July and October reports...and in December, the end of this era

[bumbershoot]

My cousin actually mentioned the flight as being a really big concern, and that's a valid comment she made.

Worse, because of the timing of the flights and layovers, the number of tickets available for each flight, and the Miles we used, she is booked on a flight just with Robert, while E&I are on our own flight. So if something happened, it would be with him and him only. And we wouldn't even know until we were on the ground.

Damzanita. (just say it...it's been in my head for hours now as a weird swear term)


Scary stuff!

Sorry about your dad. And your grandpa!

 

[kaoden39]

Molly, I hadn't thought about the flight. What would be ideal would be taking off on a ship in your area unfortunately they don't go where you want to go.

I always make new words up and use them. Scotty laughes because I come up with the oddest combinations of words.


Thank you. My dad had congestive heart failure so his death was not a surprise and I was prepared. I know that sounds odd but that was a great comfort. I was able to make all the arrangements because my mom and sister couldn't. My grandpa was a different circumstance. Even thought he was 98 I wasn't prepared.

Just playing on my phone!!

 

[bumbershoot]

I'm starting to think that we should pull out of the Disney/Bahamas cruise, and make firm, definite plans for a Pacific Coastal or an Alaska cruise. That way we are always really close to the US or Canada and more *known* healthcare (I don't distrust the hospitals in other countries, I just don't KNOW about them). And there's no flight that has to happen.

So she's still getting the cruise, but without the huge stress of everything else.




I'm finished with the "blink/miss it" report, and I'm thinking I should do this Sherry style, and continue on (with a Table of Contents) to the one mentioned in my ticker, LOL.

No matter what, though, it'll be later, b/c it's time for gymnastics!

 

[kaoden39]

There are some beautiful sights to see. Disney has a cruise that goes down the Pacific coastline from Vancouver to LA. You could do a Disney Cruise/Disneyland trip instead.



Have fun at gymnastics.

 

[bumbershoot]

I noticed that micechat had a big group going on one this month. I was so jealous that I couldn't go on it, but obviously now it's best that we hadn't booked that.

This whole thing also made me wish I'd booked a QUICK (and cheap!) cruise on Holland this May going from Vancouver to Seattle. Seemed like fun, and so so so cheap, but I didn't want to "waste" the money since we had the Feb plans.

I'm not sad for me here, but for my MIL...and I cannot even tell you how weird that feels! I'm sure Shannon, should she ever come back, would understand that feeling! I really shocked myself with my tears while calling 911 that day (shocked poor Eamon, too...but then he was told to listen to my MP3 player, LOUD, and it happened to be on Lily Allen's music, which isn't so much appropriate for a kid! and so the shocks continued for him, oh dear).

 

[kaoden39]

I was looking at cruises that leave from San Francisco. I would love a little short jaunt to like Vancouver or Seattle and then a return back on the ship. I haven't managed to find a round trip cruise that travels that route.



I hope you are able to work out a way to take your MIL on a cruise so that she can enjoy it.

 

[bumbershoot]

I was looking at cruises that leave from San Francisco. I would love a little short jaunt to like Vancouver or Seattle and then a return back on the ship. I haven't managed to find a round trip cruise that travels that route.



I hope you are able to work out a way to take your MIL on a cruise so that she can enjoy it.

I'm not sure that any of them go back and forth, but as it gets closer, check out the May and September coastal trips on Holland America Line. Well, who knows if we'll see the same itineraries or the same prices, but they were very reasonable for this year.



Ach, too much time spent in hospitals, around nurses, and yesterday, at a medical center with MIL has caught up with me! Over the last 6 hours a cold has caught me, sunk its little fangs into me, and won't let go! My throat is so sore, ouchie, and the sneezes are not helping it one little bit! This is the kind of nasty FAST cold that makes even me seek out the OTC western drugs, but I think I dumped 'em all a few months back. Dagnabit! Here I am, just me and E (Robert's on a trip until mid-next-week, darn him), and I do not want to sneeze and whine all night! Harumph.

Even worse, tomorrow is MIL's second Home Health visit, and I have committed to be there. Maybe I'll be there, but wait in the hallway. Or get a face mask. She really doesn't need to be sick on top of everything else. Then again, maybe she gave it to me. She was really really REALLY tired yesterday, after all.

Ah, the fave part of illness...singing "I feel icky, oh so icky"...

And on top of that, the last two early mornings have been highly disturbed by really cruddy dreams. Falling off of bridges two days ago, and this morning awoken by full on physical awareness (or what I thought was actual awareness) of a poisonous snake behind my head. My skin was crawling; it truly felt like something was there. Waking up was terrifying! And, of course, nothing there. Jeez, I live in a condo; would be hard for a Black Mamba to get in to my place. (but I'd been reading a short story where those snakes were mentioned a few nights ago)

Anyway, long story short (ha!), both sets of dreams supposedly mean change, transition, and that sort of thing. MIL's mom used to say that dreaming of falling off bridges (I was not aware that this sort of dream would have featured so prominently in rural Korea to the point where MIL would actually remember this?) means "growth", which is pretty much what the dream websites say!

