Home Sweet Home

1/22/05 While the Midwest and Northeast get piles of snow, we have had frozen rain most of the day, and then some rain that froze. The birds were glad of the black oil sunflower seed I put out. Macks and I have been going out on the porch, but not in the ice. He has to be desperate to go out.
The boys, CC and buddies, brought the paper in when they were out in their 4x4 truck. They look so young and full of life... like puppies. It was very nice of them.
AB wrote that she had to vacate the apartment due to threat of flooding from a broken water pipe. They have had frequent (2-3 times a week) fire alarms, and this last one, in the snow, was caused by a burst pipe that flooded part of the building. When they got outside in the courtyard, they saw a waterfall coming out a balcony. The management told them all to get their valuables out and put them in their cars. AB was not flooded, though the hall had standing water. Her apartment is under a room that services the emergency sprinkler system and she's been hearing rumbling. She gave notice the next morning. The place has been under three or more owners and managements and the latest owners are planning to sell the apartments as condos. I hope the potential owners check it out thoroughly, since the problems have been continual for the past two years. I love the floor plans, but the builder must have shorted materials or workmanship to have so many problems.
CH is going to take Mother's stamp collection to a stamp show. Mother collected plate blocks and first day covers, but they all got wet when Hurricane Opal flooded the house. I was told that they were only worth their face value, but nothing more as a collection. I hope CH finds that they have some extra value.
We had a real sit-down dinner today, with baked chicken and lots of veggies. It was a real change, since we three usually fend for ourselves. I used to cook more frequently, and keep the refrigerator more stocked, but when I realized how much of the food I'd prepared got thrown out I backed off rather than fussing about no one eating. It saves money, time and slows my tendency to eat the food to keep it from going to waste. It goes to waste on my waist if I eat it. I no longer buy cookies, ice cream or sugared cereals. If it's here I will eat it. Sam loves all those things, but he is hoping to lose some weight and it'll sabotage his efforts if I keep it in the house
Susan, our 'slow' daughter, came home from an overnight at her brother David's. She was really glad to be back, and would have been iced in if she hadn't come home this morning. Going over there gives her a change of view. She spends most of her time sitting or lying in her room listening to her Uncle John's radio station. Her days are much the same: six cats going in and out and sleeping all around and the radio. She can't remember how to operate the VCR or TV and it irritates her to be shown too often. She is schizoaffective, and/or bipolar, and has about a 50 IQ. Mental age varies between 4 and 8, depending on mood and subject. She can read and write, but doesn't want to use her glasses. She also can work toward a goal, but like an 8 year old isn't aware that it may not be what she really wants. She is very conscious of her looks and my current project is to get her to change clothes only once a day. I was doing 3-4 loads a week of only her clothes until I focused on the fact that most weren't dirty. Now I'm down to 2-3 loads, but she's still changing a couple times some days. Since her moods swing so much in a day it is difficult to get a bad habit corrected. Luckily the anti-psychotics she is on now stabilize her mood better. When she has breakthroughs she will get weepy, whereas before she would get angry, threatening or abusive. She really wants to be a good girl.
I was so starved for exercise that I danced to country music while I was cooking dinner. Macks thought I wanted to play, and we did for a while, but I really needed the movement to loosen me up. I really need to get out some. I put the spikes on the Wellies, but it's such a hassle to get out when there's so much ice. I dread a broken wrist! My wrists hart and ache from arthritis already.
That's a good reason not to get chickens again, since I'd be going out to care for them each morning and night. They really aren't that much trouble, but I'd need to be here, since Sam is less steady on his feet and going out in the dusk is a bad time for him.
I think that one of the reasons I spend time inside when Sam is home is that I just want to be near him. Whether we're talking, or he's reading or watching TV, I just want to be close to him. Must love him, hunh.
I haven't heard from the Small Business Administration. I need to ring that bell Monday. I hope my application is still in their hopper. If not, we'll survive, but it would be better if I could borrow at their rates for a 30 year period.
Karla is trying to get me trained to train Macks. My assignment now is to 'charge the clicker'. That is getting the clicker associated with food in Macks mind. I did some sessions just clicking and feeding immediately after the sound. Macks likes this game. He got pretty good at it, but doesn't jump when I click, yet. We'll do more tomorrow.
Training Macks is interesting, fun and frustrating. He's such a willing dog, and I'm finding that it shows up all my inconsistencies. I am also badly out of shape