The Inmates Run the Asylum

-I house sat for Aunt Jo for a week. It was a nice little vacation except I had to spend it with dogs that don't obey well. They're good dogs for the most part, but I was spoiled by the ones I had that would, you know, come when they were called without having to scream the command fifteen times.

-While I was house sitting I got a call from a credit union I'd applied to. I went in for an interview last Tuesday. I think it went okay, I'm supposed to hear back on whether or not I get a second interview. Honestly, I wouldn't be heartbroken if I didn't. I know I need the money, but I get the feeling it's all women and I'd be the only single and/or childless one in the bunch. That could be a questionable environment for someone like me. We'll see what happens.

-Visited my grandma and Aunt T yesterday. Grandma is doing better since her brain surgery back in January. She lost a lot of weight while she was sick and she's starting to put a little of it back on. She went ahead with her glaucoma surgeries even though Mom wanted her to get it done by a different eye doctor (because it was the eye doctor that was responsible for her ending up in the hospital in January to begin with), but she didn't. She had her second eye surgery last Wednesday. So she's got balance problems, vertigo, and can't see out of one eye, but she won't sit still when there's company about. Also, they changed her medication so she can drink again. At least one normal has been restored.

-I missed my LJ anniversary back in May. Again. 11 years here. Huzzah.

So my cousin posts on FB that my grandma is in the hospital for the third time. News to me since I only knew of her being in the hospital ONCE this month.

So I text Mom. She says that Grandma had surgery on Monday but she came home Tuesday, but she'd find out. Mom calls me and tells me that yes, Grandma is back in the hospital. Apparently, she stood up too fast today and fell and they're doing a CT scan to make sure everything is okay, but this sort of thing happens after surgeries like this, which confused me because the only surgery I knew that she was going to be having at any point was glaucoma surgery.

So I ask for clarification.

Oh, she didn't have glaucoma surgery on Monday; it was surgery to remove a hematoma from her brain that the doctors think developed after a fall she had in September and worsened after her first stint in ICU just after the first of the year, which caused her arm to go numb and mimic the symptoms of a stroke, but Mom was totally going to tell me eventually. She just hadn't gotten around to it yet and she didn't think it was a big deal.

Also, my Aunt T had surgery Friday to repair a couple of holes in her eardrum and my step-dad broke his tailbone a couple of weeks ago.

So, yes. The loop. Not only am I not in it, I don't know it exists unless I trip over it.

For once I decided not to wait months to use a gift card and used the Amazon gift card I got from Aunt Jo today. After some trial and error, I managed to score four items for 25 bucks.

The thing I'm most excited for?

The Monkees Present CD.

After this, I will only need the Changes CD and my Monkees CD album cover collage will be done. I'm not counting Best ofs, Missing Links, foreign issues, or anything else like that (though I do collect those). The collage is just the 14 albums the Monkees themselves released.

You have no idea how excited this makes me.

I imagine this is how those people with Beiber fever feel if their fever is low grade.

My last day of work was Friday. I made sure to say goodbye to all of the drivers in town (including doubling back to catch Stephen), got a hug from Albert, Kent, and Shilo, and, I admit, shed a few tears on the drive home. I say again, I won't miss the work, but I will miss the people. I was told before I left to come back and visit. I'll be doing that.

Hit the family reunion yesterday. I just stayed long enough to eat and visit with the people I wanted to see before I left. It was kind of weird without Papa there, though they did have a big picture of him over the dessert table, which I found kind of creepy. I don't need a bad picture of my dead grandpa lording over me while I get my piece of cherry pie. I mean it was well meaning, but I still wasn't comfortable with it.

After the reunion, I took the girls to the last Cornbelters game of the season. They got to spend some time in the bouncy houses and get their faces painted before mean Aunt Kiki made them sit in their seats and watch the game. Hammie was actually pretty into the game from the get-go. Hobbit and Howlin' Mad Smurf, not so much. It took a few innings before they caught on to the concept of cheering for the Belters. By the end, they were chanting "Let's Go Corn!" right on cue.

