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Gershun - yes to the Starbucks, cycling as opposed to jogging, and I don't think any of us in the family have taken to sushi!

Hi Chris!


Well. It was all going good till home support came. Then we all started talking about Trump.

Without getting "political" here about it, I'll say.....nobody here is a fan, but my brother misunderstood my comments somehow as being supportive or admiring. (I was TRYING to say, "don't discount his ability to influence voters," because that's what everybody did during the last US election.) So there was that, and I still need to fix that, because I don't want anyone to have that impression of me!

Then bro decided if mom was getting into her pajamas, he was going to head over to the hotel and get some sleep himself. (Even though mom would've stayed up in her jammies till the wee hours, just because he was here.)

THEN, even though she was totally ready for sleep, mom wouldn't let the home support worker help her get changed or washed....instead she turned the "mean" on the worker! She refused all help and went to bed in her clothes. I think she was mad at the worker for (in her mind) sending bro away with her presence.

None of this was the worker's fault.  She actually stuck around for a half hour after mom was in bed, just to chat and keep my spirits up. 

So.

I mean....

Ugh.

My family. Is so annoying.

Bro did eat a brownie though.
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I know I haven't been that active lately.

I am on a statin for my blood pressure. As is my elderly mother.

She had a complete physical a few days ago. My mother's GP told her to cut back on her calories. Then my mother proceeded to tell me this info. But not in a 'passing along info' fashion. My mother has done this before. She read that statins can cause aches in the arms' n' legs'.

So, When I told her about feeling like my arm was going to collapse while on my bike. She immediately judged that to be the same kind of ache she was having, and felt justified in calling my GP.

I happen to hear her calling from the kitchen, while I was in the bathroom. I was absolutely livid upon hearing her say this to my GP's nurse. I immediately did my 'morning routine'(shower, get dressed, eat breakfast, brush teeth), and ran out of the house. I got on my bike wearing my bike camera and sped through PM-Rush traffic.

Upon reaching my GP's office. I surprised the nurse when I told her I heard the whole phone conversation from the bathroom. Despite the door being closed. I told the GP, that while my arm has ached at times, while on my bike. That is the only time.

I even showed the GP the video I had taken w/ my bike camera. On the way to his office. I proved to him that my elderly mother was really being irresponsible.
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Sharyn, I was just thinking about Laugh-in and Ruth Buzzie. Lol! I remember Arte Johnson, mumbling to himself while Ruth attacked him. I don't look like Ruth Buzzie though.

Dorianne, your brother sounds like most of the 54- year- olds in Vancouver. Does he jog by any chance? Eat sushi? Walk around with a tight grip on his Starbuck's trying to avoid getting hit by the sea of umbrellas?

All joking aside, he better show up and when he does, force feed him those brownies.
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Ha ha Sharyn! Poor Gershun is going to look like Ruth Buzzy in my head from now on!

Becky - That is amazing! Kudos to your family, I couldn't manage that! Smart to take the devices away at night.....honestly, I think I need someone to do that to me, lol!

Well....bro said he'd arrive around 6-ish, when mom is home from dialysis. I made a new pan of brownies last night - just one this time!....plus I already ate one out of it!! (That's what you get for disappointing me.) And I just put a meatloaf in the oven. Fingers crossed I won't have to eat everything myself this time....
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I can see it now! Just like Rown and Martin’s Laugh-in....the elderly lady (Ruth Buzzy) hitting the elderly man (Arte Johnson), with her purse. Look out Vancouver!!
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Becky. Just......well, amazing...Careful you don’t overdose on cuteness.
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Dorianne, Kids all get along well for the most part. As with any kids, there are little skirmishes here and there. PJ and I both are fairly organized and have similar interests and ideas. We're all pretty low maintenance people. High maintenance, prima donas or self centered wouldn't fair very well in our household. I think the 17 yr old, Cate has it the worst. She shares a room part of the time with a 6-year old. Plus all of the little girls want her to polish their nails, give them pedicures, borrow lotion, etc. She's very good with them though and very tolerant. The twins are 8-yrs old. They are the family pranksters and clowns. The noise level is fairly high until 7pm. Then kids start taking showers, reading and little ones going to bed. Kids play outside a lot and participate in various sports and other extra curricular activity. PJ only allows so much computer, Internet or cell phone time per day. He gathers up cell phones, Game Boys, etc. every evening so they can't stay plugged in all night.
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Becky - oh my gosh, that's a lot of young children to wrangle! I think I would lose what's left of my mind! How old are the twins?  Do they all seem to get along, or....what's that even like?

