Saturday February 22nd 2025

Tweety, BSN, RN · Feb 22

Good morning-ish. It's nearly 11:00 and will be by the time I post.

Joe, hope your cake turns out and that you have a good visit with the over-50 group.

Just found out a friend has cancer and is getting a port and starting chemo on the 3rd of March. Another friend is getting over sepsis from a back surgery and has been struggling for weeks now. A sister of a friend was just given a grim diagnosis of pancreatic cancer that doesn't look good. My gratitude list always includes my robust health and thoughts of people going through some challenges.

Slept in after feeding dogs around 6:45. Slowbro was walking on me at around 3AM and it was tough to get sleep. I hate when he doesn't sleep through the night because daddy needs his sleep.

Going to the theater today with best friend and not sure what we are seeing but the theater we are going to never disappoints. It's a small local theater.

Now that you mention it I have renewed my driver's license online once but the last time was in person to update the photo and check vision. I was able to make an appointment so it was relatively easy without a wait. We can renew online every other license time, so next time I can renew online. What I was thinking was that I renew my car's license registration online. I get the two-year option and they just mail a sticker. Once they mailed a new plate for some reason.

Have a great day!

nursej22, MSN, RN · Feb 22

Good morning from Seattle. We are here for the Flower and Garden Show. I picked up my new (to me) car and drove down last night. I am blaming the dry air in the hotel on my scratchy throat. We'll spend another night here, then we are taking grandson to the aquarium tomorrow.
I think our drivers license is every 5 years online. I do car tabs yearly online. When my eldest ds lived in AZ, drivers license were lifetime.
Heading into the show now.

No Stars In My Eyes · Feb 22

I wish I could change my driver's license photo, but they keep using the old one in which I really do look rather pie-eyed. The photo is now something like 12 years old, and since I have lost weight and have a different length of hair and thus a different hairstyle, it doesn't look much like me. But as I always say ---- oh well.

So I may have found out what it was that gave me the galloping crud previously. I just LOVE the vegan chili and beans from the HFS, and so, the other day I got a large container of it. Yesterday I ate "the whole thing" 🙄 ... not the best idea! About 9 hours later I felt I had to pass some wind, but....BUTT .... when I stood up to go up to the bathroom, how can I say this nicely? Immediately "the bottom fell out" and I had no control of it, AT ALL! Will have to triple-launder what I was wearing when it happened. Geeeezzzzzzze! 😖

It is something like 43 degrees and has clouded over. But last night the weather guy assured us it would be a SPECTACULAR weekend, weather-wise, hence no rain for these next 4-5 days. Yuh, we'll see what Mom Nature decides about that.

Finally got Nannie to doze off by leaning her back, adjusting the neck-roll pillow, and covering her with a light blanket.

I didn't actually have much, if any, "time off" yesterday, but that's life in the little city. Several times my moods grew fouler just thinking about not being able to squeeze out of this responsibility for a while. The other day SiL suggested that they would take care of Nannie (here at her house, lest she becomes more confused than usual) if I wanted to take some time-off, but since I ain't got nowhere to go and no money to go and stay there, where-ever it might be, it's a moot point. If we stayed in a motel, Momo would probably be barking at every random noise or voice she hears, and that wouldn't go over well with any of the neighboring rooms. But since me going somewhere is very unlikely, I don't have to worry about that! However, I really DO like the idea of SiL and/or BiL having a full-time, all-day and all-night week to be in Nannie's presence, because they might REALLY appreciate me being here even more than they say they do now! It wouldn't actually be fair for them to trade off time with each other while doing Nannie-duty. Being STUCK is being STUCK, but with someone else to spell them they wouldn't get the REAL experience. Too bad, so sad. And oh well.

Nannie is snoring, and the vultures are circling the woods beside the house, They really are. One thing doesn't have to do with the other, but somehow the idea makes me smile. I'm getting worse than ever, I think. I didn't feel this bad when hubby was still alive and drinking/falling so many times. But I never promised "for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health" to Nannie, and I certainly don't love her like I loved him, not even CLOSE!

