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Personally, I have one half hour left of freedom to be me. We don't know what bedtime will bring; right now, cg is reading dog stories and dog riddles, and Mother is participating, with her right eye closed, answering as prompted. What kind of doctor do you take your dog to? A Dogtor. Why did the dog go to the beach? He wanted to be a HotDog. It could be a calm settling down tonight. Earlier she was mesmerized by Perry Como singing Songs of Faith" on a MP3 player, headphones and all.
Cg slips out the door shortly after 8, thinking all is well. She does a good job, and I don't know how anyone can talk that much, from 10 am until 8, letting Mother know "she is NOT alone", and she's still talking as she walks out the door, heavy sighs. Then my heavy sighs begin.
If I hide my head under the covers, the boogyman can't find me, but my Mother can. The wires on the baby monitor, I told headbanger this morning, were frayed and causing static and pops for a week, which at times muffled the snores and whines, but not the declarations of, "I'm a prisoner, it's not fair, I don't like it here anymore, I want to go to the other place"-- where might that be, Mother? I might like to go there instead, for just a long weekend.
No, we don't have the gross outs and black mascara and restaurant fiascos that some of you do. Life is actually very civilized, with social skills, balanced meals, and clean animals,
just the way my Mother raised us. Scary and enigmatic, the power she thinks she wields, yet, over the household.
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The Other Place, sounds good. In my younger days I could buy a baggie of that and all was well,
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OOOOWEE Ted. Pass me that thang! !!
Thanks Sweetums Headbanger, LInda, Miz, JAM, Dtflex, Captain:), Rosella, et al, for a righteously fulfilling day!!!
Everyone, everywhere..... Good Night :)zzzzzzzzzzzzzz
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Free medical care;-)


If you can't afford a doctor, go to an airport . . .
- you'll get a free x-ray and a pat down, and . . .
if you mention Al Queda, you get a colonoscopy.
Help
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Christina...I did mention in one of my ramblings that my mother added a cow-bell to our "elderly needs attention devices" in addition to the baby monitor.

Sometimes I sit rocking back and forth listening to the cow-bell just fantasizing about how many places on the human body you can shove a cow-bell into. I can make a few more orafices that I'm pretty sure will accept a noisemaker of that size. I never run out of ideas....

Ok, so I was reminded of a restaurant story because Christina brought up restaurant fiascos. It was the first time I was awakened and saw my grandmother's dementia for the very first time. Gather round....let me tell you the tale of Perkins Restaurant.

My son was graduating from college. We were so proud of him. After the graduation we all went to have dinner. Looking over the menu. Grandma's eyes lit up because she saw that this restaurant served breakfast all day. She just wanted her bacon and eggs. She placed her own order! Not a soul noticed that there could be anything wrong, the order was placed flawlessly. Her conversation was relevant and engaging, if just a bit repeating.

The rest of the party ordered dinners. Suddenly the waitress appears bearing the platters of dinner salads. We're all chatting and happily nibbling our salads when we hear "Where is my salad?". I looked over at Grandma and said "oh my, you didn't get a salad, let me call over the waitress and see what happened." My mother says...."Breakfast doesn't come with salad, she ordered breakfast she'll be ok when her food gets here".

Ummmmm No. I don't think so.....read on!

Normally people understand these things....but not this time. Grandma starts pushing herself from the table raising her voice so people at adjoining tables can now hear her...."I didn't order no breakfast....where is my g*d damn chicken? I want my salad, I want my chicken...where is that waitress?" Grandma is on fire, she is grabbing her walker and walking into the restaurant kitchen....she is ready to grab her own chicken or drive the pegs of her walker into anyone that thinks of getting into her way.

We were all amazed. I saw a demon inside the body of my Grandmother never existed. Literally, my Grandmother is a pillar of her church and wouldn't say shit if she stepped in it. Everyone loves her.