I know, I know...other peoples' dreams are the most boring thing on earth to talk about, but I thought that the meanings, and how a rural-born Korean woman would know just what bridge dreams would mean, were something to think about.


If I'm feeling up to it tomorrow, I'll get in to this upcoming trip.



ETA, yikes! I described this cold as having sunk its fangs into me? In light of those dreams this morning, eek!

 

[kaoden39]

I don't remember what I dream. I am not sure why, except that I never sleep very deeply. Its odd but that is the way I am. Scotty has vivid dreams, and always remembers them.


We are postponing our trip for a while. We had a few of those pesky home expenses that couldn't wait. Like a broken front door. We cannot survive without that for sure.

 

[bumbershoot]

We are postponing our trip for a while. We had a few of those pesky home expenses that couldn't wait. Like a broken front door. We cannot survive without that for sure.

Oh no! Dang, I'm sorry.

 

[kaoden39]

Thank you Molly. I am a believer in sometimes things happen and this is one of them. We'll go back, Disneyland will be there for a long time. I also wasn't really comfortable with leaving Kacy at home by herself.



How are you feeling? How is your MIL?

 

[bumbershoot]

Good point about Kacy.

I feel like crud. E was supposed to test tonight to get the belt-level above white for Aikido, but we can't do that. And we'll be gone the next two Fridays. So that is not fun at all. Having to miss stuff (or delay exciting stuff) is just the bad icing on the yucky cake when you feel cruddy!

I'm not sure about MIL. I think she's having some memory issues that she's hiding, but then we were sort of thinking that before all of this. So honestly I'm not sure what to do.

And they are playing around with her warfarin dose (which is normal, but try to convince her of that one!). BIL's ex-partner (grr) is helping out (yay, but still, hate him!) which is great, BUT he's messing around in things he doesn't know about. The anticoagulation clinic, her primary guy, and her cardiologist still want her taking one baby aspirin a day. And he told her that it was wrong, that she can't take it.

I get WHY he said it, but I'm the clearinghouse here, people. This was fully accepted when I was hauling myself and my kid around, staying at the hospital for 8 hours per day, taking notes, keeping track of everything and arranging for her to be transported to the hospital with the neurological ICU, but NOW we're not taking me into account, or aren't thinking that I"m still "the man"? Oh no. No no no.

(oh, and he's only stopping by because her place is on the way to and from work...he's not going out of his way.)

And omg trust me, I KNOW that taking aspirin and warfarin together is scary. I'm the one who has had to explain the discharge orders 18million times. When she was first discharged it was "take the old pill of 325mg until her levels are between 2 and 3"...when she was discharged the last time it was "take baby aspirin"...and they would only read the FIRST notes and freak out. This happened so many more times than once...even the pharmacy refused to give her more than 3 warfarin pills until they could talk to the doctor...the doctor who had his name all over the discharge paperwork. I know that this is not the norm. But she has complicated issues.

Not to mention, warfarin was the cause of my mom's death. I KNOW that this is scary. But this is what her care providers want right now, and if people have questions, they need to talk to the clearinghouse!

Grr.

I was too sick to get annoyed at the ex yesterday on the phone (plus he's oddly soothing on the phone, which is unexpected) so it's all coming out now.


Rotten time for DH to be on the road, I tell you, rotten.

 

[Rainforest_Elf]

The pirate singers had a kid!

Gosh I wonder who the boy is related to?

Listening to them was fun, as usual.

Oh my gosh, how CUTE!!! I remember that pirate from my trip 4 years ago! Glad to see he's still doing his pirate thing.

I looked for the pirate singers again this year on my trip, but didn't ever run across them. AH well.

Might be a bit late to your trip report, but I'm lovin' it!

 

[kaoden39]

Molly, I hope you feel better. I started coming down with a nasty one myself.


I thought BIL and ex were back together again? I could be confused. He needs to stop meddling darn it!

 

[bumbershoot]

Hi Elf!


Michele, they are roommates, but not together. BIL has a new love (well, they have been together for a year now) and he lives there, too. One of the things that came out during the health crises was that the ex is around because BIL made a promise to ex's mom on her deathbed that he would take care of him. Which is so nice and kind and supersweet, except that they are exes b/c ex broke BIL's wittle heart and stomped on it and left the state and took money and cars and a boat and everything else that was in his name AND stole from MIL/FIL (and lost the duplex/house that they all went in on that MIL had put a HUGE cash downpayment on, because he kept their checks and stopped paying the mortgage*), and did all of that while the family was at a party for one of E's cousins.



*which we found out while going through FIL's paperwork after FIL's death.

 

[princesscinderella]

Hi Elf!

