Happy Kidney Day!

Today's is the 13th anniversary of my son's kidney transplant! We are forever thankful to the family of the donor who were so selfless in their gift. Happy Birthday Kidney - and many, many more.

Let me Out!

My Internet is up and down like a bloody yoyo - and we haven't yet changed providers - so I will type this as quick as I can - before I go POOF!

Has not been a few good days. Mr. Indi's constipation became crucial - morphine is a horrible drug when it comes to one's bowels. He was in such pain and discomfort - I just didn't know what to do - and the nurses were no help. But - I finally got him moving with shredded wheat - apples - prunes - milk of magnesia and senakot (double dose!) Yea! Of course, I then became the bed pan emptier par excellence for several hours - Oh well - I wasn't doing anything else important!

The hospice company has now insisted that we use their hospital bed as opposed to the bed that Mr. Indi is using - that came from the Home Care company. (The EXACT same type of hospital bed.) What a crock! Now - on Monday, I shall have to use the Hoya hoist and wheelchair to move his Lordship into the spare room while all this bed moving takes place. I shall then have to move him back. I'm glad he's only 230 lbs - I couldn't manage 300!

My car died this morning - What Fun! When the Auto Club came out to look at it, the verdict was that the battery is toast! It looks as though the alternator cooked it. So - I had it towed to our mechanic and they will check it out on Monday. I am guessing $800! So - for the rest of the day - grocery shopping, etc - I drove Mr. Indi's old banger which makes horrible grinding noises when you turn the steering wheel. I shall have to take that one in, too. My guess is another $800.

Last night, the people at the back of us gave a party (they have a swimming pool) - they were still going at it at 2:30 this morning. Selfish lot - or maybe I'm just jealous that I wasn't there! Either way - I am sleep deprived!

Thanks to Jan for the wonderful note - I couldn't stop laughing - and I hope you and Tony have a wonderful time in Wolverhampton - my kinda place!

The picture is of a horrible 6 inch grasshopper that was on my window screen yesterday morning. He jumped - flew - flopped - out of the way before I could chop his head off with my secateurs. But - I shall be on the lookout for him - he'd better beware! I named the picture - Let me Out - but as he was on the outside, I suppose it should be - Let Me In!

Off The Air.

I may be off the air for a few hours - days - weeks! LOL. I am changing internet providers - am sick of the other lot. Don't know what my new email will be - will let you know - but I will still be available on palealepam (at) gmail (dot) com. If the switch over takes too long - I shall be taking my beautiful pink laptop to Starbucks for a nice cup of coffee and free wifi!
IPA

All About Cars - And Other Stuff.

On Monday, a new handicapped placard came in the mail for Mr. Indi. When I opened the envelope, I just sat on the couch and cried. He will never drive a car again - he will probably never even be able to get into a car again. The placard is of no use.

Also on Monday, our friend, Enrique, came to visit us on his day off - this is the chap who has the English teacher who told him he would burn in hell....blah, blah, blah. (BTW - he took my advice and told her to shut up about her religion - which she has!) Enrique has recently bought a car - he used to go everywhere on his bike - and he is now enjoying himself with his new toy! He came to see if he could help me out with some chores and I asked him if he would take John's car to the car wash - (I would pay, of course) It hasn't been driven in about 8 weeks and was covered in dust and even had cobwebs growing in the wheel wells! Well, Enrique didn't want to go to the car wash - he says they are a waste of money and a hand washing is the best! I didn't argue and within an hour he had washed both Mr. Indi's and my car. What a deal! And, what a kind chap Enrique is.

Mr. Indi had a visitor yesterday and so I took the opportunity to go off for an hour and visit my friends, Marika and Cyndi. Both of them have beautiful babies who just turned one year old so I got to see lots of lovely pictures. I also had a nice lunch and a tall cold beer!

Yesterday morning, the plumber came and fixed the broken drain gizmo in the kitchen sink. It didn't take him long and I am now back in the washing up business without any leaks. That was another $150 down the drain! (Get it?)

Mr Indi is not feeling too well - mainly because he is constipated from the morphine again. One of his nurses suggested that I make him a cocktail that they call "The Bomb!" 4 oz of warm prune juice mixed with 2 oz of Milk of Magnesia. I think not! I would be afraid that the ensuing explosion would severely damage the neighborhood! Still, I must get things moving today - I shall start with Shredded Wheat and raisins.

Do you like the picture of my new car? Ha Ha! I have seen it a few times around and about here. I don't know how they get away with driving it on the street. I don't think that it is street legal - but it sure is fun!

No Easter Egg! Boo Hoo!

Oh well, I didn't need an Easter Egg anyway - I already have a cupboard full of sweeties and yesterday, Mr. Indi's Russian buddy came to visit him and bought me another HUGE box of those delicious dark chocolates from Russia. He also bought me a bottle of desert wine from Moldavia (his home state.) He says that the wine is a traditional accompaniment to the dark chocolate. Them Russians know what they are doing! I told Mr. Indi that for dinner tonight we shall be having chocolate and wine!

Our Easter was very quiet. I went out with my camera for an hour while Mr. Indi was visiting with his work buddy and sharing all the dirt and office gossip. I didn't find much to snap - the California poppies are all blooming along the freeway but there is no place to stop and photograph them - grrr! I did get a couple of Day Lily pics - and some of that wonderful purple ice plant that is opening up all over the neighborhood - but nothing spectacular.

