Let's get at it, 2024

[cineater]

The eye doctor said I have an infection and inflammation in the left eye.  Nothing to do with the surgery.

I have a birthday coming up, my friends want to know what I want to do.  I really don't know.  What I really want is an evening from long ago, cool summer night at home with my college roommates.  Drink a few beers, smoke some pot, spin our music and just hang around the house all night.  No worries about tomorrow, no responsibilities, no obligations.   

[cineater]

We just missed each other.  The Turkey Vulture was diving for road kill just I was coming up on it.  I slammed on the brakes and he veered.  Close enough I could see his face.  Those are pretty big birds.

[cineater]

Got my ass kicked at pinball this week.     I was playing 3 of the A list people.  No business playing them.  Held my own on Toy Story but two 4th places, one third and one second.  There is a new Elton John game Brian hopes to get.  A New Jersey Jack game.  Same makers of the GNR game.  I'm looking forward to playing it.

[cineater]

I thought that was pretty sweet.  He's 100 and she's 96 and they got married.   Both of them looked in real good shape.  Nobody asked if they were going to consummate the marriage.   

I can't get use to the faces of the Amazon electric, delivery vans.  The headlights are round.  They look so foreign.  Watching the fleet roll out for daily deliveries would be a good commercial to promote electric cars.  Those vans are on the road all day.  Longer than most domestic users.

Speaking of gas hogs, Mike got the Super Bee back.  It's been in the shop having the hail damaged repaired.  Think they had it 6 weeks and replaced most of the body parts.  He's a happy camper.

Elton John pinball machine is in.  Knew he would cave and get it.    I got my ass kicked so bad I'm now second to last in the league.  Three more sessions to get my ass back in the playoffs.  He didn't say what machine he took out.  Please let it be Godzilla.  Can never get my ball up that back ramp!  Hopefully not Toy Story, not that I'm really great on it but a lot of people really suck.     I almost always get the Buzz Lightyear multiball.

[cineater]

First time that has ever happen.  Cracked the egg and the white was a bright green.  Google says could be a harmful bacteria, pseudomonas.  Suggested I smell it.  Hell no, it's green!     Anything it came in contact with got bleach water including the sink and countertop, dishwasher running right away.  Paper towels in trash and out the door.   

[cineater]

So my disabled brother and his wife are both in the hospital.  They have covid, my brother is very weak and his wife may have had a small stroke.  Possibly had it when she was taking my other brother's truck back to him and clipped a parked car in his subdivision.  My mother and sister learned about this when the other brother stopped by their house, coughing and hacking, to tell them what was going on.  He's probably the one who gave my brother and wife covid and has exposed my mother and sister to covid.  Who are now on the phone to me wanting me to be the family social worker and straighten this all out.

Okay I know what to do.  You need to calm the fuck down.  I need you to go to their house tomorrow and feed the cats.  We are waiting until the hospital makes their assessment and tells us what needs to be done for them, then we'll discuss the options.  We don't need to rush to any decisions.  It's going to take some time.  No I don't need to come down there tomorrow.

Thing is less then a month ago, I suggested these two needed help and we needed to have a family meeting.  Mostly, for right now, I don't want to turn my brother's inheritance over to him when the time comes.  It's easier and less costly for my mother to act on some kind of conservatorship of those funds while she's still alive then us having to take it to court afterwards.  This might be the opportunity for the rest of the family to convince mom we need to stop putting bandaids on the situation and get set up to be sure he's taken care of.

[cineater]

Happy Father's Day   

[cineater]

And my sister calls me with my mother on speaker phone!  I hate when people do that especially when they don't tell you.  I'm trying to tell her I think my brother's wife is neglecting him to the point his physical health is in danger but I don't want to give my mother any more to worry about.  My sister is reporting she can understand him better.  Yeah because he's not taking pills every few hours!  He's too weak to stand but is that the covid or neglect?  I'm half expecting the doctor to hotline her for neglecting him.  There's a lot more to my concerns then I want to go into but it's possible the wife has had more little strokes or is drinking again.  Anyway I sent my sister an email.  She's likely to tell my mother so it was carefully worded.  If I texted her she would read it outloud to my mom.  As it is she keeps saying I don't think the wife is concerned about him.  Stop saying those things around mom, she's a worrier. 

