Life in progress

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Balance – #JusJoJan 2019 Jot #25

It’s a hard thing to find, balance. I spend far too much time sitting on my butt, writing, editing, and canoodling on social media. Even the balance between time spent writing and promoting is a difficult one. But what I need more than anything is exercise.

So it’s nice when there are natural consequences that lead me to doing what I should be doing. Like today, for instance, I walked to the hospital to visit my mother. (I was able to go because Alex finally went to school! Yay!) It was a choice between a fifteen minute walk and fifteen minutes of shoveling my car out of the driveway. Yeah, the shoveling might have been better exercise, but I still had to walk fifteen minutes to get home as well. AND I saved $4.50 for parking.

My mother is doing a bit better, by the way. She looked better, though her breathing is still laboured. The doctor asked me if she’d ever been diagnosed with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), to which I replied no. But it’s not at all far-fetched that she has it, since she’s been smoking since she was 14 years old. Her 89th birthday is in three weeks. So once I get her home, it’s going to be a matter of explaining to her that if she doesn’t quit, she’s going to die. She won’t understand, and if she does understand, she won’t remember the conversation 45 seconds after we have it.

With dementia, it seems, there is no balance.

On a personal level, I put a lot of faith in balance. I’m a Taoist at heart. The yin yang symbol is all about balance. An equal amount of black and white/feminine and masculine.

Each is contained within the other.

I miss Tai Chi. Which is something that would help my mother. If I had time to get her out of the retirement home.

Most of my lack-of-balance issues come from being the one responsible for everyone else. Being a single mother and an only child in the sandwich generation ain’t easy.

Then there’s the balance between sobriety and drunkenness.

I think I need more wine tonight.

“Balance” is the prompt word for today, brought to us by JP. Thanks, JP! Click here to find her JusJoJan post for today. And say hi while you’re there!

 

It’s never too late to participate in Just Jot it January! Click the following link to find out how, and see all the other participants’ links in the comment section. It’s fun! https://lindaghill.com/2019/01/25/jusjojan-2019-daily-prompt-jan-25th/


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Zoomie – #JusJoJan 2019 Jot #24

When I posted the prompt last night for “zoomie,” brought to us by the lovely Bee (click here for her zoomie post), I did an obligatory check in the dictionary. It was as I thought — not there.

So I checked Google and discovered it’s the most awesome and appropriate word for what a dog does when it zooms around with excitement. I think the only dog I’ve ever had who didn’t do it indoors (thank goodness) was my Saint Bernard, George.

I was a bit zoomie myself as a child. I loved running. I wish I still loved it, but years of childhood exposure to second-hand smoke finished my lungs off. I have no doubt I’d be a runner otherwise.

Today, I’ve been zooming here and there for Alex’s sake. Yet another snow day. I’m hoping to be able to visit my mother in the hospital tomorrow. If it’s another snow day, I may just run away from home.

… okay, walk away from home. Semantics.

This Just Jot it January post was fun to write. Would you like to try? It’s never too late! Click on the following link to find out how, and to read all the other “zoomie” posts! https://lindaghill.com/2019/01/24/jusjojan-2019-daily-prompt-jan-24th/

 


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Curiosity – #JusJoJan 2019 Jot #22

Well, for a birthday, it’s been one unexpected thing after another. Let me tell you about it.

It started out with the school buses not running, but I knew that ahead of time. Because Alex was starting to go stir crazy yesterday, and because he had an appointment with a speech and language pathologist at lunch time at the school, I’d decided to drive him in anyway. So I began my day by shoveling my car out of the driveway. Turned out I didn’t need to do it first thing, because my best friend, John, came to my rescue and took Alex to school.

I still needed to be there for the appointment, however, so I had a shower–my birthday present to me–and drove to the school where I met the speech pathologist. Lo and behold, she’s fluent in sign language. Wonderful! What a lovely surprise that was!

After that, I came home and tried to get as caught up on my social media and all the kind birthday wishes, as well as try to promote my book sale. Then I had to drive back to the school to get Alex, because no buses.

I got home and we had pizza for dinner–no cooking!–and I got back to my laptop for some more catching up. Then my mother called to say she spent the day in bed, she was very sweaty, and the nurse had been talking about sending her to the hospital today. But my mum had no idea why. So I put in a call to the nurse at the retirement home. Apparently–wait for it–a few of the residents have had pneumonia, and my mother hasn’t been doing so well. They’ll keep an eye on her tonight, and if they have to send her by ambulance, they will. I explained I can’t get away–I have Alex to look after.

