Sudokuaholics Anonymous 9A

Cyn, please pass on my best wishes to Karin. You must have been a child bride to have a daughter that age.
Karin

I look like I'm repeating Cyn's previous post but I hadn't updated my page.
I really should be working. I will return. Threat or promise - you choose.

My birthday wishes to both you and Karin, CynB.

Cyn, wish Karin a happy birthday for me also.
I am reading the posts about cleaning out parent's houses and that is what my brother and I are starting. He wants the garage space to store his new jet ski. I just want to start dealing with it now when I can think, rather than wait until I am "forced" to and not be in the mood to deal with it. We made a dent and will keep working on it slowly. Luckily the cool weather will be here soon making it easier.

I am enjoying the comparison of prices. Here are some of the prices I am paying and the Australian conversion, at least approximately.
Gallon of gas: $2.69 US 2.80 Aus
Gallon of milk 3.39 US 3.53 Aus
Movie ticket 9.00 US 9.37 Aus

I guess right now the US and Aus dollars are similar. I don't know the average rent and my mortgage is kind of low. I bought 14 years ago and got a really good price.

Hubby's turn, am I next???

Suzy, I'm afraid to ask.

Suzy, hubby's turn for what??? Are you talking about being sick. First Ally, now hubby?

Victoria...
Your Mother and Mine... must be IDENTICAL TWINS !!!!!
Hugs and ♥, we need that, just to keep our sainity, as we cope with an ageing Parent.
My stress level rose after one phone call late yesterday afternoon, and that was to my Mother, and I was so relaxed after the Long Weekend Away !!

Happy birthday to Karin.

I don't want to even think about 'packing up' Mum's house way tooo much of everything !!

Good to see you back Rolanda. Hope the trip was wongerful.

sending (((((HUGS))))) and lots of ♥ to all and Sundry

Hey Tami, yes the weekend away twas vewy noice!! We love spending time in the new Caravan. Our next getaway will be for 6 days in 3 weeks.

Have Mondaymorningitis this morning, I know it is Tuesday...
!yalp dna kcab emoc nac I renoos eht hsinif I renoos eht trats I renoos eht gninaelc sdeen ylsuoires taht esuoh a evah I

Later Aligaters

Thanks for the birthday wishes for Karin, I will pass them on to her.
Rolanda - glad your weekend away was nice - looked lovely in the pics you posted on FB.
While we're all complaining about cleaning out our parents houses, just stop and think about how you would like to pack up your own home and move!! When we moved here, nearly 8 years ago, we culled so much of our 'junk'. There was more storage space here and I had empty cupboards - but not for long, We've managed to fill everything up - including stuff from both lots of parents. We think we'll just stay here until we die or are 'non compus mentus' and leave it to the kids to sort. Hehehe! I believe in paying it forward.

Cyn, hubby and I just cleaned out a junk closet. We took out everything and made three piles: sell at garage sell, throw away, and put back in closet. Not much actually went back in closet.

30 minutes to play! I've finally got all the rubbish out of Ebob's room - boy have we argued about that and boy does it look bare. It will look better when I put the curtains back up, the paint on them will be hidden by the bed... In the meantime I have sprayed foaming carpet cleaner all over the place, including the hall. Drat and darn, I can't walk on it until it is dry so have to take a break :-)

Yes, hubby is feeling sick. Not quite as sick as Ally was yet, but sick enough to leave work. I kind of nagged him about that. I told him that if he was getting it he was probably contagious and they wouldn't thank him for staying.

Forgot to ask, has anyone else ever used foaming carpet cleaner? This is a first for me and I am hoping for miracles...

Suzy, I can't help with that. We have timber or tiles mostly. Only 2 rooms with carpet and they are barely used.

Paint on the curtains?????

I've used about every type of carpet cleaner imaginable. I find that the foaming stuff with Oxy works best. I can get blood and kool-ade up with that. I've never tried dried paint, that I can recall.

Suzy.... are you turning Ebob's room into a guest room, or something else?

Heidi, that's what my mother suggested and I was tempted. For now I have just cleaned it up as much as I could without throwing away all of her stuff. I threw away stuff, but not good stuff. She will get a shock when she sees it on Thursday as it is.

Hubby wants to move Ally into there, knock out the wall between Ally's and our room and make our room bigger. I think he might be jumping the gun a little there....

