17 posts tagged “dad”
Happy Birthday, DadH! I bought you a card, but I forgot to mail it. I'll call and sing "Happy Birthday" instead, which is more punishment than gift. It's okay because we H's are pretty easy to please and our expectations are low for such things.
Through the miracle of Twitter, and by following cutie pie George Stephanopopouoplus, I found this interesting slide show of photos from North Korea.
I was in bed last night by 10:00 p.m. and slept right through until 6:00 a.m., an hour before my alarm was set. I thought, "Nice. I'll get up and get some things done around the place." Then Elvis wanted to snuggle. Next thing - the alarm goes off at 7:00 a.m., to the soothing sounds of NPR correspondents. Elvis wants to snuggle again. All of a sudden, I wake up again at 8:00 a.m., radio still on. I'm still tired. I didn't even go out last night, or have cocktails - or anything! Those two loads of laundry and washing dishes must have really done me in.
I started this week with nothing planned for the weekend. That has since changed. Shocker. But it's all good. Second date with Guy #2 (from an earlier post) and a first date with Guy #3. I never did call Guy #1 back, I suspect he's gotten the message by now, although I did mean to be upstanding and get back to him to say I wasn't interested. How shameful of me.
That said, I'm going to try and do a Rear in Gear List just for this weekend - since that's the only time I'll get stuff done anyway. Here goes:
- Swim at least 30 minutes (I have a race on May 9 - need to stay alive long enough to hand off to my cyclist)
- Write postcards to German relatives (insert your own jokes here)
- Send condolence cards to two friends who have lost their fathers recently
- Buy beach/hike shoes for Costa Rica (REI is having a big sale this weekend! Price will drop and I have a member dividend to spend!)
- Drop off loads of stuff to Goodwill (I have three bags of clothes from a recent closet cleaning spree)
- Take care of paperwork piling up on the desk
- Vacuum
That's about as much as I think I can handle.
Have a good one, peeps!
I slept through my alarm this morning for about 45 minutes. Maybe I should wake up to something other than the soothing voices of NPR.
Or maybe Elvis could stop his new habit of walking across my chest at 5:05 a.m. Gah. When I'm awake, he'll walk around the top of my pillow. But I suppose he gets lazy during the night and decides to take a shortcut across Mt. Amy. It hurts like, well it hurts like having a 13 pound cat stomping on your nipples.
Needless to say it takes a while to get back to sleep. I should have just stayed up and I probably be feeling better right now. Yay, coffee!
On Tuesday, I FINALLY watched the NetFlix movie that was sent to me in the beginning of January, "Stranger Than Fiction". Will Farrell is an IRS agent whose life is being narrated by Emma Thompson. It was a subtle movie that really found its legs toward the end. I ended up really liking it. Elvis liked that I was on the couch and not moving for two full hours. It was a win-win!
FamilyH is coming out in a few weeks. I have our reservations for the Grand Canyon Railway all set and ready to go. I still need to work up the rest of the itinerary. Not sure if DadH is making the trip. I talked to him yesterday and something is starting to go wrong with some part of him so who knows. I love DadH, I do, but there has been something going wrong somewhere for as long as I've been aware of his existence. He's probably not crying wolf, maybe just simpering wolf, but when you hear "This is the worst pain I've ever been in. A person can't hardly stand this much pain" for oh, 38 years, and he complains more than he does his physical therapy, it stops carrying a lot of meaning.
Busy weekend coming up, just like usual. Dinner plans Friday night (blind date out of obligation to someone I didn't want to offend, we'll see how that goes), hair appointment Saturday morning, dinner and theater on Saturday night (Moliere's "Tartuffe", I have no idea what it's about but it's part of my season tickets to Southwest Shakespeare), and then theater on Sunday, a matinee show of "Les Miz", being done in a really scaled-down version. Should be fun.
Oh, and it's also Big 10 Basketball Tourney time and Sunday will be the March Madness Selection Show. My favorite time of the year!
I'm giving up church for Lent. Hey, it's not my fault God made college basketball championship season to be at the same time.
I was going to put that as my Facebook status, but then remembered my minister Friended me. He'd get a kick out of it, though. I did skip church last Sunday to go to the bar to watch the MSU v Purdue game. Good thing we're not big on guilt.
Speaking of Facebook, I'm getting Friend requests from hometown people I don't even remember. "HEY AMY! HOW ARE YOU??? IT'S BEEN SO LONG!!!"
To which I really want to reply, "I have no recollection of us ever being friends. How do I know you exactly?" I end up not doing anything with the request, so I have a bunch sitting there that I'm ignoring.
Now I need to get back to work. I knuckled down yesterday and cleaned off my desk. We'll see how long the neatness lasts. I'm a file by pile kind of gal.