Michele, they are roommates, but not together. BIL has a new love (well, they have been together for a year now) and he lives there, too. One of the things that came out during the health crises was that the ex is around because BIL made a promise to ex's mom on her deathbed that he would take care of him. Which is so nice and kind and supersweet, except that they are exes b/c ex broke BIL's wittle heart and stomped on it and left the state and took money and cars and a boat and everything else that was in his name AND stole from MIL/FIL (and lost the duplex/house that they all went in on that MIL had put a HUGE cash downpayment on, because he kept their checks and stopped paying the mortgage*), and did all of that while the family was at a party for one of E's cousins.

*which we found out while going through FIL's paperwork after FIL's death.

Omg that sounds like a lifetime movie....

 

[kaoden39]

Molly, that is an awkward situation for sure. I couldn't live like that, and while I am at it I think that Ex is an interesting individual. If I did what he did I wouldn't go back because I could not face people that I treated like that.


Princess Cinderella, you had me laughing!

 

[bumbershoot]

Omg that sounds like a lifetime movie....

We thought we were in one there for awhile. FIL dying was so so awful for soooo many reasons, and then to find all this stuff out afterwards was like another death.

If I did what he did I wouldn't go back because I could not face people that I treated like that.

When we found out he was back (and we didn't know his "status") we nearly went ballistic. I mean, sure, he help out MIL all he can, because he OWES it to her. But on the other hand, the ex losing the house was part of the house of cards falling over that seemed to lead to FIL's illness etc etc etc.

I should re-find all the paperwork, document it, and then started talking in depth about it in public. (get the paperwork sorted so I can prove it, so I'm not hit with libel charges, LOL)



Today would have been my mom's birthday. Happy Birthday mumsy!

And today is the day my MIL had her first coumadin-related nosebleed. She called immediately to tell me, which was very very good of her to do.


And I still haven't found the mental energy to rename this thread or to get started on the quick pre-trip stuff! And I can't right now, as I need to stand up and start cleaning things up, in honor of my neatfreak, Virgo, mom.

 

[kaoden39]

Wow! I really wouldn't come back. Of course I never would have done anything like that. You really should get all of the documentation together and go for it.


I am waiting on Kaiser to call me back. I have a migraine and I need a shot or I will be bed ridden. I hate waiting.

 

[bumbershoot]

I've heard such weird things about Kaiser. Why do you have to call then hear back, in order to get your migraine medication? Seems to be a weird way for them to do things.


*************
I cleared off the "extra" desk (my old desk that I grew tired of and replaced before getting rid of it) and then my aunt (mom's sister) called. So I figure that's enough cleaning, LOL.

 

[bumbershoot]

AP prices are crazy. Tickets don't go long enough to make us happy. When will we be able to go to Disneyland again?


The answer to that question will be unanswered until, well, until we go again. For now, though, it feels like a big mystery.


Our upcoming trip is a nice long one, that feels incredibly stressful given the MIL situation. But let's try to put that aside for right now, and just try to enjoy the long stay.

Maybe the title of this should be "multiplication is painful". Because a GREAT rate at the DLH through the Gay Days convention site becomes frightening when you multiply it by several days. Whimper. And they don't even charge a deposit, so it's ALL due when we get there. Yikes.


We don't have a lot planned. Things will get more planned in this upcoming week. It's possible we might get bored on this trip (a first!). I hope we get a lot of swimming accomplished.

So far:

28th: fly in the evening. get rental car. drive to some hotel. sleep there.

29th: wake up at some point before checkout. ignore the fact that it's the last day of the *special* onsite guest DCA early entry and don't make ourselves insane getting to a park (because they've changed Sunday Magic Morning to DCA, therefore, no need to stress). move over to DLH. have fun!

30th. 1st. 2nd. 3rd. 4th. have fun.

5th. sleep in. have late breakfast at Goofy's Kitchen. swim. relax. swim. around 3, get ready. go to pirate's league, and 2 of us will have our faces done (E wants it to be him and R. R doesn't want his face painted. I'm the default, I guess, if R really doesn't want to do it.) enjoy the halloween party!

6th. have fun.

7th. have fun, check out of DLH, check in to some other hotel.

8th. fly out in the afternoon.



Wow that's a long trip.


I plan to wear my heart rate monitor for quite a lot of each day, just to see the calories burned. Maybe I should quickly order new batteries for it!



We've played with the idea of seeing if they have upgrades to concierge available, but putting a price on that is hard. Water is a good thing, but then, we really don't love Dasani water. The fruit is nice, the beer is nice, and sometimes they have decent snacks. Those things are relatively easy to price out, and IF we were going to get Dasanis from Disney at those prices it would easily be worth a higher cost, but since we'll have the car (and associated parking fees, eek) and the ability to get tastier water elsewhere, the value is lower.

But it's hard to put a price on access to that lounge, that's for sure! And the board games and the movie rentals....not to mention just having a DVD player in the room. Robert and I really have to have a conversation of what upcharge would be worth it. That's IF it's available, which I really really doubt given the sold-out status of the onsite hotels.


So that's this trip in a nutshell.