Just as I was putting Alex to bed, I got a call from his brother. His bus didn’t show up. So off I went to drive him to work for 11pm.

Meanwhile, we’re expecting freezing rain tomorrow, so probably no buses. And I doubt I’ll want to drive either. There’s about six inches of snow on my street, and if that freezes over, it’s going to be an ice rink out there.

What does all this have to do with curiosity?

I’m not the slightest bit curious about how my day tomorrow is going to go.

I’m happy and content to spend the rest of my birthday oblivious to what might await me.

Just livin’ in the moment.

Thank you so much to everyone for their wonderful birthday wishes today! They really helped me get through what was an otherwise trying day. And it’s entirely possible that they kept it from being worse! ❤

“Curiosity” is the prompt word for today, brought to us by Pamela. Thanks, Pamela! Click here to find her signature daily quip post for today. And say hi while you’re there!

 

It’s never too late to participate in Just Jot it January! Click the following link to find out how, and see all the other participants’ links in the comment section. It’s fun! https://lindaghill.com/2019/01/22/jusjojan-2019-daily-prompt-jan-22nd/


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TV memories – #SoCS & #JusJoJan Jot #19

Let me start by saying I rarely watch TV anymore. I remember the first black and white we had–probably not my parents’ first one, but the first one I remember. It was a floor model, on four legs, and there was a circular plastic hard film through which you could see what station the TV was on. I couldn’t leave it alone. It was just so much fun to poke, until I broke it and my mum got mad at me.

We got our first colour TV in the 70s. It was amazeballs. You couldn’t tear me away from it.

But one of the things most etched into my mind from back then was cuddling up to my dad on the chesterfield while we watched either “Bewitched” or “M*A*S*H.” We both loved “M*A*S*H”–never missed an episode. All I can really remember about “Bewitched” as it relates to my dad is saying “Soool Saks!” every time we saw the screenwriter’s name in the credits. No idea why we did it. I’ve never been able to forget good ol’ Sol Saks. Even though I had no idea what he looked like until I Googled him five minutes ago.

I cuddled up with my dad on the couch right up until the week he died. Ah, but we laughed a lot. That’s the most important memory of all.

This post is part of Just Jot it January and Stream of Consciousness Saturday! If you’d like to take part or read the posts by the other participants, click the following link: https://lindaghill.com/2019/01/18/the-friday-reminder-for-socs-jusjojan-2019-daily-prompt-jan-19th/

SoCS badge by Pamela, at https://achronicalofhope.com/


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Companionship – #JusJoJan Jot #18

It’s been a long day. My companion for the day was Alex–he didn’t go to school. His cough was bad enough this morning that I decided to wait and see if sitting up would help. It did, but then he slept most of the morning.

He lazed around for most of the rest of the day, only really getting up to build some Lego with my best friend, John.

He’s sleeping again now–the worry isn’t over.

I look forward to going back to this not being the only thing on my mind.

“Companionship” is the prompt word for today, brought to us by Di. Thanks, Di! Click here to find her JusJoJan post for today. And say hi while you’re there!

 

It’s never too late to participate in Just Jot it January! Click the following link to find out how, and see all the other participants’ links in the comment section. It’s fun! https://lindaghill.com/2019/01/18/jusjojan-2019-daily-prompt-jan-18th/

 


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Update – Alex is home!

He finally slept last night, and now that he’s off the IV antibiotics, they decided to release Alex from the hospital. He’s still coughing, but hopefully that’ll go away by the time the oral antibiotics are done this time.

Of course, as soon as he sat on the couch at home he fell asleep. I hope his nap doesn’t mean he’ll be up half the night.

In other news, he has an appointment with his cardiologist tomorrow. I’ll schedule the post requesting the prompt words for the rest of the month tomorrow afternoon when I think I’ll be home. In case I’m not, I’ll be counting on you to read the rules! Watch out for that at 1pm EST.


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Quick update on Alex

He’s still in hospital. He had two hours of sleep last night and one more hour when I arrived at the hospital this morning at 4:00am, because I made him lay down.

He’s still on his feet.

Total sleep since Sunday (01/13) morning: four hours. It is now Tuesday, 9:40pm.

Hoping he’ll come home tomorrow. It’s boring enough here to allow him to doze off.

Thanks to all who commented on my last post. I appreciate the good thoughts and prayers, more than you know.