MIL rant follows -
#1 son rang his grandmother on Sunday to tell her he was coming over to visit with his girl. Happy Grandma.... but she wanted to talk to my hubby. Phone conversation ends with MIL in tears hanging up and one rageing hubby (he had been very calm while speaking to her). Oh and Grandma doesn't want #1 and girl to visit.
Yesterday MIL rings me. Her biggest problem is that she can no longer see to operate the dials on the washing machines or dryer. No problem, says I, either we can bring the washing home or we can put it on to wash while we are there. Problem sorted - just ask - don't stress!
Second problem - her prescriptions. Everytime someone visits we end up sorting them out and telling her that she has plenty of her medication. The girl at the pharmacy even suggested that they hold them and send her new meds when she needed them. All of this was forgotten and that was part of the problem on Sunday.
Oh and she really had wanted #1 and girl to visit. Well, why did you say not to come!

She has been talking about needing to go to a nursing home - she is currently in assisted living where they clean, provide meals and wash her linen. She needs to be assessed to even be considered for a nursing home. She now tells me she has her name down for some sort of assesment (she's not certain what sort) but doesn't want to go to a nursing home. However,if she is assessed they may be able to provide more help for her in her unit.
The problems flip and change depending on who she is talking to and what day of the week it is.
One day she hates where she lives and the next day it is ok. I understand that she is old, she doesn't see very well but we try our hardest to make life as easy as possible for her - and then she takes out all her frustrations on hubby! NOT FAIR!!
She is so used to getting her own way and being in control of her situation (and having someone to boss around all the time) that she has managed to get herself alternately stressed with high blood pressure or depressed and teary. Hubby says if she continues like this she will stress herself into a stroke or heart attack.

We really try but sometimes it would be easier to beat your head against a block wall.

Suzy,
I think your hubby may be a little bit too quick there. I'd wait until the end of the year at least. Girls are notoriously fickle. I know you said you didn't think she would be back but if the door is open (and her room is still there) who knows what might happen.

Yes.. it is easier to beat your head against a brick wall!!!

Victoria.. sounds like Aged Care Assestment Team...
One needs to be assessed by them to get the extra help, and to be placed into Low Care or High Care Facility, so you can put parent name on the list, and hope when the time comes 'they' the aged parent is willing to go in,if not, their names go back on the bottom of the list..
BTW.. the Aged Care Assessment only lasts for 12 months, then you have to have them assessed all over again.......

Suzy, I wouldn't be changing that room anytime soon..
You all need time to settle and calm down and come to terms with what has happened, before any 'changes' are made, be it Ally's room or wall removed etc..

Mind you Victoria, as she is already in a care facility.. sounds like she just needs the assessment team to get her into High Care...

I am the one, that gets the grrrrr messages, be it my Mother or the SIL having a go at me, because I am so incapable of doing anything right ( sigh ), but am good enough to do ALL the running around, without assistance, be it Doc/Specialist Appts, other medical appointments, filling out paperwork, after hospital care etc etc etc.....

Yuck yuck yuck yuck!!!!! Don't tell the neighbours it's our fault!!!

Hubby has been doing some digging outside to find out where our plumbing is leaking. He found it when a plumber didn't bother, but in the meantime he also discovered that the sewer system was 80% blocked at the council owned manhole. Seeing as how he has many connections in that part of council ;-) he called it in and they said they would come out today and take care of it.

Did you know that when you blow high pressure water down a sewer line it messes with the air traps that keep the sewerage smell out of your house????

So although we didn't actually block the line, we did call in the smell-makers... BTW, when that happens, flush your toilets and run water in your sinks. It resets the air trap somehow.

Suzy - I agree with everyone - don't change things too much, she could be back and sooner than you think - remember just who she is living with!!
Rolanda - by the sounds of it you do everything you can for your Mum and the rest of the family (well, SIL) has no right to criticise you unless they are prepared to pull their weight and share the load!! The cheek!! With your Mum it's different, elderly parents often criticise the ones who are helping them out of sheer frustration at the situation they find themselves in.

Victoria, that was a lose lose lose lose couple of days. I was going to say that I hope it has settled down, but from everything I'm reading in here I should probably be wishing you strength, patience, and a broken phone line. Hugs!

Rolanda, a few sarcastic comments about, for example, them coming over to clean your toilet since you are obviously so useless you can't even do little things right might get your message across. My mother is improving after a few pointed jibes made by me. I think your SIL is a lost cause but at least the sarcasm might make you feel better. Hugs to you too!

Suzy - someone must have done that around here because we were having so much trouble with a smelly drains in our dual kitchen sink. Col pulled it all apart, cleaned out the pipes and S-bend - nothing worked. Finally after 2 litres vinegar and 1 huge packet of bi-carb bubbling in there, it's been good. Then a neighbour mentions they are having the same trouble too!!?? Funnily enough, our bathrooms, toilets and laundry were OK.

