Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Questions of life(?)

My Mom is home and doing very well.  I on the other hand have some questions....

When my Mom was gone, I did all the cooking and still will until she is back to eating solids which could be a few weeks.  So, why is it when people get older that they label and wrapped things in the freezer that it literally take 20 more mins to cook because of the layers of Saran Wrap, ziploc bags, rubber bands, and tape OR it is just throw in the freezer with nothing.  Consequently, Chicken Enchiladas took 1 hour longer just to get the chicken unwrapped and we ate spaghetti with TERIYAKI meatballs.  At least, Mason loved it.

While I was visiting my house, my neighbor was in there and said to me, "This all makes cancer look easy doesn't it?!?!?  At least there are support groups for that."  I nodded in agreement and thought, "Where is the support group for the mom of a relocated family due to remodel with aging parents in and out of doctor appointments who has worn her yoga pants (that have never seen a class) inside out for three days and just realized that she had gummy bears for lunch - her only meal of the day?"

And lastly, why did my Dad call me while he was waiting at home for the washing machine repairman when I am getting Mom discharged from the hospital to say, "Are you going to have enough time to get her, drop her off, and get your kids from school?"  What I wanted to say was, "I think so, but how is you calling me in this moment helping me?"  or "OMG, I have kids!?!?!  Thanks for the reminder!"  I didn't, but I must have said something because a hospital employee immediately asked if I could be helped and she, bless her heart, took me to the pharmacy and to the parking garage.  In hind sight, I understand he was trying to help, but you know.  He did sincerely thank me for all the help today which made we feel good that I didn't go with first response.

WHEW.  But, in the end with all the stress, craziness, and choas, it still beats cancer, but does make real life look pretty challenging!  Happy Wednesday, Ang

Monday, March 25, 2013

Two Wins Today

Today I woke up with Hannah's butt (my cat) in my face at 3am.  I got up at 4am to get ready to take my Mom to the hospital with my Dad.  At 7:15 I say, "See you later!" to my Mom, find food and coffee, sit at the hospital until my Dad gets back from him radiation appointment, go to to parents, see the remanence of Grant leaving the casita (parent's guest house) with the boys, shower, and go to an appointment with a friend that for the past few months has caused her bowel issues and 15 lbs of weight loss.   On the way, I get a call from Dad.  Mom did great.  Surgery went without a hitch.  Win.  The appointment with my friend was great also.  Her blood pressure was normal which it hasn't been in weeks, anxiety gone, and by the end, even though we have a lot of tests to do he said, "You know, I have to tell you.  I don't believe this is going to be life threatening."  EXHALE.  Win.  As I was working with the kids tonight, I had to go to the casita for something.  As I was walking, a breeze hit my face and it was warm.  I looked up and saw the cherry blossoms starting to bloom and I ever so slightly smelled spring.  Today, although exhausted emotionally and physically, was good day.  Win. Win.  Thank God.  Happy Monday, Ang

Friday, March 15, 2013

Real Life and Remodeling

So, some of you, well maybe most of you knew that Grant and were going to do a remodel on our bathroom and our boys bathrooms upstairs; however, our line of credit was pulled and that project went away.  See, I was at a point then of, "Hey, I should just spend all my Life Insurance money now, since I am going to die and get a bathroom that I love."  I know the logic of letting life insurance pay off the mortgage and line of credit is a bad idea, but cancer is illogical, so I was going with it.  Well, Grant's company did well last year and we have saved enough money to do the project that we really needed - a loft for all the boys stuff.  Right before Nolan was born, Grant was itchin' to move.  I said, "No!  We are having a baby!"  Right after Nolan was born, Grant was itchin' to move and start a company.  I said choose.  Clearly, you know the choice.  And, as he worked in our house asking me to keep the boys quiet - really, they are 1 and 3? - I thought, "I wish we picked the house..."  But all those days are long gone.  CRETE has been started, Grant is happier than he has ever been, I am in remission, and we got enough money together to get our loft and work on the boys bathroom.  Our bathroom will wait again.  Amazing how priorities can radically change when you believe that you are not dying.  The project started Thursday morning.  I was advised that I could not live in the house.  I asked my parents to live with them at the compound (their place).  My plan was to leave the house at 7:45, stop by my contractors office to pick up some countertop samples, drop the kitties off at my parents guest house, and go to bible study.  WELL.....clearly, my life is not my own any more.  Sound familiar?!?!?!  Cancer controls me, and now this.  Anyhoo, my contractor, whom I adore, had me in a "handing off the baton meeting" (What the heck?) and I was there until 10.  So, much for Bible Study and have you ever seen the faces of two cats that have been left in a car for two hours.  I was actually a little afraid of them.  The meeting was good and needed to happen.  I learned things that they were going to do that I was like, "AWESOME!" and then, "Yeah, no we need to paint the ceiling cause Grant and I do not do that anymore."  I got to my parents place hungry with tons of stuff to do (picking out flooring, appointment for cabinets, paint decisions, etc. etc. etc.) with two pissed off cats.  Mom took me to lunch because she wanted to try the Doritos Taco at Taco Bell.  I was like, "Hey, Cheryl will be thrilled, but I need to order it al fresco!"  I rested in the afternoon, picked up the kids, did the evening routine, and went to they casita (guest house) to collapse only to get sucked into HGTV because we don't get that channel and stayed up way too late.  The cats decided they were fine around 4am and were racing around the house because I sprayed catnip on their toys before we left.  Rethinking if that was a good idea, I was up watching HGTV AGAIN.  It is a sickness. I then slept through the alarm, raced out of bed, in the shower, should have washed my hair, but I thought, "No, it gets curlier with oil and dirt right?"  (It does.   Wow, I am going to exploit that!)  Run over to the main house, get the boys, Mom hands me a latte and off to childcare because I am meeting with two people - Gary, the flooring guy, and Roger, the cabinet guy.  Meet with Gary.  Pick out hardwood, vinyl, and even granite from the bone pile out back.  Meeting with Roger and discover that he cannot get a the cabinet in on time.  Go to the house to talk to Russ who is running the job.  Find out that we found water damage from the boys bathroom in the wall that it shared with the living room.  FABULOUS.  Review the entry to the loft, and we look at each other like, "What do the plans say?!?!?!"  Do the logical thing, but it takes Russ explaining it to me three times for me to get it cause apparently, I am slow.  Let's be clear, he did not say that, I did.  Turn off the furnace because is has such a draw it pulls the plastic off.  Okay, we are done.  Starving, my Mom and I go to a restaurant and I get a beer.  Go back to the house, shop for other cabinets online, watch HGTV while I am doing it, and try to get over my exhaustion of it all.  I make the call about open the wall for the water damage because I can't get a hold of Grant.  Whew, today is over.  Real life and remodeling is a challenge!  Happy Friday, Ang