Catch ya on the flip side!
You know how I'm always complaining about how my parents' old computer on dial-up is faster than my cable modem Dell laptop?
I think that's actually a case of memory by sentimentality.
That said, I'm not doing well keeping up with the 'hood because it's too frustrating to even be online.
Okay, so there's my excuse for being lame.
I've only been outside a couple of times since getting here on Saturday night. I really lucked out and was able to sneak into Michigan during a break in the winter weather. My BFF picked me up in Detroit and the snow started kicking in again when we were about 30 miles from home.
It's cold here. So cold I really don't have enough words for it. When I do venture outside, I'm the little brother in The Christmas Story, all bundled up to the point of not being able to move. I'm careful not to fall over lest I be stuck in a snowbank until someone notices I'm gone and they send out the dogs.
Speaking of dogs, Jay (Steve's yellow lab) is a big fat goofy happy dog. His estimated size is around 100 pounds. And he thinks he's a puppy. Tyson, the pit bull who adopted our family a few years ago, hates the cold. He's such a baby. All I have to do is open the door to the outside to see him cower and hide. He's such a sweetie pie, super smart and loves kitties. Awww.
The rest of the family is doing well. DadH isn't very mobile, all that talk about how he needs to get more exercise was just talk. It bugs me how he doesn't bother to help himself get healthier, but I've run out of patience to badger him further.
I haven't made it out to the barn yet to see some cows, but I probably will today. Maybe. Did I mention it was cold? MomH just told me it was in the 50s in Phoenix. As far as Phoenix weather goes, that's pretty chilly so I guess I don't have it much worse here. :-P
MomH helped me finish my quilt. It took all of an hour to finish something I've been procrastinating about for the past three (four?) years.
That's about it for here. Nothing exciting going on. Just happy to be home and with the fam.
I hope everyone is staying warm and safe.
Merry Christmas!
Today is the ceremonial kick-off for the online holiday shopping season. Planning on buying anything today? What good deals have you found?
Over my lunch hour, I bought DadH his annual gift of super warm socks and gloves from REI.com. Today's the last day of the Winter Sale and there were lots of high-tech warm socks on sale. Yay!
I called him to check his shoe size and he said he's wearing last year's socks right now, on his way out to the barn. MomH told me that everytime he puts on those socks, he happily says, "These are the socks Amy bought me." Then he goes on about how warm they are, how well they fit and how they are nice and padded in all the right places.
Before anyone reminds me that online shopping doesn't contribute to local sales tax revenues which in turn fund programs and services in my community, I'll add that when these arrive at my Tempe store for pickup (free shipping!), I'll make a few more purchases of things I need to get anyway.
This will be my only online purchase of the season. I'll be buying the rest of my gifts from the Heard Museum gift shop, Changing Hands bookstore and other local establishments.
While walking in a winter wonderland can be fun in theory, it makes shopping a big of a drag. Do you plan on doing your holiday shopping online or in-stores this season? Why?
Sponsored by Best Buy.
My winter wonderland looks exactly the same as my summer swelterland. The only difference is the temperature, which is pleasant during the holidays. But it does make for a drag and it's hard to get into the holiday spirit, especially for a snow girl like me. The lights on the saguaro cacti and mesquite trees are pretty at night and all, but it doesn't cut it.
As for gifts, I'll take a look through my gift box and see if I'm missing anyone. If I am, then I'll probably do my usual REI Outlet.com and buy the family some nice winter gear. I have to get DadH his fancy mountain trekking socks. He's never been so happy with a gift since I bought him a stovetop popcorn popping pan many years ago. And MomH doesn't have to listen to him complain about how cold his feet are every time he comes back inside. It's a gift for everyone!
Forty-four years today.
They spent it at the county fair watching my nieces carry the 4-H torch onward. Now they are at home watching the Olympics and will go out to dinner sometime next week. I've decided to go home next year to be with them for their 45th and to go to the fair to watch the girls.
Thanks, Mom & Dad, for being such wonderful people - and for trying one last time to have a girl. I appreciate your efforts!
For one day, I'll refrain from nagging you about getting your exercise. That is a gift in itself, isn't it?
Have a great year and 'we'll see you when we see you'.
Love,
Amy
MomH just called about DadH's heart catheterization. No blockage, no nothin' in DadH's heart and surrounding tubage. Only some age-related stuff.
There was much rejoicing!
DadH asked the doc what else is making him feel so bad in the mornings. Possibly arthritis, but nothing major. At this point at this moment. Who knows what will get DadH next. After all, the man is always in the worst pain he's ever been in. At least he has been since I've been aware of his existence, that is.(I harrass because I love.)
