So today is supposed to be a strict day of rest. I have never paid much attention to the meanings of the Jewish holidays, but the Yom Kippur meaning interested me this year, as did the fact that, among the fast and other requirements, one must not wear leather shoes on this day. It is on this day that one's fate for the upcoming year is sealed by God. Over the past several days, beginning with Rosh Hashanah, one should have amended his or her behaviors and sought forgiveness for sins. However, in our part of the world, most of the kids are just glad for a couple of extra hours to sleep in.
I had to get up early anyway to get Brian's lunch packed and send him off to school. What do the Catholics care about this day of atonement, when they have their own? (or is every day a day of atonement for a Christian?) Megan is still asleep, at nearly 10, after being caught out in the thunderstorm last night while I was nowhere near to come and get her. Fortunately she was spared any bolts of lightning and made it to shelter by the time the downpour had ceased. Now she has a lot of homework to finish up before swimming tonight.
She's having trouble in an AP class, not trouble per se, but bad grades on a couple of tests and boatloads of work that overwhelm her life. It isn't that she isn't able to do it, but she has so little time that it literally takes all of it away. This is the most work she has ever had in any class. She has two other AP classes, English and Calculus, and neither is like this. She would never have signed on for AP History, but it comes hand in hand with English in her school. I'm concerned because they no longer weight the honors and AP classes higher than the regular. So she could potentially come through this ridiculously work intensive class with a C, and that would push her below in the rankings, favoring someone in a regular class who did almost no work for an easy A.
Certainly the colleges like to see AP classes on the transcripts, but it is worth it when these courses are literally choking the life out of you? Last year, E had honors history. with very minimal effort, she carried an A through most of the year. at the very end, when she really didn't care, she dropped down, I think to a B+. I am sure Megan is learning more, and she has to, because at the end of the year they are expected to take the AP exam. But when the entire class does poorly on a test, the highest grade being a 70 from what was the smartest girl throughout three years of middle school, one has to stop and think.
So I am going to call and just weigh in with the guidance counselor. We have a paper we're supposed to sign that deals with listing rank on the transcript, it's optional, and I never know how to fill that in. Ideally she would be able to take honors history and AP English, but I don't think that is an option. And she really likes the English teacher and doesn't want to leave her. Hopefully the teacher will turn things around. She told them on Friday that they will 'learn to hate three day weekends,' which I think was an obnoxious comment. Just her luck, last year there was a different teacher, and he was much more easy-going. So we'll see how this goes. The work in that class is taking her five times as long as from all her other put together: AP English, honors physics, AP Calculus and Honors Spanish 5. Go figure.
In other news, Kevin is traveling to meetings in Connecticut today and I am home with the house a mess and the dogs stinking. I should really take a walk for some exercise, but I am trying with that blasted F5 F5 F5 over and over again. I'm really getting fired up about it, and may call over to the district office to see if I can find out anything about why I never see any jobs, when other people are telling me they're getting assignments without even trying. If this is going to be a system based on favoritism and I can't be a favorite, then I might as well try to find something else where I will be appreciated, instead of sitting around waiting for someone to throw me a bone. This is so demeaning. Can't be a NJ housewife forever, you know. Time for atonement.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Saturday, September 26, 2009
still alive, barely
At least that is how it seems. The job I had the last two days was not a good one, really. Thursday was awful, the kids were not listening, they were very young, and neither I nor the poor para seemed to be in control of them half the time. I managed to get through the day and limped out of there, feeling barely competent, and although I drooled at the thought of a giant glass of wine, I had to skip it for fear of being struck with migraine in the middle of a repeat of that day.
I woke up the next morning feeling determined to make it better, so I told the para, don't worry about the kids, don't worry about me, just do whatever it is that you normally do. Because the lesson plans were sketchy, and when you walk into a K class and someone just writes "morning meeting, morning message" and this is supposed to take up 40 minutes, it's kind of hard to understand what this group of creatures of habit is going to expect, and in what order. And if there are 22 of them, I will get 22 different volunteers. I had thought the para would know, but most mornings, she does clerical work and doesn't really pay attention to that part of the day.
So I put my best foot forward and put the koala puppet on my hand and off I went. I actually held their attention throughout the entire morning meeting and morning message, as well as calendar, which was truly amazing. We finished our "writing" activity as well, and got through the morning virtually unscathed. Not so lucky in the afternoon, but what the heck, after that it was the weekend anyway, and a three day weekend at that.
Anyway, with all of the above, I am just really tired so I will be brief. Today the Doll needed attention, which we gave her after the kids and I participated in the second annual Chiari Walk sponsored by conquerchiari.org. It was a fun walk, but the weather could have been a little milder. Kevin couldn't come because he had to work the bagel table at the Y to raise funds for the April trip to Florida.
But in other news, the dogs were happy because I took them both evenings of my work to the dog park, to assuage my guilt over having left Wilbur in his little pen for so many hours. On Thursday it was muggy and buggy, but last night was beautiful and someone came with a pom who looked just like Wilbur! So that was funny. Poms aren't like goldens, who all look the same anyway, so it was really cool to see one who matched him so well. Wilbur had a longer nose, though, and is already larger, although the other dog is full grown. Speaking of full grown, Wilbur will have to be neutered soon. I hate that part of pet ownership!
And last night was Brian's first high school dance! He seemed to have a great time, but he really isn't telling us much about it at all. He is very happy with the school so far, but it's about to kick into a higher gear, as he has several tests spread out over a couple of weeks. And someone told us tonight that at the end of the marking period, they pile them on them all at once. I have to impress upon him a billion times the importance of reviewing his notes on a nightly basis, but I don't know if he is doing so. He takes them on the computer, which could be a mindless typing exercise if he is not careful. And now I am exhausted and really must turn in.
I woke up the next morning feeling determined to make it better, so I told the para, don't worry about the kids, don't worry about me, just do whatever it is that you normally do. Because the lesson plans were sketchy, and when you walk into a K class and someone just writes "morning meeting, morning message" and this is supposed to take up 40 minutes, it's kind of hard to understand what this group of creatures of habit is going to expect, and in what order. And if there are 22 of them, I will get 22 different volunteers. I had thought the para would know, but most mornings, she does clerical work and doesn't really pay attention to that part of the day.
So I put my best foot forward and put the koala puppet on my hand and off I went. I actually held their attention throughout the entire morning meeting and morning message, as well as calendar, which was truly amazing. We finished our "writing" activity as well, and got through the morning virtually unscathed. Not so lucky in the afternoon, but what the heck, after that it was the weekend anyway, and a three day weekend at that.
Anyway, with all of the above, I am just really tired so I will be brief. Today the Doll needed attention, which we gave her after the kids and I participated in the second annual Chiari Walk sponsored by conquerchiari.org. It was a fun walk, but the weather could have been a little milder. Kevin couldn't come because he had to work the bagel table at the Y to raise funds for the April trip to Florida.
But in other news, the dogs were happy because I took them both evenings of my work to the dog park, to assuage my guilt over having left Wilbur in his little pen for so many hours. On Thursday it was muggy and buggy, but last night was beautiful and someone came with a pom who looked just like Wilbur! So that was funny. Poms aren't like goldens, who all look the same anyway, so it was really cool to see one who matched him so well. Wilbur had a longer nose, though, and is already larger, although the other dog is full grown. Speaking of full grown, Wilbur will have to be neutered soon. I hate that part of pet ownership!
And last night was Brian's first high school dance! He seemed to have a great time, but he really isn't telling us much about it at all. He is very happy with the school so far, but it's about to kick into a higher gear, as he has several tests spread out over a couple of weeks. And someone told us tonight that at the end of the marking period, they pile them on them all at once. I have to impress upon him a billion times the importance of reviewing his notes on a nightly basis, but I don't know if he is doing so. He takes them on the computer, which could be a mindless typing exercise if he is not careful. And now I am exhausted and really must turn in.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
a refreshing life
So now I have a new pastime. Hitting F5 over and over to refresh the screen on the sub calling website, in the hopes of seeing a viable opportunity before it vanishes back into oblivion at the hand of another prospective sub with faster fingers than I. This morning, as yesterday, I saw only one job, a middle school gym teacher, and yesterday I wasn't able to work anyway, as I had to worry about the Doll. Today I could, but I had to wonder why the job sat for twenty minutes before being filled this time! I also saw yesterday a half day autistic teacher, but again, with the Doll, I couldn't do it.
So she was released yesterday and there is absolutely nothing physically wrong with her that they can find. Every test has come back normal. There is no cancer, her organs are functioning, and her heart is ticking away. The pacemaker is keeping the heart rate steady, and the blood pressure, though a little high, is not something to be causing these symptoms. They switched her off of one BP medication onto another, and then sent her out with a slew of confusing prescription sheets, which I am sure they explained and I am sure she nodded her agreement, but then as we were trying to get home to feed the kids, she broke them all out and pored through them. I got Kevin to go and fill them for her, and told her she'd better call her primary care doc this morning, because that woman hasn't even been consulted throughout all of this. I am somewhat running out of tolerance as I begin to see it isn't a major medical emergency after all.
I believe she is anxious about living alone, and it's crossed into her subconscious mind. She's always been worried about falling, and now that she HAS fallen, it's even more real in her mind. Add to that the fact that they prescribed all sorts of anti-anxiety medications to an already anxious/depressed type of person, and the meds are creating their own little Armageddon in her brain. It seems more and more like this is the problem. One has to hope that she really needed that pacemaker ... presumably the monitors don't lie ... and the symptoms were certainly consistent with a low heart rate.