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Update on Alex – It Continues

Before I start really writing this post, I have to mention that I’m punch drunk from staying up for thirty-four hours. I feel like my eyeballs are swimming in frontal lobe fluid, if there is such a thing. So I apologize in advance if this post isn’t grammatically correct, sensical, or replete with the correct amount of outrage, though that last one really shouldn’t be a problem.

You see, after I wrote last night that if I didn’t show up until late today, I was probably dealing with some challenges, I tried to put Alex to bed and failed. He began coughing, then he began having a hard enough time breathing that I figured it was time for the hospital. We arrived there at about 10:40pm.

But of course when he wasn’t laying down, he wasn’t that bad. So we sat. And sat, and sat. I’m not sure what time it was when he got a room with a bed–1:30 maybe?–but I remember looking at the clock at 4:44 when he was getting his IV in. They brought me a breakfast at 5 … Saw the second doctor of the night at 9:30 … Got a room on the floor (he was admitted with pneumonia, again) at about 3:15, and I got out of there at 4pm. I think I slept for about 45 minutes, sitting in a chair. And Alex did no better. The few times he dropped off other than the 45 minutes he got when I slept, they woke him up after 3 minutes of sleep.

He was still refusing to lay down when I left.

So yeah, all that to say Alex is back in the hospital for at least one night. And I’m falling asleep while I tyepzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz


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Undiscovered – #JusJoJan Jot #13

I love to explore, to discover the undiscovered. Whether it’s downtown Kingston, Ontario

or downtown Tokyo

I live to find out what’s around the next corner when I’m out and about, traveling. Unless, of course, I’ve been on a plane for thirteen hours and can’t find my hotel.

I suppose I’ve been lucky so far to not turn any corners that led to worse things than being hopelessly lost, alone, in the dark, in a country where any modicum of Japanese I possessed had fled my brain cells and been replaced by the need for sleep.

But lately, I’ve been coming across things that I’d rather stay undiscovered. For instance, I didn’t really want to know that my laptop couldn’t be fixed by Best Buy. Even if I’d wanted them to try, they couldn’t ship it to the place where they get them fixed, because the hinge won’t let us close it. And they wouldn’t ship it in the open position, even in a square box.  So I’m now on my brand new laptop that’s smaller and less-fancy, and has a power button right beside the delete button.

I was on the verge of bringing it back–can you imagine working on something for an hour just to turn off the computer by accident?–when I realized I could change what the button does in the settings. Now I can safely press it and nothing happens unless I hold it down for a few seconds. Because I seriously don’t want to discover the alternative.

And then there’s Alex, who came home from his dad’s today sick again. I’ll try to get him an appointment with his doctor tomorrow, but I fear we’re going to end up back at the emergency again. Maybe even tonight. I just hope it’s not a new bout of pneumonia. He has a cardiologist appointment next week, too. And though I know it’s better to know sooner rather than later how soon he’ll need heart surgery again, I’m not looking forward to knowing.

On that miserable note, if you want to read a happier story, click the link under “can’t find my hotel” above. It’s a good one.

The prompt word, “undiscovered,” for today’s post is brought to you by Teresa! Thanks, Teresa! To find her “undiscovered” post, click here.

It’s never too late to participate in Just Jot it January! Click the following link to find out how, and see all the other participants’ links in the comment section. It’s fun! https://lindaghill.com/2019/01/13/jusjojan-2019-daily-prompt-jan-13th/


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Flu – #JusJoJan Jot #11

At the risk of sounding like I’m moaning–I never do that, do it?–Alex was home for the day again, still coughing even though it’s been almost two weeks since he came out of hospital with pneumonia.

I assumed they were going to give him his flu shot at school, like they always have, but they’ve stopped doing it. Now I have no idea whether he should get it or if we should wait until he’s completely better.

In all, it was one of those days where you wish you had a parenting owner’s manual. You know those days, right?

Should I send him to school or shouldn’t I? Should I cut him some slack because he might be misbehaving because he’s sick? Or is he pushing my buttons because he got out of going to school and now he’s seeing how much further he can go?

Ugh. Yeah, it was one of those days.

But now he’s at his dad’s, finally. First time since the first week of November. I’m feeling the exhaustion–it’s hitting me like a tonne of bricks. I think I might go to bed. And stay there until Sunday.

Have a good one, my friends.

The prompt “flew/flu/flue,” for today’s post is brought to you by M. Oniker! Thanks, M! To find her latest post, click here.

It’s never too late to participate in Just Jot it January! Click the following link to find out how, and see all the other participants’ links in the comment section. It’s fun! https://lindaghill.com/2019/01/11/jusjojan-2019-daily-prompt-jan-11th/