Check-in: 15 and counting...

[Lupine]

^Same here.

Need to do some shopping today. I might take a small portable swamp cooler back to the store. It appears to be leaking. But can I find the receipt?

[scottydog]

Good Monday, everyone. With the 3-day holiday, it's one of the few times that 'good monday' isn't an oxymoron!

Today The Wife and I are going to the Virginia Fine Arts Museum. Anything to beat the 100 degree temps outside.

I've been reading all your posts with great interest. I hope all of your teeth, your cars, your dads, your friends, your directTV's, swampcoolers, and other important things & people are doing well.

[Madeliaette]

He should talk to a doctor about how to handle migraines.

Or try some 'safe' remedy, if not...

I hope he's doing better today.

Alas, as I walked onto the ward to say 'HI DAD' with a big grin, my father was stressed to hell and close to tears. It took at least half my hour long visit to reassure him - a lot of hidden fears are surfacing that i never knew he had - and i have to try to find ways to help him get thru these, I think. (I should go swat a psychology book...) He is still very weak physically - so he will need a stint in the recuperation hospital it seems - at lrast that is within walking distance, so i can go in daily and he will not be so anxious and panicky when i am not there.

They did, in fact, pump his stomach.

Good job you guys took him in then, Sean!!!!!

A society riddled with diseases. I really believe this us why there are so many people with health issues which were not heard of 30 years ago. Also, I believe this is why there are so many kids now with Autism or ADHD.

That is similar to my beleif - that if we go against nature, Mother nature is gonna spank our human-backside til we get back on track - or wipe us out. Many warnings in the form of natural disasters, new diseases, etc, keep cropping up - but so few people seem to realize/accept this might be why. I mean just food alone - artificial flavors and colors, GM foods, artifical preservatives, pesticides, processed foods, lack of time-out from an air-conditioned/heated sanctuary - this is all leading to poor health, cancers, etc... It is one reason i choose not to have half the mod-cons most peeps want/need - why i do most of my chores by hand rather than machine, why i always have a window open for at least 4 hours a day even in winter, why i dont use a heater/cooler, etc... (there is sanity in my insanity! )

We should know in two days when dad is being transferred - but it looks like being a long stint and he will be lucky to get home before mid-late July. He cannot yet shave/walk/stand up/wash - himself without help. Most things, i can handle (bed baths/cooking for him/handling his medications/helping him dress/all that jazz) - but i cannot get him up the stairs alone, nor heave him to his feet or help him walk without his own effort as well - and he no longer has that effort. We can get a walking frame, but if he cannot YET stand up to use it....

Anyway, the nurse told me they will fill out an assesment form for social services - who will assess him and get in touxch with me concerning what equipment we can borrow when he gets home and what care-needs he will have. then i will know what i am in for when he gets out of the recuperation hosp!

[RJDiogenes]

Good evening, everyone.

I put my upstairs air conditioner in today. Hopefully that will make working more bearable for the next few days as the heat wave continues.

Need to do some shopping today. I might take a small portable swamp cooler back to the store. It appears to be leaking. But can I find the receipt?

At least you save receipts. I just throw them out.

Today The Wife and I are going to the Virginia Fine Arts Museum. Anything to beat the 100 degree temps outside.

I think it must have gotten close to that here today.

Alas, as I walked onto the ward to say 'HI DAD' with a big grin, my father was stressed to hell and close to tears. It took at least half my hour long visit to reassure him - a lot of hidden fears are surfacing that i never knew he had - and i have to try to find ways to help him get thru these, I think. (I should go swat a psychology book...) He is still very weak physically - so he will need a stint in the recuperation hospital it seems - at lrast that is within walking distance, so i can go in daily and he will not be so anxious and panicky when i am not there.

Oh, the poor guy. It's good that he will be closer to home, and hopefully will only have a couple of weeks in the recuperation hospital. I don't blame him for being anxious.

[Madeliaette]

It's good that he will be closer to home, and hopefully will only have a couple of week

Yes, I wont have to use his money for fares but can walk in when he moves - so i wont feel so guilty going in to visit daily then. It seems that if he doesnt get someone visit each day, he loses ground so I shall HAVE to get in daily i think... My cousin is going to visit today, but from then on I will have to go every day just to keep his spirits up so he can recover quicker. i am going to get a ton of banking, shopping, and chores done today and prepare for a daily visit from tomorrow onward - and hopefully his transfer at the end of the week so i can save his cash on the fares!

[RJDiogenes]

^^ Maybe being closer to home and knowing that he'll be going home soon will also inspire him to get better.

Good morning, everybody.

I have a feeling today is going to be very uncomfortable. I also have to bring my car in today to get that noise checked out.

[jgc]

Morning everyone.

Back to work today. At least it well be air conditioned, and the weather service just put out a heat advisory for this afternoon and early evening.

[Cayla]

We are also under a heat advisory, and an ozone advisory. I was looking forward to a packed schedule at work today, but now there are a ton of cancellations. I'm tempted to go back to the camper this evening for a couple of nights.