Anyway, as today will be my last day off this week, I am going to use it to catch up on laundry and straightening, getting some food for the house, and managing my checkbook as much as it can be managed in its pathetic state. Brian starts swimming (really) tonight and tomorrow, and of course, Megan has it as well. She's been coughing a lot more, after having this cold virus, with which Brian is a few days behind in its progression, but he also has it. He's been staying after school every day for one thing or other, the group that does charity work for the school, mock trial team, and today, the Spanish club. It's great that there are things that he can do with this school. He seems very happy there, although we haven't seen too many grades. He keeps getting not the best grades in math for stupid reasons, so he's going to have to be more careful. He has already announced that he wants to make honors math and science next year so he can take AP computers as a junior.
So in other news, it is nice and quiet again with only two dogs. Baxter is just such a messy dog! Aside from crapping twice in the house, he smelled, shed thin little hairs on everything, slobbered and sniveled and drooled and snored all over the place, and wouldn't go outside without being put on a leash. Once outside, he would refuse to step on grass, and he wanted to pee on all my flowers and shrubs. I finally figured out that he wouldn't poop if Wilbur was out with us, which meant I had to take Molly and Wilbur separately because Wilbur was able to escape through the fence when I'd lock them in and take Baxter out to another part of the yard. Yesterday it took me two hours to get all the dog business sorted out. Of course, I may be expected over there to walk him today. Not that he won't survive without a walk. He will be fine.
But I guess she will want to be looked in on, although she had a lot of biddie friends calling and checking on her, that I am sure would be happy to pick up some of the slack. Oh, and she has many appointments coming up, so she may need rides to some of them. I told her I'd go to the one next week, the cardiologist, but I just can't do all of them! I don't even know who these doctors are.
So she was released yesterday and there is absolutely nothing physically wrong with her that they can find. Every test has come back normal. There is no cancer, her organs are functioning, and her heart is ticking away. The pacemaker is keeping the heart rate steady, and the blood pressure, though a little high, is not something to be causing these symptoms. They switched her off of one BP medication onto another, and then sent her out with a slew of confusing prescription sheets, which I am sure they explained and I am sure she nodded her agreement, but then as we were trying to get home to feed the kids, she broke them all out and pored through them. I got Kevin to go and fill them for her, and told her she'd better call her primary care doc this morning, because that woman hasn't even been consulted throughout all of this. I am somewhat running out of tolerance as I begin to see it isn't a major medical emergency after all.
I believe she is anxious about living alone, and it's crossed into her subconscious mind. She's always been worried about falling, and now that she HAS fallen, it's even more real in her mind. Add to that the fact that they prescribed all sorts of anti-anxiety medications to an already anxious/depressed type of person, and the meds are creating their own little Armageddon in her brain. It seems more and more like this is the problem. One has to hope that she really needed that pacemaker ... presumably the monitors don't lie ... and the symptoms were certainly consistent with a low heart rate.
Anyway, as today will be my last day off this week, I am going to use it to catch up on laundry and straightening, getting some food for the house, and managing my checkbook as much as it can be managed in its pathetic state. Brian starts swimming (really) tonight and tomorrow, and of course, Megan has it as well. She's been coughing a lot more, after having this cold virus, with which Brian is a few days behind in its progression, but he also has it. He's been staying after school every day for one thing or other, the group that does charity work for the school, mock trial team, and today, the Spanish club. It's great that there are things that he can do with this school. He seems very happy there, although we haven't seen too many grades. He keeps getting not the best grades in math for stupid reasons, so he's going to have to be more careful. He has already announced that he wants to make honors math and science next year so he can take AP computers as a junior.
So in other news, it is nice and quiet again with only two dogs. Baxter is just such a messy dog! Aside from crapping twice in the house, he smelled, shed thin little hairs on everything, slobbered and sniveled and drooled and snored all over the place, and wouldn't go outside without being put on a leash. Once outside, he would refuse to step on grass, and he wanted to pee on all my flowers and shrubs. I finally figured out that he wouldn't poop if Wilbur was out with us, which meant I had to take Molly and Wilbur separately because Wilbur was able to escape through the fence when I'd lock them in and take Baxter out to another part of the yard. Yesterday it took me two hours to get all the dog business sorted out. Of course, I may be expected over there to walk him today. Not that he won't survive without a walk. He will be fine.
But I guess she will want to be looked in on, although she had a lot of biddie friends calling and checking on her, that I am sure would be happy to pick up some of the slack. Oh, and she has many appointments coming up, so she may need rides to some of them. I told her I'd go to the one next week, the cardiologist, but I just can't do all of them! I don't even know who these doctors are.
Monday, September 21, 2009
medical mystery, what else is new
So the Doll is back in the hospital. Yesterday, we all went to church, and when we got back we found the usual litany of messages from her, ending in the one that says, "going to the hospital, hope to see you there." Oh yes, and did I forget to mention it was 70+ degrees and sunny in NJ yesterday? Mmhmm. Well it was.
Apparently the familiar symptoms are back - the extreme nausea that hits out of nowhere, followed by the lightheadedness that preceded her fainting attack last week. So she called the cardiologist and in the end, 911, and was taken back to the emergency room again. When we got there, she was very tired, sound asleep and unable to get out of bed because of the nausea. She even used a bedpan! So they agreed to admit her.
In order to be admitted, she had to see a doctor from a service that works at the hospital, they can admit people when the people's doctors don't have admitting privileges at that hospital. So this nice young doctor (I like to call him House, MD) came and sat with us for quite a while. He was very thorough and asked a lot of good, but scary questions about her history with cancer, and how long she has had these recent headaches she's been complaining about. I took that opportunity to voice my despair at the decision to implant the pacemaker before taking an MRI of the brain of this woman who had metastasized colon cancer 20 years ago and now presents with symptoms of balance issues and nausea. But what do I know, I'm just a cyberchondriac anyway.
But House MD did admit her and he seems pretty well committed to ruling out everything it could possibly be, before focusing on medication interactions. Today she is having an ultrasound of her abdomen, and he has arranged for her to be seen by neurology, who will order some specialized tests that may show more than the CT, which was just a repeat of the one they did last week anyway, so no surprise that that one was negative. She seems to be feeling better, which makes me wonder if anxiety might not play a part, at least subconsciously because she says it comes on without warning, and not when she is anxious. But she is certainly anxious about living alone, I think, and the fact that if she falls down, there might not be anyone around to help. This thought has to always be in the back of her mind. And .. so we wait.
I didn't know if she would be discharged today, so I ran down to get my oil changed and then hurried into the mall to try to replace the dress shirt of Brian's that was stolen from his locker during the freshman run last week. I kept checking messages, and to my horror, there was one from my doctor's office, saying they had my lab results, if I wanted to go over them! Ack! This was my third blood test with them and they have NEVER called unless there was a problem. So I abandoned my search for the shirt, and went out to the parking lot, fought a busy signal for ten minutes, and finally got a nurse on the phone. "Oh," she said, "it's all normal." =:-O Thrilled to hear this, of course, but my heart! I might be joining the Doll in the CCU soon! Apparently they just wondered if I'd like to know my cholesterol level. Incidentally, 168.
And in other news, JOBS appeared on my screen today on the sub system! Amazement! Shock and awe! Of course, I couldn't take them. Unprepared for their appearance, it was already 7:40 and I would have had to shower and travel by 8:30 to the schools. So I didn't take them, but I did keep checking, and I ended up finding a two-day assignment for Thursday and Friday. So I am most excited about that. And on that note, Megan has just walked in the door. It's 2:30 already!
Apparently the familiar symptoms are back - the extreme nausea that hits out of nowhere, followed by the lightheadedness that preceded her fainting attack last week. So she called the cardiologist and in the end, 911, and was taken back to the emergency room again. When we got there, she was very tired, sound asleep and unable to get out of bed because of the nausea. She even used a bedpan! So they agreed to admit her.
In order to be admitted, she had to see a doctor from a service that works at the hospital, they can admit people when the people's doctors don't have admitting privileges at that hospital. So this nice young doctor (I like to call him House, MD) came and sat with us for quite a while. He was very thorough and asked a lot of good, but scary questions about her history with cancer, and how long she has had these recent headaches she's been complaining about. I took that opportunity to voice my despair at the decision to implant the pacemaker before taking an MRI of the brain of this woman who had metastasized colon cancer 20 years ago and now presents with symptoms of balance issues and nausea. But what do I know, I'm just a cyberchondriac anyway.
But House MD did admit her and he seems pretty well committed to ruling out everything it could possibly be, before focusing on medication interactions. Today she is having an ultrasound of her abdomen, and he has arranged for her to be seen by neurology, who will order some specialized tests that may show more than the CT, which was just a repeat of the one they did last week anyway, so no surprise that that one was negative. She seems to be feeling better, which makes me wonder if anxiety might not play a part, at least subconsciously because she says it comes on without warning, and not when she is anxious. But she is certainly anxious about living alone, I think, and the fact that if she falls down, there might not be anyone around to help. This thought has to always be in the back of her mind. And .. so we wait.
I didn't know if she would be discharged today, so I ran down to get my oil changed and then hurried into the mall to try to replace the dress shirt of Brian's that was stolen from his locker during the freshman run last week. I kept checking messages, and to my horror, there was one from my doctor's office, saying they had my lab results, if I wanted to go over them! Ack! This was my third blood test with them and they have NEVER called unless there was a problem. So I abandoned my search for the shirt, and went out to the parking lot, fought a busy signal for ten minutes, and finally got a nurse on the phone. "Oh," she said, "it's all normal." =:-O Thrilled to hear this, of course, but my heart! I might be joining the Doll in the CCU soon! Apparently they just wondered if I'd like to know my cholesterol level. Incidentally, 168.