I tried to remember exorcism techniques and was going to grab her and demand that the demons inside her tell me their names so that they could be cast out. But I didn't have a vial of holy water handy....ACK! Grandma is stalking the restaurant cook....now what do we do? Can she not be stopped? Picture Godzilla in the old japanese movies crushing the buildings...OMG...she just took out a bus-boy. I can solve the CLUE.... Grandma killed the cook, with the walker, in the kitchen.

They were pretty good about swapping her order to chicken....it was a decision that saved so many lives that night. My son was the Graduate....but his great-grandmother was the star of his dinner party.

We didn't really learn anything from this outing. Every time we take her out is a new and profoundly life changing experience. Sometimes she is good, sometimes she is possessed by the devil. Oh well it keeps life spicy!

I carry a vial of holy water now....just in case.

To this day you can hear my children teasing..."where is my chicken?"
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Thanks for the laugh, headbanger, "where's my chicken?" story is funny.
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Morning SSK-hey, that is good to know! Do you do a constant commentary, or give a general summary of what your life is like?
I'll check it out later but gathering accounting stuff to go do Mother's taxes today.
The fund-raising idea sounds very good, like for us to finance trips to the BOAT...be back later. Have a good morning everyone:) christina
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HB, PLEASE consider writing a syndicated column for local newspapers on the day-to-day life od a caregiver!

SSK, When I bought mom back from the home a few years ago, I was also looking hard for something like this, couldn't find it, wanted to start one, so i bought a few domain names form godaddy, I own 12 names that I haven't done anything with. I was talking last nite about doing something with them, or at least let me figure out how to redirect any hits I get to yours?
You might want to ask HB to do a blog on yours, I would read it religiously (OOPS!) i Mean faithfullly (Damn!- OOPS!) every day?
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I think that is a very good idea....a site to show the humor in care giving.......that it doesn't always have to be a black hole. Something to think about.
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this is strange , im getting email from AC about ted and ssk , but its not there . did u guys get kicked off or what ? or wasnt allowed to say anything like that on AC ? i dont understand whats wrong with it today
any way pa s feeling better , daughter came over for coffee and yack for while , she left to go home and clean and gether baby girl signed up for preschool ,
i got up too early and am thinkin about lay back down for a napy poo ,
later guys xoxo p.s doc called yesteray said dad s chest xray shows its cleared ! yippy
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Where do I begin? I guess with the bad news first!
My husband had Monday off because it was his week to work Saturday. About 5:30 the phone rang and it was his work place. His boss was calling to tell him that he no longer had a job!!!!!! They had eliminated his position and he could pick up his final check on Friday!!!!
To back track a bit, the company my husband worked for for over 10 years, got sold in September and we feared he would not have a job back then, but it all worked out. Well, looks like the new owner is slowly replacing the people he kept on, with younger people that he can pay much less.
So, I have 62 year old, out of work man to drive me crazy, along with my totally demented Mom!!! I am sitting at the kitchen table with the laptop because I can't get near the desktop, and he is standing behind me again for the 100th time this morning. I swear, it won't take but a week for me to slit my throat!!!!
HB, what you said!!! I applaud you for your so true words!
Linda, Mom is leaning too and does every time we get close to a full moon!
Christina, I agree with you on grandchildren not having to care for elders when the parents are still available. My daughter and her husband live in the apartment above us and help me all they can, but I do not allow them to get involved with Mom's daily care. I have 6 siblings that do not help, and I;ll be damned if i will involve my daughter!!!
Rossella, Nice dream!!! We too, have to remove every object from the table when feeding Mom. She grows 10 pairs of hands at feeding time, and will not eat if there is anything on the table to distract her.
Jam, We stopped taking Mom out to eat when she tried to undress herself in Taco Bell 2 years ago! She has no table skills or manners left!!
Kuli!!!! How are you?
Miz, Glad to hear you feel better and Happy Birthday to your husband!
Ted, Sounds like respite did you a world of good! You have made peace with yourself and know what you have to do when the time comes.
Diane, I hear you with the hallucinations! Mom talks to people in the chair next to her, even though it is empty!
Hope everyone else is well and getting through the day!
Not sure how often I will post, got lots of stuff to work through. The little bit of free time I did have is now gone!
Dennis has signed up for unemployment benefits for now, as getting Social Security at this point would be useless. The biggest dilemma will be finding health care insurance that we can afford. We have 8 prescriptions between us!
As for Mom, placing her in a home so I can get a job, would be futile! She is so OCD that she is highly agitated all day, and it would be very difficult to place her somewhere as she needs constant one on one care. She had the poops on Monday and I had to wrap my arms around her while Merry cleaned her up. She is a 2 person operation for sure!!! Rossella, you know what I mean!
Anyway, going to try to sell some of my felted bags, jewelry and painted wood pieces where ever I can, to make extra cash.
Just wish Dennis didn't hover over me all day!!! Yikes!
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Hehe....I started my own blog somewhere in cyberspace after I got the boot from that other website. I felt at the time that my thoughts and views were too over-the-top for prime time players since my posts had been shot down as derogatory. I remember the Admin saying "If you don't have something nice to say, we can't post it."