One day my fervent prayers will be answered. I just hope I am alive to experience that freedom.

5 + 1/2 hours 'til Nannie goes to bed.

No Stars In My Eyes · Feb 22

My "Executive Order" is to double-bag the galloping-crud-soiled clothes, and throw 'em out! This laundress has declared she is on strike for anything other than "normal" dirty clothes.

Editorial Team / Admin · Feb 23

No Stars, I agree with tossing the surprise-visit soiled clothes. Recycle... 😉 A thought: could BiL or SiL come live at the house for, maybe a week or so, and assume all duties (read: relieve you of all responsibility for the house upkeep and Nannie care), while you stay there? You would be free to roam, as it were. I'm sure you would be consulted for details at first, but it would not cost you anything, and you might get a well-deserved break.

Quiet day here. Just made a chocolate ricotta espresso torte, it's in the oven. I had one recipe to try, but in reading comments from those who had used said recipe, and after closer examining of the recipe, I went online and found a few others that I liked better, and 'tweaked' the original recipe. I hope it rises, but if not, if I know us (and I do!), we will still eat it!

Hope you are all doing well. Have a good evening!

No Stars In My Eyes · Feb 23

The problem with SiL and/or BiL coming to stay here for a week.....they both have jobs, so they would have to rig getting time off from those in order to apply themselves to Nannie's care. A lot of her care is boring, because you can't just leave her in her chair and run out for a quick errand, like *I* used to do, but no longer. The only time I do that is a quick dash to the convenience store, which takes about 10 minutes, if that. Anyway, Nannie has a habit of waking up and not saying anything, but climbs out of her recliner; I found her trying to get over the arm of the chair (rather than the elevated footrest.) and she would've fallen for sure had I not rounded the corner coming back downstairs and said "WAIT! Hold it! Let me help you!" But I would be willing to hole up in my room for a week, and then I could also spontaneously decide to go out for some reason....or no reason at all!

Anyway, with SiL also doing things for her Mom (at the Nsg home) and taking her to her Dr's appts., and her part-time job doing old ladies hair in a nursing home (they line 'em up in the hallway; it's like a factory!) AND SiL also takes her grand-dgt for a day or two, and takes Nannie to the daycare and other places (like to get her nails done).....Anyway, I see too much of SiL's life is crammed full of responsibilities. She would just be doing more with her outside jobs, and even at her own house than here. She'd just load Nannie in her car and take her over to her own house. Plus, she still is having problems with her lower back and one leg, and I don't know what is being done now for that. She doesn't want to go in for the metal-and-fusion surgery and plans to put it off as long as possible. But, now she can't even help her mom do transfer from bed to chair or vice-versa, without it REALLY affecting her with more pain. And yet she continues to work at the ABC store, and trying to do TOO MUCH for her condition. I wag my finger at her, and she says "I know, I know." but IMHO she does not take care of herself to the extent needed at this point in time.

BiL isn't entirely well, either, he is diabetic and has high BP, and his heart is wonky and tachy....I think he had to have a stent put in and I don't know what all else, but he hasn't got a lot of gumpties. Though, at least he doesn't drink, like hubby!

Anyway.....anyway, SiL came over at noon today, just as I was getting Nannie's breakfast ready.....she had come over to do Nannie's shower and hair, so that tomorrow when she comes over to get Nannie ready to go to daycare, it will be an easier task. She also said she will be getting off work at ABC in the mid to late afternoon tomorrow, and can then go pick Nannie up from daycare and take her to the nail salon.

So it ends up I DO have a better # of hours off tomorrow....but I am not going to pin myself down to any particular chores. I might go in search of my notebook-brain, which I MAY have left at Harris-Teeter OR Walmart. Who Knows! I should wear everything on a chain around my neck, or maybe carry it all in a backpack. I know I put things down and then forget I did that until later, when I go in search of.... and I also might be missing one set of the car keys, too. 🙄

I am tired of myself, and REALLY tired of Nannie. I need a LIFE of my own!

CrunchRN, ADN, RN · Feb 23

You do deserve that Stars.