And in other news, JOBS appeared on my screen today on the sub system! Amazement! Shock and awe! Of course, I couldn't take them. Unprepared for their appearance, it was already 7:40 and I would have had to shower and travel by 8:30 to the schools. So I didn't take them, but I did keep checking, and I ended up finding a two-day assignment for Thursday and Friday. So I am most excited about that. And on that note, Megan has just walked in the door. It's 2:30 already!
Saturday, September 19, 2009
improving conditions
So the days following that Wednesday have been a little better. For one thing, no word from the neurologist, and I don't think I have to worry about him calling on the weekend, so for now I can ignore it. I might actually just call next week and get it over with, because since he didn't know that we were even going on that day, he may not be aware that the test was done, so I can't really comfort myself with the old, "he would have called by now." Surely he would if it were something dire, but the likelihood of that with annual MRIs is pretty low. I hope. Knock wood. Fingers crossed.
So the two past days have been spent more or less doing the bidding of the Doll, as she recovers. On Thursday I just went over and walked Baxter, but yesterday I took her to the surgeon for him to have a look at her scary looking incision, but he said that was what it was supposed to look likt, and that the pacemaker was working perfectly. Its battery has a life of eight years left. So we said to him, "see you in eight years," as we left with instructions to follow up with the cardiologist for lightheadedness and headache, possibly caused by medications.
Megan finished her first full week of swimming, coming through with no more than a slight sniffle, which she passed along to Brian. He'll start his swimming next week. Meanwhile, he has made it through another week of high school, having gotten just a couple of grades back and so far, fairly respectable. I like this school because there are real consequences for not doing homework, like you have to carry around the garbage cans in the lunchroom in front of everyone else. This might also happen if you are improperly dressed, such as when Brian forgot to wear a belt (but didn't get caught!)
Otherwise, things are a bit slow as I continue to wait for jobs to be posted on this sub system. I don't know how it will work, but I haven't seen a single one, not even one at which I'd turn up my nose. So are others just online at the right time, or am I not getting them posted on my ID? I can only give it another few weeks, because I really do need to get some inflows to offset at least SOME of the outflows associated with my life.
In other news, Kevin is just home from his doctor's appointment, where he will have learned the news about his most recent thyroid and cholesterol levels. Right now he is trying to get in the door, and Wilbur is yapping at him! He just walked in with his blood test results, claiming that the doctor wants to frame them and put them up on his wall. Hmm.
So the two past days have been spent more or less doing the bidding of the Doll, as she recovers. On Thursday I just went over and walked Baxter, but yesterday I took her to the surgeon for him to have a look at her scary looking incision, but he said that was what it was supposed to look likt, and that the pacemaker was working perfectly. Its battery has a life of eight years left. So we said to him, "see you in eight years," as we left with instructions to follow up with the cardiologist for lightheadedness and headache, possibly caused by medications.
Megan finished her first full week of swimming, coming through with no more than a slight sniffle, which she passed along to Brian. He'll start his swimming next week. Meanwhile, he has made it through another week of high school, having gotten just a couple of grades back and so far, fairly respectable. I like this school because there are real consequences for not doing homework, like you have to carry around the garbage cans in the lunchroom in front of everyone else. This might also happen if you are improperly dressed, such as when Brian forgot to wear a belt (but didn't get caught!)
Otherwise, things are a bit slow as I continue to wait for jobs to be posted on this sub system. I don't know how it will work, but I haven't seen a single one, not even one at which I'd turn up my nose. So are others just online at the right time, or am I not getting them posted on my ID? I can only give it another few weeks, because I really do need to get some inflows to offset at least SOME of the outflows associated with my life.
In other news, Kevin is just home from his doctor's appointment, where he will have learned the news about his most recent thyroid and cholesterol levels. Right now he is trying to get in the door, and Wilbur is yapping at him! He just walked in with his blood test results, claiming that the doctor wants to frame them and put them up on his wall. Hmm.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
my bad day
Yesterday didn't start out too badly, although it was damp and gloomy. I had to get out of bed when Kevin let Wilbur out of his cage, because Wilbur's new thing is not to go out unless I get up and come down with them, so Kevin got mad and just refused to let him out anymore, because his feelings were hurt. It was Megan's picture day, so I drove her to school, and it wasn't raining yet, so Brian was able to walk to school. I fulfilled my obligation to drive the Doll to her hair appointment, but told her I wouldn't be able to pick her up because I had a 2:00 doctor's appointment.
I left the house around 1:20, plenty of time to get to the appointment, but it was raining, and I missed a turn and ended up in a totally different place. I turned on my GPS and found my way back, and arrived at 2:04, only to be told (or actually to overhear them whispering) that my appointment was supposed to be at 1:30. The waiting room was practically empty, but they made a big deal about whether or not I could be seen anyway, gave me paperwork "just in case" and never bothered to tell me if they were going to see me, until they called me in. Very mean and reproachful.
When the nurse called me back, I apologized again for being so late (a mistake actually, not just a lateness, although I guess it is the same to them, and they have a sign that says if you're more than ten minutes late you have to reschedule) and she said, "don't worry about it, you're here now." and ran five steps ahead of me everywhere I had to be. I've been worrying about my blood pressure because it's always been high at that office, the past three years or so, and she put the cuff on and I barely felt it close around my arm when she took it off and said, "good." I asked what it was, and she said, "100 over 60" ?? Then she rushed me to the scale (ack), then into the room.
The doctor was better and more relaxed, but he did tell me that in the morning he would have told me to go home because he had been so busy with orthodox Jews getting ready for the holidays that he wouldn't have been able to fit me in. But then I felt very guilty when I left and the waiting room was once again full of them. Although I can't imagine the no-more-than-ten minutes that he spent with me set him back that much, or his nurse and the two minutes I got of her time before the exam.
Anyway, then I had my blood drawn and, because I don't pay for blood work and was so frazzled by my stupidity, I forgot to stop at the desk and give them my copay (which actually I don't think I technically am supposed to need for 'well care' but they always take it anyway), which I didn't realize till I got home. I called them and they said I would get a bill. I should probably call and get the information from the insurance company first, because it will be changing at the end of the month and they might not be as helpful if I call after that!
So, still feeling really stupid, I see Brian. He tells me, "I think you will really like my English teacher when you meet him at Back to School Night ... TONIGHT!" (It's on my calendar for next Wednesday). It was the first week of swim practice so I decided I'd take Brian there early and he could study for an hour, then we'd pick him up after BTS night. I went out and got a rotisserie chicken for dinner.
I met Kevin at BTS night (really very impressed with the school, it is very expensive but so far it seems to be money well-spent) and we started the circuit of classes. About halfway through, I got a text from Brian, "let's try this again next week." Huh? =:-O The practice for his group, the high school group, doesn't start with the others! It starts NEXT week .. so I left him there for three hours for nothing. Luckily, he bummed a ride home with one of our carpool dads, who was there picking up his daughter from a different practice group. Ouch.
Anyway, was I glad to put that day to bed. Although, just as I was about to do this, Kevin reminded us that today was a scheduled cleaning lady day, and there were things all over that needed to be moved around. So we did the best we could do, and here it is, the next day, and the ladies are done and gone. The dogs and I ran some errands and then stopped by the dog park until the drizzle picked up. Now we're home and I have volunteered to go and walk Baxter. The Doll is feeling pretty well, just a headache. I am thinking it's the new blood pressure medication they gave her.
So in other news, I am a nervous wreck every time the phone rings, thinking it will be the neurologist. I didn't really expect to hear from him yesterday, he isn't really likely to call on the very next day, because it would be unlikely they would find anything that needed urgent reporting. So with Brian, I can never be assured that no news is good news. I have to actually have the good news to know that it is good news. So I continue to wait and wrestle with the question, 'should I just call and get it over with?' Especially since Kevin looked and thought it was OK. I hope so! As for Megan, she's been sniffling and sneezing, so we'll see where she goes with that. She started her claritin-D and nasonex last night, but she has a very busy day today, a meeting at school followed by swim practice and then a lesson at church for Sunday school teachers, of which she will be one this year. So I hope she feels better this afternoon. Homework? Don't ask.
I left the house around 1:20, plenty of time to get to the appointment, but it was raining, and I missed a turn and ended up in a totally different place. I turned on my GPS and found my way back, and arrived at 2:04, only to be told (or actually to overhear them whispering) that my appointment was supposed to be at 1:30. The waiting room was practically empty, but they made a big deal about whether or not I could be seen anyway, gave me paperwork "just in case" and never bothered to tell me if they were going to see me, until they called me in. Very mean and reproachful.
When the nurse called me back, I apologized again for being so late (a mistake actually, not just a lateness, although I guess it is the same to them, and they have a sign that says if you're more than ten minutes late you have to reschedule) and she said, "don't worry about it, you're here now." and ran five steps ahead of me everywhere I had to be. I've been worrying about my blood pressure because it's always been high at that office, the past three years or so, and she put the cuff on and I barely felt it close around my arm when she took it off and said, "good." I asked what it was, and she said, "100 over 60" ?? Then she rushed me to the scale (ack), then into the room.