Gershun - Good luck picking my brother put of a crowd - he's a fit but kind of nondescript 54-year old balding guy with glasses. (I got all the hair in the family.)  Usually wearing a serious expression.  When we were younger, one of my friends thought he was cute, but I don't see it, lol. Don't let him know I said that!
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Forget the book, you all should be on reality TV... lol
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Barb, That's the truth. PJ has a 5-yr old girl that stays with us part of the time. She was adopted by his deceased son's wife and her second husband. They got a divorce. Husband didn't the little girl. Pj's twin grandsons were coming to stay with him. At the door the twins say but grandpa what about Sissy? PJ says first time ever he got a kid from someone else's divorce. He also has a 6-yr old girl he adopted as an infant. She was found abandoned in a trailer. His social worker DIL asked him to foster parent her until she could be placed which was never possible. She is biracial and was a drug baby. She has sickle cell and a couple of other problems. She's tiny. She looks and acts developmentally like a 3-yr old. She's the most lovable child ever. Her life expectancy is not good. But I knew PJ was that way - so no surprises. So we do have a houseful. I cook a lot because I never know how many there will be at the table.

I will say my brother has done well this week. He's gotten them up, dressed, breakfast, ready for school and daycare, snacks packed, etc. He took them shopping last week and got them dresses, shoes, etc. suitable for Easter in snowy Maine and took them to church and Sunday school. He's made sure the 5-year old has gotten her kindergarten stuff ready every evening. He got her  enrolled in ballet class. So he's doing a good job considering his total  lack of experience.
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Oh my, Becky! You can spend your retirement writing a novel called Yours, Mine, His, Hers and the Other Guy's!
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On the topic of brothers....my brother has created some drama. He arrived last Thursday for Easter. He had my niece's two little girl's with him. The girl's paternal grandparents can no longer take care of them because he was having cancer surgery this week and will be going thru chemo and radiation. His wife said she couldn't take care of him and the girls. Jay verified everything that he was told by the grandparents and our niece. The court gave Jay legal custody. I love him dearly, but this was unexpected. The girl's are 3 and 5. Jay is a total soft touch. He said that in spite of everything our niece had done, he could not refuse taking the girl's. Jay's 54, never married and no experience with children, other than being the lovable uncle who brings presents and has a good time with kids. My son and grandchildren love him. My husband agrees with him that he did the only thing he could under the circumstances. So we have two more kids under our roof. We got them enrolled in kindergarten and daycare. They're very sweet little girls. They seem to be adjusting okay. He received both my niece and her ex-husband's child support checks for the month which was good. The court told my brother that if my niece continues following the court plan, she should regain custody in about 10 months.  BUT, I could beat my brother with Gershun's purse for doing this.
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The Viking's other kids - ha ha
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I'm in Vancouver too Dorianne. Tell me what he looks like and I'll keep my big purse handy.......ya never know. Madge, who are Frick and Frack?
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gershun,
Save that Wollop for Frick and frack
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Well, bro just texted me, and he is still intending to drive up tomorrow!

So you can put that big leather tote bag you were getting out of winter storage back for now, Gershun. Lol!
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He's in Vancouver, Gershun!

I'm trying to imagine how he'd react to being beaten with a strange woman's purse, though.....lol!
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I'm the opposite Dorianne. I'm usually the victim in my dreams/nightmares.

