Settling in.

Well, The Kid is out of the hospital. She's in a rehabilitation/nursing home for some physical therapy. After three months of inactivity, she's gonna need a lot of help to get back some of her strength. I don't know how much of her mind she'll be able to get back, but right now, she's in a place where they can watch her and take care of her.

It's always interesting when she doesn't remember me. Tonight, when I asked her who I was, she said I was one of "her son's friends".

Oh, that's always fun.

Tomorrow night is Hallowe'en. Originally, I wasn't going to give any candy out, but I decided to go ahead, stop at the store, and pick up some stuff for the kiddies.

The social worker there asked The Kid what she'd like to do when she's ready to get out of there. She said she wants to go home. I'm sorry, and forgive me if this sounds cruel, but that's not an option anymore. She needs more attention that she can get here, and I've found that I actually enjoy having a life.

I've got plans for the future. I've things I want to do.

I love her and I always will, but it's time to move on.

Frustration

Been awhile since I've made any updates of worth, it seems.
Been awhile since I've had anything to say, mostly.

Maybe I can clear my thoughts here and play "catch-up".

I've been trying to find a nursing home for The Kid, but it's been difficult. I've tried six places so far, and they've all had a waiting list, except for the one that wanted two year's cash advance. Given that we're just looking for a place to accept her on her pension, her social security and medical assistance, there's no way I can afford that.

After talking to some folks who are more "in the know" about this kind of stuff, they tell me it's amazing that so many places have passed on her, since patients on medical assistance are highly sought after, it seems. The place I wanted her to go to has a waiting list of 10 people ahead of her.

I've a friend whose daughter works in the nursing home field, and she tells me there's an opening where she works. We put the referral in for that place today. I hope she gets in there, because the hospital is pressuring me to find a place as soon as possible. I figure that her insurance is running out, and the hospital is pushing me to find a place before it's totally out.

I still haven't told her that she's not going to be coming home. Every once in awhile, she makes the inferrence that she wants to come home, and I avoid it to the best of my abilities, but it's not easy. After years of perfecting her ability to guilt (four sons can do that to someone), she can still find the right button to push on occasion.

It hurts sometimes. That's why I had to unplug for a couple days, step away from my "online life" and unplug. Listen to some music. Catch up on my reading. Go to bed a little earlier. Be nice if I could sleep in, but that's not gonna happen until the weekend.

I need to focus a little more on taking care of the house. I found some bugs down in the basement that had come up from the drain in the bottom of the floor. No idea how long they've been there: The dead bodies were stuck to the underside of a rug covering the drain. I don't spend nearly enough time cleaning like I should, I know. It's not easy, as you, gentle reader, will attest. Working all day, running around during and after work, and then trying to come home and clean? By the time I get in the house, usually between 7 and 8, I just want to crash.

Spent tonight relaxing on the couch, more listening than watching Sarah McLachlan's Afterglow Live DVD. Great concert, highly recommended, and it's a bargain, if you can find the CD/DVD combo. One of my favourite discs, really.

Sarah's singing "Fallen" right now. Her voice is so relaxing, so comforting.

I had a cup of Chai tonight. Winter's come a little early, with the temperature at night hovering above the freezing point. Actually saw some snow flurries the other day. Sure, it was great to see the snow, but I am so not looking forward to Thanksgiving and Christmas this year.

My nephew had his Confirmation (Catholic) last week. It was the first "family" event that Mum wasn't present for. My brother and I both commented on that, and how...strange...it was. First of many, I'd guess.

Guess that's why I'm in a funk. I can feel a bit of depression starting to take hold, at the back of my mind. The little things I live for, look forward to, don't hold the charms like they used to, like they should. This will pass. I know it will. It's getting to that point that will take some doing.

Gee, I wrote more than I intended to write. Maybe I needed to get this off my chest, put these thoughts down in print, as it were.

If I have anything else to say, I'll say it some other time. Right now, I'm going to go back and listen to some more music, and try to relax. As a friend of mine would no doubt say, I'll just sit back and breathe.

And deal with tomorrow when it gets here.

Today...

...it's raining.

But my car window has been fixed.

Thank goodness.

...that's all...

Life or something like it

Bunch'a quickie updates, since I've nothing important to say:

• My car still has no rear passenger window. There's a plastic bag covering it. I'd hoped I could get it fixed before the start of the work week, but the body shop I went to for the estimate hasn't gotten back to me yet. They'll open Monday at 7:30 AM. I'll call 'em at 7:31.
• I spent today cleaning the house, since it'd been a good two-and-a-half weeks since the last really good cleaning. Oh, I've dusted here and sprayed there, and I took a weekend in Niagara Falls, but the house needed a good cleaning. A good six hours of housework today. It was worth it.
• Speaking of Niagara Falls, I'm glad I went up there last weekend. Two feet of snow! I-90 closed for 105 miles! I'd have been stuck in the middle of that had I gone this weekend. I read that they had to use snowmobilers to get food and water to stranded motorists. Of course, that would've been more akin to my luck.
• Last week...the trees were beautiful up there. So many gorgeous colors, streaming past at 80 miles per hour...
• Tomorrow, I'm taking down the front porch awnings. That's a sure sign of the coming Winter...

That's all. Nothing much else to add. If I think of something else, I'll write about it later.

Oh, but I can at least share a picture with you:

Never rains but it pours...

This is what I had to look forward to when I got to my car this afternoon.

Someone broke out the back window of my car.

I guess they wanted the car stereo...or maybe steal it and take it for a joy ride. I'll probably never know.

The car alarm went off, I guess, and it scared whomever off, but the damage had already been done.

Of course, they had to pick on a 10-year old Saturn, and not the Lexus next to me. That Lexus has been sitting there since the beginning of the term, over a month now, and no one's touched it. It could've been gone and no one would be the wiser for the next month or two. So instead of going after some spoiled college kid freeloading in the garage, they go after me, the guy's who's forking out damn near $100 a month to park.

I shouldn't be surprised by this. I shouldn't be surprised that this happened. I had a good weekend last week, when I was up in Niagara Falls. There has to be a balance to life, I believe, so since I had a good weekend, I'm paying for it now with this. Karma, I guess.

So tomorrow, instead of going to work, I'm going out to the body shop and get an estimate and wait for the insurance adjuster to call me to fill out the report. And naturally, tonight's gonna be one of the coldest nights of the year, with rain and a chance of snow.

I was ready to go buy a new bed. I bought myself a new little stereo. Because I went and spent that money, I now have an unexpected expense.

Karma.

It's amazing, that with everything else going on, I haven't broken down and cried...yet.
That might change.