I was like....WHAAAAT? What is nice about what we do everyday in front-line caregiving, what planet are you from? Find me ONE silver lining in watching someone shred used toilet paper. It is traumatic my friend....sometimes you just have to call a turd a turd.

There is a separation for me, my grandmother is the person I dearly love. Her dementia behavior is unpredictable, wild, and totally worthy of my closet sarcasm as long as I don't hurt her expressing myself. I am the calm blue water....but the undercurrent is strong and tricky. LOL

I was feeling weak when I deleted my blog. I didn't think I could deal with Gran, her behavior, and a ton of rejection from others who may feel that I was stripping her dignity.....so I folded. I deleted every post, I didn't have a following anyway.

Oh Ted...you too are very funny. I faithfully (specifically not religiously) watch for your posts as well....you have a fan.
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oh my goodness deef ! one thing after another , good thing now that ur daughter has moved in , things will fall in to place like its suppose to be . hopin and prayin for ur hubby havin no pblm findin a job .
christina ! the bracelet came !!! i ll try to get them maile dout today or tmr . my sis got hers too shes happy camper , said wow it came already ! i said yep ....
lookin nice out but i am still tired , going for a nap now . xoox
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/hugs to Deefer!!! Keep away from the sharp objects in the kitchen...no good can come from that.

I am sending tons of good wishes for acceptable job openings for your hubby. He's probably feeling very out of sorts right now. My last paying job dissolved our corporation and I lost my job just like that. One minute I was working, the next minute corporate came in and handed me a pink slip. It was so traumatic.

Nothing so traumatic as you backing over your hubby with the kitchen chair! But that is what he is going to get if he stands behind you and startles you like that!

Linda: I need a nap too. The nurse has come and gone....the aid has come and gone...Elizabeth Taylor is smelling sweet like sugar candy and sitting up in her chair reading. I am slipping into a coma....All last night I thought I heard her calling my name and I am just plain tired today. What is that about? I didn't have the monitor last night. Grrrrrr!

Hugs, hugs and more hugs.
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oh deef. I am so sorry about your husband's job. People can be so cold. It's all about money with them. Jerks. Just what you don't need. A great big hug to you.

dtflex, wow you have been having a sucky time lately. Truly awful. About those hallucinations, when Mom's started I called the doc and he put her on a med and didn't have that problem again. I know it's different for everyone. And of course I'm not a doctor but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night. ;)

Everyone, I still feel like I been hit by a mack truck. Called off work again today. I feel bad doing that but I gotta get well.

We been looking on-line for a house somewhere and we found one here where we live in our price range with a garage and other good stuff. Hubby is gonna drive by it today. We shall see. It's really old but the pics look nice and the sellers will pay for a new stove and refrigerator. We shall see. It says it has a garage but we don't know what shape it is in.