My day was ruined when, as I was going to make dinner, I discovered a big leak coming from under the kitchen sink. I opened the cupboard door and there was 1/2 inch of water in the cupboard - ARGGG! I emptied out all of the cleansers and stuff and mopped it all out. I then began the task of trouble shooting - with Mr. Indi shouting instructions from down the hall! Talk about the blind leading the blind! Anyway - it's a problem with a gasket and I don't have the tools, knowledge, desire or time to fix it. So, this morning I called my plumbing buddy but he can't come out until tomorrow morning. So - I have taken the interim step of shoving a bucket under the sink! Looking on the bright side - that cupboard needed cleaning out anyway!

On Saturday, my son and DIL bought over lots of drinking water in the big 2.5 gallon jugs. I can't possibly lift them and my back is still messed up so I was thankful for the favor. They also gave me the lovely orchid that is in the pic. I love orchids and am hoping my little plant in the family room will soon sprout as it did at about this time last year.

Mr. Indi has now begun to take the necessary steps to give up working from home and go onto disability. He is just unable to keep up with the deadlines and gets rather forgetful because of the morphine. So, tis better for him, I think, to be able to relax and not worry about month-end reports, etc. They have already picked a replacement and Mr. Indi has been trying to guide him through the requirements of the job - but the replacement is happy to let Mr. Indi do the work - Pffft! He needs to give it up and take his sick pay - for which he has worked so hard.

Thanks for all of the suggestions regarding Mr. Indi's bum. Yes, he does have an air mattress (provided by hospice) and yes, he does have a doughnut to sit on - and yes, I think praying for his bum is a good idea - can't hurt! I will look into the other remedies.

A quick "Thanks" to Jan for the pic of the bunny wabbits - they are adorable. Also, a quick "Happy Holidays" to Sybil who is in Cyprus - lucky old thing you xxxxx - and, as always lots of hugs to my special friend in Colorado xxxxxxxx - and big sloppy kisses to the rest of you xxxxxx.

T'aint fair!

BUT - nobody ever said that it would be fair!

We had a terrible night last night - poor Mr. Indi's bowels started to move - at about 10:30 pm - while I was fast asleep - Argggg! I was awoken by this horrible yell - "Oy - I need you!" I spent the next hour and a half putting him on the pan - taking him off the pan - putting him on the pan again. We went through about 300 yards of lavatory paper Pfft! Do you know the price of lavatory paper?

I finally got into my bed at 12:00 - and was so happy to rest my poor old back which I have put out by carrying heavy grocery bags. Or maybe it's getting those diapers on Mr. Indi's big old bum! Pfft!

On Thursday, I was talking to the pharmacist in our local grocery store - we were discussing bed sores - particularly Mr. Indi's bum sores. He said that there is no real cure - the problem is that our skin gets thin and does not repair itself as we get old. The joys of reaching the "Golden Age" Arggggg!

So, today is a long and sad day - I wish he could get out of bed and join me for a trip to the craft store - he needs paints and stuff for his modeling - but I will have to go and guess what it is that he needs. It is more than sad - for a 58 year old man, who has worked so hard all his life, to be a prisoner in a bed - unable to control his bodily functions - it stinks! (Argggg!)

Happy Easter Bunny to all of those who believe in him - I do! I'm hoping he leaves me a chocolate egg! Yumm!

The pic is one of the blossoms on my flowering cherry tree - I think it's a pretty good shot.

Good Friday

As all of you know - I am not a religious person - but I always remember Good Friday- although not for the right reasons!

When I was working for a large company, they let us have 3 hours of paid time off - from noon till 3 p.m. on Good Friday - so that we might attend religious services. Of the approximately 50-60 workers in our building - all but 2 or 3 took advantage of this generous offer and left the building at 5 minutes to 12 and scurried down to the nearest church. We all piled in and sat in the last rows of pews - making sure that we were seen by the pastor and local parishioners. Once the service was under way - and the religious ceremony began in earnest, we all crept out of the back door and moved on to "The Church of the Holy Pizza and a Pint"!

Many glasses of suds were consumed and the pepperoni pizza filled our guts. We all arrived back at the office at 3 p.m. with a general feeling of well being! And we gave thanks to the company for our 3 hours of good times.

About 5 years after I joined the company, the policy was changed. We could still take the 3 hours off on Good Friday - but it would be UNPAID and reported as an approved religious absence on our record. YIKES! The following year - I think only 6 truly religious people went to Good Friday services - the rest of us heathens had lunch in the cafeteria! Shame - I did enjoy our Good Friday get-together! And, it's amazing how money can play a part in one's faith! LOL

On to other things - the volunteer who came to watch John yesterday, while I went shopping, was wonderful - she is a very kind and loving lady - I will be calling her next week. Our friend, Enrique, came by the house too, yesterday - another kind and sweet person - he is coming again on Monday to help me with some gardening.

The weather stinks! Grrrr - cool and cloudy and the kind of day that makes you want to curl up on the couch with a blankie. But - I have too many things to do - and his Lordship needs to go back on the bloody potty again! Grrrr! If he keeps this up, it will get stuck to his bum!

I took the picture today- one of my fave geraniums.

PS - Thanks for all the emails and notes about Mr. Indi's sore bum. My friend Ann suggested something that is nasty and brown and smelly - (I hate to tell you that we already have that!) My other dear friend, suggested a balm made of cows udders - Argggg! I already have enough trouble - I don't need to wash a bum full of nipples! But, keep the suggestions coming - all are welcome - Love you all!