The doctor was better and more relaxed, but he did tell me that in the morning he would have told me to go home because he had been so busy with orthodox Jews getting ready for the holidays that he wouldn't have been able to fit me in. But then I felt very guilty when I left and the waiting room was once again full of them. Although I can't imagine the no-more-than-ten minutes that he spent with me set him back that much, or his nurse and the two minutes I got of her time before the exam.
Anyway, then I had my blood drawn and, because I don't pay for blood work and was so frazzled by my stupidity, I forgot to stop at the desk and give them my copay (which actually I don't think I technically am supposed to need for 'well care' but they always take it anyway), which I didn't realize till I got home. I called them and they said I would get a bill. I should probably call and get the information from the insurance company first, because it will be changing at the end of the month and they might not be as helpful if I call after that!
So, still feeling really stupid, I see Brian. He tells me, "I think you will really like my English teacher when you meet him at Back to School Night ... TONIGHT!" (It's on my calendar for next Wednesday). It was the first week of swim practice so I decided I'd take Brian there early and he could study for an hour, then we'd pick him up after BTS night. I went out and got a rotisserie chicken for dinner.
I met Kevin at BTS night (really very impressed with the school, it is very expensive but so far it seems to be money well-spent) and we started the circuit of classes. About halfway through, I got a text from Brian, "let's try this again next week." Huh? =:-O The practice for his group, the high school group, doesn't start with the others! It starts NEXT week .. so I left him there for three hours for nothing. Luckily, he bummed a ride home with one of our carpool dads, who was there picking up his daughter from a different practice group. Ouch.
Anyway, was I glad to put that day to bed. Although, just as I was about to do this, Kevin reminded us that today was a scheduled cleaning lady day, and there were things all over that needed to be moved around. So we did the best we could do, and here it is, the next day, and the ladies are done and gone. The dogs and I ran some errands and then stopped by the dog park until the drizzle picked up. Now we're home and I have volunteered to go and walk Baxter. The Doll is feeling pretty well, just a headache. I am thinking it's the new blood pressure medication they gave her.
So in other news, I am a nervous wreck every time the phone rings, thinking it will be the neurologist. I didn't really expect to hear from him yesterday, he isn't really likely to call on the very next day, because it would be unlikely they would find anything that needed urgent reporting. So with Brian, I can never be assured that no news is good news. I have to actually have the good news to know that it is good news. So I continue to wait and wrestle with the question, 'should I just call and get it over with?' Especially since Kevin looked and thought it was OK. I hope so! As for Megan, she's been sniffling and sneezing, so we'll see where she goes with that. She started her claritin-D and nasonex last night, but she has a very busy day today, a meeting at school followed by swim practice and then a lesson at church for Sunday school teachers, of which she will be one this year. So I hope she feels better this afternoon. Homework? Don't ask.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
two dogs again
It's been an eventful few days. The Doll spent an extra night in the hospital because she was still feeling lightheaded, but I think mostly she is just afraid to go and be home alone. I took Baxter back to her house yesterday and then picked her up and brought her there for their reunion. As of last night, she was still lightheaded but otherwise well. Even though she says she is lightheaded, her color is good, which sort of says to me that she can't be *that* dizzy. I told her I'd walk Baxter today and then drive her to the hair salon, but now it's raining. I hate to call her because I don't know what kind of night she had so I'll wait till 11 or so and see if she calls me first. I had planned to take a good walk this morning, but then the skies opened up, just as I was about to leave, and they're continuing to remain that way.
Last night's MRI was less traumatic for me than usual, maybe because I am just resigned to the fact that this is our life. Maybe because I postponed it long enough that enough other things are on my mind and I didn't have time to worry. We were delayed a little because they took an inpatient ahead of us, so we ended up waiting close to an hour, because we had shown up, as instructed, half an hour early. They are renovating the hospital so we had a hard time finding our way around, or we might have been seen sooner, but I doubt it. They don't usually keep the sick patients waiting.
Brian did have an episode of his swalling trouble when they first put him into the tube, so that further sounds like anxiety. Then they gave him some water and the music came on, and then he did well. Until the very end, when he had to go to the bathroom and they wanted to redo a few of the sections that hadn't come out as clearly as others. Afterwards, Kevin peeked at the monitor and the tech showed him the whole spine, rotated it around, went up and down, and he thought it looked OK. Since he doesn't check the chiari site at the top, we don't know anything about that, but I have enough confidence in his syrinx judging abilities that I am not terribly concerned, but of course I do have that knot in my stomach, because I didn't see it myself, and he didn't check the chiari status.
In other news, Megan has picture day at school today, so her hair is all blown out and straight. She doesn't wear much makeup anyway, but she put on a little today. Luckily the rain didn't start until after all the girls got to school! That would have been disastrous! Also today, I am getting ready to drive the Doll to her hair appointment and then to visit my doctor for my annual checkup. Blood pressure! Oh no! My heart skips a beat just thinking about it. And finally, Brian starts his swimming practices tonight. He's only doing the group that does practice, no meets. They train with each other at the Y so they can be in shape for their high school season. There's a swim team meeting at Brian's school tomorrow, so he'll find out when those practices start, and he'll just go to those and not the Y, when they do.
Last night's MRI was less traumatic for me than usual, maybe because I am just resigned to the fact that this is our life. Maybe because I postponed it long enough that enough other things are on my mind and I didn't have time to worry. We were delayed a little because they took an inpatient ahead of us, so we ended up waiting close to an hour, because we had shown up, as instructed, half an hour early. They are renovating the hospital so we had a hard time finding our way around, or we might have been seen sooner, but I doubt it. They don't usually keep the sick patients waiting.
Brian did have an episode of his swalling trouble when they first put him into the tube, so that further sounds like anxiety. Then they gave him some water and the music came on, and then he did well. Until the very end, when he had to go to the bathroom and they wanted to redo a few of the sections that hadn't come out as clearly as others. Afterwards, Kevin peeked at the monitor and the tech showed him the whole spine, rotated it around, went up and down, and he thought it looked OK. Since he doesn't check the chiari site at the top, we don't know anything about that, but I have enough confidence in his syrinx judging abilities that I am not terribly concerned, but of course I do have that knot in my stomach, because I didn't see it myself, and he didn't check the chiari status.
In other news, Megan has picture day at school today, so her hair is all blown out and straight. She doesn't wear much makeup anyway, but she put on a little today. Luckily the rain didn't start until after all the girls got to school! That would have been disastrous! Also today, I am getting ready to drive the Doll to her hair appointment and then to visit my doctor for my annual checkup. Blood pressure! Oh no! My heart skips a beat just thinking about it. And finally, Brian starts his swimming practices tonight. He's only doing the group that does practice, no meets. They train with each other at the Y so they can be in shape for their high school season. There's a swim team meeting at Brian's school tomorrow, so he'll find out when those practices start, and he'll just go to those and not the Y, when they do.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
pace yourself
What a weekend. After the whole to-do on Thursday with the Doll and her fainting, it turns out that her blood pressure is high, but her heart rate was only in the 50s. Friday was a very wet and gloomy day, and we just left her on her own at the hospital, where she had a bunch of tests done. On Saturday, we stopped over and found out that the treatment she was to receive was a pacemaker (!). And sure enough, receive it she did, as they did the surgery this afternoon, and she was chipper and perky, but just a little sore, when we left her eating her turkey dinner just before 5:00.
Today was a beautiful day, and since she was concerned this might be her last day on earth, we took the kids over to see her before her procedure. We were lucky enough to stumble upon a street fair next to the hospital, so we walked around a little and had some lunch, dried out sandwiches from Zebu. I had ordered the same ones just a couple of weeks ago from a different Zebu and they were sooo good, but for some reason, these were just dried out and horrible. Oh well.
But the good news is that I ran into one of the teachers for whom I have subbed, and she told me that in fact I am on her 'top five' list so hopefully I will be getting assignments, either from her or from other teachers who supposedly have also added me to their favorites :-) So, there is hope. And I hope so, because I am having to watch the Phillies play from my TV, all the while eating $180 that I spent on the tickets we intended to use in May.
Actually, the best news of all is that the Doll can't wait to be reunited with her Baxter, and we assured her that she is not alone in this ambition. Although, as the days go by, he seems to be feeling more and more at home, and Megan discovered that if you put a little parmesan cheese on his kibble, he gobbles it up. Tonight, though, I broke out one of the foil-encased chicken trimmings, and he saw me take that out and went completely insane. So he had a little chicken along with his kibble and cheese, and now he is running around panting like one of the boys. Of course, I will pretend that I don't know that as soon as I turn my back, he gets up on the couch.
And in other news, swimming starts tomorrow, so where most would say life as we know it will cease to be, in our case life as we know it begins, since this is how we spend most of our lives! And so the school year kicks into gear. This week will be busy, with Brian having the freshman run tomorrow, then the MRI Tuesday, and I have my doctor's appointment Wednesday. Then Kevin has to go back to his doctor on Saturday to get the results of the blood work he got drawn yesterday.
Oh, speaking of doctors, I have two that I use, one who I like despite his unkempt appearance and haphazard way of conducting himself, and another who I use because I don't have to wait two hours in the waiting room and one in the exam room (this is Kevin's doctor). The unkempt doctor has a lot of older patients, and today we passed him in the hallway at the hospital. It was funny. I doubt if he recognized me, I haven't been to him since he ordered my knee xray probably three years ago. He jovially said hello nonetheless, while gabbing away on his phone as usual.
Off to watch my $180 Phillies game.