It's a good thing he complained to a non-family member about his recent chest and arm pain. We're so used to his moaning and groaning that we don't hear what he says anymore. If he really gets to complaining, there's a test. Ask him if he's so bad off, maybe he should go to the doctor. He'll either shut up for a while or say, "Yeah, that would probably be a good idea." If it's the latter, get in the car and head to the doctor.
For now, though, it's happy news. Now MomH can finally get excited about our trip. Huzzah!
I've been practicing my Deutsch to get ready for my upcoming Eastern European trip. MomH was going to ask my SIL's Polish stepfather for some practical words - hello, thank you and all that. Then I realized I can ask for 'one beer, please' and toast to your health in Czech, but not hello or thank you. Priorities, my friends, priorities.
So much to do around here. I'm almost done with my Leadership Institute application. I spent most of the weekend on it but I need to tweak it a bit before turning it in on Friday. Writing about how great I am is harder than you would think. Ha. :-P
I also need to get on my road bike to prep for the triathlon relay I talked my friends into doing with me in July. I'm hanging up the running shoes (my hip joints are thanking me already) and getting back up on two wheels. I rode my mountain bike to the library and around the 'hood this weekend to get reacquainted with my cycling muscles - and with the feeling of being attached to the machinery. I tend to crash a lot on my road bike because of the wicked clips. When I'm underway, it's fine (except shifting gears - they are old-style on the frame) but stopping is a bitch. The last triathlon I did saw me skidding, bike and all, into the transition area. Luckily (or not?) I was fine enough to do the run. I just need to make friends with the equipment again and figure out how not to get myself killed.
The race is also at 9,000 feet elevation, so those 26 (24?) miles are going to suck. Suck wind. Gah. Why do I keep signing up for these things? Because otherwise I would be a lazy slug. I need the motivation.
DadH goes in for cardiac catheterization tomorrow. Fun stuff. He was pretty upset about it last week ("I was sputtering all the way home from the doctor") to being depressed and resigned to it as of yesterday. He comes from a family with bad tickers and isn't known for a preventative health lifestyle. But as MomH told him, it's better to get everything checked out before it's an emergency at midnight. They live out in the sticks so emergency medical care isn't exactly close by. FamilyH heart/health problems are another motivation to stay in shape.
Other than that, all is well in H-ville. Elvis is doing better than he has in a long time. Feely spunky and being silly like the good kitty he is. The concert outside at the Tempe Town Lake was fantastic. Other than airplanes overhead and trains rolling by, it was a perfect setting. One of the city council members asked our director if we should have a band shell for next year. Um, yeah! So hopefully that will be in the works. Even a temporary shell would be fantastic.
As for the resolution challenge, it's all about the application and getting ready for my trip. It seemed so far away and here we are, two weeks out. Yipes.
Have a good one, peeps!
I'm limited on time this week, with two board meetings back to back tomorrow night, band rehearsal on Wednesday and an FBS (Food, Booze & Schmooze) on Thursday. On Sunday I'm hitting a matinee theatre production and then that night there's a big party following the big marathon. I'm not running, obvy, but one of my Vacation Boyfriends will be in town for it - along with a bunch of his Orange County firefighting pals. Oh yeah, baby...
1. Send Guatemala Vacation Boyfriend note re: this weekend He's not coming out after all. Rats.
2. Move Shakespeare tix from 1/19 (due to scheduling of January Birthday Month revelry)
3. Schedule new fridge for delivery on 1/22 (only day charity pickup for old fridge was available).
4. Clean old fridge
5. Finish office cleaning (AGAIN!) Or - as organized as it's getting for now. This will have to be a semi-annual event.
6. 5-mile run
7. New watch batteries for DadH watches
I'm trying to pound some stuff out here since I have to take off early and pick up Elvis from the vet. I usually feel all worried and paranoid about him being there all scared. Now I think it's for his own good so he had better just suck it up.
I believe he's bearing the brunt of my spending a week with DadH over the holidays. My father isn't in great health but he could be in better health if he would just do something about it. But he won't. He never has and I don't see that changing anytime soon. I was going to slap my pedometer on him to see if he could even make it to 200 steps. From the easy chair to the four-wheeler to the tractor and back. That's it. Then he complains that his legs hurt. Well of course they do - they are wasting away from disuse.
But he loves to complain. It's a hobby of his. I already told MomH that she can't go first. That would be a nightmare. Then I said my second nightmare is something will happen to Dad and he'll be an invalid.
MomH: "It wouldn't be too different from what I have now, except if he can't speak he'd complain a lot less."
This was said in humor, as this is how we talk in the H house. But there is truth in humor.