I was disappointed that they wouldn't dance during the dancing inning. How do they not know how to do the YMCA? That's just ridiculous that they're so uneducated in the ways of community dance. However, they redeemed themselves by singing the 7th inning stretch.

I won a signed a jersey and they got their freebie t-shirts signed by the whole team and Corny. They got to run the bases afterwards. In the end, they had a blast and they want to go again next season. Aunt Kiki will only be too happy to take them.

Tomorrow I go back to work for myself. It's going to be weird not waking up at 5:30 to head to the cube. It'll be a few weeks before I start working with DaLette, so I really need to get the book done and the jewelry site rolling as quickly as possible.

I'm back to working for myself and I'm one bitch of a boss.

Dad found Grandma today. She was in the entertainment center, which is funny because she never really watched much TV. Dad decided to bring her home with him rather than have Aunt Jo stumble across her. And since he picked up Papa at the funeral home today, both of them got a car ride. It's probably the only car ride they had that didn't involve a disagreement.

They're still out in the Jeep.

I guess the plan is to spread their ashes out at the homestead they spent a majority of their married lives on.

Unless Dad changes his mind and tucks them away somewhere and I get to go on a treasure hunt for them after he dies.

That could be a fun family tradition. Find the ashes of your relatives!

Yeah, I'd better keep that one to myself. My family would actually do it.

My Great Aunt Ruth died this week. Sad, but in a way expected because she's been battling heart trouble and throat cancer the past couple of years. I'm going to miss her. She was a sweet lady.

However, her death ended up being most fitting for my family.

You see, she keeled over in a bar.

She didn't die right then. They called the ambulance, took her to the hospital, ended up putting her on life support, and she died later.

But yeah, she keeled over in a bar.

No word on whether or not she'd had a drink yet (I hope she did), but Dad says if it was in her hand, she wouldn't have dropped it when she fell over.

Goodbye, Aunt Ruthie. You were one hell of a lady.

Suffice it to say, Dad and I are shocked that this is actually the first family member to keel over in a bar. We thought it should be common place by now.

Dad, Carrie, and I headed down to Aunt Jo's this afternoon. We ended up with a full house: the three of us, Aunt Jo, Nancy, Jake, Papa, cousin Chuck, and cousin Patty. It's been quite awhile since I've spent any time in Patty's company and since her husband just recently passed away, I was a little apprehensive of what her mood might bit, but she seemed in very good spirits. The company was quite excellent.

We opened presents before dinner. Dad and Jake both got knives and Papa got duct tape. Yes, I wrapped it. No, it's not the first time duct tape has been given as a serious gift for Christmas (I got it once in high school; yes I did appreciate it). Papa, who never fails us, got Carrie a Harry Potter book she's been coveting and me a Cubs shirt. Aunt Jo and Nancy got us both really nice, fleecy blankets (she got Dad once last year). Mine has an angel, Carrie's has a lighthouse. Also, I know have 50 bucks in Olive Garden gift cards between Mom and Aunt Jo. I am set for pasta and I am good with this.

Aunt Jo and Nancy outdid themselves this year with the spread. There was turkey, pork roast, ham, mashed potatoes, gravy, sweet potatoes, peas, scalloped corn, bread pudding, stuffing, broccoli salad, corn salad, cranberry salad, olives, candied dills, homemade bread, fruit bread, applesauce bread, banana bread, and for dessert there was pumpkin, pecan, and cherry pie. It was just incredible.

Naturally, I filled myself up fit to bust and I was way behind most of my family. I was miserable for a good half an hour after I ate. I don't know how the people who ate twice as much as I did weren't imitating beached whales.

Playing cards has kind of become a holiday tradition, I guess. We play Spit at Thanksgiving and Christmas, almost always the same players: me, Carrie, Jake, and Aunt Jo. This year, Jake left kind of early to go to his dad's, so that left the three of us ladies. The game was paused twice, once for pie and one so Aunt Jo could show us some old jewelry she had. I was impressed when she brought out the watch that belonged to my great-great grandpa's mother. Then she brought a pin and earrings that belonged to my great-great grandpa's grandmother. Better still, they were made from actual coins. The date on one was 1857. I had no idea we had something so cool.