Today was a beautiful day, and since she was concerned this might be her last day on earth, we took the kids over to see her before her procedure. We were lucky enough to stumble upon a street fair next to the hospital, so we walked around a little and had some lunch, dried out sandwiches from Zebu. I had ordered the same ones just a couple of weeks ago from a different Zebu and they were sooo good, but for some reason, these were just dried out and horrible. Oh well.
But the good news is that I ran into one of the teachers for whom I have subbed, and she told me that in fact I am on her 'top five' list so hopefully I will be getting assignments, either from her or from other teachers who supposedly have also added me to their favorites :-) So, there is hope. And I hope so, because I am having to watch the Phillies play from my TV, all the while eating $180 that I spent on the tickets we intended to use in May.
Actually, the best news of all is that the Doll can't wait to be reunited with her Baxter, and we assured her that she is not alone in this ambition. Although, as the days go by, he seems to be feeling more and more at home, and Megan discovered that if you put a little parmesan cheese on his kibble, he gobbles it up. Tonight, though, I broke out one of the foil-encased chicken trimmings, and he saw me take that out and went completely insane. So he had a little chicken along with his kibble and cheese, and now he is running around panting like one of the boys. Of course, I will pretend that I don't know that as soon as I turn my back, he gets up on the couch.
And in other news, swimming starts tomorrow, so where most would say life as we know it will cease to be, in our case life as we know it begins, since this is how we spend most of our lives! And so the school year kicks into gear. This week will be busy, with Brian having the freshman run tomorrow, then the MRI Tuesday, and I have my doctor's appointment Wednesday. Then Kevin has to go back to his doctor on Saturday to get the results of the blood work he got drawn yesterday.
Oh, speaking of doctors, I have two that I use, one who I like despite his unkempt appearance and haphazard way of conducting himself, and another who I use because I don't have to wait two hours in the waiting room and one in the exam room (this is Kevin's doctor). The unkempt doctor has a lot of older patients, and today we passed him in the hallway at the hospital. It was funny. I doubt if he recognized me, I haven't been to him since he ordered my knee xray probably three years ago. He jovially said hello nonetheless, while gabbing away on his phone as usual.
Off to watch my $180 Phillies game.
Friday, September 11, 2009
zoo jersey
Well, yesterday was not really fun. Funerals are never fun, of course, but when they are for someone young, they're even worse. Yesterday's was no exception. I didn't really know my cousin Anne that well, since she was ten years older than I, but she was always there at all the family gatherings and we would always talk. I remember talking to her less than two years ago in the dining room of her parents' house, at her mother's funeral. Who would ever have thought that that would be our last conversation? I think someone should have a family reunion so that we can all meet up on better terms.
Anyway, on the way home, in heavy Philadelphia pot-hole traffic, I was trying to call home and play messages while stopping for lights on the way out of the city. I could tell there was a message because the machine picked up after the second ring, but Brian kept foiling my attempts, I finally reached the bridge, and I gave up. I called Kevin and told him that I thought the message was from his mother, so he should call home and get it. Of course, he did not.
I got home and saw the light still blinking, but now there were other messages, including one from his doctor's office, so I decided not to play them. It wasn't until he got home after 6 that we finally heard the - not one - but three messages from the Doll. In the first, she had fallen and couldn't get up. In the second, she had gotten up and left her door unlatched so I could come and help her. In the third and final message, she had reached her doctor, and on her advice was headed to the hospital. The first call had come in around noon.
So here we go again. She was held overnight but nothing is really found to be wrong with her, as usual, just a low heart rate. The doctors have told her this can happen when you get older but I asked her how low, and she didn't really answer. She's supposed to see a cardiologist today. They did a CT scan because she did hit her head when she fell, and that was clear, but now they're talking about a brain MRI because she has been having these bouts of dizziness. And we have Baxter here. Nothing like three dogs in a thunderstorm, one of them neurotic and undersocialized. Right now, he is asleep and snoring on the dog-couch that I got for Wilbur, who is nowhere to be found. Probably destroying cat toys or molesting cats.
Brian is enjoying his school so far, he does do the several hours of homework each night and even seems to enjoy some of it. But so far he hasn't had any tests returned or any work at all given back, for that matter. So that's when I'll start to gauge how he is doing. Kevin went to a meeting for the fathers last night and they were told that you should be OK with it if your son is in the 75-79 range. (!) Apparently about 35% of boys fall into that group, and the school says you should be satisfied. But I'm not telling Brian about that! He actually wants to do really well in math and science so that he can get into honors next year and eventually get into AP computers. So it's nice to see that he is actually setting some goals for himself. But it's early yet. We'll see.
He also talks a lot about his religion class and the things they are going to learn about, and what some kids ask and their responses from the instructor. This is the year he is supposed to do his confirmation classes at our church, and I am going to give him the option to talk to someone at the school about doing some sort of Catholic confirmation instead, if he would like. Either way, he would have to do it this year. He doesn't like that he doesn't know all the Catholic prayers, and he can't take communion in the masses that are held at the school. To Brian, conformity and fitting in have always been very important.
Also, on Monday, they have a mass and a 50th anniversary celebration for the school, followed by the annual run of the freshman class. They run a little more than a mile, I think, and I have been trying to have him go out and run for a couple of weeks now, so I hope he's ready. He used to do that distance in middle school and he almost never finished without stopping. But I doubt he will be the only one, and I doubt he will be the last. I just hope it's good weather for running, and that he gets through it without discomfort! And the next night, he has his MRI. I have been checking the tone in his legs and it feels a whole lot better. I don't know why that would be, unless it was tense because he was nervous. I hope that's why! Although I know it is not good that he keeps carrying these heavy backpacks!
So in other news, tonight looks to be a very wet one. I guess if the heaviest rains have passed through, there is still a chance they might play the game after all at the high school. Since this is the only one Megan will get to go to, I really hope for her sake it isn't cancelled. She also gets to go to the homecoming game on Thanksgiving, but that's different. Anyway, while I have the chance, I must also go and get some exercise. I have misplaced my ipod and don't feel like going to the Y, so I'm going to go down and ride the exercise bike that I got for my birthday, even though the pedals are hard for me to push for some reason. But I have to get my heart rate up and strengthen myself in general, as I have MY annual doctor's visit on the 16th, the day after Brian's MRI! Maybe I can just ask them not to take my blood pressure this year. :-)
Anyway, on the way home, in heavy Philadelphia pot-hole traffic, I was trying to call home and play messages while stopping for lights on the way out of the city. I could tell there was a message because the machine picked up after the second ring, but Brian kept foiling my attempts, I finally reached the bridge, and I gave up. I called Kevin and told him that I thought the message was from his mother, so he should call home and get it. Of course, he did not.
I got home and saw the light still blinking, but now there were other messages, including one from his doctor's office, so I decided not to play them. It wasn't until he got home after 6 that we finally heard the - not one - but three messages from the Doll. In the first, she had fallen and couldn't get up. In the second, she had gotten up and left her door unlatched so I could come and help her. In the third and final message, she had reached her doctor, and on her advice was headed to the hospital. The first call had come in around noon.
So here we go again. She was held overnight but nothing is really found to be wrong with her, as usual, just a low heart rate. The doctors have told her this can happen when you get older but I asked her how low, and she didn't really answer. She's supposed to see a cardiologist today. They did a CT scan because she did hit her head when she fell, and that was clear, but now they're talking about a brain MRI because she has been having these bouts of dizziness. And we have Baxter here. Nothing like three dogs in a thunderstorm, one of them neurotic and undersocialized. Right now, he is asleep and snoring on the dog-couch that I got for Wilbur, who is nowhere to be found. Probably destroying cat toys or molesting cats.
Brian is enjoying his school so far, he does do the several hours of homework each night and even seems to enjoy some of it. But so far he hasn't had any tests returned or any work at all given back, for that matter. So that's when I'll start to gauge how he is doing. Kevin went to a meeting for the fathers last night and they were told that you should be OK with it if your son is in the 75-79 range. (!) Apparently about 35% of boys fall into that group, and the school says you should be satisfied. But I'm not telling Brian about that! He actually wants to do really well in math and science so that he can get into honors next year and eventually get into AP computers. So it's nice to see that he is actually setting some goals for himself. But it's early yet. We'll see.
He also talks a lot about his religion class and the things they are going to learn about, and what some kids ask and their responses from the instructor. This is the year he is supposed to do his confirmation classes at our church, and I am going to give him the option to talk to someone at the school about doing some sort of Catholic confirmation instead, if he would like. Either way, he would have to do it this year. He doesn't like that he doesn't know all the Catholic prayers, and he can't take communion in the masses that are held at the school. To Brian, conformity and fitting in have always been very important.
Also, on Monday, they have a mass and a 50th anniversary celebration for the school, followed by the annual run of the freshman class. They run a little more than a mile, I think, and I have been trying to have him go out and run for a couple of weeks now, so I hope he's ready. He used to do that distance in middle school and he almost never finished without stopping. But I doubt he will be the only one, and I doubt he will be the last. I just hope it's good weather for running, and that he gets through it without discomfort! And the next night, he has his MRI. I have been checking the tone in his legs and it feels a whole lot better. I don't know why that would be, unless it was tense because he was nervous. I hope that's why! Although I know it is not good that he keeps carrying these heavy backpacks!