Anyway both are still in the hospital and the wife is getting back use of her hand.  She'll probably go home tomorrow.

[cineater]

The car is losing it's little electronic mind.  From a cold start, the engine light comes on and the overheating light starts to blink and ding.  Code says my coolant temperature sensor is bad.  The shop reset it and said to see if it comes back.  After the car has set 2 hours, same problem from a cold start but now a light comes on I've never seen before and the AC won't blow.  That light generally means something wrong with the throttle but it also means the car's computer system is malfunctioning and not communicating correctly.  Shop says I can drive it until I can take it in on Thursday.  They reset it again, AC started working.  I'm expecting more weird shit.   

[cineater]

Today is my birthday and it has not been about me.     It took me two hours to be able to sit down get a piece of carrot cake and a cup of coffee.  Not the enjoyable time I was planning but I did buy myself a whole cake.     For the moment I've caught up with all the calls, messages and crises.  Messages are still coming in but I put the phone on silence and am going to ignore it for a while.

[cineater]

It ended on a high note.     Basically Sandy texted about coming over and I was like, get over here please.  She brought pizza and we worked on the concert ticket puzzle Amy sent me for my birthday.  I put my phone on the charged for the second time today.  To make it short, my brother went to rehab and his wife was discharged.  We are having spaghetti and meatballs at the family party on Saturday.  I will be handling my brother's paperwork and any future family meals.  I don't want to be the one in charge but you folks are making me crazy.  Easier to handle it.

I got one of those chainsaws on a pole to trim trees.  I'm trying to be brave here but chainsaws scare the hell out of me.  Do they give training on that?  I have a feeling this isn't as easy as it looks and I probably would have been better off with a real chainsaw.

And tonight when I took the car out, no warning lights on the dash.  I have a feeling the shop is going to tell me there is nothing to fix until it goes off again.  Probably on my way to the family party on Saturday.   

Good night, I'm going to bed and hope the universe is done fucking with me.  I enjoyed being reduced to hysterical laughter.  You know now that I can laugh about it.   

[Muerto]

Today is my birthday and it has not been about me.     It took me two hours to be able to sit down get a piece of carrot cake and a cup of coffee.  Not the enjoyable time I was planning but I did buy myself a whole cake.     For the moment I've caught up with all the calls, messages and crises.  Messages are still coming in but I put the phone on silence and am going to ignore it for a while.

Happy birthday, better late than never  , I hope you enjoy your family reunion next Saturday 

[cineater]

Today is my birthday and it has not been about me.     It took me two hours to be able to sit down get a piece of carrot cake and a cup of coffee.  Not the enjoyable time I was planning but I did buy myself a whole cake.     For the moment I've caught up with all the calls, messages and crises.  Messages are still coming in but I put the phone on silence and am going to ignore it for a while.

Happy birthday, better late than never  , I hope you enjoy your family reunion next Saturday 

Thanks it was interesting.  No enjoying the family get together.  We need to have a family discussion about looking after my brother and his wife.  But it will be okay, maybe a relief that a plan is in place.

Aw, Donald Sutherland died.

[cineater]

I have quit, quitting smoking.  It's nice to be back to myself.  I was dragging myself through a spell of depression.  Not sure if it was the meds I was on, lack of nicotine or just the occasional round of that.  I could have reached out for some help but I don't take care of myself very well especially when there are so many people reaching out to me for help.  Yeah, I could let those calls go unanswered but I don't and I wouldn't be happy with myself if I did.  Let me tell you, when I reduce the nicotine, I am a total space case.  As bad as when I smoked pot everyday, all day long.  Not to say I don't enjoy that but my world gives me a lot of shit for that and I can't get away with it.     Anyway, I'm back, let's get to it.

[cineater]

No!    Sandy text me a picture of a pink yard flamingo.  