Your brother better show up. I'm in Canada too. I'll catch a ferry over to where you are and beat him up..............with my purse.........or something like that. :P
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Lol, CM - I did the very sweet, guilt-inducing version of "your dying mother wants to see you, a**hole" in our last round of text messages. "She has so little to look forward to, and her whole face lights up whenever anyone has mentioned you coming to visit." Et cetera. I'd be willing to bet money he'll be here, actually. ;-)

It does pain me, though, to have to be so nice to someone when I'm just trying to get them to do the right thing.

Last night I had this dream I was a high school student, on some kind of forced "volunteer" program (that probably doesn't exist) in the law courts. There were half a dozen of us young women who were there to observe and be "assistants" for a lawyer and his client, at some kind of hearing (not a trial). I discovered the client was to be Bill Cosby, when I saw him outside the law courts, posing for press pictures like a d***ed hero.

So, in this dream, I walked right into the courtroom, looked at all the young women, and said, loudly, "Y'all know you're here to run errands for a motherf***ing rapist, right?" And I turned on my heel and walked out, past all the horrified lawyers and courtroom staff.

That's how I would like to roll in my real life. But when I follow my angry little heart, I usually get in trouble.
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Dorianne, it's especially difficult when you yourself would ideally like to go on having some kind of positive relationship with your sibling. If it weren't for that, you could just call him up and snarl "your dying mother wants to see you, a**hole."

I still can't decide whether I felt better or worse when one brother dropped off mother's radar altogether. So completely uninvolved that she actually forgot him. M'm. That didn't feel great either.

Are you taking bets on Show/No Show tomorrow?
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Poor mom. As I was putting her to bed tonight, she said weakly, "Is (Bro's Name) coming tomorrow?"

"No mom. Today's Wednesday. He's coming Friday."

"Friday?" Deep sigh.  I know she'll probably sleep all through tomorrow now. 

I feel sad for her. He didn't come for Christmas like he said. He didn't come for Easter like he said. He almost never calls. She's like a little kid sometimes, with her mind going.....this is like being a divorced mom, watching your kid sitting vigil at the living room window, watching for daddy's car all weekend....
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Hang in there, Sharyn
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I'm so sorry Sharon.
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(((((Sharyn and family)))))
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((((HUGS))))) to you all. Smile, draw positive energry by giving it. Enjoy the flowers and the trees and the birds. There is magic in the air. Day after Easter Sunday we had a snow storm it was beautiful how the snow coats the trees and all and how it shimmers if you look at it a certain way like daimond powder is mixed in. Next day it was gone. I am taking in every bit of beauty I see out here because that is all I have to build myself up. I go home, most likely meet frustration, even if I dont I am still alone which I like actually love but I know I have to find joy in something or I just go down into a bad funk and just dont care.

Anyways spring is here, April showers bring May flowers and flowers are just beautiful.
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((((HUGS))))) to you all. Smile, draw positive energry by giving it. Enjoy the flowers and the trees and the birds. There is magic in the air. Day after Easter Sunday we had a snow storm it was beautiful how the snow coats the trees and all and how it shimmers if you look at it a certain way like daimond powder is mixed in. Next day it was gone. I am taking in every bit of beauty I see out here because that is all I have to build myself up. I go home, most likely meet frustration, even if I dont I am still alone which I like actually love but I know I have to find joy insomething or I just go down into a bad funk and just dont care.

Anyways spring is here, April showers bring May flowers and flowers are just beautiful.
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((((HUGS))))) to you all. Smile, draw positive energry by giving it. Enjoy the flowers and the trees and the birds. There is magic in the air. Day after Easter Sunday we had a snow storm it was beautiful how the snow coats the trees and all and how it shimmers if you look at it a certain way like daimond powder is mixed in. Next day it was gone. I am taking in every bit of beauty I see out here because that is all I have to build myself up. I go home, most likely meet frustration, even if I dont I am still alone which I like actully love but I know I have to find joy insomething or I just go down into a bad funk and just dont care.

Anyways spring is here, April showers bring May flowers and flowers are just beautiful.
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Sharyn, love and prayers and strength to you and your family.
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Sharyn, much love and prayers for you and your family. (HUG)
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Sharyn, so sorry to hear this. Will be thinking of you and family.
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