So in other news, tonight looks to be a very wet one. I guess if the heaviest rains have passed through, there is still a chance they might play the game after all at the high school. Since this is the only one Megan will get to go to, I really hope for her sake it isn't cancelled. She also gets to go to the homecoming game on Thanksgiving, but that's different. Anyway, while I have the chance, I must also go and get some exercise. I have misplaced my ipod and don't feel like going to the Y, so I'm going to go down and ride the exercise bike that I got for my birthday, even though the pedals are hard for me to push for some reason. But I have to get my heart rate up and strengthen myself in general, as I have MY annual doctor's visit on the 16th, the day after Brian's MRI! Maybe I can just ask them not to take my blood pressure this year. :-)
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
weighting to go to school
Holy cow! I thought the middle school backpacks were heavy. This was ridiculous! Brian didn't want to struggle with covering the textbooks he was given at school, so he brought them all home. Meanwhile, two of the ones I ordered showed up with yesterday's mail, so he had to take those two back, basically he brought them home for nothing, just to cover them because he doesn't know how to stretch the book sox around them. Megan was home when suddenly we heard a tapping, the sound of something gently rapping, rapping at our chamber door. So when I opened it, I found Brian, surrounded by a pile of huge heavy books, and a backpack full of more of the same.
Also, we had to go to Staples to get the notebooks and folders, which also had to be added to the load for transport back today. Some can't be helped, like the biology lab manual and workbooks (but some don't have to go every day), but the ones that I was able to get duplicates for can stay in school, and wouldn't it be nice if the teachers would allow him to keep the spare copies in the classrooms? I am trying to work up the nerve to ask. This morning, I made him carry four textbooks in a separate grocery bag, the reusable kind, and the rest of his things were in his backpack. He doesn't even have space for his laptop yet. Hopefully once he gets these all straightened out, he will be able to tote less of a load back and forth.
Today it is not such a nice day. I have plans to have lunch with a friend, and I went out for a walk this morning, then came and took the two dogs. It's so annoying to walk them both together, because they really are incompatible types of dogs, the one in his little prancey harness with his short leash, and the other big clunky deaf one with her longer lead and lumbering stride. Of course, they both decide it's time to do their business in the same place at the same time, and then they just get all wrapped up and confused, with the one in front starting to slow down and the one in back bumping into the other's butt and distracting him/her. Finally, it all works out and we make it home, invariably, but everyone is always exhausted afterwards.
In other news, I finally took the leap and listed my seven Phillies tickets on craigslist. I was so nervous to do it, because I always assume that anyone who is reading my ad is actually out to kill, maim, or just steal whatever they can get their hands on. But I did it, so they're up there. I guess I don't HAVE to sell them if it sounds suspicious, I can always say they're already gone, or just decide to use them myself after all. And I wonder what happens if I sell them, and then it rains again? Does that ever happen? Then the new makeup would probably be at a perfectly convenient time for me, but not for the purchaser. Anyway, enough of that. Stay tuned.
Also, we had to go to Staples to get the notebooks and folders, which also had to be added to the load for transport back today. Some can't be helped, like the biology lab manual and workbooks (but some don't have to go every day), but the ones that I was able to get duplicates for can stay in school, and wouldn't it be nice if the teachers would allow him to keep the spare copies in the classrooms? I am trying to work up the nerve to ask. This morning, I made him carry four textbooks in a separate grocery bag, the reusable kind, and the rest of his things were in his backpack. He doesn't even have space for his laptop yet. Hopefully once he gets these all straightened out, he will be able to tote less of a load back and forth.
Today it is not such a nice day. I have plans to have lunch with a friend, and I went out for a walk this morning, then came and took the two dogs. It's so annoying to walk them both together, because they really are incompatible types of dogs, the one in his little prancey harness with his short leash, and the other big clunky deaf one with her longer lead and lumbering stride. Of course, they both decide it's time to do their business in the same place at the same time, and then they just get all wrapped up and confused, with the one in front starting to slow down and the one in back bumping into the other's butt and distracting him/her. Finally, it all works out and we make it home, invariably, but everyone is always exhausted afterwards.
In other news, I finally took the leap and listed my seven Phillies tickets on craigslist. I was so nervous to do it, because I always assume that anyone who is reading my ad is actually out to kill, maim, or just steal whatever they can get their hands on. But I did it, so they're up there. I guess I don't HAVE to sell them if it sounds suspicious, I can always say they're already gone, or just decide to use them myself after all. And I wonder what happens if I sell them, and then it rains again? Does that ever happen? Then the new makeup would probably be at a perfectly convenient time for me, but not for the purchaser. Anyway, enough of that. Stay tuned.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
and they're off
Today is the first full day of school for the public schools and the first day of actual classes for Brian. He had technical difficulties tying his tie this morning, and he didn't seem to know which books he was required to port back and forth on the first day of class, so that created some distress last night. Personally, I am allowing him to find his own way with limited guidance, which is what we were told at orientation. I think he'll learn the lessons better if he makes a mistake and gets corrected than if he is reminded in advance and doesn't make the mistake. As the brothers said the other night, he isn't going to be happy about having to bring us to college with him. Kevin feels the need to run continuous interference, repeatedly asking which books he should bring, despite both of our blank stares and unwavering, "I don't know"s.
And again, Brian's school bus showed up at 7:43, completely empty, with a 100 year old woman driver. So he got on, and I'll see if he takes it home. On Friday, he walked, but part of the reason was that he didn't know which of the massive array of buses in the circular drive was the one that had brought him, his personal chariot. He really, really doesn't need a bus, and I am shocked that he was provided with one. But how can this be, the school district is in such financial distress and yet a bus comes with only one student on it? I'm sure there are others but they probably don't need it either, and can't be bothered to wait. A few more days might yield some answers. Brian can walk to school in less time than it takes him to walk to the bus stop; but for some reason, I drive them to the bus in the mornings. But if he doesn't take the bus, who will? And what will become of his lady driver?
The weekend was a bit chilly, but I guess that is a fitting end for summer anyway. Saturday was a beautiful day with nice ocean breezes and a few waves here and there. We packed up expecting more of the same on Sunday, only to find the beach cold, windy and with red flags flying, indicating no swimming in the ocean. Yesterday was a bit better, but we went down at 3, after rearranging Megan's room, and just sat on the sand for a couple of hours. Then we went and ate at Bahr's (where the hostess asked me if I had brought my mother-in-law! hahaha! She remembered Brian's graduation dinner) and came home to get ready for the first morning of the school year. I had forgotten to buy lunch foods so we ran out at 9:30 last night only to find Acme had closed early for the holiday. Luckily the little convenience store next door was open and robbed us in exchange for a small jar of peanut butter and a couple of fiber one bars.
In other news, the house is very quiet now. Molly has an infection and cyst on her toe again, and Wilbur peed on the floor upstairs when he didn't get let out for three hours. He spent some time in the penalty box and has just recently been released, so he is probably off mauling Rusty or devouring someone's shoe or sock. The biggest news of the day so far is that my broken camera returned repaired, just in time for me not to need it. Oh, and a very long and unusual series of beeps was just emitted from the direction of the laundry room, which, with that washing machine, cannot be a good thing. I'd better go and check it out.
And again, Brian's school bus showed up at 7:43, completely empty, with a 100 year old woman driver. So he got on, and I'll see if he takes it home. On Friday, he walked, but part of the reason was that he didn't know which of the massive array of buses in the circular drive was the one that had brought him, his personal chariot. He really, really doesn't need a bus, and I am shocked that he was provided with one. But how can this be, the school district is in such financial distress and yet a bus comes with only one student on it? I'm sure there are others but they probably don't need it either, and can't be bothered to wait. A few more days might yield some answers. Brian can walk to school in less time than it takes him to walk to the bus stop; but for some reason, I drive them to the bus in the mornings. But if he doesn't take the bus, who will? And what will become of his lady driver?
The weekend was a bit chilly, but I guess that is a fitting end for summer anyway. Saturday was a beautiful day with nice ocean breezes and a few waves here and there. We packed up expecting more of the same on Sunday, only to find the beach cold, windy and with red flags flying, indicating no swimming in the ocean. Yesterday was a bit better, but we went down at 3, after rearranging Megan's room, and just sat on the sand for a couple of hours. Then we went and ate at Bahr's (where the hostess asked me if I had brought my mother-in-law! hahaha! She remembered Brian's graduation dinner) and came home to get ready for the first morning of the school year. I had forgotten to buy lunch foods so we ran out at 9:30 last night only to find Acme had closed early for the holiday. Luckily the little convenience store next door was open and robbed us in exchange for a small jar of peanut butter and a couple of fiber one bars.
In other news, the house is very quiet now. Molly has an infection and cyst on her toe again, and Wilbur peed on the floor upstairs when he didn't get let out for three hours. He spent some time in the penalty box and has just recently been released, so he is probably off mauling Rusty or devouring someone's shoe or sock. The biggest news of the day so far is that my broken camera returned repaired, just in time for me not to need it. Oh, and a very long and unusual series of beeps was just emitted from the direction of the laundry room, which, with that washing machine, cannot be a good thing. I'd better go and check it out.
Friday, September 4, 2009
empty nest!!
Well, for now. In an hour I have to go to the dermatologist, I completely forgot I even had this appointment, but it's one of the few things I do regularly, and apparently I had scheduled the appointment for this week. So I have a 10:40 appointment, just what I need, to go to a doctor who doesn't accept insurance! I hope he won't remove anything or have any extra charges this year. Most of the time he has, but I have usually brought things to his attention and not the other way around. So we'll see. My fingers are crossed.