Good Evening, Friends! I am so sorry I was AWOL yesterday for most of the day! I see I have at least 4 pages to read, so let's get to it!

Hi, Tami, Equanimous, CynB, Gail, eaa, Broni, Theresa, V Viv, Heidi, MizTricia, and June!

Tami, I hope you found lots for the sale at your Mom's house and yours! It's always nice to move unused and unwanted things from your house, especially if you can get paid something for them! Please tell Bobbi and Bernie Hello!

Cyn, thanks for reminding us to remember Ally and Mr. Suzy when we are thinking of Equanimous! Thinking of grandies growing up can certainly be bittersweet. The last time we saw our grandies, the oldest (will be 5 in November) said, "Maybe someday I can come to your house, Grandma." I told her I hope so! They live MANY states away, so it's highly unlikely that she'll be able to come by herself for a visit any time soon, and it's a major undertaking to travel that far with 3 little ones. That's why we visit as often as we can!

Suzy, thinking of you, hubby and Ally! Sending lots of positive vibes, prayers, {{{{{HUGS}}}}} and ! I hope Ally is physically feeling better! Gail's suggestion for some counseling might be a good idea for the entire family, as you are all impacted!

eaa, thank you for sharing your thoughts on friendship and building bridges! They seem particularly appropriate here!

Viv, I am SO sorry you had to pull out of the play. While it is so undeniably unfair, it is also completely understandable. You have to do what you have to do. You know your situation better than we do and don't want it to end up compromising your health. In the meantime, is there something you can do for yourself that wouldn't involve the use of petrol? In the meantime, your son needs to learn better ways of relating to women and that women are NOT second class citizens! it must be so hard for you! Sending loads of positive vibes, prayers, {{{{{HUGS}}}}} and to you!

Suzy, I just checked out the youtube of "According to You!" Great song! Thanks!

Heidi, I'm sorry IH was his typical inconsiderate self and didn't let you know his plans - until the day AFTER he said he would be home.

Tami, OMG, you have been dealing with that for a year and not shared with all of us! Wow, talk about a strong woman! We certainly have a lot of them here! Sending tons of positive vibes, prayers, {{{{{HUGS}}}}} and for you and all of your family! What a lot of stress for all of you to deal with, including last year's Hanukkah, Mitchell's Bar Mitzvah, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur! Even keeping the boys in baseball must be a struggle - but an attempt to keep things as normal as possible! I hope something good will develop soon for you and your family! Did I mention what strong women we have on this site?

Heidi, I had assumed that IH wasn't much of a contributor, but I can hardly believe

Part 2 of that post:

Heidi, I had assumed that IH wasn't much of a contributor, but I can hardly believe his miniscule contribution! At the risk of repeating myself, there are a lot of strong women on SA9A!

June, I hope you finally got some sleep before you had to get up and finish preparations for your holiday! You mentioned that Viv is an incredible woman. I would say, "It takes one to know one." Enjoy your holiday! Positive vibes, prayers, {{{{{HUGS}}}}} and to you and your family and friend!

And now on to page 362.

**Funny Mum story - NOT funny at the time!**
In 2006 when Mum was living in low care, my niece Amy got married up in Toowoomba - 100km or more west of Brisbane, up in the ranges. Mum decided not to go, which was a relief because it would be a long drive there and back and a long day up there. We reminded her that no-one would be home and not to try to call us, even left notes by her phone. We all got home (Bro, Sis, Karin other family and I) to varying numbers of increasingly abusive messages in our message banks. I had 27!! By the end of them - she never wanted to see me again, I was the worst possible daughter anyone could ever have and the most irresponsible person she had ever met.
We can laugh now, but at the time, we were all crushed by the venom that came out.
The next morning, she never remembered it happened!!

Suzy, I wish it was as simple as that.. it will only backfire..
my ranting and raving achieves nothing, trust me...........
I say nothing now, I just converse with my Sister, and we grrr together about things !!!!

Hi Julie, I would say it takes a strong woman to know a strong woman...

Ally has started talking about Ebob and the whole thing - finally! It seems to have helped too. I'm going to keep watching though as it was only last night so it is early days yet.

Cyn, it really only affected the toilets and bathroom here just now. I did run water in the kitchen sink though just in case. I was not a happy camper since I had just sprayed noice smelling carpet cleaner all down the hall!!!

I should have said that my sister and I both rang her twice from Toowoomba! My brother didn't but he was father os the bride and busy.

Hubby and I jokingly say we are moving to W.A. It's as far away from Brisbane as it's possible to get without leaving Australia. Mind you if we moved the mothers would come too!
There's just no escape.