Haven’t posted in a while. After hearing from Alstro, figured I should file an update as well.
Things are pretty boring here. The most exciting news is that the kid is pretty close to getting a part time job. That’s great with me, as he doesn’t do well with boredom, while I really like it. I’ll fill in details when things come together.
His old high school starts up on Monday, and football games resume the following week. The fun part there is that the first football game of the season will be against my old high school. Definitely going to that one. It’s at my old high school. Haven’t set foot there probably since my younger sister graduated. I’ll have to see how many old band traditions at football games are still being carried on. Probably none at this point.
Kiddo also spent a week at the summer day camp he’s been attending since he was 6 years old. This was his last year, as he aged out. He has asked if he can switch to volunteering with the staff who are - with one or two exceptions - also volunteers. In his words, camp has been good to him and he wants to pay it forward.
He’s had to deal with lots of changes recently. He got a little bit sad thinking that he has to leave his “child stuff” behind. No more high school. No more post-high school transition. No more summer camp. No more mother. It’s not easy for him. But then he looks forward to working and going to football and baseball games, and things perk up again.
I’ve been struggling a bit. Having a hard time focusing on work and taking care of household stuff. I suspect the weight of it all is catching up with me. The hardest time is probably getting to sleep at night. Once my son is in bed, I avoid it myself by solving puzzles and watching YouTube videos. It doesn’t help that our central air conditioner died, so the house is much warmer than it’s been for the last couple of decades. It’s an older R-12 system, so the whole thing will need to be replaced. And that’s just not in the budget right now.
Anyway, that’s what’s up here in this corner of the world.
–Peter
3 Likes
So glad to hear from you. Sounds like a time of multiple transitions, which tend not to go in a smooth straight line. I sure understand the hard time focusing on work and taking care of household stuff. Understand it all too well!
Yesterday was 11 years since my husband’s metastatic cancer was diagnosed. And the bone metastasis missed—for 18 months. I try not to spend time wondering if all of the damage from the leg salvage surgery and the immunotherapy (although it also saved his life) would have been avoided, and his immune system would have been able to kick in and get rid of all the remaining metastases and any micro- stuff hanging around. We are where we are.
We’re still involved in replacing furniture we lost during Ida’s flooding, and unpacking our downstairs stuff bit by bit. And other stuff going on we could do without.
Peter—good luck with all that you have going on!
=sheila
1 Like
I hope his new job will help–or even define–your son’s transition to adulthood. Challenging, but not too challenging. Something that interests him and he can succeed at. And I hope he makes a friend or two at work. A new job and new friends could really perk him–and you–up!
I have trouble falling asleep, too, these days. I usually watch a little tv, then stay up reading online until I notice I’m dozing, then try to take advantage of fatigue and get to sleep. Doesn’t always work. Did last night, but it was after 11. But then I woke up about quarter to 5 to find a text from my aide who was coming 10-4 today, to find out she’s not coming at all (due to sick kids). So no aide today. And no aide tomorrow (she’s out of town for the weekend). And no aide Monday till 4pm. Gah! My back hurts and I haven’t even started! Not to mention I was going to take a walk, pick up a few things at Whole Foods, and mail a bill at the post office this morning, but now I can’t even leave the house till Tuesday :-(((
1 Like
Sorry about your AC. I hope your weather cools off soon and that you can replace your system by next summer.
I had to replace our 2-unit HVAC system a few years ago (2 inside and 2 outside units, 2 heat pumps and 2 AC, and they added a bit more ductwork and 2 more air returns). Cost over $20k =8-0 Hadn’t expected to need to do it so soon (house was only 15 years old IIRC), but it was a builder’s grade system that was bound to fail sooner than average. And being so near the ocean and in the Low Country, our humid, salty air corrodes things sooner than most places. What price beach walks!
My son just visited for 5 days to help clean out the upstairs room in preparation to rent it out (although my aide who seemed very interested can’t get out of her roommate situation), which necessitated cleaning out the guest room closet (mostly had stuff of my brother’s from when I sold his house-), and while he was at it, he did a lot of work on the garage and cleaned & trashed my mother’s and brother’s old computers, too.
Which reminds me…housing is so expensive in coastal CA, you should have no problem renting out an extra room in your house for a goodly sum. Might be useful to have a college student or young working person around your son’s age, too, especially a caregiver/nursing student who could help with your son now and then. Plus $$$ towards that new AC.
You’ve been through so much in your life, especially this past year. Go easy on yourself.
4 Likes
Not to mention I was going to take a walk, pick up a few things at Whole Foods, and mail a bill at the post office this morning, but now I can’t even leave the house till Tuesday :-(((
Oh wow! At least it’s “only” a few days! What welcome relief when your normal aide support kicks in again!
=sheila
Jourdan’s entitled to a weekend away, and Shaina’s entitled to take care of sick children. I’m saving $375, though.
The hardest time is probably getting to sleep at night. Once my son is in bed, I avoid it myself by solving puzzles and watching YouTube videos.
I’m a lifelong insomniac. For me the trick is to distract my active brain from internal thoughts while simultaneously letting go of the distraction, if that makes any sense 
I often listen to Greg Wagland, of Magpie Audio on Youtube, read Sherlock Holmes. His measured voice puts me to sleep in no time. Of course there is the risk of getting engrossed in the story, so the key is to have the volume low enough so you can just barely make out what he is saying … and drift away.
When I wake during the night, I restart a little ways into the dialogue (just takes a few seconds in my situation)
They are numbered, over 45 total I think, I have them Bookmarked, load a couple in my Tabs each night, listen to them in order, then start over with #1. Each is under an hour or so.
#1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9D0bGia4QrI
#2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9D0bGia4QrI
Here is Magpie Audio’s Home - https://www.youtube.com/c/SherlockHolmesStoriesMagpieAudio/v…
Works for me, maybe useless for you for getting to sleep, but the stories are great.
Good luck.
3 Likes
Agreed. If I can focus on music, it pushes everything else out of my brain and I can sleep. If I keep going over what I need to do, or appointments, or current events, or whatever, I’ll stay awake.