So Brian went to high school!!! Last night they had an orientation for the new parents, which was informative but also not earth shattering. They are very proud of what they do and how they do it, and they talk a very impressive game. So in a few weeks we'll see how it works out for Brian. He certainly looked good, anyway! The only complaint I had was that I had asked to pick his tie, but he chose the shirt, and although it was nice enough (plain blue) it was a Lands End shirt. These are OK, but they just don't fit as well as the Brooks Brothers shirts, and for picture day I would have chosen one of the latter. The Lands End ones gap a bit around the waist. But he has to wear a blazer over it anyway, and he was struggling so much with the tiny buttons on the collar that I thought it would be best to just leave it as is. Megan was running late so I didn't get a chance to snap a picture. I guess I'll have to wait till the professional ones come in!
Today is just their orientation, so he can wear the Brooks Brothers shirt on the first real day of class, when he will be making his first impression on all of his teachers and classmates. Although we are just a stone's throw from the back of the school, we must be farther from the front via roadways, so he has been issued a bus pass and assigned to a bus. The bus pass said to be at the bus 20 minutes ahead of the time printed on the pass, which said 7:14. We went at 6:55, and the bus finally rolled in at 7:40. Brian didn't need to be at school until 8:30 so that was OK, but we'll have to work this out in a few days. Obviously if she is coming that late we won't go out early, but in this weather, it's really easiest for him just to walk. It's just that he was the ONLY one on the bus when it came, other than the ancient little lady driver. I can't wait to hear how that ride went, when he gets home. We were at the bus stop long enough to direct two unfortunate freshman that their public school bus had left before they got there, and to watch all the middle schoolers come and go on their bus, which showed up at 7:30.
Oh, and the school nurse called yesterday just to check in. She seems very nice, and also said that she is working on trying to get extra books for Brian to keep at home. I told her that I had found four of them for $25 total, and therefore only needed three more. So we'll see if she comes through with those. This is over and above what I expected, so it was a pleasant surprise to hear that news.
As for Megan, she came home with a huge pile of books and a lot of homework, from her 20 minute classes yesterday. Most of it was from AP history, but the calculus had kicked in as well. The physics teacher was kind enough to wait, as were Spanish and language arts. I'm sure by Tuesday they'll all be in full swing. She is afraid she will have no life this year (what else is new?) but at least she has an elective that she will enjoy: child development. It's an actual, free preschool for the township four year olds. We had a neighbor who sent her daughters to this program as pupils, long ago. They loved it.
In other news, TGIF. What a weird week this has been. It felt so strange to be sending someone off to their first day of school on a Friday! Even if it isn't 'real' school yet. And now, our last beach weekend, still calling for beautiful weather. Yesterday Brian and I took the dogs to the dog park again. Wilbur gets so worn out that when he gets home, he behaves much better. But there was some beagle thing there that was chasing him around, and he can't run that fast when he gets into a real chase, so he just kept sitting down, because the dog was hurting him. Or he said it was, he tends to sound the alarm pretty readily. And poor Molly, she always wants to come on the small dog side now, and I usually ask if anyone minds, and then bring her, she is much calmer than many smaller dogs, like that beagle, for example, but the weight limit is supposed to be 35 pounds. The dogs on the big dog side are like crazy goofy wild animals, though, and she is just too old and frail to be romping like that! All she does is sniff around and pee everywhere, and then nuzzle all the people.
So Brian went to high school!!! Last night they had an orientation for the new parents, which was informative but also not earth shattering. They are very proud of what they do and how they do it, and they talk a very impressive game. So in a few weeks we'll see how it works out for Brian. He certainly looked good, anyway! The only complaint I had was that I had asked to pick his tie, but he chose the shirt, and although it was nice enough (plain blue) it was a Lands End shirt. These are OK, but they just don't fit as well as the Brooks Brothers shirts, and for picture day I would have chosen one of the latter. The Lands End ones gap a bit around the waist. But he has to wear a blazer over it anyway, and he was struggling so much with the tiny buttons on the collar that I thought it would be best to just leave it as is. Megan was running late so I didn't get a chance to snap a picture. I guess I'll have to wait till the professional ones come in!
Today is just their orientation, so he can wear the Brooks Brothers shirt on the first real day of class, when he will be making his first impression on all of his teachers and classmates. Although we are just a stone's throw from the back of the school, we must be farther from the front via roadways, so he has been issued a bus pass and assigned to a bus. The bus pass said to be at the bus 20 minutes ahead of the time printed on the pass, which said 7:14. We went at 6:55, and the bus finally rolled in at 7:40. Brian didn't need to be at school until 8:30 so that was OK, but we'll have to work this out in a few days. Obviously if she is coming that late we won't go out early, but in this weather, it's really easiest for him just to walk. It's just that he was the ONLY one on the bus when it came, other than the ancient little lady driver. I can't wait to hear how that ride went, when he gets home. We were at the bus stop long enough to direct two unfortunate freshman that their public school bus had left before they got there, and to watch all the middle schoolers come and go on their bus, which showed up at 7:30.
Oh, and the school nurse called yesterday just to check in. She seems very nice, and also said that she is working on trying to get extra books for Brian to keep at home. I told her that I had found four of them for $25 total, and therefore only needed three more. So we'll see if she comes through with those. This is over and above what I expected, so it was a pleasant surprise to hear that news.
As for Megan, she came home with a huge pile of books and a lot of homework, from her 20 minute classes yesterday. Most of it was from AP history, but the calculus had kicked in as well. The physics teacher was kind enough to wait, as were Spanish and language arts. I'm sure by Tuesday they'll all be in full swing. She is afraid she will have no life this year (what else is new?) but at least she has an elective that she will enjoy: child development. It's an actual, free preschool for the township four year olds. We had a neighbor who sent her daughters to this program as pupils, long ago. They loved it.
In other news, TGIF. What a weird week this has been. It felt so strange to be sending someone off to their first day of school on a Friday! Even if it isn't 'real' school yet. And now, our last beach weekend, still calling for beautiful weather. Yesterday Brian and I took the dogs to the dog park again. Wilbur gets so worn out that when he gets home, he behaves much better. But there was some beagle thing there that was chasing him around, and he can't run that fast when he gets into a real chase, so he just kept sitting down, because the dog was hurting him. Or he said it was, he tends to sound the alarm pretty readily. And poor Molly, she always wants to come on the small dog side now, and I usually ask if anyone minds, and then bring her, she is much calmer than many smaller dogs, like that beagle, for example, but the weight limit is supposed to be 35 pounds. The dogs on the big dog side are like crazy goofy wild animals, though, and she is just too old and frail to be romping like that! All she does is sniff around and pee everywhere, and then nuzzle all the people.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
one down, one to go
And she's off. Megan, as always, had a rough idea of what she would wear to school but when it came time to actually put it on, she needed more than she had and didn't know what to do. Eventually I found something passable in the laundry basket, and we set off, about ten minutes later than planned. And then we sat. And sat. And 20 minutes later, I left her at the bus stop. I had second thoughts, and drove back up just in case, and there it was, so she probably made it on time. Usually the bus comes about half an hour earlier than this. I'm sure it will get back on that schedule by next week. Last year it was later on the first day as well, because it follows what the bus pass says, which is incorrect.
Anyway, this was our first school day without E and it was nice. Also nice because it's only a half day so there were no lunches to be packed. I'll have to go shopping over the weekend for lunch stuffs, but Megan has lunch at 10:30 so that's kind of a pain. She'll have more of a brunch, and then eat a linner when she gets home, I guess. But it was more quiet and mellow without two girls vying for the bathroom; and it also helped that Brian hasn't started yet.
Brian is sleeping down in the basement, which is where I and the two dogs are holed up while the cleaning girls mill about upstairs. They are two relatively new girls, another thing I don't like so much about this cleaning service. I never know who they're going to send me. Even the main one changes weekly. Some cleaning woman put a flyer in our mailbox and I was considering calling her, but then Kevin threw it out. So for now, we'll stick with this one. Although I still have suspicions about my camera, otherwise it vanished into thin air.
Speaking of Brian, I got the call from the pediatrician's office yesterday with the results from the blood work. "Megan is fine," she reported, and I said, "just Megan?" So then she rifled through her papers and found Brian's. "Oh, yes," she says. "Brian's CBC was all normal, too .. but .." (why is there always a but with Brian?) His cholesterol was borderline elevated! The normal high for a child is 170 and his was 178. So now I have to change everything. Everything I should have changed anyway because Kevin's has been high, but now that it's happening so soon to Brian, I will have to be sure. No more 2% milk, no more nightly ice cream, no more bacon cheeseburgers, fries, ribs, eggs and cheese quesadillas. More fruits, vegetables, fiber, and exercise! I guess we recheck it next year but I'll ask them to check the thyroid as well at that point. He may have inherited Kevin's Quasimoto Disease. That kid won the lottery when he drew from the gene pool, apparently. At least he got those nice blue eyes.
In other news, I continue to check the sub placement system and it still says no assignments found. It is possible they have not entered any yet, being only the first day with students in school. But I would expect the meetings will be scheduled for next week, and there should be some popping up, unless they put them directly only to certain people. So this will be interesting, and if it doesn't work out, I'll really need to come up with a Plan B. I can't go on like this till Christmas, and beyond. Otherwise, Megan will be home around noon, and then Brian and she will both have half days tomorrow. The weekend is supposed to be beautiful, Saturday in particular, so we will have to try to get our summer's worth of money out of the beach club in three days :-) Oh, and the college search is on for Megan, and she is open to suggestions. Her aspirations are expanding now that her swim coach suggested occupational therapy (which of course we had discussed before) and someone else mentioned early intervention. Otherwise, the main catch-all major is special education, for now. I'm planning a two day trip up to Boston and maybe Connecticut for early November, when the public schools are closed, but not Brian's.