BTW, I heard from my friend who I had not been able to contact. She was struggling with some really serious depression. Poor girl. :(

K, gonna go rest now. Love yous!!

miz
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Deef, I am so sorry! I hope your husband finds a new job or at least he finds something to do all day long. When my father retired he was very young, so he did a lot of things outside the house. Your hus is young, too, so I hope he can find other interests!
Miz Happy birthday to Hubby.
Headbanger the story of the restaurant is hilarious. My mother does strange things, but not so strange!
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Oooh, goody, Linda. Thank you, and watch for something. Sorry to see you are having more to worry about, Deef. I see lost jobs as a move up, and there is something better for husband waiting. That is EXCITING, and there is certainly room for some nice surprises:)
Absent Captain makes me think she is really not feeling well at all. Let's send her our energy RIGHT NOW in a
{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{BIG HUG}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}
Headbanger--you nutcase, I love ya, Babe! what do you mean you didn't have the monitor? Guess what: the static and popping started again last night. I am thinking it's beyond whining and a tiny poltergeist is living in the transmitter. Had to turn it off--omg-what did I miss? NOT Caspar.
Ted, you seem to be feeling very feisty, and it is so good to see you back.
Diane, hope things are better today. Screaming is free, as I recall, as is crying, wishing, pillow thinking...
MIz and Peach, the original Boat girls, hope you are both feeling loads better today:))) Big Hugs
Rosella, meow, meow, purr, purr--in Italian
Jam, I hate to say it, but if things get better for your situation, headbanger is going to have to put out so much more creative energy than she already is, and we don't want her to burn out!!
SSK, hope you're having some conversation today with someone other than yourself.
ALL the rest of you Beautiful People--Love and Hugs, christina
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Oh Guys, it's good to be back! Still have a bad wifi connection but i am feeling a lot stronger, more in control of things.
Linda, Your getting Emails from AC about ME? I feel like a schoolkid who did something wrong but doesn't know what. Anyone have any idea what's going on with that?
AC, could you contact me directly if there is something we need to discuss?
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Oh, I get it, SSK's post and mine were deleted. Sorry ADMIN, didn't mean to start anything, I understand your position.
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They deleted your posts? For why?
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ck FB
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K, just did.
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ya, I feel like I have been sent to the principal's office. Not a good feeling. Creepy. I guess I won't post on here too much any more. I am happy to have met you all,though.
love, sue k
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sskape, please don't go away like that!! Don't let the principal win!!
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Did I miss something here? What post? And I agree, when I can figure out what's going on, stay!
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ssk , no worry about it . im sure it was a accident they delete ur mail , try it one more time i bet it ll follow thru , could be a mistake .
im sure it wasnt as bad as it was when ted said f this f that they poseted it anyway and i was suprise . :-) i thought oh cool !! we can say bad words here lalala ,
anyway so nice and warm outside , im going to go out and see if i can find me some flies !!! burpp . feelin like a frog wanna hop around out there .
have a wonderful day xoxox
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Linda, you are so funny and adorable!! :))
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SSK, come over to the dark side, join us on faceboat,
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SSK, seriously, I think it was just a business thing on thier part, don't jump ship!
Linda, you always make me smile, except when my mouth is busy cussing
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stillstandin , are u also on facebook ? sure hate to lose you if AC shuts this down for any reason , i dont think they will but never know .
think when someone starts to talk about start bussniess over AC they get deleted , its AC s site and nobodys gonna take that away from them . i am happy with this one and love it here and hope and pray that it doesnt go away ever ! we all need this site , THANK YOU AC ! YOURE LIFE SAFER ! we ve been blessed to meet so many people here oh my and we all are almost alike ! BIG HEARTS .
love you all ,
ssk dont u go any where plzz , we will miss you ,
miz - im happy camper to wakin up and find out its warm outside ! woooo spring has arrived . xoxo
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