That is similar to my beleif - that if we go against nature, Mother nature is gonna spank our human-backside til we get back on track - or wipe us out. Many warnings in the form of natural disasters, new diseases, etc, keep cropping up - but so few people seem to realize/accept this might be why. I mean just food alone - artificial flavors and colors, GM foods, artifical preservatives, pesticides, processed foods, lack of time-out from an air-conditioned/heated sanctuary - this is all leading to poor health, cancers, etc... It is one reason i choose not to have half the mod-cons most peeps want/need - why i do most of my chores by hand rather than machine, why i always have a window open for at least 4 hours a day even in winter, why i dont use a heater/cooler, etc... (there is sanity in my insanity! )

This is why I gave up most processed foods, try to grow as much produce organically as I possible can in my small yard, do a ton of canning, and make my own cleaning products. I'm too spoiled to give up a lot of modern conveniences, but there are a few things I would be willing to give up or cut back on if I didn't live in the suburbs.

[Madeliaette]

^^ Maybe being closer to home and knowing that he'll be going home soon will also inspire him to get better.

i am hoping that too!

This is why I gave up most processed foods, try to grow as much produce organically as I possible can in my small yard, do a ton of canning, and make my own cleaning products. I'm too spoiled to give up a lot of modern conveniences, but there are a few things I would be willing to give up or cut back on if I didn't live in the suburbs.

HOW does one can? I have read that one can can at home... but have never really thought about it.... it is something i cant do now, but may look into starting up in a few years time IF one can do it 'at home'. i have also been wondering about drying peppers and other vegies so i can grow more of my year-thru produce.... but once again, i am still at the 'possible' stage... i guess most things i never took up to start with - like driving a car/air cond/microwaves.... but i have cut a lot of processed muck and mod cons... i couldnt drop my computing tho... it is my main communication/socializing area... but i have dropped most other things - exceopt the over/fridge/ boombox.

i now have a bank account that pays me 5^ PA interest instead of 0.5, has a debit card and check book too... phew. now i can shop online if i have to stay home with dad for 1-2 weeks 24/24....

[Lupine]

Good morning.

Not much to update on. It's hot, probably going to get hotter. The portable swamp cooler is on probation, though I did find the receipt. Did some shopping yesterday, got a little dehydrated. Came home to find that dad didn't put the cooler on when it started getting hot so it was 91 inside the house.

[Cayla]

HOW does one can?

I started here...
http://pickyourown.org/allaboutcanning.htm

Then I got a recipe/canning book from Ball. I also know several people who had great tips or different ways to do this. It's not hard, just time consuming.

[Sean]

I have a few things to do today, and the fact that I woke up a bit late isn't helping. I have lunch with my prom date later today (she asked me!), and then my best friend and I are going to spend some quality time together. We haven't in a long, long time. Emphasis on long. We also have an air quality advisory, so anything we do will be indoors!

My sister's dumb friend, and scummy pimp/boyfriend is over. Why? She's grounded. This isn't supposed to happen. Excuse me for sounding cruel/intolerant, but that scumbag should not be allowed in my house. I feel like I need to sanitize everything he has touched. I don't give him the time of day, don't talk to him, and if I have to refer to him, I call him either "her pimp" or "pond scum". Normally I'd try and at least offer some respect...but honestly, this dude deserves none. The fact that he's most likely sleeping with my 15 year old sister notwithstanding, he never showers, helped get my sister into drugs, and gives my parents no respect what so ever. He is therefore about the same level as the dirt I clean off of the golf shoes at work. Sorry...I'm pretty frustrated that he's here in the first place...

Anyway, today should prove fun. Aside from m y date, there will be people at this lunch that I haven't seen in ages. Try and stay cool everyone!

[jgc]

Well, it was cool in the office, so that helped. When I got home, I discovered that my laptop had turned itself off because it was too hot!!! So, I've turned on my old, old, old air conditioner and the fan to see if that will cool it down in here. Anything would be cooler than 90F in the house!

Getting a little hungry. May go out to the kitchen and scrounge around.

[RJDiogenes]

Good evening, everyone.

Am I alive? I think I might be alive. I'm downstairs now and the air conditioner is bringing me back to life a bit.

I picked up my car after work (that was a fun walk). Cost me 170 bucks, but he said my left front wheel was on the verge of coming off, so I guess it's money well spent.

[Madeliaette]

I started here...

thanks i have bookmarked the page and will study it tonight!

Try and stay cool everyone!

but... it's summer - i am supposed to enjoy the 'heat'!!! (maybe you mean grab a nice ice cold beer out the fridge< )
Well, I have the house chores and tidying up the garden ahead of me - then i will catch the train in to go visit Dad. I am hoping to hear when they will shift him to the local recuperation hospital today - as then I can walk in instead of paying fare from his money when I visit. I hope to either work on my next book or do some study tonight as well as spending about 1-2 hours online after dinner.