At one time a flock of pink yard flamingos came my way.  It was fun for a while running around at night and putting the flock out in people's yards.  But little did I know that was going to come back to me in a bad way.  People got the impression I liked flamingos.  And flamingos began to flood in, in large quantities of various shapes and sizes.  I don't want those.  Took me a while, didn't want to hurt anybody's feeling but this has got to stop!  A few people still haven't got the message.  It's okay, I'm over not hurting their feelings.  I politely decline and offer them up the remaining flock I have in the attic, you know if they want to have fun with it, don't give it back!

Oh wait, that's an idea.  We have a new neighbor moving in.  I could flock her and not go back for them.     The other neighbors might rat me out though.

[cineater]

At the family birthday party, I got light up flamingos and another collapsible gardening stool.   

The family seems to be okay with me jumping to the lead on my disabled brother's situation.  My siblings seem relieved.  There is a lot going on I was unaware of.  My brother thinks the house is unsellable.  He's kind of a drama queen.  It can't be that far gone.  Apparently my SIL sleeps all the time.  Not sure if that's a physical problem, depression or something else.  She is to set us up an appointment with my disable brother's hospital social worker for later in the week.  I want her involved and teach her the things she needs to do but if she doesn't, I'll do it.  The general plan is to get them stabilized, get a special needs trust set up along with all the other legal paperwork that needs to be in place.  Then were going to sell that house and get them one that is handicapped accessible and reduces their cost of living.  I know, good fucking luck with that.   

Mom is worrying herself sick.  She looked pretty thin and frail yesterday.

[cineater]

I'm starting to wonder how much of my independence I'm going to lose.  My sister advises me to move them close for convenience.  They live 45 minutes from me so it's and wear and tear on my car but then again that would be moving them further away from the other part of the family and putting the burden on my daughter when I can't do it anymore.    I guess there will be other options to choose from when it comes to that.  My SIL did tell me the reason she sleeps so much is she's depressed.  Yeah, your life has turned into taking care of your husband.  No amount of anti depression pills is going to change that.  We did talk over some things that might make that a little better.  I can give her one day a week.  My brother needs a life too.  He has some interests he might be able to continue.  I'm winging this.

I'm not going to say this out loud because that would just make me a cranky, old lady.  But would you get your fucking golf cart off the road and back on the course!    This is not a retirement community in Florida.  Bicycles go faster.  I don't care if your kid can drive it, they have no clue about the rules on the road.  And they've loaded it up with their friends, out for a good time.  I hope this is a passing fad like those scooters.  No way to look cool on either of those you wannabees.  

Oops forgot the positive.  Life is good watching your grandson in the baby pool and your feet in the cold water.

[cineater]

Woohoo, I got connected.  I went into the hospital Patient Benefit office to see if they had the forms I needed to sign my brother and his wife up for public assistance with their medical bills.  The woman turned around to help me and we immediately recognized each other.  I got the biggest smile on my face.  In the red tape mess that government paperwork can be she and I at one time were the best you could get to get you through it.  It was 20 years ago but she has kept up with it working at the hospital.  And if it couldn't get any better, she is assigned to my brother and SIL.  And she still has contacts in state office, good for when it gets all fucked up and you have to talk to a real person.  Before I could even get home the ball was rolling.

It's not all a free ride but I can get the medical bills down to something they can handle.  Can't get them the services that comes with the free ride.  It's a paperwork nightmare.

I'll be back.  I did get into the playoffs at pinball.  He took the top 4.  I just made it.  Not sure if he fixed the two broken machines but we will have 5 machines.  The Elton John machine and I get along pretty well although last week I kept missing the crocodile shot!  Get it in there 3 times and it's a multiball.  We'll see how I do.  Food and drinks are on the league and all games are free play.  I'm coming home late. 

[cineater]

No, I wasn't in the playoffs.  I got to pig out on chicken wings, fried pickles and steak on a stick!    Got that crocodile to give up two multiballs and learned a new trick on Toy Story.  My wrists hurt and my hand is cramped.     Next week is also free play to get preplays in case you can't make it one night.

[cineater]

Just when I get a handle on my brother's situation, the wife wrecks the car and is back in the ER.