At the end of the card playing, Aunt Jo vowed revenge because Carrie and I were getting Spit a lot more than she was and even when she did, one of us would still manage to beat her in the card count. It just wasn't her night tonight. Heh.

All in all, even though the nieces couldn't come, it was a good Christmas.

I hope all of you had a terrfic day, too, whether you celebrate or not.

Merry Christmas and Rob Whoville!

My holiday plans have been set. Only two Christmases this year.

23rd will be Christmas with Mom, Stepdad, nieces, and grandparents. No Christmas on the 24th. Christmas on Christmas with Dad, Papa, Aunt Jo, Nancy, Jake, and anyone else who shows up (maybe Aunt Ruby and Uncle Harry; they put in an appearance last year).

And since the girls will be staying home on Christmas (between Hammie's diabetes and Howlin' Mad Smurf's meds for her overactive adrenal gland, Mom's not letting any of them out of their plastic bubble for the holiday), that'll be even less driving I have to deal with.

Yes, I'm a horrible person. I'm okay with my nieces not going to Christmas because it means I don't have to drive more. Also, we can stay and play cards longer.

I know. Santa is totally skipping my house again this year.

Full house at my Aunt Jo's for Thanksgiving today. Aside from the usual crowd of me, Carrie, Dad, Aunt Jo, Nancy, Jake, and Papa, we also had Aunt Ruby, Uncle Harry, and cousin Chuck.

We watched the replay of a Cubs game from July and part of a replay White Sox game before we flipped over to the football.

The spread of food was fantastic and massive. We got a lot of leftovers to bring home, including a whole gooseberry pie. Uncle Harry and Chuck impressed Carrie by the amount of food they put away. We are a good eating family. It's just how we roll. Sideways, on the floor by the time it's all said and done.

After Carrie took Jake's phone and texted back and forth with a couple of his friends and I got off the phone with my sister, the table was cleared and the cards were brought out. Carrie, Aunt Jo, Jake, and I played several hands of Spit, as is our tradition. Aunt Ruby and Chuck both said that the game goes too fast for them. Papa agreed and said it he didn't like to play because we never let him have a turn.

Speaking of Papa, he was in good spirits today. Ate more than I've seen him eat in a while. He has a new dog since Sam died a few weeks ago. Her name is Emma and she's a real sweetie. He bought himself a Kindle. No, don't wait and let someone get it for you for Christmas or anything. Silly, Papa. At least we know that Amazon gift cards would be a good gift for him.

We stayed later than we usually do, but it was a good time.

I'm thankful for my family. They drive me crazy sometimes, but they're good people.

I'm thankful for my friends, too. You guys are rock 'n' roll 365 days a year and I appreciate you, even if I don't say it enough.

Other things I'm thankful for: my cats, our service men and women, anyone that had to work today, the Cubs, the Bears, laughter, having a roof over my head, having a car to drive, Twitter, my superpet Roscoe on Facebook, Halloween (movie and holiday), the Beard Twins, NaNoWriMo, Spit, sleeping, etc., etc., etc.

Speaking of sleeping, I plan on doing it well tonight. Good luck to anyone shopping (or working retail) tomorrow.

For those of you playing the home game, my dad's side of the family owns farm land. Not much, about 40 acres in Southern Illinois. When my great-grandma passed away, it was passed to my grandma and great-aunt. Since my grandma passed away, her share of the land when to my dad, but Papa has been taking care of paying the bills, while Aunt Jo has been taking care of the business communications and Dad signs the checks and is kept in the loop.

Well, it's been decided that since one day Dad's share of the farm will go to me and Mimzie, I need to learn the ropes of managing the farm account. Mimzie gets a pass because a)she's in Texas and b)she's terrible with money. She'll tell you she's terrible with it. She has no problem with me being in charge of the money.

So that's going to be a fun adult thing to learn. Me learning it won't be hard; them teaching it will be.

If there's one thing my family can do it's make things complicated.