Anyway, this was our first school day without E and it was nice. Also nice because it's only a half day so there were no lunches to be packed. I'll have to go shopping over the weekend for lunch stuffs, but Megan has lunch at 10:30 so that's kind of a pain. She'll have more of a brunch, and then eat a linner when she gets home, I guess. But it was more quiet and mellow without two girls vying for the bathroom; and it also helped that Brian hasn't started yet.
Brian is sleeping down in the basement, which is where I and the two dogs are holed up while the cleaning girls mill about upstairs. They are two relatively new girls, another thing I don't like so much about this cleaning service. I never know who they're going to send me. Even the main one changes weekly. Some cleaning woman put a flyer in our mailbox and I was considering calling her, but then Kevin threw it out. So for now, we'll stick with this one. Although I still have suspicions about my camera, otherwise it vanished into thin air.
Speaking of Brian, I got the call from the pediatrician's office yesterday with the results from the blood work. "Megan is fine," she reported, and I said, "just Megan?" So then she rifled through her papers and found Brian's. "Oh, yes," she says. "Brian's CBC was all normal, too .. but .." (why is there always a but with Brian?) His cholesterol was borderline elevated! The normal high for a child is 170 and his was 178. So now I have to change everything. Everything I should have changed anyway because Kevin's has been high, but now that it's happening so soon to Brian, I will have to be sure. No more 2% milk, no more nightly ice cream, no more bacon cheeseburgers, fries, ribs, eggs and cheese quesadillas. More fruits, vegetables, fiber, and exercise! I guess we recheck it next year but I'll ask them to check the thyroid as well at that point. He may have inherited Kevin's Quasimoto Disease. That kid won the lottery when he drew from the gene pool, apparently. At least he got those nice blue eyes.
In other news, I continue to check the sub placement system and it still says no assignments found. It is possible they have not entered any yet, being only the first day with students in school. But I would expect the meetings will be scheduled for next week, and there should be some popping up, unless they put them directly only to certain people. So this will be interesting, and if it doesn't work out, I'll really need to come up with a Plan B. I can't go on like this till Christmas, and beyond. Otherwise, Megan will be home around noon, and then Brian and she will both have half days tomorrow. The weekend is supposed to be beautiful, Saturday in particular, so we will have to try to get our summer's worth of money out of the beach club in three days :-) Oh, and the college search is on for Megan, and she is open to suggestions. Her aspirations are expanding now that her swim coach suggested occupational therapy (which of course we had discussed before) and someone else mentioned early intervention. Otherwise, the main catch-all major is special education, for now. I'm planning a two day trip up to Boston and maybe Connecticut for early November, when the public schools are closed, but not Brian's.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
and so ends summer
The past few days have been beautiful. Crisp, cool, dry weather, beautiful sunshine. Who wants to go back to school with weather like this outside? Nobody who has a choice, but nobody has a choice, so they go back tomorrow! Well, Megan does. Brian has one more day and then he has orientation on Friday, where he will get his schedule, locker, and have extended homeroom and picture day. He has to wear a blazer on top of the tie, the latter of which will be part of his daily uniform now! Megan only has half days this week, then they both go back to full days on Tuesday the 8th. Brian will have tests on his summer reading books.
Yesterday I took them both for routine blood work, probably the first time I have done that in ... ever. Brian wasn't even in the system. Megan had blood work done several years ago when she had an unexplained fever for about ten days. She was so young then that I remember taking her to a dance performance at her old dancing school, and worrying if that was a bad choice because she had been sick. And of course Brian had lots of CBCs done when he was in and out of hospitals in 2005. But all of these were just drawn through the IV, so he was scared for hours before we got there. In the end, his was nothing, once they found his little tiny veins and stuck the butterfly needle in. When they took off their cottons, Megan's was all red and bloody. Brian made a big panicky production of pulling his off, only to reveal what looked like the tip of a brown ballpoint pen had been stuck there.
After the blood work, I got a call that the hairdresser, who is very difficult to get, had a cancellation for today at 2! This is for Megan's back to school cut, and the timing was perfect! She can have nice hair for the first day of school! But no. She will get her hair cut, but I had forgotten about the blasted beach practices of the swim team, which involve a run along the boardwalk, an hour of calisthenics on the beach, and then sometimes, a swim in the ocean. They have only gone in the ocean once, and Megan wasn't there that night, but tonight, I would bet my fortune on their taking a swim, just because her hair will be perfect. She might be able to stretch it with just a run and some dryland exercises, but no way if she goes into the briny surf. Also, she has a giant sandburn on her thigh, which she hid from me for several days, another reason I think she should stay out of the ocean, but still she will not.
I've been paying my bills and again hoping that the online sub system takes effect soon. It says that it's live, but no jobs are showing up. The teachers just went back to work today, so I wouldn't really expect them to be taking days off just yet. But they usually start scheduling meetings with child study team members the first week, and they always need subs to cover for those. So I'm checking. I also joined craig'slist hoping I can sell these baseball tickets for 8pm on the 13th. I see a few others listed there but I got nervous and didn't post them. I don't know what happens if I sell them and the game is rained out. If it's another rainout, and I have the tickets, what if the new date is better? And do I have to sell them at a discount, or can I just sell them at face value? There are a couple of other tickets listed for the game, but they're better seats and they're being sold for $40-50 each. I would like to charge $20 apiece, the tickets were $22, but I paid considerably more if you factor in the service charges that I can't pass along.
Anyway, in other news, Wilbur is being annoying today. He'd been so good when he first came back from the puppy farm, but now it seems like he is back to his old ways, barking all the time, getting distracted when we take him outside to do his business, stealing all of Molly's toys, and constantly humping Rusty. I have him in his little pen now and he's quiet, but obviously I can't leave him there. I might take him over to the dog park and let some rottweiler put him in his place :-) And the cleaning people are coming tomorrow. It feels like they haven't been here in ages, when it was really just three weeks ago. I had expected them last week, but they never showed up. So maybe they will come tomorrow. They're too expensive anyway. I don't like the amount of cleaning supplies they use up each day either, and they use mine. So they cost me the charge for the day PLUS the mass quantities of various cleaners that they go through each month. I really should shop around, but I have grown to trust them in the house.
Yesterday I took them both for routine blood work, probably the first time I have done that in ... ever. Brian wasn't even in the system. Megan had blood work done several years ago when she had an unexplained fever for about ten days. She was so young then that I remember taking her to a dance performance at her old dancing school, and worrying if that was a bad choice because she had been sick. And of course Brian had lots of CBCs done when he was in and out of hospitals in 2005. But all of these were just drawn through the IV, so he was scared for hours before we got there. In the end, his was nothing, once they found his little tiny veins and stuck the butterfly needle in. When they took off their cottons, Megan's was all red and bloody. Brian made a big panicky production of pulling his off, only to reveal what looked like the tip of a brown ballpoint pen had been stuck there.
After the blood work, I got a call that the hairdresser, who is very difficult to get, had a cancellation for today at 2! This is for Megan's back to school cut, and the timing was perfect! She can have nice hair for the first day of school! But no. She will get her hair cut, but I had forgotten about the blasted beach practices of the swim team, which involve a run along the boardwalk, an hour of calisthenics on the beach, and then sometimes, a swim in the ocean. They have only gone in the ocean once, and Megan wasn't there that night, but tonight, I would bet my fortune on their taking a swim, just because her hair will be perfect. She might be able to stretch it with just a run and some dryland exercises, but no way if she goes into the briny surf. Also, she has a giant sandburn on her thigh, which she hid from me for several days, another reason I think she should stay out of the ocean, but still she will not.
I've been paying my bills and again hoping that the online sub system takes effect soon. It says that it's live, but no jobs are showing up. The teachers just went back to work today, so I wouldn't really expect them to be taking days off just yet. But they usually start scheduling meetings with child study team members the first week, and they always need subs to cover for those. So I'm checking. I also joined craig'slist hoping I can sell these baseball tickets for 8pm on the 13th. I see a few others listed there but I got nervous and didn't post them. I don't know what happens if I sell them and the game is rained out. If it's another rainout, and I have the tickets, what if the new date is better? And do I have to sell them at a discount, or can I just sell them at face value? There are a couple of other tickets listed for the game, but they're better seats and they're being sold for $40-50 each. I would like to charge $20 apiece, the tickets were $22, but I paid considerably more if you factor in the service charges that I can't pass along.
Anyway, in other news, Wilbur is being annoying today. He'd been so good when he first came back from the puppy farm, but now it seems like he is back to his old ways, barking all the time, getting distracted when we take him outside to do his business, stealing all of Molly's toys, and constantly humping Rusty. I have him in his little pen now and he's quiet, but obviously I can't leave him there. I might take him over to the dog park and let some rottweiler put him in his place :-) And the cleaning people are coming tomorrow. It feels like they haven't been here in ages, when it was really just three weeks ago. I had expected them last week, but they never showed up. So maybe they will come tomorrow. They're too expensive anyway. I don't like the amount of cleaning supplies they use up each day either, and they use mine. So they cost me the charge for the day PLUS the mass quantities of various cleaners that they go through each month. I really should shop around, but I have grown to trust them in the house.
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