Random Thoughts 18: The Year of Fire

[wxman1]

Every day is a gift and should not be taken for granted--not directing that at anyone else. Sometimes I lose sight of that.

Will be attending one of my best friends fathers visitation and funeral tonight and tomorrow. He was also a friend of my fathers. Kind of cool they were friends in high school, went their separate ways and then reconnected when their sons started playing soccer together and hanging out.

 

[ImJustKCClone]

The men in this room on average get about 25,000 days, while the women about 28,000 days. We should absolutely cherish each and every one.

Oh, there's been a few here and there that I could have cheerfully thrown out the window...

 

[VeloClone]

Oh, there's been a few here and there that I could have cheerfully thrown out the window...

Try to keep up, KC. We are talking about days, not exes...

 

[ImJustKCClone]

Try to keep up, KC. We are talking about days, not exes...

I only have ONE of those. And the sentiment is the same.

 

[dmclone]

Dealing with older parents sucks on so many levels.......

 

[BoxsterCy]

Weird summer. Gone from 2-3 years of drought to lot-o-rain. Parts of country are getting a scorching hot summer and it's been windy, rainy and relatively cool here all summer.

Shade garden would probably be loving it if not for all of the ******* rabbits and deer that have gnawed it down.

 

[Sigmapolis]

What are some funny Iowa State-themed fantasy football team names?

 

[BoxsterCy]

Not me

All this retirement talk reminds me of when people ask me when I retired and I can't say the year. Decided to look it up so I and answered that better.



May 2014 officially, summer 2016 if you count me being rehired as a retired annuitant on a parttime basis.

 

[BoxsterCy]

Dealing with older parents sucks on so many levels.......

Health care or mental welfare issues or just us old people being old people?

 

[ImJustKCClone]

All this retirement talk reminds me of when people ask me when I retired and I can't say the year. Decided to look it up so I and answered that better.



May 2014 officially, summer 2016 if you count me being rehired as a retired annuitant on a parttime basis.

17 November 2017.

 

[BoxsterCy]

17 November 2017.

I had to look at one of the framed award thingies the Corps seems to give out to almost everyone. Colonel signature date on it was May 2014 so that must have been when I retired. Maybe it just doesn't resonate with me since I kept working some. So, officially I have been a "pensioner" for ten years. Yikes. No wonder I don't know any of the new kids at my old office.

 

[CycloneDaddy]

Dealing with older parents sucks on so many levels.......

Mom doesnt drive because of a stroke. Luckily the DOT lady let me dad slide as he “failed” the vision test last week.

 

[ImJustKCClone]

18 months ago in New Zealand, we found a wool store and bought a large, thick wool blanket for our friend. He was always cold and his skin was super sensitive due to all of the cancer treatments. We brought it to him, and he loved it. He used it constantly. Several months later he entered a local hospice; their 125+ year old Victorian home was simply not designed for him stay home. He was in hospice 10 days, and that blanket was on top of all of the bedding he was under the entire time.
Today his wife gave it back to me. Someone at hospice had kindly washed everything in his room after he was gone, and left them there for her.

They
washed
a
wool
blanket.

It resembles a saddle blanket now. She didn't want to throw it away because it meant so much to him and to her. But she can't look at it because it reminds her of hospice. So she wanted me to take it back. I told her I would store it in a cedar chest in case she ever wanted it back.

But it breaks my heart looking at it and remembering John's broken body.

 

[Clark]

Mom doesnt drive because of a stroke. Luckily the DOT lady let me dad slide as he “failed” the vision test last week.

...that's comforting lol

on a more serious note, dealing with the headaches of older parents sure beats the alternative

 

[BoxsterCy]

Mom doesnt drive because of a stroke. Luckily the DOT lady let me dad slide as he “failed” the vision test last week.

Never had to have the driving talk or any driving conflict with my parents. My mother had macular degeneration and simply couldn't see to drive at all and my dad stopped driving out of town on his own. Still drove to church and the store but those were like 1.5 mile drives in that small city. He was 86 or so and I was sort of proud of him for deciding that on his own.

 

[ImJustKCClone]

Watching Wheel of Fortune, a woman just won an Iceland Cruise. Blue skies, puffy clouds, light breezes...

Yeah, right. The only day the sun shined while we were there was the day we left! Rain, gale force winds, temps in the 40s. I'd love to go back someday when the weather is better!

 

[dmclone]

on a more serious note, dealing with the headaches of older parents sure beats the alalternative

I miss my father but I'm starting to feel worse for my living mother, who is 90. I can't imagine her enjoying her life in the last few years. Her mind is mostly there but her body is in tough shape. All of her friends have died. She gave up driving. My grandmother died at 102 and just had a personality that was fine being old. My mother was always go-go-go, and now she just sits there all day.

 

[BCClone]

Next moron that calls me up for 5G internet I’m going to tell them I will sign up for it when they drive out here and find out it doesn’t exist here.

 

[wxman1]

Sad day in the CR area. Lighthouse Inn & Supper Club caught fire this morning and will be a total loss.

 

[VeloClone]

I had to have "the driving talk" with my mom several years ago after consulting with a few of my siblings. I was steeled for a rough conversation but Mom surprised me again saying she knew she wasn't what she once was behind the wheel and she couldn't live with herself if someone got hurt due to her degrading skills. It was still tough for her.

I know it will be tough for me someday. I love to drive. Once I took a trip with my young daughter to Dallas to visit my brother. I drove back straight through only stopping for gas and restroom breaks. Another time we took a family spring break trip through IA, NE, CO, UT, AZ, TX, OK, KS and MO. Mrs. Velo kept asking if I needed her to drive but I drove every mile of the trip and didn't want to give up the driver's seat. Hoping our next trip is a drive up to visit my brother in Anchorage.