. It is the day that you can get an extra discount if you have a coupon from an employee. In my life there is no "Friends and Family". There is a "Family are Friends". I am lucky to have a family that I would also choose as friends. Not everyone can say that.The people that I am related to are people that I enjoy being with. I would choose them as friends. There is not one family member that I do not truly like as a person. I consider myself very lucky.

Kind Words

Most people do not realize how a few kind words can change an encounter. Yesterday I went with my mother to a doctor consultation. She has to have a procedure done and was a bit apprehensive about it. As soon as we entered the exam room, a medical assistant came in to talk to us. The moment she opened her mouth kind words came out. She called my mother "honey" and "darling" with a sweet sincere tone. Within one minute my mother's demeanor went from fear to calm. She immediately relaxed and began to have a conversation with the assistant. After a few minutes the doctor walked in and she was just as nice as her assistant. At one point my mother said that they should close the office for the day and we should all go to lunch. They seemed more like friends than medical providers. My mother left the office confident that the procedure would be an easy one. Just a few kind words turned the day around.

Neighborhood People

Last night I had to pay a Shiva call. A pool friend lost his mother. She was 84 and had been in a nursing home on and off for over a year. The entire neighborhood was there as my friend is very active in the temple. It was like a party, but I guess that is the purpose of a Shiva call.

E Sign

I like paper mail. When I need to sign a contract, I like to be able to flip through the pages and make sure they are correct. I hate to put virtual initials on a screen and hit the next button. I am waiting for my oil company contract and keep requesting it on paper. Each time they say it will be mailed out. Each day I get it online. No one listens.

Sleepover Day 2

Everything went well at the sleepover. We ate dinner and went to the store for a toy. While we were there we bought something for my granddaughters. Whatever L liked he wanted me to get for A. Then we picked out another toy for C as she is not old enough for the "big kid" things. We went home and watched television and before we knew it, it was bedtime. The night flew by and this morning we prepared a lasagna for my dinner tonight. Now we are looking at pictures of "the girls" on the computer. What could be nicer?

The Sleepover

Today is the big day. Today is "The Sleepover". A few weeks ago we planned a sleepover with my grandson. It will be the first time he will sleep at my house. Every time I see him he goes over what will happen at "the sleepover". We planned the meal, the dessert, the trip to Walmart for a toy and his breakfast the next day. He is now at the age where he is easy to take care of. There are no diapers and no bottles. He is a big boy. I do not know who is more excited for this, him or me. Hopefully one day when my granddaughters are old enough, I can have them sleep over too.

Off Schedule

I am a very routine person. I wake up early every day and write this blog. Today I was thrown off schedule. I stayed in bed until a bit before 8 and then as soon as I got up, I needed to take care of Shelby. After that I went about my regular tasks and when I got into my car, I realized that I never wrote the blog. One small variance in my day threw everything off. As soon as I got home from food shopping, I went straight to the computer. If I did not do that right away I would have forgotten again.

28945

Most people do not know what this number means. It is the average American person's life span in days. This statistic comes from the World Health Organization. If you do the math, you can see how many days you've lived and how many remain. Of course this is an average as people live past this number. Since most people never get to 100 years old, 36,500 is the top variable we can use. Calculate how old you are in days and subtract it from 28945. That is what you are dealing with. How will you spend them? Will you waste a day knowing that each one is precious?

Drive Thru Healthcare

I am the biggest fan of Urgent Care. It is like a fast food restaurant. You get what you need quickly and leave happy. Yesterday my ear hurt. In the past I would have waited for it to be very painful before I went to the doctor. A doctor's visit means sitting and waiting for an hour to be seen. My doctor is 1/2 hour away so the total time spent on getting looked at is approximately 2 hours. With urgent care, I go to a state of the art facility. I check in and before I can sit down I am called. I have been going to my local City MD for a few years so the quick wait it consistent. My vital signs are taken by an assistant and within five minutes a doctor sees me. My prescription is electronically sent across the street and is waiting for me to pick up. The total turn around time for yesterday's visit was about a half hour. I left my house at 4:15pm and arrived back home by 4:50pm. That is how medical care should be.

August

Today is the first day of August. Where did May, June and July go? Time is flying by on fast forward speed. Today marks the downward ride of summer. It begins the countdown to school. It is the second half of the pool season. My sister has been away for three days and I am counting the moments until she arrives back home. Summer without her is boring.